The clicking of heels, laughter and music boomed and echoed from the auditorium, the Danca-a-mania officially haven been started.
"Finally they leave,"
Zoro said lightly. The girl turned her head to look at him in surprise, and then turned back to flare in embarrassment at the look of concentration he had on his face. A minute later, he finished, and tied the upper part in a ribbon before patting her shoulder.
"There. You can get up now."
She slowly stood up, holding her handbag loosely over an elbow before she stumbled and fell into Zoro. He caught her easily, and helped her stand.
"Are you okay yet?"
He asked her as she shadowed her eyes, still shaking like mad.
"I will be."
She began, when footsteps echoed extremely loudly behind them.
"Zoro?"
It called out,
"You there?"
Zoro's face drained of colour as he recognised the jolly voice of the dean.
"Oh hell,"
He muttered, knowing that leaving now would only make their backs clearly visible to Mr. Harrison. Then his eyes spied the 'BACKSTAGE' sign just at side door directly to their right. Deciding that the girl before him wasn't in the dancing mood either - at least, not at the moment, he grabbed her hand, and walked quickly over to the backstage door. Hoping to dear God it wasn't locked, he pressed his fingers firmly around the door handle, and turned.
It opened.
"Thank God!!"
He mumbled, pulling the door open and throwing the girl in before himself, then shutting the door with a snap not a moment too soon. He pressed his ear against the door, and heard the dean's footsteps just at the door. He held his breath. Then Mr. Harrison simply sighed and walked away, his fading footsteps only too gladly heard by Zoro.
Nami loved dancing.
That was why she just loved the Dance-a-mania they held each dinner dance, and she was having the time of her life being whirled partner to partner. Laughing as she was passed her and there, the multicoloured lights swirling rainbows for her as she spun, she passed onto her next partner without much thought.
When her chest contracted, however, she knew. He looked at her in surprise, her hands and his together, but not dancing.
"Oh."
She said, her radiance draining out of her. Carefully avoiding eye-contact with her, he gracefully pulled her to him, and swept off with her in rhythm to the music. Reluctantly, Nami followed, and started to dance with him.
She had to admit, he was one of the best dancers she had ever met. He was humming with the music as she spun her around, and for a split second, she saw a flicker of his face come into view - and it was an expression of pure bliss. She was used to it, as though she'd seen it many times before... which she hadn't. Weird.
The way he was holding her hands and her hips made her feel lightweight and... how could she put it... precious? He seemed to be taking extra care not to touch her in any way that might hurt her - but the way he was carefully 'handling' her was strangely so familiar, but Nami couldn't place for the life of her when she had ever felt like this before...
Time seemed to screech to a sudden halt, and as Nami blinked in confusion, the brightly coloured lights faded into a dark-mauve sky scattered with sparkling stars. The music grew quiet, blending from its dance pop into silence. Coloured flags were flapping in a cool breeze Nami couldn't feel, yet she anticipated.
Before her, a young blonde man looked down at her - Sandy White, the model... One his face, he had the look of pure bliss etched across his face as he stepped in time with her, a cigarette hanging from the edge of his lips. He grinned as she gave a half-turn that mirrored his perfectly.
Sound returned in a rush, a cheerful celebratory burst of song, and the blonde smiled happily at her as he exclaimed,
"Nami-san, you're wonderful at dancing!!"
She blinked, her eyes meeting the same happy eyes. The clear skies and bright colours behind him, however, drained into dullness with a snap. She slowly looked left and right, unfamiliar people and surroundings greeting her, and looking up, she saw projections of colourful lights. Where am I? She wondered.
Looking at the young man before her, she recognised him with relief. Where am I? What are we doing here? She wanted to ask so many things to the cook, but she noticed something was weird with his eyes. His eyebrows, she noticed, they're...
She lifted a hand up, her eyes confused and surprised as she brought her fingers to his brow. Her fingertips traced his eyebrow, and at the end, curled a spiral where there was none.
"Sanji-kun, what happened to your eyebrow?"
She asked curiously. As soon as she asked, she forgot why she had. One moment, she had been questioning and curious - the next, quite strangely empty... Empty to the core. She blinked in confusion, dance pop blaring out of the speakers and students laughing and dancing in flurried colours around her.
Something had just happened - she was sure of it... something didn't fit, because when she looked at the model before her again, he looked so startled his eyes were wide open.
She had just called him Sanji. Why on earth had she called Sandy White Sanji? Nami had absolutely no idea. And his eyebrow?! I am so demented, she thought, but she was finding it difficult to tear her eyes away from his.
He seemed to want to ask her something, but his mouth appeared to be malfunctioning. He seemed lost for words as he searched her eyes. Nami finally managed to turn her gaze from him, equally confused.
Their minute completed, Nami was swung around to meet her next partner. But as she danced, she involuntarily craned her neck back to catch a glimpse of the blonde again. However, he was lost among the many heads of the students.
For the first time since she had met the blonde model, she felt regret seep through her unpleasantly.
"All set, you lil rascals?"
Yelled Buggy.
"Like never, cap'n Buggy!"
Shouted his multi-coloured gang in response, white-crossbones glowing from their foreheads and arms.
"Ready to go?"
Krow drawled.
"Yes!!!"
His gang screamed, punching black-gloved fists into the air as their engines revved.
"You all know what to do, don't you?"
Krieg smirked as his crew let out a simultaneous cry of rushing adrenaline.
"Great. Let's go and give them hell."
Krieg grinned widely as everyone let out a great shout of agreement, then gave the signal before ripping off from the shadows onto the gravel. All fifty people followed suit, tyres squealing loudly before setting off with a roar, their maniacal laughter echoing.
"Phew."
He breathed in relief, then turned his attention to the girl. She looked startled, but otherwise fine.
"Sorry,"
Zoro apologised,
"I don't dance."
"I don't really want to either."
She agreed. Then after a pause, she added,
"Thanks."
He waved away her gratitude, shaking his head.
"What was up with those girls anyway?"
He asked. She looked at him, and Zoro got the feeling that she was judging whether she should tell him or not. Then she seemed to relent, and switching on the light, she found a chair and sat. Zoro hitched himself up onto a desk next to her.
"A year and a half ago."
She began, and Zoro let out a low whistle.
"You've allowed yourself to be bashed for that long?"
He commented bluntly. She looked at him in a stunned sort of way before letting out a low chuckle as she murmured,
"I guess."
Then she continued,
"Jenna - that's the girl, you know, long hair with highlights - she was going out with Smok-- well, this guy. And... well, he just broke up with her abruptly, saying he liked another girl, and... yeah, you can guess who that girl was."
"You must've been flattered."
"I was, actually, but we only dated a month before he left to another university. I don't even know where he is now."
She sighed, leaning back in her chair.
"After that, it's been hell for me. Well, I can only suppose Jenna really liked Smoker."
"Why don't you do anything back?"
Zoro asked, not bothering to ask why she didn't 'tell'. This sort of thing wasn't something, in Zoro's opinion, that a teacher could do anything about - or should do anything about. It was something the girl had to do herself. It was a wonder, though, that they hadn't noticed.
"What can I do back?"
She asked, wiping her glasses on her dress and cursing under her breath to find the glass at one lens cracked severely. Zoro decided not to tell her he had been the one who stepped on it.
"You could resort to violence,"
He suggested. Then they both blinked.
"What?? No way... I-- I couldn't just whack them! I'd get in really bad trouble just for pushing them--"
"Okay, okay. Sorry - I don't know why I suggested that,"
Zoro admitted truthfully. Why on Earth had he suggested resorting to violence? He didn't had a particular fondness for violence...
"What happened just now?"
He asked, steering the subject to another area. She was silent for a moment, before hugging her knees to her chest, sighing.
"I was asked out for a date."
She murmured.
"There's this guy called Jonathan. I thought he was someone I could trust, and I even came here... all 'dressed up',"
She spat the last two words out angrily, and slammed a fist onto the table with surprising force. Then she calmed down, pressing her forehead onto the table.
"I was a fool."
She whispered.
"He stood me up, and I let the girls go bonkers. I was a true fool to believe him."
"It's your fault, you know,"
Zoro commented, snapping her head up in shock,
"You're the one who cowered behind a boy for protection."
She froze. Her chocolate eyes met his in an uncertain, yet curious manner.
"What's your name?"
She asked.
"Zoro,"
He answered,
"Yours?"
"Tashigi."
She replied, and Zoro saw newfound respect in her eyes when she looked at him again. She smiled at him, and opened her mouth to say something, when something happened.
**CRASH**
"YEEEEE-----HAAAAA!!!!!"
Screams and cries of shock sounded, and the crashing of tables and clanging of metal chair legs were heard. Screeching and squealing of tyres and extremely loud yelling was heard.
Both university students stared at scarlet curtains hiding the backstage from the main stage, towards the auditorium. Cries of distress and an undecipherable hollering of the dean came, but it was drowned out by the roar of engines and screaming voices.
"What the hell is going on?"
Zoro asked Tashigi with a raised eyebrow. She looked at him, her face mirroring his expression of confusion and surprise, and shook her head.
"I don't know."
Cautiously, Zoro stood up, and walked towards the curtains. He carefully slipped a hand around one opening and pushed it aside.
Holding his breath, he peered through to take a look at the havoc.
I'm going to Korea, away from my computer. ^^;; So... I might type up a chapter there, though it will require lots of begging... Anyways. I hope this isn't much of a cliffhanger. Actually, I'm sure it isn't. ^^;; And I'm glad I seem to have been forgiven for my horrible deed to Tashigi. XD Okay... now, I have figured out the whole plot line, so I know how many chaps there should be now. Not even halfway through, though. O.o;; Oh well. And Luffy appears before halfway, let me assure you... ^^;; Thanks for reviewing, guys; it really makes my day to read 'em. ^^*
"Finally they leave,"
Zoro said lightly. The girl turned her head to look at him in surprise, and then turned back to flare in embarrassment at the look of concentration he had on his face. A minute later, he finished, and tied the upper part in a ribbon before patting her shoulder.
"There. You can get up now."
She slowly stood up, holding her handbag loosely over an elbow before she stumbled and fell into Zoro. He caught her easily, and helped her stand.
"Are you okay yet?"
He asked her as she shadowed her eyes, still shaking like mad.
"I will be."
She began, when footsteps echoed extremely loudly behind them.
"Zoro?"
It called out,
"You there?"
Zoro's face drained of colour as he recognised the jolly voice of the dean.
"Oh hell,"
He muttered, knowing that leaving now would only make their backs clearly visible to Mr. Harrison. Then his eyes spied the 'BACKSTAGE' sign just at side door directly to their right. Deciding that the girl before him wasn't in the dancing mood either - at least, not at the moment, he grabbed her hand, and walked quickly over to the backstage door. Hoping to dear God it wasn't locked, he pressed his fingers firmly around the door handle, and turned.
It opened.
"Thank God!!"
He mumbled, pulling the door open and throwing the girl in before himself, then shutting the door with a snap not a moment too soon. He pressed his ear against the door, and heard the dean's footsteps just at the door. He held his breath. Then Mr. Harrison simply sighed and walked away, his fading footsteps only too gladly heard by Zoro.
Nami loved dancing.
That was why she just loved the Dance-a-mania they held each dinner dance, and she was having the time of her life being whirled partner to partner. Laughing as she was passed her and there, the multicoloured lights swirling rainbows for her as she spun, she passed onto her next partner without much thought.
When her chest contracted, however, she knew. He looked at her in surprise, her hands and his together, but not dancing.
"Oh."
She said, her radiance draining out of her. Carefully avoiding eye-contact with her, he gracefully pulled her to him, and swept off with her in rhythm to the music. Reluctantly, Nami followed, and started to dance with him.
She had to admit, he was one of the best dancers she had ever met. He was humming with the music as she spun her around, and for a split second, she saw a flicker of his face come into view - and it was an expression of pure bliss. She was used to it, as though she'd seen it many times before... which she hadn't. Weird.
The way he was holding her hands and her hips made her feel lightweight and... how could she put it... precious? He seemed to be taking extra care not to touch her in any way that might hurt her - but the way he was carefully 'handling' her was strangely so familiar, but Nami couldn't place for the life of her when she had ever felt like this before...
Time seemed to screech to a sudden halt, and as Nami blinked in confusion, the brightly coloured lights faded into a dark-mauve sky scattered with sparkling stars. The music grew quiet, blending from its dance pop into silence. Coloured flags were flapping in a cool breeze Nami couldn't feel, yet she anticipated.
Before her, a young blonde man looked down at her - Sandy White, the model... One his face, he had the look of pure bliss etched across his face as he stepped in time with her, a cigarette hanging from the edge of his lips. He grinned as she gave a half-turn that mirrored his perfectly.
Sound returned in a rush, a cheerful celebratory burst of song, and the blonde smiled happily at her as he exclaimed,
"Nami-san, you're wonderful at dancing!!"
She blinked, her eyes meeting the same happy eyes. The clear skies and bright colours behind him, however, drained into dullness with a snap. She slowly looked left and right, unfamiliar people and surroundings greeting her, and looking up, she saw projections of colourful lights. Where am I? She wondered.
Looking at the young man before her, she recognised him with relief. Where am I? What are we doing here? She wanted to ask so many things to the cook, but she noticed something was weird with his eyes. His eyebrows, she noticed, they're...
She lifted a hand up, her eyes confused and surprised as she brought her fingers to his brow. Her fingertips traced his eyebrow, and at the end, curled a spiral where there was none.
"Sanji-kun, what happened to your eyebrow?"
She asked curiously. As soon as she asked, she forgot why she had. One moment, she had been questioning and curious - the next, quite strangely empty... Empty to the core. She blinked in confusion, dance pop blaring out of the speakers and students laughing and dancing in flurried colours around her.
Something had just happened - she was sure of it... something didn't fit, because when she looked at the model before her again, he looked so startled his eyes were wide open.
She had just called him Sanji. Why on earth had she called Sandy White Sanji? Nami had absolutely no idea. And his eyebrow?! I am so demented, she thought, but she was finding it difficult to tear her eyes away from his.
He seemed to want to ask her something, but his mouth appeared to be malfunctioning. He seemed lost for words as he searched her eyes. Nami finally managed to turn her gaze from him, equally confused.
Their minute completed, Nami was swung around to meet her next partner. But as she danced, she involuntarily craned her neck back to catch a glimpse of the blonde again. However, he was lost among the many heads of the students.
For the first time since she had met the blonde model, she felt regret seep through her unpleasantly.
"All set, you lil rascals?"
Yelled Buggy.
"Like never, cap'n Buggy!"
Shouted his multi-coloured gang in response, white-crossbones glowing from their foreheads and arms.
"Ready to go?"
Krow drawled.
"Yes!!!"
His gang screamed, punching black-gloved fists into the air as their engines revved.
"You all know what to do, don't you?"
Krieg smirked as his crew let out a simultaneous cry of rushing adrenaline.
"Great. Let's go and give them hell."
Krieg grinned widely as everyone let out a great shout of agreement, then gave the signal before ripping off from the shadows onto the gravel. All fifty people followed suit, tyres squealing loudly before setting off with a roar, their maniacal laughter echoing.
"Phew."
He breathed in relief, then turned his attention to the girl. She looked startled, but otherwise fine.
"Sorry,"
Zoro apologised,
"I don't dance."
"I don't really want to either."
She agreed. Then after a pause, she added,
"Thanks."
He waved away her gratitude, shaking his head.
"What was up with those girls anyway?"
He asked. She looked at him, and Zoro got the feeling that she was judging whether she should tell him or not. Then she seemed to relent, and switching on the light, she found a chair and sat. Zoro hitched himself up onto a desk next to her.
"A year and a half ago."
She began, and Zoro let out a low whistle.
"You've allowed yourself to be bashed for that long?"
He commented bluntly. She looked at him in a stunned sort of way before letting out a low chuckle as she murmured,
"I guess."
Then she continued,
"Jenna - that's the girl, you know, long hair with highlights - she was going out with Smok-- well, this guy. And... well, he just broke up with her abruptly, saying he liked another girl, and... yeah, you can guess who that girl was."
"You must've been flattered."
"I was, actually, but we only dated a month before he left to another university. I don't even know where he is now."
She sighed, leaning back in her chair.
"After that, it's been hell for me. Well, I can only suppose Jenna really liked Smoker."
"Why don't you do anything back?"
Zoro asked, not bothering to ask why she didn't 'tell'. This sort of thing wasn't something, in Zoro's opinion, that a teacher could do anything about - or should do anything about. It was something the girl had to do herself. It was a wonder, though, that they hadn't noticed.
"What can I do back?"
She asked, wiping her glasses on her dress and cursing under her breath to find the glass at one lens cracked severely. Zoro decided not to tell her he had been the one who stepped on it.
"You could resort to violence,"
He suggested. Then they both blinked.
"What?? No way... I-- I couldn't just whack them! I'd get in really bad trouble just for pushing them--"
"Okay, okay. Sorry - I don't know why I suggested that,"
Zoro admitted truthfully. Why on Earth had he suggested resorting to violence? He didn't had a particular fondness for violence...
"What happened just now?"
He asked, steering the subject to another area. She was silent for a moment, before hugging her knees to her chest, sighing.
"I was asked out for a date."
She murmured.
"There's this guy called Jonathan. I thought he was someone I could trust, and I even came here... all 'dressed up',"
She spat the last two words out angrily, and slammed a fist onto the table with surprising force. Then she calmed down, pressing her forehead onto the table.
"I was a fool."
She whispered.
"He stood me up, and I let the girls go bonkers. I was a true fool to believe him."
"It's your fault, you know,"
Zoro commented, snapping her head up in shock,
"You're the one who cowered behind a boy for protection."
She froze. Her chocolate eyes met his in an uncertain, yet curious manner.
"What's your name?"
She asked.
"Zoro,"
He answered,
"Yours?"
"Tashigi."
She replied, and Zoro saw newfound respect in her eyes when she looked at him again. She smiled at him, and opened her mouth to say something, when something happened.
**CRASH**
"YEEEEE-----HAAAAA!!!!!"
Screams and cries of shock sounded, and the crashing of tables and clanging of metal chair legs were heard. Screeching and squealing of tyres and extremely loud yelling was heard.
Both university students stared at scarlet curtains hiding the backstage from the main stage, towards the auditorium. Cries of distress and an undecipherable hollering of the dean came, but it was drowned out by the roar of engines and screaming voices.
"What the hell is going on?"
Zoro asked Tashigi with a raised eyebrow. She looked at him, her face mirroring his expression of confusion and surprise, and shook her head.
"I don't know."
Cautiously, Zoro stood up, and walked towards the curtains. He carefully slipped a hand around one opening and pushed it aside.
Holding his breath, he peered through to take a look at the havoc.
I'm going to Korea, away from my computer. ^^;; So... I might type up a chapter there, though it will require lots of begging... Anyways. I hope this isn't much of a cliffhanger. Actually, I'm sure it isn't. ^^;; And I'm glad I seem to have been forgiven for my horrible deed to Tashigi. XD Okay... now, I have figured out the whole plot line, so I know how many chaps there should be now. Not even halfway through, though. O.o;; Oh well. And Luffy appears before halfway, let me assure you... ^^;; Thanks for reviewing, guys; it really makes my day to read 'em. ^^*