Koinu: Ahhh............. Back in the swing of things again. stretches So sorry about being such a bad person and leaving this story alone for so long... but I HAVE RETURNED! DUN DUN DUN (dramatic impulse). Now let's see... you- get in there. pushes Zhuge Liang into the story I'm so sorry I left this for soooo long... school just has been HORRIBLE.
Random Soldier: I..I.....It's... LU BU!!!!
Lu Bu: I WILL KILL YOU ALL!
Me: Eeeeek! Before I get my head lopped off, I want you to know I don't own DW or anything! Please don't sue meeeeee..... is chased off by Lu Bu
--Chpt 6. "Come With Me..."–
As Zhen Ji ambled through the door of her science class, she found the substitute teacher absent- replaced by good old Dr. Tan, their usual science professor. Zhen was relieved to see him, glad that the boring menace of a substitute was gone. The other students seemed to share in her happiness, and chatted among themselves until Dr. Tan called for silence, and Zhen took her seat.
"Class," began Dr. Tan, "please calm down now... that's right, settle down. Mr. Zhang He, take your seat please." He watched as Zhang He sidled quietly across the room and took seat behind an empty desk. "Good. Now today we're going to be doing a lab-project, alright? Er- Zhen Ji, where did the substitute leave off?"
Zhen had been contemplating a plan for the prank she had suggested, and was startled at the sudden mention of her name. "Um... excuse me? What?"
"Where did the substitute leave off?" Dr. Tan took to looking through a binder full of papers.
"Uh..." she looked around for a moment, "Water pressure, I think."
"Right, that's right... okay. Please turn to page 10 in your binders, you will be doing project 5. Please find your assigned partners and begin immediately."
Zhen Ji sighed heavily and turned to find that her partner had already pranced over to her desk, and was grinning mildly down at her, almond eyes glinting. "Ready, partner?" Asked Zhang He, and led Zhen off to a lab station.
Zhen stared blankly at the project equipment before her- a large soda bottle with three tiny holes arranged vertically down it, duct-tape, and a sink. Apparently they were supposed to seal the holes with tape, fill the bottle with water, and by taking off the pieces of tape one at a time, observe the rate at which the water came out of the holes. But Zhen had once again let her mind wander to the prank, and did not hear Zhang He reading out the instruction sheet.
"Will you fill this up with water?" Zhang He's voice penetrated Zhen's thoughts. "Hello? Are you alive in there?"
"Wha- oh yeah, of course."
He pushed a beaker into her hand, "80 mL."
Zhen Ji nodded.
---
Zhou Yu sighed. School had just ended, the bells had just rung, and now the students all rushed like lemmings to escape the building and return to their dorms. But today, instead of waiting for Xiao outside the building, he headed for the library, where he had promised to meet the others.
For a while he waited just outside the doors, but no one came. Finally, a figure approached, and paused a few paces away- it was Sun Ce, and the look on his face was one of confusion.
"Were you... meeting the other people here?" Sun Ce asked, tugging absent-mindedly at his long pony-tail.
Zhou Yu felt his eyes widen a bit. "They asked you as well?" This certainly hadn't been talked over with him and now, resentful and frustrated, he fumed quietly. After pulling himself together, he asked, "Who asked you?"
Sun Ce cleared his throat, and looked at the floor. "Xiao... and Da sort of... but she's shy." Zhou Yu didn't seem too happy to see him. For a while they'd almost become friends- but that was a year ago, and then things went differently for some reason. "Dude, do you have a watch?"
Zhou Yu turned his back and shook his head, not bothering to spare a word. Before long he could make out more forms coming into view- Da, Xiao, Sun Shang Xiang, Zhen Ji.
Xiao Qiao waved vigorously, and bounced up to Zhou Yu. Feeling it only right, she gave Sun Ce a small wave as well- for her sister's sake. Da walked hesitantly towards the group, and gave a small smile to Sun Ce, who shifted from foot to foot. Zhou Yu, being the jealous sort that he was, put an arm protectively around Xiao Qiao, and leered at Sun Ce. But he didn't seem to notice...
"Alright, does everyone know why we're here?" Zhen Ji asked pointedly, setting a firm stance before her peers. Many of them shrugged. Opening her mouth, Zhen Ji was about to explain when she found that her explanation was ambling carelessly towards them.
Xiao felt Zhou Yu stiffen, and squeezed his hand a bit. "Zhou-Zhou..." she whispered carefully, but didn't finish. She felt his arm go tense around her shoulders.
Walking towards them, accompanied by Liu Bei, Jiang Wei, and Yue Ying was the infamous Zhuge Liang, speaking calmly to his friends. Upon seeing Zhou Yu and the others however, Zhuge paused and stood still- the two rivals eyed each other for a moment, and the silence was broken by an uneasy 'coughing' kind of sound from Liu Bei. When all eyes turned to him, he smiled feebly.
After a moment, Zhuge turned up his nose, and began to walk past the others and into the library, but Zhen Ji took him by the sleeve. Zhuge looked down at it as though her hand was flilthy somehow. Finally: "May I help you with something?"
Zhen Ji nodded, "We waited for you. We need a favor." Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "As you know, Senior Prank Day's coming... you're smart. We need your help."
There was a silence, during which Zhuge Liang remained unaffected, and Jiang Wei pealed Zhen's hand away from his sleeve as though she were committing sacrilege. Zhuge took another look at Zhou Yu and shrugged, "No, I don't think so..." he nodded towards the door and they began again to walk.
"I guess that's fine." Announced Sun Shang Xiang loudly, turning towards Zhen Ji, "If not Zhuge, Zhou Yu can do it... or even better, Sima Yi. I'm sure he's daring enough."
Another silence- but this one shocked, and anxious. Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang were not merely rivals, they were enemies. They hated each other- but then again, Zhuge had a knack for making enemies. He was frozen to the spot with his hand on the door-knob.
"Rival tricks won't work," Began Jiang Wei hastily, "Zhuge isn't falling for that." He looked to Yue Ying for reassurance, but she was gazing questioningly at Zhuge- a placid look of mild interest on her face.
"What is it, Zhuge?" Yue Ying asked quietly, and watched as he turned back to face the others, smiling thoughtfully.
"Well now I'd hate to see Sima Yi taking my opportunity," Zhuge admitted coolly, "Now... let me see here, a prank, eh?" Everyone waited breathlessly, (except for Zhou Yu who rolled his eyes exaggeratedly) finally, Zhuge's eyes glinted mischievously, "Come with me..." and he led them towards the School Garden.