Chapter 43: It's the least I can do AKA Hayate's shit hits the proverbial fan… kinda…

Mmm, fan! ^_^ Anyway… my CD player is being a pain which is really annoying me. In this chapter, we have a bit of a flashback to Hayate, Ryu and Jann-Lee, among others, on their first day in high school. Aww. ^_^

Somewhat long chapter for me, but enjoy all the same!

That definitely wasn't it for Hayate fighting, by the way. :P Arg… must gather thoughts… they're coming out incoherently. He will do a lot more fighting because I know that people out there like Hayate despite… yeah, I'll leave that there because I've forgotten what I was saying… dear god, help me! *Falls over* Anyway. He'll fight more. Later. Okay. He will. Can't think anymore.

*

"Hayate?" his father called from the next room. He looked up from the book he was reading, and went into the room where his father was sitting, holding a note. Shit! He cursed mentally as he saw the school's emblem on the letterhead. This is about that test, wasn't it? They did say that they would send letters home… shit!

"Sit down," his father gestured to a chair, and he sat, albeit extremely reluctantly. "Now, when did you do the maths test?"

No, no… no… why now? Why ever? He racked his brain, desperately searching for any excuse.

"Just the other day,"

"Why didn't you tell me about it?" the friendliness had seeped out of his father's voice, replaced by sternness. "Why did you lie to me, Hayate?"

"I didn't!" he exclaimed. Even to him it sounded as though he was whining. "When you asked me, we didn't have the results. Honestly,"

"Something has to be done," his father stood up, walking around the room. "I thought you had more concern for your future then this, Hayate. If you continue getting marks like this, then what hope do you have after you finish school?"

He felt his world crashing down around him. No, father, don't say that… I'm trying for you! But he couldn't get the words to leave his mouth. I'm doing my best, but if my best isn't good enough… then what hope do I have?

"We want what's best for you. We want you to do something that enables you to a happy and secure future, Hayate,"

"What… what about what I want?" he managed to get out, his voice nothing more then a squeak, the faintest whisper.

"What about what you want?" his father stopped walking, turning to glare at him with blazing fire burning in his eyes. "What about what you want? What do you want in life, Hayate? To be a dropout destitute with no money and no life? Is that what you want? Because you're certainly going the right way about it!"

He turned away so that he could save his last trace of dignity, angrily rubbing at the tears of frustration on his cheeks. I'm trying! I really am! As hard as I possibly can! Why can't you see that? Can't you even try and see it from my point of view?

"Do you want to be a failure?" his father's voice was soft.

The words echoed in his head, reverberating in his head. Do I want to be a failure? I am a failure. I told Ryu that and he didn't believe me. Maybe this will make him believe me!

"I hate you!" he yelled into the sudden silence. "I hate the way you try and control my life. I hate the way you can't see how hard I have been trying. I hate the way you won't let me do what I want to do. I hate the way you belittle me, and make me feel like a failure!"

"The only person that does that is you, Hayate. The only person that does that is you,"

He was running. He didn't know where, didn't know until he reached a familiar front door. Somehow familiar even though he could count the times he had entered it on one hand.

"Hayate?" Ryu's father didn't look inebriated, but the fact that the smell of alcohol was clinging to him gave it away. "Is something wrong?"

"Could I… could I speak to Ryu, please?" he asked, panting. He didn't know why. Yes, he had been running, but it hadn't been strenuous.

The door opened. "He's upstairs. You know where his room is, right?"

He nodded. "Thankyou,"

"No problem,"

Voices downstairs awoke him. Sleepily, he opened the door to his room, disregarding the fact he was in sleeping clothes, and looked down from the balcony.

Hayate…?

"Is something wrong?" the unmistakeable voice of his father. He felt a pang of… jealousy??? That Hayate was able to talk to his father so freely…?

Why is that? Is it just something about me as opposed to anybody else? He never snaps at anyone else, just me. What is it about me that makes people so angry?

He ducked back into his room as he heard his friend go up the stairs, unfortunately letting the door shut with a loud and obvious bang.

Hayate glanced up sharply at the sound of the door slamming shut. Perhaps it was just the wind or something, he decided, knocking on the door tentatively. After him doing so several times with no response, he made the decision to open the door, revealing…

"Oh, Ryu, I am really sorry," he apologised instantly, turning away. "You could have told me to wait outside, and then I wouldn't have tried the door,"

"No harm done," his friend responded to the wardrobe, rummaging through for a top of some description. "Luckily you didn't open the door ten seconds earlier,"

He had a sudden mental imagery of that, and then shook his head to try and clear it. Lucky, I reckon. Gross. Thought, please get out of my head.

Ryu turned to him, revealing a slim yet muscular chest as he did so. "Can you see my black shirt anywhere?"
He gazed around the room, and finally spotted the aforementioned garment hiding behind the desk, throwing it to his friend who slipped it on. "Sorry. I didn't hear you knock. What brings you here of all places, Hayate?"

The conversation had suddenly turned sober. He raised his eyes to meet emerald green.

"Well, remember how the geek said that he was going to send letters to the parents of any student who got below 50% on that last test?" he started.

"Oh," Ryu responded simply. "So your father got that and isn't overly impressed by it,"

"What else can I do?" he exclaimed exasperatedly, throwing up his hands. "I've tried being tutored for it, and it hasn't worked. And it certainly isn't your tutoring, either, Ryu. It's just me," he tapped the side of his head. "Something in there isn't working the way it should,"

Ryu cocked his head slightly. "Maths probably isn't your forte. Everyone has their own talents and weaknesses,"

"Yeah," he said bitterly. "My talent is sucking at everything,"

Ryu shook his head. "I strongly doubt that. Try and look at the good things, instead of embracing the bad things and assuming that everything else must be bad because a few things are,"

"You're lucky," he muttered acrimoniously under his breath. He then decided to confide something in his friend. "You know, I really envy you sometimes. You have everything I wish I had. Even a beautiful, loving, caring girlfriend,"

Ryu smiled; a sad, yet pensive smile. "Then I suppose the feeling is mutual,"

"What?" he spluttered. "You envy me?"

The prospect in itself was foolish. Ryu Hayabusa, his best friend, perfect student, star of everything, envied him? His friend nodded slowly. "Seeing as you're telling me this, I thought that there is no harm in my doing the same thing,"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "You're just trying to make me feel better. I get it,"
Ryu shook his head again. "I wouldn't bother trying to nurse your ego. We've been friends too long for me to care about something as petty as that,"

"Thanks!" he exclaimed sarcastically.

"Seriously," Ryu started, expression growing serious. "You have many admirable qualities,"

"Name one," he challenged.

"Your social skills," Ryu responded instantly.

"What?! You're kidding, right?"

Ryu suddenly dropped his eyes, fixating them on his hands, which were resting in his lap. "No," his friend said quietly. "You have this wonderful way of connecting with everybody you meet. That was what made me notice you on that first day of school,"

He remembered that. He had been sitting, talking aimlessly with a couple of girls, when one of them pointed at a young-looking boy sitting in the back row.

"He was staring at you!" the girl informed him, turning back to gaze at the 'starer'. "He's really hot, though. So I guess that's okay,"

"How is it okay?" he had asked bemusedly. "If he's staring at me like that, then he's going to answer to my foot!"

"I beg to differ," the other girl intervened. From memory, it had been Helena, although he couldn't guarantee that. "He was simply looking over, just like everyone is doing to everybody. You exaggerate too much sometimes. Although, I do agree… he is exceedingly good looking,"

He smiled over at the boy in the corner. "Come sit over here and join us!" he invited.

"No… it's alright," the boy said softly, looking down at the books lying on his table. He had had to strain his ears to hear what was being said. He politely excused himself from his female company, and went over.

"Hi. I'm Hayate. What's your name?" he asked, sticking a hand out. The boy looked hesitant, but held out his hand as well and the two shook.

"I am Ryu," the boy introduced himself diffidently. "A pleasure to meet you,"

"Maybe to meet me, but not for long afterwards," he laughed. "Why so quiet? Come and join us! You're off on a good foot already," he added, gesturing to the two girls. "They think you're good looking,"

To his amusement, a light flush made its way onto Ryu's cheeks, but he didn't say anything.

"Gah," he muttered to himself, grabbing Ryu by the arm and forcefully dragging him over to where the girls were waiting. "Guys, this is Ryu. Ryu, these are two random girls that decided to talk to me, and I have no idea as to the nature of their names,"

"Umm… hello," Ryu managed to get out, staring at the two girls as though they would morph into fierce monsters and eat him.

He smiled despite himself. "You were a just a tad shy that first day,"

"I would never have spoken to you if you hadn't spoken to me," Ryu admitted, lifting his head to make eye contact. "I was really nervous,"

"Why?" he asked bemusedly. "It was just school. Sure, the first day and everything, but…"

Ryu shrugged. "When I was younger, I had a problem with socialising. I was just shy, I suppose, but social situations like that made me really nervous,"

"How cute," he mocked. "And then you got into that fight with Jann-Lee like half an hour into the class or something?"

"Could you please be quiet?" A blonde asked. A boy sitting in the corner was tapping his pencils loudly against the desk, ruining the silence.

"No," the boy replied.

"Jann-Lee, please," the teacher chided.

The boy known as Jann-Lee just continued doing what he was told not to do, until a hand came down out of nowhere, slamming the pencil to the desk.

"For the sake of everybody in this class, could you please desist!"

Chocolate brown eyes looked up into hard emerald green. "Are you gonna make me, nerd?"

"Is that the best insult you can come up with?" Ryu snapped. "Until you can think of a better insult, be quiet!"

"No!" Jann-Lee stood up, fury blazing. "Who do you think you are?"

"I think that I am getting extremely annoyed by your persistent noise, and I think that you are mentally challenged!" Ryu retorted furiously.

"Who are you calling mentally challenged?" Jann-Lee reached out and grabbed Ryu by the shirt-front, who easily encircled his hand around Jann's wrist, digging his fingernails into the pressure point on the wrist, causing Jann-Lee to lose his grip.

"You. Who else?"

"Getting back onto subject for a moment…" Ryu brushed some hair out of his face. "And there is something else about you I envy, although I suppose that's just foolish jealousy and wanting what you couldn't possibly have, etcetera,"

"What?" he asked, instantly curious.

Ryu dropped his gaze again, and that small action told him a lot. He doesn't want to look at me. He always, well, nearly always keeps eye contact when he talks to you. He must be embarrassed about what he's going to say. "Well… when you came. I saw you talking to my father when you entered," Ryu's head suddenly came up. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

He shook his head bemusedly. Ryu's head instantly dropped again.

"I didn't think so,"

His friend's words were dancing aimlessly around his head. "I don't understand. What do you mean? What are you on about?"

"He… he likes you," his friend's voice was so soft.

"Likes in what way?" he asked suspiciously.

"You know what I mean," Ryu's statement ended in a sigh. "I… I envy that,"

He stopped, looking over at his friend, analysing him. He really is a good person. He doesn't deserve that arse of a father he has. But there's nothing I can do to change the way his father feels about him. I wish there was. I really do.

"I… I'm sorry,"

Ryu's eyes raised once more, a sad smile crossing his face. "Don't be. But you do have many good features. You just have to search for them. It's harder to find them on yourself then someone else, but try,"

"Yeah, I will," he said slowly. A happier smile appeared on his friend's face, and he smiled back, treasuring the rare times that Ryu actually did smile.

I will try. I'll try for you. You've always been there for me; it's the least I can do.

*

Mmm, mush. ^_^ *Cough* Anyways, next chapter, Ayane, Tina, Hitomi, Ryu and Hayate go formal dress shopping! (Don't worry, only Ayane is buying the dress… but…) put it this way, I won money because I won the dare of making *cough* someone male *cough* wear a dress. *Cough* But hey, Ayane can do my formal shopping for me!