My Dear, Ist Kaput…
Part Four of 'Something I Believe In – Miracle Romance'
There was only one week until winter vacation. Nora was ready for a break. Between the intense stares of Ellen and her cronies and her never-waning love for Mandark, she needed a serious break.
In Art, Dee-Dee and she were working on a clay diorama. They were both skillfully adept with clay.
There were flowers and grass, and trees even. Nora was working on a tiny rabbit.
"That's really cute," Dee-Dee grinned. The little clay rabbit flashed a happy smile at Nora.
"Thank you, Dee-Dee," Nora smiled. Nora looked at Dee-Dee's happy sun. "The sun looks awesome."
"Thanks," Dee-Dee answered. She rolled some more clay for one of the sun's rays. "Hey, Nora, guess what?"
Nora's stomach felt queasy for no reason.
"What?" Nora asked.
"They're doing a Secret Santa thing! Wanna do it?" Dee-Dee was really excited.
And even though Nora's brain was telling her otherwise, Nora agreed to it.
-----
Natalie had organized the Secret Santa table in the first hallway between the third and fourth bathrooms. A little red jar sat in front of Natalie, and paper and pencils were scattered all over the table.
"Come on, Nora," Natalie smiled. "What have you got to lose?"
"Dee-Dee?" Nora grinned.
"Did it this morning." Dee-Dee was grinning, too.
Nora wrote her name on a slip of paper, and almost stuck it in the jar when she thought better of it.
"I don't want to risk picking my own name," Nora thought aloud, so she pulled a name before putting in her own.
Nora unfolded the minute piece of paper, and almost hurled when she saw the name.
Carter Richardson, Nora thought with a heavy heart. This'll be interesting.
Nora and Dee-Dee walked away from the booth, tittering like schoolgirls usually did. A little while later, Mandark walked up to the booth.
"Come on," Natalie edged Mandark on.
Mandark wrote his name on a slip and, like Nora, picked a paper from the jar first. He put his in, and then looked at the name he had picked.
Nora Debussi, Mandark read to himself. Hmm…
-----
"I'm going to bake cookies!" Natalie yelled. Nora plugged her ears, and Dee-Dee clapped her hands in delight.
"Yeah! That sounds awesome!" Dee-Dee grinned.
"Ah… my Secret Santa is Carter Richardson, people," Nora sighed. "I can't have people thinking I like him."
"Ah well," Dee-Dee shrugged. "I've got Ellen Rourke. It's not like I like her either."
"Ana Hikaru," Natalie added.
"Oh, well," Dee-Dee smiled. "Let's just have fun baking these things, and stick them in those guys' lockers."
"Sounds like fun." Natalie looked at Nora. "Come on. Let's do this."
Nora looked around the McPhearson's sitcom-esque kitchen. It was spotless. Absolutely spotless. Nora had no idea how to make toast without making the toaster smoke… so how bad would the cookies become?
"All right, I guess…" Nora agreed cautiously.
Dee-Dee began to sing a nonsense song as she took out some cookie dough. Natalie watched Nora as she washed her hands in the steel sink.
"I bet you're depressed cuz you didn't pick Mandark's name. Oh well, can't be helped."
Nora froze. "What?"
"Mandark came to the booth a few minutes after you did…" Natalie noted the look of wide-eyed surprise on Nora's face. "Look, I don't know who he picked."
Nora turned off the faucet with a surprising amount of force.
"I got the cookie dough!" Dee-Dee yipped happily.
Nora beamed. "Okay!"
Dee-Dee opened the tub. All three girls stared inside the tub. The smell of peanut butter was overwhelming, and the girls wanted to eat the tub of dough.
"We should probably start," Dee-Dee suggested.
Natalie and Nora murmured in accord, and they reached their hands into the tub and began to roll the dough into balls.
Dee-Dee plopped a tiny ball onto an oven tray. "I still can't believe you like Mandark, of all people."
"What do you like about him, anyway?" Natalie asked as she put her dough ball on the tray.
Nora placed her ball on the tray and scooped out some more dough. "Okay. Let's start at the basics. He's smart."
"Right," Dee-Dee noted, rolling some dough between her palms.
"He exudes that oddly attracting gothic attitude…"
Natalie cocked her head. "What are you talking about?"
"He's into the darkness. The darkness… I love the dark… it's strangely inviting. I mean, I've never been a child of the light."
Dee-Dee shivered. "Now you're scaring me."
"All gothic and all?" Natalie was intrigued. "Tell me more about the darkness and stuff…"
Nora put another ball of dough on the tray. "I don't know why he's so bleak, but I'm bleak because of… of my past."
"But you don't wear all black," Dee-Dee pointed out.
Nora gritted her teeth. "My parents. They force me to look 'presentable', as they say."
"Your parents didn't name you anything weird, right?" Dee-Dee asked cautiously. "Like… Robert or something?"
"No," Nora laughed. "Why'd you say that?"
Try not to laugh, Dee-Dee thought. But she laughed anyway. Natalie laughed, too. All three of them placed lumps of peanut butter cookie dough on the oven tray, and laughed for no reason.
-----
"We managed not to burn the house down," Nora sighed happily.
"Were you expecting a fire?" Dee-Dee asked.
"These cookies look delicious, guys," Natalie mused. "Can I try one?"
"Okay, sure," Dee-Dee shrugged.
Natalie picked up one of the golden-brown cookies and bit into it. She smiled, and licked her lips.
"They're great," Natalie cooed.
"No way!" Nora screamed. She hugged Dee-Dee. "I actually made food that tastes GOOD!"
"Okay, you can't cook," Dee-Dee nodded. "I get it."
"Now, let's divide these up and make a few bags of them," Natalie suggested.
-----
Nora had walked away with three bags of cookies, just like Dee-Dee and Natalie. She was walking across the street, smiling happily.
I can cook, I can cook…
And, of course, Natalie was paying no attention to her surroundings, so when she stood in the middle of the sidewalk, she had no idea that Mandark was also paying little to no attention to where he was going.
Mandark ran smack into Nora. Nora and Mandark, needless to say, became aware of their surroundings immediately.
"Ow," Nora moaned under her breath.
"Sorry," Mandark apologized. He rubbed his forehead. Mandark was pretty tall, and Nora was about his height. He had no idea why he had just realized that.
"Hey, I just baked some cookies," Nora smiled. Her day was going too good to worry about her huge crush showing. "Want some?"
"Thank you," Mandark said, when Nora handed him one of the little blue bags. Nora skipped off.
"See you later, Mandark!" she yelled as she skipped away.
Mandark rubbed his head. "See you too, Nora…"
-----
Nora clutched one of the small blue bags firmly in her hand. She was still a bit confused about what she had done the day before.
I can't believe it… I gave him some of them and I didn't even blush or feel like hurling or anything… guess things went well…
Nora knew exactly where Carter's locker was. Dee-Dee, Mee-Mee, and Lee-Lee were there, like they said. Nora handed them the bag, with the tag on it, to them. Lee-Lee twiddled the combination lock, and the locker opened. Inside were a few books, a deodorant stick, and a BMX magazine. Dee-Dee stuck the cookies into his locker, and gave Nora the thumbs-up sign.
Nora skipped off to her own locker. She opened it up and found that she had left her poetry notebook in there.
It was a black book; adorned with black mesh ribbon, silver studs and hoops, and a splattering of offsetting red paint.
Nora shivered. If anyone read that book… her whole life would be exposed.
Nora took her backpack and shoved the poetry notebook inside, and shut the locker.
-----
Ellen fixed Nora with a hard gaze as she walked into her classroom.
"Now I know why you're such a brat," Ellen smirked.
Nora cocked her head. "What are you trying to say?"
Elle pushed a magazine article to Nora. Dexter took notice and tried to read over Nora's shoulder. (This was futile, for Nora was as tall as Mandark.)
Nora Debussi, soon to be thirteen years of age, will inherit her parent's fortune at age eighteen, says her father, famed businessman Ian Debussi. Mr. Debussi's net worth is over two billion dollars, and Nora's mother, Amelie Natur-Debussi, is worth over $200 million.
Ian's company, the casino chain Debutante-Debussi Ltd., is one of the most successful companies in American history.
Nora didn't say anything.
No… Nora thought. No one else can know…
"You act like a spoiled prat," Ellen shrugged. "I didn't know you were a spoiled prat."
The article began to shake in Nora's hands. Nora's mouth was twitching at the corners.
Natalie was now near Nora too. "Wow, you never told us that…"
"That's because I didn't want anyone to know," Nora said, in a voice barely at a whisper.
"It should have been obvious," Ellen grinned malevolently. "I mean, you dress like a model, act like a diva –"
"SHUT UP!"
Nora no longer had any control over herself, and she socked Ellen in the face. A sickening cracking noise ensued, but Ellen's face was fine, save a little red mark.
Nora looked at her own fingers. They were covered in her own blood, and she couldn't move them.
"Ah…" Nora's eyes dilated as she dropped the article on the ground. Dexter picked it up promptly and looked over it.
Plip. A drop of Nora's blood fell to the floor, breaking the uneasy silence. But still no one talked.
Nora felt an impalpable shadow fall over her entire body. The darkness was consuming her soul once again…
Or so Nora thought. She had really blacked out.
-----
Plip. Plip. Plip.
Nora sprang out of the bed in the nurse's office.
I'm bleeding so badly, I can hear it!
Nora looked at her hand. It had been bandaged, but Nora still couldn't move her fingers.
Well, glad I socked her with my left hand, Nora thought. I can still do my schoolwork.
Nora looked around the nurse's office. The 'plip' noise was coming from the faucet, dripping steadily. Nora, once again, was reminded of sitcom-esque perfection, as she looked around the spotless infirmary.
Nora's backpack was by her bed. Nora had the sudden urge to go through it. There was nothing out of the ordinary inside of it.
On Nora's bedside table, there were a few notes from friends. Nora picked up one, written on pink paper adorned with flowers and happy stuff.
Dee-Dee's, Nora thought with a smile.
Nice work, the note read. Ellen deserved it. I wish that it were her nose instead of your hand, but whatever.
Wow, over two billion dollars. I can see why you kept that a secret. Imagine how many gold-diggers would have been after you, kind of like Josh Richter in 'The Princess Diaries'.
Oh, well. A lot of people hate you now, but me and Lee-Lee and Mee-Mee and Natalie still think you're the bomb.
Dee-Dee
Nora smiled as she tenderly put the note back on her bedside table, and picked up one on plain white paper, scrawled in a green pen. Nora knew this immediately to be Natalie's.
I was the person cracking up when you socked Ellen. You go girl! Anyway, sorry about your hand. It was so romantic though, because when you fell over (I'm assuming you fainted), Mandark caught you. I bet you're turning red as you read this, cuz that's the kind of thing you'd do. Life goes on…
…Sort of. Two billion dollars, eh? That's a ton. What on earth would YOU do with that? Buy yourself DSL? I can't think of anything you want that you could actually buy, besides DSL. I mean, you can't buy Mandark, can you? I don't know… You can't, right?
Natalie
Nora laughed at that one. Nora assumed you couldn't buy a person.
But Mandark had broken her fall, a fall that would have definitely hurt her. Nora did blush.
Nora picked up another piece of lined paper. The neat handwriting led her to believe it was from Dexter.
Ellen Rourke's reign of torment has finally ended, thanks to you. We are all free; free from the pitiless anguish we have endured under that wicked girl! A triumph at best!
The little red mark on her nose makes her look much more revolting than before. Her face matches her heart… heh…
Don't worry about the money. I think everyone's talking about you punching Ellen, not that you're an heiress.
Dexter
Nora saw another piece of paper. It was black, and it looked like it had been taken out of her poetry notebook…
Oh man…
Nora took the black piece of paper. The note, as it turned out, had not been one of her poems, but a letter written in a white pencil, so the words would show up on the dark paper.
This handwriting is vaguely familiar, but I don't know whose it is.
Dear Nora, (the note read) Sorry about your hand. It looked pretty bad. The nurse said that you'd need to go to the doctor to get your hand in a cast, but she said that the hand was remarkably unbroken. (That didn't make much sense to me, either.)
When you fainted, Natalie, Dexter and I took you down to the nurse. You were really light – please tell me you aren't anorexic or anything.
Anyway, the teacher is pretty mad at both you and Ellen. And the story's spread through the school pretty rapidly. Bunches of popular people hate you for socking their ringleader (oh well, a few more people you don't need to speak to), but most of the school thinks you're brilliant.
Dexter's a bit mad that he didn't think of it himself. So I laughed at him, and then we started arguing…
I still can't believe that you're worth so much money. How could you have kept that from us? It didn't even show. You aren't spoiled, or extravagant, or anything along those lines…
There were a lot of eraser marks after that. Nora squinted her eyes to try and make out what had been written, but it was no use.
Hope you feel better.
Mandark
"Oh my God," Nora gasped.
He knows you're alive. He's concerned about you. He…
Argued with Dexter. Well, that's no surprise.
Nora stuck the letter in her breast pocket. She felt a bit better about her hand.
The blood-soaked bandage was a bit offsetting, but Nora felt a warm sensation work its way over her body.
It was true love.
-----
"My life, my dear, ist kaput…"
"Look, it's not that bad," Lee-Lee rubbed Nora's back.
"We don't care how rich you are," Dee-Dee noted.
"Only a total brat would care about that," Mee-Mee encouraged Nora.
"Ist kaput… why'd my dad do that?" Nora moaned.
"Will you stop speaking random German?" Natalie complained.
"Say that again, schwein," Nora snapped.
"Oh come on, Nora," Dee-Dee sighed. "It can't be that bad."
"I don't like casinos," Nora mumbled.
Mee-Mee blinked. "What's that paper in your pocket?"
Nora froze. "It's nothing, Mee-Mee."
"Hey," Dee-Dee smirked. "Are you lying?"
"It's one of my poems," Nora huffed.
"Read it for us," Lee-Lee giggled.
Nora narrowed her eyes. It's a good thing that I have one of my poems memorized.
Nora unfolded the paper, making sure that no one saw the real contents, and recited from memory.
Where are you going without me?
Why can't you help me through?
Leave me for broke on the sidewalk,
Using me as a wager in your game,
I told myself tomorrow would be dismal without you,
But then I saw the person I should be with
It wasn't you, of course not, but even though I'm
Being reborn in a love I swore I'd never have again,
I think I'll follow the darkness still
Even though happiness may have found its way to me,
You can never be too sure of what grim things
Come out from their hiding spots during the day
So here you are, dear reader,
Glimpsing into my life,
I really don't seem like a dismal person up front, do I?
Nora put the paper back into her breast pocket.
Natalie, Dee-Dee, Lee-Lee, and Mee-Mee stared at Nora blankly.
"Wow," Natalie said.
"And I thought my life was over back then," Nora said under her breath.
Mandark sighed. It wasn't his letter…
-----
Nora Instant Messaged Mandark one simple sentence.
Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Of course I eat, idiot."
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dexter's Lab... or AOL IM (once again)... okay?