Duo's Child

Chapter 17

Finally, Uno was able to go to school relaxed for the first time in several months. Duo was cheered up and entirely out of his unhappy state-of-mind. Heero was no longer a cruel sacrifice of mankind. And she, herself, had been able to go to the amusement park with Duo alone; no Quatre. And above all feelings, Hildie had bought her several more puzzles. Uno was defiantely happy.

She sat down in the classroom and watched as a few late students came in afterwards. Mr. Merky was staring at his computer and hasn't looked up. The kids in the class were chatting away, no body giving any thought to Uno, which she didn't mind a bit. Brittany shouted out loud as Doug grabbed her sides and tickled.

Mr. Merky stood up and cleared his throat. Nothing could happen today that would piss Uno off.

Until she heard him say, "You have a test today."

The classroom moaned and now Uno felt like joining in. She didn't have to take the same tests as everyone else; Mr. Merky gave her harder ones to take. Either way, Uno knew her happiness had just left her.

By the time Duo drove by to pick her up, Uno was out of it. She didn't even notice the black vet pull up besides her until she heard her name being called a couple times. Uno blinked and faced him.

"Huh? Duo?"

"Uno, what's the matter? You suddenly come down with a case of narcolepsy?"

Uno rolled her eyes and frowned. Trowa must have told him more than she thought if he now knows she understands these words. Either that or Mr. Merky called him.

Uno opened the door to the vet and sat in the passenger's seat, and relaxed into the chair. She shut her eyes and let out a long, hard breath. Duo revved the vet to tell the people in front of him to scoot up so he could get by.

"Long day?" Duo asked, calmly. "Shut the door so we can go."

"I'm tired. And don't go anywhere yet, I'm waiting for somebody." Uno looked back at the school to see a familiar person with shoulder-short brown hair pulled back into a pony-tail, whipping around as the person walked.

"Who?"

"A friend. She's in my class and needs a ride home. Is that okay?" Uno faced him.

Duo shrugged, "sure."

"Hey Uno."

Duo looked at the girl as Uno stood up besides her. She looked a little like Uno, minus the muscular body and green eyes. She held books in her arms with a heavy backpack on her shoulders.

"Duo, this is Theresa." Uno introduced the two as she moved the seat forward so her friend could get behind her.

"Hello. I heard you two met in class." Duo began, watching as Theresa scooted herself into the car. Uno sat down after the seat was fixed and shut the door. The car purred like a cat as Duo pulled it into gear and sped away.

After a few moments, Theresa replied. "Yeah. We weren't really friends at the start but the class doesn't like the two of us."

"Oh really? How come?" Duo asked, peering around his shoulder to cut off somebody on the road.

"Because we're the two smartest people in the class." Uno answered for her friend. Duo laughed.

"That's always a good thing. I never had the chance to go to school—even if I wanted to, that is. I was practically too busy in my entire childhood."

"With what?" Uno shut her eyes and relaxed a bit as Duo and her friend shared a conversation together.

"Um…fighting. I was part of a street gang in my youth." Duo hid the truth from the little girl enough to not let her know the entire factor behind his past. He was in a street gang but it didn't include fighting; that was part of the operations.

About a few minutes later, Duo crept the corvette into a wide driveway on an estate lot just five minutes out of town. Duo pondered about the location as he watched Uno step outside and allow her friend access.

"Say…um…Theresa?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you know you live about a minute or two from us?" Duo faced her.

"Oh…cool." Theresa smiled.

"Yeah…um…I can pick you up for next weekend. We have a surprise for Uno and you welcomed to join."

Uno blinked now that she heard her name. "What?"

"Oh, thanks! I'll ask my mom about it but I'm sure she won't mind. Bye!" Theresa waved her friend off and ran into her house. Duo backed out of the estate lot and drove on towards the mansion.

Uno faced him, "what's going on."

Duo grinned, "What's today?"

"Monday—what's going on?"

Duo laughed. "This Saturday is Halloween, Uno! You're birthday!" Duo drove on as Uno stared at him with blank and expressionless eyes.

"Oh come on, Uno. You're going to be 6-years-old now! Cheer up, girl. You can invite ANYONE you want, anyone you wish to join your party that we're throwing you. I mean, you know Quatre; you're his favorite!"

Uno sighed, "okay."

"Look at it this way, I'm allowing you to have a great vacation before winter." By now, Duo's voice became still and serious.

"What happens during winter?"

Duo really didn't like the idea of what was going to happen during winter that year, but he had no choice; she threatened him to have it happen whether he liked it or not. And Duo knew, if he didn't like it she'd open her mouth to Uno about the truth.

"Relena's wanting you to stay with her for a week."

Uno walked into class the next day and shoved a card into Claryce's hands.

"What's this?" Claryce asked, looking at it.

"You're invited to my birthday part this Saturday."

"Oh…cool…at your mansion-I mean house?"

Uno ignored her question and handed Brittany, Cindy, Sarah, and Jessica an invitation. She stepped up to Theresa and handed Theresa a card as well.

"Except Duo will probably pick you up." Uno told her friend.

"Thanks." Theresa smiled up at Uno.

"Hey, what about us?!" Doug exclaimed.

"What about you?" Uno sat down at her desk and didn't look at Doug.

Mr. Merky was too busy watching the scene and keeping a straight face at the parts that were a little bit amusing to him.

"Why don't we get one?" Corey asked.

"Why should you?" Uno replied, still not looking at either one of them.

"That's enough." Mr. Merky stood up. "Okay, open your English books to page fourty-five and begin reading outloud the first couple paragraphs in the order of seats."

All of the class except for Uno and Theresa groaned; they had different objectives.

Later that day, Uno and Theresa had decided to go to the playground and battle against one another. First, they would decide who could swing the highest, play ball the best, run the most, and go through the obstacle course the fastest; Uno was winning but as soon as they both reached the obstacle course, Uno had the upper hand better than she thought. Heero's training had defiantly paid off.

Uno and Theresa rested upon the swing sets and softly swung back and forth, calming their bodies. Uno didn't really have to bother with the air, but she felt it was best not to let Theresa know that. Theresa stayed on Uno's right side and watched as she relaxed from the competition; only a few minutes of recess was left.

"So…how can you do so much and so easily?" Theresa faced Uno.

Uno looked down as her feet has scraped some dirt around.

"I dunno. Just good, I guess." Uno, as silent as possible, kept quiet.

"Yeah! You loser! You stink!" Kids laughed and joked and Uno and Theresa both looked up to see a lonely boy walking to the swing on Uno's left side, his head held down and his face showing an unhappy expression.

"Yeah, go sit with the rest of the losers! Ya' loser!" Kids laughed again as they pointed towards Uno and Theresa. Theresa snapped her face up at the kids with a glare. Uno watches, solemnly, as the poor boy slowly sat down on the swing besides her and held his head down.

He sniffled a little and Uno blinked.

"What happened?"

He sniffled again and didn't respond to Uno's question.

"…What's your name?"

The boy, as softly as possible to where Uno just barely heard him, replied, "Ricky."

Uno smiled a little bit.

"I'm Uno."

Ricky never looked up and Uno felt a little pity for him. His brown hair covered his eyes but Uno knew he was crying. As he lifted his hands to hang them from the chains of the swing, Uno noticed a bruise on his right wrist.

"Why do you have that bruise?"

Ricky looked to his wrist and sniffled again.

"My dad hit me."

"Why would he do something like that?" Theresa could just barely see Ricky around Uno but heard what she needed to know.

"I don't know."

Uno returned to glance at the other kids who made fun of Ricky. She glared a few of them in return for they still treat her quite as badly. Theresa on the other hand, wasn't one to get picked up; she just got talked about.

"Why are they being mean to you?" Uno looked back to Ricky.

Ricky shrugged, "I dunno. Maybe 'cuz I'm new?"

The bell rang for the kids to get inline and return to class and Uno and Theresa both stood up. Uno looked down at Ricky who obviously hadn't even made a thought of moving.

"I have to go to class now. I'll see you later, Ricky!" Uno waved at him and ran off with Theresa.

Ricky glanced up at her and watched her run off. He managed a tiny smile as his 'so-called' new-and-only-friend ran off with her friend.

"By Uno." He whispered, more to himself than anybody. He stood and began shuffling his feet towards the line of his class.

That afternoon when Uno and Theresa were waiting out front for the famous vet to arrive, Ricky stepped up besides Uno and smiled at her. Uno looked over and smiled when she saw who it was. She also saw his stained cheeks where he had tears strolling down his face.

"Thanks Uno." Ricky began.

Uno blinked. "For what?"

"You were the first person to be nice to me today."

Uno smiled in return. "Well, they were mean to me too. You have to shut them up somehow, just find the way that works."

"That doesn't always work…" Theresa grumbled.

"It does if you had anything to shut them up with." Uno glared Theresa and Theresa faced Uno with a blank stare. Suddenly, both girls busted out giggling.

"So…" Uno began, shutting up a few of her giggles, "Who you waiting for?"

"My dad." Ricky looked around the streets, waiting for his ride as other people piled up in their cars with their parents.

"What's his car look like?" Uno looked around for the black vet.

"It's a Hummer."

"…" Uno stayed quiet; she didn't know that car.

"My dad got it for his new job…he's helping these other people start some new program. I don't know what it is; I was told to not worry about it, so I don't." Ricky shrugged and glanced around at some brown cars passing by. "His number-plate says 'O-N-E-A-W-Z."

"You mean that one?" Uno pointed to a green truck-looking-car as it pulled up to the curb. "It looks like it says 'one-way."

A horn honked and Uno looked behind the car to Duo's vet. She shoved Theresa towards the car and turned back to Ricky, noticing he was already halfway into his car.

"Bye!" Uno waved and got into the car.

"Hey Uno; another new friend?" Duo asked as he looked at the license plate of the Hummer in front of him.

"Some new kid who people were teasing; she was nice to him." Theresa buckled up her seat belt and Uno shut the door.

"'One-A-Wz?' Hm…odd name." When the Hummer drove off, Duo managed to do the same. "Well, so who's your new friend?"

"His name's Ricky. I'm thinking of asking him to my party this weekend." Uno looked up and over to Duo with pleading eyes.

"Hm...we'll see. We'll ask Quatre and Heero if it's alright with them."

"Why Heero?" Uno blinked.

"Because…unlike me…he's able to watch over things more easier."