Author's Notes: Well, you reviewed and I listened! Thank you for the encouragement, though I can tell some of you are terribly confused. Trust me; things do come together soon enough. I know, it's such a jump from my former work (Dancing on the Live Man's Grave & My Christmas List…etc.) but it will all be worth it in the end. With that said, onward to the second chapter!
R&R
Enjoy!
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Chapter Two: Fingerprints
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Westmoor High School International was a proud standing facility, recognized for its stellar academic achievements. It had produced many respected members of the workforce, now in charge of important corporate matters and jobs that involved bulky paychecks.
Adequately equipped, Westmoor's publicity often included their au courant faculty and cumbersome endorsements—received from various powerful and opulent backgrounds.
Enrollment was easy; it was the admittance where handfuls of hopeful candidates found themselves rejected. Previous grades and accomplishments were taken into account before a decision was made.
Westmoor, a competitive school, stood at the very top. It attained the annual number one position during a classification made of every educational institution in southern North America.
Miyami was accepted by a stroke of good fortune; owing to the exhilarating amount of enrollments made monthly.
And she was beginning to doubt if it had been a good thing…
Rei had guided Miyami on a halfhearted tour around Westmoor, showing her the places that she would need to find for the upcoming periods before lunch. Her favorite had been the boundless art room on the fifth floor, decorated with paint smudges and hardened clay.
It had been the only room without a teacher's desk and box of chalk where learning was inevitable.
Students loomed in empty classrooms, sitting on desktops or leaning against blackboards. Many of them wore similar attire; the boys in preppy striped polo-shirts with the collars raised—much like Miyami's—and sandals or Puma running shoes. A majority of girls exhibited massive hoop earrings and short Paris-Hilton skirts. They didn't give off the air of excellence which the school had been promoting in their thick pamphlets.
Rei didn't seem to mind the cropped tops and mid-thigh minis, flirting with a few of the passing senior cheerleaders on their way to the field for a seven-thirty practice.
"And this," He said concluding the short tour, "is the cafeteria; but it's hardly used. My friends and I usually eat outside."
"Sounds like fun," Miyami grinned, stretching her unburdened shoulders; now free of any sidebags or restricting jean jackets.
Rei had taught her the confusing trick behind opening and closing the school locks. It hadn't been easy since Miyami spent most of the lesson gawking instead of listening.
He wasn't her usual type; she preferred the less casual skater-boys that wore the long Dickies and band t-shirts, sporting chin rings and tattoos. Rei wasn't as edgy, dressed in a pair of khaki coloured pants the drooped below his torso. He, like the other boys Miyami had seen, wore his shirt collar rolled upward though he made the trend seem unique. Underneath the informal polo was a plain white cotton tee and on his feet were brown leather sandals.
Preppy-chic, Miyami decided, marking her own appearance.
They had a lot in common, both interested in anthropology and spiritual freedom. Even their choice in music and movies was akin. Though Rei drifted towards Coldplay and Savage Garden, he still found the work of The Transplants tasteful.
Around them the bustling grew, teenagers filing through different entrances; some smelling of cigarette smoke and others of another kind of aroma.
The cultural diversity was immense and Miyami was thankful. She enjoyed analyzing people, adapting to new environments with ease. But there was always a catch; she was uncomfortable in a mono-ethnic work area. There had to be multiplicity otherwise there was nothing to keep her attention peeked.
She heard an assortment of accents, none of which she was familiar.
"We're an international school," Rei clarified, seeing Miyami's delight in the atmosphere. He held her under his arm in a protectively, leading her away from the banter.
"No," Miyami responded sarcastically, "you only like to pretend."
Rei glanced from his watch to a plastic-rimmed clock above the main entrance; comparing the time.
"My friends should be here by now. I think it's time you got to meet them,"
Miyami prepared herself, eager to see what she was in for.
Her stomach fluttered delightedly as they wandered down a near-barren hallway. There was a sound of humming from an area tucked away in the back of the building.
"Is that…?"
"Oh God, not again," Rei moaned and quickened his pace. As they wandered through the narrow doorway, Miyami was taken aback by the expanse of the space. It was a neatly organize library with bookshelves on every wall and two or three tables with Research Only computers. Clearly refurbished and delicate looking, there were round cushioned armchairs for reading and a desk at the back to sign out books.
Distorting the proposed harmony of the space was a buzz of music hidden behind a tall wooden bookshelf that divided the area partway. A peach coloured table was surrounded by a group of simmering youths, all folded inwards and straining their ears to hear the tune that played.
One girl sat cross-legged atop the table, holding an MP3 discman, snapping her fingers and moving her upper body in time with the rhythm. She was cute-looking with fierce eyes and a heart-shaped face. Waves of almost-black hair fell past her waist freely, and her eyes were squeezed shut in a meager attempt to impersonate the vocals.
"…Oh my God, we're back again…Brothers, Sisters, everybody sing…!"
Rei broke up the cluster, jumping onto the table via an occupied chair and did a sliding circle. He imitated the dance performed in the music video and sang along with a little more accuracy.
The girl stood and took his awaiting hand, swerving into him and then twirling outwards. The thin chain and brown leather necklaces she wore billowed behind her as she swirled in sync with Rei.
"…Backstreet's back, alright!"
Laughter echoed as the teens threw their hands to the high ceiling and hooted, cheering their comrades on. Miyami stood momentarily, unsure whether she should join the crowd or linger in the background.
I enjoy, Miyami said to herself, her cheeks sore from perpetual smiling.
Fading, the song came to an end after a minute or so. Breathless and panting, Rei and the girl sat again, the girl collapsing into Rei's lap fraternally.
"Hey Miyami, you gonna stand their in admiration forever or are you going to join us?" Rei ushered lazily with his hand, his chest moving up and down strongly as he tried to regain his composure.
Shrugging with one shoulder, Miyami stepped forward and waved loosely, one hand tucked into the back pocket of her jeans.
"Guys," Rei said, "this is Miyami."
He started the introductions at the girl on his knee. "This is Amber Benson," the girl beamed at the sound of her name. She locked Miyami in an intense ochre stare, studying her in interest. Her complexion was dusky and untarnished and she hardly reached Miyami's height, half an inch shorter at most.
Miyami's attention tweaked to the burned out pair of sneakers Amber wore. Visibly loved and likely six or seven years old, the shoes were what Miyami would always associate Amber with; as much as she hated to admit it.
That was how she worked; able to remember standout things about a person in lieu to their name.
Seated in front of Amber was girl of average height and build. She looked much older than she was with captivating natural beauty. Her hair was strawberry blonde and short, swept back out of her eyes with a bright green headband. Round faced with big baby-blues, Miyami assumed there was popularity in her pocket that she used charitably. The way she held herself made her look determined and almost conceited.
"Sonia," Rei said, "but we like to call her Skip," he added as an afterthought.
"Hi," Sonia smiled timidly, her voice small and light. Miyami was shocked, the mocha skinned girl made a quick transformation in her minds eye.
Wow, Miyami coughed awkwardly inside, and here I thought she'd be the boldest of them all!
She excused her mistake when the girl beside Sonia was introduced.
Aspin Grant was tomboyish and lanky; arrayed in loose, hip-hanging blue jeans and a nice fitting aquamarine shirt. She dressed her face with a thin line of violet eyeshadow and clear lipgloss; nothing fancy. Her hair was an out of the ordinary shade of lavender, kept long and in a messy ponytail.
Aspin carried a reserved prettiness leaving a pronounced personality.
"She's captain of the Westmoor Tigers…the girls' soccer team—"
"Hey, don't forget football and basketball," Aspin interjected. Her tone was sharp and level.
"Sporty Spice," Rei teased, chuckling. She swatted him on the leg and leaned back into her chair.
"You play sports?" Amber asked, nibbling her nails subconsciously. The black paint that had been brushed on was chipping, thin shaving staining her lips as she chewed out her bad habit.
"Yeah," Miyami grinned enthusiastically. She loved to talk about herself, as narcissistic as that made her sound. Living as the youngest in her family made her thirsty for attention; her older siblings always unceremoniously doting on her.
"I'm—I was goalie for my school's girls' soccer team."
Aspin smiled and leaned forward.
"You any good?"
"Never let a goal in!"
"Aren't you looking for a new teammate?" A new voice questioned to Sonia's right, uninterested with the topic of choice.
"Unfortunately not anymore, position's filled." Aspin said with regret, bringing her legs to her chest and resting her chin in the crevice between them.
"Heh," Rei nodded to the boy who had asked the question, "That's Max, he's not really into sports,"
"Coulda fooled me," Miyami winked, leaning her weight on one foot.
Max sat up, his body spurting as if constantly on the go. His limbs were long and he was very feminine but in a cute way. A squirrelish smile adorned his lips comfortably and his eyes were bright in childlike fascination.
Gay, Miyami managed to keep her voice in her throat as she gazed at his oval cornflower eyes adoringly. She had a soft spot for gay men, though she wasn't certain why. They amused her with their understanding of the unspoken womanly truths that men were never to know.
Typically Californian, he had a mop of flaxen blonde hair and a carefree expression that held no tight lines or emotional strain. His movements were relaxed, contradicting his fast sentences and chirpy attitude.
"Somewhere in this school doing whatever last minute homework is Chaya; they're twins," Rei sighed, shaking his head at the thought of the absent girl.
"S'all good," Miyami said, "I'll just meet her later,"
"Actually, you'll meet her after homeroom this morning," Rei corrected, "She's in your languages class,"
"Either way,"
At the end of the table sat the last person to be introduced. Miyami frowned, squinting and taking a step in his direction. A familiar tuff of bluish-black hair stuck up untidily, his square shoulders arched and arms folded under his head. Asleep, he hadn't been involved in the former conversation.
"Little bastard," Miyami sniggered, creeping towards him. Though there was no reasoning behind it; he had slept through the music and the introductions.
Halting deviously behind him, Miyami flexed her fingers, feeling the constant coolness of her fingertips. She knew he hated cold fingers and feet, traits of which she had possessed since the womb. The boy snorted in his sleep, his breathing even.
Everyone watched in silent interest, wondering what the New Girl could possibly have on their friend.
Miyami brought her hands under the mass of thick hair, pressing them to his warm skin. Bolting upright, Tyson Kinomiya was suddenly aware of everything.
"Who dunnit?" He cried, sending the group into fits of hysterical laughter.
Twisting around to see his attacker, he felt quite sheepish staring at his younger cousin. She smirked back in triumph, placing her hands in her pockets again.
"Rough night?" She joked, cocking her head to one side and awaiting a reply.
"Possibly,"
"Did you forget anything yesterday?" Miyami bent over, her face coming close to Tyson's, their noses millimeters apart.
Max whispered for everyone to quiet down so he could listen to what was going to happen.
Miyami raised a thin eyebrow while Tyson tried to understand what she was talking about. His mind was still foggy from his ill-timed nap. Then it dawned on him and his face went pale.
"Oops," He squeaked.
He couldn't consider his cousin dangerous, because she wasn't. He learned that if it came to a physical brawl, she would lose before the match began. But she was verbally sharp and even her small temper managed to scare him.
"You two know each other?" Aspin wondered, her catlike body extending onto the table, kneeling on her chair.
"She's my cousin," Tyson murmured, still kicking himself inwardly for forgetting his promise of a personal show-around town the day before.
"So this is the one who cooks?" Sonia blinked innocently.
"No, that's the other one…this is the one who wanted to kick a bouncer's ass at that nightclub in Tokyo and got in for trying."
There was a resounding 'oh' as the others recalled Tyson animatedly telling the story. It had been quite the tale.
A warning bell rang piercingly in the hall outside of the library, signaling the students to make their way to homeroom. Miyami was pleased to have found her cousin, forgetful or not. He was in the same class as her which made things less difficult.
"Alright, Mimi, let's get this shit started,"
This is going to be a very good day.
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End Chapter Two
Author's Notes: Just like I promised: FEEDBACK to my wonderful reviewers! It's nice to see all of the old faces again.
Zadien (Cokey): Ch. 1&2: Hee-hee, I bought the Lost Prophets CD—Start Something—for the very same reason! You'll find out how everything ties together, not to worry. I can't wait to write it all up, either, its exciting being back without writers block. I tried to stick a little familiarity into the first chapter (considering people enjoyed Rei and Miyami crashing into one another in Dancing on the Live Man's Grave)…besides, it's just hilarious to see Rei cause accidents. You are completely right about Adam Brody, by the way, he's continuously getting hotter…drool
Wanted (Yoshi): Ch. 2: Ah, yes, Gems is hard to beat in terms of reviewing first…she has a sixth-sense when it comes right down to it! As I'm sure you've figured out from the above chapter, Max is included in the whole 'homosexuality' thing. I had to disclaim it because some people are uncomfortable reading about men-dating-men or women-dating-women. I'm hoping to introduce new bands that I've recently taken to and expand the musical horizon for this story. Oooh, this is too much fun!
Silver Suzaku: Ch. 2: Knowing me and my updates, you'll be coming after me with a chainsaw! I'm really slow at it (no matter how many ideas I have ready) so them-there questions aren't in vain…doesn't mean I'm going to answer them though winks. Hee-hee, I enjoy keeping people in the dark about things like that, it's amusing to read the reactions.
signourney: Ch. 2: Yes I am back and I think I may stay this way for a while! You can't get rid of me that easily, Mwuah! Don't worry; the prologue will be explained sooner or later. I have plans; evil, dastardly plans!
KuriQuinn (Krys): Ch. 2: We all know that my lines are your lines, even if I have them copywritten. What do you mean 'gabbing'? I'm hurt! Even though I know that you're listening even though it doesn't look like it and I always question you about it when I'm gabbing…er…yeah! Grins about the 'not going to hurt people we love' thing, you'll have to wait and see! Remember, this is based on what happened to Efan, so bear with me on this. No worries, I'm going to continue! See, there's a chapter above this…that counts, right? But who cares about the story, I have Karl-related matters to discuss! Sees Krys attempt and escape at the random mention of her crush…Oh, you can't get away that easily! And do you want a cookie? I'm making White-Chocolate-Chip-Pecan cookies this time. I'm bored of working only with peanut butter and chocolate chips.
©: The featured song is Backstreet's Back by The Backstreet Boys from their 1997 album Backstreet's Back.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you would like to see what Miyami and the gang look/dress like during their first introductions and possibly all of their other mentioned outfits throughout the story, email me. I have coloured pictures finished and ready to send.