A/N: Hey everyone! Time for another chapter! Whee!

Disclaimer: Once apon a time, someone owned Ronin Warriors...it wasn't me.

A Fine Line Between Love and Hate
KiahWMConnie
Chapter eight: A Bartender Named Liz

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Maria's laugh was heard throughout the lunchroom.

"It's not that funny!" Rhonda yelled at her, "We got thrown out!"

"That's what's funny about it! HAHAHA!"

Rhonda gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to lunge herself at Maria and choke her with her braid. But, their conversation was suddenly overshadowed...literally, by a large junior was standing by their table.

"Will you two shut up?" he threatened slowly.

Maria raised an eyebrow. Rhonda's eyes began to flame.

"Some of us are trying to eat. Now if you don't shut up, I'll bust in that pretty, little skull of yours!" he cracked his knuckles.


From the other side of the cafeteria, Cye noticed what was going on, and Kento noticed where his attention was.

Kento started to get up to go pound the guy for picking on the ladies,but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

Cye looked him in the eye, "Trust me. They can 'andle it."


Maria began to laugh. The bully slammed his fist on the table.

"Ah blow my nose at 'chu!" Maria shouted.

He blinked, "What?"

Rhonda stared dumbfoundedly at her.

"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!"

He was quiet for a while, then raised an ugly finger at her.

"This isn't over, American," he sneered, "For either of you." He stomped away angry and very confused.

Maria was smiling until she saw Rhonda's expression.

"What?"

Rhonda stared for a moment, "Monty Python?"

Maria shrugged and laughed, "It seemed appropriate at the time."

"I can't believe you," she shook her head and smiled.


Rowen walked down the barely lit streets.

'What a day,' he sighed, 'What a day.'

Rhonda and he had to discuss the upcoming week in chemistry. To say the least, it didn't go very well. On top of that, Dad was super busy at work. He probably wouldn't be home for another week.

Rowen needed to escape, to just take a walk. He spotted a bar. It didn't seem to be crowded, so he walked in.

A pretty young woman walked up to the bar, "Can I see some ID?" she asked.

"I'm not here to drink," he chuckled, "I just need to sit somewhere."

The woman smiled and handed him a glass of water. Rowen smiled back in gratitude. She was very beautiful, though she seemed very tired.

She wasn't Japanese. Her skin was more pink. Curly, light-brown hair framed her large brown eyes. She looked about early-twenties.

"So, why are you out at this late hour?"

"Rough week at school. I'm so happy it's Friday. By the way, I'd figured that this place would be more crowded on a Friday."

"Heh. I guess you just caught us on an unbusy night. This place is usually very crowded."

The two went on chatting and chuckling for a while.

"What's your name?" he asked unexpectedly.

She hesitated. There was something extremely familiar about this boy.

"It's Liz," she said simply.

"Liz. I'm Rowen."

It hit her. This was the boy that Rhonda loathed! But, he seeme like a really nice boy. He was pretty cute too.

'Sigh. Sorry kid sister.' she silently apologized.

"So, what is it at school that has you so stressed?"

Rowen emptily chuckled, "A girl."

"Oh? Girl problems?"

"Yeah, but not like that. Trust me."

"Well, what is it then?" Liz smirked.

"Simple. She's a bitch."

Liz blinked a couple of times. She didn't expect him to be that blunt. Nonetheless, she continued their conversation.

"Well, why is she such a bitch?" she asked, knowing the general answer. Rhonda was a real pain-in-the-ass sometimes.

"I don't know!" Rowen playfully threw his arms up, "For the life of me, I can't think of what I've done to her! She just...she just hates me for some reason."

"What does she do?" Liz pressed for him to spill all. She smelled blackmail.

"Well, for starters, we got kicked out of the grocery store the other day. A major food fight happened."

Liz supressed a laugh.

"It's weird. I have this friend who's the best friend of the girl..."

'Maria?' she thought.

"...and she swears up and down that she is one of the nicest girls she ever met. From a distance, she seems happy, but whenever I'm near, she's like Medusa herself."

Liz let out a giggle. It would seem that Rhonda's little "split personality" was showing up in school.

Hours went by. Rowen and Liz talked together like old friends. There they were, two people, talking and laughing, having nothing in common except for knowing one girl. Enemy to one, sister to the other, yet here they were.

Rowen noticed the clock.

"Oh, geez! I gotta get home!"

"Hmm?"

Rowen sighed, "I have to go to the park tomorrow, and I usually don't get up until noon an Saturdays," he gave Liz an apologetic look as he got up, "Sorry. I gotta split."

Liz smiled, "S'ok. Come again sometime!" She waved goodbye.

"Bye!"

Liz sighed and leaned against the counter, 'Just keep up with her, bud. She needs a good kick in the ass.'

She got a sad look on her face, 'But...be patient with her too. From what all we've been through, she kinda deserves to be a man-hater...'


A/N: Ugh. That chapter was painful and tiring. It seems short too. But, it's here! Rejoice. Rejoice, dammit.

Guess what? Only three more weeks of school for me! Whoopah! Once summer starts, I'll have aLOT more time on my hands, so there will be more updating.

Hmm, there seems to be a little forshadowing at the end, no? What could this mean?Whoever guesses it gets a prize! Someone asked me how long the story would be. I'm guessing at least 50 chapters. Try to hold on until then. R+R!