Z/N
Thankies to all of you who've reviewed! . You like me, you really like me! Does a happy dance (I can't use the stars anymore, the program won't read them, so all actions in the notes are henceforth underlined.) Okay, enough playtime, let's get onto chapter two!
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Chapter II
Ugh… Why is it so cold?
Daisuke was slow to wake the next morning, even with the bright sunlight pouring directly into his eyes and the bird song chirping abrasively in his ears. When he tried to roll over to avoid these disturbers of the peace, he realized why it was cold: He was wet. His hands came into contact with hard plastic rather than the semi-soft mattress on his bed. Brilliant red eyes opened wide. He was still lying on the slide where he'd watched the lightning last night. Had he fallen asleep?
Well duh you fell asleep, you dolt, he thought as he stiffly pulled himself up. The rainwater that had collected on the slide sloshed down to re-soak his damp pants, streaking the lighter cloth with mud and grime. Blearily he looked at his watch.
"Eight fifty?! I'm going to be late!" After a moment of scrabbling, he extracted himself from the slide and was up and running towards his school, unmindful of the hindering soaking clothing on his body. A playful breeze cut right through him as he dashed down the deserted streets.
Usually Daisuke didn't particularly care one way or the other about school. More often than not it just got him into more trouble. But today… today he really wanted to go. His Physics class was taking a field trip to an amusement park as a hands-on demonstration of how physics connected with day-to-day life. Daisuke had never been to an amusement park and hoped it would be as fun as everyone said it would be. He had his reservations, of course, but still… Why be a pessimist when he could enjoy one day away from it all? Tomorrow he could go back to being himself; today he wanted to be someone else.
Just as the school bell tolled across the field, Daisuke arrived at the end of the block. Damn! If I don't get there soon, Professor might not let me go! He slipped into the building through an open window in an empty classroom, then dodged the security guards and principals patrolling the way to his locker. Along with his gym clothing, Daisuke kept an extra pair of clothes, just in case something like what had happened last night occurred. He pulled these into his arms and changed quickly there in the hall, then dumped the wet clothes in a trash can. He never liked them, anyway.
He stopped in the restroom on his way to his first hour Literature class. His hair was a mess, and without a comb there was no way to really salvage it. Exasperated, he shoved his fingers through the damp ruby locks and resolved to hack the whole thing off as soon as possible. Oh well, there's not a whole lot I can do about it now. Once the tresses were more or less out of his eyes, Daisuke pushed out of the restroom and sauntered towards his classroom.
Suddenly he was being jerked around the corner and slammed up against the lockers. His books fell out of his arms as he emitted a startled squeak and blinked up at his captor. A boy with blue eyes, just a few shades darker than a powder, stood over him, shielding Daisuke's body with his own. The other boy, maybe one or two inches taller than Daisuke at the very most, was staring down the hall intently. Daisuke blinked and blushed faintly. Satoshi? What's he doing?
Just then the vice-principal for their grade strolled by. He stopped and grinned broadly, one hand going to the back of his head. "Satoshi Hiwatari! What are you doing out of class?"
"Nothing, Vice-Principal Sugisaki. Just getting a few of my Physics books to take to the library—this is my study hall, after all, and I have Physics next. I've just transferred to second period Physics and would like to make sure I'm caught up on my work." Satoshi kept his body carefully positioned directly in front of Daisuke's, concealing the redhead completely. "Don't make a sound," he muttered under his breath at Daisuke, "unless you want to get caught and kicked off the tip to Shanikusai."
"All right, Detective, just don't take too long. Can't do you too many favors, now can we?" The principal laughed and went on with his rounds.
Satoshi let out a sigh of relief and stepped back from Daisuke. "What are you doing sneaking into school? I saw you come in through Miss Yukiru's window." His blue eyes, which perfectly matched his hair, narrowed suspiciously behind his thin glasses.
Daisuke avoided his eyes uncomfortably and stepped to the side. "It's none of your business, Satoshi-goody-two-shoes. Leave me alone, okay?"
The detective's hand snaked out and grabbed Daisuke's arm just above his elbow. He pulled the younger boy back to him and glared at him over the rim of his glasses. "Look, jerk, I didn't stick my neck out sneaking you past Sugisaki for you to blow me off. Stop acting like a kid, okay?" Then he shoved away from the confused sixteen-year-old and stormed off, muttering darkly.
Daisuke stood there for a moment, blinking, then rolled his eyes and bent to scoop up his work. Dumb Satoshi. It's not like I asked him to play the hero. I would've done just fine without him. He thinks he's so great because he's a police detective. Mister high-and-mighty, nose-in-the-air, head-to-big-for-his-hats. His papers were scattered everywhere from where Satoshi had knocked the notebooks and folders out of his arms. One paper caught his eye. It was a soft pastel green color, folded up small. He shrugged and shoved it in his pocket, then stood. Now I'm really late for class.
When he arrived at Mrs. Oban's Literature class, Daisuke slipped in quietly, hoping to avoid notice. He slipped into his seat in front of Riku Harada and opened his notebook. The teacher, an elderly little lady who usually came to school in kimonos instead of proper business clothing, stood at the blackboard writing something down. She had a paper airplane sticking out of the wiry gray bun at the back of her head, but Daisuke doubted she knew or cared.
Riku, a pretty girl with short red-brown hair and bright brown eyes, leaned forward and tapped his shoulder. "Where've you been, Daisuke?"
"Doctor's appointment." The lie flowed smoothly from his lips. Riku settled back and popped a loud bubble with her gum.
"Miss Harada!" Mrs. Oban turned around and fixed Riku with her sternest glare. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. No gum is allowed in my class. Now, go spit it out."
Riku fixed the crotchety old teacher with a wide-eyed look of innocence. "Why, but Mrs. Oban, I'm not Riku! Riku is my sister! I'm Risa. We're twins, remember?" Riku and Risa Harada actually were twins, identical for the most part except that Risa wore her hair longer and darker than Riku, and their personalities were total opposites. Risa was the sweetest thing when it came to teachers, never broke a rule. She was the school-wide teacher's pet.
Usually this fabrication worked and Riku would get away with whatever she'd done. Usually the teachers were bought in. But usually she didn't use this excuse on the disagreeable old Literature teacher.
There was no warning, really. One moment Riku was sitting there with her eyes closed and a peace sign in her fingers, calmly explaining to the teacher that she was her twin, and the next there was a dull pink and Riku was lying on the floor, eyes stunned. There was a white mark on her lightly tanned forehead from where the piece of chalk bounced off it. The chalk itself, broken in three places now, was found moments later lying under one of the other students' desks, all the way across the room. Daisuke swallowed his laughter and grinned.
"Find something funny do you, Niwa?" Mrs. Oban snapped at him, black eyes blazing.
Instantly the smile was gone from his face. "No, ma'am! Nothing funny at all!" He picked up his notebook to hide his head, but it was too late. Another piece of chalk bounced off his head between his eyes, but this one had less force behind it than the one that hit Riku. Still he lay on the ground as well, stunned slightly.
"Well," the teacher said, clapping the dust off her hands, "now that that's settled, is there anybody else who wants to say or do something?"
The entire class came immediately to attention. They weren't sure how much chalk the little old lady had, but they weren't about to find out. "Ma'am, no ma'am!"
The antique schoolmistress's bad mood dissipated and she grinned, holding up her hand in a peace sign. "Good! Now, let's get back to Robert Frost." The class let out a silent groan and all slumped back into their seats as she turned back to the board and began writing once more.
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Daisuke had Physics second period. When he went back to his locker after his first class, he made sure he packed everything in his locker he'd want to take with him: his CD player, many CDs, his manga books, and his wallet. Once assured, he pulled the bag onto his back, pushed his hair from his forehead, and stalked on down the hall towards Professor's class.
When he pushed the door open and entered the room, most of the class had already assembled. Risa Harada was standing in the corner, carefully pressing an ice pack to her twin's forehead. She didn't get hit that hard, Daisuke thought as he gently prodded his own welt, which was already starting to throb. Daisuke's friend Takeshi, a boy with the body of a linebacker and the face of a half-angel, black hair and dark eyes, was sitting on his desk, loading film into his camera. Takeshi was a successful reporter for a local news station and took care of the high school class news, so the trip to the amusement park was excellent material for his next story. Takeshi and Daisuke weren't really great friends, but they could stand each other.
Takeshi glanced up as Daisuke put his bag down on his own desk and began pawing through to find an empty spiral notebook. "Hey man, you're late."
"Long day." Daisuke finally gave up and put everything back in his bag. "Oh well, I'll find something later."
Professor, a young, energetic man with the body of a dancer, laughing green eyes, and black hair cropped short, clapped his hands to get everybody's attention. "Okay, okay, class, settle! We're going to be divvying you up into pairs for the day. Now, you must stay with your partner at all times during the day. If I find out that at any point in time any of the students was wandering around by his or herself—and I will find out, I have my sources—both that student and his or her partner will be put on the bus for the remainder of the day." As the class gave a collective groan, he continued, "This is only for your own safety." But since Professor's class was everyone's favorite, they were willing to forgive him this transgression into uncoolness and go along with his plan.
"And so, your pairs will be thus." Professor glanced at a paper on his clipboard and read off, "Risa and Takeshi. Riku and Yusuke. Lain and Tenshi. Kizume and Mihoshi. Kiyone and…" The list went on and on until Daisuke was the only one left unpaired. He sat on his desk, arms crossed over his chest, waiting. But still his name was not called.
Professor was packing up his clipboard as the class separated off into their pairs. Daisuke pushed off his desk and walked over to the teacher, his thumbs linked through his belt loops. Trying to appear casual and as if it didn't really matter, he said quietly, "Um, Professor? You didn't call my name…"
Professor glanced up. "Daisuke, I'm sorry, I thought I did. I didn't see you come in… Oh yes. Your name's not on the list because you were the extra—this class has thirty-nine students, after all."
"So I can go by myself?" Hopes rose within Daisuke.
"Now weren't you listening to me?" Professor laughed and shook a finger at Daisuke. "If I wouldn't let the other students wander off by themselves, why would I let you? It's for your own safety." He smiled. "You'll be paired with me."
Daisuke's stomach promptly dropped. Not the teacher! No matter if said teacher was the coolest in school, it was still damn embarrassing to have to tag along with the professor all day! He'd be stuck listening to lectures on things he didn't understand! Daisuke sighed and stumbled over to Takeshi and Risa after a muttered "Yes, sir."
"So Risa, do you like roller coasters?" Takeshi was asking.
Risa squealed, "No! They scare me! What if it breaks while I'm on it?" She shuddered.
Riku wandered up behind her twin, her partner in tow. "Yusuke is chicken, too. Here, Risa, I have a plan." Riku turned and dug out two identical caps from her bag. She placed one on Risa's head and tucked her hair up under it, then did the same to her own. Now unless one knew the slight variation in their voices and who was wearing what, they couldn't be told apart. "Now," Riku said, "we'll switch. You and Yusuke can pet the ponies for all I care, and Takeshi and I will ride the roller coasters!"
"Um, okay," Risa said hesitantly. "Are you sure we won't get caught?"
"Not if you keep your big mouth shut," Riku snapped back. "Besides, we'll both have partners, they just won't be our assigned ones. Now." She stepped over to Takeshi and linked her arm with his. "Shall we sit on the bus, Takeshi?"
"Um, yeah, sure." Takeshi grinned and escorted her out the door. Yusuke sighed and offered his hand to Risa, who took it. The two of them disappeared out the door.
Daisuke sighed and made to follow. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, spending the day with Professor.
"Hey, Daisuke!" Professor's voice rang out over the chattering students. "Come back here a minute, will ya? I got great news!"
The redhead sighed and pushed his way back through the crowd. "Yes, Professor?"
Professor was nearly jumping up and down. "I found you a different partner, Daisuke. You'll be paired with him." He pointed across the room at a boy standing facing the window. The teen's head was covered with a black cap that patched his tshirt and jeans perfectly. Midnight blue sneakers covered his feet. "Now," Professor continued, "you two'd best get on the bus before all the good seats are taken." He bounced off, cheerily muttering about funnel cakes and strawberry new orleans.
Daisuke wandered over to his new partner, wondering whom it was standing at the window. He stopped when he was standing directly behind the teen. "Hello?"
The boy turned slowly and smiled. "We meet again, Daisuke Niwa."
Daisuke's ruby eyes widened with surprise. "You!"
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Z/N
I thought it was kinda cute that "Oban" means "bitchy old hag." Shanikusai translates to "Carnival," and Sugisaki is the author of the D.N.Angel mangas. . Just sos ya know, I altered Satoshi, Risa, and Riku's personalities. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME AS THEY ARE IN THE MANGAS. THIS IS ON PURPOSE.
I decided to keep the paragraphs separate—makes reading easier. At least I think it does. Thankies, and please R&R!!