My Nasty Girl
By: Feathertop
Disclaimer: Ah… Five words again, people. A.Merry.Christmas.To.You.
Chapter 8 – My Little Experiment
Smell of lasagna filled the air, causing Anna to wake up. Odd, Hao's bed was empty. What has gotten into him now?
"Morning." Hao smiled, wiping his hands to his apron. Hao and an apron—amusing sight. Anna's eyes wandered to the table; it was already set, complete with plates, glasses, spoons, forks and a juice jug.
"What's this?" She glared at him.
"Breakfast… It's a school day and we need the energy." He said softly. He was definitely up to something. Cooking her breakfast, no smirks, soft voice, no air of arrogance… what is he planning?
He offered her a hand and let her sit.
"What are you planning?" Her voice was flat, devoid of any emotion. Typical Anna.
"Ask yourself Anna, do I even have the ability to plan things?" His smile was small and gentle. She had this feeling that he was hiding something or was planning something dangerous.
"…"
"Eat up, alright?" He gave her a few servings of lasagna and sat across her. She eyed Hao secretly. He was eating casually, his gaze fixed on the window. For once, without the air of egotism, he looked normal.
Has the world finally come to an end?
O-o-O-o-O
"Good morning, Anna. Morning, Hao!" Yoh grinned boyishly, leaning casually against the locker.
Anna nodded while Hao said nothing.
"Why are you so quiet?" Yoh asked Hao, concern, etch in his features.
"Does it matter?" Hao said quietly and proceeded to his Trigonometry class. He was feeling a bit funny… he never felt so angry at the sight of Yoh. Was he so jealous of what has happened yesterday? He mentally shook himself. Nonsense.
"What's up with him?" Yoh frowned a bit.
"Hn." Anna glared at nothing in particular.
O-o-O-o-O
"Anna…"
"Hao? –What are you doing!...?" Hao only smiled in response and pulled her into the lunch area. Girls were glaring at the sight of Hao together with Anna.
"Bastard, what the hell is wrong with you!...?"
"I promised you I'd treat you lunch, remember?"
"That's not it."
"What then?"
"Why are you acting this way!...?"
"Acting what way?"
"Don't act dumb with me."
"You told me I was dumb; why not please you by proving it true?"
"Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"Stop being not you."
"How do you know I'm being not me?"
"Because the Hao I know is an egotistic jerk who is so full of himself." She said simply. Hao's mouth turned into a line.
"…that's nice." He grinned. "What do you wanna eat?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Why? You're on a diet?"
"No."
"Hmm, why then?" He tilted his head to the side and supported his forehead with a loose fist. His eyes danced with humor. Now that Anna finally thought about it, his eyes looked like melted chocolate. Soft, deep and intense.
"You might poison me."
"I should be the one worrying about that."
"And why!...?"
"You're a hag." He laughed lightly.
"Why you insolent—"she stopped as Hao shoved spaghetti into her mouth.
"You want me to help you chew?"
"I can handle myself—"
"Don't talk when you mouth is full."
She glared at him and chewed on her spaghetti. He bit back his laughter. Sometimes, not even the coldest person can hold back the child within him/her. It amused Hao. It amused him that changing himself could bring such an… 'outrage' from Anna. It amused him that no one even suspected that he only wore a faceless mask of arrogance. Ah, who can he blame? They don't even know him.
"Yoh told me yesterday about this sickness that you possess…"
"You interested?"
"Just curious but I really don't care." She stated simply yet again.
"I knew you wouldn't."
"Hn…"
He looked out the window. The sky was pleasantly blue today. He smiled to himself. He still remembered that very same cloudless sky. The one he used to look at every morning. The one that used to be the witness of… he breathed hard and shook himself mentally.
"Please don't remind me of her again…" he said silently but somehow, Anna heard. She said nothing; instead, she merely sipped her juice.
"Thank you for the lunch." She said hastily and took her bag but a hand encased her small ones.
"How do you like me to be, Anna?" Hao suddenly asked. There was something remarkably odd about that day. She couldn't look directly into Hao's eyes.
"I don't like you."
He grinned. "No, that's not what I meant. Would you rather have me be this… you know? Or do you want the other Hao? The egotistic one."
"I. DON'T. LIKE. YOU. Understand?" And she left.
His grin turned into a sad smile.
No one noticed of course. No one ever notices.
He liked it that way. For them to believe what they want to believe.
It was always like that.
And it won't change.
He watched silently as Anna left, not even looking back.
"Why do I always have to fall for someone I cannot have?"
He closed his eyes and leaned back against the chair. Guess his little experiment on behavior failed quite horribly.
O-o-O-o-O
"Hao, you bastard, you forgot to turn off the lamp." Anna whispered to herself. She had arrived late today and Hao was already asleep.
Strands of hair covered his left eye, his lips were slightly apart. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that Hao would be so peaceful to look at when asleep. Perhaps she didn't just take the time to notice.
He and Yoh were so alike sometimes… it's just his eyes. There's something in them… that caught her off guard.
She sighed lightly and turned to turn off the lamp beside Hao's bed. "Stupid idiot."
Something flickered in Hao's hand. She narrowed her eyes and found a crystal rose.
She frowned when she noticed something engraved on it.
Anna… hard and beautiful like a crystal… but also as delicate.
She took the rose from his hand and accidentally looked at his face. A small innocent smile was tugging at his lips.
"Goodnight, Hao." She turned off the lamp, placed the rose on the table and gently dozed off.
"Sweet dreams, Anna."
End of Chapter.
Next Chapter – Hao's back to his old self and is out to prove to Anna that she doesn't know a thing about him. It's getting-to-know-each-other-time and surely, a lot of chaos will ensue.
A/N: Ah… yeah. (Winces as she reads the chapter again and again) That was definitely weird. Sorry, not in the mood for humor. Anyway, please review? I truly appreciate all your reviews! Thank you! And merry Christmas everyone!