I'm alive! LOL. First want to apologize for my lack of updates, university's been taking a lot of my time. Finally, a day away from Sciences to reunite with our favorite bishonen boys! Happy Thanksgivings folks!
Galleons of love to cassyw, WindWtch, Midnightmare, BloodyShadows, Dryu, and arevelo for reviewing. This chapters goes out to DPhnix and Jixnce, hehehe.
Euphrosyne's Fic III – 04
.:Bastard Academy:.
Placing the button at the end of the foil, Rye did a few stretches before heading over to the mat. Sliding the wire mesh mask over her face, body in start position, she waited for her opponent to do the same.
"We're painting at the Estates if I win, end of the month. I need to finish my portrait."
"Win or lose, we're heading there anyways. Grandfather wants you over for tea. Don'cha want a better prize?" Her voice stung of confidence.
The boy snickered. "Maybe you don't have anything I want."
"You did not just go there."
Deep colored eyes sparkling at his opponent's snappy response.
"Hey! Wait a minute, what exactly do I get out of this if I win?"
"Name your game."
Pausing in thought, Riley grinned. "I need no labeled goods. I want something money can't buy… something… inanimate. Oh! How about something along the lines of your pride. That's it!- a dash of art to personalize it. Knowing your fan base and you, I don't believe you're cool enough to pull off a little gospel infused rock and roll."
"You think you know me so well." A smile escaped with the suggestion. "You're on."
"High stakes, Blue-"
The boy snickered, he hated that name. "I never planned on losing."
Slipping the mask over his face, Kai set his body in start position before gesturing the girl to kick off the game. "Come get me…if you can. Show me what you've got."
Rolling her eyes, Rye couldn't help but snicker. "Cocky bastard."
It was his dedication that wore her out. Having sent several rather well-written applications to the Lee Estates asking for ground access, the only thing that stood between Kai and his dream painting was Rye.
She remembered the day as if it were yesterday. And god, did she enjoy every moment of it.
In her eyes, Kai was worst than Tala. Yes, the redhead was a mouthy bastard within contact, but other then that, they lived their separate lives. Kai seemed sneakier than that. She saw how he absorbed information. He was one of those people who were constantly aware of their surroundings. He was in control; he was the heart of their overrated group.
How could she have been so wrong?
Behind her back, grandfather granted him permission into her life.
"Half an hour, one camera, we keep the negatives."
He was in no position to argue.
The blue-haired boy looked so approachable in regular slacks and a tee. His patience amazed her, thee Kai Hiwatari- the most eligible bachelor as written by Attitude, squatting on the grass, attempting to capture nature at its best…undisturbed.
A twig napped under her weight. He turned.
"What are you doing here?"
He ignored her, well aware of his time limit.
"I asked you a question!"
"Why are you here?"
"You first."
"I'm working."
"I'm doing an internship."
Back still towards her, the boy stood from his crouching position, following the breeze deeper into the grounds.
"That's it? I'm working?"
The bushes opened to reveal a bridge over a tumbling stream. Soft words escaped his lips. "This is…"
"Hey! I'm talking to you!"
"I don't believe you."
An awkward silence rung through the air as Rye fought to gather words. "Excuse me…?"
"I don't think you're doing an internship here." The boy turned to face her. "Could we talk about this another time?" He lowered his gaze to check his watch.
At that particular moment, a breathless man caught up with the dark-haired girl. "We heard yelling, miss. Is everything alright?" There was no denying the distinctive French accent.
Refusing to unlock eyes with the blue-haired boy, Rye raised a hand in the man's direction. There was a moment of hesitation. "Allain. Tell grandfather I have granted Mr. Hiwatari permission to stay longer. He will be having dinner with us tonight."
Narrowing his brows with slight confusion, Allain decided best to keep her orders. With a quick nod, he left.
"Now where were we? Ohyes, Kai- can I call you that? Why is it that you don't think I'm doing an internship here?"
Neither suggested keeping their friendship hidden, it had just worked out that way. Like all relationships, their friendship started as a question-answer type acquaintance, evolving to a point where both sides admitted to having shared too many details.
Their friendship resembled advanced biweekly therapy sessions, going at each other, one-on-one, with a pointed stick and a little protective clothing. Fencing this week, horseback riding lessons next. Eventually, they would be ready for the casual dinner and a movie!
Breathless from the advance, Rye spoke through her mask. "You!" she got his attention, "Forgot to ask. Have any time in your schedule to fill in for a member in one of our upcoming trivia competitions? We're up against Le Marc. It'll help ya with your marks, might even get Senior off your back." She went for a lunge but missed. Kai heard cussing.
His first reaction was to refuse. "Won't your precious Brooklyn be angry?" Tension rising, he shook his head and loosened his wrist.
Slightly irritated, instincts shot back with the first comeback. "When did Tala start rubbing off on you?" The ticker went up another point.
The game was getting close. He smirked. "It came out wrong and you took it too personally." At that moment, he took the opportunity to take the lead once more, "and what's with you and Tala anyways? Do you two even remember how the feud started?" He could sense her rolling her eyes at him, as if it mattered- the origins of her hate. "He's a good guy. You'll see what I mean once you meet his parents." Another ding for him, 3-1.
"Hmph. That's what B always says." She went for another lunge but was cut short as the ticker sounded once more, this time, taking her by surprise.
Shit. He was good.
Another agitated growl, 4-1.
With all arrogance aside, both duelers knew who had the upper hand. Kai had always been a stronger fencer, it was in his blood. Mrs. Hiwatari held quite a title back in her days. Knowing that, Rye nonetheless still agreed to the game…and, well, that was one of the things Kai admired most about her. No matter the situation or disadvantage, she was ready- the worst it was, the more she wanted it. It was almost frightened, her determination. This behavior was far from the norm- the manners expected from a lady in upper society.
Here it came, Rye began charging at him in full throttle. They found themselves off the mat in an all for all out battle. The room was their battle ground, nothing was off bounds.
Cocking a brow, Kai decided to land on his right foot rather then his usual left. As predicted, the ticker sounded seconds within contact. 4-2.
"What the hell are you trying to pull, Hiwatari? I'm not some rodent for your experiments. I don't need your pity." 4-3. "Ha! There you go!" She smirked triumphantly.
Pushing the mask off his face, Kai tucked the foil under his arm before sliding the gloves off his hands. Walking towards the bench, he placed the gear by his feet before opening a bottle of water.
"Jesus-!"
Profanity.
"People these days!" She followed the boy.
Sweat trickling down his face, he looked up at her, slightly out of breath.
'Still breathing, but sweating nonetheless…"
"…we ever gonna come out with our friendship?"
Rye furrowed her brows at the sudden question. Kai kept his steady gaze.
Releasing a sigh, the girl grabbed her bottle, slowly twisting off the cap. She took a seat behind her friend. "You've been thinking about this a lot. I can hear it in your voice."
Here it was again- that connection. He lowered his head. "You are surprised I suggested it." It was more a statement than anything else.
"Yeah, I am. I always assumed I would be, you know…the one to bring it up."
"It's not enough, every two weeks. I don't want to see you only at business parties, or…I don't know. It's too scheduled."
"Sure you can handle the spontaneity? You ready for the excitement?" She laughed, a teasing glint in her eyes.
She was thinking, buying herself time. Few people knew of this technique and even fewer managed to master it. They understood each other on a different level.
"We're always sneaking around…"
"It's easier living a lie, I'm starting to get use to it." Rye eyed the size of the room. "Everyone goes by an alias here. We're told it's for our own protection."
"Either way," not wanting to press the matter any further, Kai stood to stretch. "The topic's been raised, don't slave yourself thinking about it…" He gave her a knowing glance.
"You think you know me so well…"
"Hey. I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight knowing you wouldn't be able to sleep thinking about me all night-"
"Oh! Is that how you're gonna play it?"
"4-3, Lee! Looks like another victory for me. Try a little bit harder next time. For me."
"You bas-"
"Remember to clean up, I'll leave first. Shouldn't be too suspicious at these hours. Not much gear today." Throwing his towel into his sac, the boy slung the small duffle bag over his shoulder.
"It was 4-3…! Oh, ugh, whatever. I'll see you in two weeks at the Estates then. For your painting."
"Got it. And tea with gramps. 'Wouldn't miss it for the world, gorgeous'!" He laughed at the last bit, mocking her with the words- an inside joke used to remind her of one of her 'admirers' from one of their parents' associate bashes- the asshole son of such and such. He and Rye served as each other's safety nets, posing as each other's 'honeys,' a rather desperate but reliable excuse for their poor um 'fan-service.' Pictures of them together landed them on the cover of several tabloids, but during the hysteria (the clawing and shedding of clothes from fangirls and guys for Rye) it was the best he could come up with.
Yes, the best 'he' could come up with. He was the one who initiated their 'coming-together.' It was just…Kai remembered that night so vividly, the Fedelini crew had been eyeing Rye all night. She didn't look any different…okay, aside from the makeup and lashes. Fine, maybe the tresses too, oh, don't forget the skirt now. She was wearing heels that night, right? He remembered that particular detail with extra clarity. He came up to her, surprisingly only an inch or two taller than her, and slyly slid a glass of champagne into her hand from the side. She turned towards him from the right, lips parting with a groan ready for the next jock-ass-advance, but to her surprise!
She smiled. 'Hey, you…'
He knew he needed to protect her from then on…
"Shut up and leave before I decide to leak those charity slides on net. Boy Toys Make Some Noise! Here comes Mr. Kai 'hunkalicious' Hiwatari in a stunning designer suit. Can you say abs and silk?-"
"That woman! What kinda of host was she? No professional would-"
"Or that time with the ducks in the pond-"
"Leaving! Got it!"
Rye smiled to herself as the gym doors clicked behind him. They knew each other so well, maybe even too well. If the guy was right about anything, he was right to assume she would be up all night, thinking of this conversation and how she would ever build up enough courage…
…to tell Brooklyn.
"Your character is mopping the floor of the battleship when he overhears two crew members puzzling over a serious, highly technical problem. Dropping his mop, he runs over and gives the solution easily, even though he's only qualified to wash floors. Hmm, so your character is Average Joe, don't morph him into Superman in the blink of an eye. Shoot him with some toxic sludge or something at the very least, don't you agree Rye?"
"…yeah, toxic sludge…"
"You feeling alright, Riley?" questioned Robert, marking his page with a post-it before closing the thick book.
Turning her head so her cheek was against the table, the girl sighed at her friend from her depressing position. Brooklyn shook his head with a small sympathetic smile.
"Her date with Tala's next week. They're meeting at his place to work on their project."
"Can I request you not personalize it so much? It's not a date and I rather not remind you of the possibilities if we were to work in my dorm with Ming Ming in the house, on her bed, probably going out of her way to seduce him with her fluttery lashe- everything!" She shuddered at the recollection. "My dorm is off limits."
"I'm sorry, let me rephrase that. Rye and Tala are getting together at a stone house to kill sheep. It is a graduation requirement and there is nothing sexy about this sentence whatsoever."
"Thank you, B. Punch me when I'm down."
He smiled. "That's what friends are for."
Her eyes lingered on his face for a little too long. She forced herself to look away.
Sliding the blonde's book down the table, Garland responded with a reassuring tone. "I'm gonna be out of town at a Kendo meet, but I'm sure either Rob or Brooklyn will come pick you up. Just give'em a ring."
"-They charge long distance from beyond the grave."
Garland rolled his eyes. Rye. The others simply laughed.
"She actually ran out of the room with the blanket over her head? What was she, like Cousin It, or something?"
"That's right." The redhead violently ripped a piece of his bread, dipping it into his soup. "It was beautiful. I've never seen Lovett so vulnerable before. It was better than the lay itself.".
"Aw, come on, Tala. Have some respect." Ray watched his friend inhale his meal. "Stop picking on the girl."
"Shut up, Kon. You got your date with Mariah. Quit sucking-up already! Let me have my glory."
"Which reminds me. How did your punishment at the Lee Estates go? We're all from only-childed families. We can only imagine the possibility of you babysitting."
"Demon offspring, I say! They refused to eat anything that hadn't danced across the TV screen!"
"You made it dance, didn't you…?"
"I-"
"Didn't see your precious Melisande?"
"Here, just take my limbs, I'm bleeding. First with the babysitting, now the project at parents' with Rye. Not looking forward to it."
"It's karma."
"That's what assholes get for being all ass-like."
"This coming from Mr-let's-sneak-around-with-Garland-sister? You wait your turn. My lucks gotta transfer some time."
"How the hell-? Who told you-?"
"Oh come on. I'm not that retarded. It's so obvious. Mariah bunks with Scarlett-"
"Don't get Mariah into this conversation. She's a good girl. She doesn't do stuff like that. None of that catty, gossip business."
"Don't get all defensive, Kon. I'm merely stating the facts. The girl came over to our dorm to drop off Lovett's Eco books so I could drive'em over, then she starts asking me about Mr. Goody-goody-"
"Mariah came over to your dorm to talk about Brooklyn?"
Ray's question caught Kai's attention.
"I don't know. She wanted to know whether he was attending the Parent's Night Bash, something about his folks? Geez, I don't remember and I don't particularly care. Oh, come on, you've got her in the bag! Why does it matter? She asked me a question, I asked her if Scarlett's been in lately. Trade for trade. I had my doubts 'bout Johnny boy here. Don't worry, I didn't blow your cover. It was subtle."
"I don't believe this!"
"What's with this sneaky shit? Couldn't you just come out and ask me about my relationship with Scarlett? Do you understand what you could have-?"
"Stop overreacting! Help me out here, Kai. Tell them how stupid they sound."
'Mariah has a thing for Brooklyn? What was with this guy and women? First Rye, wait, Rye! Did she-"
"Kai!"
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Yeah, why didn't you tell Ray and ask Johnny?"
"You've gotta be kidding me, not you too?" The boy stood with disbelief.
"Where are you going? I'm not done speaking with you yet!"
"I'm heading back to the suite. I'm gonna sleep this off."
"You just woke up! It's barely noon!"
"I'll give Economics a spin. It's like nap-in-a-can. Works wonders." Tala stood, the two followed him. Kai had no choice but to join. He was feeling a little curious now.
"Man, great. Now I've started a scene. I've never disliked attention before."
Speedily, the redhead quickened his pace.
Longer chapter this time! Yay! This one was full of some pretty important information, let's see if you people caught the clues to what I have in store. (I've started using WindWitch's reviews as a basis for how clear my hints are, lol!)
Love ya all! Please read and review!
Euphrosyne