A/N- Hey all, sorry for the two month hold up. Did you expect another HoH? Sorry if you did! I've been busy with school and stuff... Here's where I buckle down and start writing all the major plot stuff. Speaking of Heaven or Hell- expect chapter four by the middle of December. My own personal Christmas present, lol.
Now-ON WITH THE CHAPTER!
Chapter 9: Christmas: Part One.
Kitty panted heavily, sprinting down the sidewalk. She was running over to Starr's place. She had left a rather loud voicemail on her phone, and claimed to have something "Extremely urgent" to tell her.
"Took you long enough." Starr complained, letting her friend in. "I really need to show you something!"
She shoved a pink pamphlet into Kitty's hands. "What the…?" She unfolded the paper and read it.
It was an advertisement for the annual Christmas auction at their school. It was a when the poor, dateless guys could bid on a girl. The highest bidder would win a date with her. Coincidentally, the whole event was organized and run by Trina. It was kind of like her very own escort service, come to think of it.
"Well?" Her friend asked hopefully.
"You want me to...to." She couldn't finish her sentence because she was so angry.
"Yes. I want you to join this!"
"I can't believe-" She stuttered. "How desperate do you think I am!"
"Well, it happens to be a great way for a girl to get over a certain guy." Starr hinted, raising her eyebrows.
"I am over Kai!"
"Sure you are. Even though you are, you should come anyway! It'll be fun!"
"'Formal dress'?" Kitty wrinkled her nose, dreading what it meant. "I'm going to have to wear a dress?"
"Yup. It's in two weeks; we should start getting ready today!" She said, grabbing her jacket and bag.
"There is no way you can convince me to do this." Kitty said defiantly, falling onto the couch and crossing her legs.
"Too bad, I signed you up this afternoon." Her friend shot back, heading towards the door.
The dark haired girl stared up at the other in horror. Starr stood in front of her, dangling her car keys.
"Well? Are you coming?"
She sighed in defeat, and stood up to follow her. "The crazy shit you make me do."
It was another dreaded Wednesday, meaning another dreaded gym class. It had been days since Kitty would talk to Starr again, even after she was dragged to the mall to buy an outfit.
"Kitty!" Starr whined. "C'mon, admit it! You're secretly really excited about this whole Christmas thing."
"Of course I am! I just adore strutting around in skimpy clothing for all male eyes to see, just to be bought by some geeky guy who couldn't get a date. Oh yes, I'm simply bursting out of my undies." She spat sarcastically, climbing over a level of bleachers.
"Be serious about this!"
"Yeah right. Whatever." She snorted, bending over to tie her shoe.
"Say what you want but I know you can't wait!" The blonde smiled, sitting down. Just as she sat down, a loud crash was heard. It was immediately followed by a collective gasp and whispering.
"What the hell just happened?" Starr looked up, to find a huge crowd gathering around the track.
"Should we go down there?" She asked Kitty, but she was already at the bottom of the steps.
It was Wednesday, meaning gym class. Every girl in the class seemed miserable; Tala meanwhile was having a grand time doing laps on the track. He was smiling at all his eager onlookers, who were mostly his freshman fan girls who giggled on the sidelines.
Despite all the female attention, he had yet to spot the one girl he had been waiting to see all week. He tried to juggle looking for her, and keeping his eye on the hurdles he was jumping.
Finally, he spotted her blue-streaked head near the bleachers. She was talking to that blonde friend he always spotted her with. Tala watched as she shouted something at the other girl, then bent down to tie her shoe. His eyes widened, and he forgot that he happened to be running track. He missed his next hurdle, and sailed face first into the asphalt.
Everyone instantly stopped what they were doing and crowded around him.
"Alright, alright," The someone yelled. "Give him some air!"
At that moment, everything went black.
"This is all your fault, you stupid b-"
"Shut up! I think he's awake!"
"Oh shit." Tala groaned, his eyes fluttering open. He was able to make out the nurse's office, and saw Kitty and Johnny sitting on either side of him. "What happened?"
"You tripped over the hurdles, and got a minor concussion. It was actually pretty awesome." Kitty replied, resting her head on his chest while peering at him. She was sitting next to the table Tala was lying on. "Coach said you should lie down for a while. You'll be okay in an hour or two."
"Why are you guys here?" he muttered, trying to sit up.
"I heard you were in here, and I'm paying a visit."
"Coach said it was my fault you were in here. Are you okay?" Kitty asked, both confused and worried.
He groaned inwardly, but nodded. Now he remembered. He was staring at her ass when he fell. Way to go, Tala, you just made a complete dumbass out of yourself.
"He also said to stay only 'till you were awake. I have to go now." Kitty smiled weakly, and left.
"Sorry I made you worry, Kitty." Tala apologized. He watched as she stood up, briefly glancing at her ass. He mentally kicked himself. He had to stop staring at her at the weirdest moments.
"Dude, that's what got you here in the first place." Johnny warned jokingly.
"Shut up." He sighed, rubbing his head. "Does everyone know she's the reason I got a concussion?"
"Well yeah. I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out." The other boy grinned. "Listen, if you want to check her out, do it some other time. Not when you're on the track doing laps."
Tala nodded, making a mental note to stop doing that. He looked around the white room. "Where the hell are my jeans?"
The week passed with great speed, and before everyone realized it, it was the Saturday of the auction. Starr sighed as she banged on her bedroom door, where Kitty was busy changing into her dress. "Are you alright in there?"
"I don't think I want to go now." Was the muffled reply. The door swung open, revealing Kitty in a light blue dress. Its skirt poofed out, ending just above her knees. The dress was a halter, with a slightly plunging neckline. Starr could not see why Kitty looked so angry. She looked stunning.
"Oh shut up, you look great." she smiled, adjusting her own red dress. She picked up a small pocketbook. "We should go now before all the traffic starts up."
The taller girl nodded, and followed her downstairs.
Once usual picture routine was over and they were finished saying goodbyes, they were on the road, Starr at the wheel. The weather was freezing, and the girls were thankful they were in a warm car. After the pulled in a space, it was a dash to the front door of the school, then the auditorium. The barely recognizable hall was decorated with streamers and balloons from top to bottom.
Each girl signed their name onto a slip of paper, and took a number when they would be on stage. It was only an hour until it started, and everyone seemed nervous. However, nobody could match Kitty's anxiousness.
"Will you stop doing that?" Starr snapped at Kitty, who was tapping her foot incessantly.
"I can't help it." She replied sheepishly.
Starr rolled her eyes and ignored her, waiting for something interesting to happen.
Tala walked into his high school auditorium, twenty minutes later than when he was expected. He didn't pay any attention to the teachers' reprimands. He kept on walking until he found a chair, and sunk into it. He had no clue why he was here at this stupid auction; he knew he could have had a date if he had actually tried to get one. He leaned back on his chair and relaxed. His blue eyes remained closed until there was a sharp jab on his arm.
"What the f-" He looked up at the girl responsible for the bruise on his arm. It was another of Kitty's friends. She seemed to be holding something behind her back. "Starr, right?"
She nodded, "Now give me your honest opinion." she started, struggling to keep hold of whatever was behind her.
"Sure, what do you need?"
"How does Kitty look?" She pulled out the girl she was hiding. Kitty's cheeks were deep red and she suddenly had a deep attraction to the floor. She became unusually shy, and felt awkward standing in front of him. It was like she was a new exhibit in the museum that everyone just had to scrutinize.
Tala was at a loss for words. There was no way the vision standing before him could not be Kitara Ryouku. Not even in his wildest dreams and she knew how wild they could be. "Urg." Was all that managed to come out.
"It's okay to say I look bad." She said softly, playing with her fingers.
'Say something!' he thought "You look...nice." He winced, 'Smooth move, stupid! Tell her she's beautiful, gorgeous, anything better that that crap!'
"Thanks for your input, Tala." Kitty smiled, turning to leave. "We took his vote, Starr. We should go."
Tala watched as she left, eyes turning back to Starr. She looked angry, glaring at him with her hands placed firmly on her hips. "Now tell me what you really think."
"She looks amazing." He admitted, looked down at the floor. "What else is there to say?"
Starr smiled to herself, "I knew it."
Trina was looking around backstage, poking around here and there to see if everything was perfect for her auction. She would throttle whoever messed up this night.
As she was making her rounds, checking off everyone who was supposed to attend, she noticed Tala sitting down, talking to two girls. She noticed one was Starr, and the other, to her surprise, was Kitty. Just how she was convinced to get into a dress was beyond Trina. Both girls actually looked decent, to her annoyance. That meant there was a chance they'd get bid on.
She watched closely, as Tala made an idiot of himself as for the second time he was around her. At least he didn't wind up in the nurse's office like the last time. He was obviously smitten with the girl standing in front of him. She tried to make out the words he was saying, but only heard an incoherent mumble
Trina giggled at the stupidity of the people she knew, going back to her job. On her final sweep, she spotted her ex-boyfriend, heading for the audience seating. She caught up to him, but he wouldn't even look at her. Not even when she threw herself at him. Trina glowered, he was probably here to see her.
'What could that little bitch possibly possess that would make Kai choose her over me!' Trina thought angrily, stomping backstage. She already had Kai wrapped around her finger, not to mention Tala as well. What was she doing at the auction? Kitty obviously didn't need help with guys, whatever she was doing.
Trina rolled her eyes and put the thought aside. The auction was in less than fifteen minutes. She would be damned, if somebody else stole her thunder. Especially if it was Kitty Ryouku.
A/N- There' Christmas part one! Expect another chapter in the next two weeks, because this is the part I've been dying to get to. Hah, did you expect that to be on the pamphlet? Yeah a bit anticlimactic X3 Rena