Thanks again for the review Sutoomu! A plate of cookies for you. Ok, so in this chapter I'm starting to head back to the dream and the thing I was supposed to do in the last chapter happens here. Please review if you like it!
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing and Duo escaped last night /sniffle/
Have you ever stood against a wall and had someone throw a very sharp object at you? Probably not. It's not a comfortable position to be in. And every one in that room would think it amazing if you got stuck right there. Not that I don't trust Catherine, it's just that while I was tied to the board I kept thinking of all the pranks I'd pulled on her. (Living with Duo Not a good influence.) Thankfully, Catherine is a very forgiving person and I lived through it; though I do think my hair is shorter near my neck…gulp
"Thanks, Arashi." Catherine smiled down at me as we stepped out of the tent to see the sun setting. "People seem to like that part of the show a lot and I'd hate to have not done it."
I waved my hand. "No problem. 'Sides, you know everyone likes it because there's always the chance you might nail me." I saw Catherine's eyebrows raise and I realized what it sounded like I was saying. "I meant in their eyes there's a chance."
Catherine nodded. "Sure that's what you meant." We paused in the shadow of one of the tents and Catherine turned to me. "You've got some free time, so you can look around. Remember, just stay out of trouble."
I nodded and watched her leave. Stay out of trouble, ha! The funny thing is; I try to stay out of trouble, it's just it doesn't usually work. At all. For example: When Duo sent me here when I was seven, I think, I crashed one of the trucks into the main tent. The ringmaster was so mad his face matched his jacket. I mean, no one was in the tent so nobody got hurt. They just had to postpone the next performance to reset the tent, buy a new truck and Catherine had to hide me in a friend's house for a few days. I don't actually think the ringmaster ever forgave me for that…Anyway, like I said, trouble follows me.
Do you like cats? I don't. Tigers and lions I can take, but…Anyway, I actually meant the big, tiger/lion cats. 'Cause they've got them at the circus and I like to go look at them. Apparently the tigers don't like to be goggled at. Let me explain. I went to go look at them and was sitting next to the cage and poking grass through the bottom. Out of nowhere this massive, white claw shot out and caught my face, not much, but still. I yelled and fell backwards as a second one shot out. That second one missed me, but I didn't notice at the time because my face felt like it was on fire and bleeding all over me. No one was around to see, so I rolled farther away from the cage and stood up, holding my hand over my bleeding face. You see, she tells me to stay out of trouble; I try and have my face ripped off.
Actually, now I think about it, her reaction was kind of funny. Not at the time, of course, but now. I ducked under her tent flap to see that half the performers were in there and all of them were staring at me. I stared back for a few minutes and then turned and left the tent. It took Catherine maybe five minutes to react.
"ARASHI!" I saw the tent shake when she yelled. I also felt my legs go wobbly so I sat down. Catherine came pelting out of the tent, tripped over me and sent us both sprawling. "Arashi! What did you do now?"
Oh great. I am bleeding all over her (She had grabbed my arms when she sat up) and she figures it's my fault. She still thinks the whole thing was my fault.
Right, so, I told her what happened and she shook her head and pulled me to my feet. It took quite a bit of pulling; my legs wouldn't work from blood loss. She finally got me up and helped me back into the tent where everyone gathered round and started asking what had happened. Very loudly. Catherine answered as she put something on my face that made the stinging worse, but stopped the bleeding. I lay back and Catherine bandaged my face up.
"Well, Arashi, way to go." Catherine put her hands on her hips and glared down at me. "Every visit, you've go to do something drastic."
"I told you I didn't do ANYTHING." Oh yeah, that always works. Catherine shook her head and pulled me off her cot. "You should go sleep. You need to change the bandages later."
I stuck my tongue out at her back and flounced out of the tent. Yes, I flounced. The circus just made me mad right then, so I left. I went into town and wandered around; ignoring the fact that almost everyone was staring at me. The clothes stores didn't interest me; neither did the shoe stores, the bookstore owner would get mad at me if I went in. That left…absolutely nothing of interest. I growled and slumped on a bench by a fountain. The spray quickly soaked the back of my neck, but I refused to move. Wee, boredom. It suddenly occurred to me that I had heard Hilde ask Duo to check the weather for a colony. The one they were going to, perhaps? What had been the name? Colony L5. Yeah, that was one of the outer colonies, which would make sense. I jumped up and ran for the shuttle terminal. I could probably make it if I hurried, and I had some money in my pocket, so I didn't need to worry. Much.
The ticket sellers at terminals never find it odd to see a young, teenage girl with no bags ask for a ticket to an outer colony. Thank goodness. I'd have had to make up a story and I needed time to think of one. I knew they'd ask when I wanted to come back and now I had time to think of a good, convincing one.
The shuttle was spotless, as they all are and I was guided to my seat by a pretty blonde stewardess. I don't know what was wrong with me, but it made me mad to have her guide me. It felt like she thought I couldn't find my own seat. I sat down and forced a smile at the woman when she told me to let her know if I needed anything. I settled back and avoided eye contact. To be truthful, I felt really guilty running away from Catherine. The shuttle took off with a roaring sound and a thought suddenly struck me. Would Catherine miss next time I had to take Trowa's place?