Chapter 2
"Ryoma?"
"Mmm?"
"It's almost eleven..."
His eyes flickered to the clock which sat on top of her shelf and flickered back onto her.
She offered him his books. "You wanna go home?"
He shrugged and grabbed his books from her, heading toward the door.
Somehow, she had managed to steer clear from him the next day. It was rather easy actually. She rarely had any classes with him, and those were held only on Wednesdays and Fridays.
It was Thursday, which gave them only tonight to finish working on their project. She groaned inwardly, and pushed aside the temptation of just doing the god damn project all by herself.
No. She wasn't just going to let him get a grade for nothing. If he wanted that passing grade in Economics, he would have to earn it himself.
She had told him to show up at her house after school earlier on that day. Now, the only thing she had to worry about was whether he would turn up or not. For some reason, she was rather glad when she found him standing at her doorstep, carrying a few books she'd asked him to bring along.
After all, it was definitely much better than having that annoying prick of a neighbour trying to ask her out all the time. Not like she was actually doing any comparison or anything...
"Hey." She said quietly.
"Hello."
She let him pass in and closed the door softly. She bunched her hair (it was shorter now) up in a messy ponytail and fumbled through her stack of books on her table, pulling out a thick one and sat down on the sofa opposite him. She opened her book to a page full of hi-lights and sticky notes and took the paper she had stashed there earlier.
"Here." She said, handing him the paper, "My notes."
He nodded slightly and read the paper silently. After a while, he gave her back the script.
"You misspelled 'economization'. It's spelt with a 'z', not an 's'."
"Well, according to the British, it's spelt with an 's'."
"We're in America, you know."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine."
And that was that. End of discussion.
Twenty minutes into their silent note-taking, Sakuno found herself distracted by an annoying strand of hair that fell out from her ponytail. It fell over her eyes in a messy lock, and as trivial as it seemed, it bugged her. She pulled out her hair tie and re-tied her hair, this time a little higher. And again, the stubborn strand refused to be held back. It dangled there, taunting her. In frustration, she re-did her hair, a sigh escaping her lips noisly.
Ryoma noticed her fumbling with her hair (it was kind of hard not to) and shook his head.
"Quit it." He grumbled.
"Shut up."
More tying of hair ensued. After a few minutes, Ryoma felt he couldn't take it anymore. He leaned over and grabbed her hair tie and shoved it in his jeans pocket. Sakuno glared at him.
"Give it."
"No."
"GIVE it."
He shook his head.
"I hate you."
He cocked his head to the side. "Now, doesn't that sound familiar?"
She stared at him incredulously. "You're impossible."
He smirked. "I know."
Silence followed. And from that, he easily deciphered that he had won round two.
"You want a drink?"
Eh?
He looked up and nodded slightly.
"Is hot chocolate okay?"
He nodded again.
She rose to leave the room, heading toward the kitchen.
She switched on the lights, feeling the cool tiles of the kitchen floor surge through the pads of her feet. She sat atop the high chair she kept near the and rested her head on the table in the middle of the room. Thoughts swarmed in and out of her mind as she tried to keep between the wavering line of her conscious and subconscious.
She was dizzy, but she didn't know why. Maybe she was tired or sick-
The soft sound of footsteps alerted her and she wondered deliriously why Ryoma was looking for her. Had she been gone long? Was he still waiting for his drink?
"Sakuno? Can I talk to you?"
She didn't bother to answer. Maybe, she thought, if she remained still for a few more moments, he would just leave.
But he wasn't.
"You've been avoiding me."
"I haven't." She deadpanned. If only her head wasn't aching so bad-
"Yes you have." He shoved his hands into his pocket. "It's because of what I said yesterday right?"
Yesterday? Yesterday... what did he say yesterday?
"No."
"Then?"
He was expecting an answer. An answer she didn't know.
She avoided him everyday, and today was no different. Why was he asking her such a stupid question?
"Are you afraid, Sakuno?"
Afraid? Of what?
"No."
Her bland answers were infuriating him. She knew it. But her head was spinning so wildly, painfully, she felt that she couldn't think properly...
And suddenly, she was whipped from reality and dragged into a state of unconsciousness, her limp body now slipping into total shut down. She almost fell back from her chair, had it not been for Ryoma standing behind her.
She had passed out...
That much she could figure out.
A/N: Wow. I know. I updated. Sorry about the weird ending, I just went along impulse to make Sakuno die... or faint... haha... No, no. Actually, I have it all planned out already. I just... don't want you to guess it. Muahaha.
Okay, whatever.
I know, both of them seem weird toward the ending, but heck, I'm horrible. Just, review, okay? Flame if you must, I don't care.
Throw me suggestions okay?
And thank you all in advance, my lovely reviewers.
dwilivia
