Disclaimer: I do not own Zodiac PI.
It was a freak accident really. This random act of bad luck was completely out of her control. An unforeseen and unpredictable event, which there was virtually no chance of her repeating.
Despite her slightly ditzy nature and her tendency to jump into dangerous situations with no back up Lili rarely ever had any injuries. Sure she had a few brushes with death but other that that only minor scratches and bumps. She had never, in her thirteen years of life, ever had a broken bone. It was a fact that she was quite proud of.
Until now that is.
"Stupid… good for nothing piece of…" Lili cursed under her breath as she tried to undo the combination on her lock with her right hand. She wasn't going to well; the cast was a bigger hindrance than she had originally thought.
Letting out a growl of frustration she threw the schoolbag she was holding in her left hand onto the ground. Adjusting herself accordingly she re-entered her combination with her left hand. Luckily for her it opened in the first try.
Finally some good luck. Lili let out a happy sigh and reached into her locker for her books.
Though as a wise man once said, "Usually something bad happens after something good."
That wise man couldn't have been more accurate. As Lili pulled out her books her elbow hit a binder, knocking it onto the floor and scattering all of her papers. She let a muffled screech of aggravation and hit her locker door with her cast.
She instantly regretted that.
This time Lili didn't bother lowering her voice in anyway as she clutched her arm and let out a yelp of pain. "Ackk! That hurts!"
Ignoring the conceded looks she was receiving from fellow classmates, she waited until the burning pain had resided to a dull ache before bending down to gather her stuff. All the while mumbling to herself. "Stupid me. I can't believe I slammed my injured arm into the locker. Stupid natural reaction…."
Lili was so focused on chastising herself and picking up her papers that she didn't notice the arrival of another.
"Talking to your imaginary friend?"
Lili fought back a groan. Lifting her head a little she found herself staring at a pair of shoes. Not just any old shoes either. She recognized these ones. Sure enough when she looked up it was none other than Hiro.
"No!" She could her face burning. Whether from embarrassment or anger she didn't know but she stuck with anger. She knew how to handle anger. "Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to help me?"
Hiro obediently bent down and started to assist the fuming blond. "Hey don't take your anger out on me. It's not my fault your such a klutz."
"I am not a klutz!" Lili stuck out her cast so that it was right under his nose. "You try opening your locker with this hunk of plaster stuck to your arm! It ain't easy!"
Hiro's eyes widened and he grabbed her arm. As if to prove that it was real.
"Ow!" Lili pulled her arm from his grasp. "Watch it! Fragile goods here."
Her snappish comment brought him back from whatever thoughts he was lost in. "What did you do to your arm? Did somebody attack you? You went out on another case without back up didn't you! What on earth were you thinking!"
"What?" The look Lili was giving him clearly expressed that she though he had gone bonkers.
"Why didn't you call me? You should know better than to try to tackle a suspect with out somebody with you!"
While Lili was touched by Hiro's concern it was outbalanced by the anger she felt for being falsely accused for something that never happened, which she expressed in great volume. "How dare you! First you don't even notice and now you think I brought it upon myself by flying solo?"
"Then what happened!" Hiro was never very good at talking rationally with Lili. She was just so… so… infuriating.
Before she could stop herself she had already blurted out her story. "For your information I tripped and fell on my wrist funny! Now I'm stuck with this-" She thrust her arm out so it was right in his face, "for the next six to eight weeks!"
He simply blinked dumbly.
"I'm right handed you dolt!" Lili went back to picking up her papers. "My writing is barely legible as is! Now that I'm forced to use my left hand it will be impossible to read! I can't afford my teachers not being able to read my handwriting!"
There was a moment of silence where Lili fumed quietly and Hiro was lost in thought.
"You can type out your English assignments and borrow notes from people. If you want I can write for you." Hiro said out of the blue.
Surprised at his sudden offer Lili looked up only to find him staring away from her. Though his face was turned she could have sworn that she saw the slightest hint of red on his cheeks. "What?"
Hiro shifted uncomfortably and when he did speak you could hear the slight strain in his voice. Like he was having trouble getting the words out. "I said that I could write for you. Like you tell what the answer is and I write it down."
"Don't you think my teachers might be a little suspicious about how dramatically my writing has changed?" Lili raised an eyebrow. "They might even think I'm getting someone else to do my work for me."
At this Hiro rolled his eyes as he picked up her schoolbag and helped Lili stand up. "Idiot. We'll just tell them about your arm. They may not believe you but I'll be there to back you up. They can trust me."
Putting her papers in her bag they walked together to class. She smiled to herself but after some walking it turned into a frown when what he said finally registered. "Hey! I am so trustworthy!""
Hiro laughed.
The laughter did not last long however. He quickly learned that a cast should not be considered a handicap but an advantage in a fight. It's like a weapon attached to your arm.