Chapter 2

Backfire Payback

Hey! Review Responses, then the Quote and stuff..

SAGA123: Thanks. -ahem- I mean, enjoy the chapter. -smile-

Scar Wife: thanks.

Ruler of the Dark: enjoy.

... couldn't think of a very good name or do you always review as ... ?

Pure-love: don't worry, I don't plan to.

aZnRicE: interesting pen name.. What's it mean?

AnimeHaven: You might be the first reviewer to actually make me think you liked it. Thanks!

Angel's tear: maybe.. -smile-

fery: -sulk- well.. This. They're still human.. Boys naturally don't think girls are as good as they are...

Jess: hey! What are you talking about! Ya it's natural to think girls are weaker, but you don't have to mention that!

cringe- I'm.. Oh never mind.. -sulks some more-

Lana: lay off her.. That review hit her hard..

Chapter Quote: "Mada Mada Dane" - Ryoma Echizen, Prince of Tennis.

Story Recommendation: If Wishes Were Youkai by EternalMidnight

Blah Blah: I really have no idea what to say. I'd update faster but I don't have my hope for this story. For chp one I got a short but long complaint, 1 shorter 'I like but don't do this' review, three update reviews, and 3 people who said they liked it, only one of them made it seem true. -sigh- ok.

Disclaimer: I do not own any anime.

It was 2 hours after curfew. Dearka was laying in bed and staring at the ceiling. Yzak was in the bunk below him, and Athrun and Nicol slept in the ones across the room. This was suppose to prepare you in case you went on a war ship.. Okay, so it was preparing you for when you got on a war ship.

Dearka listened closely. He heard Athrun's steady breathing.. Or maybe it was Nicol. Oh whoever was breathing, he couldn't tell over Yzak's snoring. ...Oh that was gonna be good to use against him. He smiled. His mind kept wandering to Susume breaking dummies. He flinched and made a note not to get on her bad side.

But actually.. She was.. Kinda cute.. even when she was pissed. He laughed slightly and Yzak stirred. He covered his mouth and stayed quiet. Soon Yzak was back to sleep. Athrun talked in his sleep, but again, over Yzak's snoring, you couldn't make out a word he said.. Dearka shrugged, let out one laugh, and went to bed.

Susume groaned. It was now the 5th week, Thursday. (Yes! A big skip!) This school could be so boring. They were learning battle technique basics. She should've been paying attention but she couldn't. It just bored her.

Two rows away was a familiar face, Dearka. He seemed to be giving at least half of his attention to the lecture. Maybe he could help her study some time... she sure wasn't takin any of this in. Of course.. Her eyes scanned back 2 seats to Athrun and Nicol beside each other. Both looked like they were paying attention. Athrun wrote a lot of notes and so did Nicol.. But he was probably writing music down instead. She didn't bother looking for Yzak. Who'd want tutoring from a sexist jerk like him? Still..

She looked back to when she'd pinned him to the wall. He'd glared at her with piercing blue eyes. She'd heard one teacher say it'd get him in trouble some day, looking at people like that. He would glare at people, as though he were better than they were. Most believed it, except a few who, like him, had parents on the board. Still.. Those eyes..

"Miss. Naegino?. Miss Naegino!" she blinked and looked ahead. She quickly glanced over all the teacher had written on the board before asking "Yes?"

"Miss Naegino.. Perhaps you'd like to join us from space and answer the question? And this isn't public school. Address me as 'Sir'." the teacher asked. Damn this was like regular school too much.

"Yes, sir!" she stood up and prepared to try and answer the question.

Yzak sat two seats away from her, on the other side. He looked at her as she tried futilely to answer the teacher. His eyes glared, still angry from that day. He was just glad only Dearka, Athrun, and Nicol were there to see it. How stupid could she be, not paying attention. This was military school! She'd need a tutor soon.. Hm..

'Pay back..' Yzak smirked.

About a week later, the teacher called Susume to the front of the class as it ended. Yzak was leaning on the wall not far off.

"Miss Naegino, maybe you should ask one of your pupils to help you study. I don't think you'll make it otherwise. I know the school is rough but if you had payed attention even once you might've aced the test. Instead you failed. I don't understand it." He scratched his head.

"Sir." she knew she had to pay more attention. Had to.

"Alright. Now. I order you to find a tutor out of one of your fellow classmates. Oh, and 10 laps around the court before lunch. Dismissed." Susume groaned as she left. Yzak smirked. 10 laps was plenty of time.

Susume panted as she finished her laps. Man was she hungry. Just then, the bell for lunch rang.

"Perfect timing." she smiled and hurried to lunch. Maybe she could find a tutor while she ate.

She got her lunch quickly, amazingly not being the last person to get food, looked around smiling, and sat down with Athrun and the others. Yzak was at the end of the table, then Dearka and Nicol. On the other side was Athrun and Susume. She smiled. Dearka gave her a weary smile and Nicol greeted her. Yzak grunted and Athrun said hi. It seemed normal, except Dearka.

"Hey guys, what's up?" she asked as she began eating. Yzak glanced at the others.

"Nothin much." Nicol replied, starting to eat as well.

"Hey guys, I need a tutor according to that dork of a teacher we got." She said after she swallowed some of the spaghetti she'd gotten for lunch. Athrun had a burger, Nicol had a salad and cookie, Dearka has a piece of pizza, and Yzak had spaghetti too.

Dearka finished off the last of his pizza then coughed slightly from eating too fast before replying. "Sorry. I can't. I mean, I don't really pay much attention anyway, how could I help?" he seemed to be acting normal. The slight, tiny, edge in his voice was easily overlooked.

"Ok. Athrun? Nicol?" she asked hopeful. She was expecting Dearka not to from the start.

"Sorry Susume.. I can't." Athrun didn't know what excuse he could make, then it hit him. This was a true statement too. "I cant cause I'm going to see Lacus over our break this week." Susume had hoped that one of them would be teaching her next week while they had some free time. But since Athrun said no, she turned her head to Nicol.

He tensed under her gaze ever so slightly and sweat dropped. He sighed. "I'll try to h..." he was gonna say help you but Yzak's eyes narrowed and he changed. "I'll try. To see if my lessons will allow me to help you, Susume." he closed his eyes in guilt from lying. She caught this.

"Don't feel bad guys." she said noting all the down faces. "I'm sure someone will help me. You're all busy or as bad off as me. I wouldn't push myself on you anyway." she said, finishing her lunch. Yzak smirked. 'Just keep telling yourself that.' He thought.

Susume was walking back to her dorm after school ended. What was wrong with people? Every time she asked someone to tutor her, the either stuttered and ran, came up with dumb excuses, real excuses, or just plain ran off. She sighed and kept walking.

"You look down. What happened? No one want to tutor the idiot?" a voice taunted. Susume's eyes darted to a pleased looking Yzak leaning on the wall and she glared.

"You!" she grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground a few inches. "You're the reason no one will tutor me aren't you?" she growled. Despite her sudden attack, Yzak's face hadn't faltered. "Dammit! What's your problem, Joule?" she hit him against the wall and he flinched. 'Ok. Wasn't expecting that one.'

A whistle blew nearby. "Foul. Break it up! Naegino! What are you doing! No fighting outside of tactics class!" a female teacher, who taught tactics, called as she forced Susume to released Yzak onto the floor. She continued glaring at the silver haired boy anyway as he put on an act.

"Ms." he saluted. "Naegino attacked without reason." he informed her. His face was that of a perfectly trained soldier.

Susume growled. "Not true! Joule! You threatened everyone so they wouldn't tutor me, didn't you! Admit it, coward!" she brought a fist up in defiance.

"Not so, Naegino." Yzak glanced at her before looking back at the teacher. He stood straight and calm, his usual glare planted on his face. Didn't he ever stop glaring? Before Susume could contradict him, the woman spoke.

"Naegino, Joule, stop! It isn't like a soldier to stand and place blame on others. Either take the blame or shut up." her voice was harsh. Susume seemed to suddenly notice a superior officer was there and stood at attention, saluted, then looked down so her hair hid her eyes.

"Yes, ma'am, Lieutenant Long." she replied. "I attacked Joule under mere speculation, not facts, and I take responsibility for the situation." she admitted. Yzak smirked as he looked at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"Thank You, Naegino." Lieutenant Long noticed Yzak's smirk. "Joule, since Naegino has not been able to find a tutor and it's almost time for lights out, you are her new tutor." Yzak's grin dropped.

"What!" he gapped. Susume glanced up, surprised. Lieutenant Long winked at her.

"I have heard from one of your other teachers that you are falling behind and need a tutor. I have also seen you try diligently to find one, in my class no less, and it seems the only person you haven't asked is Joule here." Lieutenant Long knew very well they were enemies. "Why?" she asked. Yzak was still trying to get a grasp on what had happened. Susume glared at Yzak.

"Ma'am. It's not important." she said cooly while she glared. "I'm just not very fond of him."

"Ah." Ms. Long smirked. She loved toying with her students out of class. "Well I insist you start to become somewhat fond of him because he'll be visiting you regularly to tutor you. And Yzak." Yzak snapped to attention when the teacher address him by his first name. "If I find you're avoiding the job, you'll both be punished."

"Why?" Yzak asked before regretting it. It was against the rules to talk back to a superior officer.

"Why?" she raised an eyebrow. "It's an order, Yzak Joule. Once you're dispatched, disobeying an order is a critical offense. You could be.." before she finished Yzak interrupted her, another error.

"I understand Miss. I will tutor her." he saluted her. "Excuse me." and he left. The two females watched him turn the corner.

"Ma'am, I don't understand. You know how much we can't stand each other. May I inquire as to why you chose him of all people to teach me?" Susume asked.

The older woman raised an eyebrow then replied. "When you're released into combat, Susume, you don't get to chose you're associates. You have to learn to work together. A fleet will fall apart if it can not work as one. Understand?"

"Yes Ma'am." Susume sighed. Lieutenant Long and Susume had a slight bond. They seemed like family, sisters almost, when off duty like now. They usually joked or would do things together, like spar (ya, that's something they both enjoy). Most teachers avoided forming relationships with students besides student/teacher ones. It led others to believe it made them favor the student. But Susume and Long were still friends.

Lieutenant Long lightly knocked Susume on the head and she continued her way. "Have fun with the stiff." she laughed. Susume smiled. "I'll try." she replied, the smile showing in her voice. The other woman waved behind her as she disappeared into another room.

Susume turned around and continued to her room.

Yzak kicked the wall in his dorm room. Dearka looked at him.

"What's your problem?" he asked as the silver hair fumed.

"Nothing! I'm fine! The world is just great." he growled, glaring at Dearka.