Chapter XII (2771)
He was going to strangle her. Or kiss her. He hadn't quite decided which yet, and being in the same room as her certainly wasn't helping. His eyes hadn't left her since the moment she'd entered his classroom.
Kissing her would better express his frustration, he knew, but then again, she could get him into serious trouble with the headmaster if he tried that. Not that strangling her wouldn't get him into even more trouble.
Innocent as could be, she sat in the front row with a two stacks of paper on her desk, carefully grading each one. Her ankles were crossed beneath the chair and she was leaning forward slightly, an action that would have allowed him a teasing view of her chest had she not dressed more modestly, as he'd demanded.
Why had he ever complained about the way she dressed?
But that wasn't the worst part. The little minx had brought a sucker exactly the same shade of red as her hair with her and sat there licking it as if it wouldn't drive him crazy.
She knows exactly what she's doing, he thought bitterly, leaning back in his chair as he pretended to read a book. Luxord hated that he'd allowed himself to be snared by her charms, just like most every other boy in the school. She was a flirt and Luxord very well knew it, so why couldn't he take his eyes off her?
After finishing another paper, Kairi leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms, pulling her blouse tight across her chest. Then she stood, straightening her uniform, and approached his desk, still sucking on that damned lollipop. Luxord lowered his book and looked up at her.
"Is there a problem, Kairi?"
"No," she replied innocently, perching on the corner of his desk and crossing one leg over the other. "At least, I don't have a problem."
"Then why have you stopped working? You still have another seven minutes left before you are allowed to leave, and don't think I'll let you talk me into letting you leave early. You'll get to the dance on time even if I hold you over a few minutes." He pretended to go back to reading his book. Hardly a moment had passed, however, before slim fingers appeared over the pages and the book was removed from his loose grip. Irritated now, Luxord stood and scowled down at the redhead student who smiled back at him so sweetly.
"Return to your desk and work until the end of your detention, Kairi," he ordered, pointing at her vacated desk. She licked her lollipop.
"But I don't want to."
Luxord paused. Was she…teasing him? "I didn't ask if you wanted to."
"I know." Kairi examined her lollipop, admiring the color. "And I know what you want."
"What might that be, this thing you think I want?"
Smiling, the redhead walked her fingers up his chest, enjoying the control she had over him. "Me."
Luxord somehow managed to roll his eyes and turn away from her, moving beyond the reach of those tormenting fingers. "You are sadly mistaken if you believe that I am attracted to you, Kairi." He glanced at the clock, hoping desperately that time was up. Another four minutes to go.
Kairi smiled and licked her lollipop. "Then you shouldn't have been staring at me while I was working, just like you did yesterday and the day before and the day before that. You've been watching me for weeks, Professor; don't think I hadn't noticed.
Damn. So she'd seen him looking. That didn't mean he was going to admit that she was right, even though the temptation to push her back on his desk and kiss the hell out of her was getting stronger by the minute.
Four minutes.
Lollipop in hand, Kairi hopped down from his desk and walked up behind him, trailing her finger up and down his rigid spine. "Well? Aren't you going to say anything? Or do anything…?"
She was trying to seduce him! The little minx was trying to get him fired for giving her a month of detentions by toying with his emotions!
Turning, Luxord pushed her hand down and glared at her, standing at his full height. "Enough, Kairi. Your behavior these past few minutes has been unacceptable. This detention is over. Get out of my classroom."
Deep blue eyes met icy cold ones, and after a few moments Kairi lowered her gaze in defeat.
"Yes, Professor." She turned, gathered her things, and left without another word.
The blond man watched her go, torn. He hadn't wanted to send her away, in fact he wanted nothing more than to run after her and admit that she was right, but he couldn't do that. If he did, he could lose his job and even have his degree taken away for going after a minor. All Kairi could ever be to him was a challenge to his self-control.
Slowly, Luxord gathered the papers from the desk she had used and sat at his own desk, rubbing a hand over his eyes. At least now that she had finished her detentions he would only have to see her in class, and she could hardly tempt him then.
"Stop messing with it!"
"It's bugging me!"
Roxas smacked Sora's hands away and fixed his brother's collar for the seventh time since they had gotten dressed. The brunette was incapable of leaving it alone and his constant fidgeting was getting on Roxas' nerves. They were crossing campus towards the practice field where the Homecoming Dance was to be held, dressed in black dress pants and matching blue dress shirts. Roxas had originally been wearing a tie, but Sora's remark that he looked like a business man convinced him to take it off.
They could hear the dance long before they reached it, and it took several moments for their eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. The practice field had been transformed into what appeared to be an outdoor dance club. Temporary stands held lights of every color that flashed and moved, a DJ was set up in the center with a huge sound system that was blasting out new hit, and one side of the field held long tables covered in white cloth with dishes of deserts and snacks along with several bowls of various drinks.
"Sora, Roxas!" two voices called in unison and the twins turned to see Namine and Kairi approaching them. They stared, making the cousins giggle. Namine wore a flowing white dress with ballet flats and a sash the color of her eyes while Kairi wore a short black dress with high heels and jewelry the color of her hair.
"You look very nice, Namine," Roxas complimented her, and she blushed, smiling.
"Thank you, Roxas. So do you."
The blond boy offered his arm. "Shall we?" Namine nodded, taking his arm, and the two made their way onto the field to dance among the crowd.
Kairi smiled flirtatiously at Sora and twirled. "Well, what do you think?"
"U-um…you look great, Kai…"
She giggled and slipped her hand into his, kissing his cheek. "Thanks. I like the color of your shirt. It matches your eyes."
Sora's cheeks heated and he mumbled a thank you, electrically aware of her hand in his and the spot her lips had touched. "You wanna dance…?"
"I'd love to." Kairi squeezed his hand gently and lead him to where Namine and Roxas were dancing, and they joined the other two, becoming just another couple in the crowd.
Zexion was not happy. "Remind me why I let you drag me along to this, again."
"Because I'd miss your cheery personality if you'd stayed in the dorm all night," Axel replied.
"Yeah, right."
The two seniors were standing at the end of the buffet table, watching their classmates dance. Zexion wore black skinny jeans, a black button down and silver vest while Axel wore blue jeans and a deep red shirt. The redhead's eyes hadn't left the form of Roxas since he'd seen him walk onto the field. He wasn't at all surprised to see him dancing with some cute little blond girl, but that didn't mean he wasn't jealous. After all, he'd wanted to ask Roxas to the dance, but getting him in trouble with Larxene had ruined his intentions. Now his best chance was to maintain a safe distance until he could get back on the younger student's good side.
"Axel," a voice purred in his ear. The senior jumped and swore, startled, then turned to see Miss Larxene, who was wearing a blood red dress that was so tight he was amazed she could breathe. His shoulders stiffened as she stepped closer; he could smell her perfume.
"Won't you dance with me, Axel?" the teacher asked, her tone sultry and her body language practically shouting that she had more on her mind than simple dancing.
"I'd rather not, Miss Larxene."
The older woman pouted, touching his arm. "But why not, Axel? Just for old time's sake?" She smiled winsomely and he sighed.
"Fine." It was a bad idea and he knew it, but maybe if he gave in she would stop attacking Roxas. Larxene smiled, linking her arm through his and walking with him out onto the field as a slow song began.
Perfect, Axel thought sarcastically as he turned to her and set his hands on her tiny waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed close against him, laying her head on his shoulder. As they danced, Axel did his best to ignore the fact that she was not wearing a bra and the way she played with the hair at the nape of his neck. There was a time when he would have taken advantage of this sort of situation, but not anymore. Over her shoulder, he saw Zexion slip away into the darkness and wondered if he would manage to escape her at any point during the dance.
Bored, Zexion stood back from the lights of the dance and watched the party from the shadows where he wouldn't be seen. He felt bad for Axel but there was little he could do to help, and he wasn't too concerned because after graduation in the spring, they would both be free of this school for the rest of their lives. Axel just had to wait it out.
A sound that didn't belong at a homecoming dance caught Zexion's attention. Hushed whispers and footsteps, someone protesting and what very nearly sounded like crying. His curiosity building, the blue-haired senior silently made his way towards the sounds, and was shocked by what he found.
A blond student he was pretty sure was a junior but didn't know the name of was pinned on his back while Mister Marluxia, the fine arts teacher, hovered over him. It was the blond student who was crying while Marluxia tried to silence him. Zexion could only barely hear what was being said over the music.
"Please stop…" That was the student.
"Shhh, Demyx," Marluxia tried to soothe him, touching the blonde's cheek. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Zexion made sure to remember the name Demyx, creeping closer in order to hear them better.
"I-I don't like it! Mister Marluxia-!" he was silenced as the pink-haired teacher kissed him.
The blue-haired senior looked away, disgusted. Marluxia was doing to Demyx what Larxene was doing to Axel. When he finally looked back, the teacher had ceased kissing the student and was busy trying to open the blonde's pants while Demyx cried silently. Anger seared across Zexion's thoughts and he almost revealed himself in order to save the helpless junior.
"S-stop…Mister M-Marluxia…please…ah!"
The teacher had succeeded in unbuttoning Demyx's pants and had slipped his hand inside. It was too much for Zexion. He turned and hurried away, enraged and disgusted by what he'd witnessed. What the hell was wrong with the teachers at this school?! It was obvious that the blond junior, Demyx, hadn't been enjoying what Mister Marluxia was doing to him, so why hadn't the art teacher stopped?
"Bastard," the senior muttered, glancing back to where he knew the teacher and student were. He hoped Demyx would be okay and that Marluxia wasn't going to hurt him. Regardless, if he ever came across that sickening scene again, he wouldn't hesitate to put a stop to it.
Smoke filled the air and Roxas sat nervously on a couch, looking around. Kairi had invited him and Sora to an after-party in Kingdom, at a house that was rented out by the parents of one of her friends. He'd agreed, but he hadn't realized his classmates would be drinking and smoking. On the couch across from the one he occupied, John Ralph and John Smith sat on either side of a pretty Native American girl, sharing a pack of cigarettes. Empty cans dotted the floor and loud, vulgar music blasted from somewhere in the house.
Just as he had decided to go find Sora and go back to campus, someone all but fell onto his lap, pinning him to the couch. Startled, Roxas looked down into emerald green eyes as the person struggled to sit up.
"Sorry," the older boy murmured, pushing himself into a sitting position. He didn't, however, move away. Roxas sat perfectly still. He knew the older student from class—it was Axel, the one who'd been passing him the notes. The redhead stank of alcohol and Roxas wanted nothing more than to shove him away and go back to his room, but Axel had draped his arm across the blonde's shoulders.
"Roxas," he said, slurring the name slightly, "I know you don' like me but…damn you're cute…" Without warning, Axel kissed him, a messy, half-drunken kiss that Roxas did not enjoy at all.
"Get off!" the sophomore shouted, pushing at his chest. Axel fell back on the couch, but he managed to pull Roxas on top of him.
"Ooh, Roxy, I knew you liked me," Axel teased, nuzzling the blonde's neck. He licked.
"S-stop it!" Roxas managed to free himself from the older student's hold and stood, panting and flushed. The other students in the room were staring at him. The redhead giggled and half sat up, grinning at Roxas.
"Come on, cutie, give me another kiss," he wheedled, reaching towards Roxas, his eyes slightly unfocused.
The blond smacked his hand away. "No! I hate you! Leave me alone!" With that he ran out of the house, leaving Axel confused on the couch. He ran all the way back to campus before he slowed to a walk, panting and clutching at a cramp in his side. When he reached his room he yanked open his desk drawer, took out all the notes Axel had ever passed to him, and proceeded to tear them to shreds.
He hated the senior, hated him for making Roxas feel special, for getting him in trouble with Larxene, for doing what he'd just done.
"I don't care how nice his is to me," he said to the tattered scraps of paper, "I'm not going to forgive him."
"Axel, come on," Zexion muttered, helping the redhead stumble up the stairs to their room.
"He hates me," Axel mumbled miserably, staring at his feet.
"Yes, but drinking yourself into stupidity isn't going to fix it." He let his friend collapse in his bed then turned on the light and started changing.
Groaning, Axel rolled over and shielded his overly sensitive eyes. It had been a really bad idea to drink at that party, and now he'd made his situation with Roxas even worse. "I'm such an idiot…"
"Sometimes," the other boy half agreed, "but after having to dance with the whore all night, I don't blame you for drinking as much as you did."
"What was he even doing at the party?" Axel demanded of no one in particular. "Who would have invited him to a party like that?"
Zexion shrugged even though his friend wouldn't see it, silent as he finished his bedtime routine and settled on his mattress. After a few minutes, he heard Axel's breathing slow and deepen, and knew the tipsy senior had fallen asleep. He lay awake, trying to stop thinking about what he'd seen at the dance so he could get some rest. Finally, after nearly twenty minutes, his body began to relax and he drifted off into a restless sleep, his subconscious plaguing him with odd dreams of Mister Marluxia and that junior, Demyx. It wasn't a peaceful night for either of the boys.