Woot! Ch. 3 is up! This is turning out like my first story, where the chapters just pour out of me. But, alas, there is nary a thing I can do. So, enjoy!
"You're back!" Yuffie cried as she ran up and hugged Aldrick in front of the school, nearly choking him. "Are you alright to come back, though?"
The gray-eyed teen tried to say something, but couldn't, due to the fact that Yuffie still had him in a bear hug that was cutting off his oxygen supply. Taking a few seconds to catch his breath after the girl apologized and let go, Aldrick said "It's been three days. I think I'll be fine."
"Only three? Two days for the weekend...plus Friday...and Thursday, August twenty-fifth, makes four."
"Not Thursday. That's when I became sick and missed fourth period."
"Oh...well, either way, it felt like forever." Hugging him again, this time a little softer than before, she noticed his hands. "Ooh. New gloves?"
Aldrick lifted one of his hands, revealing the fingerless gloves. Made of black leather, they covered his wrists and the backs of his hands, but a majority of the palms were gone, cut out to reveal Aldrick's own palm. "They aren't new. I just didn't feel like wearing them up until now."
She looked at the gloves, and tilted her head to the side. "What's with the weird design?"
"I think it's cool-looking. That, and it let's me be able to work while they're still on."
"Oh." was all she said, nodding, before saying "Oh! Does Cid know you're back?"
Aldrick shook his head. "But I'll see him at lunch."
"Okay. See you later, then!" Yuffie then ran off to her first period. Aldrick walked in the opposite direction, and, upon hearing the bell ring, hurried his steps, but stopped as he watched Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin all walk into the boys bathroom.
/What the...\ Aldrick thought as he wandered over to the entrance of the bathroom. The halls thinned out, and finally, after the bell rang, Aldrick was alone, save for the Disciplinary Committee.
"So, you guys got it?" Seifer's voice echoed off the walls, letting Aldrick hear him with relative ease.
"At lunch, when Cid walks off to his smoking spot, we tell Crescent about the smoking, ya know?"
"And do you know what that means for that prick?"
"Suspension!"
"That's right. And that Chicken-wuss was sick last time I saw him. He won't be too much trouble to deal with once he comes back and his friend is gone."
Aldrick, quickly and quietly, ran to his first period, not wanting the hoodlums to find out he had overheard them. Reaching the door, he quietly opened it, stepped inside, and closed it as quietly as he could.
"Aldrick? How come you're late?" Ms. Gainsborough said, her brown braid swinging slightly as she turned to look at him.
"Sorry. I...uh...had to go to the restroom." was all he said as he made his way to his seat.
"Alright. But next time, ask before you go." With that, she continued on with her lesson, and Aldrick wrote down the notes, his mind wandering to what he heard before.
Second and third period were the same, both with Aldrick working on his make-up work as he mainly tried to figure out a way to stop the horrible plan created by Seifer's gang. Finally, an idea hit him near the end of third period, and he packed up his things a little early. Once the lunch bell rang, he shot out of the door, bypassing the vending machines, and made his way to the courtyard as fast as he could.
The sakura tree had lost more leaves, and Cid was more plainly visible as Aldrick ran up. The gray-eyed teen waved as he ran, and Cid dropped his stuff to the ground and quickly followed, landing gracefully as usual.
"Hey! You're back! Why'd you run, though? I mean, I know I'm great and everything." he said with his cocky grin, his lips pressed around his cigarette.
"Do you...have...any more...cigarettes...on you...?" Aldrick was trying to catch his breath, and having a tough time trying to get his point across.
"More? In my truck...I usually only carry one for lunch. Why?"
"Can I see...your lighter?"
Digging through his pockets, the lacrosse player withdrew a red disposable lighter and handed it to Aldrick. "What are you doing, exactly?"
The sound of boots could be heard coming towards the courtyard, and Aldrick, unsure of what to do, grabbed the cigarette from Cid's mouth and crushed it in his hand, the tip burning into his palm. Aldrick flinched for just a split second, and quickly deposited the butt into his pocket, along with the lighter. "What the hell did you do that for?!" Cid asked, disbelief that not only was his cancer stick taken, but the fact that the one who took it was his friend, and who used his own hand to put it out.
"You're going to find out soon..." Aldrick said, and the two were soon greeted with the presence of Mr. Sephiroth Crescent, the principal of Bastion High School. Standing in front of the two teens, Aldrick was amazed to realize the principal not only had long silver hair that reached past his butt, but was also extremely buff.
"Mr. Highwind? If you would please come with me and bring your things?" the principal said. Cid obliged, and Aldrick was left alone in the courtyard, but he soon followed the two, and waited outside the main office for his friend.
"What are you doing back?" Aldrick looked up at the voice from his spot on the hallway floor, and into cold green eyes. Seifer stood in front of the teen, his two lackeys close by.
"I'm not sick anymore. That, and to stop you from being a prick."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Chicken-wuss."
"I heard about your plan to get Cid in trouble. I stopped it."
The door to the office opened and closed, and Cid now stood by Aldrick, looking extremely pissed. "So it was these fucks who made me get searched for no reason?"
Aldrick nodded, and Seifer and his crew walked off, with the 'Boss' looking extremely pissed as well.
The two friends, instead of returning to the courtyard, decided that it would be easier to talk after school, plus the fact that the bell was about to ring, the two headed to fourth period, throughout which, Cid kept looking at Aldrick with concern.
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"That was stupid, you moron." Cid had started as they walked to his truck. The two had decided that Cid would drive the gray-eyed teen to work so they could talk.
"What was?"
"The fact that you used your hand as an ashtray. That's what."
Reaching into his pocket, Aldrick pulled out the lighter and crushed cigarette, handing them both to the larger teen. "I'm alright, and you didn't get in trouble, so what does it matter?"
Aldrick couldn't even react as Cid quickly grabbed his arm and faced the palm upward, revealing a small, circular burn. "That's not nothing."
Retracting his hand, the sandy-blonde shook his head. "It was the only thing I could think of..."
After a moment of silent walking, they reached the truck, climbed in, and drove off to the Food Mart as Aldrick pulled a slightly crumpled uniform from his book bag. He then tenderly rubbed the burn, which was blistering, becoming shiny and gray, like silver. He was slightly thankful that Cid had actually worried about him.
To be continued...
Pretty short chapter, but it still makes me happy. Anyway, time for a news alert. I'm not going to update anytime soon, probably, because I need to work on a story for English. Once I'm done with that, I'll get back to writing this and The Past, so be patient.
Cid: What the Fuck?! I want me and Aldrick to get together already!
Byne: Don't worry. I fantasize about you enough.
Cid: True...but I don't think some of those ideas can be used in this story...
Byne:...Hush...