Chapter 5: A Midnight Ballet
As the beeping of Heero's watch got progressively louder, a by now perfunctory groan of dismay resounded from the top left bunk. Duo rubbed at his eyes blearily. This was mostly for show, he had been awake the instant the alarm had begun ringing. They all had, but Duo was so used to providing the entertainment for his depressed comrades that his habitual façade of sleepiness had become part of his early morning routine. He glanced around. Quatre and Trowa were already out of bed and getting dressed, both more than happy to get out of their uncomfortable positions. Heero was methodically pulling on his green tank top, and reaching for his jeans which he quickly pulled over his checked boxers. It had gotten cold in the room overnight. Perhaps the heating was shut off. The sound of a shower turning on shocked him out of his musings, however, and he turned to the immaculately made top bunk where Wufei had been sleeping only moments ago.
"I call showering next," Trowa called softly.
By the time the five of them had showered and dressed, it was exactly 6:35, according to Quatre's watch. Breakfast wasn't until 7 o'clock, so the five boys sat down on their beds. Heero got his laptop out from under his bed and began typing furiously.
"What are you doing, Heero?" Duo asked in bewilderment.
"Mission log." Heero grunted under his breath.
Quatre didn't voice what he was thinking: that this was the one type of mission in which a log was not necessary. Preventer Une would be able to tell whether they had made progress just by watching them. But they all had different coping mechanisms, and if Heero's involved the methodical routine of a mission, who was he to strip away the illusion of control? Quatre allowed himself to slip away from the others, falling deep into thought. How were they going to deal with normal life? Wufei had already scared some kid on their way into the school. More importantly, at least to Quatre, that kid had scared Wufei with the loss of his tight personal control he had experienced when confronted with a kid almost his own age. Heero and Wufei were quite similar in that way. Control was very important to both of them. However, they both coveted different types of control. Wufei was all about self-control and suppressing his emotions, whereas Heero just wished he could find his emotions. It wasn't that Heero didn't have emotions, he just didn't know how to recognize them and deal with them. Quatre knew that first hand. He was, after all, an empath. Heero liked to have careful and methodical control over his surroundings, his behaviour bordering on obsessive when confronted with new situations. Quatre sat there for another 20 minutes, lost in his own thoughts.
0800 hours found the gundam pilots dressed, fed, and standing outside the principal's office, waiting to be let in. They were all wearing jeans, although Wufei's and Quatre's were slightly more formal than the other boys', as they were of a dark blue hue. Wufei wore a black tank top, Duo his regular priest-collared shirt and cross, Quatre a pale yellow t-shirt, Trowa his green turtle neck, and Heero his much loved green tank top. Wufei made an impatient sound and checked his watch. It was already 8:05 and there was no sign of life in the principal's office. Suddenly heavy footfall's and the jingle of keys could be heard, as the principal rounded the corner, sprinting, and trying to find the right key.
"Sorry about that, boys, there was a medical emergency in one of the younger grades."
He opened the door and held it open, gesturing at the boys to enter. They did, and were seated in five chairs in front of the principal's desk.
"My name, as I hope you gentlemen already know, is Mr. Leung."
None of them saw fit to inform him that they hadn't, in fact, been aware of that
. "Now, as you definitely do already know, you are here to choose an elective course and an extra curricular activity. Have any of you given that any serious thought?"
"I should like to take band as an elective course," Trowa stated a little hesitantly.
"Good choice!" Mr Leung said emphatically, "What instrument do you play?"
"The flute."
"Hmmm…" Mr. Leung had turned to his computer and was in the process of locating Trowa's file, "At what level do you play?"
Trowa shrugged.
Heero, who had done research on the courses offered at this school and had also heard Trowa play on many occasions interceded, "Put him in the senior band."
"Right you are. And what extra-curricular activity would you like to be involved in? We have a variety of sports teams including basket-ball, baseball, soccer, hockey, gymnastics, and dance. We also have quite a developed drama and musical theatre club. You don't have to have much experience to join any of these activities. Does anything interest you?"
"I have some experience in acrobatics. Maybe I could do gymnastics?"
"Excellent choice. Who's next?"
Quatre also chose senior band and gymnastics as his elective and extra curricular activity. Duo and Heero both chose physical education as their elective courses, but refrained from choosing an extra-curricular activity right away, electing to think about it for a little longer. Wufei chose drawing and painting as his elective course and fencing to be his extra curricular activity. After that, they chose their academic courses. With that out of the way, their timetables were printed, and they were told to wait in the office while Mr. Leung found a student of their age to help them find their classes for the day.
After Mr. Leung left, the gundam team compared time tables. This is how they looked:
Heero's time table:
Day 1: Advanced Physics 11- 8:30-10:00
English 11- 10:15-11:45
Lunch
Advanced Japanese 11- 12:45- 2:15
Math 11- 2:30- 4:00
Day 2: Physical Education
Chemistry 11
lunch
Group Therapy
Free Period
Heero Yuy will be attending a weekly individual therapy session with Dr. Gus Johnson on Friday afternoons at 4: 00 pm.
Duo's time table:
Day 1: Advanced physics 11
English 11
Lunch
Spanish 11
Math 11
Day 2: Physical Education
Chemistry 11
Lunch
Group Therapy
Free period
Duo Maxwell will be attending a weekly individual therapy session with Dr. Gus Johnson on Monday afternoons at 4:00 pm.
Trowa's time table:
Day 1: Chemistry 11
English 11
Lunch
Advanced French 11
Math 11
Day 2: Senior Band
Biology 11
Group Therapy
Free period
Trowa Barton will be attending weekly individual therapy session with Dr. Gus Johnson on Wednesday afternoons at 4:00 pm.
Quatre's time table
Day 1: Chemistry 11
English 11
Lunch
Advanced Arabic 11
Math 11
Day 2: Senior Band
Biology 11
Group Therapy
Free period
Quatre Winner will be attending an individual therapy session with Dr. Gus Johnson on Thursday afternoons at 4:00 pm.
Wufei's time table
Day 1: Advanced Physics 11
English 11
Lunch
Advanced Mandarin 11 (by correspondence)
Math 11
Day 2: Drawing and Painting
Biology 11
Group Therapy
Free period
Wufei Chang will be attending an individual therapy session with Dr. Gus Johnson on Tuesday afternoons at 4:00 pm.
"Hey Heero!"
"Yes, Duo?"
"We have almost all our classes together!'
Heero groaned playfully and Duo slapped him upside the head. At that moment the door swung once again open and in stepped a shy looking boy. He was about their age with dark brown hair and glasses.
"My name is Joshua. Mr Leung told me to show you to your first classes," he said so quietly and shyly that he was hard to hear.
The others nodded and got up. Quatre fell into his usual role and spoke for the group.
"Heero, Duo, and Wufei have advanced physics first, and Trowa and I have Chemistry."
"Ok, if you'll come with me advanced physics is just down the hall."
They followed him past a few doors and came to a stop in front of a small classroom marked 107.
"This is Mr. Hagi's class. It has already started because you are a bit late from the meeting with Mr. Leung."
This was said so quietly that Duo felt compelled to say in a gentle tone:
"Do you think you could speak up a bit more, we're having a hard time hearing you, buddy."
The kid sighed as though he was asked this question often. "I'm sorry, I can't. My vocal cords were damaged during the war. It's a long story, but something exploded and fell on my throat. I'm trying my best."
"Oh, sorry," Duo apologized awkwardly.
"That's okay, I get it a lot from other people." Joshua's eyes were downcast, and his hands were shaking slightly. Obviously, it wasn't a good memory.
"I guess we should go in," Wufei said hesitantly, as though he was not relishing the prospect.
"Yeah," said Heero, but nobody made a move to go in.
"Guys," Duo's voice was shaking softly, "I really, really don't want to go in."
Quatre put his hand on Duo's shoulder as a reassurance, "I'm sure it won't be that bad." But the reassurance was hollow, coming from someone who was experiencing genuine fear himself.
It was Wufei who finally rallied the other two. "We're not going to fit in here. You're right, Duo, and in fact we probably shouldn't be here, but a mission is a mission and we're going in, even if we'd rather face any number of enemy troops than go into that classroom." He had, unfortunately, forgotten about Joshua, who was looking bewildered.
"It's just a classroom," he said calmly, and opened the door.
The whole class of kids twisted around in their seats to look at the newcomers.
"Mr. Hagi, these are the three new students in your class."
"Oh, good. Would you like to introduce yourselves?" The three boys looked at each other and then in silent agreement, stepped forward one by one.
"Heero Yuy."
"Chang Wufei."
"Duo Maxwell."
Even Duo was too nervous to make his usual entrance.
The only empty seats were scattered over the classroom. Wufei took his place in the front, Duo in the middle, and Heero in the back. With one last miserable look at their friends, Quatre and Trowa were ushered out of the room by Joshua.
Joshua, whose voice was giving out so much that the two remaining pilots had to lean forward to hear him, told them that the Chemistry room was nearby, and they followed him to the door.
"Will you be alright from here?" he asked.
"Yes," Trowa said, and politely thanked him for his assistance.
Joshua looked sheepish, "I'd help introduce you too, but you see, I'm missing math, and I'm not terribly good at it."
"That's fine," Quatre replied.
"Good, then I'll see you in an hour and a half. I'll help you find your next class."
He left then, running down the hall and up the stairs. Quatre and Trowa stood staring at the classroom door for quite a while, before Trowa caught Quatre's gaze, held it, and said,
"Shall we go in?"
"Hmmm…" Quatre responded, not at all sounding his articulate self, "yes I suppose we must."
They took a deep breath together, and Trowa squeezed Quatre's shoulder, in a show of affection, as if he was in the habit of doing before entering a potentially dangerous situation. He realized that while they weren't technically in any danger, this was the most nervous he had felt before any mission or test. This was the ultimate test. Trowa Barton and Quatre Winner were about to tested in the subject of humanity and neither was sure of his mark. He grasped the door handle, and turned.