the author has no note for this chapter besides that she has now enabled Anon reviews (hadn't realized that I disabled them D;), and to please read, review, and enjoy!
PS: Crypton's motto is also known as the motto for my middle school xP haha sorry, wasn't being creative.
PPS: holy cow! I broke 2,000 words this time. By FAR my longest chappie o.o
Gumi shivered. The winter uniforms for Crypton Middle School never seemed to be sufficient for the biting cold. Other students had methods for staying warm, like Kaito's fluffy blue scarf, but Gumi only had a pair of goggles that served barely any purpose.
Why did her hair have to be so short?
Groaning, she shuffled around, searching for her friends. Why were so many people wearing casual outer pieces of clothing? Wasn't that against the dress code?
"I thought it was u-uniforms only..." she shivered.
At that moment, Miku Hatsune skipped gleefully over to her, her hair wrapped around her like an extra layer of clothing. She grinned at Gumi with an expression much like the Cheshire cat.
"It's sure warm, Gumi!"
"Sh-shut u-up, M-Miku..."
Miku chuckled. "You did know that you could have brought a hoodie or something, right? It's allowed during the winter... Even Crypton cares enough about the students to allow that."
"Now you t-tell me?"
Miku smirked. "I thought that you were the one who read the student handbook twenty-four seven."
"I don't read..."
"Do too."
"Not."
"Too."
"Well, I haven't gotten to that part yet, okay?"
"Heh," Miku smirked triumphantly, "Knew it."
Around a mile away from school, Gakupo's breath fogged up on the glass window of the car. He trailed his finger across it, spelling out the letters capital G and M before quickly wiping the figures off with his other hand.
The road wound with many twists and turns, filled with patches of slippery ice and dotted with fog. His mother cursed and honked as another car cut in front of them. Gakupo stared out the window. The school was now in his line of sight. He gathered up his belongings and unbuckled his seat belt.
The car screeched to a sudden stop. Gakupo opened the door and stepped out.
"Have a good day at school," Gakupo's mother leaned out of the rolled-down window, taking a drag from her cigarette. "Finish your homework on time."
"Thanks mom," Gakupo rolled his eyes. "Good luck with stopping that smoking habit of yours."
"Right," she groaned, taking one last puff before tossing the butt out the window. Gakupo stepped on it and ground it with his heel. "Well, see you," she breathed, and revved the engine. "Good luck on that English exam."
Gakupo grimaced. "That was last week!" he shouted, but all that was left of her was a trail of wet tire tracks. Shaking his head, he wound his Prussian blue scarf tightly around his neck and buttoned up his woolen black coat.
He walked into Crypton Middle just before the bell rang, signaling that school was about to begin.
Everyone shuffled to their first class, recited the national anthem, and waited patiently for the announcements to start. Gumi turned to Gakupo and grinned.
"Going to annoy me again today?"
"Mm, I'll think about it," Gakupo grinned. "Depends on if you're annoy-able today."
"You annoy me every day," Gumi laughed.
"Then you're always annoy-able," Gakupo said matter-of-factly. The teacher cleared his throat, and everyone snapped to attention. A faint hint of a smile appeared on Gumi's face.
"Today, we will be learning about atoms and the different types of bonds..."
Gumi took precise notes, her paper filled with rows and rows of neat letters printed in a leaf-green ink. Gakupo looked down on his own paper and was discouraged to see messy scribbles and smudges from his dull pencil. He sighed.
Gumi looked over and giggled.
'It's okay, you're a guy :P' she scribbled onto the margins of her notes.
'Still...' he wrote back. 'not fair -3-'
Gumi chuckled, and Gakupo was about to write more when the teacher cleared his throat.
Loudly.
"Kamui Gakupo!"
Gakupo raised his head nervously. "Y-yes?"
"Have you been paying attention?"
"Yes."
"Then name the two bonds that we have been talking about for the last forty-five minutes."
Oh god.
He looked down to see if he could deduct the answer from his useless notes, but was surprised to see a neatly written page shoved at him inconspicuously from the side and a finger along with it, pointing to two words highlighted in orange.
"Ionic and covalent bonds," he said out loud.
The teacher looked surprised. He adjusted his glasses and shrugged. "Thank you," he said. "But please, no more disruptances."
"Okay," Gakupo mumbled.
After the bell rang and class ended, Gakupo whispered, "Thanks Gumi, you saved me," he sighed with relief.
"No problem," Gumi grinned, "It was my fault, anyhow. Well, see you later."
"Later," he nodded, and skipped away.
As rain splashed in small drops down against the window panes, the announcements crackled and snapped, on and off before the principal spoke. The bell rang, but students were ordered back into their seats.
"Due to the rain, we are now on rainy day schedule, I repeat, rainy day schedule."
Classes full of students groaned and shuffled in their spots. Rainy day meant a shorter lunch and longer classes, something that was never agreeable to in school life.
"Also, PE classes are required to go into their teacher's rooms. Mr. Naya's class will go to room thirty-two, and Mr. C's class will go to room twenty-nine, respectively."
Gakupo nodded. Room twenty-nine... he'd have to remember that.
"Also, Anne Sweet and Len Kagamine, please report to the office. Thank you. Crypton Middle School, today we learn, tomorrow we lead."
Reciever down.
The students obediantly filed to their classes, complaining about the rainy day schedule and how there was no PE for the day. Gakupo hurried over to his class, hoping to meet Gumi earlier. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him.
"Hey Gakupo~"
Gakupo turned around to see a pretty girl with soft, waist-length hair that was an interesting hue of pale pink.
"I'm Megurine Luka," she winked. "I don't know if you've met me yet."
"Ah-uh, nu, I mean, no, but I've seen you around..."
"Me too," she smiled. "You have Mr. C next too? Hmm, let's walk together!"
"Ah - okay..."
She linked arms with Gakupo and put her free hand on his shoulder.
"You know, I hate the rain..." she drawled.
"Really? I kinda like it," he muttered.
"Hm? Oh, I don't hate-hate it, just... dislike, I suppose," she smiled, fluttering her eyelashes at him. Gakupo smiled awkwardly.
"Uh, yeah," he swallowed. "I know what you mean..."
They turned the corner, and Gakupo heard faint splashes coming his way. Gumi's bright green hair stood out in the midst of mottled greys and blues.
"Hey, Gakupo! Gakupo!" she grinned, "It's raini-"
Her enthusiastic smile quickly slid off her face as she saw the two of them in what seemed like a loving embrace.
"Uh," she opened her mouth as Luka sent her a ice cold stare, "Sorry, I seemed to have interuppted some... I'm sorry," she said, flushing a bright red and turning away.
"Wait, Gumi...!" Gakupo called after her.
"Oh, who cares about her?" Luka tossed her hair disgustedly. "Come on, let's go."
"O-okay..." Gakupo shrugged, walking into the classroom.
The teacher had put a movie up, but Gumi wasn't paying attention. It was already embarassing to have walked in to see Luka snuggled up to Gakupo, flirting with both her actions and words, but she had blushed...
She buried her face in her hands, trying to ignore Luka's nearby attempts at winning him over. What a flirt, she thought angrily. What a freaking flirt.
But it seemed as if Gakupo didn't mind her too much. Maybe he liked her or something. Gumi scowled. Why did she even bother? No one had liked her since first grade. No one was going to like her anytime soon. And here she was, encouraged by Miku and Rin, thinking that she had a chance.
Stupid.
It's okay, she thought scornfully, he's just an annoying bastard, after all. I don't like him anyway.
She knew what liking someone felt like. She had liked a few people before, and the heart-skipping, fluttering feeling was absent. She didn't like him, that she could confirm.
She shook her head and shrugged. It didn't matter. Life would go on. She looked up to watch the movie with indifference to her surroundings.
She spent the rest of her day as usual, talking and laughing with her friends, forgetting about the whole incedent until lunch, when Gakupo caught up to her, panting.
"Wh-what?" she asked, her teeth chattering with the cold and rain. "What is i-it?"
"I'm sorry about before," he apologized, "I-"
"I don't care," Gumi snapped, shivering. "Wh-why would I care about you?"
Gakupo recoiled. Her words hurt. Gumi sensed this, but rolled her eyes, looking at him with a blank expression. She shuddered. "I'd b-better go," she said lamely, "It's-s getting c-cold."
She turned around and stalked away. She should have listened, she knew that, but she really wasn't in the mood at the moment. She was ready to burst by the time he caught up to her for the second time.
"Gumi!" She hurtled around, exasperated.
"What do you want?" she glared, but was answered with a black jacket being thrown into her arms. "Wh-what?"
"It's cold," Gakupo said, folding his arms across his chest. "Wear that."
"But it's yours!" she protested, "You'll f-freeze!"
Gakupo sighed, took the jacket from her, and draped it around her shoulders.
He patted her head with a faint smile etched across his face. "It's okay," he said, "I still have my scarf."
He turned around and walked away. Gumi clutched his jacket and pulled it tightly around her.
"Thanks..." she whispered.
She walked to class, exhaling puffs of cold air.
"Yo, Gumi! What up with the jacket, mann?"
"It's Gakupo's, Lily."
"Gakupo?" Len smirked, leaning over his desk.
"Gakupo? Serious?" Nero guffawed and whistled. "Man... he never does anything like that. Consider yourself lucky."
Gumi shrugged. His jacket was warm, and that was all the mattered for her. She'd have to return it later, she supposed. Ah, well...
Compliments were shared frequently between her friends about "Gumi's new jacket," and she always rolled her eyes when they discussed the possibility of a crush.
"Oh, guys, calm down!" Luka Megurine's smile was sickeningly sugar sweet. "Gakupo would never like Gumi," she said. "She's too tomboy-ish."
Gumi pursed her lips and sent a scathing glare towards the pink-haired beauty. Luka sent a cool stare of her own back.
After class, Luka tapped her shoulder, grabbing the collar of her jacket and twisting the material around her petite fingers. Her nails sparkled with a bright pink polish.
"Listen," Luka whispered dangerously low into her ear, "I don't know why Gakupo gave you his jacket, but I just wanted to warn you... He's mine."
Gumi smiled, yanking herself from her grip and facing her.
"No problem," she said cooly, "Take him. I don't care."
She separated from her and walked away, towards her locker. Luka fumed in bitter silence.
Gumi shrugged and opened her umbrella, twirling it while searching for Gakupo.
"Stupid git," she mumbled, "Forgetting to take your own jacket back..."
She shrugged and walked onto the street, hoping to see him there. While scanning the area, she spied him walking a few blocks down and quickly ran over to him. He was soaked, with his tie roped around his wrist and water dripping down his shirt.
"Gakupo!" Gumi shouted, and he turned around, waiting as she caught up. "What do you think you're doing without an umbrella? It's pouring!"
"What were you thinking when you came to class without a coat?"
"I had a mild case of amnesia, okay?" Gumi pouted, "Get under the umbrella, now!"
"Why are you so worried about me now? You could have killed me with just your looks a few hours ago."
"I... you're soaked!"
"Fine, fine." Gakupo said. He wrung some of the water from his hair. Gumi shook her head.
"Tsk... here," she said, digging a towel out of her bag. "Dry yourself off."
Gakupo looked at her admiringly. "You have everything in that bag, huh!" Gumi smirked, but shook her head. She wrapped his coat around him as well, sighing.
"Where's your house?" she asked.
"You're going to walk me home?" he asked, surprised, "What have you done with the real Gumi? Where have you taken her?"
"Shut up," Gumi smiled, "You're going to catch a cold out here. Where is it?"
"Aww Gumi-chan, does this mean you like me?"
"What? No!"
"Aww, are you actually worried about me?" Gakupo teased, snuggling up to her and ruffling her hair.
"Gak! Stop! You're wet! Bah, you stupid git!" she flushed, pushing him away. "Where's your freaking house?"
"We're here," he said. Gumi looked up in surprise at the large coffee-colored apartment. "Here? Lily lives here too!"
"Yeah, she has the same room as me, except it's one floor up. We have a few noise matches a day. She plays the violin, I slam my closet door a few times. She stomps on the floor, I blast my trumpet, and so on." Gumi chuckled.
"Well, see you tomorrow," Gakupo smiled. "Thanks for the umbrella and the towel," he said, throwing the said object back at her.
"See you," said Gumi, "Oh, and I'm sorry..."
"Hm?" Gakupo cocked his head sideways, "What?"
"I was being a jerk," she confessed, "And I apologize."
Gakupo grinned. "It's aiittee," he said, laughing. "See ya tomorrow."
Gumi smiled and waved. She twirled her umbrella a few times, and then splashed in puddles while singing the rest of the way home.
From a few blocks down, Luka flipped her hair and scowled.
"You're not getting him so easily," she whispered, narrowing her eyes venomously, "Bitch."