Chapter 4: Detention

After classes ended, Kira headed to the lunchroom through the lobby. There, he stared at the musical sign up sheets for quite a while before continuing on to the lunchroom. Unknown to him, Sai had been eyeing him.

Seconds after Kira left, Fllay entered the lobby. Sai grabbed her by the arm and told her, "Kira Yamato was looking at our audition list!"

"Again?" Fllay asked, surprised. "He was hanging around with that new girl, and they were both looking at the list!" Fllay searched her brain. "There's something freaky about her… Where was she from?"

Determined to find some answers, Fllay and Sai went to the library. They went to a search engine on the internet and typed in Lacus's name. They clicked on an article whose headline says 'Aprillius High sophomore wins decathlon."

"Wow, an einstienette!" Sai said. "So why do you think she's interested in our musical?"

"I'm not sure that she is, and we needn't concern ourselves with amateurs…" Fllay replied. "But there's no harm making certain that Lacus joins school activities which are appropriate for her!" Fllay smirked. "After all, she loves pi!"

Fllay printed out a few papers and left the library.

During detention…

"Gold, more gold!" Natarle demanded. She liked to give her students detention by making them help the drama club.

Lacus was painting one of the props. Suddenly, Cagalli came up to her and said, "The answer is yes!"

Lacus stared blankly at Cagalli.

"Our genetic experiment team has its first competition next week and there's certainly a spot for you!" Cagalli told Lacus and showed her some papers.

"Where did those come from?" Lacus asked.

"Didn't you put them in my locker?" Cagalli asked.

"No…" Lacus replied.

"Well, we'll love to have you on our team! We meet almost everyday after school!" Cagalli told her.

Lacus sighed, disappointed that her secret had been uncovered.

"Please?" Cagalli begged.

"I need to catch up on some things here first…" Lacus started.

"What a perfect way to get caught up! Meeting with the smartest people in school!" Fllay walked over. "What a generous offer, Cagalli!"

"So many new faces in detention today…" Natarle said, disappointed. "I hope you don't make a habit of it, but the drama club can always use an extra hand! And while we are working, let us reflect on the evils of cell phones!"

Meanwhile, in the parade hall, commander and coach Rau was revising on some drills with the team.

"Alright, team, double up!" Rau hollered. "Two weeks to the big game!"

Then, Rau realised that Kira and Athrun were missing.

"Where's Kira and Athrun?" Rau asked.

The team remained silent.

"Don't make me ask again…" Rau threatened.

The team still said nothing.

"Where's Kira and Athrun?!" Rau yelled.

"In detention…" the team finally responded.

Rau stormed off angrily.

In the auditorium

Natarle was ranting about the evils of cell phones, when Rau stormed in like an angry bull.

"Where's my team, Badgiruel?" Rau asked. His question was answered when he saw Kira and Athrun working on a Paper Marche tree. "What the heck are those two doing in the tree?!" Rau demanded.

"It's called crime and punishment, Creuset! Besides, proximity to the arts is cleansing for the soul!" Natarle said dramatically.

"We need to talk, please!" Rau said. Then, he turned to Kira and Athrun. "And you two, in the parade hall… Now!"

Kira and Athrun scrambled out of the Paper Marche tree and rushed to the parade hall.

Later, the argument was so bad that Rau and Natarle brought it to Principal Durandal's office.

"If they had to serve detention, they can do it tonight, not during my practice!" Rau said.

"If these were theatre performers instead of athletes, would you seek special treatment?" Natarle crossed her arms.

"Badgiruel," Rau began. "We are days away from our biggest game of the year!"

"And we, Creuset, are in the midst of our auditions for a winter musical as well!" Natarle argued. "This school is more than just young man in loose shirts blasting Gundams a million miles into space!"

"Bases!" Rau argued, feeling insulted. "They shoot bases!"

"Stop, guys!" Principal Gilbert Durandal interfered. "You've been having this argument ever since you both started teaching here! We are one school, one student body, one faculty! Can we not agree on that?"

The two teachers rested their case.

"So, coach, how's the team looking?" Durandal asked Rau. "Kira getting them whooped into shape?"

Natarle groaned and stormed out of the office. Durandal took a toy gun and fired it at the board hanging on his wall.

After Rau returned to practice, the team huddled around him.

"Artemis High Knights have beaten us out of the play three years running!" Rau told his team. "And now we are one more win from taking that championship, right back from them! It's time to make our stand!" Rau walked in front of the team. "The team is you… You are the team… And this team does not exist unless each and every one of you is fully focused on our goal! Is that clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" the team responded.

"What team?" Athrun yelled.

"Wildcats!" the team responded.

"What team?"

"Wildcats!"

"What team?"

"Wildcats!"

"Wildcats…"

"Get'cha head in the game!"

After detention, Cagalli met Lacus outside school.

"We've never made it through the first round of the GES!" Cagalli explained. "You could be our practical engineer!"

"I'm going to catch up on homework this semester and help my mom with the housework." Lacus told Cagalli. "But what do you know about Kira Yamato?"

"Kira?" Cagalli repeated. "Although he's my brother, I would rather not interest myself in that particular sub species, however, if you can speak 'cheerleader' as in…"

Cagalli walked up to some cheerleaders with Lacus following her.

"Oh my gosh!" Cagalli pretended. "Isn't Kira Yamato just the hottie superbum?"

The cheerleader fawned over Kira as Cagalli led Lacus away.

"See what I mean?" Cagalli asked.

"I guess I might know how to speak 'cheerleader'!" Lacus laughed.

"Which is why we exist in an alternate universe to Kira the Gundam man!" Cagalli explained.

"Have you tried to know him?" Lacus asked.

"Sit with us in the cafeteria tomorrow for lunch!" Cagalli said. "Unless you'd rather sit with the cheerleaders and discuss the importance of growing nailbeds!"

"My nailbeds are history!" Lacus showed Cagalli her nails.

"Sister!" Cagalli laughed as she showed Lacus her nails.

At home, after training, Rau and Kira were pretending to be fighting in a war.

"I still don't get this whole detention thing…" Rau grumbled.

"It was my fault, sorry, Rau!" Kira apologised.

"No, Badgiruel was taking the opportunity to ruin our training and it includes making us lose the championship!" Rau said.

"Rau, you ever thought about trying something new, but you're afraid of what your friends might think?" Kira asked.

"You mean using the DRAGOON System? You'll do fine!" Rau said.

"I mean what if you wanted to try something really new. And it's a total disaster and all your friend laugh at you…" Kira explained.

"Then maybe they're not really your friends." Rau replied. "And that's my whole point about team today! You guys gotta look out for each other, and you're the leader!"

"But…"

"There's gonna be college scouts at our game next week!" Rau told Kira. "You know how much scholarships are worth these days, don't you?"

"A lot…"

Rau nodded. "Focus, Kira, come on!"

With that, they got back to their stimulation run.

To be continued