- A Beautiful Tomorrow - An Ambient Generation
. . . Reality of a Dreamer . . .
Just wanted to say I'm back in the states. Whoo! And well I don't feel like adding anymore input because I'm really tired and I need to get to bed. So hope you get a kick from this chapter. Goodnight! XD
Alice was caught in hall traffic Tuesday morning.
"What's going on?" She asked the person ahead of her curiously. A short, stocky girl turned around and shrugged aimlessly.
"I don't know. Some people ahead are saying that the teachers are trying to direct us into the auditorium or something."
"Why…?" Alice asked confused.
"Beats me." The girl again shrugged, turning away.
She sighed and shifted her weight. Her feet were growing tired from standing so long I the same place. Someone pushed her from behind.
"Sorry." They murmured. Alice looked back and saw that even more people were coming from the entrance. All of them looked perplexed.
"Oh look!" The short girl in front of her squealed to her neighbor, "Here comes Ms. Carla!"
Alice followed her gaze and saw an older female teacher making her way through the crowd, telling people why they were being held up. Alice waited impatiently for her to reach earshot range.
"Ms. C, why are we standing here?"
"Mr. Bacon is having everyone go to the auditorium," Came Ms. Carla's voice.
"Everyone at the front is filing into the auditorium right now… Don't worry, the line will move…" She hurried past.
"Why do we need to go to the auditorium?" A guy behind her grumbled.
"Hey--at least no class, right?"
Soon the line started moving forward at a very slow pace. Every ten minutes they would stop; wait another ten minutes, before moving forward again. Alice caught sight of Kurando up ahead. She was surprised to see that he was talking, and almost everyone around him was listening intently. She wondered what he was telling them.
"Kurando!" She called. He didn't seem to hear her as one of the girls listening asked him something. Alice cupped her mouth. "Kuran-do!"
Some people turned to make faces at her, but she just ignored them. Finally Kurando turned around to her voice.
"WHAT'S WRONG!" He shouted through cupped hands. People looked at him with revulsion.
"Do you know why we're standing here?"
"YES!" He yelled, hands still cupped, "We are standing here because the principal wanted to talk to us!"
"I KNOW!" Alice called back exasperatedly. "But do you know why?"
"YES!" He shouted again. A guy prodded his shoulder. "You know why?"
Kurando swelled indignantly. "Of course I do. Mr. Simon told me a week ago."
"Why?" A couple of people chorused together as the line started moving again slowly.
"FSE."
"What!" Alice called back.
"Foreign Student Exchange." Kurando said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Foreign student exchange?" A girl repeated. "You mean foreign students are coming here?"
"Not forever," He assured her. "For maybe a month or something. You know, they all need places to stay, so students who volunteer to let them stay at their house have to sign up and stuff. You gotta sign up first though, so they know how many foreign students can come."
"Do guys have to take in guys, or can they let girls stay at their place?" A guy yelled from the back.
Kurando looked insulted and decided not to answer him as the guy's friends started laughing.
"Hurry up people!" Miss Iasant suddenly came into view with the audience doors. "Inside, inside!"
Finally they were all ushered into seats and Alice managed to snag a seat next to Kurando, since everyone else was trying to sit next to him. Kurando seemed amazed at this, no one ever use to speak with him.
Alice was feeling irritated, she couldn't have a decent conversation with him without someone putting their head between them to ask Kurando something.
"No! You don't have to take them in if you don't have room!" She snapped for Kurando after the last straw, "Just be quiet okay? You'll find out from Mr. Bacon!"
The girl who she was talking to gave Alice a venomous look before sliding back into her seat.
"What's gotten into you?" Kurando asked worriedly.
"You'd be mad too if every time you tried to talk to me, some guy would push your head aside so their head could fit." Alice muttered.
"So? No one ever talks to me. You should be happy for me." Kurando assured.
"I'd be happy for you--" Alice snapped, "If they didn't touch my head!"
"Students," Mr. Bacon's voice suddenly filled the room and Kurando dropped it, sitting up straight and watching the principal with concentration.
"Everyone must be wondering why I had you come to the auditorium. Well, I am very pleased to announce that our school will be taking in foreign students. They'll be here for 2 weeks. In that time, we can learn a lot about them and they can learn about us! Culture differences at best. People who volunteer to host a student will receive extra credit. These students are coming from Japan--"
"Oh wow!" Kurando whispered. "I heard the people in Japan were really intelligent! And I'm Japanese! I could learn something from them; I'm going to host a student!"
"Kurando you can host 5 students--" She hissed in return. His father was filthy rich, they lived in a very large mansion with only 6 bedrooms like Alice, but the bedrooms were huge and open. And anyway, only two bedrooms in the entire house were occupied.
"Ssshhh!"
Alice slumped in her seat and continued to watch Mr. Bacon.
"Now the students who will be able to receive a place to stay for the two weeks will be arriving next week. School will continue normally, but after school at 6:00 P.M. we will have a welcoming dance party for them! Those of you, who volunteer, will have to show. Unless of course, a reasonable excuse is presented…"
Alice noticed how Kurando's face fell when he heard the words coming out of the principal's mouth.
"D-dance?" He croaked, "No I'm not--"
"Sssshhh!" Alice cut him off.
"Well, that's all I wanted to say. There's only 20 minutes left of your first period class, so everyone can go to homeroom so the teacher's can call attendance. And tomorrow, whoever is going to volunteer to let a foreign student come stay at their house will have to come to the lunchroom. You have to sign up so we know how many students can come. Do not, I repeat do not sign up if you're not sure you can host them. Because if that student comes and then you can't give them a place to stay, there's going to be a problem, alright? So those of you, who want extra credit, sign up. The sign up table will be there all day long, so just go to the lunch room whenever possible, fill out a form, and drop it into the box. Thank you." Mr. Bacon nodded before turning to leave.
"I don't know if I should sign up now," Kurando said worriedly, as they stood up.
"Rando, you don't have to dance. You just have to be there." Alice explained patiently.
"Alice why would they call it a dance, if you don't have to dance?"
"Well you dance, but you don't have to. Get it?"
"But I can't just stand there!" Kurando protested, "What am I going to do? Eat?"
"So you can ask a girl to dance! Kurando, walk. The line's moving."
He moved forward and began laughing scornfully. "Ask a girl to dance? And then what? Have her run away from me screaming?"
Alice made a face behind his back. "No. If you're so scared, I'll dance with you."
Kurando wheeled around to face his friend, eyes wide. "Y-you will? You really, really will?" Alice stared vacantly at him and nodded.
"Yes…"
He turned around again, contented for a second before whirling around again. "But what if I step on your toes?" He demanded, sounding panicky. "You won't yell right? I'm so sorry if I do!"
"Kurando."
"What?" He turned back to the front and started walking again, before for the third time, turning around to face her. "Hey wait a minute; you're going to host a student?"
Alice shrugged. "Guess so. I mean, extra credit?"
"You have enough extra credit." He mumbled.
"Your point? Itwouldn't hurt to have some more."
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Alice walked into the Girls bathroom Wednesday morning to find it full of fervently whispering girls.
"Did you see him?"
"I know! He must've done something to his hair!"
"He looked so hot! I mean, I didn't think he could get any hotter, but oh my god!"
"I don't know, he looks the same, I always thought he'd look hotter with different hair." A girl fixing her eyeliner complained.
"Oh please that's what you think. Did you SEE him, Jessica? DID YOU!"
"Nina, I walked right past his locker. At first I didn't recognize him but I thought the guy was pretty hot, but then he glanced up and I was like--"
"I can't WAIT!" The brunette girl squealed, bouncing on her feet. "I have him for Biology!"
Alice sidled past the group of about six girls who were screaming about some guy. She hurried to get a stall but to her disappointment, they were all full.
She sighed and leaned against the wall to wait for a stall. In the mean time, the girls near the sinks were still gossiping happily.
"Is Karin still with him?" The girl who was fixing her eyeliner was now furiously applying a deep shade of red lipstick.
"Are you insane? Karin is with Nicholai."
"Hm…I never really noticed Nicholai--"
"Forget Nicholai." The brunette cut in, jumping up and down. "I am dying to see Yuri."
Alice glanced at them without any direction and bowed her head down.
Of course. They're talking about famous Yuri Hyuga.
A stall door all the way at the opposite end of Alice opened and before she could get into it, a pretty girl with dark blonde hair entered the bathroom with her stomach swelling.
"Oh wait!" She cried, stopping Alice. "Please let me go! I came all the way from the second floor, and I'm pregnant! You have to let me use the stall!" She pleaded quite desolately.
Alice stepped aside. "Sure." She plastered a fake smile.
OOOH, BUT I HAVE TO USE THE BATHROOM!
"Thanks!" The girl hurried in.
Alice sighed and was about to slump against the wall when suddenly the warning bell rang. The chattering girls grabbed their stuff and ran out the red painted door.
"Ugh." She turned and walked out of the bathroom.
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Alice pushed the doors of her AP English class and entered the room. Miss Iasant was just unloading her briefcase.
"Ms. Elliot," She smiled at her upon Alice's arrival, "I take it that you were signing up for the Student Exchange?"
Alice's stomach knotted. The student exchange! I forgot! "Uh, no." She said, "I-I'm going to sign up at lunch time."
"Ah, okay. That's good," She turned to the class as the young light blonde headed to her seat. "I hope some of you are going to do the same, or have done the same."
Small murmuring swept the room as Alice sat down in her seat. She inwardly sighed with relief. Signing up for the student exchange thing wasn't the only thing she forgot… She also forgot to buy her copy of The Anthem and today they were doing the book.
"Alright, before we begin, I just wanted to welcome Mr. Hyuga back to the class," Miss Iasant smiled at the boy sitting near the back of the class. Alice and the rest of the class turned to look at him.
Her mouth dropped slightly. He looked so… not Yuri. No smirk, just a plain emotionless face.
Yuri just sat there, staring uninterestedly at his desktop as everyone else looked at him.
"Oh!"
She looked away from Yuri just in time to see a preppy dark haired girl fall out of her seat. She was leaning too far out due to her excitement by looking at Yuri. Alice made a soft sickened noise as the girls around her started giggling before turning back to Yuri to stare avidly at him.
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Yuri moaned, tapping his pencil irritably against his desk. Couldn't the class stop staring at him now? He ran his hand impatiently through his hair and slumped in his seat, now glaring at anybody who stared at him.
The guy's just gave him knowing smirks or thumbs up and the girls quickly spinning away, pretending as if they weren't even staring.
Dumb asses, He thought sourly as Miss Iasant called for their attention. She was opening some big, gray, hardcover book with the words printed across the front in large bold letters; THE ANTHEM.
"I expect that everybody ordered this book?" She held it up for the class to see. Yuri watched everybody pull it out and rest it on their desks.
Shoot, He contemplated, he too forgot all about the book.
"Yes, now open to page 3 and let's read the Author's--yes Ms. Elliot?"
Yuri gazed up to see Alice's pale hand in the air.
"Miss Iasant," She started nervously, "I… I sort of just sent my um, my order yesterday so I don't… have it." She finished the rest so quietly he had to strain his ears.
The young educator raised an eyebrow. "Well… anybody else? Does anybody else not have their book--Mr. Hyuga?"
He lowered his hand and nodded. "I sent the order on Friday but it still hasn't arrived yet."
Miss Iasant drummed her fingers on her desk thoughtfully. "Well I only have one extra copy so… I guess you two will have to share."
Yuri and Alice's eyes met briefly before they both quickly turned away. "Okay, thank you." She said.
Miss Iasant pulled open a drawer and retrieved her extra copy. "Alright, you go over to his desk or Yuri sit at hers."
Again they looked at each other and he waited for her to get up and come there, but she just sat there looking at him. He got the hint that she obviously wanted him to come to where she was sitting but he didn't budge.
Finally, Alice got up, went to get the book before heading towards him. A light frown ceased her forehead. She sat down in the empty seat beside him.
"Pull your desks together so you can share the book." The cheerful teacher called.
Yuri waited for Alice to push her desk, but she didn't move. He glanced at her, just to see her flare him a your turn look.
Rolling his eyes, Yuri got up and slid his desk next to hers until they touched before he slouched back in his seat. She pushed the book between the two of their desks and flipped to the right page.
"Alright, can we start now?" Miss Iasant didn't wait for an answer and nodded to one of the students. "Joshua, please read for everyone."
Yuri didn't pay the slightest attention as Joshua started reading and let his eyes avert from the dull white pages and black tiny prints of the book to the window. Alice was sitting straight up next to him, with her eyes glued to the book. She even turned the pages for them.
Finally Yuri grew uninterested of watching the trees and turned back to the book. He found that a little someone was staring at him.
"What?" He asked, trying to sound annoyed.
She continued to stare at him. "You're not paying attention." She whispered in a very accusing tone. "You know we're going to get tested on this book too, right?"
"Okay, okay." Yuri didn't want to hear her lecture him any more about tests. He bent his head down like hers so she'd think he was reading. It seemed to satisfy her and she continued to read.
Yuri's eyes wandered over to Alice's face, taking note of her features. Her light bangs hung over her face showcasing her light blue eyes and long lashes, her pouty lips were situated in a tiny smile. She looked so content and serene…. Pretty.
He suddenly became aware of how close their heads were. He jerked back, accidentally shoving the book off the table. Alice and the rest of the class stared at him.
"What's wrong…?" She said, taken aback.
Miss Iasant was looking at them strangely. "Is there a problem?"
"No." Yuri mumbled loud enough for the teacher to hear, before bending down and grabbing the book. "I thought I saw something that's all…"
"You fell asleep," Alice hissed when they finally resumed reading. "You didn't see something, you fell asleep."
He didn't bother to answer her and carefully kept his head away from hers at a reasonable distance for the rest of the class.
Yes it's short and doesn't show much of the plot, but hey, I write my chapters like that quite a few times in the passed. It's sensible enough for me at this point. :P Even though I'm tired I'm taking my sweet time to add the apposite comments to my fellow reviewers, same routine!
SonChan – Is this one cute too? -
Bella – Ooooh girl, you draw? You have to show me sometime! I really really wanna see! And what is a Volks Neo EB Tan? Please enlighten me.
MusicalDragons – Hi Heather. Since I'm home, I should review your fics now, huh? I read a few I like the Lucia x Joachim ones. They're so interesting.
Asnee – Ooooh Jr. is my fav. He's so cute. But his looks anyway are like jailbait for me but in reality he'd be the cradle robber. Oo Poor lil man! Aww if looked his age I do bad stuff with him. Ahahhaa… kiddin' OR AM I? And yes Wilhelm is hot! Finally someone else that thinks he's a looker! Plus he's rich, duh. :P
Pyaara Wala – Hmmm I don't know much about Shadow Hearts 3, just as much as you do. I did get to see the demo though. My cousin was playing it. I entirely hate the menus though. It's like classic FF color blue. Blargh!
Diabolic Angel – Yes Yuri in boxers is sexy… originally, he wasn't going to wear a shirt but you'd probably faint with your imagination. Haha. Okay the rough estimate of my chapter rate is… about 27 to 31. Yes. LOTS LOTS LOTS!
Unknown Heart – Hiya. Aww you tried to write a fic? You should really put it up, I can proofread for you if you would like. Aw yes, SH3 it looks fun I'm just pissed off without the reoccurrence of Yuri. At least Lenny is there. Pssh.. it's Lenny. So random. That's SH for ya.
kingleby – Exams sure do bite. I know the feeling. The feeling of complete pain!
Vi3t Gurl MOMO – You disturb me. That's all I'm going to say… you just… disturb me so much. lol I wonder if Asnee feels the same way? XD
psychedelic aya – I can't get over your gangsta question. So funny. But yeah, if you go to Japan then be sure to tell me, I'll give you all the quick fixins'!
lady1onyou – I'm so pleased you find my story interesting. Since you have AOL I'll talk to you on AOL messenger sometime. Cuz I like to stalk my reviewers. haha
Wanderer of the Dark – Hehehe you think I'm generic do you? Well this story isn't the cliché you think it is. You just saw that point from the rape attempt. So be on the lookout for more surprises. Does Alice end up with Yuri or not? I can't tell the public yet. lol. BUT, it might not be with you are expecting. Just keep reading and find out….