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Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass.
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"Ano…Kallen….are you sure about this?" Asked a timid voice.
"Yes. If not, then what do you think we're doing here?" Snapped a harsh voice.
"But what if he found out? What if-"
"You're talking 'what-if' here, Shirley."
"But-"
"No but's, let's come in."
"But I'm scared!"
A pause.
"That's why I'm here, correct? I know you couldn't handle this by yourself."
"So we're really going to do this?"
"Of course! You're wasting our time here, Shirley!"
Shirley flinched slightly at her friend's reaction.
A sigh. "Come on, let's just go in."
Then the two girls made their ways quietly towards the Pizza Hut.
"Thank you so much," said C.C. as she handed the large box of pizza to the customer.
The shop seemed pretty lively lately. More and more customers came in everyday, and this time there weren't just the commoners, but the aristocrats as well. Though the latter's number was still nowhere to be compared to the former's. However, this was a big change; before the aristocrats rarely came visit this Pizza Hut – rarely was a nice word, but the one most appropriate in this case was never – So seeing it progressing and getting well-known like this was a huge change. The manager was happy, that meant C.C. got paid more and her limitation of pizza per day was extended as well.
Lelouch really did keep his promise, didn't he? Thought C.C. as a smirk crept up her face.
"Thank you. Please come again," she said as another box was delivered to the next customer in line.
"C.C.! Combo Pizza is done!" Called the manager from the kitchen. It seemed that the shop had become so crowded all of a sudden that its manager had to lend a hand.
"Coming!" C.C. shouted from the front.
And it went on like that for the whole morning.
When the clock chimed twelve in the afternoon, things changed.
As C.C. was checking the list of pizza deliveries and taking notes, two females came up the register. One quick glance up put two words in C.C.'s mind: Gorgeous Aristocrats.
It wasn't like this was the first time she'd ever seen high-class people. In fact, she'd seen so many that she found them unappealing. Even the expensive-dressed ones couldn't catch her eyes easily.
However, these two, they looked different. Their outfits were just like those of any typical aristocratic girl in this season: sleeveless sundresses, white or colorful high heels that matched their beautiful dresses, and many golden bracelets, rings wrapped themselves around their small wrists and fingers. They looked typical yet so extraordinarily beautiful at the same time. C.C. thought the real reason for it was because of their delicate features and nice-colored, silky hairs.
Hm, the colors look natural, C.C. thought. Funny, who am I to say such thing? Anyone who takes a look at my hair will immediately think I dyed it.
"How may I help you?" C.C. asked.
"You're C.C., aren't you?" Said the short, red-haired girl dressed in the yellow sundress sharply.
C.C. looked down at her name tag, wondering if it'd become too dirty that hardly anyone could read it.
She nodded. "Yes."
"Like I thought," smirked the girl. "You're exactly what he described. Too pretty for a commoner, in fact."
C.C. raised her eyebrows questioningly.
"But don't you think that's enough to charm a high-class person, you worm."
"Ka-Kallen," whispered the second girl who dressed in dark-green sundress and had long, silky orange hair down to the small of her back.
You worm, C.C. thought dazedly. She could feel her face getting hot with the knowledge that there were still plenty of people in the shop, whom had stopped their eating process and watched the scene in front of them with interest.
"What are you talking ab-" C.C. began.
The girl named Kallen waved her hand at C.C. casually, cutting off her sentence. "Don't play dumb, you know full well who we're referring to."
"No, I don't." C.C. answered coldly.
"Damnit! It's Lelouch! Ring a bell?"
Time seemed to stop for the green-haired girl. Lelouch….could this be….
"Kallen, that's enough. Everyone's watching," whispered the orange-haired girl, tugging on her friend's arm.
Kallen yanked her arm off violently. "What's the matter with you, Shirley? Didn't you want to confront her? Didn't you want to settle this matter once and for all? We didn't come here just for this." She said angrily.
The girl named Shirley flinched slightly at her friend's outburst and quickly started playing with her long strand of hair. Her eyes downcast.
Kallen huffed and turned back to C.C., who managed to maintain a cool, collected face, and said. "Listen you wormy commoner. We don't know what kind of potion you used on our Lelouch, but your wicked, silly game has to stop now. You have no right to be with him, you know full well of that. No commoner can be married to aristocrat, that's the rule. What you're doing is a disgrace!"
C.C. was too stunned and dizzy to think of some kind of a comeback. She knew that. She was aware of the situation she and Lelouch were in. She knew this would never last. She knew their relationship would end someday, and forever. She knew all of that but still, her heart was too stubborn to accept that cruel fact. And now it had come down to this…
"Heh, nothing to say?" taunted Kallen as she crossed her arms over her chest. An evil smirk crept up her face. "I guess you knew this would happen huh? That doesn't matter. We didn't come here to knock some sense into you. We came to tell you to put an end to your little game, and let go of him!"
Everything was quiet after she finished that last sentence. So eerily quiet.
C.C. didn't realize her hands were balled in a fist the entire time she was listening. Her head had gone miles per minute. What should she do? Could she punch this rude, annoying customer in the face? Could she slap her hard? Could she tackle her to the ground and strangle her? Could she stab her chest with the ballpoint pen that was lying conveniently on the desk? Could she-
"Oi! Don't give me that blank face of yours! At least say something!" Kallen growled.
If C.C. did, then wouldn't it mean she's being obedient to the aristocrat?
But she had some questions that needed answers.
"Lelouch told you everything about me? About this place too?" C.C. asked, trying to maintain the calmness in her voice.
A sly, evil smirk crept up Kallen's face. "You bet he did," she replied, "we're close friends after all, of course he'd tell me anything."
"That isn't like him," C.C. said, shaking her head slightly.
"How can you be so sure?" Kallen challenged.
"Because I know him…" answered C.C. slowly. She recalled the talk they had had yesterday. The heartfelt conversation on their first date. It seemed so real, and from what she'd heard and seen, she knew he would never do this.
Lelouch has to be aware of the situation that we're in if he truly loves me, there's no way he would go and tell his friends about us, thought C.C.
A snort came from the red-haired girl as she said. "You know him? Really? For how long? A week maybe? How funny, that isn't enough. I have known him for as long as I can remember. Do you really think you would understand what's going on his mind?"
C.C. really had no answers to that.
"Let me tell you." Kallen began. "He only loves three persons in this whole wide world. Three only. He may like you, because he's never had a commoner as a friend before, thus he found you interesting. But that never lasts long. You may be in love with him, but he isn't. Lelouch's a complicated guy; he wants to have as many friends as he can, because that's simply his lifestyle. From his perspective, you are just a friend to him. A normal friend, that's all."
C.C. felt as though her head were spinning around on its own; she had trouble comprehending what this red-haired aristocrat was saying. Her visions, all of a sudden, became quite blurry and she had to blink to get a clearer view.
She then shook her head, saying. "No, you're lying…"
"Why would I lie to you about such thing?" Asked Kallen, raising one delicate eyebrow.
"Because he lov-" She bit back her tongue as the word 'love' was staring to form. She was going to say 'because he loves me' but did he really?
Does he love me? C.C. asked herself mentally.
It's like a neutral question. He had never confirmed his love to her himself, and he hadn't denied it either. He did say she was his first love, yet he didn't say he was in love with her. Those two were completely different things.
To make matters worse, he even admitted that he had many experiences with girls before.
That thought struck her harder than anything else she had encountered in her life so far.
C.C. felt dizzy all of a sudden.
"So, you have realized," a harsh voice sounded again, "that he doesn't love you. I hope that is enough proof for you. Like I say, he likes to have many friends, but he only loves three people in the world. Want me to name them?"
C.C. didn't answer; she knew she wasn't on the list. So why bother knowing?
Kallen took her silence for a 'yes' and went on. "The first person is his graceful mother. Second is his adorable little sister, and the third, as well as last, is…"
She pointed her long finger toward the orange-haired girl, who hadn't said anything since she came in here. "His beautiful girlfriend, Shirley."
C.C. looked at the person she was pointing to and felt as though her cold heart were shattering truly for the first time.
Shirley was indeed a very beautiful girl. Her straight orange-colored hair cascaded down to the small of her back, glittering in the sunlight. Her face was pretty and gentle. The soft, white skin added to her delicate features. Her eyes were bright green and deep as though she had many experiences in life. And her clothes, the typical sundress like any other rich people wore. However, it looked so extraordinarily dazzlingly beautiful on her.
And she was also Lelouch's best friend. Compared to this girl, C.C. was really nothing. Just a mere commoner, who had only known him since last week.
C.C. couldn't help smirking bitterly. She had been too confident in herself, thinking she had won his heart, but that hope was just too high for someone like her to reach.
Compared to Shirley, she was indeed nothing.
"That's the reason why we came here," Kallen said again, sounding very nonchalant. "It's obvious that Lelouch doesn't have any feelings that related to love towards you. But it's you we should be worried about. Your obsession with him may cause my friend troubles, and I want them to have a happy life together, without any obstacles."
C.C. really hated herself for opening her heart to someone she knew she shouldn't trust. It's natural for the aristocrats to have many girls around them. She knew that, so why did she fall for this?
Someone was clearing their throat, then said. "I-I think we should get going, Kallen." It was Shirley's soft voice.
The red-haired girl, still arms crossed, leaned a bit closer to C.C. and whispered. "So withdraw, you hear me?"
C.C. had lost this battle. All she could offer was silence.
And her silence was taken as an agreement, for Kallen smiled satisfactorily as she took a few steps back. "I'm glad we've come to the same conclusion."
Then, they walked out of the shop. Just like that, and they were gone.
After that, everything was so quiet and looked normal as if none of this just happened. As if the presence of two aristocratic girls had never been there.
C.C. felt like the world was crumpling down, crashing on her.
She felt completely miserable.
She had to put her hands on the desk to support her, or else she'd slide to the ground.
She wished she had the courage and strength to talk back, or at least slap that little devil for calling her a wormy commoner. But she knew it was useless; that wouldn't solve anything.
C.C. closed her eyes, trying to gather all her thoughts. Would she see those two again? What would happen if she did see them one day? Would it result in a deadly fight? No, C.C. thought, shaking her head slightly. That's not important right now. The main problem here is Lelouch. How could I be stupid enough to fall in love with guy like that?
"C.C.?" A familiar voice sounded from behind her. C.C. slowly turned around and met with her manager, who looked indifferent. However, there was something in his blue eyes that showed concern for her.
C.C. didn't feel like replying. Her silence, somehow, suggested him to continue saying whatever was on his mind.
The manager took a step closer, and shoved a small handkerchief into C.C.'s balled hands. "Go home, C.C."
That was when she felt a pain rushing through her body. She didn't realize her long nails were digging in her flesh the entire time, allowing blood to drip down freely.
C.C. took it thankfully and cleaned the wounds. Then a thought occurred to her.
"Are you firing me?" She asked. Her voice shook a bit.
He shook his head gently. "No. You need to rest." He said simply.
C.C. stared at him with bewilderment. Never before had she seen him worry about an employee before, so this totally caught her off guard.
"This isn't like you."
"Well, as you can see. I sort of promised Mister Lamperouge that I'd take care of you…." He trailed off as he saw her hardened expression.
Lelouch wanted to take care of me huh? C.C. thought bitterly. Isnt' that a bit too much for a guy who already has a girlfriend?
"Just go home and get some rest C.C. I'll take care of everything from here." The manager continued.
This wasn't the time to argue. C.C. could feel her head throbbing, all her nerves cracking, dizziness had come back once again. She really needed to get to bed, lest she will collapse.
C.C. nodded wearily and started for the kitchen. When she walked past her manager, she heard him say in a low voice, very quickly. "Thank you for didn't do anything."
A/N: The mysterious person that was mentioned in the last chapter will appear in the next one. Any last guess regarding their identity?
I've nothing against Kallen, and I'm sorry for making her character so mean and rude in this chapter, but I can't think of anyone else to do this. In my mind, Kallen is the most suited for the role. I also believe I didn't do a very good job at portraying C.C.'s reaction. As a matter of fact, I think I made her seem rather weak, comparing to the scene in anime where she reacted coldly and confidently to one of the Black Knights, but I've tried my best...
Like always, thanks for reading! And reviews are pretty much appreciated!