Brief Commentary:
Another day, another chapter. :) Again, I don't really have much to say, besides the fact that the next chapter will be CHAPTER TWENTY! Whoop! -hums Tokyo Drift- Anyway, here's chapter nineteen for you.
I wonder if you know
How they live in Tokyo

If you seen it then you mean it
Then you know you have to go.


Reasons Not For Your Ears
Chapter Nineteen

Perhaps it was the excitement stirred by the arrival of an exchange student, but the first few classes seemed to pass quickly before it was time for her and Paninya's lunch period. Winry was surprised to find her friend in an increasingly bad mood (although she had seemed better about her father's death), sending reproaching glares over her shoulder at some one she found herself unable to see. Shrugging it off and honestly hoping it was merely 'that time of month,' she couldn't help but notice the prickly silence ensuing from Paninya's usually bright and optimistic presence.

As the weather was warm enough for the two to eat outside, they sat quietly on the grass and began to eat. Winry, for once, had a lunch; consisting of the left overs from the day previous, while Paninya had a simple cup of rice, which she was digging mercilessly into with a pair of chopsticks. Either there was nothing more for her to say about the Elrics, or there would be no story telling that afternoon. Uneasily, Winry glanced over at her, chewing her lip as she noticed the prominent scowl on her friend's face, even as she ate.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine," she snapped, another large helping of rice poised in her chopsticks.
"If you say so," Winry glanced disbelievingly at her.
"I say so." Her angry tone signaled the end of the conversation as she scarfed it down.
She surprised her when she asked suddenly,
"What in hell happened to your arms?"
"Two words: Cooking accident," Winry replied dryly, flexing one hand. She winced at the pull on her skin. Paninya gave her a doubtful look, muttering,
"Must've been some cooking accident. Remind me not to let you make anything for me...ever."
Thus another conversation had ended.
Lunch was continued in silence, the two girls now in fairly bad moods. This show of negative emotions could be simply unreadable to some people, however.
"Ehhh, hello!"
Winry nearly toppled over in surprise from Ling's sudden presence. Sitting cross-legged in front of them, he grinned over at Paninya as he said,
"First you go missing for a day, then Winry-san. Is this a trend in your country?"
She coolly used her chop sticks to jab Ling in the forehead, throwing him off balance as he fell backwards. Ranfan, who was watching carefully from a safe distance, narrowed her eyes at the dark-skinned girl, but said nothing as he picked himself up and rubbed the back of his head. A good-natured smile was present on his face as he shrugged off the assault. Winry blinked as she noticed another bento-box held in his hands.
"You didn't forget today?" she grinned.
"Awww, no fair, Winry-san," he grinned back.
Paninya ignored the two as she continued attacking her rice. Ling glanced at her in puzzlement.
"You're angry?"
An icy glare was fired his way. He didn't seem to notice it, however.
"This is certainly unusual, Paninya-san. I understand your father was murdered recently and that you may be infuriated with a need for justice, but is it really ne- ow ow ow ow owwww!"
"Ling-senpai, you are not helping," Ranfan looked something akin to livid as she pulled sharply at one of his ears, her expression matching that of Paninya's. His head was an awkwardly tilted angle; not to mention her height advantage (from her standing and him sitting) made her ear-pulling technique much more painful.
"Ranfan," Ling whined, "that hurts."
She glared at him, and to Winry's amusement, he actually seemed to shrink away. Paninya was going back to ignoring him, despite his later efforts to gain her attention for a second time.

Despite how quickly the beginning of the school day had gone, lunch seemed to stretch on for hours, Winry fidgeting as Ling whined and Ranfan reprimanded him; Paninya remained to herself, as irritable as she had begun with. When it finally ended, she felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders as she made for the door, accidentally walking straight into Alphonse. Glancing up at him, Winry opened her mouth to apologize when a subtle movement at his side caught her attention. He smiled as he saw her attention refocus.
"This is Mei Chan, Winry. The new exchange student in our class; we share the majority of our schedules with her."
She suddenly felt slightly ashamed; she hadn't noticed the girl's presence in any of her other previous classes.
"Eh? Oh, hello! I'm Winry," she smiled down at her, extending a hand before quickly drawing it back, remembering how Ranfan hadn't recognized the gesture. To her surprise, how ever, Mei Chan grabbed at her hand and shook it heartily, an equally cheerful smile on her round face.
"Nice to meet you Winry-san. You have such pretty yellow hair," the exchange student remarked.
"Um, thanks," her cheeks burned at the unexpected compliment. "Your hair is done up very nicely, too."
She was considering asking Mei Chan if she had experienced any...problems...with any of the other girls, but her mood seemed too pleasant to spoil. She had to admit that the girl of such petite stature was...well, rather cute.

Winry flinched as she felt Paninya come up behind her and freeze, taking a quick, heated glance at Mei Chan and Alphonse before storming off past them. Alphonse's puzzlement matched hers.
"Any idea what that was all about?"
Winry shrugged.
"Sorry, no idea."
She blinked as she noticed Mei Chan's gaze harden, and following her line of vision, found that her line of vision landed on Ling and Ranfan, who stood a ways behind her.
"Uh, Mei Chan-san...you know them?"
The petite fifteen year old nodded vaguely, her gaze forming into a glare as Ling looked to her and returned the same look. Ranfan appeared absolutely furious, while his face remained fairly composed. The two other exchange students strode coolly over to join them, the dark looks intensifying with every step taken.
"Ling Yao-san," Mei Chan addressed him stiffly.
"Mei Chan-san," he smirked in reply. Ranfan stood silently behind him, taking off a pair of reading glasses Winry had not noticed her wearing earlier. However, this was easily disregarded because of her confusion; with a quick glance at Al, she could see that he felt quite similarly.
"Why are you here?" Mei Chan asked suddenly.
"I would ask you the same thing. You deported a week ago, am I correct?" he retorted.
"Yes..."
"We deported two weeks ago."
She bristled.
"I know that."
"Then why ask?"
"You have no business being here."
"Being here is everyone's business."
"No it's not. It's quite private, actually."
"It's anything but private if he is still loose and out killing," Ranfan blurted out suddenly. Her face turned crimson at her mistake. Ling waved it off, assuring her silently that it was fine.
"Xiao-mei and I are much more capable of this than you two," Mei Chan glared at him.
"Don't be stupid," Ling snapped. "He will be captured by our hands."
"Then don't whine when I get to him first," was the cold reply.
"We won't," a smirk was the response.

The three exchange students peeled off in two different directions; Ling and Ranfan turning to go down one hall, while Mei Chan strode into the cafeteria (she was without her own food and found it necessary to buy some), leaving Alphonse and Winry behind. Dryly, she remarked,
"Any idea what that was all about?"
"No...not even vaguely," he admitted, sighing.
"So, seeing as you just shared last period with Mei Chan," she decided to change the subject, "How is she? Is she nice?"
He brightened.
"Yes, very much so. She's quite bright and makes good company."
"Oh, really?" Winry grinned knowingly at him.
"N-not like that, Winry!" he said quickly, eyes widening as he realized what she was suggesting. His cheeks actually contained a light blush. "Uh, I'm sure even you would be great friends with her!"
She chuckled and patted Alphonse on the shoulder. His attention was drawn to the bandages on her arms again, and his face pulled into a frown.
"You were lying to me yesterday," he accused.
"About what?"
"Your arms."
Winry glanced down at said limbs.
"Oh. Uh...well...it wasn't exactly the whole truth...but I did get glass shards stuck in me. Look, Al, you need to get to lunch, and I'm going to be late for my next class," she said quickly, spinning on her heal to head in the direction Ling and Ranfan had just left in. Feeling a hand catch her shoulder, Winry chewed her lip nervously as Alphonse insisted,
"You will be explaining this later, Winry."
"Um, sure," was all she muttered before she tore away from him, her pace fast as she attempted to get out of his sight as soon as possible. She thought she heard an exasperated sigh from behind, just as she had turned the corner, but quickly decided that she had imagined it.

Little did she know, she had walked directly into a death trap.

"Winry-chaaaaan!" four voices chorused at once.
She blanched as she recognized the musical tones. A sudden, painfully sharp pull on her arm had her up against a wall in a corner, four girls blocking any possible escape. All of them had mirrored poses and expressions; hands on hips, narrowed eyes, pouted lips, and tap the left foot. It was rather creepy.

However, creepy was their specialty. This was the Alphonse Fan Girl's Club.

"Um," Winry said intelligently. "Can I help you...?"
She laughed nervously as she realized that she had forgotten their names. All of them.
"We have some questions for you, Winry-chan," the first girl on the right spoke, her tone mocking. This was the leader of said club. Her "followers" echoed her.
"Yeah, yeah! We have a lot of questions!"
"Questions, Winry-chan."
"Answer them truthfully!"
Awww, fuck it, Winry groaned inwardly. "About what?"
"The new girl; Mei Chan."
"...okay."
"What is she to Alphonse-kun?"
"Yeah, what is she?"
"Alphonse-kuuun!"
"I'll beat her up!"
Winry's nervous laugh came back to her now.
"Um, I don't know anything. Honest. I, uh, think he likes her though," she made her voice sound regretful. Maybe if they thought she was no longer a threat, her 'bullying' would not continue.
"Oh ho ho, what's this? Are we jealous, Winry-chan?"
"Uh, not especia-"
"Ha ha ha! Winry-chan's dreams have been trampled like a budding weed!"
"Take that, Winry-chan!"
"But what about Mei Chan? Even if Winry-chan has been struck out, the exchange student is still a threat to our dear Alphonse-kun!"
Their mood darkened considerably.
Struck out? Winry thought to herself, now thoroughly confused.
"Uh...I have to get to class now. It was nice talking to you, but, um, I'm gonna be late," Winry edged her way out from the corner and slipped past them, her fast walk now forming into a run as she realized with dread that she had approximately one minute and fourty-eight seconds until the next class...
Oh, damn, I'm in deep shit, she whined inwardly.


There you go; the Alphonse Fan Girls finally make their appearance! I decided it was due time to pay them some homage. :)