(Thursday)
The sidewalk continued to go by under our feet.
Quiet.
Realizing someone was lightly tugging my arm, I came back out of my daze.
"Kunzite, are you even listening to me?"
Mina's blue eyes looked accusingly at mine, and I smiled at her. She's so charming and when you piss her off she'll just use it to your disadvantage.
I wanted to be on good terms with her.
"Yeah, sure I was." I said, hoping she'd buy it.
She sighed. No such luck.
"No you weren't. Jeez, I feel so ridiculous, going on and on and on… And I didn't even let you get a word in! Now that's just rude and ridiculous."
She weaved her left arm around my side so she was semi-hugging me.
"You're not rude." I said comfortingly (at least I hope it was).
Mina snorted indifferently. I kissed her head.
"I was talking about the ball on Saturday."
"Yeah, that."
"Oh don't be like that, it'll be fun."
Oh yes, more fun than you imagine, my little squirrel.
We got closer to her house and I slowed my pace. She slowly unwound her arm from me, looked into my eyes. She stepped close, very close. Nuzzling her head under my chin, she gently kissed my shoulder. I ran my hands through her hair, running into a few knots and simply twitching my fingers to loosen them. Then I stopped.
"What?" she asked.
I moved my hands along her backpack, and felt another twitch come from it.
"Do you have anything in your bag?" I asked stepping back and staring at its blue vinyl. She turned pink.
"Um, well, kind of…"
I gaped at her.
"Well what is it?"
Mina looked guilty and I thought of several small mammals that she could have sneaked in there. She turned a little bit pinker.
"Don't let my school know it was me okay?" And she pulled two rabbits, 3 baby rabbits, and several frogs from her backpack.
I stared at them.
A frog slipped from her hand and hopped to her shoulder.
"Oh, don't look like that." She whined. "These were class pets downstairs" she said cuddling with one of the adult rabbits.
"So why did you take them?!" I asked exasperated.
"They hade these little guys!" she exclaimed, pointing into her bag at the babies. "The teachers were going to sell them and separate them. God knows what some people would do to them! And just look at their faces."
She held one out at arms length to my face.
It smelled like hay and dirt.
Then it began to sniff my nose, which kind of tickled.
I pointed at the frogs.
"Well what about those? They aren't on top of your 'Cute and Fuzzy List' are they?" I asked, trying to be funny and serious at the same time.
"No!" she began defensively, insulted that I would joke about something such as stolen bunnies and frogs. She nuzzled a rabbit again.
"The frogs were going to be dissected. Which is gross and inhumane."
"Oh so now you're an animal liberator and an amphibian rights advocate. Interesting."
Mina giggled.
I like it when she giggles.
I was also starting to get a little jealous of that rabbit.
"So what are you going to do with them?"
"I'm going to throw the frogs in some pond, or where ever. Then I'm going to find all these little bunnies a home."
"Do you know where there's any ponds?"
Mina looked up blankly.
"Well, there has to be a pond somewhere…right?"
I laughed. Of course. Only Mina would have an escape mission for class pets and just make it up as she went along afterward.
She twitched some hair behind her shoulder. That's a definite sign she's getting irritated, so I tried to stop laughing long enough to grab the frogs from her.
"Hey! Give them back! Kunzite, no!" she yelled running after me down the street. This is fun now. Ha-ha. I turned back to see her gaining speed. So I just sped up too.
I turned a couple of blocks after running through a red light, (that surely got some attention) and found myself in a swampy little area.
Heavy breathing and squeaks of fear came up behind me. I threw my handful of slimy frogs into the pond right as Mina came to a halt, saw the ripples in the pond, and began to beat me with her fists and yell furiously.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR? OH MY GOD, WHAT HAS GOTTON INTO YOU? YOU PROBABLY KILLED THEM!" she shrieked, and the rabbits in her bag squeaked with fright at all the ruckus. She reached around trying to throttle me, but I moved away. I laughed, but jeez, she sure can punch hard.
"Mina, look over there. They're fine. And now they're in a pond if you haven't noticed."
She looked up, and her jaw dropped. And thankfully so did her hands. I rubbed a place on my elbow that was diffidently going to bruise, and waited.
She glanced back up to me.
"It's a nice pond."
Well, that's probably the only thanks/apology I'm going to get today. I suddenly wish I hadn't done that. What a jerk I must seem like now. Oh man, what if she decides not to go to the ball with me on Saturday! Then Beryl's plan would be ruined.
But would that be such a bad thing?
Mina groaned and knelt down to rub her ankle.
"Ow. This hasn't hurt since I sprained it in volleyball."
I lowered myself to her level, staring at her face to get her attention. She looked at my eyes.
"Would you like me to make it better?"
Mina raised an eyebrow. She angled her head to the right a little, shifting her weight.
"I wouldn't mind."
She is coy. Don't forget it.I breathed onto her forehead and kissed her. I took her face in my hands and gave her a kiss, a kiss that had some passion in it. I kiss like she wouldn't even be alive by Sunday morning.
Walking away from Mina's doorway, after helping her home, I kicked up some leaves, beginning the way back to my apartment. Saturday, I thought hazily. Saturday, when, we would have a little meeting with Beryl. Beryl will be very happy to have this little scout on her hands. Then we can control the Moon together, and then, the Earth. Mina is sweet enough, but she's not Beryl. I've given my life to Beryl; my future is hers to decide. She showed me only the fools think they can defeat the powers of darkness. My planet was almost destroyed by her, until several leaders pledged allegiance to her, including me. And giving up freedom isn't something you have to decide lightly.
Beryl, oh Beryl. Her beautiful malevolence is practically inspiring. But I hope this mission is over soon. Mina has put too many dangerous thoughts into my mind that would surely get me killed if Beryl found out.
Love, innocence, pure beauty, goodness, honesty, kindness, righteousness.
All these ideals that Mina holds close are the complete opposite of those Beryl showed to me. And to tell the truth, Mina's appeal to me more. I feel infatuated and obsessed with Beryl because it's what she had promised. She made so many promises…
Do I want to do this?
I stopped, letting annoyed people push their way past me. I argued with myself.
Sure I want it, I worked so hard for it, why give it up now?
For Mina.
No.
Really?
Maybe.
Beryl could kill you.
But she will kill Mina, and the scouts. She'll have this whole planet. And the
Moon.
She promised you glory and credit for this, didn't she?
Yes, but…
Then do it!
But Mina makes it different…
How?
I don't know, I kind of like her.
But she's so naïve, so impractical, so…
Wonderful, so glad all the time, silly, so affectionate, so determined…
Pssh, well that's at least one thing she and Beryl have in common.
Oh,
don't compare her to Beryl.
Why, because you don't want to
have to pick between them? How cute. Or
how about because you really know Beryl is better and this little twit is
messing with you.
No, I just don't want to insult Mina.
Oh, she is getting to you.
Maybe she is. And I don't care.
Suit yourself; just try not to come back to your senses when you explain this to the Queen. To whom you've sworn loyalty or else the penalty of death.
Ouch.
Yeah.
Kunzite looked up exhaustedly to realize he had walked back to his apartment without noticing it. He sighed, and put the key in the lock.