School Daze: Chapter Four
By: Juiicy (a.k.a bozu no baka)
After what was the longest six days of Anna's life, Sunday morning came and the long awaited exam crept up to Anna as she woke up to the bright sun running into the room. Yoh knelt above her head.
"Three, two, one," he mouthed out a quick countdown and threw the covers away, revealing a sprawled Anna hugging her knees for warmth.
The sudden attack of the March sunshine woke up the beast that is Anna. She roared and her hands blindly searched for the covers. Yoh smirked in victory and gently shook Anna on her sides.
"Ohayo, Anna!" smiled Yoh and his fingers curled on her yukata as he jerked her playfully. "Did you sleep well? I made breakfast this morning. You'd better eat or else you won't concentrate in the exam. Come on, come on, come on!"
Anna slowly rose after a healthy dose of moaning. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light. She ruffled her hair with her fingers and yawned. Yoh helped her up and left for her to change, closing the door behind him. When Anna made sure Yoh had gone downstairs, she fell back into her bed and closed her eyes for a few minutes.
She then forced herself to get up and the scent of scrambled omelettes rose from downstairs and through Anna's door. Anna grabbed her usual attire and quickly squirmed out of her yukata and slipped into her black dress. She delicately smoothed out her clothes and tied her blood red cloth around her neck. Then she headed downstairs.
Breakfast went smoothly, if one didn't mind Yoh's surprise quiz. At first Anna mindlessly answered each one without fail but grew weary and quickly slapped him.
"Itai," Yoh whispered as he jugged down a glass of milk. A faint red mark slowly appeared on Yoh's cheek. Although Yoh should have, by now, gotten used to Anna's reflexes, she hadn't slapped him for so long it felt as strong as the first time.
"Don't complain, you asked for it, Yoh. You should know not to bomb me with facts and questions so early in the morning. The examination isn't until after lunch," Anna said coolly as she sipped her tea. "Even if I don't pass this exam they'll still accept me. I don't understand why you're so giddy. If you're so excited about me taking that exam, I'm surprised you didn't bother trying out yourself," she said with a dull tone.
Yoh dug his face behind his plate and didn't reply. Anna continued her breakfast with her devoided manner. He set his plate down and puffed happily.
"That's good stuff," he piped and pulled out of his seat. In a quick movement, he placed his plate carelessly into the sink and wrapped a clean towel around his neck. "Well, I'm going for my run. Don't wear yourself out right now, just take a rest. Otherwise you'll be way too tired to take the exam. I'll see you in a bit."
Anna set her plate down and sighed slightly.
"Baka... that's so like him to leave the dishes to me."
Anna spent the rest of the morning on the balcony, her chin atop of her two hands and she gazed quietly at the view. She wondered how Yoh had talked her into going to Tokyo High. And why he's so persistant of her going. She understood why he didn't bother to go because she was, but why he wasn't because his Manta was.
What's he doing behind my back, Anna thought as she sipped her iced tea. Thoughts like this came once in a while. Unlike most girls in relationships, she led herself to look at it with little care. It was more of an empty thought that happened to wander into her mind once in while. Really, it didn't bothered her at all.
In the last two years, without the Shaman Tournament, Anna had begun to ease up a bit. A frown was scarce but she continued with her starked demeanor. Smiles would occur once in a while but they were so discreet, nobody knew they had ever occurred. Except Yoh. Somehow he knew all along.
"Hey! Anna!"
Anna looked downand saw Yoh walking down the block waving at her. She got up and walked back into her room and out to the hall. She walked down the stairs and out into the front, greeting Yoh at the door as he admitted through the gates.
"That was a good run. It's looking a lot more like Spring everyday," exclaimed Yoh as he picked up a water bottle and ran his fingers through his hair. "You'd better get ready. After I take a quick bath, we can start for TH."
Anna nodded and went back inside. She came into her room and picked up her books, shoved them into a small shoulder bag and headed towards the living room. After double checking that she had her two books and her writing tools, she sat cross-legged on the couch and flipped the television switch on.
"Great. My soaps are on," mumbled Anna as a tall man with large spectacles appeared menacingly over a frightened doctor with a petrified assistant. "When will those damned neurosurgeons figure out he isn't human? Doesn't take a lot to figure that out."
When the commercial interrupted her episode, several moments after Suzu ran out on her third wedding, Anna heard footsteps descending above her. She got up, picked up her bag and called for Yoh, asking him if he was ready.
He walked in, rubbing a towel on his near-dry dark hair. Strands and clumps of it fell over his eyes. His hair had once almost reached the length of Yoh's brother's until Anna, in her insensible tone, hinted that she disfavoured the reminder of them being twins. Yoh wore a t-shirt with a large green leaf on the back and faded jeans that had folds above his ankles. Yoh's orange headphones were gripped in his free hand.
"Yep. C'mon, Anna. If we start off now, we'll get there with enough time on our hands for some last minute review," said Yoh enthusiastically. Sometimes it surprised Anna how strange Yoh behaved. "... I'm just kidding!"
"You're a bag of sunshine," Anna replied in sarcasm as Yoh led her out the door. Yoh slung his backpack over his shoulder and shut the door behind him.
Anna fastened her bag strap and asked, "What's that bag for?"
"Oh, you know, oranges, manga, CD's and all that."
Anna looked at him. "Oranges?"
"Well, I've got to eat something for two hours," admitted Yoh. He tugged on her skirt and ran out the gate, into the world. "Now come on, let's hurry."