The Hands of Life

Chapter Eight: The Cursed Green Folder

I sat in class with a small huff. I had been yelled at by my mother endlessly yesterday. No, she hadn't found out what I did. She was yelling at me about something that I had gotten. It was for Alex and she ends up biting my head off for it. She was so difficult.

"Ne, ne, Carmichael-chan!"

My eye twitched as I looked up from my closed book. Even if I still get here even the bit early this girl persists on bugging me. She sat in her seat and turned around to me,"I heard you went off on your brother yesterday. Do you not want him playing tennis?"

I sighed at her idioticness. I would have no problem if he wished to,"My brother doesn't play tennis."

"Nani? I heard that he agreed to the match with Kirihara so he could play him cause he was a big fan."

I deadpanned at the girl,"It was a misunderstanding on Kirihara-san's part. He mistunderstood something my brother said and challenged him to a match. My brother went to the courts to tell him that he can't play when he provoked him. Than I showed up."

"So, you admit to not wanting him to play tennis."

I sighed and ignored the girl. I opened my book and made it my mission to finish the chapter.

I had gotten some stares this morning by various people. Some of them refused eye contact with me and others avoided me. It was pleasing in a way. It helped me avoid a repeat of my last school year.

"Carmichael-san."

I felt like snapping on the person, but I recognized that voice. It was Sanada. Oh crap, he's talking to me. I looked up and tried to keep my calm disposition,"Yes, Sanada-san?"

"I want to say that Kirihara got the punishment he deserved for what he did."

I stared at him for a moment in the silence. I really didn't know what to say. Most of the crushes I had ever had never talked to me. Now one was and I had no idea what to say. Think! Speak! Now![1]

"Oh."

Really? That's all you can say? Say more!

"I'm sorry for interrupting your practice. I shouldn't have blown up the way I did."

"It's understandable."

I smiled a very, very small smile and nodded to him before looking back down to my book. Of course, I wasn't actually reading. I was not only rejoicing in speaking to him and blushing furiously, but I was watching him walk to his seat, discreetly. I bit my lip and smiled widely, I didn't make a fool of my self... Yes!

I tapped my fingers on my cheek as I waited for the clock to signal the time for school to be over. It was painful sitting here and doing nothing. I really wished that this was a challenge for me. The bell rang and everyone began to stand.

"Carmichael, can I see you before you leave?"

I turned my hazel eyes to the teacher, Kaaji something. I hoped that it wasn't bad. I picked up my bag and books, deciding that I should get this over with.

"Yes, Kaaji-sensei?"

He picked up a folder and handed it to me,"I think that you would be a great candidate for this right here."

I took the green folder and looked to him in confusion,"What is it?"

He began to erase the words on the board as he spoke to me,"It's a competition of smarts I guess you can say. There's a science portion, a writing portion, and a history portion. I see that your grades are far above many of my smartest students, so it would only be natural that you would do this."

I scrunched my forehead,"Um, can I look at it first?"

He nodded to me, fixing the papers on his desk,"Of course."

I nodded and turned to leave the room.

I flipped through the pages slowly. Alex probably left for the house since he knew the way. I was actually becoming interested in this.

"Unh!"

I grunted as I ran into someone. I stopped from falling and looked up quickly,"Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."

I noticed, as I was saying this, that who I had run into was the pink-haired boy that had called me cute. I felt my cheeks flush a bit, but I stopped them from doing so and regained my composure. I watched his expression change from a normal look to a mischevious smile. What did I do?

"Sis, what are you doing?" Alex asked me as he stuffed his face with some chips we had bought the day before. I didn't even smack him away from it.

"I'm making a lunch for someone[2]."

"For who? You got a boyfriend~?"

I glared and him and smacked him with the wooden spatula near me,"Stop stuffing your face."

"Ow! Whore!"

"What? !" I yelled loudly.

"Lynn, stop yelling at your brother!"

I steamed as my brother stuck his tongue out at me. I would have spit on his face, but our mom came in just than.

Our mom was born with the name Beatrice Lanston in the northeastern state of Massachusetts. She has died auburn hair to cover her blonde strands. Her father was American and her mother was Japanese. When the two split our mom stayed with her father. She split from our father a little bit after I was born, but they got back together, split again, she had Alex, and they've argued ever since. She has dark brown eyes and is overall a pretty nice person. Lately, though, she and I haven't gotten along as well as we used to.

"I'm going out with a few people from work. I don't want you guys causing trouble. Lynn, you're in charge. Make sure Alex and you do what I want you to."

"Kay, bye mom!"

"Bye, mom!"

The door slammed shut and I turned back to the food I was making,"Go sweep."

"No."

I twitched in anger as Alex left the kitchen with the bag of chips and a 2 liter of soda. Ugh, dumbass.

I looked back down to the lunch. I shouldn't have been looking down at that folder when I was walking. I mean, this Marui guy was cute and all, but I was a little worried about what he would think of the food I was making him. I'm not good with making Japanese style food so hopefully he was going to like this. He said he would. Better not be lying.

He had asked me to make him a lunch as an apology for running into him. Stupid decieving guy.

"Well, Sweet Potato Balls, Corn Onions, Mini-Cookie Sandwiches, and a Japanese version of kool-aid pack it is."

"Here. I know it's not in some fancy box, but this is all we had at the house. Be careful, there's a pack of juice in there." I said, handing the pink-haired boy the plastic bag. There was a few, simple throw-away containers in it and the juice pack.

He took it and nodded happily,"Thanks Carmichael-chan."

I nodded,"Your welcome, Marui-san. Sorr-"

"Marui-kun."

"Hm?" I asked, stopping.

"Don't use -san, it makes me feel old."

I stared it him in slight confusion for a moment. Odd guy. I began to start again slowly,"Okay, Marui-kun. Well, bye."

"Bye!"

"Oh, that looks good Marui-senpai. What is it?" Kirihara asked his older teammate as he looked over to his food.

"A girl made it for me as an apology."

"What happened?" Jackal asked his doubles partner, wondering why a girl would need to make one as an apology[3].

"She ran into me."

Niou deadpanned at this,"Really?"

Marui ignored the rude boy and picked up one of the orange balls. He popped it into his mouth and his eyebrows rose,"This is really good, it's all sweet and stuff!"

Yagyuu pushed his glasses up and shook his head at the boy,"Don't talk with your mouth full, Marui-kun."

"Ooh! I want some." Kirihara said and reached his hand over to talk one of the cookie-sandwiches. Marui smacked his hand roughly and moved the food away from the younger boy.

Yukimura, Sanada, and Yanagi watched the boy from the other side of the table. Each had their own thoughts about the situation, but none of them would voice them.

"Here you go, Kaaji-sensei." I said, handing the folder to my glasses wearing sensei.

"Did you decide?"

I nodded,"Yes, I filled out the forms. I would love to be apart of this."

He smiled brightly,"That's great! You'll get some of the information about it in the mail soon enough!"

I nodded and gripped my bag's strap. I left the room and headed down the stairs to find the track area. Alex had tryouts today, so I could wait for him there.

"Yes! I did it!" Alex cheered, in English of course, as we walked away from the locker rooms. He was now holding his newly obtained Track Jacket. I guess that they figured he would make it or they had extras.

I laughed with him,"I'm glad that you did. You ran faster than everyone else."

He nodded, smirking cockily.

"Carmichael-chan?"

Alex and I stopped and turned around. I think my eye almost twitched. Behind us was Marui in his tennis uniform with that kid that challenged Alex next to him in his school outfit. I forced a sweet smile onto my face.

"Yes, Marui-kun?"

He blew a bubble,"Thanks for the lunch again."

I shook my head,"Iie, I was the one that ran into you."

Alex looked up to me and spoke in English, thank Kami-sama,"So wait. This is the beu?"

I reached behind him and pinched his back. He flinched angrily. I noticed the confused look on the two boy's faces. Thank you for not knowing English slang. I sighed,"It's nothing, but we need to get ho-"

"Lynn!"

I slumped a bit,"Yea?"

"What're you still doing here?" Koizu asked me even though she should have already known. I pointed to Alex. "Oh, right! How did it go?"

"He made it."

She cheered and I slightly stepped away from her. There were too many people here. Alex must've noticed how uncomfortable I was and grabbed my arm. He knew one sentence in German, but it was enough to make them think we were actually talking about something.

"There is aliens in my trunk."[4]

I fought back a smile and began to speak casually in German with him nodding. We walked away from the confused three, and thankfully that got me out of having to make another lunch for Marui.

[1] I always have those moments with guys I like. ._.

[2] Marui's lunch, of course. Oh, and at home- incase no one figured it- they speak English.

[3] Jackal's funny, but I understand his thoughts. Marui probably gets millions of bentos a day from girls so who would need an excuse?

[4] It's a sort of inside joke between me and a friend. Except your not supposed to say it in German xD.

I like the chapter title now that I think about it. None of this would've exactly happened without Kaaji-sensei giving Lynn that folder. I'm wondering if I should make Marui a "stalker", I'm contemplating the idea. Oh! And there'll be much more Sanada in the next chapter. I worry that it may be going a little slow...

Thank you to:

Michiyo Michiri
chocolatekuni
ZzBlack NightzZ (and Snuggi): [Ahaha, I wouldn't want to be Alex either.]
lindamalinda27: [Yes, I decided that she just bottles up too much anger. That and Alex is annoying, haha XD.]
Michiko-Chii

~[Fantastic] Tai.