Umm…wow. You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for all the great reviews. Please keep it up!
It has been brought to my attention that many of the people in the story are OOC, I guess I forgot to warn you guys about that…my bad. However, in my experience, many other fics have Padmé as a sweet, caring, albeit, fragile person. While there's nothing wrong with this, it gets to be a little cliché after a while. Since I don't want my story to be filled with "Mary Sues" I thought it would be cool if she was just a little bit tougher, more edgy.
I hope you guys don't mind! Anyway, that's enough rambling. On to the next chapter!
Anakin sighed in relief as he dropped into the comfortable seat of his '98 BMW, starting the engine with a tuned hum. What a day. He thought. He dropped the car into gear and was about to pull out of the parking lot when he realized he'd forgotten his backpack in his locker. Groaning, he turned off the machine and headed back inside. He consulted he map in his back pocket and made his way to his locker.
"I said, hands off, dirt bag!" Padmé's indignant shout reached Anakin's ears as he finished shutting his locker-her locker was just down the hall from his own.
Anakin glanced curiously in the direction of Padmé's venomous demand and found that another boy had Padmé trapped between the locker and his body, arms on either side of her head.
Anakin tried to ignore it, but his sense of chivalry wouldn't allow it. He strode over to where the boy and Padmé were having their altercation.
"Is there a problem here?" He intoned, deep voice threatening.
The other boy turned, sneering. "Get lost, pal." He snapped. "We're just talking."
Anakin's tone hardened. "That's not what it sounded like."
Padmé's assailant stabbed a finger at Anakin. " I said, this doesn't concern you."
Anakin kept his face serene as the finger struck him. "Why don't you pick on somebody your own size; Padmé obviously doesn't want to speak with you." Anakin said, his voice dangerously calm.
The boy shoved him. "You want to make something of it?" He growled.
"I would be careful if I were you." Anakin replied.
The boy took a swing at him.
Anakin sidestepped and caught the boy's fist, corkscrewing his arm. With a deft leg sweep, he sent the boy sprawling to the ground. "Perhaps next time you can be more civil when you talk to women." He said.
The boy looked up, face red with humiliation. "I'll get you for this Skywalker!" He roared, before picking himself up off the floor and fleeing down the hallway.
Anakin turned to Padmé. "Are you alright?" He asked.
"Yes. Thanks," Padmé said remorsefully.
"Who was that?" Anakin questioned.
"That was Paolo…we broke up recently, and he's had it out for me ever since."
"Let me know if he gives you anymore trouble."
"I can handle it." Padmé replied coolly. "I've gotta go…" With that, she walked away down the hall. She was almost at the end of the hall when she stopped and turned around. "Sorry about before." She said, so quietly that Anakin almost didn't hear her.
"Don't worry about it." Anakin replied. With a friendly wave, he disappeared in the opposite direction, returning to his car.
After making sure he had everything he needed, he checked his watch. Stang. I'm late for work. Watto's going to kill me. He groaned again, this time with fervor, and sped out of the parking lot in a cloud of smoke, tires screeching.
"You're late, Skywalker." Watto grunted, blowing out a puff of smoke from the cigar between his lips.
"Sorry. It won't happen again." Anakin replied carefully. He wondered if he should mention to his boss that it probably wasn't the best idea to smoke in a garage. The whole place reeked of oil and gasoline, and there were some puddles of stuff on the cement floor that Anakin was positive were flammable.
"I've heard that before. You're lucky you're the best Anakin, otherwise you'd be on the street right now." The fat man grunted from inside his fenced-in desk, shaking a stubby finger in Anakin's direction.
Anakin grimaced in disgust as the man's whole body seemed to undulate as his rolls of fat responded to the motion. "I'll keep that in mind. What's on the agenda for today?"
"Nothing yet…I'm sure some poor mudcrutch will come by with something sooner or later." Watto answered, consulting his grease-stained clipboard. Just as he finished his statement, there was a loud buzz that indicated that someone needed assistance.
"I'll go see what's up." Anakin offered.
Watto said, nothing, offering only a noncommittal grunt as Anakin walked away.
Anakin entered the main office, and was surprised to see Padmé, in the waiting room, looking distressed. She'd taken off her hat and was wringing it in her hands absent-mindedly
"Can I help you?" Anakin asked pleasantly.
Padmé looked up, startled. "Oh…hi. I didn't expect to see you here." She said.
"I work here," Anakin clarified.
"Oh. Anyway, my car keeps making this strange knocking sound. Could you take a look at it and see what's wrong? I really can't afford to have it die on me again." She explained.
"Sure, just bring it around back and we'll see what the problem is." Anakin replied.
"Okay, I'll be right back." Padmé answered gratefully and went to get her car.
Anakin returned to the garage and opened the door so Padmé could come inside.
She opened the hood, allowing Anakin to peer inside.
"Your timing belt is loose." He said almost immediately.
"Alright…What's it going to cost to get it fixed."
Anakin looked around cautiously to make sure Watto wouldn't hear what he said next. "Twenty bucks." He replied. "We usually charge a lot more, but I think we can make an exception in this case. I balance the books for Watto anyway, lazy tub of lard." Anakin sneered in an uncharacteristically venomous jibe.
"You don't have to do that. I may not like you very much, but I don't want to get you in trouble." Padmé replied kindly.
"Don't worry about it." Anakin countered.
"Why are you doing this?" Padmé asked. "I've been such a jerk to you, and still, you go out of your way, risk your job for Force's sake just to help me. What's your angle?"
"That's what friends do, isn't it?" Anakin replied mildly. "I can't force you to like me, but I can at least be a good friend. It's like they teach you in kindergarten- to have a friend, you have to be one first." Anakin chuckled. "Some people are just a little harder to get along with than others."
Padmé allowed herself a tiny smile. "Real subtle, Skywalker." And then. "I really am sorry about before. I used to be class president, you know, sort of famous. And then I realized the awful things people have to do to stay on top, and I didn't like it at all. So, I figured that if I became the rebel, nobody would want me as their class prez and I could go back to living a normal life. It was only after I started doing it that I realized how much fun it is. I guess I kinda spiraled out of control there, but I'm not going back to my old life. Not ever. I guess I just sort of lumped you in that same category when you showed up. I figured you must have done some pretty nasty things to get where you are in life. Now, I know that I misjudged you and, I'm sorry. I'll try not to be such a jerk to you in the future. I'm not saying it'll happen overnight, but I'll do my best." Padmé let out a long breath.
"That's all I can really ask of you isn't it." Anakin replied. "Now, let's get your car straightened out."
Alright guys, you know what to do next…REVIEW!
This will be my last update until I get back from vacation, so I'll have lots of time to think and plot and get ready to update as soon as I get back.
Remember, Reviews mean Updates! Can we shoot for a grand total of 25 reviews while I'm away?
Peace, out.
~Ink