Ok sorry for the longer wait! Things are getting crazy with school and stuff- Hopefully once summer is here i'll have a little more time:) Oh and Mai Hime still belongs to Sunrise...dammit!
Natsuki mentally pumped herself up for the massive explanation/interrogation that she knew was behind the dorm room door. She had spent the last couple hours putting off this talk and opted to explore the campus. It was surprisingly large for an all girl's school but she successful scoped out some decent hiding places in case she ever wanted to skip class. Which after today is extremely likely.
Once she finally made her way to the dorms she couldn't convince herself to open up the door to her room. She paced back and forth outside pondering how one goes about telling your best friends why you suddenly left and haven't had hardly any contact with them for five years. Sure it wasn't my fault but I don't know if they'll believe that! Bastard, this is his damn fault. She took a few more minutes to heighten her resolve and opened the dreaded door slowly, only to be assaulted by the wonderful smell of ramen and mayo!
"Bout time mutt! What the hell took you so long?" Nao asked from her positioned sprawled out on the tiny couch they had placed in their dorm. She was filing her nails so intently that she didn't even look up to see Natsuki as she entered the room.
Natsuki's face scrunched up in confusion, No onslaught of questions? Not expected but I'm not gonna question it. "Nothin spider, Midori just wanted to give me this-" she waved the paper in front of her red-headed friend's face. "And she complemented my sheer awesomeness!" She said with a smug smile.
"Psh, awesomeness my ass! What did she really want?" Nao finally put down her file to look at Natsuki questionably.
"What jealous spider?" Natsuki smirked as she walked over the empty bed she assumed was hers. The rest of the room was covered with photos and posters so she figured the bare corner was supposed to be her domain. I think I'll put a nice big poster of a Ducati right here, she mused as she looked over her new living space. She noticed that her suitcases had already been brought up while she was at school and set next to the bed.
"What? Me jealous of you? Get real Kuga, I just want to see what that paper is!"
"Hey Natsuki!" Mai called from small kitchenette that branched off of the living area. "You ramen is almost done, we've already ate so hurry up and get in here!"
"Yes!" Natsuki fist pumped the air. Mayo-ramen here I come! But as she crossed the room Chie jumped out from behind the couch Nao was laying on and snatched the paper from Natsuki's grasp and ran to the opposite end of the room. "Chie-" Natsuki growled as she gave her the signature 'Kuga Death Glare'.
"Atta kid Chie!" Nao cheered from her seat. "Surprise attack accomplished!"
Chie just put up her hands and smiled at the angry bluenette. "Natsuki, you just barely got here so you can't already be keeping secrets from your friends!" Natsuki stalked towards Chie menacingly. The ashen-haired girl smile quivered for a moment before she yelled "You're ramen is waiting Natsuki best eat it before you explain to us all your disappearance!"
Natsuki stopped in her tracks. Damn I knew this was too good to be true. She didn't say a word as she left the two and headed into the kitchen-ish area. "Chie," Mai's agitated voice was heard. "We decided on not mentioning that until after she's had her dose of mayo!"
"Sorry! It was either that or risk her wrath!" Chie smiled sheepishly. "It was in self defense!"
"It's fine," Natsuki looked at Mai. "I- you guys should know anyways. Just let me eat this culinary masterpiece and you all will get your explanation." Mai handed her a rather large bowl full of steaming ramen and mayo.
"You sure Nat?" Mai asked concern laced in her voice. Whoa she just called me Nat, it's been a long time since someone called me that! I kinda missed it.
"Culinary masterpiece?" Nao mocked. "That disgusting mixture of white goo and ramen? Wow mutt, you really are disgusting."
Natsuki glared her down but ignored the comment as began shoveling the masterpiece into her mouth with lightening speed. Chie, who had been looking over the list she'd stolen suddenly, looked up. "Wow Natsuki, are these all the athletic clubs?"
"Yup," Natsuki said as she looked up from inhaling her food. "Midori says I can choose any one I want to join."
"Really so the mutt is already going to be a jock? Read the list out loud!" Nao said as she finally got up from the couch.
"Okay, there's-" Natsuki zoned out as Chie read the other two girls the list. I'm not even sure I wanna be in a club. This is my first time in normal school in a long time, I kinda just want to sit back and enjoy well unless Shizuru's in a club... Eventually she ran out of the ramen-mayo concoction and looked dejectedly at her empty bowl. Damn, I wish that would have lasted longer. She put her dishes in the sink and walked over to her friends that were now discussing the different athletic teams at Fuuka. She took a seat on the floor in between Mai and Chie.
"The volleyball team is fine but I don't really see Natsuki running around in the spandex they have to wear, no matter how big of a crowd it would attract." Chie seemed to be talking about the pros and cons of each sport.
"True, and but can you picture the mutt doing those little cheers they do? That would be priceless." Nao smirked at mental image.
"Okay so not volleyball," Chie continued "Hmmm, what has the perfect mix of violence and running?" She scratched her head as she tried to figure out a solution.
"Well, I know this girl who's on the soccer team," Mai said as she looked over the rest of the list. "She's really fast and athletic so I think that could work out pretty well."
Nao sniggered. "Not bad. As long as it's a contact sport the mutt should do fine."
"Hey since I'm the one who's going to be playing I'm going to be the one who decides." Natsuki said as she tried to steer the conversation away from her choice of activities. "Besides I might not even do a club-"
"What?" Chie yelped. "Natsuki you obviously don't understand the power of being on a sports team. I mean me it would be awesome! And soccer is like the perfect mixture of badass hotness and violent athletic competition."
"I don't know-I'd rather just spend my time relaxing I think." Natsuki said as she tried to get out of joining a club.
"Well," Mai said cheerfully. "If you are part of an athletic club you don't have to take P.E. You use that as a practice hour instead of being in a class." Ha, Natsuki can't resist a chance to get out of class! Mai thought as she looked at her friend knowingly.
"Hell yeah!" Natsuki affirmed. "If it gets me out of class then I'll definitely play a sport. Soccer seems like good as choice as any. I'll tell Midori tomorrow!" Hehe one less class to worry about! Thank you natural athleticism!
"Oh I'll tell Mikoto!" Mai clasped her hands together happily. "This is going to be great Natsuki!"
"Yeah, yeah, the mutt's made a decision. I still think volleyball would have been an excellent choice." Nao griped as she picked up her nail file once again.
Natsuki scoffed at Nao's comment as she fiddled with her hands. Ok, well that was a good distraction but I probably should tell them. They're not going to let it go and the longer I procrastinate the weirder it's gonna be. "So I guess now that we're done discussing my club choice maybe we should get this over with."
"Oh sorry Nat," Mai said as she made herself more comfortable on the floor. "It's just so exciting now that you're back, we're a little hyper I think."
"Hell no!" Nao almost yelled. "I am in no way excited that the mutt is back, I'm-" She paused for a moment to think of an appropriate excuse. "I'm just excited to kick her ass if this explanation isn't good." She ended with a sneer in Natsuki's direction.
Natsuki was about to threaten her back when Chie answered. "I am! Especially because I'm pretty sure Natsuki already has a fan club thanks to her bad ass entrance, athletic ability, and rockin' body. It's definitely gonna make things more interesting." She said excitedly.
Natsuki looked at Chie incredulously. Well shit this is awkward. "Er, thanks Chie, I guess." She ran her fingers through her midnight hair. What the hell am I supposed to say to that? Chie smirked at Natsuki's obvious discomfort.
"Don't take it the wrong way Natsuki, I'm just stating facts. I don't think of you like that no matter how well you have matured." She then blatantly grazed her eyes over Natsuki's body. "At least I'm pretty sure I don't."
"Ok, enough with this awkward lesbian session," Nao broke through the awkwardness. "I believe the mutt has something that she needs to be telling us."
Whoa I never thought I'd be grateful for Nao but there's a first for everything! Dammit Chie that was just- ugh weird! Natsuki thought as she shifted so she could easily see all three of her friends. "Yeah," she sighed. "I guess I should start but I do have some rules. First is once I start don't interrupt me or I won't finish and second is no emotional crap ok?" She looked at her three companions and lingered on Mai. "Ok? No emotional shit?" Natsuki directed the question at her. They all nodded (Mai a little reluctantly) and Natsuki massaged her temples trying to stave off the headache she knew was going to come. "Ok so you all know about the accident so I'm not going to go into that. After my parents you know uh passed on, my only living relative was my father's step brother. My Uncle Wang." She spat his name with as much distaste as she could muster.
"I'd never really met him because he and my father never really got along. You know with my father and mother being the heads of Kuga Industries and him being some minor business man in America. So I never saw much of him growing up." She paused and took a deep breath. "You all saw me at the funeral but almost right after it was over he showed up and said that I had to live with him in America. I didn't want to go but I was an eleven year old orphan with no options." She heard Mai start to sniffle but she couldn't stop now. "So he forced me into his car and drove me to the airport without taking time to say goodbye to anyone or grab anything. Mashiro-san saw him and followed us to in the airport and she promised me she'd take care of my family's things-"
"Wh-" Chie began before she clamped a hand over her mouth not wanting to interrupt.
Natsuki understood the question and clarified "She was a good friend of my mothers. I think she didn't want him to have custody but there was nothing she could do about it. So once I was in America he shut me up in this mansion and wouldn't allow me to go to a regular school or anything. It was like he was trying to shut me out from the world. I couldn't contact anyone from Japan or I was in deep shit! The one email I sent to Chie about a year later to let you guys know I was in America was all I could get away with. I had private tutors mainly because my mother's will said that I needed to be educated or I wouldn't get my monthly trust money. The asshole got forty percent of the cash so he needed to make sure he stayed within the parameters of the will. The lawyers made sure he stuck to it pretty tight." She paused to gauge their reactions. Chie looked curious, Nao looked pissed but hey she always looks pissed so I guess that's not too big of a change and Mai looked like she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. Shit should have seen that one coming! Mai and her overactive emotions!
"About a month ago a corporate lawyer showed up at the mansion and told Wang that in order for the trust money to continue I had to come to school at Fuuka Academy for Girls. The will was very specific. So now I'm here, well at least until he finds a way around it, which is what I'm pretty sure he's doing." Ok, that's only a little bit of a lie, that's not exactly what I think he's doing but I don't want to scare them. They don't need to know that when I turn eighteen I get control of the company and the money unless something happens to me and it all goes to him. It's better for them not to be involved in case he does something violent. She was lost in her own thoughts until she looked at the expectant faces of her childhood buddies. She shook off her depressing internal monologue and chuckled slightly, "And that's how I ended up here."
There was a painful silence for a couple minutes, Natsuki avoiding everyone's eyes. Eventually Chie piped up. "Can we ask questions now?" She asked hopefully.
"Sure but I reserve the right to not answer them if I don't want to." Natsuki answered bluntly.
"Ok, first question what in the hell did you do with all that time? Five years locked in a mansion would be so boring!" Chie said exasperatingly like she couldn't even fathom the idea.
Natsuki exhaled slowly. "It wasn't that boring, like I said he only got forty percent of the trust money so I had lots of extra cash to burn. The first thing I needed to do was to take some kick boxing lessons, I gamed a lot on my Xbox, worked out a bunch, then I bought my Ducati so sneak out and ride, and so much mayo!" She said cheerfully. Mayo always made her happy. "But there definitely was a lot of studying and shit so that's why I'm in some of the advanced classes." She looked around and caught the pensive look on Mai's face. "What?" She finally looked directly into her friends violet eyes.
"Forgive me Natsuki but-" She hesitated. "Why was getting kick boxing lessons the 'first thing you needed to do'?" Worry was etched deeply into her face.
Natsuki visibly paled at this. "No, I'm not talking about that." She said sternly, breaking the eye contact.
Nao who had been unusually quiet during the explanation growled. "Mutt what did that leeching bastard do to you?"
"I'm not talking about this." She got up from her position on the floor and made her way to her bed and hastily grabbed a gym back from her suit case.
"We're you're friends Natsuki, you can tell us." Mai said as she tried to calm down the obviously upset bluenette. "We're just concerned." Mai stood up and went to put a hand on Natsuki's shoulder.
"Stop," Natsuki grunted forcefully causing Mai to freeze on the spot. She threw some work-out clothes into the duffle bag. "I said no emotional shit, I don't want any of this. I'm going out."
Chie got up frantically. "Natsuki curfew's in like a half an hour, you really should stay. You're already on the student council's radar after your interaction with Suzushiro-san today-"
"I don't give a damn about the curfew or the student council! Just leave me alone for a while. I'll be back late." She muttered as she slung her bag over her shoulder and angrily stomped out the door slamming it behind her.
"Well that didn't go as planned." Chie said as the three of them stood around in shock. "And I still had more questions!"
"I'm going to kill him." Nao growled. "No one can kick the mutt's ass except me."
"Poor Natsuki," Mai said as she looked at the door. What in the heck did he do to her?
Ok i know who invited the serious guy but im feelin like a little drama is good i think... This chap is all about Natsuki, getting a little background before the story goes on. Sorry there's no Shiznat in this one but it's coming!
Oh and for those of you who have accounts and i haven't answered you're reviews im sorry! I blame this really old-ass computer that's makin my life complicated!
bebz- Thanks! I know she's totally insane!
njjk- Thanks:)
dfvbghnm- Aw well shucks:)