Amending the Constitution
"Ugh! Is that a mosquito?"
"Why yes, little lady," grinned Dr. Shamal, who personally suffered from drool-over-teenage-girls syndrome. He was holding a plastic capsule with a mosquito vibrating inside, eager to be released. "Now hold still while your dear doctor makes you all better!"
Dr. Shamal leaned in, trying to play it smooth. Yuka didn't have to be disgusted—her Aunt was disgusted enough for the both of them. Lal Mirch pulled Dr. Shamal away from her by the collar of his white lab coat, and they began their usual bickering.
Lal Mirch had brought her to the doctor's office after school to tend to her blistered feet. Yuka was still in a bad mood from her encounter with the prefect in the gymnasium. Shamal was smearing a weird, funky smelling green ointment on her feet.
"Auntie?" Yuka's whine complimented Dr. Shamal's cheesiness "Why couldn't I have skipped school to see a doctor?" I could have completely avoided that asshole Hibari at school? Yuka then whispered, "And why did you get this doctor?"
"First off, it would be suspicious if you missed school. Secondly, even though Dr. Shamal is unprofessional, he has his uses," her aunt replied coldly, brusquely. She had just gotten off of work.
"Ahem," Dr. Shamal cleared his throat. "You know, Lal, baby, it's been a long time since you were my patient—"
"I have no need of your services." Shamal was SHUT DOWN. His mopey face looked like a monkey's deprived of a banana.
"Okay then, uh, well then, all business as always." Shamal turned back to Yuka, his enthusiasm returning. "Lal Mirch asked me to prepare a few of my trident mosquitoes containing an amnesia-inducing sedative." Shamal handed her a box containing several glass capsules. "They can tranquilize a charging elephant," he informed with a seductive wink.
"Amnesia-inducing drug…" Yuka repeated to herself before she turned angrily to Lal Mirch. "Do you not trust me at school? I promised I wouldn't cause a scene! You want me to brainwash everyone I meet?"
"I don't want to take any chances." Lal simply stated, closing her eyes. Auntie Lal doesn't have any faith in my ability to beat Squalo….
Shamal put the pills in Yuka's hand, making her take them, making her hold them. He wrapped his hands around hers, a serious look in his eye. "Varia is a dangerous group, Yuka. Tsuna and his guardians had a lot of trouble with them." The doctor released her hands, and removed his examination gloves, dirtied with green ointment. "Reborn is using all his connections within Vongola to pull the Varia off you, but they are refusing to cooperate."
"But LAL! This?" She held out the capsules. "This is outrageous! Sedatives? I don't need this. I can take care of myself. You're so overprotective! I REALLY can take care of myself! SERIOUSLY! "
Ignoring Yuka's outrage, Lal Mirch turned to Dr. Shamal. "Hand it over."
"LAL! LISTEN TO ME! I want to go back to Midori. I want to be myself again!" Yuka continued, despite her Aunt's cold shoulder.
"Haha. Don't be so rude Lal! Your sister entrusted it to me—"
"God knows why!" Lal Mirch rolled her eyes while Shamal took out what looked like a violet-handled switchblade, or pocket knife, from his lab coat.
Yuka, still annoyed by her aunt's attitude, was attracted by its mysterious purple sheen. "Lal, what is that?"
"Are you done complaining?"
"...Fine, I'll stop," Yuka returned, angrily popping a bubble of Watermelon Blast gum. She chewed with every part of her that wanted to smash the sedatives on the floor and stomp out.
"This is your mother's weapon." Lal took it from Shamal, examining it to make sure it was real. "She used it when she was in the… uh… the Mafia."
Dr. Shamal added, "It's a Swiss Army knife that Verde altered." Lal Mirch held it out to Yuka, satisfied with its authenticity. It was cool to touch. Yuka thought it would be heavy, but felt as light as a plastic spork in her palm.
"Verde?"
"He was a good friend of hers…" her Aunt reminisced. Dr. Shamal and Lal Mirch became very quiet as they watched the girl handle the weapon.
Yuka curiously flicked the blade out. It was made of the same purple jade of mother's ring. Just holding it made her feel better. Happier. More at peace. Hibari? Who's he? She flicked it again and the blade switched to a sort of lock pick. Her Aunt took it away before she could find out what else was stored within the handle.
Lal Mirch had suddenly awakened. "It's not a toy. You can train with it, but you can't carry it around with you, especially to school," said Lal.
"Why can't I take it to school?" I need it the most there! That Goddamn prefect won't get off my back.
"Because you don't need it for school."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE GOT AWAY!"
The failure of mission 'get me a fucken' replacement cloud guardian' did not go over very well with Xanxus. Xanxus, as the leader of the Varia Assassination Team, had been in a foul mood ever since he lost the Vongola Succession fight to Tsuna. "Goddamnit. CAN'T ANY OF YOU PIECES OF TRASH DO ANYTHING RIGHT! YOU'RE ALL TRASH!" A vintage wine bottle whizzed past Squalo's left cheek, signifying he was to take the blame for the failed mission.
"VOOIIII! IITS NOT MY FAULT! REBORN INTERFERED!" Squalo shouted back. His hair was still a mottled pink from Yuka's kool aid bomb and the odor of strawberries wafted around him.
"MMMMMM! SQUALOOO! YOU SMELL LIKE A POPSICLE!" Lussuria chimed. Squalo mashed his teeth together and shouted back "VOOOIII! SHUT UP LUSSURIA!"
"She's a goddamn fifteen year old girl! She hasn't even been trained yet!" Xanxus continued, ignoring his two subordinate's antics.
Lussuria piped in. "BOSS Don't worry! I've set up surveillance and espionage network in all the local Namimori schools. We'll capture her if she turns up." Lussuria was trying to be reassuring. "Nothing can suppress our little cloud."
"VOIIIII DON'T SAY THAT AS IF YOU SET UP THE ENTIRE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM BY YOURSELF!" Squalo pulled out his sword and pointed it at Lussuria.
"Shishishi~ Old cloud guardian's daughter tougher than you predicted Mammon." Mammon crossed his arms. "Hmph, I don't get paid enough."
Ending the meeting on the usual threatening note, "If you useless shitheads DON'T get this girl soon, you're all DEAD. TRASH! Now, GET OUT, NOW!"
"SQUALO? Why do we have to get this girl to be the replacement cloud guardian?" asked Lussuria in his sing-song voice.
"VOIIII ARE YOU AN IDIOT! SHE'S THE DAUGHTER OF THE LEGENDARY VARIA ASSASSIN KALI MIRCH!" Squalo whirled his head around to whack Lussuria. "OH! Squalo, don't be like this!" As his head turned, his long hair flew through the air, strengthening his aroma of strawberry-ness. It could be a new attack—the wonderful smell left Lussuria paralyzed with a craving for a giant pitcher of red kool aid that smiled at him while jumping on a trampoline.
Dr. Shamal's medicine healed Yuka's feet overnight. Good stuff. The side effects made her chuckle all night long.
So on Wednesday morning, she walked to school pain-free, blister free, a happy-horsey trot. Her body felt amazing. But her mind was somewhere else. After yesterday's traumatic detention, Yuka was plagued with worry. She wished she could skip school, but alas, no genie would appear.
What am I going to do about that prefect? I have to do another detention today with him, but I don't want to gooooooo… Yuka whined to herself, kicking a pebble. But then, she realized, who was he to make her hate school?
No, I WANT TO GIVE THAT BASTARD A PIECE OF MY MIND! Disband my club? Who the hell does he think he is? She would give the world to see his feet cemented to the moon. Yet again, the genie failed to appear in a puff of indigo smoke.
I don't want to deal with him. Maybe I'll just go to the stupid detention and get it over with…. At least then, he'll leave the dancing club in peace. His threat to disband the Dance Club worried her the most. Absent-mindedly, she played with her silver chain that used to hold her mother's ring.
She didn't know what to think anymore...
But if he hates my Dance Club, why did he dance with me? She remembered taking his hand when he asked her to dance. I really thought it would be different. It felt like he was actually flirting with me. Goddamn him and his... his smooth skin... His hands were soft... and strong... Now that she thought about it, his body language did not fit what he said to her.
Yuka halted in her tracks, paling. What was she thinking?
NO! He IS a sadist. That's why he stomped on my injured foot.
She rubbed her head, squinting at the rising sun. Maybe it was Shamal's meds.
She turned the corner and bumped into Hana Kurokawa, from Dance club, Sasagawa Ryohei, the Sun Guardian whom she met at the Vongola party, and his little sister, Kyoko.
"Yuka, are you ok?" A look of concern etched Hana's face. "What did the prefect do? Did you know he's the head of the disciplinary committee?"
"I know who he is…" Wait, if they think I stood up to Hibari knowing he's the Prefect, then I'll stand out. Damn. This is so cowardly. "But I didn't know then. Now I know, I mean. He, uh, he made that clear to me, yesterday."
"Oh, that's good. We all thought you were crazy or something." Yuka laughed along with her nervously.
If only they knew Yuka was crazier than a mad cow on red bull.
"YUKA-CHAN. DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE BOXING CLUB TO THE EXTREME!" Ryohei asked. He punched an invisible enemy several times as he said this while, of course, jogging in place. Ryohei was captain of the Boxing Club.
Before Yuka could reject him, like most fanfic OCs do, a little scheme popped into her head.
"Uh, how many boys are in the boxing club, Ryohei?"
"ABOUT TWENTY. ITS AN EXTREME NUMBER!" Ryohei informed.
Yuka smiled to herself. That's about as many girls I have in the Dance Club. PERFECT!
"Ryohei, I'll join your club if you do me a favor. It's nothing much." She smirked coyly, ruffling his white lawn hair. "Would you bring your boys to my dance club to be partners with the girls? They don't get to practice with boys very often." Yuka figured the best kinds of boys to dance with were the ones SHE asked.
"I DON'T KNOW. IS DANCING EXTREME?" Ryohei asked.
To demonstrate, Yuka jumped in front of Ryohei and performed the most complicated Salsa strut she knew.
Kyoko giggle. "Yuka's is as into dancing as my brother is into boxing," she observed to Hana.
"WHOA! YOUR FOOTWORK IS EXTREME! YOU COULD BE A GREAT BOXER!"
"If your boys came to my Dance Club, I'll teach them my footwork."
"IT'S A DEAL TO THE EXTREME!"
"Awesome! Bring your club over this afternoon. We practice in the gym."
"WE DON'T MEET ON WEDNESDAYS. WE TAKE THE DAY OFF TO LET OUR MUSCLES HEAL TO THE EXTREME! HOW ABOUT TOMORROW?"
"That works for me. We practice every day. I'll see you Thursday then."
"Hana, since I have to go to detention this afternoon," Yuka groaned, "I made a list of exercises for the dance club to do for today's practice." Yuka removed a couple of papers with purple scribbles all over them. Her left ear held a purple pen and her left hand held a calculator. Math class was almost over and the teacher had denoted the last five minutes to get a head start on homework.
"The girls on the team are all so scrawny and weak looking. Dancers need to be in good shape, you know." Yuka made a muscle to demonstrate, but it wasn't THAT big. She looked at it for a second with disappointment. "Never mind... Anyway, Ryohei's boxing club will be practicing with us tomorrow. The girls need to become stronger. Athletes aren't dainty dancers. And when they're new, they tend to step on feet." Bad memories. She handed her scribbled notes to Hana.
"Sure, I can take care of this. But Yuka, aren't you worried about the detention?" Hana asked suspiciously, lifting an eyebrow.
Man, I shouldn't act so cocky! He obviously scares everyone shitless… Maybe I can play dumb again.
"Uh… should I be? It's just a detention," Yuka replied, putting on a more worried face.
"Well, detention isn't the worst punishment Hibari's given. If you get him really angry, well, I've heard stories that he almost murdered this kid who vandalized school property. The kid was in the hospital for a month!"
"But what does he do for detentions?" Yuka asked. The room is probably filled with a bunch of sweaty, greasy punks who are too wimpy for him to fight. Yuka was revolted at the thought of sitting next to a pervert with a ripped up shirt, smelling overwhelmingly of cologne, and finally began to dread the looming detention.
"Well, actually, he's never given anyone a detention before…. He's always just beaten them up. And he's only given warnings to girls. "Hana took out took out a little black notebook. "The Disciplinary Committee's Constitution dictates what punishments are given to boys and girls. It's easier on girls. It strictest punishment for us is a detention." Yuka looked curiously at the notebook.
"What's that?"
"Ah? My little black book. For my observations of other people. It helps when you're on the student committee."
"And the prefect?"
"Most of my information comes from gossip, carefully researched gossip, so I know very little about him," Hana answered, obviously annoyed with herself. "He's pretty much a loner. He avoids crowds any chance he gets. And no girl wants to know what his detentions are like."
Hana's tone made Yuka shiver. "What? What is this? A ghost story? It's probably just a regular detention," she declared, trying to brush off her insecurity.
"Nnn. I knew you wouldn't be fazed." Hana's mouth tilted upwards in a satisfied smirk. "You're a lot tougher than you look, you know," pointing to Yuka's glasses. "Not many people have the guts to stand up to Hibari, even when they don't know he is the school's prefect. Maybe that's why he's attracted to you."
Hana had found her out! Would she have to use a mosquito? She couldn't, not on Hana. It depends. Yuka eyed Hana's black book. Maybe if I can just get my hands on that book, I can keep any stories from spreading. Hana was a nice person, but she was too sharp.
"Still," Hana persisted, "It's odd Hibari gave you a detention. He's never dished one out before. Heh, I think he'll confess to you." Hana winked and nudged Yuka in the ribs, making her jerk.
"PSHHHH! HAHAHA I'm ticklish!" Yuka giggled. "And besides, he is so not like that."
"Still, that guy has never even talked to another girl, Yuka. It's weird. For whatever reason he's interested in you… just be on your guard, ok?"
What is Hana suggesting?
Is that why Hibari got on my case? Is that why he danced with me? He's interested in me?
But he gave me a detention as opposed to fighting me. It only proves he think me a weak little girl. Is this supposed to be chivalry? No—He doesn't show me one ounce of respect for me. Chivalry my ass.
"Well, I don't think he likes me," Yuka says, interrupting Hana. And I don't want to be anywhere near him.
"Oh, I don't think he likes you, either, but he still is into you. Like I said, you're the first girl he ever talked to."
The bell rung and the two girls said their good-byes. As they headed to their lockers, Yuka organized her thoughts and contemplated how to get out of the detention, while Hana organized Yuka's workout schedule and contemplated what it would feel like to do 500 push-ups.
He told me to go to the Reception Room…
Yuka hadn't thought up an excuse that could get her out of detention without putting the future of the Dance Club at stake. She was never one to use excuses anyway, just skip. She just shrugged when the teacher confronted her.
Detentions are only an hour.
I can get through this.
I can get through this.
But even her meditation chant didn't make her feel any better about the situation.
In the reception room, the Head Prefect sat at his massive mahogany desk writing on a legal pad. His prefect jacket was draped carefully over the arm of his chair. She noticed the writing was smooth and elegant.
And briefly she was captured by the cute way his tussled black hair tickled his cheeks. By the way he propped his head up with one hand, eyes half open, rushing through Kanji. By that familiar smell of pine trees, now overpowering in this very room.
But she checked herself. He's nothing but a sadistic bastard who wants to see me in pain. That's it! That's all he is.
On the far side of the room, Kusakabe was leading a Disciplinary Committee Meeting, informing the gathered prefects of new rules and policy changes.
Yuka was jealous of their hairdos. I used to have crazy-cool hair like that…
Hibari looked up as she approached his desk. Kusakabe also stopped his speech, surprised that someone outside the Committee was in the reception room.
He set his pen down with a clink on the table. The shades were drawn, but she could tell he was smirking through the dim light. "Are you ready to repent?" The anticipation in his face caused Yuka to hesitate. Was he really looking forward to this?
"For what? I did nothing to you," she countered.
Hibari pulled out a small ball of scarlet red fabric from his desk drawer and tossed it to her.
"Fix it," he ordered coolly. She unwrapped the ripped prefect armband, gum removed. A spool of thread and a needle were at the center of the bundle.
"Uh, I don't know how to sew," Yuka said uncertainly. Just because I'm a girl….
"Then learn. When you're finished, water the plants," he continued, pointing to a corner of the room consumed by potted trees and flowers. She hadn't noticed the garden coming in, but the nook looked like a shrine to nature. What's wrong with me! Why didn't I notice that! Pieces of nature always stood out to her.
"How are your feet?" he asked bluntly, leaning back in his chair as he looked her over.
"What do you mean 'how are my feet?' They're better!"
"I want to see. Take off your shoes."
"This is a detention. I don't have to take off anything," she growled back, softly, to muffle her tone from the other Disciplinary Committee members.
He studied her for a moment longer, still leaning back in his chair, his smoky-gray eyes slightly furrowed.
She glared back at him. She refused to feel exposed under his scrutiny.
"Tsk, have it your way," he finally said.
"Get to work and don't bother me." He returned to his legal pad, thus signaling for Yuka to get started on her assignment.
Well at least I don't have to sit bored next to some smelly punk. She decided to go to the Sewing Club. Kyoko was there. Maybe she would help.
"Kyoko? She left school early with her brother," one of the sewing club girls told her. "Why are you looking for her? Do you want to join our club? You're the new transfer student, right?"
"Uhh, yeah, I am. I don't want to join, thought. I just needed to ask her something."
She didn't need this. One look at the ripped armband would arouse suspicion.
Damn. I have to sew it myself.
Midori taught sewing, embroidery, knitting, and all those other chores that go along with being their definition of the perfect wife. She always wanted to sew. She dreamed of designing her own outfits and making adjustments to her uniform. Her teachers thought she did messy work on purpose, but, to her disappointment, she really did have no sense with a needle.
Having finished stitching the armband, now a messy knot of red thread, she slipped it with the needle and thread into the waistband of her skirt.
Stupid skirts. No pockets.
Now, to water the plants.
Hibari was no longer in the reception room. However, he prefects were still discussing new policies. Kusakabe's eyes carefully followed her to the water pot.
As she had to squeeze past the group of boys to reach the nature shrine, she overheard snippets of the meeting's conversation.
"I don't see what the point of this is. We never even used the first policy. Why change it now?" one of the prefects a protested.
"These are orders from the Hibari, not from the Principal. I can't argue with him on this one. He seemed pretty determined to get it passed, too." Kusakabe explained.
"When will the policy change be official?" another prefect asked.
"Hibari's working on the paperwork now. As soon as he passes in the edited constitution to the main office, I guess," Kusakabe informed.
I didn't know the Disciplinary Committee was so bureaucratic. She'd never thought she'd see a bunch of punk prefects talking like lawyers and politicians. Impressive. And I just thought they were an army of goons and bullies.
Yuka grabbed the watering pot off the side table. It was a massive green piece of polyethylene plastic. (A/N: The stuff detergent bottles are made from. It's very hard.) It was about the size of the one of those huge laser jet printers. Or a medieval shield. It was already filled to the brim with water, and was very heavy and difficult to carry. She lugged it to the remarkable collection of plants and began the chore.
She noticed on each of the pots, there was a piece of labeling tape that said "Tree-Planting Committee." Yamamoto didn't show me that club. I wonder what happened to it. Holding the watering pot hurt her fingers, but as she drenched each plant's pot, it became easier and easier to wield.
Yuka was so busy concentrating on watering the plants, you know, the interesting way the water pooled in the dirt. She didn't notice Kusakabe and the other prefects suddenly fall silent and aloof. Nor did she notice chilling aura that grew behind her. Nope, she didn't notice Hibari until she he was right beside her, when she felt the sleeve of the jacket cloaking his shoulders brush her arm.
She tilted the pot so that it wasn't dripping water onto the floor, and faced him. Her amethyst eyes locked his fiercely.
Hers were the first to drift down.
"This is detention. Why are your tonfas out?"