A/N: Off to that second chapter with reviews in entrée - don't mind the choice of words, I've been watching way too much Hannibal lately.
InnocentDiamond: I love your perception of things, really, THAT's female solidarity; if only there were more people like you on this planet. Same here, I only use a blow dryer but without any mirror. At first my hair looks okay, until my curls decide to have fun with each other and turn my hair into the Amazon forest. And I must say I'm not fond of cheerleaders either, but I read so many fan fics with Julie as a cheerleader, in the end it was impossible not to see her as one. I feel bad for Alice, too; the dream happened after the accident, not before btw. It doesn't make matters better though, I guess.
bakugan alice lover: Thanks for choosing your favourite secrets! Helped a lot :)
Cup of Violet Tea: It is that dream, yes. And...a talented mind/gift? I don't see why she'd have such a thing, I mean, it's true that the episode is messing her up, but I don't have supernatural over there. Another time maybe...About the poll thing, I find it easier to put it on chapters, this way I can see who really follows the story. I'm not what you'd call a popular writer, but I'm okay with it. Thanks for voting!
Maiden Warrior: Thanks so much! Here, have some chocolate and virtual hugs and a double high-five for being so amazing! =D And yup, I did pick your secrets, I'd like to mix them with other secrets...what's better than only one secret? Two and more! And I'm starting to introduce them on this chapter, so stay tuned for it!
So, the poll so far:
-I'm obsessed with stealing (kleptomania) - 3 votes
-I'm pregnant - 1 vote
-I have a sickness that might kill me - 4 votes
-I cheated in a test/exam - 1 vote
-I cheated on my boyfriend - 2 votes
-I love someone I shouldn't like (eg: teacher/student implied relationship) - 2 votes
-I'm a drug addict/dealer - 1 vote
-I murdered someone - 2 votes
My gratitude goes to InnocentDiamond, Maiden Warrior, Cup Of Violet Tea and bakugan alice lover for voting on their favourite secrets! Results are rather mixed, I must say. Of course, just because there are more votes on a secret than on another doesn't mean we will get these very same secrets for the girls. After all, what's the point of having a secret if it's obvious, huh? ;)
Anyway, let's get to the point, people! Here is the third chapter of Secrets Can Kill. No spoilers, I'll let you find out for yourself. God, I don't even know what I'm up to right now.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bakugan Battle Brawlers, only OC Jessica Sujeeun.
Chapter 2: Our Little Secrets
Usually the girls go to school by bus or by walking. Today was one of these exceptions. Runo wanted to try the engine of her car, to make sure the technician had done his job well. Not that she didn't trust him; she simply didn't trust anyone with her car. The others never questioned her behaviour around it: they'd have behaved the same way, had they had their license and a car as killing as Runo's. The car was a '69 Chevy impala, black and glossy, roaring like a beast on the road. It was Runo's pride and joy, paid with her waitress salary at the Misaki Café, and "worth more than any of Kuso's living dead moving pieces of junk", as she quoted. Somehow, it was true.
After they'd arrived in Bayview's parking lot, she urged the others to go ahead, for she desired to check the car over again.
"You sure, Runo?" Alice asked the blunette, already getting bags out of the back.
"Yes, don't worry" she replied with a smile, handing them their stuff. "I have to revise for Suzuki's test anyway, you'd get bored waiting."
She winced, along with Mira and Julie. Mrs Suzuki was one of Bayview High's most strict teachers, and her tests were literally hell printed on black and white endless photocopies. Even for a B+ straight student like Runo, economics tests with her were horror. She couldn't complain much, though. Alice, unlike the others, had chosen scientific studies, requiring 24/7 work. It didn't seem to bother her though, what with her grandfather being a world-famous scientist. Julie had chosen design and textile, unsurprisingly, and for her all was well.
Julie shrugged, grabbing her cheerleader gear. She looked around, looking for Billy and not finding him, and then rushed to the entrance. Mira took off after her, grabbing her bags.
"You know, you're gonna have to do something about him, one day" a voice said from behind Mira.
"Huh?" Mira gazed at Alice, who'd re-joined her. The other red-head was gazing over her shoulder, and nodded towards a spot on the parking lot. Turning around and following her gaze she twisted her neck in time to see Baron talking rather vividly with Dan, both boys walking to the entrance amongst the crowd. When she remarked him, she merely shrugged after facing Alice.
"Oh, you mean him. I thought you talked about the other "him"". As she expected, her friend's eyes went wide, a shocked expression painted on her face.
"Mira, don't react like that! I know you don't feel like that towards him, but still..." Mira rolled her eyes. A frown was now plastered on her face, replacing the early shock. But then, she hadn't been as shocked as before, had she?
"So what? I'm about one hundred percent positive he doesn't like me at all." In Alice's chocolate eyes she could see her reflection perfectly well, despite their dark shade. They sent her back what she wanted to see. Her own face, cool and indifferent, composed and not showing any distinctive emotion. Good, she thought. But Alice wouldn't leave her alone on that. Said red-head raised an eyebrow.
"That's not what I saw Friday afternoon, when he took all your books and bags and carrying them to Runo's without pausing. Emphasis on no pause, please", she remarked.
Mira rolled her eyes. Alice wouldn't let it down. But then, she always remained calm and serene when she spoke, Mira wondered where she got all that self-control. Even with that shocked tone, she perceived a hint of worry. Alice cared deeply for everyone, and her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend wasn't forgotten in the list. She read through everyone like open books, and guessed all their emotions and secrets. She knows everything about me, Mira thought, and hiding what I know from her would be like not trusting her.
But I can' tell her, at least not now, can I?
She stared back into her eyes, now taking a more serious tone: "Look, Alice, I understand that you want everything to go well for me, but this is between me and Baron, and the two of us do have a thing together - not in that way, but it's pretty close in a way. You'll know soon enough, okay?"
Alice stared back, pondering her friend's words, and then nodded.
"Well, since you say so...", she gave her a bright smile, the kind most boys melted for, the one that seemed to make everything better.
Mira smiled back, and the two walked away to the inside. Under her hair, she felt her bakugan, Wilda, jump on her shoulder from her jacket pocket, poking her neck lightly.
"Alice is right, Mira, you're going to have to do something about the two of you when you get some time. And not just about him!"
Said girl rolled her eyes. "Please, not you too, Wilda" she murmured. "Trust me, everything's going to be fine soon, it's just a matter of time".
She heard a light snort, but chose to ignore it.
She would be seeing Baron, but not now. Now was the time to make sure He was here.
Inside the car, Runo fumbled nervously through her notes. The papers were in a huge mess, not correctly numbered and sorted out, most lessons missing a page or two, some even mixed with older ones. Damn, where is that lesson on demand and offers and markets? In the end she did manage to find it, well organized and highlighted, but she still had trouble concentrating. She couldn't quite catch the words, getting the definitions wrong and not understanding half the paragraphs. "What the hell is going on with me?" she thought, pressing a hand to her forehead. She wasn't feverish or sick, and yesterday she had understood and memorized absolutely everything.
"Maybe I'm just nervous for the test" she said out loud. It wouldn't be the first time something like that happened. After all, tests were the easiest way to let out your frustration and stress, right? Yes, that would be it.
Unless it were this stupid bitch's high pitched voice which kept her from thinking straight.
Jenny, Runo thought. Acid climbed up her throat, already burning her sides. How bad was it that she always felt an urge to vomit whenever the girl was around, on a scale from 1 to 10? 10.5, definitely. Every high school had that one girl, the cliché kind of girl you just had to hate - or love, if you were some snotty or snobby person; that one girl who flirted with anything walking on two legs and specifically of male gender; that girl who considered herself as the best cheerleader on Earth; that girl who loved to embarrass you in front of everyone, including your friends, her best friend and her clique; that girl who could plot something nasty on you yet whose brain was a microscopic pea. In Bayview, that would be Jenny. Or her best friend, Jewls. Or her clique, The JJ Dolls - with capitals please! But mostly Jenny.
And right now, Jenny stood right in front of her car, giving Runo her back. It was hard not to recognise her, with her reddish purple hair and fake loud laugh. Not to forget the famous checkered bustier and yellow frilly skirt, push-up tight size and covering only one quarter of her tights; plus the red pumps with heels so high it was a miracle she didn't trip over.
And right now, she was talking to a brunette who seemed rather interested in what she was saying.
Hang on, wasn't that brunette familiar?
Forgetting her revisions, she leaned over the front, trying to catch a glimpse of the brunette she was talking to.
Brown hair...brown eyes...riding steampunk-ish glasses...red jacket...
Hey, isn't that...Dan?
Her heart skipped a couple beats in her chest, her blood circulation run short, her members becoming stiff, she felt her mouth press into a hard line.
The guy hadn't moved, and smiled a goofy smile at Jenny, who jabbed a finger in his chest. He didn't seem to mind. At all.
Her fingers tightened on the wheel, the car keys digging their pointy edges in her short's pocket. What would it be like, to start the car and to run her over, to hear her scream before hitting the glass? To watch her bleed as she would fall to the ground, trying to breathe and to call for help? What would it be -
Wait, why am I even thinking that? She suddenly seemed to regain consciousness of what was happening, and a grimace of horror and disgust painted itself on her face. Runo leaned back on her seat. God, what the hell is happening to me?
Okay, running over Jenny with her car wasn't a bad idea, since she'd wanted to kill her many times before...but never in such a brutal and graphic way!
And what were you thinking, having those thoughts about Dan? He's your friend, for God's sake. Her breath came out in slow puffs, ragged. Dan. Friend. Those two words echoed in her head, refusing to get out. Friend. Dan wasn't what she'd call a friend. The two had met when they were kids, and ever since they hadn't stopped messing with each other, always arguing whenever they found an occasion. Their fights were their only conversations; it was the same during their classes. They sat together sometimes, when Mira didn't have common classes with them. When she wasn't keeping him from cheating on her, she would listen to the teachers and take notes; sometimes she'd just stare at him while he slept during lectures (which he often did) and contemplate how cute and innocent he looked when he -
She slammed her papers on her forehead. Hard, but not hard enough to hurt. What am I getting myself into?
She removed the lessons off her face, in time to see Baron Leltoy drag Dan away to the school entrance, and Jenny pouting at his sudden departure.
Ha! Suck that, bitch!
...What? She deserved it.
A sudden ticking sound caught her attention. Runo looked at her watch: 7:50. Great, she mumbled, now I don't have enough time to revise.
She grabbed her notes and stuffed them in her bag, thinking that some calm was all she needed to remember her lesson off by heart. Then she had an idea. Not the best of ideas, but an idea, still.
Oh well, fuck, she decided. It's too late no to get back, anyway. I don't have any other choice.
The pills tasted horrible in her mouth, a weird and funny-smelling combination of things she had trouble identifying. The whole blend of medicine tasted like household products, with an aftertaste that reminded her of hospital smells, newly cleaned houses with too much detergent. She should have been used to taking them after all those weeks, but their white colour made her sick, just from looking, and just letting their side linger on her tongue was a torture. Her taste buds were becoming way too sensible to this horror.
She grimaced, feeling them at the back of her tongue, and quickl swallowed with water. It took only a sip to swallow them, but half her bottle of water to wash off the taste. At least she didn't have PE today. When they had to run laps in the sun, she often felt the pills climb up from her stomach, the taste at the back of her throat forced her to excuse herself to go to the toilet and vomit the content of her stomach. Since it was only a side effect, she didn't feel like talking about it to the others. There was a lot she didn't tell them.
Julie was already dressed for cheerleading training, she and Mira stood on each side of their friend to keep people from seeing her take the painkillers. They grimaced too, at Alice's expression, but not because they were disgusted. Alice had told her long ago that she was of fragile constitution, and the sudden climate change between Russia and Japan didn't help much her condition. It looked quite obvious that Alice was ill. Her pale complexion was natural, and her gentle face and expressions tended to make her look harmless and feeble, almost childish. So it was part of their duty, as friends of Alice, to take care of her. She had helped them so much in the past, and she still did now, they had to pay their debts one way or another, even when the red-head insisted she didn't need that special treatment towards her; she was strong, despite the appearances. No one in high school would dare harm Alice. Practically all the boys were in love with her, and the girls, despite their jealousy, left her alone. Alice was too sweet for her own good.
When she was done, they leaned against the lockers. A few boys passed by, wolf-whistling when they saw Julie in her tight-fitting cheerleader uniform, winking and greeting Alice and winked back, Alice said hi and Mira just smiled at them. That was part of a ritual too, in its own way: the ritual of popularity.
Once the guys were out of sight, Julie sighed. "Boys...all the same. Tell me, Alice, what's more disgusting: taking that medicine, or watching them boys wolf-whistling and undress us with those eyes?"
Alice giggled lightly. Count on Julie to loosen the tension. "Oh, the medicine, definitely. I wouldn't think you'd find their behaviour disgusting, Julie, not you. You'd be used to it by now, right?"
Julie raised her shoulders in an indifferent shrug. "Oh sure, it's nice to know that boys notice you and everything, but you know...I got Billy. He does everything better than anyone else". She had that dreamy tone and facial expression she often had these days, when she thought of Billy. Alice and Mira envied her and were a bit jealous of it. Billy was a great guy, and pretty much a gentleman around Julie, although most of the time they were seen together making out like crazy. Mira wished for a relationship like that, one where she and her boyfriend wouldn't have to hide from the world to show their happiness. Alice didn't really care about relationship, but she wanted one like that too, and stil waited for the prince in her fairy tale to show up.
"Speaking of the devil" Mira whispered in her ear, breaking into her daydream. She followed her eyes and saw Billy waving at them. The girls waved back, but they doubted he noticed them. Julie was already next to him - or rather, on him - , nearly strangling him with her arms wrapped around his neck. They watched as the two lovebirds walked away, holding hands.
Mira chuckled. "Now, she was fast, wasn't she? I barely saw her moving!"
Alice was laughing too. "Oh well, you know what they say: love gives you wings."
"Mmmm." The two red-heads still had their eyes fixed on the spot where Billy and Julie were moments ago. Suddenly Mira sensed some movement on her left, from the other side. She glanced at it, only to snort and glare at what she saw.
Alice noticed the change of mood in the air, along with Mira's dark grimace. "Is something wrong, Mira?"
She turned, arms crossed over her chest, facing Alice with a serious face. "Hey, remember what Julie told you about disgusting things?"
She slowly nodded, unsure of what her friend was getting into.
In a swift movement of the head, she indicated the place she was looking at before. "Well, you know what else is every bit as disgusting as pills and lecherous boys? Those two."
"What do you -"
She glanced behind Mira's shoulder in time to see what her friend was talking about.
Leaning against the lockers like them, was Shun Kazami, watching as Fabia Sheen put the moves on him. It was obvious, from the way she stood in front of him, her body almost stuck to his, her hand on his shoulder and telling him God knows what. And boy, he didn't seem to mind. At all. In fact, he looked more...curious. And probably interested.
Alice didn't really know what to think. It usually bothered her to watch couples being, well, couples; doing things people would do on a date, flirt, hug, talk, kiss. She didn't like to stay there and watch, it always looked like invasion of privacy to her; plus it sometimes made her nauseous to see couples in their most intimate moments, for it tended to lead into graphic demonstrations of affection.
Watching one of your friends was another whole thing. There was some jealousy concerning the two people's closeness, happiness at seeing one of your best friends happy and having the time of her life...with your crush.
Sure, Fabia Sheen was a good friend of hers; once a new girl whom she'd helped for orientation, turned out to be an old friend of Shun's, and started dating him last year. She was someone great, but she didn't get why people gave her a bitch reputation. Sure, she did look out to battles and trouble, was hot-tempered and she had definitely angered the fan girls...and half of Bayview's female staff. But then, Shun had that effect on almost everyone. Classical golden boy, with the brains, the well-proportioned body that went with it, and that coldness of his which didn't stop the fan girls from worshipping him. His silence and coldness had quite a sexy edge, though...
Alice wanted to slap herself. Hard. Why in the world would she ever think something so stupid? Stop it girl, he's not your crush or anything remotely close to it. He's just your friend, your god damned friend who happens to have the greatest -
Brain, please shut it!
It took her a moment to realize that Mira was still waiting for her opinion. Upon staring in her steel blue eyes, she was glad to see she had remained composed in front of her.
She stood straight, brushing a hand through her red curls, looking everywhere but at Mira or the couple a few meters away. "Well?"
Mira looked like she'd grown two heads. "Erm, Earth to Alice, woohoo, are you still here, Alice? Friendly reminder that we're talking about Fabia Sheen, Bayview Bitch - "
"Hey! She's not a -"
"Also known as that-slut-who-thinks-she-is-better-than-everyone-e lse -"
"Mira! She's not a slut and you -"
"And also that-girl-who-stole-my-best-friend's-boyfriend!"
"He's not my boyfriend!"
"Says the girl who spent most of the first year's English classes AND PE classes staring at him."
"I was not -"
"Okay, fine, fine, if you say so. I must have mistaken him for someone else. Still, you don't usually do that when Klaus is around, do you?"
Their argument had been quite heated, and it was surprising no one had noticed their exchange. It stopped short at the mention of Klaus's name, causing Alice's cheeks to flush a light pink. She started to say something, but Mira cut her.
"Come on, we both know he's your boyfriend, but we both know you don't feel that way towards him".
Alice scowled at Mira, her cheeks' colour slightly paler. "How would you know? What if I like him? He's my boyfriend, after all." She started to walk away, yet Mira was still on her tail.
"Well, maybe you do like him, but you don't love him. There's a thin line between the two, and you can deny it all you want, it's the truth."
She stopped, her friend imitating the gesture. Mira was right. She didn't love Klaus. She liked him - in her own and funny way - , but still she liked him. Klaus Von Hertzon was quite a guy, the kind you meet once in a lifetime. He was German, for one - foreigners like him or Alice weren't too common here - , and he was rich, a detail he'd emphase whenever he felt like it...which was about always. But he had been educated in an old fashion way. He was a gentleman, from a true generation of gentlemen, and he'd do anything for her; or so she thought. So far he'd followed her everywhere, like a puppy. No one actually blamed or mocked him for that; any guy with a mind wouldn't mind becoming Alice's slave, or so she was told. And he was her boyfriend, too. There was no denying that fact.
Alice turned towards Mira, only showing her part of her face. "Maybe...maybe you're right. But he's still my boyfriend, until someone decides against it."
Mira gave her a sympathetic look. She didn't like them, being so used to getting them. From doctors, nurses, her grandfather...and her girlfriends. From the last ones she didn't mind so much, she felt too much affection towards them to ever be mad at any of the girls. She wasn't getting away from all these things so easily, then.
The corners of Alice's mouth turned in a smile that wanted to be reassuring. "C'mon," she said, taking Mira's hand, "I have to go to the infirmary. Join me?"
Mira nodded, trying to grin back at her best friend. Before walking to the infirmary, she caught a glimpse of the two love birds on the opposite side.
"You know, you're gonna have to do something about the two of us, sweetheart."
Shun only half listened, not caring much about what Fabia was telling him. It was already hard to think with her being so close to him. Her body was practically glued to his, her hands on his shoulders. Her perfume was also quite distracting: a heavy and flowery concoction he couldn't stand. But he wouldn't tell her that, at least not in public with others listening. The perfume made him dizzy, the beginning of a headache pounding inside his skull.
That was when it happened, all of a sudden. He completely forgot about the perfume. He forgot all about her body pressed close to his, her nails digging in his shoulders through his t-shirt, and her sultry voice purring in his ear. The world stopped and stood still, and so did his heart.
She was there.
She stood on the opposite side, leaning against the lockers, sipping some water. Light blue veins stood out on her neck, and he felt the desire to reach out and touch them.
She'd worn one of those outfits he loved on her - although he liked everything on her: a frilly knee-length white dress, dancing gracefully with the morning breeze. She'd put a denim blazer other the dress, and worn cowboy girl boots, with large heels. Despite the heels' height, she still wouldn't be as tall as him, he thought. Thinking of it traced a ghostly smile on his lips. Fabia herself had a hard time trying to get something like that from him.
She'd finished drinking, her bottle now only half full. Either she was thirsty, or she had to swallow something that didn't pass well. Maybe he could propose to buy her a new bottle later...
She closed the bottle, put it back in her bag and leaned more comfortably against the lockers. Her chest heaved up and down from breathing, and he found himself holding his breath. They was no denying: she was truly and utterly breath-taking. Breathtakingly beautiful.
"I don't believe anyone told you that staring was impolite, even with a lovey dovey look." Fabia's voice snapped him back to reality. Her once love struck face was gone, replaced by a more serious expression, yet with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. He recalled what she just said, frowned.
"Lovey dovey? Really, where did you get that from, huh? And for your information, I was not - "
"Staring at Alice up and down? Let me think..." She turned around him, seemingly in deep thought. "Hum, mmm, wait, eh...ah, I got it! Yes you were, don't lie to me, ninja boy!"
He rolled his eyes. He hated it when she called him by her nickname. "Ninja boy" was only one of the numerous names she had for him, like Shunnypoo and Honey and other nonsense like that. Still, he preferred it to anything else she called him. The frown still plastered on his face, he turned to her.
"Can't hide anything from you, I see."
"Of course. I'm your girlfriend, after all, I ought to know every single dirty little secret you possess..." the gleam in her eyes was more serious now, "or am I?"
"Are you what?"
"Oh you, stop it!" she said quickly in a sweet voice, seeing students coming in their direction. They sweat-dropped a bit then went back to walking, not before they spared a glare at Fabia, which she royally ignored. Fangirls, all the same. She gazed back at Shun. "Your girlfriend, Shun. I'm a fake, and so are you. People might talk."
He raised an eyebrow. "Like who?"
"Oh, well, Dan and Billy and Marucho. Yes, even Marucho knows. Dan might easily let it slip during a drunk party, Billy could tell Julie, and Marucho...I don't know what he'd do." She leaned against the lockers by his side. "We won't be able to hide this longer, you realize this. You can't keep your fan girls away… nor can you can't keep her away, too."
Fabia glanced at the girls on the opposite way. Shun copied her. Julie, Mira and Alice hadn't moved, and greeted guys passing by. When he saw Alice smiling at them and saying a quick hi, he felt a surge of jealousy deep inside. Now you're really turning into a fan boy, man, he thought. But he didn't mind, not as much as he should. They watched Mira and Alice walking away, Shun was too distracted to hear Fabia sigh, or to feel her grabbing his hand.
"Let's go, lover boy, we got classes."
He didn't complain and followed her, still deep in thought. Wasn't Alice paler than usual today?
What was the link between demands and offers again?
Ah yes, she remembered it now. She rapidly copied the answer on her test paper.
Runo finished the first exercise without much difficulty. She was glad her memory was working back on normal mode, unlike this morning. Thankfully, she hadn't been distracted so far. It helped not to have Dan next to her, unlike the others times. Inside, she blessed Mrs Suzuki for making Dan move at the back of the classroom. She glanced sideways as discreetly as possible. Mrs Suzuki was walking here and there, glancing at other students' papers. Dan, she remarked, seemed to have some trouble with his work. She smiled at this, God knew why. Suddenly, he lifted up his head from the exercises, and noticed Runo looking at him. He instantly smiled, winked at her. Runo abruptly turned her head, bowing it down to her work. Her cheeks were already heating up.
What is happening to me?
Keep calm, Runo, he did it for fun, that's it. He does it with everyone, anyway. She went back to the test, attempting to throw her mind back in the questions.
She had already finished the first and third exercises, basics of the lesson and composition. Now she only had one question left in the second exercise, the one she dreaded the most: stats graph.
She'd always hated stats and graphs, and always failed to get them right. At least she had the other points compensating for her losses. She hadn't revised this part of the lesson, and she hadn't needed to. She had a solution all prepared and set up.
Phase 1 of her plan was starting. Runo discreetly glanced at the class, making sure Mrs Suzuki was out of sight. Luckily, she was at the back reading a paperback novel which seemed to have all her concentration focused. In fact, Runo noticed a bunch of students murmuring quietly, some making a few signs at others. Good. All was well.
Phase 2 is on, now. She had brought a jacket with her today, an oversized thing which covered her like a mini dress. It was long enough to cover her shorts. She leaned over her table, making it look like she was in deep concentration. Her forehead was half pressed against the hard wood, and her eyes followed the trail her fingers traced on her leg. Slowly, gently, she lifted up the front of the shorts' right leg. Right under the fabric were pink scribbles, done in a shade so pale the ink looked translucent against the pale skin.
This morning, she had copied down the graphics from her papers while waiting for the bell, in her car. She didn't know why she had done that in the first place. It might have been frustration at being unable to memorize all the economic laws and stats.
She glanced at the rest of the classroom again. People were still cheating, and Mrs Suzuki was still oblivious to what was happening in her class. Maybe an angel is with me today, she thought, grinning.
Leaning against the wood border again, she hurriedly copied down the graphics, replacing numbers and titles, writing additional details and comments. Piece of cake.
"I thought better of you, Master Runo."
The small quiet voice made her shiver, and her surprise was such she almost jumped off her chair. But it was only Tigrerra, creeping from under her shorts pocket. The tiny tiger stared up at its protector, her blue-green eyes orbs frowned.
"Damn, Tigrerra, you scared me!" Runo replied in a ushered voice. She hoped she hadn't been too loud; she looked up at the class, the atmosphere unchanging. She quickly straightened her shorts, the scribbles hidden again. I'll have to watch this when I get to the toilet, she decided. The plan completed, she turned back her sheet. The test was over.
Runo sighed, content of her success. She leaned her elbows on the table, in a nap position. Instead of resting, she turned to Tigrerra, the bakugan still watching her intensely.
"Look Tigrerra, I know this isn't the best thing I've done in my life," she started, taking in her best puppy voice while trying to keep it down, "but you know I had no choice! This is the only way I can get a good mark."
"Sure, but did you ever hear or revising?"
"But I did!" She said in a quite too loud murmur. Her teacher noticed this, and thankfully yelled at two classmates behind her. Runo made sure she had calmed down, before continuing. "But I did, but you know I can't remember stats well! And it's just for one time, I won't do it again, I promise."
The bakugan stared at her with its hypnotic eyes, clearly not believing any word she was uttering.
"If memory serves me well, you swore it to me the other time. And the time before that, and another time way before..."
If looks could kill, Tigrerra would have her down in a second. Her gaze wasn't too hard, but it wasn't too gentle either. Like a mother's eyes seeing through her. Even Mrs Misaki wasn't like that; sure, she understood her daughter and did her best to help, but she didn't know as much as Tigrerra. She sighed.
Runo was about to add something, when the bell rang. With almost inhuman speed, she packed her things and hurried out of the class.
Today, she decided, today is the last day I'll cheat. This promise, she intended to keep.
According to her, no one noticed her behaviour in class today. No one ever noticed anything.
Except for the brunette who'd watched her during the whole test.
"Stop it."
"Stop what?"
"Staring. At his ass. I understand you find it a fascinating activity, definitely more interesting than any English class on Earth. But really, stop."
Alice was no fool. Since the beginning of the year she had witnessed everything happening around her. The "everything" implied Mira, staring at their English teacher's replacement from the beginning of their sophomore year.
She turned to her classmate, giving her a playful grin. "Oh, and please tell me why I should stop, dear Alice?"
Alice rolled her eyes, yet Mira saw the corners of her mouth lift up in an equal smile. "You'll only encourage him if he notices. And besides, isn't it bad for a not-single girl to drool on her teacher?"
"Oh well, probably, but it's still better than to dream of another guy, even when your boyfriend isn't there."
Alice took it well, discreetly lifting up her palms to show that she surrendered. A light blush coloured her cheeks, still, and she tried to hide it. Mira noticed it.
"Don't do that. He thinks it's cute when you blush, and he's not alone on that."
"Sure, sure..."
Alice lowered her head in embarrassment, yet she knew it was true. The male population was watching her, if not Mira. Shun sat at the back, his head bowed down on his work, but Mira could tell he kept an eye on her friend. Marucho, sitting next to him, was doing the same thing, only being more obvious. It was the same thing going on amongst the female population, only they drooled at Shun...or their teacher.
On this point, Mira couldn't help but agree. Their teacher's replacement was what Julie would call a babe. Alice simply said she was handsome. For her part, Mira found him hot. And hot didn't even begin to describe him.
His light peppermint hair was spiky, and it went well with his tanned skin. She couldn't see much of it, with him giving her his back, but she saw plenty enough of it. His black shirt showed his muscular arms and the clothes emphasised a great deal of his athletic body. Like his jeans, grey and pretty tight. And God, look at that piece of -
"Mira? Already done with your work?"
It took her a moment to realize he was addressing her, everyone in the class staring at her. Except maybe for Shun and Alice, who did her best not to look at her. He had those cold, silver eyes fixed on her, his mouth pressed in a thin line. Why so serious, darling? You looked better last time I saw you.
She twirled a strand of hair between her finger, replying in a calm voice, adding in an almost arrogant tone: "Yes, sir. Want to check it?"
Mira stared at him fully, taking him in completely with the power of her ice-blue eyes. She was challenging him, she knew it, and she liked it. It was always a game between the two of them, betting on who would win in this staring competition.
And she was definitely winning.
He broke the connection, simply shrugging and turning back to the black board. The other students turned back to their works, still unsure of what just happened.
"You're impossible, you know that?" Alice whispered. She was still leaning on her book, but glanced at her sideways.
Mira flashed her a smile."Impossible is a euphemism. And I can tell you, this is not over."
The bell rang the moment she ended her phrase. Others automatically jumped out of their seats, packing in a rush and running out of the class. Mira did the same, only taking more time. She understood them; there was nothing more exhausting than staying at school until 5 PM, even with someone as distracting as her English teacher. Alice stretched beside her, yawning at her stiff muscles. She didn't see Shun watching her before getting out. Mira raised an eyebrow at his attitude; why didn't he confess to Alice already? It's not like he was afraid of Klaus or anything, so what kept him from doing it, except for Fabia?
She shrugged, turning to Alice. "Ready?"
"Yeah, let's go."
As they were about to get out, a voice called from behind. "Mira, may I talk to you for a minute, please?"
Said girl stopped on her track. Alice gave her a knowing look and smiled. "I'll tell Runo to wait for you". Before turning in the hall, she added, in a lower voice: "Don't bite him; he's too young to die." She winked, and then departed from the classroom.
The proposition was rather...appealing, Mira admitted. Oh, don't worry Alice, she thought, I'm not going to bite him.
She did a quick pirouette on herself, turning to face her teacher.
I'm going to eat him.
He'd finished cleaning the words and stuffing his books in his bag. His fingers, she remarked, were dusty from the chalk, and he wiped them on the front of his pants. White clouds drew themselves on the grey sky the colour formed. He suddenly cleared his throat. The sound forced her to snap up her head, and connect her gaze directly with his silver one. His body seemed to straighten, his muscles to flex. He was trying to look impressive, Mira thought, to stay in character. He's good at it, how bad I'm here to spoil his fun. His voice came out a tad raspier than usual, and she had to admit, it was really attractive.
"You do realize that you won't go anywhere with that attitude, Miss Clay?" he asked her. Now he was putting on the whole play, being all strict and full of authority. The whole teacher act was kind of nice, only she preferred the real man he actually was.
"Well," she said, on a matching tone, "you're probably right, Mr Grit. But then," she added, moving closer to him, "neither are you." She went forward, now dangerously close, so close to him she could see a change in his body, like something shifting inside.
His breath caught itself in his chest. He could hardly resist it when she was like that, all in seductive mode. It was only one of the parts of her she'd shown him the most, during school time. The other sides of her she'd revealed so far were appealing, but her flirty manners were practically arousing. He knew he wouldn't resist any longer; they both knew it.
"Mira..." he started, looking behind both her and him to make sure no one was watching, "we can't -"
"Ssh." She shut him, placing a finger on his lips. They leaned against one of the front tables, her hands firmly planted on his shoulders. She moved forward, so close he felt her hot breath on his mouth.
"Now, tell me: am I right, or am I not?" she said, her mouth moving to his ear. He felt his cheek heat up from her light touch. She leaned near his ear, now whispering so only he could hear. "So, tell me: am I right or not, Ace?"
Ace didn't give her a chance to continue her torture. In a matter of seconds his lips brushed hers. The kiss was gentle, and he felt Mira respond eagerly. It was like the world had stopped, like it was only the two of them.
The attraction had been mutual, since the first day he taught for her class. He couldn't tell what attracted him to her, in the first place. It wasn't just the fact that she was beautiful; Mira was an intelligent girl - scratch that, she was a woman from head to toe - , fun and rebellious. She didn't care about what the others thought of her, she just lived. And he liked that. A lot.
The kiss was soon more passionate. This was the kind of relationship she could never have, at least not with someone like Baron. The kid was nice, but he was like that: a kid. And he liked her, true, but she couldn't share his feelings. They had little in common. And he had a secret too big for her to handle with him. What she did to him would be considered as cruel, by others. Her friends saw it as it really was: help. By detaching herself from Baron, she was helping him becoming more mature, she was forcing him to grow up.
After some time, they broke the kiss. The connection was nice while it lasted, and she missed it already. Mira could tell Ace shared her feelings. She fell in his arms, hugging him. It felt great, to have his warm arms circling her, like a protecting armour. She put her head on his shoulder, while he nuzzled her neck with light butterfly kisses. She melted from his touch, softly travelling to heaven for a moment.
She glanced at the clock pinned at the top of the blackboard. 5:05 PM. Runo and the rest of the group would all be waiting by now. She sighed, pushing herself away from Ace.
"Sorry, got to go. See you tomorrow?" She said, looking up in his silver eyes.
He smiled, pecked her a last time on the lips. "Can't wait, Miss Clay."
She smiled back, grabbed her bag and rushed in the hall. The smile was still on her face. Oh happy day, she thought.
Runo was, indeed, waiting for her next to the car. Alice was at the back, ordering her things, and Julie...was making out quite aggressively miles away next to his car.
"Took your time, Clay," Runo told her when she proceeded to pack, yet winked like Alice had earlier. She looked exhausted, and somehow distressed. Surely Alice had noticed, to, they'd most probably talk about it back home. The girls climbed inside the car, Runo honked at Julie in impatience. "C'mon, Jul, I don't have all day!"
Julie quickly pecked Billy one last time, and got into the car at the back, next to Mira.
The car got out of the parking lot, driving back to the Misaki's.
Everyone had his or her own perception of heaven. For Julie, heaven was a place with infinite shops and never-ending shopping. Shopping was her passion, when it wasn't being Billy. The stores always seemed to attract her, to tell her in a seductive way to come over and take a peek at what they had in for her. And she always gave in.
That was a reason why she loved – or rather worshipped – the Bayview Shopping Mall. Wardington all by itself was a huge boutique waiting for her to make her choice, but the Bayview Mall was the living definition of fashion at its finest. She'd insisted on passing by today, to check if there were sales or anything close to it for her to see. Runo hadn't really wanted to, yet she'd finally given up. Now, she along with Mira and Alice sat in the cafeteria, sipping milkshakes before heading to work at the Misaki Café. Now it was just Julie and the shops.
Runo had told her to hurry, for she'd most probably have a lot of work tonight, so she only quickly did a debriefing of every clothes store, not seeing anything worth her interest. Then she spotted a new, cute little shop, and got in.
There was everything to please any shopaholic on Earth: seemingly endless clothing departments, numerous shelves for accessories, lots of makeup. There was a good number of clients inside, and the assistants ran here and there to try to help almost everyone. No one noticed her entering the place. Good. Not wanting to make her friends wait too long, she grabbed a bunch of tops which matched her taste, and headed to a cabin. Once inside, she locked it well, and checked in all directions to see if there were any cameras in the corners. No camera in sight. She tried on the tops, found that two of them out of the four she'd picked suited her. Satisfied by her discoveries, she stuffed them in her bag, got out. No one had bothered to approach her, so she put the remaining tops back where she found them. With a smile, she departed from the store and went to see her friends at the cafeteria.
It was rather crowded at the Misaki Café, for a Monday night. Since Alice and Runo were full-time waitresses at the café, they took charge of all the clients. Mira and Julie did propose to help, but the girls insisted on doing their work alone. "I want my tips, you see," Runo had added to joke. For the rest of the evening, Mira and Julie sat at a table and did their homework, doing part of the girls' to help in their own way.
Working was easier by night, in a way. Of course, there were many clients to serve, and many things to do at the same time, but unlike servicing during daytime, they didn't have fan boys to bother them in their work. Or any other kind of distraction.
No wait. There was a distraction in their rear-view. But not the best of distractions.
A middle-aged man sat a couple of tables away from the girls. He'd entered the restaurant about half an hour ago already, well dressed in an expensive-looking brown suit. Runo had failed to notice, being so occupied with all the other clients. They could tell he was starting to grow impatient, and even when Alice went to him to take care of him, he still had on a strict, intimidating expression. Alice's sweet face clearly was not helping her to calm him down. When she passed by their able to fetch the man a drink, the red-head told them that this guy was giving her the creeps. From her face, you could tell it was serious. It took a lot to scare Alice.
It was almost 10 PM now, and the café had been deserted long ago - except for that man, who'd only started to eat. He'd commanded a steak and chips, and was taking his time to eat. He didn't look particularly satisfied by his food. It angered Runo, for her mother was the greatest cook she knew, and the steak was the house's speciality. But she chose not to complain out loud, and instead sat along with her friends. They ate in silence, listening to the client's complains and moans. It was hard to resist the temptation, to drag him out of the café and to tell him to never come back. Plus, it would be time to close, soon. Still, he didn't seem to mind much. They had "kept him waiting", as she quoted from him, "and now it was only normal that he kept them waiting". It wasn't just his total lack of manners and politeness. It was also the comments he made while eating. He spoke to himself in a voice he kept low, but the wine he'd been served made his voice hoarse and loud enough to hear. Nasty comments, on how fat the head cook was, on how clumsy and stupid the waitresses were, how bad the food tasted - comments which drove Runo mad as hell, and her friends had to get a hold of her to keep her from making a mistake. They only hoped the Misakis hadn't heard anything of what he said. Runo got a text message from her father, telling her that they'd gone out to buy additional food for the next day, and asking her to close the café after the last client left.
At some point, he did manage to finish his plate - alleluia! - and Runo went to clean up his table. She'd already piled up the fork and knife and handkerchief on his plate, when he told her: "You know what? Keep it all. I'm not paying for something that bad!" At this point, Runo had exceeded her level of tolerance towards the jerk.
Before she and the others realized it, she took the knife from the plate and stabbed it in his chest.
A/N: I must say: wow. Just, wow. I don't think I've ever written that much in anything. Guess I was inspired. People are right when they say fan fiction writing stimulates imagination and inspiration. I'm rather proud of myself for writing this much, but that ending other there could have been better, I admit, along with Julie's part.
So… opinions?