Chapter Two: First Time for Everything
The next morning, Zelda was preparing herself to go to school. She was staring at her closet for a few minutes, trying to figure out what to wear. "I want to wear something light and easy to change when I go to work. Also I want to look good. It is my first day after all and I want to make a good impression." She said. "I know…" She decided to tight black jeans, sneakers, and a red tank top with a black star. Her hair was hung neatly down. "Great… Now I need to find my bunny hat, where is that thing?" She said, digging though her closet for it. Then there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?"
"It's your Daddy." He said, entering the room. He found his little girl digging through her things. "You must be super excited to go to school."
"Oh dad, I know it is going to be amazing. I have someone coming to take me to school today. He is really nice." She replied.
"A boy? You met someone already." He said.
"His name is Chad but somehow I feel like I have met him before." She said. She then pulled out a hat with long bunny ears that sags down long two long pigtails. She put it on her head. "Now I am ready."
"You look beautiful Z." Her father said, patting her head. "Please be safe my little bunny."
"Dad, I am not a little kid anymore." She pouted. He then crushed her with a hug. "DADDY!" She giggled as he twirled him around.
"As long I am still breathing, you will always be my little girl." He said, chuckling away. "I love you."
"I love you too Dad." She said, hugging back.
"I know that it has been hard for you since your mother passed away but I promise you that I will never leave you." He said, pulling back and cupping her face. "I will never leave your side."
"Oh Dad, I will never leave you too. We have to stick together no matter what." She said.
"If those kids ever pick a fight with you…"
"I know, don't get into a fight." She said.
"No, if they hurt you badly, kick their sorry asses." He said.
"I will…" She said, smiling. She then grabbed her bag and wallet. "I have to go. I promise to come straight to work after."
"Well about that. I want you to see your Uncle Benedict. He didn't attend the dinner last night so can you please go visit him." Henry said.
"Sure thing Dad." She said, kissing him on the cheek. "Love you and see you later…" She raced out her room. Henry stood there and turned to the framed photo of his family. He was being hugged by his little rascal and his beautiful wife.
"Oh Reina, I miss you so much." He said. "Our little bunny is so much like you."
She raced out the house and found Chad, waiting for her with his bicycle. "Morning Chad, I hope you weren't waiting long." She said, looking concerned.
"No, I just got here." He replied, smiling. "You look great by the way. I love the hat."
"Oh thanks, I love rabbits." She said, blushing in front of him. "Also, it is my favorite hat."
"It suits you." He replied. She is still obsessed with rabbits. I thought for sure she will grow out of it.
"HEY INFINITE, I'M HOME!" I screamed, walking in our tree house. Yes we had one and it was perfect just for the two of us. As I walked in the living room, I found her lying on her stomach and watching her favorite show on the TV. "Come on Infinite, you are going to lose your brain cells watching that show."
"Shh…." She hushed. "Ninja Rabbits is on." I sat beside her and let out a sigh.
"This show doesn't make any sense. I mean, why the ninjas are rabbits. Rabbits are not cool." I protested. "It is stupid." She then stood up from lying on her stomach and sat beside me. I was ready. We usually argue over her stupid show every time I insult it. I know is not a good thing but it was the only way to get her attention. I love it when she is mad though, she just looks so cute.
"You see the rabbit in blue…" She said.
"What about it?"
"His name is Sky and he is the leader. He reminds me of you." She said. "When you are off on solo missions, I watch this show so I won't miss you that much. Sky just makes me happy." I blushed in front of her.
"You are being cheesy again." I said, turning away. "Why don't you buy a Ninja Rabbit plushy?"
"I can't… It is complicated." She said, letting out a frown. Then the alarm went off. "I guess it is time to kick some butt."
"Yeah…" I said.
"LET'S GO NINJA RABBITS!" She cheered.
"WE ARE NOT THE NINJA RABBITS!" I screamed back.
She may be the weirdest girl ever but I was proud to have her as my partner.
"Chad, are you okay?" She said. Chad swiftly came back into reality and found her standing right in front of her. He blushed when he found her beautiful emerald eyes locked on to him. "Oh no, you are all red. Are you sick?"
"Oh no, I am fine. I am sorry…" He said, turning away from her. This girl is going to be the death of me.
"It is okay." She said.
"Well, your chariot awaits…" He teased, revealing his bike. "You can sit on the back."
"Oh my, my prince has done it this time." She teased, sitting in the back of the bike and wrapping her arms around his waist. "I am ready." He petal away and was blushing when he felt her arms wrapped around him. "Chad, thank you for this… You didn't need to take me to school."
"It is no problem. I can do this every day if you like." He said.
"Really, you are so sweet." She said. "But you don't have to I mean, we hardly know each other."
"Well, you don't remember me but we were friends when we were kids." He said.
"Really, no wonder why your name sounds so familiar." She said, leaning her head on his back. "I am sorry that I don't remember you."
"It's okay. At least we can start over." He said. "I mean…"
"Sure, I will love that." She said.
"Well, my name is Chad Dickson. I am the quarterback and people tend to think that I am an airhead. I am clearly not. I am a 4.0 GBA student. I love music. I can play the guitar, piano, and drums and well a lot of instruments."
"You sound like an amazing guy and you are not snatched yet." She teased, giggling.
"Oh no, I am a believer of true love. I know it sounds weird coming from me but I don't play around with the affairs of the heart." He said. "I just didn't find Ms. Right yet. But you are one to talk, you are not snatched yet."
"Oh no, I am also a believer of true love." She said. "Never found Mr. Right."
"So tell me more about you. We are almost there so you better hurry."
"Well, my name is Zelda Uno. I moved here from American Samoa. My favorite color is red and my favorite animal is a rabbit. I love surfing, skateboard, skating, drawing, and well I have a lot of hobbies. I love music but I have a hard time reading notes and I am not good with any instrument, believe me I tried." She said, letting out a giggle. "I used to take Kendo classes but I stopped around eleven."
"Why?"
"I lost interest…." She said. "Right now I work at my family's pizza place."
"You know what, I have a feeling that we are going to be good friends." Chad said.
"Same here…"
In class, everyone was at their seats while the teacher was outside talking to the Principal. "Hey Chad, how's your morning?" Maurice asked, sitting in front of him. He was a dark skinned kid with dreads. He is also in the football team, the running back to be exact and Chad's best friend.
"It was pretty good." He replied.
"Oh man, something is up. You are never in a good mood in the morning." Maurice said.
"Well, let's just say that something made my day." He replied. The teacher walked in the room with Zelda.
"Settle down children. We have a new student here today." The teacher said. Zelda stood beside her with a smile on her face. She was so adorable and cute that the boys in the front roll were blushing in sight of her. "Her name is Zelda Uno. She is a transfer student from American Samoa. I hope you give her a warm welcome."
"Hey everyone…" She said.
"Dude, is that?"
"Yeah, it's Infinite…" Chad said.
"No wonder why you are a good mood." Maurice teased.
"Shut it…"
"Zelda, please sit next to Chad. He is the boy with the jacket." The teacher said. Zelda nodded and walked towards the empty seat. All the boys were marvel with her presence while the girls exchange gossip of her. She sat down beside Chad quietly. She then turned to the window. "Alright, let's us discuss about the "Discovering the Oceanic Past". Remember now, we are in the South Pacific Can anyone tell him who was the man that opened a door for possibilities for reconstructing the prehistory of the area?" Chad raised his hand. "Yes Mr. Dickson…"
"W.F. Libby…" Chad answered.
"That's correct."
"Someone wants to show off to his future girlfriend." Maurice teased. Chad glared at him. "What? It's true." Chad then turned to Zelda. She was still staring at the window.
She is always staring at the window. When she stares outside, she forgets that she is even in class. She may be the strongest and bravest agent in KND but she wasn't the most focused. She does decent in school and gets descent grades but she would always daydream during class lectures. "Ms. Uno…" The teacher said. "Ms. Uno…" She turned away from the window and turned to our teacher. "I am glad that you can join us. I hope you can answer my question."
"Yes ma'am…" She replied.
"Why do other ethnic groups such as Mexicans, Asians, and so forth come to America?" The teacher asked.
"To be free…"
"That is good…"She said, smiling. "I am glad you are paying attention." She turned back to the board and started writing.
"You guess that didn't you." I whispered.
"Come on, at least I got it right." She said.
"Focus on your studies Infinite." I scolded.
"Wow, you sound like an adult."
"Come on Infinite, I don't want you to repeat a level." I said.
"You are right…" She said, smiling. "Thanks Chad."
"You are finally admitting that I am right." I teased.
"Yeah, there is a first for everything." She said.
"Ms. Uno…"
"Yes ma'am…" Zelda said, turning to the teacher.
"I know that you are new in this lesson but I want you to guess what W.F. Libby's greatest discovery." The teacher said, smiling. "It is okay if you guess wrong."
"Oh well, he discovered a method for dating charcoal through measuring radio-activity. A sample of charcoal from a fireplace like the ones in Kuli'ou'ou Rockshelter was submitted, revealing that the shelter had been occupied about A.D 1004." Zelda answered. Then she stopped and found most of the student's jaws dropped and the teacher in shock. "Oh, did I answer it wrong?"
"Oh no dear, you answered it correctly." The teacher said, smiling.
"Damn, when did Infinite get so smart?" Maurice whispered. He found Chad staring at her with shock yet a hint of red on his cheeks. "I know bro, she is something."
"Tell me about it." Chad said. When did she…. What did I miss all these years?
After a couple of classes, it was finally lunchtime. Chad and Maurice were walking with their trays to an empty table. "Dude, you must be happy that she is back."
"Yeah I am…" Chad said.
"Are you going to make a move on her?" Maurice asked. "I mean she was your partner and I know it was hard for you when she got decommissioned."
"I don't know…" Chad said, letting out a sigh. "I mean we had a good start this morning but I don't know if she is into me."
"It is worth a shot." Maurice said.
"Yeah it is but I am just well…"
"She may forget about you but I don't think her love for you is gone." Maurice said. "Infinite had a lot of heart."
"Yeah…" Chad said. I want to make a move but I might make a fool of myself. What if she doesn't like me? I know we just met yesterday but… I just…
I just came back from my solo mission and I was looking everywhere for Infinite. I bought her a Ninja Rabbit plushy. I was so excited to see the look on her face. Today I was going to confess my feelings to her. But… "Hey Number 274, I was looking for you everywhere." Maurice said, racing towards me.
"What's up?" I asked.
"You have to hurry to the decommission chamber. Infinite decided to be decommissioned early. I tried to convince her but she doesn't want to listen to me." He explained. I raced away to her. "HURRY UP!" I pushed my legs to my limit. I had to get to her in time. When I got there, she was already sitting on the chair and the decommission device was pointing straight at her. It wasn't the device we usually use but I was still scared.
"ZELDA!" I screamed. I was about to reach her until a glass wall blocked me. I banged harshly on it but it wouldn't budge. "ZELDA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! PLEASE STOP THIS!" She turned to me and started to cry. "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!" I too started to cry. "I NEED YOU! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!" She then let out a smile, that beautiful smile that I love so damn much. I then showed her the ninja rabbit. "I BROUGHT YOU THIS FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY TOMORROW! IT IS NOT TIME FOR YOU TO LEAVE! YOU ARE ONLY ELEVEN!" She cried even more.
"Chad, I love you…" She said. I was shocked. She feels the same way. "Goodbye…" Then a bright light filled the room.
"ZELDA!" I screamed, crying. I lost her that day and I don't know why she left.
"Hey Chad, are you okay?" Maurice asked.
"Oh yeah… I am fine…" Chad said.
"Hey look, Gwen is checking you out." Maurice said. Chad turned his direction to teenage girl with blonde long hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a cheerleader uniform and she was blowing a kiss to him. "I think she likes you. You should hit on that."
"I rather not…" He replied, eating his lunch.
"Why not, she is begging for it?" Maurice said.
"Well, first of all I don't like her. Second, she is not my type, and thirdly…"
"You love someone else…" Maurice teased. "You are the most popular guy in school and you are still single. Also, did you danced with a cheerleader during that party at Father's house."
"You are too noisy Maurice…" Chad said, letting out a sigh. "Also, it was just a dance. She asked me and I just said yes to the girl. It is not like I was into her." He turned away from him and found Zelda, shyly looking for a place to sit. He let out a smile. "HEY ZELDA!" She turned to him and smiled. She walked to their table.
"Oh hi Chad…" Zelda said. "I am happy to see a familiar face."
"Are you going to ask the lady to join us?" Maurice said.
"I was going to."Chad snapped. He heard her giggling and it made him calmed down and let out a sigh. "So you want to sit with us?"
"Sure, I will love too..." Zelda said, sitting on the opposite side of him and beside Maurice.
"Well, my name is Maurice." Maurice said. "I am Chad's best friend."
"It is nice to meet you. I am Zelda but my friends and family calls me Z." Zelda said, smiling. "I love your dreads."
"Thanks…" Maurice said, turning to Chad. "I told you this was a chick magnet."
"She just likes it, it is not like she wants to date you." Chad protested.
"You are just jealous that a girl likes it." Maurice said. Then a beautiful dark skinned teenage girl wrapped her arms around him. She had curly black hair and chocolate brown eyes. "Oh hey babe…"
"I was looking everywhere for you Maurice…"
"Sorry Cree, at least you found me." Maurice said, turning to her and kissing her cheek. "Chad was introducing me to his new friend."
"Oh really…" Cree said, turning to Zelda. "Hey girl, my name is Cree Lincoln. I am Maurice's girlfriend."
"Zelda Uno, I am new." She said.
"Chad, she is cute. Is she your girlfriend?" Cree asked. Chad and Zelda blushed when they heard that.
"Ahh… Well…" Chad mumbled, blushing.
"I am not but with his charm I might." Zelda teased, giggling. Chad blushed even more and Maurice was laughing at his reaction. "But don't worry, I won't make it easy for him. I am going to make him work for it."
"I like her." Cree said, smiling. "So Z, are you planning on joining any clubs?"
"No, I am not."
"Why is that?" Cree asked.
"Well, I don't know. I just got here and I just want to just focus on school and all. Plus I don't have time to be in clubs since I work at my family's pizza joint." Zelda said.
"You mean that new place, Pizza Ritz?" Maurice asked.
"Yes…"
"My family ordered pizza there last night and it was the bomb. It was so damn good." Maurice said.
"I am glad you like it so much." She said.
"Well, if you need anything let me know." Chad said. "I am happy to help."
"Oh really, that's so sweet of you Chad." She said. "I am so happy to have a friend like you." They stare at each other for a brief moment and Chad was blushing. Maurice and Cree exchanged glances and let out a smile.
They like each other… They both thought.
"Well babe, let's take a walk." Maurice said, grabbing Cree's hand. "I want to stretch my legs before we hit the classroom again."
"Oh Maurice, you can be so romantic." Cree said, hugging his arm and kissing his cheek. "Bye you two… Oh and Z, it was nice meeting you."
"Same here Cree…" She replied. They left them alone and there was a brief awkward silence between them. Chad as my boyfriend? Why does that sound normal? Like it is supposed to happen…
"I am sorry about them. They can be so well…" Chad said, scratching his head. Well, thanks to Cree, everything is fucking awkward.
"I love them. They are pretty kind and funny." Zelda said. "I don't get a lot of friends."
"Come on, you are amazing." Chad said. "Who wouldn't be friends with you?"
"Thanks Chad, you are very sweet." She said, smiling. She turned to her tray and started off with her pudding. She took a spoonful and let out a sigh of delight. "Yummy…"
"Yeah…" Chad said. Always aiming for the desserts…
"Infinite, dinner is ready." I said. I am not an expert on cooking so I only made microwave hot pockets and burgers. She entered the kitchen in her shorts and Ninja Rabbit T-shirt. "You know we should take turn cooking."
"But I love your cooking." She said, giving me the puppy eyes. "I can taste the love every time you cook something for me."
"Again Infinite, stop it with the cheesy stuff…" I snapped, blushing. We sat down and instead of eating the main course; she went straight for the pudding.
"Yummy…" She said.
"Infinite you are going to eat all the pudding." I snapped.
"That's the plan…" She said, eating more of the pudding.
"I want some too."
"Too bad…"
"INFINITE!" I screamed, standing up from my seat and chasing her around. She was giggling as she ran away from me. "GET BACK HERE!" She then tripped and scraped her knee. "ZELDA!" I raced towards her side and found her holding back tears. Her knee was bleeding and the pudding was all over her upper torso and face. "Zelda, are you okay?"
"I am fine…" She said. "But the pudding is not okay…"I let out a sigh and fetch the First Aid Kit. I tended her wounds and she was leaking tears. "Sorry Chad, I wasted the pudding."
"Hey, don't cry. It is my fault for chasing you." I said, putting ointment on her wound and placing a bandage on it. "But I don't think you wasted the pudding."
"What do you mean?" She asked. I licked her cheek. She blushed in front of me.
"You are covered with pudding so I guess I can have some." I said.
"AHHHH! STAY AWAY FROM ME CHAD!" She screamed.
"But you taste so good…" I teased. We laughed and had so much fun that night.
"Hey Chad…"
"Yes Zelda…"
"You want some pudding?" She asked, smiling. She placed a spoonful of pudding in front of him.
"Yeah…" Chad said, taking a bit. If only she remembers… "Taste good…" He let out a smile. "I have banana pudding. Do you want some?"
"Sure…" She said. He scooped her some pudding and she placed the spoon in front of her. She took a bite and sigh with awe. "It is delicious."
"I never shared my pudding with a girl before." He replied.
"Same here… well with a boy of course…" She said, blushing. "I guess there is the first time for everything."
"Hey Kim, who is that with Chad?" Gwen asked.
"Oh that is the new girl, Zelda Uno. I take Pacific History with her and she is pretty smart." Kim replied.
"I don't like her. She is with my man."