Chapter 2: How Soon Is Now?
The bus came around in time and Heero took a seat in the back like he usually did. He kept to himself and waited for the ride to reach its destination. Libra wasn't that far, another 10 more minutes down the road and he would be there. He threw on some earbuds and began playing music to keep himself relaxed. His head drifted off to his usual thoughts. His moved his head to look out the window to admire how, sometimes, this rundown city could look kind of striking at night. His admiration for the night time aesthetics wouldn't last long because he knew what this town really was, but for at least a little bit he could pretend there was something about this place he could compliment. Heero would take what he could get.
In a few weeks, Heero would start taking the bus to school. He did that anyway, but this time he would be going to another school, and in the opposite direction of town, on a different bus. Heero would never admit this, but he was a little nervous. He was so used to his usual habitat that he was starting to worry that he might not know how to act. He figured he did, but he wasn't sure how his version of acting natural would come off to those kinds of people. Heero knew people referred to him as intense, but he honestly didn't know any other way to act. Hopefully the rich kids that would be his classmates wouldn't take it the wrong way. But when that thought entered his mind, he then shook his head. Actually, he didn't mind if it did come off the wrong way. He wasn't going there to make friends. It would be a much better experience for him if he was able to keep to himself. His introverted behavior would probably do him good. The less people to deal with the better, he decided.
The music soothed him and kept him in his thoughts. His mind was clear and his goal was set. He just needed to get this school year started with already. The quicker he could get things going, the closer he could get to his goal of leaving this place. He would go to a good school for the first time in his life and then hopefully on to bigger and better things.
He could leave this crime life behind. He could get to the point where he didn't have to worry about whether he should leave home with a gun or not. That would be nice, Heero thought.
A few more minutes passed and his stop was coming up. Heero sighed and got up. He took his earbuds off and headed for the front. The bus slowed and the air brakes sounded. The door opened and he went off to meet his braided hair friend.
In a large, almost mansion-like home across town, a young honey blonde haired girl stood by her bedroom door. She leaned on it with her arms crossed wearing an unamused look as she looked up at her apologetic father.
"Look Relena, I'm sorry. I'm gonna try and make it back for your birthday but I can make any promises. You're old enough to understand this, so please forgive me, okay?" the older man reasoned.
Relena continued to stare holes into her father. It killed her to know that her father would be leaving a week before her birthday for some supposed big meetings across the country. He worked in government, specifically in housing and development. He and her mother did everything to set up her party in a large country club that her mother's family owned and it greatly annoyed her how her father could quite possibly miss the entire thing. Her party would be a week after classes resumed. So this was a great way to start off the new year, Relena sarcastically thought.
Her father kept trying to apologize to her but Relena didn't want to hear it. Eventually she sighed and shook her head. "Look father, it's fine. I mean, yeah, if you're not there I'll be pretty disappointed. But you're right, I'm old enough to know how busy you can get and I know you're working very hard. You're not around as much as I'd like you to be but I know you're a good man. So just do your best and I'll take care of myself, alright?" Relena answered.
Her father gave her a smile, he was glad his daughter was acting mature about this. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you, Relena. Again I'm sorry, but you know I love you right?"
She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yes father, I know."
"Good." he continued. "I have the greatest daughter that anyone could be blessed with."
"Oh stop it." Relena chuckled at her father's flattery, clearly trying to kiss up to her for being understanding. The two spoke a little more, talking about her upcoming school year before her father retired to his office downstairs. Relena went back into her room and collapsed on her bed. A mixture of disappointment and boredom defined her current state. But before her head went back to the stinging disappointment of the news her father just dropped on her, Relena's phone rang.
She reached for it and saw that her good friend Dorothy Catalonia was calling. The girl answered. "Hey, what's up?"
"Oh, nothing much. Just a little, you know, bored." the young blonde on the other line responded.
"Ah, missing your man already?" Relena said with a smirk.
"Ugh, I hate that I'm that transparent."
"It's okay, I'm sure Quatre misses you too." Relena continued with a smirk.
"Oh, I know he does. Texted me as much this afternoon." Dorothy sighed.
"Very nice of him." Relena replied as she moved to lay on her side. "How long is he gone for again?"
"Their big family cruise lasts until the end of the weekend." Dorothy explained.
"There, he'll be back soon then." Relena admired how those two got along. They were quite the pair. Dorothy was the assertive one in the relationship while Quatre played the role of the kind and caring one. Relena found the pair cute in their weird little way.
"Yes I know, but really Relena, what about you?"
"What about me?" the honey blonde raised an eyebrow.
"Is this finally the year Miss Relena Darlian decides to have a man in her life? I'm quite curious." Relena could already see Dorothy's signature eyebrows raise in mischief.
"Uh, doubt it." Relena shook her head.
"Oh come on, it's been like 2 years since your last proper boyfriend." Dorothy whined. "I'd like to double date with my best friend at least once before my high school career is over."
Relena rolled her eyes. "Sorry, just not really interested in dating right now."
"We are teenagers, Miss Relena, it's kind of something we have to do."
"Being a teenager doesn't mean we have to." Relena wondered if Dorothy would ever stop calling her 'Miss Relena'. There was no need for her to be so formal all the time. But then that was just one of her quirks.
"Yes it does." Dorothy quickly replied.
"So you're just with Quatre because you're in high school?" Relena questioned her friend's logic.
"No, he's sweet, kind and lovable. That's why I'm with him. I'm just showing you what a normal teenager is supposed to act like." She heard Relena sigh. "We can't just spend all of these fun years focusing on school work and being a daddy's girl."
"Hey!"
"Just saying, dear." Dorothy smirked. "Will your father be present at your birthday party?" Relena didn't really want to think more about her father.
"He said he can't make any promises."
"Oh you poor girl." Dorothy began. "It must be so hard…"
"Well you know that's how it is with him. I always try and make the best of it." Relena closed her eyes. "I won't let it get me down."
"I'm so sorry to hear that." Dorothy said sadly. "My heart aches at your dire situation."
"I mean you can't be that shocked. You know how my father is." Relena chuckled. "No need to be so dramatic."
"No dear, its because your dad seems to be the only man in your life. It's quite... sad, really. You should start dating, seriously."
"Dorothy…" Relena should have known where Dorothy was going with all that sympathy. "Enough with that already."
"Date Trowa."
"Eww no!" That wasn't the first time she heard someone say that to her.
"Why eww?" Dorothy asked. "Trowa is nice, you guys are already friends. He's Quatre's right hand man so my dream of a double date with you would be so easily realized." Relena could see the dreamy look on her friend's face. "And do I really need to remind you what that man looks like with his shirt off? Just a beautiful man." Dorothy swooned.
Relena blushed, yeah she had seen that before. "Does Quatre know you talk about his best friend that way?"
"Oh he knows." Dorothy waved it off. "He also knows that Trowa isn't my type and Quatre very much is my kind of man. He has nothing to worry about. I'm just pointing out the obvious. He's incredibly attractive and you two should go out."
"I can't. I just don't see him that way." Relena explained. She knew that Trowa was a good guy and a handsome one at that. But he always just felt more of a brother to her, or like a really good friend.
"How could you ever just view him like that? You're a very strange girl, Miss Relena." Dorothy said in a confused manner.
"You know, girls and guys can just be friends. We don't always have to be attracted to each other." Relena commented.
"If you say so…" Relena heard a snort come from Dorothy's end and rolled her eyes. "Unless that's your way of coming out to me. At least then you would have a good excuse."
"Oh shut up." Relena shook her head before yawning and adjusting herself properly on the bed.
"Oh don't tell me you're tired already. It's barely 9 PM."
"That's late for me tonight." Relena shrugged. She was bored, disappointed and now tired as well.
"You'll never get a guy if you start going to bed that early." Dorothy stated.
"My loss then." Relena yawned again. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"You're going to be 17 with the body clock of a 60 year old. You're such an old hag."
"Bye!" Relena hung up on her friend with a groan. She rested her head on her pillow. Her eyes looking up towards the ceiling as her eyelids started to get heavy. 'Ugh, why am I so tired this early?' she thought to herself. Maybe she did need something new in her life. Whether it be a boyfriend or something else… maybe this next school year at St. Gabriel might bring something new. Her life was already beginning to feel formulaic, so maybe some kind of shake up could start things over again.
Relena took a deep breath and let sleep overwhelm her.
With his hands in his pockets, Heero Yuy stood with his back against the brick wall of the outside of Club Libra. There was a long line of people trying to get in, security guards kicking people out and turning others away. The line featured people of college age and some people from the neighborhood. Heero and his friend Duo Maxwell remained outside to soak in the night time scenery. They could get in any time they wanted to, so they weren't in any hurry to enter Libra.
"Damn, so you're going there?" the young man with the long, brown colored braid commented. "That's a shit ton of money though, right?"
Heero nodded, his eyes scanning the busy sidewalk, keeping his eyes on the people moving here and there.
"That's wild.I don't think I have it in me to save up that much cash. I'm not really good with money, you know." Heero knew that already. Duo recently lost a few hundred betting on basketball games, and another couple hundred on baseball games before that, too. "So, like, that means you gotta wear uniforms, too?"
Heero nodded again. He saw a man give him a look. Heero recognized what it meant and carefully motioned him over. The young teenage boy dug into his boot as quickly as he could before trading a small bag for some money, shoving it into his pocket as fast as he could. The man walked away and back into the line for Libra.
"8 thousand for a year. I'll stay my ass in public school." Duo chuckled.
"Hn." Heero knew he couldn't go back to that kind of thing anymore. He was sick of it, which is why he hustled hard to be able to pay his way out of it. That's the power of a dollar.
"Hey, that Wufei coming up?" The pair noticed another young kid hop out of a car and head their way. He nodded at both of them and took a spot on the wall next to Heero.
"Things calm out here?" asked the kid with the slick back ponytail.
Duo nodded while Heero shrugged. "As calm as things get around here." the braided boy chuckled.
Wufei crossed his arms as he watched the line get bigger. "Treize been around lately?"
Heero's eyebrows twitched at the mention of that man's name. "Not that I've seen. Probably keeping an eye on his other businesses. You seen him around, Heero?"
The boy in the green muscle shirt just shook his head. No, he had not and he wanted to keep it that way.
"Then you're probably right, Duo." Wufei looked over to the guy next to him. "So how you been?" Heero shrugged once again.
"Hey, tell him!" Duo jumped in. "He'll never believe it."
"Tell me what?" Wufei raised an eyebrow at Duo.
"Our man right here won't be joining us in school this year." Duo smirked.
"Huh? What are you dropping out or something?" Wufei looked quizzically at Heero.
Heero shook his head. Before he could explain, Duo decided to take the initiative. "Apparently your boy has been saving up his dough to buy his way into St. Gabriel Academy. That rich kids school across town."
Wufei whistled. "Whoa, I'll admit that's kind of impressive. Not sure how they'll take to someone like us around their school halls but hey, I can understand you wanting to get away from here. I don't blame you."
"Yeah, I'm with that." Duo agreed. "Someones gotta try and make it out of here. It's gonna be funny seeing you come back around in a fancy school uniform. That's gonna be funny." Duo laughed.
Heero sighed. He didn't like the idea of having to wear something exclusively for school, but that's the bullet he's willing to bite.
"Hey that means you're gonna be able to see some fine looking rich girls in school girl uniforms. Now i'm getting jealous." Duo snickered.
"Women are nothing but a distraction. Heero isn't the kind of guy who would let something like girls cloud his judgment." Wufei responded and Heero mentally agreed. "Besides, they would flip if they saw someone like us go after their women."
"Eh, you're probably right. But it is nice to think about. Well, for me anyway." Duo smirked.
"Not sure why that would excite you." Wufei tilted his head at the braided boy. "Don't you have a girlfriend already?"
"Me and Hilde are kinda an off again on again type of couple." Duo explained, hand rubbing the back of his head.
"That your way of saying she got mad at you and now you're here licking your wounds?" Wufei wasn't buying that explanation. Heero knew the answer to that already when the ghost of a smirk graced his features.
"You got it." Duo laughed. "But I'm a sap, i'll go running back to her and apologizing like I usually do."
"At least you're honest." Wufei shook his head. "Anyway, you guys stepping in?" Wufei nodded over to the club.
"Yeah, I guess it's about time we head in." Duo looked over at Heero. "Heading in?"
Heero nodded. "Give me a second. I'll meet you guys in there." he finally spoke. The other two shrugged and walked towards the entrance where the security guards recognized them and let them in. Some people started complaining about how they had to wait while they waltzed right in but the guards weren't hearing it and ignored them.
The one remaining outside had his Prussian colored eyes focused on the dark sky above. These next few weeks couldn't come fast enough. The more he walked these streets and the more dirty money he made, the more his soul hurt. He wanted something greater than this and needed to start achieving that as soon as he could. For the first time in his life, he was actually looking forward to school. He knew it would be a lonely experience, but that he could deal with. At least that's what he convinced himself, anyway. Regardless, he was trying to go for it. He's walked alone most of his life. No need to start changing things now.
"Yo, you going in?" one of the security guards asked, noticing Heero standing there.
Heero looked over at him and grunted. "Hn." He took one last look at the sky above and headed for the entrance. He walked right in and the loud music quickly assaults the senses. The dance floor was packed and drinks were getting passed around left and right. He looked across the floor and saw Wufei and Duo by the bar area. He walked over towards them. He would use this time to get away from reality for a quick second.
And make a little money in the process.
As slowly as it went, the weeks finally passed.
Heero woke up, showered, brushed his teeth and got himself dressed. He looked at himself in the mirror. He got his uniform a few days before his first day at school. He didn't feel comfortable in it, but he would deal with that on his own. He had his new black dress shoes with his matching black slacks and jacket. A white button up shirt and red tie finished up the look. He ran a hand through his brown head of hair and figured he was ready.
On the way out he grabbed his book bag and headed for the door. He made it outside and started heading for the bus stop. The people around town who knew him commented on his new get up. He got sick of having to explain himself so he started to just wave people off, though there was a small upward curve at the corner of his lips. There was some pride he had in knowing he was possibly already doing better for himself.
His bus arrived and he took his usual spot in the back. This would be the new bus he would take, heading to the much more well off part of the city. He wasn't sure what to expect, he just knew it would be different.
Once again he took out his earbuds and began playing music. He looked at the songs on his phone and chose one that just fit his current mood. It began with a really cool guitar effect before the song finally kicked in. It was a slower paced track and it felt like the thing to listen to at the moment. Then the singer finally spoke.
I am the son and the heir
Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar
I am the son and heir of nothing in particular
Heero looked out the window and watched the city move past him. He wondered if things would change from here on out.
Oh shut your mouth, how can you say, I go about things the wrong way
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
He wondered to himself if he could finally find any kind of self worth here, or if the experience in general would do that for him.
There's a club if you'd like to go
You could meet somebody that really loves you
At that moment he opened up the school brochure that showed how large the school was. He never went there himself, but he saw online how huge it looked.
So you go and you stand on your own
And you leave on your own
And you go home and you cry and you want to die
Heero closed his eyes and kept his head leaning on the bus window.
When you say it's going to happen now
Well, when exactly do you mean?
See I've already waited too long
And all my hope is gone
Heero felt himself clench his fists. He was nervous. He didn't want to admit it, but he was. How cowardly of him, he thought.
You shut your mouth, how can you say, I go about things the wrong way
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
The Prussian eyed boy sighed. He was as ready as he ever will be.
AN: I do not own Gundam Wing or the song "How Soon Is Now?" by the Smiths. Again, let me know what you think. Or not lol Let's just have fun here.
