Just My Luck

Monday, November 17th

My hands were clasped together, my elbows propped up on the table in front of me as I placed a card on the table in front of me. In my hands was a single card, a nine of clubs. In front of me, a stack of cards rose, with the ace of spades all the way at the bottom.

"What in the world are they doing?" I heard Natsuki ask as she approached Sayori and the triplets who were standing nearby, watching the rather intense game that we were playing unfold.

"It seems like they are playing cards," I heard Yuri's quiet voice respond. Though I did not turn to look. I only stayed focused on the game.

"Yep," said Sayori, keeping her voice down as she kept her eyes on the game, "I think it was something called 'BS' if I recall correctly?"

Sayori had trouble saying the letters "BS", probably because the English names for "B" and "S" are not part of the Japanese language.

"You are correct," one of the triplets, I don't know who, said to Sayori, "It's a game about lying." The girl who lives next door giggled as she continued to watch the game.

CJ was seated on the other side of the table, a smirk slowly growing on his face. I held my breath, trying to make it look like I'm not lying. To get caught in a lie in this game, especially late in the game, pretty much decides who wins and loses. And I was forced to lie when I drew that card. And I know I'm not good at lying anymore.

"Bullshit," said CJ in a quiet voice, only loud enough for those around him to hear. The triplets who were watching nearby looked at us and chuckled, knowing that I had lost.

"Fuck, dude!" I exclaimed as I threw down my last card, throwing in the towel. I made sure to keep my voice down though so that I don't get in trouble. "I was so damn close."

"And," said CJ, tossing down his last card that was in his hands, facing down so one has to guess if he was lying or not. "King of hearts."

"Bullshit," I said, to which CJ chuckled like the smug bastard he was.

He grabbed the card that he just placed down and turned it around, showing what kind of card that he was holding. Surely enough, it was a king of hearts. And that was his last card. That means he wins this game.

"Ha ha ha!" laughed CJ as I looked down at the cards with a defeated smile on my face. "I win! Yo cocky ass lost!"

"Well, crap," I sighed as I stood up, shouldering my bag as I was getting ready to walk away. I hoped that CJ forgot about the agreement that we had made before we started the game that we were playing.

"Hol' up, dude," said CJ, forcing me to stop in my tracks. "I think you owe me something."

I sighed an exasperated sigh once more before turning around. CJ made a gesture with his hands, one that said "Fork it over". I bit my cheek and reached into my coat pocket, grabbing my wallet.

"Oh, would you look at that," I said with a sly smile, trying to weasel myself out of this, "It looks like I don't got twenty bucks on me. I traded it in for Yen. Oh well."

"Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah," CJ said quickly as I closed my wallet and got ready to put it in my pocket, waving his hands to stop me. "Do the math. Twenty American is how much in Yen?"

"Aw crap," I groaned under my breath as I opened my wallet, grabbing one of the beige colored bills. Pulling it out, I approached CJ and slammed the bill down on the table.

"Hell yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about, brother!" CJ exclaimed as he swiped that bill off of the table the moment I let go of the bill, pocketing the money with a huge grin on his face. "Lucky me 'cause I forgot my wallet at home and I need lunch money."

"Dude, you could'a just asked me for lunch money," I sighed as I chuckled, putting away my wallet.

"Yeah, but that wouldn't be so satisfying," CJ smirked, "The look on your face is priceless." Well that's fucking great, I thought, Now he got a taste of how Monika feels when she messes with me.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I said, waving him off, "You just got lucky. I'mma beat your ass next time, though."

From a distance, someone called to CJ. He looked over to the source of the voice, responding back in Japanese. "I'll be right there!" CJ called out in Japanese before looking back at me.

"Look, man, I gotta go," he said, offering his hand, "See you at lunch or something?"

"Yeah, aight," I said, stretching my hand out and doing a handshake with him. He got out of the bench's seat and left. I sighed once more and turned around, only to see the triplets and the Literature Club girls standing behind me.

"You guys didn't see nothing," I said, eyeing the six of them.

"Remind me to come to Sawyer if we ever need money," said Zara with a straight face. The other two triplets nodded in agreement, already planning how to drain me and my wallet using my horrible luck. I know that I was given a hefty allowance from the exchange program, but these guys are still going to run me dry.

"You guys don't do that already?" asked Sayori with a very innocent smile, "He's always paying for me because I always forget my wallet."

"Do you really leech off of Sawyer like that?" asked Natsuki, her arms crossed as she glared at me, knowing that I pamper her too much. "Because if that's the case, it's kind of pathetic."

"For me or for Sayori?"

"The both of you!" Natsuki exclaimed. Meanwhile, the triplets laughed at me, obviously making fun of me. Damn, what a hell of a way to start my morning, huh.

"You sure are a sad little man, Sawyer," quipped Rose as she started walking away with the other two, "Getting pushed around by girls. How about you make a move for a change?"

I looked to Yuri in desperation. At that point, I needed someone to defend me. Surely she wouldn't be so harsh with me, would she?

Yeah, I guess I was mistaken. I could see her trying to suppress a laugh. She has stayed silent for so long, but it seems like she's barely holding in her urge to laugh at my expense. I smirked, trying to hide the embarrassment leaking from my face.

I looked back to the triplets, who were already walking away. Kaylee turned around and gave me a thumbs up and a wink before walking back with her friends. I shook my head and started walking towards the Literature Club girls.

Later, in class

"Wake up, sleepyhead," I heard someone's muffled voice over my snores, though I did not wake. I was already too comfortable where I sat and I didn't want to get up. I was too lazy to open my eyes. And too tired to wake up.

"C'mon, wake up!" the voice beckoned once more, "It's time for lunch." But still I did not get up. I was hellbent on catching up on some sleep. Ain't nothing stopping me from catching a few Z's. Besides, it's just lunch and I had a big breakfast.

"No," I groaned, digging my face deeper into my arm pillow. "Wake me up in ten minutes."

"Nah," said the voice, "You know I'm annoying. I'm not gonna stop."

I shifted in my seat, trying to get even more comfortable as I ignored the girl trying to wake me up. Really, if I focus, I can probably just tune her out. I can just fall into a deeper state of sleep, I can ignore her.

"Well, if you're not gonna wake up," said the girl standing next to me and my desk, "I guess I'm gonna have to kiss you like Prince Charming and Sleeping Beauty." Damnit, could you leave me alone, lady?

I thought she was bluffing. There's no way this girl would kiss my ugly-ass. And I don't think she would resort to that just yet. Then again, I knew this girl. She would do something just to annoy me.

But still, she wouldn't go this far. She wouldn't, would she?

My jaw tensed as I felt the girl's clasped hands close over my exposed ear, feeling her gentle breath run along my earlobes as she leaned in closer for a kiss. Closer and closer, I could almost touch her soft lips if I could move my ears. Wait, what the fuck is she doing? I wondered as I tried to ignore her to my fullest, She's not gonna kiss me, is she? And why there?

My eyes shot open as I heard it. I could hear her slurping in my ear, sending tingles down my spine. It sounded like she just licked me or something. She didn't actually kiss me, but she did do something equivalent. Something discomforting.

My hand shot to my ear, protecting it and seeing if it was wet. Controlling my heart rate, I looked up at the chuckling girl standing over me, her eyes closed as her smug smile stretched across her face.

"Monika, what the hell?" I said in disgust and shock, wondering where the hell that idea came across.

Monika was chuckling with that stupid smile, the one that always mocked me day in and day out. She doesn't get tired of making fun of me, does she? She must really love messing with me. No idea why though. Does she think I'm cute like this or something?

"Well, I had to do something to get you up," she said, "And I'm not gonna kiss your ugly face, so I thought of something else." Nevermind.

"H-hey," I groaned as I tried to stand up. "I ain't no Sleeping Beauty but I know I'm not that ugly."

"Mhm, sure," said Monika with a giggle, "Whatever you say, Narcissus." Damn her!

"So why wake me?" I said as I rubbed my eyes. I could feel my stomach rumbling but I didn't want to eat. I had food in my bag but I was too lazy to bend down and get it.

"Did you already forget?" asked Monika, her arms crossed and a cute pout forming on her face. Really, I'm not used to her making that kind of face. Mostly it's a smug smile that she wore when she tried messing with me. So to see her like that made my heart flutter.

"Forget what?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes, "Were we gonna do something?"

"So you did forget," said Monika, sighing. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever, let's just go."

"What the hell?" I groaned, confused to her sudden change in attitude as I tried to stand up, finding my balance as I followed Monika, who already started making her way to the door. "What did I do?"

In the hallway, like always, there were students hanging out there, shooting the shit as they were having lunch like a normal day. And it could've been any normal day for me. Other than losing twenty bucks on a bet, it's a pretty normal day.

So why doesn't it feel like it?

In front of me, I saw Monika steaming ahead, practically stomping. If she was a giant, her footsteps would be heard from a mile away. And though she wasn't facing me, I could tell she probably does not have her pretty face on judging from the way people moved out of their way. And I sheepishly followed, my hands in my pockets.

After some walking and wading through crowds of people in the hallway, I finally caught up to Monika, who stopped in front of a closed door. In this part of the school, there was barely anyone in the halls. The rest were either still in class or having lunch outside in the courtyard. In fact, it was just the two of us in the hallway alone.

"Monika," I asked, "Is there a reason why you dragged me from my desk? I still need my sleep. Working on all nighters is draining, you know."

"You really should get some sleep," Monika chastised me, "Those eye bags do not look good. People'll start to think you're dead or something."

"Okay, mom," I mocked the girl, who rolled her eyes. "Since when were you so invested in how I look?"

"Well," Monika shrugged, "I'm not gonna lie, you do look alright. Probably not a supermodel but not horrid either."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said with a sigh, "Not too many ladies tell me that."

"Makes sense," said Monika with a giggle before she turned to the door that she stopped at. She grabbed the handle and tried to open the door. Since it was a sliding door, she had to slide it open. But notice how I said "tried".

"What the heck?" said Monika, as she tried to open the door once more, to no avail. It did not budge. "Did they lock it again?"

"What is this place anyway?" I asked as I watched her struggle to get the door open. Honestly, it was pretty funny watching her try to pry the door open for us to go inside. It could be nothing, really. Perhaps it's not that important.

Frustrated, Monika lightly hit the door handle with her fist before stepping away, breathing out an exasperated breath that she was holding in. "It's a music room," said Monika, "I practice my piano here."

At that point, I realized something. More often than not, I would hear the faint sound of a piano being played during lunch. Through the hustling and bustling of activity in the school, a soft and sad piano could be heard playing a simple tune, one that followed one of the common four chord pop song progression. Could it be that it was Monika playing it all along? That… kind of makes sense. After all, I have caught her writing in music notation from time to time.

"I was gonna show you something that I was working on, but the door's locked," said Monika, disappointed that she couldn't spend her lunchtime showing me something she wanted to show me. "Just my luck."

Come to think of it, this is the first time I've spent the lunch period with Monika. She's always running of to something, either going to the music room or helping out with the student council (why the hell do they always ask ordinary students for help?). But now that she has the time to show me something, she's unable to. It doesn't look like she's the luckiest one at all.

"Well," I asked, "Whaddya wanna do now?"

Monika looked to me with a sideways glance, smirking as I tried to lighten the mood. She huffed and puffed once before turning to me once more with her hands on her hips. "Well," she said in a devious tone, "We're alone right now, you know that?"

I looked around once more, only to find out that this was true. Everyone in this hallway was already at lunch and it seems like they weren't the type of people to linger in the halls. This place was truly deserted. Perfect for Monika to practice her music since she wasn't bothering the surrounding classes.

"Yeah?" I said nervously, "So?"

"I still promised to show you something," said Monika, stepping closer to me. I backed up, not knowing what the hell she was doing. I felt embarrassed of course. Is this her way of messing with me again?

"What's gotten into you?" I asked as I backed up into a wall, cornered by the woman before me as she slowly approached me like a predator to its prey. She had a smile as devilish as a Hollywood star, one that sent shivers down my spine.

I pressed my back farther, trying to get as much distance away from her. The palms of my hands were pressed against the wall behind me. But still, she approached.

The devilish smile on her face turned into one of pure amusement as she started laughing. She stepped back a little, giving me room to breathe.

"Oh Sawyer," Monika chuckled, "You're so easy to tease."

I rolled my eyes and chuckled nervously. Seriously, this woman's gonna be the death of me, I swear. I'm not sure if she likes me or if she's messing with me. I'm hoping it's the latter. She is out of my league after all. How could a loser like me go out with a valedictorian like her?

"Oh, Takeuchi-san, there you are," said a voice coming from the hallway adjacent to the one we were standing in. I've seen her around before, but I don't even know her name. Then again, judging from the arm band, I'd assume that she's part of the student council.

"Oh, hey Tana-chan," said Monika, apparently familiar with the girl looking back at us. Monika waved and smiled, one that was very bright like Sayori's. "What's going on?"

"Uh, there's something we need your help with," said the girl named Tana-chan. "Something came up and we're really shorthanded right now."

"Ugh, seriously?" groaned Monika, her demeanor changing from bright and bubbly to down and grumpy. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Oh come on," said Tana-chan, begging for the club leader to accept her request, "If you had joined the student council like you said you would before, we wouldn't have to keep asking you."

"You guys are hopeless," Monika sighed, looking down and shaking her head before turning to me. "I'm sorry Sawyer, but I gotta go. See you back at class, okay?"

I nodded my head once. "Sure," I smirked, "Go ahead. You don't wanna leave them hanging. I'll just meet you back at class."

"Thanks for understanding, Sawyer," said Monika before turning back around, jogging to where Tana-chan was standing. I watched her go as she started chatting with the girl. She was pretty excited to do something with me, considering this is the only time I actually had time to be with her during this period. Even though we were alone for a bit, her luck ran out. She probably is just really unlucky today.

Oh well, I thought, shrugging before walking away. I could feel my stomach growling some more. Really wasn't a good idea to skip breakfast. I should get some food.

And, well, just my luck, the bell rang. I didn't have time to eat at all. I exhaled as I tried to feel how well I was gonna do. Maybe if I could take a nap, I could forget about being hungry.


Honorifics: (Underlined honorifics are the ones used in current chapter)

-san: Most common, it is an all-purpose suffix that can be used in any situation where politeness is expected. Basically the titles Mr. Ms. etc.

-sama: This suffix is one level higher than "-san" and is used to confer great respect.

-kun: This suffix is commonly used at the end of boys' names to express endearment.

-chan: Feminine version of -kun.

Senpai: Superior/Upperclassmen.

Sensei: Master.


A/N: I give up on making a schedule. I'll just post whenever I can. Burnout is a bitch. On top of that, it was finals and I had a lot of shit on my plate for my school and it's only gonna get worse, so I'll just post whenever I can. It doesn't help that I can see the multitude of flaws in my earlier chapters of this fic (I will get to that, just not right now). That and procrastination. Genshin Impact and War Thunder take up a lot of my time.

Well, I have started on two other writing projects. The first one is a fic for a game and I have planned out the first set of chapters, I shall post it when I finish that first set. The second is a group project. I am making a manga with other people for the anime Girls und Panzer. This manga is called Boys und Flugzeug and I'm one of the main plot writers so that's also taking up some time. So TL;DR: I'm bogged down with a lot of stuff so I'll just post whenever I can. I am sorry about that.

Also sorry for the short chapter this time. I'm trying to write about Natsuki but every time I have to write about her I'm at a dead end. Weird. Even the poems that I'm trying to write that are based off of the other characters, I couldn't get Natsuki. Oh well.