~Rise and Fall~
3
A/N For anyone who is reading/has read "Spirit Caller" or any other of my GX stories...
This story is NOT CONNECTED.
This is a completely separate story from my other GX Stories.
It is its own story.
Enjoy^^
It was a rather simple class.
Dueling basics easy enough for even pre-duelers to understand.
It was normal to go over recaps when beginning a lesson...however Mia found it to be dull and was more than relieved when the bell rang and her nightmare was over. She tried to hurry out quickly, wanting to avoid all the whispers and the snickers...
"Mia! Hey!"
"Huh?" the brunette blinked and glanced back to meet the owner of the small voice that spoke behind her, "You're..that Mia, right?" he asked, "Mia Hastings?" asked the small blue haired male.
"Yeah..." she blinked, "That's me..."
"I thought so!" he beamed, "I saw your duel with Zane..." he stated, "In that Championship match two years ago!" he said, "It was a really close match...of course, Zane won in the end." he grinned.
He seemed rather proud, "Oh...my name's Syrus, by the way...I wasn't sure if I actually had a chance to introduce myself yesterday..." he stated, "Syrus Truesdale!"
"Truesdale?" Mia blinked before she let out a soft gasp, " As in...Zane Truesdale?"
"Uh-Huh~" Syrus nodded, "He's my brother!"
"Oh...I see..." she blinked, before awkwardly turning her head off toward the sun setting outside the window.
so THAT was why he seemed so familiar the other night...
"...You must be proud."
"Heh...Yeah." he blinked, "Zane is the best!" he said this with a smile, but underneath the orange light...he actually seemed a little sad, "...I mean...I guess." he sighed, "Anyway...I know we kinda dipped last night when my big brother showed up..." he said softly, "Sorry about that...I just ddin't want him to catch me...u=you uh...didn't tell him I was there, right."
"Are you kidding me?" Mia blinked, "Of course not...I didn't even know Zane was your brother until you just told me." she stated, "Besides...even if I did know...I'm not a snitch remember?" she chuckled, "Trust me...you're safe.
"Phew." he sighed in relief, "Thanks a lot..." he smiled, "Anyway...I still felt kinda bad about it...I know you and Jaden were kind of talking so uh...well...you're welcome to hang out with us if you'd like?" Syrus smiled.
Then he paused.
"Oh but wait...I...guess it would look kind of bad...for you to hang out with a couple of Slifers like us, huh? Sorry..."
"Hm? For what?" Mia blinked.
"Heyyyy~ Mia!" said Jaden waving his arms as he caught the two students talking just outside of the classroom.
"Now that we're free- you should totally duel me!"
Normally Mia wasn't one to turn down a duel...but she just wasn't feeling it right now.
In fact...she was feeling far too much...it was making her internally panic.
O-Oh no...
she thought to herself
It's happening again...!
Socializing wasn't a particular skill she had- even being in a crowded classroom just listening to whispers that weren't even to her or about her made her hair stand on end-
Because what if they were?
"S-Sorry but...I need to get out of here..." she said, darting her head around for a path to take.
"H-Hey wait- Mia?" Syrus blinked as he watched her quickly rush away-
Needless to say it left Jaden a little confused himself
"Was it...something I said?" he wondered.
But Syrus didn't know how to answer him...and just simply shrugged his shoulders.
XXXXX
She managed to make it just to the edge of the woods...
Good. It was quiet here.
She sighed as she leaned her back against the bark and let it slowly scrape down her back as she moved to sit.
Come on Hastings...
Pull yourself together...
She thought to herself, bringing her arms slowly around herself and gripping at her arms tight while trying to calm her heart rate.
You're supposed to be over this by now...
She tried to be anyway...
Forcing herself to go with the girls to that party...
Forced herself to even go to the party...
Talking with Jaden and Syrus there- and even talking to Syrus once more just outside the classroom...
So...she had to be improving somewhere...right?
Ugh...she hated this.
The truth was... ever since she lost to Zane...things hadn't gone well for her...
Not that it was anything Zane did specifically...
But he was certainly where it started...
"I told you you were better off not going. Honestly...you should have just stayed still and looked pretty~ you know- things you're actually good at!"
She sighed slowly lifting her head up to gaze out over the surrounding sea.
This is a boarding school...
You're going to be living with a lot of people around here...
You need to be able to open up again...
She thought to herself.
...Don't let one jerk ruin your whole life...
You WILL beat Zane- and then you'll prove him wrong and tear him a new hole and-and-
She sighed.
"...You'll be okay..."
Her eyes lifted once more having caught a glint in the distance.
Oh I see...it's the lighthouse...
She thought to herself.
It made sense...after all...this was an island...
"Well they say when you are feeling lost in the dark...you should...follow the light." she blinked as she followed the circling beam...
XXXXX
It was colder down by the docks. She trembled and rubbed her arms...She wasn't sure, but she could have sworn the material of the uniform was thin, made from a material that seemed to only tighten against her body...which didn't help her case.
"Jeeze...I'm freezing my nips off..." she muttered as she listened to the sound of her heels scraping against the wet concrete. The sound of the waves was much louder this close to the sea...and despite how pretty the Light House may have looked at night, it was cold, damp, and reaked of fish. However it was also secluded and away from the hustle and bustle of the chaos that was...everyone...
"Mia?"
An all too familiar stoic male voice called out to her, startling her in the darkness. SHe shifted her gaze towards the approaching shadow only to find Zane Truesdale stepping into the light.
"Zane..." she blinked, "What brings you here?" she asked with hands on cocked hips, "...A Hot date?"
"Uhh...yeah..." he said awkwardly blinking toward a passing shadow, "Something like that..." he stated. Catching Mia;s curiosity.
She followed his gaze toward a leaving blonde Obelisk heading back to the girl's dorm.
Alexis?
she blinked.
"Ah. Sorry to interupt." was all she had to say to that and nothing more, turning on her heels to face the blackened sea.
"What brings you?" he asked, "Hiding, are you?" he blinked.
A heated flush colored her cheeks and she puffed them as a response. "Stubborn as always, I see." he chuckled, and a silence fell between them once agan...
"Must be incredibly unappealing, huh?" She scoffed, "Not very lady like or whatever, right?"
"Hm?" Zane blinked curiously, "Why would any of that matter?" he asked curiously, "Personally...I like seeing a young woman with confidence and a strong will." he chuckled, "They're appealing traits...stubborness comes with that sometimes but...in certain circumstances, even that has its charms." he chuckled, "What a strange thing to be concerned about...is that what's bothering you?"
"Oh..." She was...stunned honestly...she hadn't quite expected that sort of response...let alone from a guy Zane...
"It's really unappealing you know? Guys don't like a girl with an attitude~ I swear you're lucky I'm so into you, or you'd probably never get a boyfriend!"
"Mia?" Zane blinked, "Are you okay?"
She quickly snapped out of her memories and shook herself back to the presnet.
Will you snap out of it Hastings!?
He's NOT here!
"Uh- no not really...I mean- yeah, I- I'm fine." she stated awkwardly.
Zane raised a brow, his eyes looked her over, as though reading her for something- but seemed to have stumbled upon something else that...made things a little more awkward...
"Uhm...Mia...?" he spoke with question in his voice.
"What?" she huffed.
"... Are you cold...?"
"What?" this time she found herself puzzled.
What an odd question to ask...
Zane was many things...an expert on small talk however didn't seem to be one of them...
She blinked and gave him an odd look, noticing that he seemed to be trying really hard to avert his gaze. She blinked and looked around thinking maybe she had something on her that stood out...only to find something on her rather...standing up.
"OH!" She let out a yelp and quickly crossed her arms over her chest, blushing profusely, "Son of A-"
"You should head back to your dorm, Mia." said Zane as he walked passed her, eyes still averted, "...You'll catch a cold."
His heavy foot steps receded into the night leaving a blushing and even more frustrated Mia Hastings to hug her budding bosom in protection against the cold of the night time sea breeze. The flush on her face added a little bit of heat but it did not save her while she clenched her chattering teeth, refusing to heed the advice of the older male student.
I bet he thinks he's sooooo cool~
She thought to herself.
Mr. Suave-know it all-smug bastard!
She huffed.
"I SWEAR I WILL END YOUR REIGN ZANE TRUESDALE!" she roared to the sky. The echo carried its way through the mist of the night reaching the male Obelisk's ears. He blinked a few times and let out a single chuckle.
"Heh..." he smiled, rather amused.
Maybe he shouldn't have said anything about it...
So much for trying to help...
Suppose he could have done it better...still...he smiled anyway, listening to her declaration to the cloudy sky.
"I look forward to it...Mia Hastings."
To Be Continued...