Title: School Tales #16 - The Missing
Vote
Pairing: 1+2+1
Rating: R
Warnings: AU, shounen-ai, Heero's POV
__
Chapter Sixteen:
Funny how time flies when you’re
definitely not having fun…
Monday:
6.30am (At the Bus Stop):
I’m feeling nervous – as if this is the
first day of school for me all over again. Well, it is actually my first day
back after the suspension. I could barely sleep a wink the night before. My
stomach had felt as if it were hatching millions of butterflies and even
speaking to the guys last night hadn’t helped much. I hadn’t been in my uniform
for a while and the stiffness of my starched and pressed dress shirt, jacket
and pants, took some getting used to.
I shift my bag from one shoulder to the
other, swallowing tightly as I listen to the familiar sounds of a sleeping city
waking up for another day. I’m going to get to school quite early today since
it is all a part of my strategy. I want to acquaint myself with the grounds
again. Perhaps a quick walk around the school will help to fight off my
nervousness.
If you’re wondering what happened to Duo
and I after that incident in the storeroom, I can sum it up in one simple but
rather painful word.
Nothing.
Don’t get me wrong. We did talk and see
each other over the course of the past few weeks, but there was a noticeable
tension in the air whenever we were together. I couldn’t seem to say anything
right and he seemed to be walking on eggshells around me. It was as if we were
both afraid to say something that would trigger emotions we didn’t want to
delve into. I had found myself staring at my tattoo, whenever I was alone,
wondering if it was mocking me for doing something so rashly over an emotion I
thought I had for Duo. Had it all just been on a whimsy? Had I been so eager to
give myself to someone that I had assumed I was…that I had felt something for
Duo? I honestly tried to talk to him, to find out just what was going through
his mind, but as you already know, speaking in such a way is not really my
forte. I end up saying the wrong thing and I seem to send us even further
apart.
“Ah, morning son! Haven’t seen you
around here in a while. How’s it going?”
I manage a small smile towards Mr.
Venture, the bus driver, as I step onto the bus. “Everything’s been great, sir.
I was just taking a mini vacation.” I send my token flying down the small black
chute, while noticing that the bus only has two other passengers. My feet begin
to take me towards the usual back seat and for one moment, I can see Duo
sitting there with his homework opened on his lap and a wave for me to come
join him.
Ah hell, I think I’ll just sit in the
front today.
__
Thirty minutes later and I am standing
within Fujisaki High School grounds again. Students usually come wandering in around
seven-thirty, which means I have at least half an hour to get my act together
and fast.
I step into the relatively empty
building, smiling softly as the familiar scents of polished linoleum floors;
ink, fresh paper, chalk from the classrooms and warm toast and hot coffee from
the cafeteria fill my nostrils. I notice that the banners for the elections are
still up and if Zechs’s phone call last week was any indication of things to
come, the upcoming democratic process is going to be a very interesting one. He
had somehow managed to convince the school board to wait until our return. It
seemed as if many of the students had protested Kenzo’s automatic ascension to
Junior President and they had demanded a recount. So as it stands, Duo and I
are still in the running and the debates are going to be held in a few days. In
my opinion, it isn’t enough time to get my arguments and points ready, but I’ll
have to make do somehow.
“Oh my gosh! Heero is that you?”
I stop dead in my tracks as the
purple-haired girl comes running towards me. “Hilde? What are you doing in
school so early?” I ask in surprise as she comes to a stop inches before me.
She’s grinning from ear to ear and I flush in embarrassment at the look in her
eyes. Isn’t she the one who had hated my guts when Duo had first made his
presence known in this school? It’s funny how things can change in the space of
a few months.
“I’m the library helper for the week,”
she explains as she holds up the textbooks in her arms. “A few of us have to
come to school pretty early to help get the place ready. But wow…it’s so good
to see you again! Relena’s going to be thrilled and of course you know she’s
going to be campaigning hard for you.”
“Ah well…thanks…”
“No problem…oops!” One of the books
slips from her grasp and I reach down quickly to pick it up. For a moment,
nothing seems out of place, except for it being just a book on Quantum Physics,
but as I lift the book a bit closer to me, I finally take note of the name of
the author.
J.D. Maxwell.
Maxwell. I blink slowly and then shake
my head to get rid of where my errant thoughts are headed. I don’t know why I’m
even comparing the two names. It could very well be any Maxwell and not
necessarily in correlation with Duo. Yeah, right. Duo writing a Quantum Physics
textbook? Now that would be the laugh of the century.
“I didn’t know you took Quantum
Physics,” Hilde says as she takes the book away from me to tuck it carefully
beneath her arm. “Do you?”
“No. I might take that in my senior
year, who knows?”
“That would be so cool. You’re smart
enough to take such a class,” she replies with a wink. “Anyway, I’ve gotta run.
I have to turn this in to Mr. Jameson’s desk in a few minutes. It’s good to see
you back again!”
I smile and watch her make her way down
the hallway. Yes, it does feel good to be back in school again and as I hear my
name being called by yet another student, I know without a doubt that this is
going to be one of the longest and yet best days of my life.
Or so I think.
__
School Library
12.41pm
I read the screen before me again, just
to be sure that my eyes are not deceiving me in any way.
J.D
Maxwell is an author of over twenty educational and science-related books
including Biology, Physics and Chemistry. He has published over fifty articles
and thesis that have been featured in prominent schools of higher learning
across the globe. He is happily married with two children and now prefers to
spend his days in his countryside home, away from the public spotlight.
Every other article I pull up on him
seems to tell me the same thing - prominent and prolific scientist and author -
happy with his wife and kids - semi-retired…
Shit.
They don’t tell me anything. It’s either
Maxwell’s an extremely private man or there is just nothing else going for him.
A wife and two kids.
Could one of the kids be…Duo?
What the hell am I thinking? I shouldn’t be putting the two
together! For starters, there are five other Maxwell’s in this school. Two of
whom are siblings and in their freshman year, one in his third year like me,
and one other – a senior, who I’d rather not talk about. The last Maxwell is a
janitor, so he doesn’t count.
I tap my fingers restlessly on the
table, my gaze drifting towards the large glass window on my left. I can see
several students in their gym uniforms (dark blue shorts and white t-shirts)
all getting ready to head out to the basketball courts. I notice its Coach
Septum’s class today and sure enough, Duo comes out with that familiar
confident stride of his…accompanied by a few boys and talking as loud as they
possibly can. He suddenly stops to fall on a knee as he hurries to tie a loose
shoelace on his sneakers.
We had only given each other a
perfunctory ‘hello’ this morning and not much else. We both realize that our
‘friendly’ tendencies would have to be put on hold, as the upcoming election
would take precedence. One of us is trying to take that coveted seat after all
and believe me, despite appearances, I still want it badly.
However, if I wish to clear up the
mystery about Duo’s past, there’s only one way to go about it. It’s hard to
believe that during our time together, conversation regarding that had never
come up. But now, I will wait no more. I have to know about Duo’s background
even if he considers me a meddling bastard.
__
Several thought-provoking minutes
later:
“Hey…where’re you going, Heero?”
“I’ll be right back. I just have to find
Duo and talk to him about something,” I reply quickly while placing what I hope
to be a reassuring smile on my features. Wufei eyes me warily for a moment
before shrugging lightly.
“Alright. But hurry up, okay? I don’t
think I can hold your tray for that long. The usual?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“No prob.” He smiles wanly and then
begins to head off towards the cafeteria, only to stop and say in a quiet
voice. “Hope you guys work things out. The tension is killing us.”
He walks off before I can muster up
something to say in response and I’m grateful he did so. I’m not sure I would
have found the right thing to say anyway. You’re not the only one who’s having
a hard time of it, Wufei, I sigh to myself as I push open the doors that will
lead me to the basketball courts.
The class is clearly over and many of
the boys, all drenched with sweat from their exertions are either making their
way to the locker rooms or heading straight for the cafeteria. Several
cheerleaders (probably their girlfriends) hang around the fences, batting
lashes and smiling coyly as they await their men. Snickering to myself, I make
the turn into the court, only to stop in mid-stride as I overhear the
conversation taking place between Duo and some other guy, whose name escapes me
at the moment.
“What are you saying?” Duo’s talking. He
must be running in place or something because the words had been said in a
rather breathless tone.
“Well…ya know…just a couple of us guys
are gonna be hanging out at Frankie’s this Friday. We figured you’d want ta
join us? Whaddaya say?”
“Frankie’s? That ol’ coot’s joint?”
The boy laughs and through the bushes, I
spy him placing a hand upon Duo’s upper arm. I can only see the boy’s brown
tousled hair, but from the way he seems to lean so close to Duo…
God help me, if I don’t feel like
choking the life out of him!
“Andre coming?”
I stiffen.
“Andre?” Duo seems to think over the
name as he bounces the ball a few more times. “He says he’s gonna be out of
town for the weekend. His folks want to see him and all of that bullshit.”
He grunts and I hear the sound of the
ball bouncing off the steel rim before slipping through the basket with a soft
swish.
“Bummer, man. That guy always has the
best shit, ya know?”
Duo laughs and runs for the ball. He
begins to bounce it again. “You got that right.”
He suddenly gives a surprising yell this
time and through the slightly thick clump of bushes, I see that he’s about to…
“Woooza!!! Slam dunk, baby!” The boy
cries out in euphoric pleasure and hi-fives Duo, who in turn gives him the
ball.
“Your turn, numb nuts,” he teases and
reaches for a towel that’s strewn over a bench. He sits down, knees apart, t-shirt
damp with sweat and molded to his back. His braid is trailing down said back,
hands reaching for a water bottle…lips parting, bottle placed against them,
that small lump of flesh on his throat working up and down as he drinks
thirstily…
Dear god, if I can only stop gawking
long enough to walk up to him and…
“Damn!” The boy cries out as he misses
his dunk by a mile. Duo laughs again and tosses the contents of the bottle all
over his hair and face. I lick my lips slowly, wondering if having thoughts of
licking off the combined taste of sweat and water off his body is legal.
“You suck, man,” Duo teases. “Want me to
teach you how it’s done?”
I bite my lower lip, remembering how and
when those same words were said to me.
“Nah, its cool, dude. You’re the man!”
The boy sits next to Duo and I groan in dismay. My legs are beginning to itch
and I think burying my nose in these bushes is beginning to affect me. I might
sneeze in a minute or two but I’ve got to hold it in or they’ll know I’m spying
on them.
“Say…you know what everyone in the
crew’s been saying, right?”
Duo remains silent and I lift my head
again to see what’s going on. He seems to be looking into the distance and is
relatively expressionless. But from here, I can sense a tension that seems to
roll off him in waves. His hands are now clenched between his knees.
Finally, “What are they saying?”
The boy smirks and leans closer. “We’re
all gonna vote for ya in the upcoming election. Heero’s such a stiff wet end,
if ya know what I mean. Hehe, everyone thinks he’s some faggot since he doesn’t
even like the ladies, ya know? Damn bastard had the guts to get Big S expelled
last summer because he’s a goddamn snitch! From the day he came to this school,
he’s been such a suck up. Always kissing ass and wanting to be Mr.
Peeeeerfect.” The boy stopped long enough to take a drink from his water
bottle.
As for me…I’m too stunned…surprised…and
I think I’m hurt, but maybe I’m just going to mask that emotion beneath the
anger that’s beginning to well up from somewhere deep in the pit of my stomach.
How dare they? Who the fuck were they to
call me…?
“Man, you should have seen the pranks we
used to pull on him when he was a freshman!”
Oh no…don’t…don’t bring that up now! Not
in front of Duo!
“We used to leave death threats in his
locker…or we’d hide his shoes and the damn bastard would walk home on barefoot!
Hahaha! It was a hoot! The best one was when we stole all his clothes and he
went and hid himself in the fucking locker rooms because wittle Heero Yuy was
afraid of going home all naked and…aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!”
My eyes widen in disbelief as I watch
the proceedings. Duo’s on his feet in a pose I had witnessed in the courtroom a
month and some days ago. I cannot see his _expression, but it’s clear that
whatever it is, the boy now sprawled on the floor, is absolutely terrified of
it.
“Whuuff tho fugh wuff thaff fof??” he
mumbles while holding a hand to his bleeding nose. He’s trying to stagger
backwards, but Duo pulls him back upright by the scruff of his shirt. His words
are low and earnest but I can hear them just fine.
“That was for being an asshole,” Duo
mutters tightly. “You wanna laugh at Heero in my face again? Do that and I’ll
break every fucking bone in your body, got it?”
The boy nods fervently, green eyes still
wide with fear and even greater respect.
“There now,” Duo breaks into a warm
smile as he lets the boy go, while pawing at his shirt as if to straighten out
the wrinkles. “We never had this conversation, right?”
The boy nods again. Of course they
hadn’t.
Duo’s smile widens. “Your nose got
broken because you bumped into a pole or a fence or make something up. You’re
good at that, right?”
“Suuff…thinff,” the boy agrees readily.
His white shirt is now being stained with his blood and Duo makes a face and
shoos him off.
“Go clean yourself up or something.
You’re making a mess.”
Not needing to be told twice, the boy
scurries away like a frightened mouse, ever so often turning back with fearful glances
in hopes that Duo doesn’t change his mind and come charging after him.
With the boy now gone (thankfully he had
been too concerned about his injured flesh and hadn’t noticed me amongst the
bushes), Duo sits on the bench and leans back with his eyes closed. This is the
chance I need. All I have to do is walk up to him and ask him a few questions
and we can go back to being distant friends again.
But…Duo…Duo had stood up for me. I still
can’t believe it but I a part of me had been sure that the long-haired boy
would have broken into giggles at my predicament. Those incidences in my
freshman and sophomore years are not something I like to talk about and I’ve
pushed them into the deepest recesses of my mind. I’m sure everyone’s
experienced one or two unpleasantries in their days in school. There really is
no need to rehash such things. Why go through the pain and humiliation when
your whole life and future lies ahead of you.
So why then is my heart pounding so
incredibly fast? Why won’t my hands remain steady? Why does my throat suddenly
feel as parched as a desert in summer?
A sound breaks me out of my reverie and
I realize with slight panic that Duo’s about to get off the bench. I push
myself away from my hiding place and walk onto the court, hoping that I have an
_expression of absolute nonchalance and boredom on my features.
He had turned to pick up his towel, but
has cocked his head to the side to eye me warily. My hand tightens around the
textbook in my hand and I swallow tightly, forcing myself to hold his stare. Do
I see a flicker of sorrow or pain in those eyes? It must be my imagination for
Duo gives a half shrug and reaches for the towel again to wipe himself dry.
“So…how much of that did you see?” His
voice sounds muffled within the cloth and I figure it wouldn’t be best to lie
in this situation.
“Everything.”
“Ah…”
“I just hope you don’t believe any of
those stories about my first years in this school. It’s nothing but…”
“I don’t give a fuck about that, Heero,”
he interrupts me coolly as he reaches for his water bottle. He shakes it as if
hoping that there would be something left inside. “I didn’t exactly have a
peachy time as a freshman either.” Seeing that his bottle is completely empty,
he gives a rather cute pout (I can’t believe I think that) and eyes the vending
machine a few feet away from us. “Got a buck on ya? I’ll pay you back inside.”
My hand is already reaching into my
pants pocket and I pull out my wallet. He whistles and I turn a bright red as I
run through the bills and several credit cards to find the right change for
him. Shoving the money into his hand, he breaks into a sunny grin and for a
moment, I completely forget what the hell I had come out for in the first
place.
“Thanks, friend. I’ll pay you back.”
I’m about to say ‘Don’t worry about it’,
but knowing Duo, he’ll probably get into a tirade about me being a snob and…
“So what did you want to see me about?”
he asks as he slips the note into the slot. I hadn’t even realized I had been
walking after him.
“Uuum…” Concentrate, Heero! “I wanted to
ask you about your father.”
If he’s surprised or shocked or angry,
he shows no sign of it. His back is to me anyway and he’s still too busy trying
to choose what flavor soda he wants.
“My father?” he asks. He finally punches
the button for a lemon-lime drink. “Who says I have a father?”
“Ah…” Okay, I hadn’t foreseen that
possibility for some reason, although I should have thought of that from the
beginning. “What about your mother?”
“What’s this? Twenty questions?” He
turns around and pops open the can. He’s still smiling but there’s a wariness
about him now that tells me that I am about to tread on dangerous ground. But
I’m not backing out now. I’ve got to know even if it kills me – let’s just hope
it doesn’t get that far.
“You know about my family so it’s only
fair that I know about yours,” I defend quickly.
He takes a swig and leans against the
machine. The sounds of other students playing on the grounds swells around us
and it reminds me of just where we are. I sometimes have the tendency to think
that only Duo and I exist whenever we are together.
“What’s that book for?” he suddenly asks
and I blink in bemusement.
“This?” I stare dumbly at the textbook
for a second. “Oh, it’s just a…well…I thought that your father was the author
of this book.”
Of course I should have expected it, but
hearing it is a whole other matter altogether. His laughter rings loud and
clear in the afternoon and I feel my cheeks heating up with embarrassment.
“Hahahaha!! My dad an author?! That’s a
hoot!” He wipes tears from his eyes and he stares at me for a moment before
breaking out into even more laughter. He wraps an arm around his torso, his
entire body heaving with the effort of his endless mirth. Several students
walking by glance at us in confusion and I don’t blame them for quickening
their steps and leaving in a hurry. Duo’s going berserk here!
“Duo…if you’ve laughed enough…”
“Next thing you know, my dad’s gonna be
the president of the States!”
That does it! Growling, I toss the book
to the side and wrap my arms around his neck to get him in a headlock. He’s
surprised by the sudden move, but doesn’t stop laughing at me as he places a
leg between mine and attempts to send me toppling to the ground. I can feel the
slow warmth and tingle of giggles somewhere in my stomach, but when Duo places
an arm around my waist, it escapes in the form of laughter.
We grapple in a mock wrestling match,
his drink long forgotten as he tosses it to the side to focus on kicking my
butt. I think I hear someone saying ‘Hey, Heero and Duo are fighting!’ in the
background, but I can care less about that. This…this is fun! Being with Duo is
fun and just when I think I have the upper hand, he does the unthinkable, sending
my thought processes screeching to a mind-numbing halt as my hand feels the
obvious bulge in his shorts. Gasping in shock at his bold move, he smirks and
kicks out his left leg again to trip me. This time, I go down willingly, my
breaths coming out in harsh gasps as he straddles me with a wide grin.
“I win!”
“That…that was dirty…” I pant weakly.
His face is flushed, his smile a permanent fixture on his handsome features. I
want him off me but yet…not. But we have a crowd now and everyone’s wondering what
the two political rivals are fighting about.
“What’s so dirty about it?” he asks
around a smirk. “Winning is a dirty business. You, of all people, should know
what I mean.”
I blink at the comment and notice that
the smile, although still there, isn’t quite in his eyes after all. I swallow
tightly and clench my teeth. “What…what are you going to do, Duo?”
“What?!” He looks flabbergasted. “And
let you know all my secrets? I should think not. Why are you so eager to know
about them anyway?”
“So they are alive?” I ask quickly. He
snorts and rolls his eyes.
“They might.”
“What do you mean ‘they might’? Haven’t
you seen them in a long time?”
He taps his chin as if in deep thought.
I think the crowd is beginning to lose interest in us. It’s clear they aren’t
going to see a real fight anytime soon.
“Hmmm…you could say that,” he finally
says with a small smile. “Or maybe it’s the other way around.” He winks and
gets off me with a light grunt.
I sit up in complete bemusement.
“Duo…are you saying that your parents don’t…didn’t…”
…abandoned
you?
“Don’t sweat the small stuff, Heero,” he
says with another smile as he runs off to pick up his towel. I can hear the
bell tolling in the distance as a reminder for us to head towards the next
class. “We have a presidency to win. In this case, I’m going to be the one
kicking your butt. So see ya around!”
He waves and jogs off leaving me all
alone in the middle of the basketball court. What had I learned? Nothing
really. I do know that Duo’s father isn’t J.D Maxwell…but that his parents were
probably still around…somewhere. Perhaps I could convince him to let us go
search for them, but I doubt my idea would be well received.
“Oi…Heero! What the hell are you doing
down there?! Let’s go!”
I arch my neck to see Wufei, Trowa and
Quatre waiting for me outside the fence. I sit up slowly and dust off the seat
of my pants, my mind still whirling with a million and one ideas, thoughts and questions.
The debate will begin in two days.
There’s no doubt that my opponents seem ready to tackle the tasks at hand. But
what about me? Am I really ready?
/Winning
is a dirty business. You, of all people, should know what I mean./
Just how dirty is too dirty? Just how
low does one have to go to achieve whatever dreams he or she seeks to attain.
Is Duo trying to say that I’ve been playing dirty all this time? Was that boy
right after all? Have I been a suck up and a brownnoser all these years?
I would like to think I’m not.
But somehow…I’m really beginning to
doubt that notion.
I’m beginning to doubt that very much.
~End Period Sixteen~