Morning Bells and Tardy Slips:

 

Thursday:

 

I go to school with my head held high and my priorities very much in check. Over a good sized bowl of healthy cornflakes and a glass of orange juice, I had made up my mind to go with my greatest strategy yet.

 

The Silent Treatment.

 

I am already infamous in school for that and I know that it will serve me well when it comes to Duo and his attempts to claim my sanity. Little does he know that there is more to me than meets the eye. I have not been class president of each year I have been in Fujisaki High for nothing. How could I allow a relative newbie to the school to humiliate me like this?

 

“Oooh…looks like someone got off the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

 

“And good morning to you too, Quatre,” I greet with a small smile. My blond friend is looking exceptionally dapper today and I can’t help but admire just how good he looks. It’s funny but I haven’t really been one to pay much attention to my friends’ physical features before but ever since you-know-who showed up in my life, I seem to have acquired a keen sense in noticing the littlest of details. Like for instance, I had never noticed that Quatre’s lips had this rather cute quirk whenever he is about to smile or that Trowa (who’s just joined us by the way) – okay, I have always noticed how good Trowa’s hands are. There is just something fascinating about them for some reason. And then there’s Wufei. Geez, had he always looked this handsome in the mornings? His hair seems to gleam with a faint bluish hue in the sunlight and it is rather mesmerizing to watch as well.

 

I suddenly realize that they have stopped talking amongst themselves and are now staring at me as I stare right back at them.

 

“He’s spacing out again,” Wufei says with a snicker.

 

“What happened? Did Duo harass you again?” Trowa jokes and suddenly my relatively good mood is dashed as I hear that name. I must have scowled even harder because they all clear their throats and begin to mumble something about having to be in their classes on time. I fight the urge to tell them that we are all in the same damn class to begin with, but they flee for their lives and leave me standing in the middle of the hall like a fool.

 

“Good morning, Heero!” I stiffen and force a smile to my visage as I spot the person who had hailed me. It’s Hilde and her blond friend (I think she’s the vice president of my fan club), Dorothy Catalonia making their way towards me. They are holding up a very large banner and with matching grins on their faces they point towards the ceiling. I look up and wonder why I hadn’t even noticed that when I had come in. All over the walls and in seemingly every possible corner that can be reached are banners with my name and Duo’s name on it.

 

‘Vote for Heero and Duo! Our Future Senior Presidents!’

 

‘Yay for Heero! Yay for Duo!’

 

‘Who better to represent us than two hotties!!’

“So, what do you think of them?” Dorothy asks as she steps up to me. With her long blond hair and matching forked eyebrows, she has struck fear in many young men’s hearts – that is of course before they got to know her as the tyrannical president of the Tendo Club. Her bark is definitely worse than her bite.

 

I open up my mouth to tell her just what I think when Hilde interrupts with, “Duo thought they looked awesome. We worked hard all week for these. There’s no way you both won’t be elected as Student council president.”

 

“But…there can be only one president, Hilde,” I explain as patiently as I can. My hand tightens around the strap of my bag. The one person I do not want to see this morning is coming down the hallway. He is flanked by two boys from our class but I stubbornly fix my gaze on Hilde’s and break into a smile that seems to shock the girl. I don’t think she’s ever seen me do that before. And what’s this? I think she’s even blushing! Hmm…is my smile really that powerful?

 

/You should smile more often. You look even more beautiful…/

 

Aaaah! Not that again!

 

“Oh we know that there can be only one president,” the dark-haired girl replies with a wink. “This is why we don’t really care who wins…”

 

“Just as long as it’s one of you,” Dorothy finishes with a wave of her hand. “Relena’s been campaigning really hard for you two. You should thank her Heero.”

 

Duo’s coming closer. Act natural. Act as if these two girls are the greatest things since sliced bread. But what do I do? What do I…?

 

“Morning ladies!” comes that familiar cheerful greeting that has each and every nerve ending in my body leaping and thrumming with adrenaline. Please don’t make him stop. Please don’t make him stop. Please don’t stop! Just go!

 

“Hi, Duo! We were just showing Heero the banners we showed you earlier. I think Heero likes them. Don’t you, Heero?”

 

“I…”

 

I can feel five pairs of eyes boring into me and I swallow tightly and manage to say as calmly as I can. “They look great. You both did a fantastic job.”

 

“See?” Hilde looks thrilled and she tugs her companion’s arm gently. “Let’s go put this in the teacher’s lounge. See you boys later!”

 

“Wow, looks like you guys really have this election in the bag already,” one of the boys’ begins to say but I don’t bother to listen neither do I really care to listen. I am sure my face is already looking red because I feel incredibly hot inside. I try to remember my plan of giving Duo the ‘Silent Treatment’ and I take a deep breath before spinning on my heels and walking away. I guess I should thank my lucky stars that he didn’t try to talk to me or I would have really given him a piece of my mind.

 

I make the turn towards the locker rooms and promptly lean against one of them, trying to release the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding in. Is he directly behind me? Had he followed me? It felt as if he had been watching me, but I can’t be sure. And now, after five minutes of standing here like an idiot, I realize that Duo’s not going to show up.

 

What had I been expecting? He to come after me and to repeat his performance of yesterday…

 

(wet, hot, sinfully delicious)

 

…when I hadn’t been expecting it…

 

(tongues clashing, hungrily, greedily)

 

…my mind assuming it was all a dream…

 

(bodies needing, wanting, longing)

 

Ah, fuck. I need a cold shower.

 

 

__

 

 

Friday:

 

Thursday had turned out to be a major disappoint…uum…satisfactory one after all. Duo didn’t bother me - which was a very good thing as Mr. Hayakawa (our math teacher) finally gave me credit for not blundering through a complicated algebraic equation…again.

 

Oh, I forgot to mention that Duo sits at the very last row of the class. Naturally, I am in front and very thankful for that. Of course, it still doesn’t stop me from feeling the weight of his stare or the quick and stolen glances I give every now and then. Sometimes, he catches me watching him and he winks and smiles causing me to curse him inwardly in every language I know.

 

We didn’t even talk much on the bus yesterday. Well, he was engrossed in his homework and I took the time to read (yeah, right) the book I had borrowed from the library. I was very surprised that he had not mentioned the ‘thing’ that had happened in class the other day but if he was willing to pretend as if it didn’t happen, then who was I to instigate the matter again?

 

Although, I am feeling a bit disappointed that he hasn’t mentioned it. I mean…wasn’t it worth remembering? I haven’t forgotten a second of it myself! It’s a miracle I don’t find myself staring at his mouth every time he opens it to say something.

 

But today…today I am beginning to feel cold dread creeping up my spine.

 

Tomorrow is Relena’s party. The day that I and Duo will have to go as a couple. Damn if my stomach isn’t doing a million and one flip flops and hatching butterflies right about now.

 

I can barely taste my food as I listen to the four – yes, you heard me right – four of them chatter away over our lunch. Duo, of course, has to join us now each day as the others had insisted. I couldn’t say anything to deny his presence and eating alone would have given him just the incentive he needs to humiliate me some more.

 

“Do you remember the last party Relena threw?” Trowa says fondly as he slurps rather nosily on his box of orange juice. “It was great.”

 

“That’s the understatement of the year!” Quatre replies with a laugh as he leans closer to Duo as if hoping his words would sink properly into braid-boy’s head. “She had live animals and stuff on her lawn! She invited the coolest rock band to play and I tell you the food was off the chain!”

 

“Heero ate so much that he barfed all over her when she asked him to dance later on,” Wufei chimes in and I can feel my cheeks flooding with color as they all begin to laugh at the memory.

 

But I don’t bother lifting my head as I continue to push the food around on my plate. I hear Duo’s laughter more than the others. Maybe it’s because I’m used to hearing my friends laugh all the time, but Duo’s is different. I can’t explain it well enough, but it makes you feel like joining for no reason at all. It’s infectious, I guess and it makes me feel…odd.

 

“Is Heero a good dancer?” He suddenly asks and I think the chicken I had finally popped into my mouth has gone the wrong way. I begin to choke and Wufei absently begins to pound my back as he responds.

 

“Oh, he’s good when he’s drunk and relaxed enough.”

 

“So, I have to get him drunk then to make him dance well?”

 

“Haha! Good luck trying to find who’s going to spike the punch like they did last year!”

 

I am suffocating and Wufei’s bound to knock me to the floor if he continues hitting my back like that. Sometimes I think he doesn’t even recognize his own strength.

 

“Fi…fine…” I wheeze as I scramble for a cup of water…anything liquid!

 

“Eh? What’s that again, Heero?”

 

“I’m…” My hands find a cup and hardly thinking, I raise it to my lips and gulp it down thirstily. Whew! I feel a bit better now.

 

“Aww, that’s so sweet.”

 

What’s so sweet? I blink and eye them with a raised brow, wondering why they all seem to be snickering at me. Duo then coughs and holds up the empty cup with a grin.

 

“I was going to drink that, Heero.”

 

Oh great! I had just finished Duo’s glass of lemonade and now…who knew what they were going to think? Not that I cared.

 

“I’ll refill it for you,” I say quickly as I reach for the cup.

 

“It’s okay. I’ve got it,” he replies. But I scowl and place my hand around the cup as well daring him to deny me the chance to get his damn drink back.

 

“I said I’ll get it, Duo,” I say through a tight smile and to my inner surprise, he matches my smile and replies just as coolly.

 

“It’s just a stupid drink, Heero. I do know where the fountain is. I can get a refill.”

 

“I drank it, so I’ll refill it.”

 

“Don’t bother. I’ve got this one.”

 

“I’ll do it, Duo. Stop being such a stubborn asshole and let me do it.”

 

“Look who’s talking. If you didn’t have your head stuck in your ass half of the time, maybe you’d have been able to notice that not everyone’s out to ruin your life!”

 

“Oh, is that right? And I assume that the devil didn’t send you to this school to ruin this so called life of mine, eh? It’s all thanks to you that I’m in this mess!”

 

“You’re in a mess? You’re in a mess?! I’m the one who’s chasing you like a goddamn moron! Can’t you see what’s so obvious, Mr. I-Wanna-Be-President-So-Bad-I-Don’t-Really-Give-A-Shit-About-Anyone-Else?”

 

“For your information, I have been in this school for much longer than you have and I think I have every right to be the Student Council President! If you hadn’t come into my life, this whole thing would have been in the bag! I wish to fucking heaven that I had never met you!”

 

And as soon as I say those words, I feel something heavy fall to the pit of my stomach. I feel sick. Incredibly sick and remorseful as I watch his handsome features go pale for a moment and the undeniable flash of pain that fills those expressive eyes of his. I know that our little outburst has caused a scene and that everyone is staring at us again, but none of that matter to me. I have hurt Duo and badly too.

 

“Duo…I didn’t…”

 

“I think I’m full,” he says with a forced smile as he gets to his feet and picks up his tray. He nods to the other guys and without looking back, carefully winds his way through the students that had stopped to watch us. As soon as he leaves the cafeteria, the murmurs begin and I can only groan and bury my face in my hands in dismay. What am I doing? Just what am I doing?!

 

“You had better find him and apologize,” Quatre says quietly as he squeezes my shoulder gently. “Or else…”

 

A light cough interrupts his words and before I know it, I feel warm, slender but strong arms around my shoulder. I lift up my head to stare blankly into Relena’s smiling visage. Oh, she’s smiling alright, but beneath that I can tell she’s not particularly fond of what she had just witnessed.

 

“Heero’s just going through a tough and emotional rollercoaster, aren’t you, Heero?”

 

I am not sure I know what to say.

 

“You see,” she continues. I guess she didn’t need my answer after all. “You see, being in a relationship especially one as turbulent and as hot as you and Duo’s, it’s only natural that you two have issues to deal with, right?”

 

She gives my shoulders a light squeeze and I can see the warning glint in her eye.

 

“Now, why don’t you be a good boy and go find Duo, okay? I’m sure he’s waiting for you…” She leans closer and whispers quickly into my ear. “You’ll find him there most definitely. Now go.” And placing a light kiss on my cheek, she walks away with about a group of ten girls marching behind her like a small army.

 

 

__

 

 

Roughly eight and a half minutes later, I find myself standing before the large doors with the sign ‘Emergency Exit’ written on it.

 

/He always sits on the stairs outside the emergency exit doors. I think it’s his quiet spot…/

 

I have my quiet spot and that’s in the classrooms after school. Everyone’s entitled to their place of solitude but I would never have imagined Duo having one. But what’s worse is that I cannot think of the right words to say to him even if I do meet him face-to-face. Just what can one do at a time like this? I can’t just march up to him and say ‘Look, I’m sorry, okay? Let’s just kiss and make up.’ Unfortunately, as tempting as that sounds, I highly doubt he’d even want to see my face let alone want to lock lips with me.

 

But this is no time to stand around and feel sorry for myself! I just have to take the initiative and…

 

Click!

 

My head whips quickly to the right and for a moment, my mind does not seem to register what it’s seeing. I know where those doors lead to. They lead to the rooms where school files and records are kept. It is a level that not many students are allowed to come to and only a few select (or the elite) are sent here to retrieve important information. So what in the world is he doing there?!

 

I grit my teeth and walk towards his crouched figure. He doesn’t even bother to hide or acknowledge me but instead continues to slide the small black hair pin into the lock with a concentration that’s rather intriguing to watch.

 

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” I finally ask after about two minutes of staring at the top of his head.

 

“Shssh! I’m almost done…”

 

“Are you out of your mind?!” And just why am I whispering as well? “This is a highly classified location and if you are caught…!”

 

“You’ll just say you never saw me,” he replies with a smirk.

 

“You are insane! You’ll never be able to open up that door…”

 

A much louder click is heard and with a gentle twist of the metal handle, he opens up said door and grins in satisfaction. I watch him tuck away the pin into his hair and I am sure I am gaping in awe and yet annoyance. This guy’s a fucking criminal!

 

“Who are you?” I finally ask coldly as I block the door to prevent him from going any further. “Tell me who you are now, Duo Maxwell.” I can feel my heart pounding harder as I stare defiantly into his amused depths. Finally, he gives a long suffering sigh and then frowns suddenly throwing me completely off guard.

 

“I am actually a top secret agent from the FBI sent here to investigate the recent increase in a student testing and scoring fraud scheme. I was not supposed to reveal my identity until the investigation was complete but now that you have found out, I am afraid I’m going to have to kill you.”

 

He reaches into his jacket and I think my mind completely shuts down as the overwhelming emotions of shock, disbelief, dull fear and yet bitter disappointment of which I have never experienced seems to paralyze my body. He looks dangerous. His eyes are dark and ruthless. He’s going to bring out his gun (I am not really sure of how he managed to smuggle such a weapon into school in the first place) and he’s going to…

 

“Bang. And you’re dead.”

 

I stare blankly at the finger that’s pointing towards me and before I can control myself, I dive towards him, hands outstretched to wrap them around his throat.

 

The fucking bastard tricked me! And here I was thinking I had breeched national security or something. I am so going to kick his ass…

 

“Hurry, someone’s coming!”

 

And before I can even think straight, he pushes be back into the room he had just unlocked and carefully but quickly closes the door behind him. The soft click of the lock falling into place leaves us in pitch darkness and as I try to lift myself off the floor (the moron had knocked me to the ground), I give a small cry of surprise as I feel his weight upon me.

 

I can feel his hot breath against my skin and I can only shiver in response. I know it’s going to take a few more seconds before I can adjust my sight to the darkness but damn if my body isn’t already dancing the tango as I feel his hard length against mine.

 

Someone moans and I sincerely hope it’s not me.

 

“And now,” comes the husky words that seem to drip with pure heat as I feel his hands move slowly behind me. “It’s time for us to play a little game, Heero…”

 

 

~End Period Five~