*...* internal thought
----- flashback
**** identifies a break in scenes
[1,2,3,4,...] author notes at the bottom of fic
Author's notes: well, well, well... this part is going to be mainly a flashback of the boys in high school; at the beginning of their relationship. Also, the clarify a point that I'm not sure if I've made or not, Sank High is not a typical public high school... it's more like a private high school where the elite of Sank send their children... and they do wear uniforms... of course... I may have ruined this by mentioning in previous parts that Sank was a typical public high school, so I still have to read through previous parts I've written... but let's say for sake of argument now, SHS is like a private institution. ^_^;;
A Class Act Part 6
Back To The Beginning
Rain splattered on the windows of Wufei's shiny red jeep. Since he was in the passenger seat, Heero didn't have to concentrate on the slightly risky driving conditions and could let his thoughts wander. When the two men had started out on their trip to the beach, the day had been sunny and enjoyable. However, the weather had turned with the fall of late afternoon and it had begun to rain when the two ex-classmates had decided to leave the beach. Through mutual consent, they had decided to return to J's estate and see if the rest of their weeklong housemates had returned from the garden tours.
Wufei drove his jeep along the picturesque coastline, smoothly shifting the gears of his beloved jeep. The steady, pouring rain pounded against the soft top of the vehicle; the dying light of the sun reflecting in muted red and gold off of the drizzling water on the windows. Wufei's radio was programmed to Sank's quiet rock station, the muted strains of some soft rock band filling the silence in the car.
The smooth sounds of the jeep's clutch and gears, mixed with the sounds of rain and the slosh of tires through puddles of water, were nostalgic triggers to Heero, turning his thoughts to memories he had long ago believed dead and buried. The company and the music had been different back then, but so had he.
Heero stared straight ahead, his gaze turned inwards, even as his eyes followed the rather hypnotizing swishing of the jeep's wiper blades. The sun finally gave in and disappeared beneath the horizon, darkness settling like a soft blanket over the land. The jeep's headlights cut through the early evening, reflecting off of the falling rain.
Memories came unbidden to Heero, of another rainy night and another ride in a jeep, which had been one of the first pivotal turning points in his life during the golden days of high school.
----------------------
[about 12 years ago, during the boys' sophomore year - roughly around early spring]
*Damn.*
The Japanese boy grimaced as yet more water rose to drench his already soaked body. Walking on the side of the road had definitely not been a good idea, given the current weather conditions. While it may be idyllic and pleasant when the weather was sunny, during the rain it was pure misery. Not only was he getting an unwanted shower from the heavenly downpour, but every time a car passed him, the resulting mini-tidal wave from wheels passing through puddles ensured that he became thoroughly saturated.
The balmy temperature of the spring day had dissipated in favor of the cooler Sank nights, which made the rain just more miserable. Of course, it wouldn't have mattered if Heero had been at home, curled up with a good book, watching the rain from a safe and dry haven. However, circumstances and fate were not being kind and he instead found himself walking in the downpour on the side of the road.
*Feh. Just the perfect ending to the perfect day,* he thought uncharitably, his mind wincing as he remembered the fiasco of the school day, even as his skin continued to pebble with goosebumps.
First there had been the disaster during P.E. The teacher had decided to chance the looming forecast and proceed with the planned 'Battle of the Sexes' baseball game. Boys against girls, oh joy.
Heero hated baseball.
Actually, he hated most sports. He detested them thoroughly and avoided playing them at all costs. Which was probably one of the reasons he was so deplorable at them. Or maybe it was the other way around.
Either way, the gym teacher, who Heero was certain had a vendetta against him, had insisted that ALL students had to participate in the game, or they would receive an 'incomplete' for the day. Still, he had managed to wade through the entire game rather unnoticed and ignored by the rest of the players, even though he was the weakest member of the boys' team.
Of course, he wasn't lucky enough for the streak to continue.
During the sudden death overtime, the boys had been the last up to bat. Of course, fate would conspire against him and place Heero as the last, clean up batter, either the hope or the doom of the team.
Talk about peer pressure.
Actually, talk about the sudden 'death-glares' thrown his way.
As if he wasn't nervous enough, having the sudden attention of ALL the players on him just increased his tension and stress. And he couldn't help but notice the groans from most of the other boys, or the wicked gleam in the eyes of the opposing team.
In the end, the result was inevitable. Boys lost, girls won, and Heero was dead, the last part being metaphorical of course.
----------------------
"Way to go, Yuy," a classmate said, his sarcastic tone brittle and harsh. "Thanks for losing the game for us."
"What'd you expect? Given his breeding, it's not surprising he didn't inherit any skills," came one extremely hurtful, though not unfamiliar, comment.
"Yeah, where'd you learn to hold a bat, Yuy? You hit like a girl, so maybe you should join the girls' team next time!" sneered another.
The girls were no better, making their own dents in his battered feelings, whether intentional or not. "No thanks! We want to win again, not lose like you!"
----------------------
Heero had been left on the field, alone with no desire to rush into the locker room with the others. He had no desire to face even more snipes and jeers by his fellow students, which assuredly awaited him in the showers. He lingered on the field, trailing long behind the others. P.E. was fortunately the last class of the day and there was plenty of time to change since he didn't have another class. However, while he was still on the baseball field, the heavens decided to let loose their promised burden and the downpour had begun.
By the time Heero reached the locker rooms, he didn't need that shower anymore.
He had rubbed at his face, telling himself he was just wiping off rainwater, and proceeded to change into his regular school uniform after toweling himself dry. Luckily for him, the locker room had been emptied by the time he arrived, and he didn't run into any trouble or hounding.
After P.E., he had to head up to his homeroom since he was on clean-up detail that week. That always took a good chunk of time and it was late afternoon by the time he and the other two students were done.
He grabbed his stuff from his locker and was about to leave school when he remembered that he had a report due in science the next day. The school's library was closed that week due to a fumigation problem, which meant he needed to go to the city library for his research material. And of course, the day was Thursday, so of course the city buses didn't run even close to the library. Plus, his father never got done with work until around 8 or 9 at night, so that option was out.
Damn. So, not only did he have to trek by foot into town to the library, he had to do it in the driving rain. The journey on foot would take a good hour or so, since Sank High was on the opposite side of the town. And this would be the one day he forgot his umbrella at home. Double damn.
Heero sighed and chalked the day up to one of those times it just didn't pay to get out of bed, despite threats from your mother. Gritting his teeth, he had set forth from his school and began to walk to the Sank City Library.
Of course, the perfect ending to his rotten afternoon would be the fall of night and the continuous splashing of passing cars. Heero fervently looked forward to finally reaching the library, checking out his needed books, and heading home.
The beeping of a car horn behind him dragged the boy from his depressed cloud of thinking. Glancing over his shoulder, all he could see were the headlights of the coming vehicle. Thinking the driver must only be warning him about his approach, Heero moved further into the side of the road and kept walking.
However, that was obviously not what the driver had in mind and Heero was surprised as the jeep suddenly pulled over to the side of the road just ahead of him. Heero was puzzled because he didn't recognize the jeep. He didn't have any friends that had cars, in fact he didn't have any friends at all, and his father drove a run down truck and his mother didn't drive at all. The black jeep's engine purred smoothly, obviously well maintained and cared for.
Just the tiny bit curious, despite his current misery, Heero walked up even with the driver's side of the jeep, keeping just a little bit of distance should the driver be some crazed wacko.
As he reached the window, it rolled down to reveal a heart-shaped face and a friendly smile that was familiar to the drenched boy. Everyone in the school knew who this boy was, whether they had ever spoken to him or not.
*What in the world is he-*
Heero's thought was cut off as the driver suddenly chirped up with, "Hey, you need a ride?"
Heero continued to stare blankly at the jeep's driver, his eyes wide with surprise, momentarily forgetting about the rain and his miserable state. The gamin face staring back at him from the dry safety of the jeep's interior continued to smile, obviously waiting for an answer.
When none came, the driver waved his hand in front of Heero's face. "Hello?! Anybody home?"
Heero's blinked and he shook his head to clear his stunned thoughts. Once more in control of his facilities, he said, "You're offering me a ride? How do you know I'm not some sort of serial killer?"
The other boy quirked one, elegantly shaped eyebrow and his lips maintained his lopsided grin. "Well, for one thing, you're wearing a school uniform from Sank High School, and as far as I know, we don't have any serial killers currently enrolled. Another thing, I think I recognize you from gym class. Weren't you the -"
Heero cut him off with a surly mutter, "Yeah, I was the one who lost us the game against the girls. What of it?"
Violet eyes blinked once before the boy answered, "Actually, I wasn't thinking about that. I was going to say that you're the one who transferred in from the other afternoon section, aren't you?"
Heero felt instant remorse at his rudeness and averted his eyes, even as he replied, "Yeah, I am."
"Cool. You still want a ride? The offer's still open, you know."
"I'll get your car all wet," came the quiet reply.
"Nah, I've got a couple of beach towels in the back seat. Plus, it's just water. C'mon!"
Heero glanced up at the other boy for a brief minute, his mind racing with his choices. Finally, coming to a decision, he nodded his head once and made his way around the jeep. The violet-eyed boy rolled up his window and unlocked the doors to let Heero in. He reached behind him to the back seat, groped around for a bit, and triumphantly emerged with two large beach towels.
Setting one on the seat for Heero to sit upon, he gave the other one to the soaked boy to use to dry himself off. After Heero was seated in the car, he automatically locked the doors and proceeded to shift the car into gear. As he carefully looked for oncoming traffic, he prepared to pull back onto the road.
Shifting his gaze for one brief moment on his new passenger, he chirped, "So, where are you headed?"
"Library," came the muffled response as Heero continued to towel his soaking hair.
"What a coincidence, so am I," the other boy said. "Lucky, huh?"
Heero gave a grunt in response, as he finished drying himself off the best he could. Taking the now damp towel, he neatly folded it up and then held it in his hands, at a loss for where to put it.
The other boy continued to shift the jeep's gears, paying attention to the slick roads. Even though his concentration was on his driving, he still chattered away, filling the car with his pleasant voice. "Well, I recognize you from around school, but I'm at a loss at who you are. You got a name?"
Heero only managed a slight, "Hn," due to the fact that he was still in a bit of a shock at the turn of events. He was totally surprised that anyone from his high school would be willing to talk to him, given his rather infamous reputation. After all, why would any of Sank's elite want to lower themselves to talk to the janitor's son? It was only because his father was part of the school's staff that he was even 'allowed' to attend Sank High.
Nonplussed, Duo continued, "Well, nice to meet you, Hn. My name is Duo Maxwell."
Heero's face flushed with slight embarrassment even as he muttered, "I know who you are."
Duo's grin got even wider as he joked, "Really? I'm flattered! A cute guy like you knows who I am!"
Heero's face got redder which prompted his scowl to grow deeper. In a churlish tone of voice, he retorted, "Everyone in school knows who you are. The star athlete of Sank High even though you're only a sophomore."
"True, true," Duo said immodestly as he continued to tease. "Yet, you have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I still don't know who you are."
Heero was silent for a moment before he offered, "I'm Heero."
Duo blinked twice, his grin never slipping even as confusion slid into his eyes. "Excuse me? You're a hero? Okay, so who'd you save?"
The Japanese boy's eyes blinked in his own moment of dubiety, his face almost adorable in its confusion, before his scowl resumed its place. "No, not hero, Heero. That's my name."
Duo raised one eyebrow as he flashed a quick look to his companion before turning back to the road. "Wow, your parents must be real eccentrics. And I thought mine were weird for naming me after a number."
That did it. Heero couldn't stand it anymore. Gathering up his backpack from its place on the floor of the jeep, he clutched at the straps even as he said, "Forget it. I'll take my chances with the rain. Let me out of this damned car."
Duo shook his head even as he continued to drive. "No can do. Once this car gets going, there's not stopping until the tour has reached its destination, which this time happens to be the library."
Ignoring the joke, Heero pointed out, "But you stopped to pick me up."
Duo mocked frowned and said, "Well damn. You would have to bring logic up. Okay, I stop for no one except for cute guys and girls."
"Stop that."
Duo glanced over at Heero, noting the agitation in his companion's face and his tense body. The smaller boy was hugging his wet backpack to him, as if he intended to use it as a protective barrier. However, a faint blush continued to linger on the boy's cheeks. However, whether it was from Duo's teasing or a lingering remnant of the boy's journey through the rain, still remained to be seen.
In a quiet voice, totally devoid of joking or laughter, Duo asked seriously, "You don't like jokes very much, do you?"
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Heero honestly replied, "Jokes tend to lose their appeal when you're the butt of most of them."
"I'm sorry," Duo said sincerely.
Silence crept between the two boys, who kept their thoughts to themselves for a moment. The soft muted sounds of a rock song faintly broke through the silence, barely audible, but neither boy made a move to turn it up. As Duo braked to a stop at a red light, he happened to glance at Heero again; something which he had caught himself doing quite a lot in the past few moments.
Duo quietly observed the other boy, taking the chance to get a really good look at him. The Japanese appeared slender and fragile, although Duo really couldn't tell in the non-descript uniform he was wearing. True, the cloth had been plastered to his frame when it had been soaked, but it was slowly drying now and concealing the boy's body.
Heero's hair was still damp, tendrils sticking to the sides of his face and the still wet ends curled around the base of his ears and the nape of his neck, barely brushing against the collar of his uniform. His features weren't very discernible in the glow of the dashboard's lights, but Duo's vague memory of seeing the boy in school gave enough to tease himself with. The low lights did provide enough to throw the planes of his face into clarity, hinting at a proud profile and beautifully carved facial structure that bore hints of real beauty to come.
So deep was he in his observation of Heero, he barely heard Heero saying, "- is green."
Shaking himself out of his reverie, he said intelligently, "Huh?"
Heero turned his head to look at him while jerking with his head toward the street light. "The light's green," he repeated.
"Oh!" Releasing the jeep's clutch, he spurred it into motion, driving into the heart of the town.
Heero frowned as he looked out the rain-streaked windows, not recognizing the streets. True, he had lived in the area of Sank all of his life, but his world consisted of home, school, and the occasional visits to the library. He had never taken this way before.
"Where are we going?" he asked bluntly.
"Uh... the library, aren't we?"
"Is this the way to the library? I've never gone this way before."
"Um... it's a short cut!" came the overly bright reply.
"Are you absolutely sure? You don't sound positive about that. You have been to the library before, haven't you?"
"Hey now," Duo objected indignantly. "Jeez, why are you attacking me? I picked you up from the street and offered you a ride. You should be grateful!"
"I never asked you to," came the gruff reply.
"Geez." Duo gave a huff of exasperation which blew through his bangs. With a teasing grin, he said, "You're pretty spunky, you know?"
Heero sputtered, "Spunky?!"
"Yeah, full of pluck and energy."
"I'm not spunky," Heero said in a stubborn tone of voice.
"Nah, you are. And you're cute when you pout too."
"There you go again," Heero muttered in a disgruntled voice, even as he hugged his backpack closer. Heero stared out the window, his eyes managing to catch the sign indicating the next road name. He recognized it as one near the library and he blurted out, "Hey, turn at the next road."
"I turn right?"
Misunderstanding, Heero said, "Yeah, that's right."
"Okay, right it is."
"Wait a minute, right's not right, left is right."
"Excuse me?" Confused, Duo turned on his blinker and turned right.
Heero immediately objected and said, "Hey! I said turn left!"
"I thought you said right!"
"No, I said right's not right, left is right!"
"My right or your right?"
"WE HAVE THE SAME RIGHT!" Heero yelled in exasperation.
"Oh yeah, that's right."
Heero took one look at Duo's grinning face and he groaned, preferring to bury his face in his hands. He mumbled, "Oh for the love of-"
During their argument, Duo had taken a bunch of turns and the next thing Heero knew, Duo cried out, "We're here!"
The jeep came to a stop just as Heero whipped his head up to look out the window. Sure enough, the massive building that housed the library loomed before them, Duo's jeep parked perfectly in the parking lot.
"Everybody out!"
Throwing a glare at energetic boy, Heero climbed out of the jeep, clutching his backpack closely. Shaking his head, he thought to himself, *Never, ever, ever accept another ride from anyone.*
Looking over to the grinning idiot who was waiting for him to catch up, he repeated fervently to himself, *NEVER!!*
Duo chirped up at this point in his contemplation and offered, "Hey when you're done, do you want me to give you a ride home?"
Heero paused to give him one incredulous look, barely noting that the rain had stopped sometime between their argument and their arrival at the library. Shaking his head in disbelief, he proceeded past Duo's expectant form without a sound, rushing to the library's entrance that waited at the top of a few stairs
"Hey, Heero! You hear me?!" he heard Duo's voice calling after him.
*God, why won't he leave me alo-- AHH!* Heero's mental thoughts were interrupted as his footing slipped on the slick concrete of the stairs. His balance thrown off, he flailed his arms for a moment, dropping his backpack in a rush, trying to regain his equilibrium. Unfortunately, he felt himself falling backwards and he closed his eyes in reflex knowing he was going to fall down.
However, his fall was aborted and he found himself pulled up against a solid chest and a pair of strong arms encircling his waist. "Whoa... close one, huh?" a husky voice whispered in his ear.
Heero could feel a red-hot blush spread across his cheeks as the two boys remained in their slightly compromising position. His eyes were wide with surprise as Duo showed no compunction to withdraw his strong support. Despite himself, Heero could feel the muscles of his impromptu savior flush against his back, the strength lying dormant in those arms around his waist.
Gulping and hoping his voice didn't betray his sudden feeling of nervousness, he whispered back, "You can let go of me now."
A rich chuckle said teasingly, "And what if I don't want to?"
"Please let go."
Duo chuckled again before he reluctantly withdrew his support from around Heero's torso. After ensuring that the other was stable on his feet, he stooped down to pick up Heero's backpack. He held it out to the Japanese boy, saying, "Here."
Heero snatched the bag from Duo's hand, not trusting himself to look into the other's face. His own was still flushed with his embarrassment and a tinge of something else he couldn't, and didn't want to, identify. Hiding his face, he hurried up to the library's doors.
Duo watched him go, his own mind in turmoil. Something was happening in him, something he had yet to ever feel before. All he knew was that there had been a sense of rightness in that brief embrace with Heero. Shaking his head, he snorted at his 'lust at first sight' thought. *Damn hormones,* he thought uncharitably.
He proceeded up the stairs only to slow to a stop as he saw Heero standing still outside the doors. "Eh, what's up?"
Heero turned around to him, his expression incredulous. "It's... closed."
"What?!"
Sure enough, there was a large, bold sign that said, CLOSED on the glass doors. Duo took a moment to glance at the parking lot, only noting for the first time that it was empty save for his black jeep.
"Man!" he whined.
Heero groaned even as he muttered, "Great, just great. I have a report for physics due tomorrow and I don't have the materials I need. What am I going to do?"
Duo's ears perked up at Heero's words, even as he said, "Physics? You're in physics?"
Heero gave him a baleful glare even as he affirmed, "Yes. AP physics."
"Isn't that a senior year class?"
Heero shrugged and said, "I passed the science test and got in."
"Wow, you must be smart! Say, you know anything about chemistry?"
Heero blinked at him and said, "Yes, I took that last year."
Duo grinned at him and said, "Cool. Hey, I've got an idea. Do you know anything about computers?"
By this time Heero was wary of all the scholastic questions and he gave a short, "I know some."
"Then I propose this. I have a computer with Internet connection, but the motherboard has been fried for awhile and I haven't been able to figure out how to fix it nor have I had the time to take it in somewhere. If you can figure out how to fix it, then I'll let you use it to look up research for your paper."
Heero was really wary at this, fighting the hope that was rising in his mind even as he said cautiously, "That's it? You'd let me use your computer if I help fix it?" It was too good to be true. He didn't have the luxury of computers or the Internet at home, and the school's labs were surely closed by now. While his teacher didn't believe the Internet was as viable a reference source as books, he still accepted it. And thanks to his love of reading and his helpful co-worker, Heero knew quite a lot about computers.
Duo nodded his head. "Yeah, sure! And if you didn't mind, maybe you could help me with my chemistry report."
Heero eyed Duo even as he asked, "This isn't some sort of joke, is it? You're not pulling a fast one on me, are you?"
"What do you mean?" Duo asked in genuine confusion.
"C'mon, I've seen the movies. The high school star and jock befriending the school outcast? She's All That ring a bell? Usually it's because of a dare or a joke. So which is it?"
Duo help up an honest hand, his gamin face wiped of jokes or teasing and replaced with sincerity. "No joke. I swear."
Heero stared up at Duo's face, his eyes searching for any signs of deception. Not finding any, he took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I accept your offer. But I'm warning you... if a bucket of blood dumps on my head there's going to be hell to pay."
Duo's eyes lit up even as he grinned and started to chatter, "Wow, that's a Carrie reference! I guess you liked that movie too, eh? Personally I think the original movie was better than the remake, but Carrie 2 was good, if nothing more than the special effects. And hey, if we get done early enough we can watch it 'cause I have it on DVD and..."
Duo continued to babble on as the two boys returned to his jeep. Heero was slightly dazed in the face of such constant babble, never realizing that it was a deliberate attempt on Duo's part to distract him into cooperating. For some reason, the braided jock had some desire to keep Heero around and he was going to employ every weapon in his arsenal if need be.
*What have I agreed to?* Heero thought to himself. Suddenly, a comment from Duo broke into his thoughts.
"Hey, you know something? In reference to your earlier comment about movies, the ones where the jock or whatever befriends the school's outcast?"
"Yeah?" came the wary reply.
"Don't the main characters usually fall in love?"
*OH GOOD GRIEF!*
TBC...
Back to Alana Winters' Fanfictions Page