Chapter
29:
Dorothy
Tells All:
There aren’t a lot of things that scare me in life. I have a relatively
high threshold for pain and I’m not afraid to get into a fight to defend
myself. I’m not scared of ghosts and shit like that and I tend to laugh at
horror flicks because of the crappy storylines. I’m comfortable being in the
dark and boogey men or strange sounds don’t spook me either. So yeah, it
definitely takes a lot to scare good ol’ Duo Maxwell - but I’ll be damned if
I’m not shaking in my boots (if I had them on) at this very moment. You should
see the death grip I have on this stick sword-like thing…what did Heero call it
again?
“Ready, Maxwell?”
Christ! Did I just give that breathless squeak? I sure hope she didn’t hear
that. Good thing this damn helmet over my head is protecting me in more ways
than one. I swear she looks like she’s in prison from where I stand, thanks to
the design of the head gear. I feel so damn heavy with all the extra stuff
piled on me – head and neck protector, torso protector, hip protector…man, I
hope they thought about a groin protector too.
“Ready,” I hear myself saying and she smiles – a creepy motion that has me
trembling again. Okay, so maybe it’s not really that creepy but hell! Anything
she does now will seem that way to me.
“Good,” she says and then bows, which I reciprocate. “Let’s begin.”
“Whoa there…how come you’re not wearing all the gear stuff?”
She chuckles and taps her stick on the floor. “Because I won’t need it,
Maxwell. You’ll never be able to hit me.”
Grrrr! The little bitch!
“Oooh, angry now, Maxwell?” She smirks and holds out her arms with the stick
pointing directly at me. “Come at me if you dare.”
You bet your spiky eye-brows I’m coming at you! With a loud cry, I charge for
her, arms raised above my head and ready to give her a good wakeup call.
Gotcha!
I feint to the left and try to attack from there, but the smart bitch must have
read my move already because the next thing I know, she’s stepped away and
wham! She hits me right on the head!
“Men!” she says loudly. What the…?!
“Do!” She whacks me right in the stomach. Double the pain which sends me
staggering backwards. Geez! Isn’t this supposed to be practice?! Why’s she…?!
“Kote!” My hands are whapped with the stick and mine falls to the floor
with a loud clatter. I try to dive for it, but she steps on it with a sock-clad
foot, smirking down at me from her high and mighty position.
“And those, dear members,” she’s saying. “Are the three basic strikes in kendo.
Remember that.”
I can hear the other students laughing and I growl softly, shoving her foot
away to pick up my stick. “It’s not over yet,” I say, forcing myself to my feet
even though my wrists hurt like hell and my stomach and head still haven’t
recovered from her strikes.
She watches me carefully. “I suggest we stop now, Maxwell. I’m not in a very
good mood today to be honest and I won’t go so lightly on…ugh!”
Great! I got her on the left shoulder and now I think I’ve really gotten her
mad. I watch her eyes narrow and then with a speed that takes me surprise, she
lunges for me and tries to hit my stomach again. I barely dodge away in time
but she still manages to get a piece of me. Holy cow! I think she broke my
fucking ribs! The next hit would have sent me unconscious if it had made direct
contact with my head, but I bend just in time and strike out with my wooden
sword. This time, I hear her grunt of pain and I know I must have hit something
– what part, I’m not sure.
“You cheat!” she screams and swings at me again and damn if she doesn’t send me
flying across the room with that blow. I hit the wall with a loud thump, stars
filling my vision before sliding down to the floor. Something warm trickles
into my left eye and I blink rapidly realizing that I must have hurt myself in
the process. I’m bleeding from my forehead or maybe she’s cracked my skull and
for a moment, the world takes on a red haze through the helmet.
She’s walking towards me, her features still tight with anger. “Get up,
Maxwell! Had enough yet?!”
I hate to do this. Really I do. But Heero told me to stay with her for a reason
and getting me admitted into a hospital wasn’t part of the deal. With a
sheepish smile, I lift my hands above my head in surrender.
“You win,” I say, feeling each word on my tongue taste as bitter as hell. “Can
you let me go now? Besides, I’m bleeding in here.”
She looks uncertain for a moment, not sure if to believe me or not but to my
relief, she drops her weapon and falls to her knees before me. I have to deal
with her leaning close to take off my helmet and boy! As fresh air hits my
face, it feels like the best thing since having wild sex with Heero. Of course,
a blinding headache quickly follows and I wince as she presses a finger against
my forehead.
“You’ve hurt yourself,” she says.
“No kidding.”
“Come with me to the office and I’ll take care of it.” She gets to her feet and
walks away without waiting to see if I’ll follow or not.
Muttering beneath my breath, while glaring at the students who are getting
ready to leave for the day, I rise to my feet…
Damn I seem to be aching all over!
…and follow the marching ‘princess’ to her office. I can’t help glancing
towards the outside, where I had last seen Heero and Wufei disappear. I wonder
if everything’s okay with those two. Wufei didn’t look too happy and I’m sure
it wasn’t just because of Heero’s ‘win’ in their match.
“Have a seat and close the door behind you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I reply with a light sneer as I do as she says and make my way
towards the wooden chair to sit gingerly upon it. It’s a small office with a
desk and two chairs on either side of it. There’s a large shelf on the left
side of the room filled with books and scrolls about the martial art and
physical/mental health in general. Several awards, posters about protecting
oneself during a match, rules and regulations, two katanas (real ones too!) and
a large clock line the walls. There’s another door which seems to lead to
either another equipment room…
(Dorothy disappears in there and I think I hear the sound of running water.)
…or a bathroom. Deciding it’s the latter; the girl steps out to makes her way
towards me.
“Tip your head backwards a little.”
“Wha…ouch! Take it easy, Dorothy!”
She snorts and continues to wipe away the blood. I’m surprised to find her
touch is rather gentle and with the way she’s leaning over me, I get a good
view (her top slips open a little) and feel of her soft breasts against my
chest. Oh damn.
“I guess I really should thank you,” she suddenly says as she tosses away the
blood-soaked cloth into a nearby trashcan to pick up the box of band-aids.
“Huh? Thank me for what?”
She rips a package open and without much warning, presses it on the wound,
effectively stopping the flow of blood. Thankfully, she finally pulls away and
I’m spared the torture of her perfume and the feel of her body against mine…not
that it’s bad or anything.
“For showing up to Fujisaki,” she says as she makes her way to the chair behind
the desk. She sits on it and crosses her legs, her gaze becoming distant as she
stares out the window. I’m trying damn hard not to squirm in my seat, wondering
what the hell she’s talking about now. But again, I hear Heero’s voice in my
head and I know I’m going to have to sit through whatever lecture she has in
store for me.
“I know you don’t really like me, Maxwell and the feeling’s mutual. If it
wasn’t for this school, I doubt you and I would ever speak if we met each other
on the street.”
Ouch. But she’s got a point. It’s not like I hate her. It’s just that we don’t
have a lot in common and I doubt we ever will.
“I guess you’re right…”
“I’m sure you’re wondering how I became friends with a boy like Heero Yuy.”
Not really, but hell, if she wants to talk, who am I to stop her?
“It was all Relena’s fault. I had no plans to be that friendly with her in the beginning.
To me, she was nothing more than a rich brat who was too pushy and always had
to have her way. But she has this way of drawing people into her little clique
and before I knew it, there I was tagging along like a lost puppy.”
She smiles softly to herself and for a moment, the girl almost looks
breathtaking. She’s fiddling with the sash of her uniform as she continues to
speak.
“I intimidate people, Maxwell. From the beginning, it’s always been that way.
It was one of the reasons I joined the Kendo Club in my freshman year. It was
the only way I could let go of my frustrations without being too violent in the
school’s hallways. That…”
She sighs softly. “That was the first time I laid eyes on Wufei Chang.”
Ah ha! Now, we’re getting somewhere. I lean forward in my seat, listening
attentively.
“Oh, you cannot even begin to imagine the thrill of battle or how fast my
heartbeat raced with anticipation and excitement when I saw him walk into that
room on the first day. He looked so regal and wise beyond his years and as he
took down senior after senor in an exhibition match…I knew I had to be with him
even though he never really had eyes for me.”
So Heero was right after all. I bite my lower lip in thought. There’s no
mistaking the sadness in the girl’s voice even though she’s trying not to show
it too much.
“Day after day, month after month, year after year, I’d watch him with other
girls or with his best friend, Yuy.”
I stiffen at that but don’t say anything. I watch her smile become slightly bitter.
“It was Yuy all the time. They were the best of friends, Maxwell. You have no
idea just how close those two were.”
I squirm again in my seat and take a deep breath, unaware of the tight
clenching of my hands on my lap. I’m trying to tell myself that this happened a
long time ago and yes, even though we’re all buddies, their close friendship
was a thing of the past and shouldn’t really bother me now.
“I had my doubts…wondering if Wufei was even into girls at all or if he was
just using his girlfriends to camouflage his feelings for Heero…”
“Hey now, it’s already clear that Wufei’s definitely into girls,” I say before
I can control myself. She gives me this look – as if asking if I’m that dense.
I really don’t like it at all.
“Oh really? Then you’re even more of a bigger moron than I thought, Maxwell.”
“What the fuck?!” I rise to my feet, now tired of listening to her insult me.
“I don’t have to sit and listen to this bullshit!”
“Do as you please, Maxwell but I’ll tell it like it is. Ever since the day you
arrived to Fujisaki and claimed Heero for yourself, you destroyed a bit of
Wufei’s magic. You will not understand because you were never there to see it
before. I think he relished knowing that Heero depended on him for most things
and would always come to him whenever he had a problem. But after you showed
up…things just…changed.”
Shut up. Shut up, you bitch. Don’t try to put the blame on me! I didn’t do
anything!
“I was so happy when I noticed Heero changing and falling in love with you.
But, I could see the spark disappearing from Wufei’s eyes and I felt that deep
down in my heart, I’d be the one to bring that light back to him. But no, it
became even worse. Wufei could only watch you being so open with your feelings
for Heero, knowing he could never be that way no matter how much he tried.”
She stands and places her hands on the table, those eyes now staring coldly at
me. “I thought things would be better with you being with Heero but it only got
worse for me! He became even more distant and closed his heart from anyone
else!”
“Oh yeah? What about Nia, huh?! He loved Nia!”
She throws back her head and laughs long and hard. “Nia? Nia?!” she sputters,
trying to get herself under control. “Like he really gave a shit about that
little slut. Maybe he did like her a little, but there was really no future for
them. I could see it from the start.”
My eyes narrow. “So what the fuck are you trying to say, Dorothy?”
“I’m trying to say that your presence in this school has made things a bit
difficult for…what? What’s so funny?”
Nothing’s funny but I’ll be damned if I let her continue with her bitching.
“You want to know what I think, Dorothy?”
She says nothing but continues to watch me carefully as I lean closer to her –
so close that I can feel her warm breath mingling with mine. And making sure I
have her full attention, I spit out coldly.
“Stop.Whining.Like.A.Goddamn.Crybaby!”
Her eyes widening and gasp of surprise is music to my ears. But I’m not through
yet.
“Instead of sitting here feeling sorry for yourself, how about you get off your
butt, walk up to Wufei and tell him how you feel! How’s he ever going to know
if you don’t say it?! Guys like Wufei need people who are direct and
straightforward, Dorothy and if you keep running around him in circles, he’s
never going to get to see you for what you really are. To Wufei, you’re just
another girl he knows and sees everyday. Jesus! You’re both in the same club
and see each other every other day and yet you’ve never told him anything! He’s
not a mind reader, Dorothy, so you’ve got to make the first move! And if he
rejects you, then you know that at least you’ve told him and believe me, you’d
feel a whole lot happier afterwards.”
Done with my speech, I pull away and take a deep breath, now unable to look
into those eyes that now seem too bright. If she starts crying, I’m going to
run out of here and not look back.
“Just give it a shot and see what happens, that’s all.” I rub a hand across my
forehead, feeling my headache getting worse. I’m going to need to take some
aspirin or something. “I’m sure you’re a cool girl. You just have to make Wufei
see that.”
She slaps her hands to her face and falls back into the chair. It doesn’t take
a magician to know that she’s crying now. Ah, great. Now, I have to do the
gentlemanly thing and hug her or something. But before I can take a step
forward to do so, she lowers her hands and looks at me with tears in her eyes.
“You’re right, Maxwell. I can’t believe I’m saying this but you are. I’ll…” She
takes a deep breath and wipes her cheeks quickly. “I’ll have to be strong
enough for him. Than…thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” I reply, more than glad this ordeal is over.
“And I’m sorry for…the wound…”
I touch the band-aid and smile ruefully. “It will just be a reminder of the day
I got beat up by a girl. Remind me never to make you mad, Dorothy.”
She smiles a little. “I will. You can be sure of it.”
Some of the other students help me out of the protective gear and as the last
piece of equipment is removed, I feel so much lighter and relieved and wasting
no time, I make my way outside the dojo to find Heero and Wufei. I end up
having to walk to the back of the building until I find my boyfriend sitting on
the ground, as immobile as a statue. There’s no Wufei in sight and feeling a
bit panicked, I quicken my footsteps.
“Heero? Hey, Heero? Are you still alive?”
I place a hand on his shoulder and he starts, lifting his head to look at me
with blue eyes that seem unfocused and glazed. There’s a deep sadness etched on
his features and I have to fall to my knees, arms wrapping themselves around
his shoulder to pull him tightly against me.
“What…what happened?” I ask quietly, trying not to show the worry I’m beginning
to feel inside. “What happened with Wufei?”
I can feel his hands clutching the sleeves of my robes tightly, his face
pressed against my chest as his body begins to tremble. Man, now I’m really
worried. Just what in the hell did Wufei…?
“He loves me, Duo,” he finally says in a muffled voice. “Wufei…he’s…he’s always
loved me and he…and he wanted me to…to…”
Ah hell. How did I know this was going to happen?
“I know,” I say quietly, remembering Dorothy’s words and yet feeling my heart
aching with a sadness I can’t even begin to explain. Maybe she was right. Maybe
if I hadn’t shown up, I wouldn’t have caused this rift between the two friends.
I try to smile at Heero, whose lifted his head to look at me in confusion.
“You…know? How…?”
“Dorothy told me everything,” I reply with a weak smile. “I mean…I kinda had an
idea anyway but I didn’t think it was that…deep.”
Heero shakes his head slowly, remorse in his eyes. “I’m really sorry, Duo. I
had no idea…”
“What are you apologizing for?” I tap his nose gently. “If anyone should be
sorry…I guess it’s me for ruining things…”
“Don’t go there, Duo,” he tells me sharply. “I don’t know if things would have
been different even if you hadn’t shown up in my life but I won’t let you blame
yourself for anything.”
“But what about you?” I ask softly, staring deeply into his eyes. “How do you
really feel, Heero?”
“What do you mean?”
“You must be hurt and I’m sure things won’t be so easy between you two now…”
He sighs and releases me, his gaze drifting towards the trees before us. “I am
hurt that’s true. I really wish he hadn’t said anything but I’m sure he must
have felt he had to say it now. It was just…the wrong time. He…he wanted me to
kiss him, Duo but…” He places a hand on my arm to stare into my eyes again as
if hoping I won’t plan a rampage. “I turned him down. I couldn’t do it and I
told him as much. I will always love him as a friend but nothing more.”
“And he’s fine with that?”
“No…yes…I think he is. I don’t know.” He groans and leans against the wall
again. “He said he wants us to be friends again and that he hopes things don’t
get awkward between us but…”
“It’s a bit too late for that, huh?”
He gives me a wan smile. “Yeah, too late for that now. But…we’ve got to try at
least. I work with him as well, you know. We can’t ignore each other forever.”
I lower my gaze to stare at nothing in particular. My thoughts are whirling
around in confusion at the moment. I mean, knowing that Wufei’s going to be
walking around with feelings for Heero is enough to have me plenty worried. But
Heero’s already reassured me that nothing’s ever going to happen and Wufei
himself had apologized and asked to be ‘friends’ again. It’s not going to be
easy but I’m sure we’ll manage…somehow.
“What are you thinking of?”
I shrug lightly and turn to smile brightly at him. “I was just hoping that he
and Dorothy do manage to hit it off.”
He looks at me with uncertainty for a moment before his gaze drifts to my
forehead. He winces. “Dorothy?”
“Yeah. She wanted me dead.”
“So how does she feel about Wufei?”
“You were right. She does have feelings for the guy. But she tried to make me
feel guilty over everything until I told her to suck it up and stop being a
crybaby.”
He snickers. “You didn’t.”
“You bet your ass I did.” I smirk and scoot closer to him until our bodies
touch again…and our feet begin to play footsie with each other. “I’m sure she’s
going to be more aggressive in her pursuit for Wufei and damn, do I wish her
all the luck.”
“The same here.”
We sit together in blissful silence, listening to the sounds of students making
their way back to their classrooms or playing in the soccer fields just beyond
the trees. Their happy laughter and chatter is a soothing sound at least to me
and I swear nothing’s better than being with Heero like this. Although, it’s a
hot day, you can still feel the nip in the air. Winter’s around the corner and
I simply can’t wait for Christmas to arrive. However, I know I’ve got a whole
lot to worry about before then but right now, no problem in the world can touch
or bother me. This is my haven and I refuse to let anything destroy it, no
matter what.
“Say…Yuy.” I rest my head upon his shoulder, closing my eyes with a small smile
of content on my features.
“What Maxwell?” he replies in that low voice of his that’s so damn cool.
“I’m glad I came to this school. I have absolutely no regrets.”
I think I can feel him smile above me just before he places his lips against
the band-aid. “Ditto that, Maxwell,” he says quietly. “Ditto that.”
~End Period Twenty-Nine~