Chapter Nineteen:
The Fall of Hamida:
Monday,
Words cannot begin to express
the happiness I feel at this moment. Walking through the front gate with
Teruo’s letter, all but burning a hole in my pocket, gives me a sense of smug
satisfaction as I make my way towards the Principal’s office. Never had Fujisaki
looked more precious to me - from the all too familiar smell of chalk, lockers
and pine polish to the sounds of students yelling in excitement or talking in
low voices as they wait for the first bell of the day. Never will they know
that I have been this close to kissing the school goodbye for a long time to
come and perhaps it’s a good thing they don’t know anyway. However, I think
that deep down inside, I’ll always be indebted to Duo for saving my hide
whether he knows it or not. If it wasn’t for his brilliant idea (dressing up in
drag excluded) to invite us over to his house yesterday, none of this would
have happened.
I push the door leading into
Principal Kamishiro’s office, smiling warmly at Mrs. Barlow, the secretary,
who’s behind her desk. I do believe she’s been here since the day I enrolled into
Fujisaki and rumor has it that she’s even been here long before that. I hate to
call her a relic, but if she’s that old, then she definitely fits the bill,
doesn’t she?
“Good morning, Yuy,” she
greets amiably, her bright blue eyes twinkling behind those thick glasses she
wears all the time. “What brings you here so early on a Monday morning?”
“Good morning, ma’am,” I
return with a small bow. “Is Mr. Kamishiro in at the moment?”
“Oh yes, yes.” She adjusts
her glasses and holds up a piece of paper to her nose. “Ah, he told me to let
you in as soon as you come. I’ll just let him know that you’re around. Have a
seat, dear.”
She rises to her feet to make
her way towards the door with the blurry glass which had the words ‘Principal’
written on it. I hate to point out that there’s an intercom on the table which
she can use to make her work easier, but I guess she likes taking the few extra
steps to his door. I pretend not to listen - my gaze fixed on several school
announcements and what looks like a list of new students tacked to a notice
board - as she opens the door and announces my presence to Kamishiro. From the
sound of things, it looks like he’s not the only one in the office and for one
wild moment, I actually believe Teruo’s in there with him! I quickly talk
myself out of that thought, knowing that it isn’t possible. The guy must still
be at home itching away and wouldn’t dare show himself in school or at his
workplace today.
As I wait my turn, the door
leading into the administrative office opens to reveal a mother and her son. He
looks like a freshman and with the petulant look on his visage and his mother’s
scowl of disapproval; I can already tell that she’s not quite happy with
something her son has done. As they sit, he glances at me and then turns away
quickly, his cheeks flaring with color making me wonder if I’ve ever issued
detention to him before. Or maybe he’s just ashamed that he’s being seen with
his parent and his mother of all
people. There’s always this feeling of intense shame and embarrassment that all
teenagers feel when forced to come to school with their relatives. Does it make
one less cool or what? Of course I shouldn’t be one to talk since the only time
my parents have come to the school was either when I was being awarded some
accolade or praise. They almost always trust my better judgment and know I’ll
learn to keep my nose out of trouble…most of the time.
“He’s ready to see you now,
Yuy,” Mrs. Barlow says as she comes back to the room.
Thanking her quietly, while
nodding towards the mother and her son – I get no response from either one
since Mother is already making her way towards Mrs. Barlow with a tirade on her
lips – I knock lightly on the Principal’s door. A sharp and almost gruff
‘Enter!’ soon has me standing before Kamishiro and, to my intense irritation,
The Buzzard’s presence. Deliberately ignoring his existence, I reach into my
pocket to bring out the letter when Kamishiro surprises me by raising a hand to
stall my movements.
“And I assume you are here to
gloat over your victory, Yuy?” he says, pinning those cool eyes on me. I can
tell he’s not very pleased with the way things have turned out but I’ve got to
play the game by acting as remorseful as I can.
“No, sir,” I reply quietly.
“I am not here to gloat…”
But he interrupts me as if I
haven’t said a thing. “What worries me is how you managed to get Mr. Teruo to
revoke this…”
You really do not want to know sir.
“…he actually called me this
morning…” Kamishiro’s saying, no longer looking at me but at his phone as if
wondering how it appeared there. The Buzzard, for his part, looks like he just
swallowed a really bitter pill and the smile on his face looks too forced and
quite frozen. I resist the temptation to laugh and will myself to focus my
attention on Kamishiro’s bald spot.
“…saying that he will even
return his son to this school…incredible.”
I remain silent…and then suddenly
realize that I really have to go to the bathroom. Badly.
“I’ve never heard him sound
so…” He wracks his brain for the right word while I’m now doing my best not to
shift from one foot to the other. Goddamn it! Just finish thinking already!
“…defeated,” he finishes with
a firm nod as if satisfied with his choice. He turns to The Buzzard and, of
course, he too nods in agreement. Excellent
choice of words, sir. Your extensive vocabulary astounds me. Now please turn
your ass around so I may kiss it like I always do.
“Well, whatever the case may
be, I guess I have no choice but to let you return to your classes and your
position as Student President…”
“Thank you, sir.”
“However!” He glares coldly
at me again and my bladder feels like it’s going to burst in a second. “If you
dare screw up one more time…just one more, Yuy, I swear I’ll make sure you are
out of this school faster than you can count backwards. Do I make myself
clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now you can leave…”
I barely wait for him to
finish as I thank him quickly, take a bow and bolt out of the office like the
devil’s on my tail. Unfortunately, there are only staff restrooms around here
which is hardly fair considering that we students would like to be able to use
them in case of an emergency. Finally, I reach the restrooms closest to the
auditorium, dash in and make a beeline for the last stall, almost ripping my
pants in my haste to open the damn zipper.
Oh God, that feels good!
I close my eyes in relief,
almost sagging to the floor as I finally let it all go. It is then that my
other senses begin to awaken slowly, making me realize that I’m the only one in
the restroom. I flush quickly and begin to open the door to get out, when the
exit door opens and two other boys walk in. With every intention of getting out
of here, it’s their conversation that stops me from taking another step.
“How many did you get this
time?”
“Only two and I waited for
him for like hours after school and he could only give me two. Dude, two wasn’t
even enough for one day! I was dying
all weekend, man.”
“Here. I can share some with
you but you’ve gotta pay me back, Sammy. I mean it.”
“Thanks, man! You have no
idea how much I’ve needed this shit!”
I take a peek, my heart
thumping faster within my chest as I have an inkling of just what’s happening.
Although their backs are turned to me and I can barely see their faces, the
rattle of pills within a bottle is enough to tell me what’s going on. The
bigger boy is clearly doing the shorter one a favor as he shakes out some of the
white drug into his companion’s hand.
“Dude…that’s only…”
“You know what you’ve gotta
do,” the bigger one says and I can hear a smirk in his tone.
“Aww come on, not
here…please, I need…”
“Do it or you’re not getting
it anymore! Jeez, you know how hard and long it took me to get this shit? On
your knees, son.”
The shorter one, Sammy
apparently, grumbles and obediently falls to the floor, hands reaching for the
zipper of…
“Christ!” I slap a hand over
my mouth but it’s too late, the boys have heard me and Jason, the second
captain of Duo’s basketball team, bellows out angrily.
“Who the fuck’s in here? You
had better show yourself or I’m going to kick your ass!”
I take a deep breath, count
inwardly to ten and then push the door open, watching (and trying hard not to
laugh) as their expressions go from anger (Jason) and mild fear (Sammy) to
complete shock and pure terror.
“Holy shit! It’s the
President,” Sammy squeaks and tries to make a break for it. But Jason holds him
steady, his beady black eyes still pinned on me as I make my way towards the
sink to wash my hands.
“So you heard everything?” he
says in a calm voice but I think I notice a tremble in there somewhere. “What
do you do now? Listen in to conversations, you sick freak?”
“If you know what’s good for
you,” I reply coldly, hardly turning around to look at him although our eyes do
meet in the mirror. “You’ll either flush those babies down the toilet or
prepare to get suspended for the rest of the goddamn school year, son.”
The other boy whimpers and
tries to move again, but Jason’s not letting him go anytime soon. Jason’s a big
guy…broad shoulders and chest with a face that would be handsome if it wasn’t
for the horrible pimple he’s sporting on his forehead at the moment. His lips
are a thin line of anger and his grip on his helpless ward must be crushing.
“Oh yeah?” he finally says, a
small smirk coming to his lips. “In that case, you might as well go ahead and
suspend most of the basketball team, swimming team, track team and geez…let’s
see…half the regular student population while you’re at it, Mr. President.” His
smirk grows wider. “The person you really want is the guy giving us this shit.”
“Jason,” Sammy moans as if in
great pain. “Don’t go saying nothing…”
“Who is this guy?” I ask nonchalantly
now wiping my hands with some paper towels.
“Like I’m gonna tell you,”
Jason replies, almost looking smug but I finally turn to face him with a smug
look of my own.
“Oh, you don’t have to tell
me anything. I’ll just report you and son
here to Kamishiro and be done with it. The guy giving you this shit will go
Scot free and you’ll be spending the rest of your senior year at home. How do
you like that?”
“You can’t threaten me!” he
roars, his cheeks now flushing darkly in humiliation and growing anger. I
wonder if he’s going to punch me with that fist he’s beginning to form.
“Oh can’t I?” I continue
quietly. “Wanna bet?”
“You asshole! You think
you’re so goddamn perfect!” He swings as I predicted but I dodge nimbly and
catch his wrist within my hand, only to wince in pain as Sammy proceeds to kick
my shin rather hard. This causes me to loose my grip on Jason a little and the
big guy’s quick to take advantage of it. He sends a blow to my stomach sending
me doubling over in pure agony. Good grief but the guy’s strong! I let go of
him completely, hot white fire running through my very bones now. I see that
he’s about to send another blow my way and I try to brace myself for it.
“Let’s go, Jace!” the other
boy cries out quickly. “I think I hear some teachers coming!”
He growls, still debating on
whether or not to let me have that last hit. I dare him with a raised brow,
smirking as I notice the look of confusion that comes on his visage for a
moment before he lets his hand down to spit in my direction. Good thing it
didn’t touch me or I swear I would have pummeled him to the ground – pain
notwithstanding.
“Fuck off, Prez!” he yells,
walking away from me and flipping the bird at the same time. “And think about
what I said! You’re never gonna get all of us out of here! And you’ll never
know who gives us the pills! So fuck you!”
And I love you too, asshole. I straighten a little, wincing at another surge of
pain that sears through me. Fantastic. Just the way I wanted to start off my
Monday morning. I lean over the sink for a while, trying to catch my breath,
now knowing that Hamida’s influence is spreading incredibly fast. I might as
well suspend all the sports teams and half of the school, huh? Shit. We’ve got
to stop this guy today or else he’s going have almost all the students
depending on him for their quick fix. I can’t even begin to think of the amount
of money he’s making off this.
“Well, guess what? It’s not going
to happen in my school anymore, Hamida,” I growl softly as I walk (slowly) out
of the restroom. “Not in my school.”
Lunchtime
Student Council Office:
The eight of us look like
battle-worn warriors as we sit in the cool room each lost in our thoughts.
Duo’s sitting on my desk, chewing gum (the ones necessary to help stop his addiction)
and looking quite miserable. Going cold turkey is not so easy for him. He’s
been rather restless all day and I’m sure his jaw must be aching from chewing
so much. He’s finally gotten his bike again but he told me that his mother was
nowhere to be seen this morning. She was still cooped up in her room
recuperating from last night’s disaster. I almost feel sorry for her…almost. After all, nobody should be
forced to learn that their supposed boyfriend or girlfriend has been lying to
them all this time.
Wufei’s sitting on the couch
beside Dorothy and both seem to be looking at a set of wires and headphones
while talking softly to each other. I did once mention that both of them look
good together and seeing them like that only proves my theory. They’d make a
great couple if they really tried. Quatre’s half-asleep at the other end of the
couch. He’s not been feeling very well and only came to school today because he
had a test he couldn’t afford to miss. Relena’s chewing the edge of her pencil
and looking morosely at the ceiling while Hilde’s next to her on the floor,
thumbing through the pages of the latest edition of ‘Freedom Bell’. Trowa’s
standing beside the window and looking out at the students milling about the
school grounds. There is a pensive look on his features and I can sympathize
with the guy. This must really be hard for him, knowing that Quatre’s still
suffering the effects of his drug use and feeling completely helpless.
I’ve already told them about
my encounter with Jason and Sammy in the restroom this morning while Duo gave
us a run down of his investigations with the sports teams. As Jason had
mentioned, it seems like half of the basketball players are using the pills
which would mean that even more students were under the influence as we sit
here mulling over what to do.
I open my mouth to say
something…anything to break the heavy silence when Dorothy finally lifts her
head to smile at me. “I think we’ve figured it out. It’s now up to Trowa to
decide if he wants to go ahead with it or not.”
We all turn to look at him,
Quatre included, and wait for his response. For a long minute, he does nothing
until his shoulders move a little in a small shrug. “I’m game. I have to meet
him after school right?”
“That’s right,” Wufei says,
holding up the tiny recording device. “We just tape this to your chest or stomach
and he’ll never suspect a thing. Of course we’ll still be able to hear your
conversation from here and we can record it at the same time.”
“Get him to confess everything,” Relena speaks up with a
firm nod. “Make him keep talking, okay? No matter how long it takes.”
“Sure,” Trowa replies
quietly. He walks away from the window and begins to peel out of his blazer and
school shirt to reveal his bare chest to us. He looks skinny in my opinion and
I wonder if he’s been eating well at all. Dorothy walks up to him to attach the
device to his body and the rest of us watch quietly, hoping that this plan does work and we don’t end up going on a
wild goose chase again.
“Don’t let him know you’re up
to something,” Duo advices as the last electrical tape is pressed to his skin.
I have a feeling that baby’s going to hurt when it’s time to take it out. “Act
as natural as possible.”
“What are you saying, Duo?”
Trowa replies with a small smile. “Are you saying I’m not natural enough?”
“Dude, with the way you look,
no one knows what the hell you’re thinking!”
That helps to ease the
tension a bit and we all laugh a little, even getting Trowa to chuckle as he
slips back into his clothes.
“I’ll try,” he says with a
soft nod. He looks towards Quatre, who gives him a smile that (I’m almost
ashamed to say this) melts my heart. If there’s any doubt those two love each
other to death, that smile alone is enough to put all that to rest. I feel my
heartbeat quicken at the tender moment and find myself turning to look at my
partner. Duo’s gaze is fixed on the tape recorder so it gives me an
uninterrupted view of his profile. Did I ever mention that Duo’s got a ‘cute’
nose? Of course he’ll kill me if I tell him that, but from my vantage point it
certainly looks that way. And those lips…
“Ahem…Heero?”
I flush darkly and turn to
focus on my friends, blushing even harder as they all seem to be hiding smiles,
snickers or confusion (Duo) while looking at me.
“Waiting for your blessing,
good sir,” Trowa says.
I place a hand on his
shoulder and stare into his green eyes, dark with determination but yet with a
slight hint of worry within them. “You’ll do just fine, Barton,” I say
solemnly, pulling him within my arms in a loose embrace. “You’ll do just fine.”
Duo moves to wrap his arms
around him from behind and then Quatre, who had walked up to us quietly to wish
his partner good luck. Before long, all eight of us have formed a close knit
circle, effectively trapping him in a huge embrace as if reminding him that
we’ll always be here as his friends no matter the outcome. He seems to sniffle
and for the first time - for as long as I’ve known Trowa Barton - he sheds a
tear of intense gratitude and returns our embrace as best he can.
Student Council Room:
I dash in quickly, slightly
breathless as Duo motions me closer to the low coffee table in the middle of
the room. I remember to lock the door behind me before making my way to my
friends. It’s almost time for Trowa to meet with Hamida and I almost missed it
because of Lady Une. She had stopped me to ask questions about the Science
Club, hence my late arrival.
“Is he in yet?” I ask
quickly, settling down beside Duo.
“Yeah, he’s been in for some
time. Hamida had to go get something…” Wufei begins but Hilde hushes us as we
hear their voices coming over the small device. I will now try to transcribe
the discussion as it takes place.
(The sound of a door
closing.) Hamida: I’m rather
surprised to see you here, Barton. You are one of my best students. Is there
something you didn’t understand in the lecture today?
Trowa: Oh, I
just needed clarification about the section on osmosis, sir.
Hamida: (A
soft laugh) Ah, I was sure that would be the easiest part of the whole topic.
Hmm…let’s see…come closer to the desk. I promise I won’t bite.
I lift my gaze to see
Quatre’s reaction and I’m not surprised to find that his features are tight
with annoyance and mild irritation. Wufei and Relena are shaking their heads softly
while Hilde’s jaw seems to be growing slack by the second. Duo’s still chewing
away on his gum but there’s clear amusement in his eyes.
Hamida: …in
this section where osmosis occurs between the two plants…are you okay, Barton?
You look troubled.
Trowa: I’ve
just been feeling a bit tired lately, sir. But I’m sure I’ll be fine. Maybe I
should be getting more rest.
(A heavy silence and then the
sound of a drawer being opened.)
Hamida: I
worry a lot about my students especially seniors like you. I know there’s a lot
of pressure to perform your best in the upcoming exams so you’re going to need
something to perk you up. Here…
(The undeniable sounds of
shaking pills. Quatre sucks in a harsh breath and I can feel Duo stiffening
beside me.)
Hamida:…guaranteed
to make you stay awake and to give you enough energy to study for your lessons.
Just take two pills…
Trowa: And
what kind of pills are these, sir? (There’s a tightness in Trowa’s voice that
we, his friends, recognize. It’s a sign that he’s really pissed off or slowly getting
there but we’re not sure if Hamida has noticed it yet.)
Hamida:
(laughing softly again) I know what you are thinking and it’s not what you
think, Barton. Or can I call you Trowa?
For a minute, we’re sure
Trowa’s going to say no, but he finally replies with a quiet ‘Fine’ and we all
let out a sigh of relief. We had told him to go along with Hamida as much as
possible. No need letting the teacher know he’s being recorded.
Hamida: I
like that name…Trowa. Do you know what it means?
Trowa:
(sounds like he’s shrugging) I have no idea, sir. My mother gave it to
me…because she liked it I guess.
Hamida:
(laughing again – sounding a bit too cozy if you ask me) My first name is Kei
by the way. Would you call me Kei? Just here, between us, of course.
Duo chokes on his gum (I
pound his back gently) while Wufei utters a low curse.
“The bastard!” Relena hisses
sharply. “Is he hitting on Trowa?!”
I motion for her to be silent
as we all listen in again. I wonder how Trowa’s dealing with this new
development.
Hamida:
…named after my grandfather so I guess I shouldn’t complain.
Trowa: I…I
think it’s a nice name, sir…Kei. (I try to hold back the giggles that threaten
to spill past my lips. I can almost see the effort it’s taking Trowa not to
gag. Quatre apparently isn’t finding it all that funny and that sobers me up
quickly.)
Hamida: (His
voice is sounding so much closer now) Why thank you, Trowa. (He laughs again,
softly…almost husky and dare I say sexy?
Good grief! He really is hitting on
Trowa!)
Hamida: You
have such lean fingers, Trowa…let me guess…you play a musical instrument.
Trowa: Yes,
sir.
Hamida:
Don’t tell me. (Silence for some time and then…)…ah! The flute or the piano!
Trowa: I did
play in the school concert last year, Kei. You must have seen me then.
Hamida: Indeed
I do remember that. You were fantastic in it. Your solo piece moved me and I’m
not just saying that.
Trowa: Than…thank
you, Kei. I’m glad it affected you that much. (Trowa sounds flustered. What the
hell is Hamida doing to him?!)
Hamida: Many
things affect me, Trowa and when I look at you and see the suffering and
weariness in your eyes, it just breaks my heart. I only want to help you, to
make you the best student you can possibly be. Do you believe that, Trowa?
Trowa: Yes…yes,
I do, Kei. I thank you for your concern. It’s…it’s hard to find teachers who
care as much as you do.
Hamida: I
know, oh believe me I know it’s hard, Trowa. When I was growing up, I didn’t
have anyone to turn to when I was in need. In fact…(He falls silent.)
Trowa: In
fact what? (We all lean closer to the recorder eager to hear whatever tidbit
Hamida’s about to reveal about himself.)
Hamida: Oh,
it’s nothing. You don’t want to listen to this man’s boring childhood…
Trowa: Oh do
go ahead, Kei. I would love to hear all about it.
Something rips and we all
lift our head to notice that Quatre’s subconsciously torn a bit of the notepad
in his hands. I wince and share a glance with Duo, who gives me a weak smile
before we focus our attention on the conversation again.
Hamida:…flattered
that you’d wish to hear about my lonely childhood, Trowa. But there’s really
not much…(He gives a breathless gasp and we immediately know why because I’m
sure that Trowa’s leaned close to him.)
Trowa: Tell
me everything, Kei.
“Wow,” Duo whispers in awe.
“Who knew Trowa could do sexpot so well?”
“When he chooses to be,”
Quatre replies flatly. “You should see him in bed.”
We all gawk at him in
disbelief but his attention is still on the tape recorder and I’m sure he’s not
even aware he’s said anything about Trowa and his bedroom skills. The girls try
to hide their blushes and giggles as the rest of us cough lightly and pretend
he hadn’t said a thing as well. Unfortunately, the image of a naked Trowa isn’t
disappearing from my mind anytime soon.
Hamida:…to
only a father…who was rather too fond of using his fists and belt when he was
tired of talking. I would lock myself in my room and transport myself to a
world of science and technology where I was the master of my domain. (He laughs
in embarrassment) It almost sounds pathetic, doesn’t it, Trowa? But I wanted to
be an inventor, someone who could bring joy to the human race…or maybe I was
just doing it all to please my father. I would work and work and study and
study. Night after night I would stay up, listening to his drunken soirees or
being his punching bag… whichever came first. (This time his laughter is bitter
and it sends a chill down my spine.) I would bring my perfect grades home, but
did he care? Oh no, no, it was never enough for him! It would never be enough
for him!
We all jump at the sound of
his fist pounding the table. Hilde gives a breathless squeak while the rest of
us look pale and slightly shaken. That wasn’t the voice of Hamida. That was the
voice of a raving maniac! He sounds deranged and out of control and all of a
sudden I am more than concerned for my friend.
“Duo…” I begin softly but
he’s listening to Hamida again.
Hamida: …do
you know what it’s like to not be appreciated, Trowa?! Do you know what it’s
like to struggle so hard and for so long and no one appreciates all you do!! I
wanted to become a scientist! I KNEW I could be a scientist but they didn’t
accept me! They thought I was a washout! They didn’t take me seriously! They
said I should try harder! Try harder! Try harder!! (His voice is getting louder
and even angrier. We hear a soft cry and I realize that it’s Trowa trying not
to scream.)
“He’s got Trowa!” Relena
yells in panic and before any of us can say another word, Quatre’s on his feet
and out the door in a heartbeat. Duo quickly follows and the last thing I hear
before following them is the sound of a scuffle and Hilde’s cry of terror.
We all run down the corridor,
all but leap down the flight of stairs and I swear I’ve never seen Quatre move
so fast in his life. One could almost forget that he complained of a fever this
morning. We see the door to Hamida’s Biology class but we come to a screeching
halt as the door opens up with a loud bang to reveal a wild-eyed and rather
crazy looking Hamida, holding on to Trowa as if in a hostage like situation. There’s
blood oozing from a cut above the teacher’s eye and I can only deduce that
Trowa had thrown a punch or two. Trowa’s shirt has been ripped open and we can
see Hamida holding onto the device we had so carefully planted earlier.
“Oh shit,” Duo mutters.
That’s got to be the understatement of the century.
“Spying on me?!” Hamida
roars, his arm choking Trowa who’s beginning to look blue in the face. “How
dare you?! How dare you lie to me?!!”
“Let him go!” Quatre yells,
taking a step forward. “You’re finished Hamida, you hear me! You are through!”
“Yeah, you sick pervert!”
Relena yells as the girls finally reach us. “You sell drugs to the students and
you think you can get away with it?! Oh, I can’t wait to print this in the
school paper!”
“Print anything and your
friend here gets it!” Hamida bellows and I can see now that he’s holding
something that glints in the light. To my shock, it looks like…
“He’s got a knife!” Hilde
screams. Actually it’s a scalpel used for dissecting stuff in the lab but
still, could this scenario get any more dramatic?!
Several other doors open in
the hallway and teachers stick their heads out to see what the commotion is
about. Students, some on their way home or in the classrooms staying for after
school lessons have come in to see the ruckus as well but Hamida’s already too
far gone with his descent into madness to care much for his new audience. I
think I even see some members of the basketball team running in and yes, sure
enough, standing in front of his teammates with fear and confusion on his
visage is Jason. I would have loved to catch his eye and to gloat at my victory
but it’s Trowa I’m worried about at this time. The guy looks like he’s about to
faint.
“Mr. Hamida! What in the
world is going on here?!” It’s Mr. Sakon, an English teacher who finally speaks
up. “What are you doing…?!”
“Stand back!” Hamida growls,
brandishing the knife like a butcher. “Stand back or I’ll…aaargh!”
The next sequence of events
could be pulled right out of a
“Thanks,” he croaks weakly.
“No problem,” I reply with a
smile of my own. The other students are beginning to whoop in excitement, some
clapping while the school security guards come pounding down the hallway to
arrest the still raving teacher.
“Thanks, boys and girls,”
Officer Pangborn, head of our school’s security, says with a firm nod towards
us while motioning for the other two officers to capture Hamida. “We can take
care of him from here. You will have to file a report though, so…”
“Yes, we know that,” I reply,
releasing Trowa as he makes his way towards Quatre who’s still lying on the
floor. “We’ve got plenty of things to tell the Principal.”
“You’ll all pay!” Hamida’s
still yelling as they take him away. “I’ll make sure you all pay! You students
need me! Ask them! They need me! Without me they are nothing, do you understand?!
Jason! Tell them about me! Tell them all the good things I’ve done for you!”
Jason turns his face away pretending as if Hamida hadn’t called him at all.
He continues to call out
names of students he must have given his wonder drug too and as Jason had done,
not one of them acknowledge his cries. His voice fades away as the officers
lead him out of the building but by this time the hallway is filled with both
teachers and students all talking animatedly as they recant the events that
just transpired.
Dorothy walks up to me and pats
her pocket gently. “I’ve got all the evidence here. I can make more copies in
the library and give you the second one if you want.”
“That’s fine,” I reply. “Just
remember we have to be in front of Kamishiro and the others to show it to
them.”
“Gotcha. Come on, Wufei,” she
says, tugging the boy who looks flabbergasted at being asked to join her. He
looks to Duo and I for help but we only wave him away with wide grins on our
faces.
Trowa releases himself from
my embrace and walks up to his partner, who’s still lying on the floor by the
way. “You okay, Quatre?” I hear him ask quietly. His response, however, is a
hard kiss to his lips causing the rest of us to either laugh or groan or go
‘aww’ in the case of the girls. I snicker and look around for my partner and to
my complete and utter surprise, Duo suddenly pulls me within his arms to capture
my lips in a toe-curling kiss that has me flushing to the roots of my hair. I
think I hear people laughing but any annoyance I should feel for Duo’s boldness
is lost in the pressure of his tongue against mine and that oh, so sweet taste
of him.
Ah, fuck…couldn’t hurt to
respond now, could it?
“Keep your amorous affections
in the privacy of your homes,” Mrs. Sawada, the librarian says as she raps our
heads sharply with a ruler. “I think we’ve seen enough for one day. Goodness,
children of these days…have no shame…”
Laughing softly, Duo leads me
out of the building. We sit on the bench outside the main administrative hall,
waiting for Dorothy to return with the tape as well as the call from Kamishiro
(can’t believe I’ll have to see him again) as we watch the black and blue
security car pulling out of the school grounds. I can feel Duo’s hand, warm and
strong against mine and I grip it tighter, before allowing my head to rest on
his shoulder.
“It’s been one hell of a
day…no make that two days,” I finally say with a soft chuckle, watching the
orange, yellow and red leaves of the large oak tree in front of the school
gate. It’s Fall all right, and all too soon Winter will come knocking. “I
wonder how long they’ll keep him away.”
“Lock him up you mean,” Duo
replies with a snicker. “I’m guessing it will be a long time. His crimes are
just piling up like crazy now.”
“And the students,” I murmur,
beginning to feel rather sleepy. “What will happen to all of those kids who’ve
become addicted to it? How’re we going to stop them?”
“You’ve got to ask for an
assembly. You tell Kamishiro everything and he’s going to have to make an
announcement saying all students will be tested for drugs and shit. Not many
people are going to like it, but it’s the best thing you can do now. I’m sure
the counseling office will be glad to have students to work with.”
I lift my head to stare at my
boyfriend in mild awe, watching his cheeks darken with color at my intense
scrutiny.
“What?” he asks with a pout.
“Do I have something on my face?”
I shake my head and laugh
softly, leaning close to claim those amazing lips in a soft kiss of pure
gratitude. “What will I ever do without you, Maxwell?” I whisper against them
as I reach out to clasp his other hand tightly.
“And I love you too, Yuy,” he
replies huskily, blurring my vision as we allow ourselves to get lost in
another sweet kiss.
~End Period Nineteen~