Heavy Blood

22. Lisa and Angelica

The two girls sat together underneath the window of their classroom after having noticed their teacher cry in there, sniggering together. They were both extremely satisfied with their plan, and were congratulating each other on their own cleverness.

"Here's what we'll do", Lisa had said to Angelica, and explained. "In twelve months..."

Angelica's eyes where wide as saucers. "BUT IF IT'S EXACTLY TWELVE MOTHS, IT WILL BE ON THE DAY!" she roared. "WE NEED SOME TIME TO PREPARE. ISN'T ELEVEN MONTHS BETTER?"

Lisa nodded sincerely. "You're right. Good girl."

"WHAT WILL WE DO FOR ELEVEN MONTHS?"

"Let's start by buying an ice lolly."

The two girls had walked away, hand in hand, to their mothers to ask for ice lollies as a reward for having finished school for summer holidays.

And for being so very, very clever.

That had been the fourteenth of June, and as soon as school started back up again in September, the countdown began.

"Only nine more months!" Angelica screamed on the fourteenth of September, but not as loudly as usual, as her ears were now clean of wax.

Izuna, their teacher, looked at them, one eyebrow raised. Lisa was incredibly pleased to see he was just as handsome as he used to be, or even more so; his hair was still short and thick and wavy, he wore amazing clothes that had Lisa dream of her own future partner, and he now also had a slit in his left eyebrow that looked incredibly cool. "What do you mean, nine months? Are you having a sister, Angelica?" Lisa had sniggered at that. "And what's up with you?" Izuna asked her.

"Nothiiing", Lisa smirked.

"Only nine more months!" Angelica screeched, shaking Lisa's shoulders.

"Or eight!" Lisa screamed. "Depending on how you see it!"

"Yeah, but he-" Angelica cast a meaningful glance at Izuna. "Won't know until in nine months. In eight months, only... You-know-who will know."

"True", Lisa said matter-of-factly, nodding.

"You girls are making me so nervous", Izuna sighed. "Continue with your maths now."

And it went on like that.

"Seven more months!"

"Half a year! Only half a year!"

And so on. Izuna got used to it, but tried to ignore it. It was hard, though, seeing as the two girls seemed incredibly excited over the whole thing. Lisa came up to him at his desk, leaning her elbow on it, her head in her hand, blinking angelically at him.

"How does it feel?" she asked him.

"How does what feel?"

"The fact that it's only one month left."

Lisa put her arms around his waist from behind in a way that made him incredibly uncomfortable. "Or two months. For him at least." She winked.

"Are you planning a surprise birthday party for me?" Izuna asked. "Because my birthday is around Christmas, you know."

"Oh, we know", they said in unison in a way that was very The Shining. Izuna shivered.

"It's today!" Lisa shrieked in the classroom. "It's today!"

"Do I finally get my surprise birthday party?" Izuna smirked.

"No", Angelica said. "You won't know until in a month."

Izuna sent the children out for their lunch break. After the full hour, all of the children came back. Except for Lisa and Angelica.

They were gone.

Hand in hand, the two girls, both of them clad in light late spring dresses and cardigans, walked through the city, indulging in the fact that it was finally the fourteenth of May. They had both agreed to wear their best clothes to increase their chances. It was so important they succeeded. They had counted down, they had waited, they had been desperate to tell, but they had sworn they wouldn't tell anyone, and succeeded, an impressive accomplishment when you were a young girl. This was their first time walking through the city alone, but they weren't afraid as they had each other. They had promised each other to save that week's allowance to buy ice lollies to celebrate, and they had their money safely stowed in their pockets.

"There it is!" Angelica said in awe.

"It seems so much smaller than I remember."

"That's what she said", Angelica said.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know. But my big brother said our Christmas tree was smaller than he remembered one year, and his girlfriend said "That's what she said." She's really smart, so I bet we will know what it means once we get a university degree like she has."

"Good", said Lisa.

"It probably only looks smaller because you've gotten taller", Angelica said.

Lisa nodded importantly. She had grown a bit since Christmas. "That must be it."

They opened the vast door to the cathedral, and hand in hand looked until they found what they were searching for.

"Angelica. Lisa. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

They stayed for over an hour and talked. 

"Oh, my God, girls! Where have you been!"

The two girls' happiness where suddenly exchanged for despair when they saw their teacher's face. Izuna, usually so handsome and beautiful according to the girls, was completely distorted, his face a swollen mess after having cried. A lot. In the school yard were two police cars, and the two girl's mothers ran to them, hugging them close, thanking God they were okay. Izuna just sat down on the ground, hiding his face in his hands and weeping in pure relief while Mr Goldstein, a handsome, blonde male teacher Lisa though Izuna had become uncomfortably close with this past year, comforted him. After having been half squeezed to death by her mother, Lisa shamefacedly walked to Izuna.

"I'm sorry to have you worried, Mr Uchiha."

He just hugged her close to him. "I'm just so happy you're all right! Where have you two been?"

"Just one month left, remember?" she whispered.