I typed this while I was sick, so I AM AWESOME~!!!! Okay my rant is over. Except for this: I'm sorry, but this was bound to come up eventually. You know it was, don't deny it! X3
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"Hey, Mattie?" I said later that same morning, between second and third period. "What's that little loopy hair thing right there?" I pointed at it with a look of curiosity.
"It's a, um... Well... How do I put it?" he said, blushing as expected.
"Can I touch it?" I asked, hoping it might prompt him to explain.
"No!" he exclaimed quickly, which surprised me.
"Why not?"
"Because it's my erogenous zone!" he blurted, though I was still confused.
"What's an "erogenous zone"?" I inquired, feeling like a little kid because I didn't know.
There was a bout of heroic laughter drawing closer, and America leaned on Canada's shoulder out of the blue.
"It means if you touch it, he gets bloodrush to a certain place," America explained cryptically.
"Yeah, I'm still lost," I replied.
"He gets horny. Hard. Call it what you want, dude," America said, probably expecting that to phase me.
Sorry to disappoint. "Is that really what it does?"
Canada nodded, ducking his face behind Kumajirou.
"Do you have one, America?" I asked.
America nodded, pointing at his random cowlick. "Mine represents Nantucket, but it's also my erogenous zone, too."
"You countries are weird... You have nerves in your hair?" I said with a shake of my head. "And if I'm a country then I might have one too, right?"
The North American brothers looked at each other. "Do any of the girls have ahoges?" America asked, and Canada shrugged.
"I'm not really sure. Oh, wait! Taiwan has an ahoge, I think."
"Isn't she like the only one, though?"
"Well, what about your states?"
"Mel- Malcolm isn't a state. I've got them all in school down in DC. But you're right, some of 'em have weird hairs."
"I've got a funky hair thing," I piped up, grabbing back their attention.
"Dude, you do?" America said, surprised.
"Can we see?" Canada asked, but the "see" in that question was drowned out by the bell ringing.
"Ah, we're late!" I cried out, grabbing one of their hands each and running to gym frantically.
"A scholarship student coming to class late? That's a good way to get it revoked," Mr. Ward, the gym teacher, said scoldingly, referring to my scholarship.
"I really am sorry, Mr. Ward. I promise not to let it happen again," I said with sincerity.
"Hmph. See to it that you don't. Go dress down, Middleton."
I nodded and hurried to my little curtained shower to change.
"Don't worry about Mr. Ward, bro," America said from the other side of the plastic barrier. "He's really strict about tardiness 'cause he hates it when people skip his class."
I didn't answer, instead resolving to not be late to PE again. I couldn't be kicked out!
~~~
4th Period
I tried to concentrate, I really did. But our next fun project wasn't until next week and Mr. Crayven wasn't even trying to make today's lesson interesting. I watched as two birds, pigeons, flew at each other outside the window. I think they were battling over a cricket or a praying mantis. I dunno, some insect. When I finally turned away from the brawl (if you could call it that), I looked at my paper and saw that I'd drawn squiggles and loops all over its surface. Canada looked at my paper in a quick glance and smiled when he saw something in the picture.
"What is it?" I asked, and he pointed at an half-circle with a loop interrupting its arc. 'Oh, it's his little hair loop thing. When did I draw that?'
My eyes scanned the page and I picked out a few things that made me think if my friends; I could see the lines drawn close together, right on top of each other, that looked like two thick eyebrows, and what might have been Nantucket, and those squiggles might have been a rose... Not that France was my friend... FRANCE!
My hand gripped my mechanical pencil so hard I might have heard its clear plastic body crack. 'Th-The dance! Does he still remember what happened? Oh no...'
"Malcolm? Are you okay?" Matthew asked softly (duh), leaning over to peer into my frightened face. "What's the matter?"
"I'll tell you later," I replied, wiping the worry from my expression and putting my things as the bell released us to lunch.
~~~
Alfred and Matthew walked with me to the cafeteria and we went through the lunch line, getting our food.
"What had you so worried during Ancient History?" Mattie asked, and I glanced around us before answering, leaning in to speak softly.
"Remember when he was drunk at the dance and he heard my name? Y'know, and... confronted me about it?"
"When did that happen?" Alfred asked around a mouthful of fries. "And what're you talking about?"
"France heard you say my real name when we were dancing," I whispered in his ear, "and he called me out on it. But he'd been drinking."
"Seriously?"
I nodded and continued. "I just think we should all be more careful about saying my real name in public," I said, addressing both of them.
"Yeah, dude."
"Yes, I agree."
I started eating, thinking about what I'd have to do sooner rather than later; I'd have to ask France if he remembered anything from the dance, and if he did, what. God, this could be bad...
~~~
-After classes-
I waited by the rose bushes in the greenhouse, hoping that France would show up. He usually did when he needed a new rose, for whatever reason he might need them for. Flirting with the girls, stripping, whatever.
I was about to leave the greenhouse when I bumped lightly into someone's chest and looked up into surprised, but depressed, cerulean eyes. It was France!
"Bonjour, Malcolm," he said tiredly.
"Hiya, France. Hey, I've got a question for you," I began, but he brushed past me and went to the nearest rosebush, the flowers a light red or maybe dark pink. He had bags under his eyes, I noticed, when he looked at me.
"Is it important? I don't really feel like talking to anyone at zhe moment."
I was surprised at how depressed he sounded. "What's the matter? Are you sick?"
"Non, I just 'aven't been sleeping as well as I should," he admitted, sitting down on the gravel walkway with a rose twirling lazily between his thumb and forefinger.
"I'm sorry to hear that," I said after a short pause. "I hate it when I can't sleep, too."
"Oui... And some things 'ave just been happening that aren't making life seem okay right now..."
"Like what?" I inquired, crouching down and facing him with a curious look on my face.
"Do you really want to know?"
I shrugged. "I'll listen to you, if that's what you want. Just someone to listen to what's going on is nice sometimes, right?"
He nodded and smiled wanly, holding out the rose to me. I accepted it, a little surprised in the back of my mind. Then he began to tell me why he'd been losing sleep.
Apparently his girlfriend had left him a few weeks ago without any explanantion, and a couple nights ago he'd received a letter with no return address. It was from his girlfriend, and it said how she was pregnant and very upset with everything. Then her suicide had been on the news yesterday morning. Apparently she'd deliberately overdosed with prescription pills...
I was shocked. "France... That's awful!" Yeah, I know. Not the greatest thing to say, but in my defense I could have said a lot worse.
"Oui... And I really did love her dearly. She was mon amour, but she did not return those feelings. I feel terrible." His expression definitely proved that statement.
There was silence for a minute, unless you counted the last of the birds chirping around outside before they migrated south for the winter. Then I spoke up.
"I don't think you'd want to hear "I'm sorry" since you've probably heard that from everyone else you've told," I said, "even though I am sorry this happened. To the both of you. But maybe... Well, I don't really know. I'm not the one with the answers, I guess..."
He smiled at me. "I know you aren't, and I wish I knew what to do next. I've had many lovers before, zhough one zhat ended like this, but I do wish that l'amour wasn't as 'ard as zhis sometimes. But thank you for listening to me... Melina."
I gasped. "Y-You remember!?"
"Oui, and I'd like to apologize for acting zhe way I did, first of all. I was drunk because of what happened."
"S-Sure..." I said. "You aren't going to tell anyone this, are you? You have no idea how important it is that I don't get kicked out, France! I don't have anywhere else to go!"
"Mon cher, calm down! I won't tell, I wouldn't be a jerk like that. I would like to know why you are here, zhough, and not enrolled as yourself."
My eyes widened. "You... You really want to know?"
"Oui. You listened to me, I want to listen to you now."
I felt myself relax, and I took a deep, calming breath. "Okay, but you have to /promise/ not to tell a /soul/. Not Gilbert, not Antonio, not even Pierre."
He chuckled. "Alright, ma cheri. I promise."
~~~
We left the greenhouse and went to our dorms after I'd told him why I was at Gakuen and why I was under the alias of Malcolm Middleton. I even explained that I'd tricked him when I was hit in the "balls" during PE a week or so ago. That made him laugh, which made me laugh, too. I'll say it again: Contagious. Emotions.
When I walked into my dorm and shut the door, I realized I still had the rose he'd given me. America and Canada were there, discussing something that had to do with another hair-brained idea of his to save us all from global warming. They looked up when I came in, the straw of a huge soda stuck in America's mouth.
"Dude, where ya been? You've gotta listen to this new epic idea I've got for saving the environment and stuff like that!" America said.
"Where did you go?" Canada asked, and then he spied the rose. "The greenhouse?"
"Um, yeah. I met France there," I said.
"Why?" America asked almost suspiciously.
I chuckled evilly, but mentally. "We're dating now, duh~!" I said with a girlish giggle (Gag).
America did a spittake while Canada's jaw dropped, and I burst into laughter, eventually wiping tears from my eyes from laughing so hard.
"Oh my god the looks on your faces!" I exclaimed, having to lean against the door for support.
"Please tell me you're joking," Canada said.
Supressing my giggles enough to talk well, I nodded. "Yes, I'm totally joking. We talked for a little, that's all."
"About what?" America asked, sucking on the straw viciously.
"Just some stuff. Turns out he does remember the dance."
"Oh no!" Canada cried out, and I shook my head quickly.
"He's promised to keep it, and I think I can trust him now."
"You sure, dudette? We don't want you leaving," he said. Then he added, "Even if you are a little weird in the head."
I smiled. "I won't leave, guys. I promise."
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*sniff sniff* It's so emotional!! I can't stand iiiit!!! *cries in emo corner*
*Comes back* I'm happy to see that being sick doesn't inhibit me from coming up with the chapter storylines on the fly! Because that's what I do... I don't plan these completely... Ever... You know when the story seems to write itself? That's what I've been doing! *laughs*
So, the depressing part, the one about the girlfriend, kinda came from a one shot I read by the super awesome SunlitDreams (THANK YOU FOR THE AMAZING ONE SHOT!!!!) which is why this chapter is dedicated to her. I read a sad one she posted today and it stuck with me... The date that I type this is September 9th, BTW!
BARELY ANY EDITING, I APOLOGIZE!! I WAS PRESSED FOR TIME!!
But anyway! Comment, vote, add, fan, por favor? GRAZIE~!!!! WUVS~!!!