"Depth" "I look like a complete fool. Honestly, who's going to buy this? I think I stand out even more than I did before, don't you? I mean, why dye the eyebrows too? There was nothing wrong with their original color and I think there's no way to get back to their original color." The redhead sulked painfully, leaning against the brick wall of the gates to the school, covering his face with his hands. "When we're finished, you can shave 'em off mate. They'll grow back." Teary blue eyes peeked through Ron's long boney, freckled fingers, watching the shorter boy. His voice shrieked, unhappily responding to the comment, "THEY WON'T GROW BACK! YOU'RE DAFT HARRY!" When the dark haired boy shushed him, Ron flushed a deep crimson and lowered his voice, "Honestly! They're ruined! Gone!" And at this, the tall teen began to sob again, the fortieth time, Harry thought, since they'd been standing here. "Do shut it Ron. People are beginning to look. See, down there, students are showing up," The green eyed boy pointed down the street towards a group of kids who'd just turned the corner and were now eyeing the blubbering tall and lanky fool standing in front of the school gates. Upon seeing this, Ron quickly composed his self and wiped away the left over tears, turning away from the students so they would not see his bloodshot eyes. Harry could only shrug and drag his tall friend farther down the street away from the gates where they could have some privacy. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, the shorter boy pushed it into his companion's hand and mumbled some consoling words to him. In fact, Harry himself wanted to cry, it had been a long night after talking with their old friend, doubling that with the lack of sleep he's had for the past couple of weeks, made his restraint very thin and taught. "She should've been here by now." He said this more to himself than to the sniffling counterpart to his right and green eyes scanned the crowds of students wearily. When he was certain he didn't see any sign of his chestnut haired friend, Harry pulled his glasses off exasperatingly and rubbed at them with the hem of his shirt. After several seconds of obsessed polishing, the glasses were pushed back onto the boys face just in time to see a blur of black and white before it smacked him in the face. There were a few moments of confusion where Harry toppled backwards against Ron, which caused a slew of English curses to escape from the boy's mouth. When finally the two teens regained their balance they saw their attacker grinning broadly, arms crossed over her chest looking absolutely self-important. "Thanks a lot Mako. You scared me shitless," Harry brushed off the side of his slacks, picking up the shirt and pants that had fallen to the ground. He turned them over in his hand, eyeing them suspiciously before separating the two pieces and folding them meticulously. "Nice hair Ron, you look positively... well. You look. That's what's most important," She looked long and hard at the freckled boy before continuing, "You didn't have to do the eyebrows..." It all seemed to happen in slow motion as the tomboy watched Ron's nostrils flare, his blue eyes becoming wide and angered, and his upper lip snarling upwards revealing a set of crooked, but white teeth. "SEE HARRY, SHE SAID WE DIDN'T NEED TO DO THE BLOODY EYEBROWS! YOU'RE COMPLETELY DEADMEAT IF WE GET OUT OF THIS ALIVE!" Despite his new 'do', Makoto clearly saw the red flush from his raging face climb up at the roots of his now black hair. The young girl laughed and turned to survey the green eyed boy to her left who seemed to be on the verge of laughing but was holding back out of respect of friendship. Ron continued to bicker and complain, causing Makoto to yawn conspicuously before speaking sharply, "Harry, your pants might be a bit long, I'd fold them up. And Ron," blue eyes shot anxiously to his brutish friend, "of course yours are going to be too short, just pull your socks up higher or something. We'll see if we can't pinch a pair from the guy's locker room during a lunch. The shirts ought to fit right and solid; make sure to tuck them in, it'll draw less attention." Emerald eyes shifted back and forth between the young men drearily, "Keep them well, they are the only sets you'll be given, as I had to produce them out of my own closet." Ron and Harry nodded quickly, sharing a glance before turning around to find a place to change into the newly acquired uniforms. The tomboy grunted disdainfully, causing both teens to jump, turning their heads meekly towards the tall girl as she spoke, "I don't care what you do during the first two hours, don't get yourselves caught playing hooky though. There's a nice place above the gymnasium, a little warm, but hardly anyone goes up there." "'cept you, eh?" The dark haired boy grinned, marveling at his secret knowledge he held of the girl's inner mind. Unfortunately he was met with the piercing emerald eyes he detested so much and was forced into turning back around and continuing with his action of finding a place to change into the uniform. The redheaded teen could only turn his head back and forth between his two friends possessing a confused look on his face such you thought he was born with it. An annoyed sigh escaped the girl's lips, "Just meet me on the roof at 10 on the dot. If anyone talks to you, just pretend you're mute or something, if it's possible, Ron." Upon hearing his name, the lanky teen gracefully stumbled and kept the dirty look to his self, continuing his pace next to Harry. ------------------------- Makoto did the only thing she felt was necessary in such situations and rolled her eyes, grumbling softly to herself, though far from annoyed. This was like old times and old times weren't too bad, rather, they were very fun. The only difference now was how taxed her emotions were becoming. Everything that was going on around her, had the girl spread so very far, she more often felt tired than the usual exhilaration which accompanied putting her plans into action and seeing them through till the end. With so many dark experiences in her life, the chestnut haired tomboy did the only thing she resolved herself to doing during the past year; and that was to look on the bright side. Sure, Harry and Ron coming back meant many possible scenarios, involving nothing worse than what she'd already been through. But on the bright side, the two boys attending school would be fun and bring some life into the dull dreary existence known as being a teenager. Though the two seemed like complete fools on the outside, the tomboy knew their worth and was willing to put her new found home life on the line for it. An ambulance rushed by the school gates breaking Makoto from her thoughts and the rogue turned around, heading back towards the school gates, bringing her emerald eyes up to find the gaze of baby blue's briefly before their owner swiftly took off towards the school doors. She wondered how long the small girl was standing there before walking hastily after her. In the blue haired girl's wake, the chestnut haired rogue could smell the faint odor of vanilla and lilacs and immediately her senses began to lust into overdrive. A hunt was in definitive due order this morning. Emerald eyes swept around the courtyard probingly, looking for any signs of cat-like lavender eyes as the tall girl tailed the genius up the steps and through the double doors of the building. Upon seeing that she would not find any hindrance, Makoto went in for the kill. "Ohayo Ami-san. How are you this dull morning?" For her part, though the small girl obviously jumped, startled at the sound of the rogue's voice, she regrouped quickly, smoothing the lines of her navy blue skirt. Unfortunately Makoto, once she received the blast of the blue haired girl's vanilla and lilac scent head on, did not fair as well and allowed her piercing gaze to linger downwards, enjoying the sight below the other girl's hands. "O-ohayo Makoto-san. I'm doing well," Her high melodic voice swept through the rogue's ears and somewhere angels were rejoicing high upon clouds as naked silhouettes, bringing the softest and faintest smile upon the tall girl's face. It startled the small girl, for the young girl was probably still not used to her classmate's ever changing faces. Did she perhaps believe 'The New Transfer' was schizophrenic? If so, her reactions would be so much more worth it that Makoto might increase her efforts towards the small girl. And it was in that moment, the brutish young girl realized that she was simply obsessed with Mizuno Ami, desiring her above all other things in this world. She would hold the girl closely to her, whispering words of love and possession into her ear, watching her squirm and breath heavily, embarrassed by the actions of her friend. These visions flooded the rogue's brain as her eyes drifted upwards towards pools of baby blue, completely unaware that her arm began to move on its own accord, reaching out towards those same pools. "Mako...to...san..." 'Get it together baka!' Quite suddenly Makoto was jolted back to reality, feeling flush and somewhat faint, embarrassed of having lost control of her self. Both girls were frightened and yet, unaware that each was frightening the other. Makoto closed her eyes slowly, internally fighting with her will, her heart, and her mind. It was true, the rogue noted, she'd never felt such feelings before in her life and they were stronger than anything else she'd ever known. Nevertheless, they had to be controlled, had to be saved, and set aside for more proper times. "Gomen, Ami-san. Gomen, you probably think me a beast. The things I thought to be funny were not funny at all. I'll understand if you cannot subject yourself to forgive me, I don't deserve it." Earnest emerald eyes meekly looked towards the floor, concentrating on the pristine white tennis shoes the blue haired girl always wore. Oddly enough, the tall girl did feel sorry. Though she knew she would make the short teen feel bad, but she was surprised at how much it affected her. No, that wasn't right, she was surprised at how much it affected both the girls; Makoto couldn't remember the last time she'd cared about someone this much. Ami shook her head, blue hair dancing around her porcelain-like face. She smiled, speaking too sweetly, Makoto thought, sweetness that the rogue did not deserve. "I don't think you a beast. Though it wasn't very funny," the short girl frowned slightly, "Anyways, I'm simply glad y... no one got hurt." Her smile became more earnest now, leaving the tall teen with a tight feeling around her heart. Too tight, "Well, thank you, I think." The tall girl visibly relaxed and inward, she calmed the storm raging within her chest. "I'm looking forward to this Saturday; I hear your birthday is on Sunday, what would you like as a gift?" The genius blushed profusely and brought her hands up, waving frantically. The whole scene was comical; Makoto could only grin, feeling her gaze soften on the sweet girl in front of her. Maybe in another realm, or perhaps in another time, the tall girl might reach out and clasp her long, lean arms around the fidgeting teen, kissing the top of her forehead, willing her silently to calm herself. And Ami would, of course, in that realm, or other time, calm down, leaning her head against the tomboy's chest, maybe inhaling whatever sort of scent that would possess a rogue like Kino Makoto. 'You must be schizophrenic, Mako, wanting to know what a shy genius thinks of your scent.' So easily was she possessed by these thoughts nowadays? "You don't have to get me anything! It's only a birthday!" Quivering blue eyes once again found the floor, the blush still firmly set upon the small girl's face. Makoto allowed a tiny sigh to escape her mouth at the sight of the blue haired angel before her. The two girls stood silently, despite the hallway becoming increasingly noisy, as students began to enter the building in hoards. Wayward glances towards 'The New Transfer' and `The Genius' gave start to whispers shaded only halfway by weak-willed hands and outrageous rumors. Whispers, glances, fingers now pointing, all causing the shy, quiet teen to become even more so; in turn they caused the rogue to see only red. Keeping her temper in check, not wanting to cause such a scene that might embarrass Ami even further into the protective shell she often bore, the tomboy clasped her hand around the short girl's delicate pale wrist and pulled her out of the hallway quickly. Her long legs strode confident and stretched lengths through the labyrinth of halls, forcing the blue haired girl to jog in order to keep up with her captor. Green eyes glanced towards a clock on the wall and confirmed that she and Ami must have been standing there talking for longer than she originally thought. 'Time often does that when one's senses are so acutely directed.' There was a gasp, accompanied by light panting behind the rogue, "Mako... Makoto, please, slow down. I can't keep up..." As if it were a command she could not disobey, the chestnut haired tomboy made a beeline for the nearest empty classroom and pulled the short girl inside with her, closing the door behind them. The two stood, not daring to look one another in the eye, for several moments while Ami attempted to catch her breath. Chancing a peek at the genius, the rogue watched her as she reached into her shirt pocket, pulling out her pair of rimless glasses, polishing them briefly before placing them on her face. There was only one description for this view; and that was adorable. Positively, absolutely adorable. The blue haired girl's flushed face, a slight brow of sweat, the deep pink lips, and to top it off, she had to put on her glasses. 'Let me die now and I die forever happy.' "Caught your breath?" This wasn't Makoto's mind speaking, she knew, for her thoughts lay elsewhere at the moment. Simply put, her actions were now on auto drive and the tomboy didn't know how to go back to manual. She could only stare as Ami nodded bashfully, still not meeting the wanton gaze of the rogue's lusty eyes. "Good. I'm getting you a gift, by the way. I just thought you had something in mind, so that maybe at least you could have one good thing out of Saturday night. Besides, it's not just another birthday... You'll only turn 16 once; better make the best of it." 'Look up, look up, look up!' She silently willed the shorter girl, at the same time fighting with her own body not to pounce on her like some primal animal that is only controlled by its senses. Distracting herself from the urges, Makoto made a mental note to get some rest later, perhaps because she was so tired it was more difficult to control such feelings. "If you must," Ami had still not looked up, speaking softly while she toed the floor, "get me something, than get me something you think I would like. I don't think I could ever be disappointed with a gift... from... you." After which the small girl swallowed nervously, Makoto swearing she could feel vibrations from the depth of that swallow. A corner of the rogue's lip turned upwards and smoothly, the tall girl reached out and placed her fingers under her genius' chin, tilting the perfectly proportioned face upwards so that baby blue eyes must now look right into blazing emeralds. "That's the way it has to be, huh..." Makoto nodded, smiling at the blue haired doll, then let go of her chin and exited the room as though she'd never been there, as though her only imprint left behind was fainter than that of the dimmest ghost. There was no sound left in the room, for Ami had forgotten how to breathe. ------------------------- Tenjou Utena, a newbie to Juuban much like the rogue, Kino Makoto, only having moved to the area several months ago with one suitcase, little money, and a promise that she would live in dorms set up for less fortunate teenagers of the area. The rent was very little, food was provided, as long as you ate at the dorms, and best of all, she had no roommates. She loathed her last school and its roommate system. They had put her with a rude and very uncompromising girl named Nanami who seemed hell bent on making the pink haired teen's life as miserable as possible. And try as she might, Utena could not get transferred out of that room, even though there were clearly rooms available. She figured it had something to do with her breaking the chairman's nose after he grabbed her butt after school one day. Her saving grace was that she knew a girl who attended Juuban: Tsukino Usagi. She encouraged her to apply to the school, despite her already having entered high school at Ohtori; she could finish up her remaining years at Juuban instead. At first, the basketball player's reason for coming to this school lay in the adoration of a certain blonde odango, but eventually that reason dissipated and she found herself truly enjoying life at Juuban and the friends she'd made as well. Utena especially enjoyed the blossoming friendship with Aino Minako. The two girls knew of one another through Usagi, before having ever transferred to Juuban. It was Usagi who introduced them, Usagi who nurtured their friendship, Usagi who supported both of them intently. Though Utena knew why the meatball head was doing this as well; relieving the guilt the pink haired teen placed on herself after having wrongfully misjudged her good friend's feelings. While the rumors weren't exactly true, they weren't completely false either; the basketball player was never involved with her ditzy, food frenzied friend; but she had, at one point, held deep affection for the girl. Deep affection that she mistook for love. Minako, being Usagi's best friend, was told all about it afterwards, for Usagi was never a good liar, especially when probed by the gossip-loving Aino Minako. The blonde volleyball player probably pitied Utena at first, or so the pink haired girl assumed, but eventually came to enjoy they spent with one another. Utena wasn't unwise, though, especially when she began to develop feelings for the dazzling blonde girl. She would not allow another mishap like there was with Usagi. And so, in order to not let her emotions get the best of her, the basketball player focused her attention elsewhere these days. That precious attention she gave willingly to her shy, blue haired classmate. Ami seemed to be going through such a strenuous year. The girl spoke little of her home life, but from the shortened remarks left here and there, Utena gathered that the teen's mother had begun to place undue pressure on the child prodigy, pushing her to keep her grades at perfection's standard in order to guarantee the best possible school. None of this seemed fair, to the basketball player; the blue haired girl was going to get into whatever university she glanced at, with or without this pressure. Utena didn't know whether to feel joyous or angry at the situation at times for Minako mentioned that before this year, Dr. Mizuno barely knew where her daughter was half the time, let alone how she was doing in school. The doctor's word was nevertheless absolute as she ruled the roost. Utena heard from Minako that the genius' father split on the family a little over three years after Ami's birth. Ami rarely, if ever, spoke of her father; the most the pink haired girl managed to get out of her was that he was an artist and that her grand parents on her mother's side never really approved of the man. They apparently spoke badly about him in front of the poor girl whenever they got a chance; the basketball player assumed they probably did this as to put her mother in a better light. In times like these, Utena wished she'd known her parents so as to better to relate to her friend. And as if this stress wasn't already piling up on the girl, Kino Makoto had to enter the school. From the first day the genius laid eyes on the young brute, Utena knew there would be nothing to stop those two forces from colliding, perhaps offsetting the earth's orbit, maybe sending it off into the recesses of space. 'And Minako thinks I'm not poetic at all...' The basketball player smiled fondly, leaning against her locker watching students walk by aimlessly. She shook her head, trying to expel thoughts of Minako and turned back towards the blue haired girl who hadn't so much even bothered to move from in front of her locker. Biting her lip, stern blue eyes became sorrowful towards the short girl, who appeared to have had quite a morning, if the whispers she'd heard were true. No doubt they were, for Ami was always very alert on her surroundings and most especially her studies. The girl had never spaced out, daydreaming like Usagi, that is, until Kino-san. Utena wanted to pull the girl aside and force her to speak her feelings, force her to spill out everything that was eating at her. She very much doubted that people gave her the chance to explain, amongst those being Hino Rei. Utena had tolerated the sexy teen initially, figuring her simply full of hot air. But as the months passed and she got to know the fiery girl, the more the pink haired girl was irritated at her actions. She acted as though Ami were a possession of hers that no one else was allowed to touch; worst of all was that the blue haired girl seemed oblivious to her best friend's behavior. As if it wasn't bad enough that the dark haired girl everything but claimed to be in love with the genius, she also had a tendency to sleep around with her own various fan girls. Minako was the only one, besides herself, who actually acknowledged, knew, and talked about Rei's conduct. Usagi could see no bad in her friends and Ami was too engrossed in her studies-and now Kino-san-to notice anything out of the ordinary. The basketball player sighed in frustration, wanting nothing more than to wave a magic sword and wipe all of this grief away from everyone, most especially, Ami. But was Kino-san better for the blue haired girl than Rei? Sometimes it was like picking the lesser of two evils. Utena didn't know anything of what was going on between the genius and 'The New Transfer' only that every time Ami had an encounter with the tall teen, she looked either positively frightened, unsure, and/or like she was about to cry. It was something though, wasn't it? The stoic genius, so painfully shy, so painfully afraid of her emotions, who apparently never really opened up to anyone (the basketball player doubted that even the girl's best friend, the sexy prowling teen, was not privy to any of the intimate details going on inside the head of the blue haired teen), was now displaying such an array of moods and passions. One could only feel sorry for the short girl, who was no doubt embarrassed by her actions, not being able to control them like she could before. Ami was opening up though... some good had to come of that, Utena could only hope. The basketball player didn't know Kino Makoto very well, but she felt a common bond with the girl. She didn't know why, but there was something linking the two, as if the brute would understand Utena without having to say anything, and vice versa. Perhaps this was why she silently rooted for the genius and the rogue to come together; Kino-san couldn't be as bad as she appeared to be. Maybe Ami would do some good for her, much like Minako did for the basketball player. 'Every thought I have leads back to that damned dazzling blonde.' Utena turned, facing her locker and leaned into it heavily, letting her forehead strike forcefully against the metal. "Daijoubu, Utena!?" She pressed her face harder against the locker before pulling back meeting the gaze of concerned baby blue's. "Hai hai Ami!" Before the pink haired girl could stop herself, she was giving the shorter girl a V sign. Upon seeing her two fingers, Utena hastily pulled her hand away, muttering several choice words under her breath. Closing her eyes, the basketball player began to think about everything that wasn't privy to wistful white-blonde hair, topped off with the most delightful red bow. And when stone blue eyes opened, they were surprised to see the small blue haired girl giggling, holding a soft, delicate hand up over her mouth. 'A giggling Mizuno Ami could be tolerated, even if it was at the cost of one's pride.' "Yeah yeah, I know." The pink haired girl waved her had dismissively before continuing, "By the way, I hear your birthday is coming up on Sunday." The giggling died off and a light blush crossed the genius' cheeks as she nodded. "Sooo, it's the sweet 16. Very sweet!" Utena grinned and put her arm around the short girl's shoulders, "Party time!" "Oh, no party. It's fine. Rei-chan said she's only inviting you, Minako-chan, and Usagi-chan, just a quiet get together." A drop of sweat suddenly appeared on the basketball player's brow, "Uhh... Ami... Well, I'm not supposed to tell you," Utena pulled her arm off of the small girl's shoulders and scratched the back of her own head, "But, you know, to save you the embarrassment, our two favorite blondes are planning a large party and I don't think Rei is objecting to it." "It's too late for me to back out, neh?" There was a slight amusement in the tone of the smart girl's voice which was topped off with a light airiness that actually most befit Minako's way of speech. 'Basketball, basketball, basketball, basketball, basketball, basketball...' Ami brushed up against Utena's shoulder, laughing softly as she spoke, "You worry about me a lot," A smile crossed the small girl's lips, "Thanks." Kino-san did seem like the lesser of two evils after all... there was something good about this impending collision.
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