Whitney: hey there! I'm back. Thought I might as well try again.
Heath: since the first time didn't teach you anything.
Whitney: #evil death-glare of DOOM# you HUSH!
Heath: whatever
Erk: Apparently she didn't learn the FIRST time, so she's going to try and get herself deleted again.
Heath: you really are slow.
Whitney: You are starting to dig a hole to China.
Heath: huh?
Erk: she's getting mad at you.
Heath: Oh.
Nino: disclaimer She doesn't own Fire Emblem, or Twelfth Night, or whatever school these guys go to!
Heath: so read, laugh, roll your eyes, whatever. If you want help trying to understand some of the quotes to follow-
Nino: and hopefully they WILL follow, 'cause we don't want to be kicked out again...
Whitney: would you guys give it a REST?
Heath: then try going to sparknotes.com. Enjoy!
Erk: good luck with that last part.
It was another boring day at school. The teacher stood at the front of the class, droning on and on and on about something or other; Hector wasn't really paying as much attention as he should be. Classes always put him to sleep, math particularly. He woke up when the piece of paper hit him in the side of the head, however. Looking down on his desk he saw a crumpled note, probably from Lyn or Eliwood: they both sat to the side of him. Furtively glancing around to make sure no one important was watching, he opened the note. It was from Eliwood.
Hector: did you hear about English class? -Eliwood
Flipping the paper over, Hector scribbled back.
-No, I haven't. What's up?
Again making sure the teacher wasn't looking he lobbed the ball of paper back at Eliwood. Eliwood caught it, read it, and shook his head. Lyn leaned over her desk to read the note. Sighing, she shook her head.
"Does he EVER pay attention in class?" she whispered.
"Rarely," Eliwood whispered back, writing his reply. Lyn giggled.
"How do you think he's going to respond to this?"
Eliwood grinned slyly. "With his usual charm, I'm sure."
Lyn tried to muffle her laughter at the remark, but the teacher caught it anyway.
"If you find trig so amusing, Lyn, why don't you come here and solve the problem on the board?"
"Damn," Lyn muttered, pushing herself out of her desk and dragging herself to the front where she took the chalk from the teacher and faced the problem on the board. Seizing the momentary distraction, Eliwood skimmed the note back to Hector. His aim was a little off, though, and it bypassed Hector, going a full row further, landing on Serra's desk. Serra promptly left off trying to get Erk's attention and examined the note.
"Ah... Serra, can I have that back, please?" Hector hissed to the little devil who was handling the note. Serra eyed him critically.
"Why?"
"Because it's mine!" He said, a little louder than he meant too.
"Hector! Is there a problem, or do I have to remove you from the room?" Hector whipped around to face the teacher, his face the very picture of innocence.
"No Ms. Arthur, there's no problem here."
"Let's keep it that way!" the teacher snapped before turning back to Lyn who was still struggling with the problem on the board. Or she had been: When the teacher turned to berate Hector, Rath had taken the opportunity to hand Lyn the written answer, and she was quickly finishing the problem, much to the teacher's amazement.
"C'mon Serra, please?" he begged.
"What will you give me?"
"Serra!"
"Weeelll?" she asked in a singsong voice. Except it wasn't really singsong, since Hector was tempted to clap his hand's over his ears. Her voice was painful.
"Serra...c'mon, pleases?"
"I'm waiting..." She said, ignoring him
"...Fine. How about a date with Erk?"
"Hey!" Erk hissed. "Keep me outta this, Hector!"
Hector sighed. He was out of options, frankly. He wasn't about to offer himself on a date with Serra, and apparently he couldn't bribe Erk. Maybe Matthew? Nope, Matthew would probably kill him. "Well, what do you want, Serra?" he asked, terrified of the answer.
"Take me out on a date!" He'd known that was coming.
"Oh Lord..." Hector groaned. Why didn't he just ask Eliwood to write him another note? If anything, Eliwood was probably enjoying this.
"Fine, fine, just gimmie that note!"
"Whee!" Serra giggled, handing out the note, then snatching her hand back.
"Serra!"
"Hang on, I just want to read it!"
"Errrgh..." Hector growled. Serra opened the note read it, giggled, then looked at him.
"You really oughta pay attention, Hector."
"Yeah, yeah, just give it back, OK?"
"Oh, fine. Here." She scowled at him and thrust the note at him.
"Finally..." Hector said, rolling his eyes. "This had so better be worth it..." He muttered, scanning Eliwood's reply.
"...WHAT?!?"
"Hector!" the teacher's voice yelled at him. "That's enough! Go stand in the hall!"
"Grr..." Hector ground his teeth as he stood up and was shooed from the classroom.
Finally the bell rang and the students were dismissed from Recess. He may have been kicked out of class, and standing may be uncomfortable, but at least it had gotten him out of math class. And freed his brain to think about Eliwood's note.
C'mon Hector. You really don't know? The English teacher mentioned it: we're going to be doing a play. Shakespeare, of course. Twelfth Night, I think was the play. I could be wrong. I guess sometimes I'm no better than you at listening. Hehheh –Eliwood
"Aw, MAN!" Hector groaned. If he knew the English teacher, Ms. Spencer, it would be worth extra credit, which he desperately needed. So he'd have to go. Maybe if he was lucky, he could grab a small part, or be an extra, and he'd get the credit without having to work really hard on it.
"So, what'd ya think Hector?" Lyn asked as she came out of the classroom. "Are you going?"
"Are YOU?" he asked back. Lyn thought about it for a moment.
"Probably. I like acting in any case, so this could be fun."
Eliwood emerged from the classroom. "I'll bet your going because you need the credit, eh Hector?"
"Shut up," Hector growled at his friend. "When and where is this happening?"
"Tomorrow, in the art room," Lyn said promptly. "Really Hector, you should pay attention."
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "C'mon, it's recess, and I wanna get away before Ms. Arthur thinks up some other fault of mine she can use to get me in trouble."
Lyn winked at Eliwood. "You know, this COULD be fun..."
#The Next Day#
"Where is he?" Lyn asked Eliwood."I don't know, I'm not his keeper!" Eliwood rolled his eyes. "Although he needs one sometimes. But he needs this credit: he'll be here."
"He'd better..." Lyn muttered.
"He's better what?" Hector asked, coming up behind Lyn. Lyn whirled around.
"Where have you BEEN?!?" Lyn demanded, her green eyes flashing. Hector raised an eyebrow at her.
"I slept in. So what?"
Lyn rolled her eyes. "You, are, HOPELESS," she said, accentuating every word.
"Yes, I know, you've told me before." Hector brushed her remarks aside, which made Lyn angrier, if anything. "Look, what's got you so –"
"HECTOR!" an all too familiar voice rang out down the hallway.
"Oh God no – "he groaned.
"What'd you do to draw her attention, Hector?" Eliwood asked him.
"Nothing. When you threw the note, it went to far and SHE got it. Then I had to barter for it back –"
"Hector!" Serra shrieked in his ear, practically throwing herself on him. "Ohmigod, I found the perfect place for our date, you'll never believe it, it's so QUAINT, and-"
"Serra..."Lyn ground her teeth together. "Shut up!"
Serra looked at Lyn. "Oh!" she squealed. "Hi Lyn! What's up? Oh, how are things with you and –"
"SHUT UP!" Lyn yelled, cutting Serra off before stalking away. Serra stared after her wide-eyed.
"What's her problem?"
"I dunno, busted eardrums maybe?" Hector asked sarcastically.
"Oh," said Serra doubtfully. "ANYWAY, Hector, I want you to pick me up Saturday night, blah blah blah..."
"C'mon Eliwood," Hector sighed. "I don't think even Ms. Spencer's rants could compare to Serra right now."
"Amen," Eliwood grinned as they entered the Art room just before the bell rang.
A few minutes later everyone was seated in the art rooms sporadically placed chairs when the teacher entered."Good morning class!" She chirped happily.
"It's mid-afternoon, Ms. Spencer!" Nino interrupted the teacher. Ms. Spencer stopped short, took a look out the window, and shrugged.
"Oh, whatever. Now, I trust you all knew about today's little assignment?"
"Err..." the class chorused. Ms. Spencer rolled her eyes.
"We will be doing a PLAY, if you remembered! 'Twelfth Night', by William Shakespeare. Now, this will be presented on Open House, like always, so we will only be doing excerpts, since I don't think the school would like us taking up all the time."
As she talked, she handed out pieces of paper to students. When Hector received his, he saw it was a passage from the play. That made sense... sorta.
"Does everyone have a sheet?" Ms. Spencer asked, looking around. "Yes? Good. Now, read over the lines. We'll have a reading in a few moments, to help decide who gets what part."
Hector just groaned. Examining his sheet, he saw that it was in two parts: two people would be selected to read off against each other. And, knowing Ms. Spencer, he couldn't read off against Eliwood.
"Alright, everyone done reading? Good. For our first pair, let's have... Heath and Hector."
Hector rose and got to the front where Heath was already standing, and strange look on his face. "I was kinda hoping she wasn't serious," he whispered when Hector joined him. Hector just nodded.
"Alright, Hector you be Antonio, and Heath, you be Sebastian. Start!"
"'Will you stay no longer? Nor will you not that I go with you?'" Hector started. What gibberish was this?
"'By your patience, no. My stars shine darkly over me. The malignancy of my fate might perhaps distemper yours; therefore I shall crave of you your leave, that I may bear my evils alone. It were a bad recompense for your love, to lay any of them on you.'" Heath spoke with considerable more energy than Hector, and that made Hector look bad. Time to take it up a notch!
"'Let me yet know of where you wither you are bound?'" he said, trying to made it sound better than Heath. Heath, unfortunately, caught on.
"'No, sooth, sir; my determinate voyage is mere extravagancy. But I perceive in you so excellent a touch of modesty, that you will not extort from me what I am willing to keep in; therefore it charges me in manners that rather to express myself.'"
"Very good boys!" Ms. Spencer clapped, and the class went along out of habit. Hector slunk back to his seat and slouched in it. He was definitely going to be an extra: he'd barely understood half the things Heath had been saying.
And it went on: next was Eliwood and Rath, followed by Erk and Jaffar, who seemed to be trying to out-do each other, Sain and Kent, Wil and Lowen, and finally Matthew and Guy.
Then it was the girls turn, starting with Priscilla and Ninian.
"'The honorable lady of the house, which is she?'" Ninian started, playing Viola.
"'Speak to me; I shall answer for her. Your will?'" Priscilla played Olivia.
"'Most radiant, exquisite, and unmatchable beauty – I pray you tell me if this be the lady of house, for I never saw her. I would be loath to cast away my speech; for besides that it is excellently well penn'd, I have taken great pains to con it. Good beauties, let me sustain no scorn; I am very comptible, even to the least sinister usage.'"
"'Whence came you, sir?'"
"'I can say little more than I have studied, and that question's out of my part. Good gentle one, give me modest assurance if you be the lady of the house, that I may proceed in my speech.'"
"'Are you a comedian?"'
"'No, my profound heat; and yet (by the very fangs of malice I swear) I am not that I play. Are you the lady of the house?'"
"'If I do not usurp myself, I am.'"
When it was Serra and Florina's turn, Florina was so quiet, and Serra so loud no one could hear a word Florina was saying, and Ms. Spencer finally switched Florina with Lyn, so it was Serra against Lyn, followed by Florina and Karla and finally Nino and Rebecca.
"Alright class," Ms. Spencer smiled happily at all twenty of her mostly sullen students. "You can leave when the bell rings –"
"It rang fifteen minutes ago!"
"...It did? Oops. Alright then, you can go. When we have class tomorrow, I'll post who's who and we can get started, okay? Have a nice –" the class jumped up and ran. "... -Day. Oh well." Ms. Spencer shrugged and went back to her list.
"I am so glad to be out of there!" Hector exclaimed when they were out of earshot.
"Oh, it wasn't that bad," Eliwood grinned.
"Oh yes, it was!"
"Did you guys HEAR Erk and Jaffar reading?" Lyn giggled. "It was like they were having this competition about who was better."
"I'd have to say the winner was Erk, though," Eliwood grinned. "Jaffar just doesn't talk enough PERIOD, and that low voice of his didn't help him."
"Nino thought he did pretty good," Lyn pointed out.
"Yeah, but she also thought Erk did 'pretty good' too, Lyn," Hector said. "Don't ask her which one was better: she couldn't answer in front of them, and if she didn't, they would know who the 'winner' was, and that might just start World War 5."
"Three, Hector. There have only been two." Corrected Eliwood.
"Sez you."
"Sezthe history book."
"Aw, who cares about the history book? Everyone knows half of it is bogus anyway."
"Be nice to the history book Hector," Lyn chided. "You might hurt it's feelings!"
Hector didn't need a retort for that one, he just laughed as Lyn blushed.
Erk: wow, what a bad cliffhanger
Whitney: -.-;; go away.
Heath: and that's the end of the first chapter!
Nino: we hope you liked it.
Erk: they'd BETTER. Do you know how much bribing it took to get those guys to agree to participate in this? Whitney: hush, or I'll set you up with Serra.
Erk: you wouldn't dare.
Whitney: try me. I'm trying to be the conqueror of the world, darn it! I can be mean if I have to!
Heath: only towards bugs and your friends.
Erk: is there a difference between the two?
Whitney: only in the fact I can kill bugs, but I can't kill my friends.
Heath: ... do you even HAVE friends?
Whitney: Um... I USED to... I think... now there's just this guy living in my attic.
Erk:... she's cracked.
Hector: only now do you notice.
Erk: shaddup
Whitney: anyway, reviews are appreciated, as are almost anything else. Hopefully we'll live to see you again!