Author's note: WHAT"S WRONG WITH U PEOPLE! Laura and Roberto are meant for each other! Forget Travis, he's jus a friend in this story. Don't like that? Too bad!
A Hidden Hero
PHASE 1
Chapter 1: Passion Unrealized.
"Kana!" Laura complained into the phone as she twisted her fingers through the chord "It's my 13th birthday and you pick now to be slow?"
Laura had been waiting for Kana for over an hour. The two had planned to go to the revolving restaurant to celebrate Laura's first birthday as a teenager. "Will you just hang on?" Kana protested "I was on the other line, the other person probably hung up."
"Fine" Laura said, still impatient "just don't take an hour."
"No problem" Kana said reassuringly.
Laura groaned softly as she heard the click that signified that Kana had switched lines followed by dead silence. She stood and walked over to Hamtaro's cage "You awake Hamtaro?" she asked with a slight smile "or are you going to keep me waiting forever too?"
As if in reply, the orange and white coated hamster crawled out from behind his whiz wheel 'I wouldn't keep you waiting Laura' he said to himself 'not on your birthday!'
Laura smiled broadly and lifted Hamtaro out of his cage. Sitting on her bed, she cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder to free her hands, which were now being used to scratch Hamtaro affectionately on the head.
Suddenly, Laura heard another click. "Laura?" Kana called from the other end.
"Yeah I'm still here" Laura responded, still petting Hamtaro.
"Okay" she said with a hint of a pleasant chuckle in her voice "I'm ready"
"Great!" Laura shouted, standing suddenly "let's go!"
"I'm actually going to meet you there okay?" Kana said in an uneasy tone.
"Okay but why?" Laura asked confused.
"Just trust me okay?" Kana replied.
"Kana…" Laura started to protest.
"Got to go" Kana interrupted quickly "bye!"
With that said, there was yet another click followed by a beeping dial tone, Kana had hung up. Laura gave the phone a puzzled look, as though expecting it to answer her questions. "That's odd" she said slowly in a tone only audible to her and Hamtaro "I wonder why she was in such a rush to leave?"
Hamtaro, still in her hands, wondered if Laura were asking him this question. 'I'm not sure Laura' he said in reply, still unsure if the question was even directed towards him.
"Well, no point in worrying about it" Laura said, glancing at clock that stood beside her bed "I'd better hurry or I'll be late."
With that last thought, she quickly placed Hamtaro back in his cage "don't get into trouble now Hamtaro" she said with a wave "I won't be gone too long."
She quickly ran down the stairs and into the main hallway. She continued running after she had quickly slipped on her shoes and sweater. Heading down the sidewalk at a rapid pace, Laura continued to think about her conversation with Kana a few minutes earlier. Laura could have sworn that she had heard the slightest hint of a laugh in Kana's voice before her rushed goodbye. What had that meant? And what about Kana's slow, lazy attempt to get ready, and then her rapid hurry to get off the phone? All in all, Laura had no idea how to take their recent conversation.
She kept thinking about it, however. She was unable to shake the questioning thoughts from her mind. In fact, she was so engulfed in her queries that she barely heard the words "heads up!" being shouted from behind her.
Fortunately, the sound of the person's yelling was loud enough to bring Laura back to reality just in time to whirl around and catch something round and smooth in her hands. Laura looked down and saw that she had caught a soccer ball. But not just any soccer ball, this one was checkered in white and green instead of the traditional white and black. Oh no Laura that as she stood, helpless, and stared at the all too familiar soccer ball.
"Thanks for…oh" called the oh so familiar voice of the red-headed boy that you could consider Laura's enemy "it's you"
"Hello to you to" Laura replied sharply as she caught sight of the boy "Roberto."
"I'll take that if you don't mind" Roberto said, ignoring Laura's comment.
"Watch where you're kicking it next time" Laura said angrily. She couldn't help it, whenever she saw Roberto, something inside her triggered. It was a weird feeling. The two of them were always fighting, yet she seemed to enjoy it most of the time, as though she couldn't wait for the next time they met.
"I said heads up" Roberto protested, grabbing the ball from Laura's outstretched hands "It's not my fault if you're too stupid to hear me."
"Jerk!" Laura shouted.
"Well this jerk" Roberto said, pressing his index finger into his chest "has a soccer game to get to."
"Would want you to miss that" Laura said in a sarcastic tone as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Hey the school team needs me" Roberto argued, leaning in closer to Laura's face "in fact, the outcome of that game depends on whether I'm there or not."
"That's only because you never pass to anyone" Laura shouted, leaning closer to his face as well.
"Why should I?" Roberto said haughtily "I'm the best one on that team anyway."
"How would you know?" Laura yelled angrily, clenching her fists "If you never pass, no one else will be able to show their talents on the field."
"Better for me" Roberto replied.
"You've got such a big ego!" Laura said "you just can't stand it when you're not the centre of attention can you?"
"That's pretty personal wouldn't you say?" Roberto shouted back in her face.
"Egotistic jerk!" Laura shouted.
"Stupid, nosy wench!" Roberto retorted.
The two of them grew closer and closer to each other until they were almost nose to nose, both of them grunting in anger and frustration. "Yeah" shouted an unfamiliar feminine voice "you tell him girl!"
"No way the guy's totally right!" shouted another strange voice, this time masculine.
Laura and Roberto turned away from each other and looked at the crowd that had gathered to watch their verbal bashing. Both exchanged nervous glances and blushed slightly. The crowd was split, those who were female cheered for Laura, while those who were not chanted their share of encouragement and support to Roberto.
"So is this your first fight?" one person asked out loud.
"Well…no" Laura said, still blushing scarlet red.
"Don't sweat it girl" said another "every relationship needs at least one fight."
"R-relationship?" Roberto stammered, blushing 3 shades darker.
"Yeah" said a third voice "they say that flames keep passion burning"
"Passion?" Laura said sheepishly, glancing nervously at the red headed boy that stood beside her.
"I must admit though" a lady whispered to another "they are an odd couple aren't they?"
"No" the other lady argued "they look very cute together."
"Whoa, whoa!" Roberto protested "me? In love with her? Are you kidding?"
"Don't flatter yourself space for brains!" Laura shot back "not like I'm in love with you!"
"That's passion alright" said one lady with a sigh.
"Can we talk somewhere else" Roberto asked suddenly "somewhere people aren't watching our every move."
"After all this" Laura started to say "why should I listen to you?"
But she was interrupted by the chanting of the crowd. All through the streets the word "Kiss" could be heard repeatedly.
Roberto shot Laura a look that seemed to say that's why. Laura sighed and simply nodded her head. Roberto then did something that surprised Laura and even himself a little. He held out his hand to her. Laura shot him a questioning glance but Roberto just looked away, his hand still outstretched.
Laura looked from Roberto to the crowd, who was still chanting the word "Kiss" over and over, and back to him once more. Seeing no other option, Laura sighed and placed her hand in his. It felt warm and almost comfortable. Laura had to control herself from squealing in delight. Wait what the heck am I thinking? Laura thought this is Roberto's hand I'm holding not Travis'.
But her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden pull of Roberto's hand on her own. Snapping back to reality, Laura sprinted along with him, still holding on to his hand. Roberto felt slightly lightheaded as he enclosed his hand around her dainty, delicate fingers. Okay Roberto, keep your cool he thought it's just Laura here. Even through his protesting thoughts, he still had to restrain himself from stopping abruptly and embracing her no! Wait! what? Stop thinking that Roberto! It's Laura! L-A-U-R-A! He shook his head dismissively and continued running, pulling Laura behind him.
As they got further and further away from the crowd shouts of "Don't leave yet!" and "It was just getting juicy!" could be heard from behind. Roberto and Laura then heard some new cheering, this time not for them (much to their relief). Roberto looked straight ahead at the oncoming soccer field it's the game! He thought in horror as he sped up, pulling Laura closer to him fiercely and they're starting without me!
"What's your problem?" Laura said from behind, feeling the abrupt change of speed.
"Never mind" Roberto said dismissively.
"Oh I see" Laura said with a smirk, glancing at the field ahead of them "Mr. Ego is missing his big game!"
"Will you shut up?" Roberto said angrily as they grew closer to the game site.
Roberto then turned quickly and hid behind a bush. He then stopped suddenly, causing Laura, who was still running, to trip. But before she had hit the ground, something grabbed her around the waist. Turning her head slowly, she found herself looking into a pair of intense green eyes. (a/n: even if they're not green I don't care!)
Laura found herself unable to look away from them, as though they had captivated her. Roberto couldn't look away from Laura either. What was going on? First the crowd and now this! He was totally losing it.
"Roberto?" said a familiar voice from behind them "Laura?"
Author's note: Bwahahahaha cliffhanger! Send in the reviews please! Hope you like it minna-san!