school adversary

Part 3

Quatre's house was great. It was large, massive actually, and it spoke of elegance and class, yet you could tell that it was a family home. There were mementos and photographs EVERYWHERE! And for all that, there was only one professionally done portrait of the family. Take for example, the coffee table. It was a lovely piece of carved, French polished mahogany that blended into the rich, warm tones of the room with ease. And sitting on it, was a cow made of popsicles that Quatre had made in grade 2. When he had brought it home, his dad had declared it to be a masterpiece, and threatened anyone with extreme torture should they have the gall to move it from the coffee table. When Wufei's mum Sally had married Quatre's dad, she had agreed that it was priceless, and had decided to add a little cottonwool bunny that Wufei had made around the same time, much to the chinese youth's embarrassment. This had all happened shortly into our second year of high school, along with Sally becoming pregnant. Now, in our last year of high school, the bunny and cow were still there, and we all helped take care of Quatre's new little sister Relena, who had just turned four.
I didn't have a home. I'm an orphan, and I got here by scholarship, which includes a dorm room, which is where I usually stay. It's a single one too, with it's own shower, and plenty of room. Nothing compared to this though, so I spent a lot of my time at Quatre's and Wufei's house, just hanging out. I liked to be surrounded by a family type of setting if you know what I mean. But I couldn't stay long tonight, as I had a test tomorrow, and the perfect student Heero Yuy to mock me. Who would pass that up?
Currently, we were watching freakazoid in the family room, eating pizza. 'No anchovies' I thought, making a face. 'Freaks!'. Freakazoid had gotten into an impossible situation, and was just about to fight his way out, when two things happened at once. First, the fight scene was replaced with fish (1), and I felt a sharp tug on my braid. I turned around to see Relena dressed in pink feety pyjamas.(2)
"Hey shorty" I said, "what are you doing up?" She smiled at me, showing her two missing front teeth. She looked so cute. I loved that girl like she was my own sister, I swear.
"I want a drink of water" she said, giving me a pleading glance.
"No can do honey" I replied "I know the rules, and so do you. No drinks after 7, and you can look at me like that all you want to, but I ain't gunna change my mind.
"Pleath Duo!" The lack of front teeth gave her the most adorable lisp. I looked at my watch. 11:00. I'd better be going. "Hey Q, I'm just gonna put the midget to bed, then I'd better get going."
Quatre looked over for a minute, then turned back to pretending to watch the TV. I knew he wasn't really watching it. Something had been bothering him ever since that worm incident earlier tonight. I figured I'd give him some time (hey, I can be sensitive) and ask him about it later. "Sure thing Duo" he replied absently. He was probably upset at the thought that there were two would be rapists lurking around, and that he'd probably have to take a shower with them in the near future. I know I was. 'Just don't drop the soap' I told myself as I picked up Relena and headed back to her room with her.
"Can't I plaeth have a drink Duo?" She asked once more.
"No you can't Lena" I replied, calling her by my little nickname for her. "You remember what happened last time don't you?" I asked her as she gave me a pout. Relena's having a little problem with bedwetting, which is normal for kids her age, but she should be growing out of it soon. So when Sally heard of a way to help make it less traumatic for little Lena, she quickly adopted it. I mean, no one likes talking about his or her physical deficiencies, right? So anyway, what basically happens is, each morning a picture gets drawn on the calendar. If she hasn't wet her bed, it's a nice, happy sun. If she has, it's an equally happy thundercloud, with maybe a tad of lightning. After the night I just referred to, we had to draw a damn hurricane on the calendar. It was that bad!
I tucked the little girl into bed and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Tell me a thtory" She demanded imperiously.
I chuckled at that. "OK Lena, which one?"
"One of the French oneth, I like them betht." I smiled and began my story (3). I know I'm a jock, but I can still speak several languages. French, Italian, German, Japanese, Latin, and Quatre just finished teaching me Arabic. Currently, I was learning Spanish at school, and Wufei was teaching me Mandarin. I love learning new languages! It's my secret passion. And I'm so good at it!

// I watched the snow falling out the window, and sighed.
"What's wrong Duo?" asked Sister Helen.
"It's snowing outside so I can't play." I answered forlornly. "I'm so bored!"
"Well, would you like to hear a story?" I nodded eagerly. Sister Helen told the best stories. What followed next was the first French story I had ever experienced. The same one that I had just told Lena.
"What did that mean Sister Helen?" I asked. I had never heard anything like it before. It was so lovely and flowing. The way it just rolled off the tongue. "Can you teach me how to speak like that please?" I asked her curiously. I felt the overwhelming urge to learn, the first urge of that kind I have ever experienced.
"Of course I will teach you how to speak French Duo!" Helen exclaimed, delighted in having an occupied Duo for the rest of the winter. "After that, maybe we shall learn Italian or German, OK mon petite chat?"(4)
From that day on, I had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Sister Helen saw how bright I was, and started to teach me other things as well. As soon as I could play sport again however, the lessons shortened, so they only took up the night, when it was too dark or cold to play any more, until winter came again. Playing sports was my first love. The freedom of the court or playing field was so great that it became slightly addictive. Out there I could be anyone, forget anything for a time, and just be me.//

I tucked in the sleeping Relena, and headed out the door to my dorm and bed.

(1) I saw an episode where Freakazoid kept getting into situations that he could NEVER get out of, and it was violence free, so swimming fish replaced the fight scenes, and when the fish were gone, freakazoid was ok and intact. It sucked.
(2) I love feety pyjamas on little kids. They are just so cute!
(3) I can't speak French, so you'll just have to use your imaginations.
(4) My little cat