Writing?? No way.

[soltian]

This is just a little thing I wrote for my kissenliebe, but I'm getting attached to it.

I'm afraid it's original stuff and not fanfiction :( It's not even GAY! But if anyone feels like giving me feedback anyway I would be all heartfluttery for them <3


Everyone was in seventh grade and Tani Chenez was easily the prettiest girl in school. She was new, too, she had just moved to the area from some other country, where the sun made her skin brown and her father made a lot of money. They would only be staying a year.

The moment she arrived she was instantly the most popular person in the building. Not only was she pretty, but she was charming, too, and made friends quickly and easily. Everyone adored her within the first week.
Really, everyone.

"Where did you live, before you came here?"
"I don't really want to talk about that, you know. I'm here now."
"Ah, so your father is some sort of criminal."
Tani turned to the boy in alarm. His thin face and narrow eyes communicated a certain degree of disdain for the entire world and everything in it. Including her, it seemed.

"No, he isn't. That's such a rude thing to say."
"Not really. I don't care much whether he's a criminal or not. If he is, it'd at least give you something interesting to talk about."
"Well that's also rude. What's your name, by the way?"
"Masaru. Don't tell me yours, I hear it about thirty times a day."
"Masaru, look, we can work on this project without talking about personal things. You're not...exactly very good at it."
"Hmph. That's so typical of a girl. You don't like what I say, so it has to be my fault."

The conversations she found herself swept up in with her bizarre science project partner were altogether offensive, but unlike the other girls in her class, Tani found it difficult to dismiss "that Masaru" as nothing more than a shallow jerk. After he finally did shut his mouth, after all, he did more than his share of the work, and completed the job fluidly and with a level of excellence that was definitely more advanced than seventh grade. She gradually grew used to his blunt way of saying things, and by the time they finished the project she was grudgingly curious about him. She thought she might investigate.

There are more important things to do with one's time, however, when you're the one-year-only social butterfly of the school. Her awkward yet oddly intriguing science partner fell into the background of all the more palatable people around her, and it was when she only had a week left in the country that a collision outside the door of the math classroom reminded her that he existed.

--

Masaru was in his room, lying flat out on his stomach with his chin on his pillow and his ready-made frown on his face. He was reading one of his textbooks for an upcoming final, even though he already knew it all. If he really had to think about it, he was reading it because he had nothing better to do.
But he didn't really want to think about it.

There was a knock on his door and his mother opened it without waiting for a response.

"Masaru, one of your classmates is here to see you. Come downstairs, she's waiting on the porch." The woman was smiling, with an irritating knowing look in her eyes. She didn't say anything, but Masaru was already aware that she had far too much interest in his romantic life. With a scowl at her, he pushed himself to his feet and headed down the stairs. As he passed the window he saw, with a small jolt of surprise, that Tani was standing on his porch, wearing a sundress and slightly nervous expression. He went out to her, and proceeded to stand and wait for her to say something.

She waited for a moment too, and then with a sigh realized her mistake and shook her head.
"Sorry, did I come at a bad time?"
"I was studying."
"I'm sorry to interrupt, really I am. It's just that I'm going to be leaving soon and I wanted to...well..."

She trailed off to give birth to another awkward pause, in which she fiddled with her hair and Masaru's glare intensified. Then she smiled a little when she realized that glare didn't scare her at all.

"I wanted to say goodbye. I know we don't know each other very well...but I have come to really like you. Would you..take my hand, please?"
She held out a soft brown hand, her smile spreading a little more. Masaru stared at her, surprise starting to creep into his rigid expression. Try as he might he could find nothing offensive about her request, so after a smaller pause than the previous two, he reached out and took her offered hand. It was much smaller than his, and the corners of his mouth flexed down when he noticed how awkward his huge palm looked on his bony wrist.

He didn't have much time to contemplate it, though, because as soon as his fingers had closed over hers Tani had leaned in, in a rushed act of bravery, and kissed him clumsily on the mouth. The kiss lasted just long enough for him to register it, realize it was a good thing, and start to respond before she pulled away, cheeks flushing brightly.

"I...I have to leave. But I just wanted...before I went...thank you." Looking down, she slid her fingers out of his grasp and turned around, then rushed in a hurried walk down the block and around the corner.

Masaru stood there on his porch watching her leave, the momentary elation flooding out of him and leaving a sick bitter feeling in his stomach. He clenched his hand, sitting down on the steps of his porch after she was gone.

"That's the problem with girls. They always find some way to screw you over. They're all the same."