The following week.
"Lina," Gourry called down the hallway and both Filia and Lina turned their heads. "I've a note for you from Zeldigas Graywords."
"You mean, Zelgadiss? Well, Burn it!!" Was her unpredictable reply.
Gourry Gabriev thought 'quickly' and finally decided to fold the slip of paper into triangles until it formed a paper airplane. "Here, Lina -- Catch!!"
The airplane landed at her feet. Lina sighed in desolation. "Alright," she gave in, "I'll read it. Thanks, Gourry." After all, there was a saying never to shoot the messenger.
She watched him leave before opening the note and finding the times and venue for her new tutoring sessions. "Damn," she swore under her breath.
"What is this, Lina?" Filia asked curiously. ".. Is this an arrangement for a date?"
"As if I'd go on a date with that moron," Lina retorted. "This guy is now my goddam tutor!! And it looks like I'm going to his home for the lesson. Why can't we just stay at school?!"
"Your tutor!!" Filia exclaimed. "Well, that's nice of him, I guess. Though I'm sure this has something to do with what happened last week in the cafeteria. Rumor has it that your sister was called into the school, which is why you're so 'tame all of a sudden'."
"What kind of rumor is that?! Well, she DID come in, for your information, and that's why I'm stuck with him!!"
Filia stood thoughtfully for a while. "I don't think Amelia is going to be too happy with this news," she said at last, tapping her temple.
"Why not?"
"Between you and me.. I think she likes him. Mr. Graywords, I mean."
"..What?!" Lina cried out vehemently. "HIM!? That's.. awful! What the hell makes you say that?!"
"It's just a guess, Lina, so stop shouting." Filia fanned Lina with a thin textbook to shut her up. (sakura: hey, one of my friends does that all the time, and it pisses me off. ^^ I hope she isn't reading this, though!!)
"Wait," Lina said suddenly. "..Maybe this information can come in handy!!"
"What? What do you mean?"
"If she really wants to be with him," Lina said coyly, "I'll give him to her!!"
And with a really pretty cherry on top too.
"What?!" Amelia exclaimed, jumping in delight. "H-how.. how did you know that I-That I ..!?"
"Amelia," Lina broke in, slightly embarrassed at the scene that her friend was making, "is there anything I don't know about you? Anyway, do you want to go or not? He'll definitely be there."
"..O-okay!! I mean, if it's really okay, sure!! W-why not?!" Amelia couldn't believe her luck.
"This is terrific," Lina whispered to Filia behind her. "All I have to do now is fix that student teacher of ours!!"
Filia sighed as Sylphiel cluelessly nudged her for an explanation.
"Can you pick me up at 4pm downtown instead?" Zelgadiss read aloud from the note on his desk. What, was he her bum-boy now?! Next he'd be buying her lunch.
His room was situated next to Gourry's own office. "Mr. Gabrieve," he called loudly pulling on his close fitting jacket, "I'm leaving first. See you tomorrow morning."
Gourry acknowledged him with a wave, and Zelgadiss left.
It was only a 10 minute walk from rail station to where Lina had requested him pick her up. He glanced at his watch. He was five minutes early.
Honestly speaking, Zelgadiss wasn't happy about this prospect. At all. But seeing he was stuck with her, he may as well try to make the best of things. As spoilt as she was, it was probably better to have her as a student than that hyperactive girl who had been following him the whole week long. She'd probably be quite a horro --
"Zelgadiss-san!!"
Zelgadiss shuddered at the shrill voice that beckoned his name. He turned meekly in response. "A-Amelia, what a p-pleasant surprise," he managed with a weak smile. "What are you doing here?"
Amelia looked back at him as if it were obvious. "To meet you, of course!!"
"Me? But I'm meeting Lina Inverse here and -- "
"Oh!!" Amelia cut in enthusiastically. "Didn't she tell you? She said she was busy today, and asked me to replace her. She said you were new to the city, and needed someone to take you around!!"
She took his arm before he could say another word, and quite forcibly pulled him in direction of the landmark.
.I'm gonna kill that Inverse girl, Zelgadiss thought darkly.
"Lina Inverse, please see me after homeroom. Before you go to your first class."
Oh good, Lina thought mentally. Not like I love choir anyway, but he sure doesn't look happy. "Uh, sure, Zelgadiss."
As the bell rung, the other students proceeded to the door. Lina sat thanking god that this Zelgadiss guy only taught her one class aside from homeroom. Amelia and Sylphiel both shot her a look before she left.
The last student closed the door behind her. Zelgadiss walked up to Lina's desk and angrily slammed his hand down on the table. "What is it you want?" he asked furiously.
"Did you have a good time?" Lina asked airily, crossing her arms and leaning on the back of her chair. "I hope you did, because I actually put some effort in trying to get the both of you together."
Zelgadiss stood up straight and removed something from his pocket. On Lina's closer inspection, it was a folded slip of paper. "This," he said warningly, "is a letter addressed to your sister, Luna. It will explain the circumstances that you've put me in. I don't have a choice in this because my job depends on my cooperation with the administration of the school. And from the looks of your relationship with your sister, it doesn't look like you do either."
"H-hey, I trying to help you!!" Lina protested.
"I mean it, Lina," Zelgadiss said. "If anything like that happens again, your sister will know. And if she doesn't kill you, I will."
"It sounds like your date didn't go well," Lina snapped. "Don't take it out on me!!" Zelgadiss inwardly sighed as he remembered himself being dragged around the whole town. He was surprised he wasn't wringing Lina's neck for getting him into that.
"You really are a brat," he muttered under his breath. "I expect to see you on Thursday, at the address which I supplied. Promptly. Now get to class."
As much as Lina wanted to fireball him, dragonslave him, kill him, she knew the consequences. She would have to die not long after him.. by her sister's hands.
She stalked out of the classroom and found Xellos at the door.
"Why are you always everywhere I go?" Lina asked exasperatedly. "I know you were eavesdropping on me and that stupid intern."
"Oh," he smiled sweetly. "I was only curious!! After all, I have to make sure I know EVERYTHING that goes on in the school. Don't forget, the principal depends on me for her decisions."
Lina shuddered at the thought. Just who was the principal anyway? "Well, Xellos, if there's nothing else, I'm late to class."
"Oh," Xellos said suddenly, "I know about the trick you played on our chimera yesterday. Your sister won't be happy if I tell her."
"Hmph." Why was that everyone knew her one fear, her one fatal flaw?! Besides slugs, of course. But her sister may as well be a million slugsl.
Part 6 | Fanfiction