Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Jul 21, 2007 23:14:42 GMT
Kira was eyeing Matt over the brim of her book with ill-disguised distaste. They were currently sitting at the Square Coffee and Book Shop, one of Kira's favourite haunts, and for some reason he was managing to really, really aggravate her. Any sympathy she may've had for him and Lydia had vanished entirely. Since he knew Lydia was out of the picture, Matt had taken to following Kira around, apparently under the impression that he was making Lydia jealous. However, whenever Kira caught Lydia glancing over at them both, Kira did not see a face green with an envy- but a face flushed with relief.
Lydia thought she was free.
Right now, Kira would've given anything to be under this happy delusion of freedom. Matt was like a limpet; he clung, he whined and was nothing short of a arrogant, short-tempered-
"What are you reading anyway?"
Oh yeah, he interrupted a lot. That was just plain annoying.
"It's called 'Hypnosis- A World at Your Fingertips'," she replied grudgingly, not lifting her eyes once.
He snorted. "What, like a school book?"
Kira raised an eyebrow. "Yes. A school book. Well done."
"I know I'm an Academic," he said quickly, "I mean... I read school books all the time. But you're a girl."
"Well observed," she frowned, incomphrehensive of this random statement.
"Aren't you meant to... I dunno... be away getting all excited about your dress and stuff with your girlie mates?" he asked, a little stupidly.
"Apparently not," she smiled at him, and returned to the pages of her book.
There was a brief silence, as Matt gazed at her, glassy-eyed. Kira was under the impression she'd just confused him. She was good at that. Matt may've been smart as hell, but he didn't seem to have a very good grasp in the real world. There was something a little forlorn about his strangely sludgy eyes as he surveyed her.
"Sorry."
Kira started. "What?!"
"I get it," he smiled at her. "I get it! You're not like those other girls, right?" He leant across the table, grinning a little. "You're special."
Kira gazed at him, open-mouthed for a few seconds. "Okay... sorry, what?"
He leaned backwards in his chair, folding his arms and gazing at her with the kind of lofty arrogance he oozed whenever he'd cornered Lee on a chessboard. It was exactly the same principles here. He seemed to think he'd put Kira in a position, and that she wasn't going to wriggle out of it.
Check.
"You're trying to mark yourself out for me," he said, his grin widening. "You're doing it on purpose- making a separate identity for yourself so that you can stand out."
"Why the hell would I do that?!" she cried, a burning anger she knew all to well rising up in her chest; a hissing, spitting ball of flames.
"C'mon, Kira," smiled Matt. "I know you fancy me."
The moment was gone, the flaming ball was extinguished, and before Kira knew what'd happened, she found herself rolling around the floor, tears trickling down her cheeks as she tried and failed to get up.
Falling over for the third time, Matt went to help her, but his expression of mingled curiosity and humiliation were too much. Covering her face with her hands, she let her chest heave with silent laughter until her muscles ached and her eyes burned. Soon, she wasn't really laughing properly, just clutching her ribs as they shook and attempting to get some air into her lungs, which were squeezing like hell. Eventually, she pulled herself upwards onto the seat, and decided it would be okay to look at Matt again.
"Oh," said Matt, looking a little put out. "So you're done laughing then?"
"Just about," smiled Kira. "Sorry... I just... wow, I wasn't expecting that one."
Matt pulled a face, looking a little as though he was chewing the inside of his mouth. "You don't fancy me."
"Course not," said Kira cheerfully.
Her tone seemed to drain him a little, but he kept going. "So... why... why did you ask me out?"
"Honestly?" she raised an eyebrow.
He nodded fervently.
She sighed. "I felt sorry for you."
Matt's mouth fell open. "What? But... hang on, that's why I agreed to go out with you!"
Kira blinked. "What?"
"I felt bad for you!" he sighed. "You just looked a little desperate whenever..."
"Desperate?" she repeated, completely shocked. "But... how...?"
"I know why you felt sorry for me," he said glumly. "It's Lydia. It's always Lydia."
Kira bit her lip, and nodded meekly.
He sighed, as though she'd just confirmed what he already knew. "Well, I knew people felt bad for me. The poor, new kid who fell head over heels for the first pretty face he met who barely knew his name."
"Sorry," she said quietly. "I really am." She gave him a few moments of silence, then straightened up, and said in much sharper tones, "But why'd you feel bad for me?"
"Well..." Suddenly, Matt looked awkward, even a little scared. "Here's the thing, Kira... people like you, they really do... but you're a bit... creepy."
"Creepy?" she repeated, totally confused.
"Well... there you are, the picture of innocence, vague and sweet and kind..." he muttered quickly, "but then... I dunno. You see that flash in your eye. You're not... not as nice as you seem... people know this, but they can't seem to help trusting you."
A dull realisation was creeping up in Kira's mind. Who better to watch and listen as Head of the Spies than the vague, harmless girl who sat with her head in the clouds?
"It's just... I've seen you with Lee. I think that's when it comes out. Suddenly, you're not so dreamy anymore... Lee makes you sharp, I guess. One time, I was talking to him about my sister, and he just laughed and said... well, I didn't know what angry was until I'd seen you in one of your tempers."
The harmless little spy, who could fly up at any moment, and shock her enemy when the time was right...
"And they keep contradicting each other," Matt sighed. "These two images of you, and they confuse people who know they both exist. It puts some on edge... I guess I'm one of them..." he grinned a little sheepishly at that, "but seeing you wander around, pretty much ignorant to everything around you, when you asked me out, I felt bad about saying no, because although you scare me a bit, you are really nice, and you don't seem to realise that you freak people out... a bit."
"I'm the Freak Dreamer," she repeated hollowly, summing it all up, "that people are scared of. So you felt sorry for me, and said yes, because you thought I fancied you."
"Like... I was your Lydia," he smiled, evidently relieved she understood what he was trying to say.
Would her enemies feel sorry for her too? Would they think her a little pathetic... perhaps shed some light; bring her places to make her feel special... let her meet people and see things no ordinary person ever would be allowed to see...
"Why did you think I fancied you?" she asked him softly.
"Because... I dunno, you familiarised with me. And the whole chess game. You helped me, not Lee."
"Thanks," she muttered hollowly. "Thanks for that."
"I'm sorry, Kira!" he cried, looking stricken. "I thought... I thought you knew at least some of this..."
"For the most part, I don't really care what people think," she smiled weakly, "but thanks for telling me that... it helped me."
In more ways than he'd ever know.
"Also," he finished, a little unnescessarily, "I thought it might make Lydia wise up a bit... take notice..."
"Knew that already," smiled Kira.
He looked a little taken aback. "You did?"
"I'm not completely stupid," she laughed. "Still, it doesn't mean I like you much..."
He considered her for a few moments. "No, I don't really like you very much either."
She laughed, but it tasted bitter on her tongue. It was just to try and cover it up; the gaping whole of realisation that'd sprang up in her heart; the shadows that'd began to swirl around her mind.
That was why she'd been chosen.
She understood it all now, but could feel nothing but a bitter resentment.
Suddenly, her mobile vibrated, and the familiar, tinkling water sound came running from it, loud, clear and crisp. She fished it out of her pocket, and it was almost a relief to see that Lee was texting her. She wanted nothing more right now than to go and speak with him about all of this; to hear his thoughts, his wisdom... his kind words of reassurance...
'Hey, kira! U'll nvr guess wat- im goin to da dance wit madeleine! Isnt it gr8? Tb asap, i wana knw wat u think- nd so does she.'
No.
NO.
NONONONONONONONONO...
The resentment that was already rising up inside of her burst forth, and her fingers flew over the tiny keypad, her blood roaring in her ears.
'Yea, i already kno. F off, im busy.'
She snapped her little mobile closed and shoved in into her pocket, her rage etched into every line in her face. She couldn't seem to help it; usually, she wouldn't have cared. She really, really wouldn't have. Alright, last night, it had been weird, watching him and Madeleine... but she'd never, ever expected...
"Kira?" Matt's voice was tentative. Kira looked up sharply, and felt a horrible pang. He looked nothing short of terrified.
"Yes?" she asked, in a forced attempt to keep her tone calm and serene.
"Er... I forgot, we've got an assembly to go to..."
"That's alright," she said brightly. "I'll miss it. I'm in town anyway, I've got to go get a dress. What d'you think of blue?"
"I..." he stared at her for a few seconds. "You'll look lovely."
"Thank you," she smiled. "Go on, I'll see you later, okay?"
He nodded, a little unsure, and got unsteadily to his feet. "See ya."
She waved brightly at his retreating back as he hurried on up the street towards the school. As soon as he was out of sight, her smile vanished and she pushed the book she'd been reading away from her, feeling a little sick.
Lee had Madeleine now. Lee could... Lee would spend all his time with her; laugh with her; talk with her... just... just be with her. She'd had him all her life, and she was a selfish, selfish cow to think it'd always be that way. This resentment had to die away- it had to...
Lee was Madeleine's, and Madeleine was his.
She knew what couples were like.
"Hey," came a soft voice from behind her.
She jumped, turning around to see the plump waitress who worked at the Square Coffee and Book Shop.
"Would you like another coffee, love?" she asked kindly. "You look like you could use one."
"No, it's fine," smiled Kira, getting up and passing the book back to the woman. "I have to go and buy a dress- there's a dance up at the school tonight, you see."
And without another word, she picked her bag, and swept out of the coffee and book shop, burying the fire deep within her chest. Maybe it was a good thing she controlled water, not fire, or this whole shop would currently be in flames.
Lydia thought she was free.
Right now, Kira would've given anything to be under this happy delusion of freedom. Matt was like a limpet; he clung, he whined and was nothing short of a arrogant, short-tempered-
"What are you reading anyway?"
Oh yeah, he interrupted a lot. That was just plain annoying.
"It's called 'Hypnosis- A World at Your Fingertips'," she replied grudgingly, not lifting her eyes once.
He snorted. "What, like a school book?"
Kira raised an eyebrow. "Yes. A school book. Well done."
"I know I'm an Academic," he said quickly, "I mean... I read school books all the time. But you're a girl."
"Well observed," she frowned, incomphrehensive of this random statement.
"Aren't you meant to... I dunno... be away getting all excited about your dress and stuff with your girlie mates?" he asked, a little stupidly.
"Apparently not," she smiled at him, and returned to the pages of her book.
There was a brief silence, as Matt gazed at her, glassy-eyed. Kira was under the impression she'd just confused him. She was good at that. Matt may've been smart as hell, but he didn't seem to have a very good grasp in the real world. There was something a little forlorn about his strangely sludgy eyes as he surveyed her.
"Sorry."
Kira started. "What?!"
"I get it," he smiled at her. "I get it! You're not like those other girls, right?" He leant across the table, grinning a little. "You're special."
Kira gazed at him, open-mouthed for a few seconds. "Okay... sorry, what?"
He leaned backwards in his chair, folding his arms and gazing at her with the kind of lofty arrogance he oozed whenever he'd cornered Lee on a chessboard. It was exactly the same principles here. He seemed to think he'd put Kira in a position, and that she wasn't going to wriggle out of it.
Check.
"You're trying to mark yourself out for me," he said, his grin widening. "You're doing it on purpose- making a separate identity for yourself so that you can stand out."
"Why the hell would I do that?!" she cried, a burning anger she knew all to well rising up in her chest; a hissing, spitting ball of flames.
"C'mon, Kira," smiled Matt. "I know you fancy me."
The moment was gone, the flaming ball was extinguished, and before Kira knew what'd happened, she found herself rolling around the floor, tears trickling down her cheeks as she tried and failed to get up.
Falling over for the third time, Matt went to help her, but his expression of mingled curiosity and humiliation were too much. Covering her face with her hands, she let her chest heave with silent laughter until her muscles ached and her eyes burned. Soon, she wasn't really laughing properly, just clutching her ribs as they shook and attempting to get some air into her lungs, which were squeezing like hell. Eventually, she pulled herself upwards onto the seat, and decided it would be okay to look at Matt again.
"Oh," said Matt, looking a little put out. "So you're done laughing then?"
"Just about," smiled Kira. "Sorry... I just... wow, I wasn't expecting that one."
Matt pulled a face, looking a little as though he was chewing the inside of his mouth. "You don't fancy me."
"Course not," said Kira cheerfully.
Her tone seemed to drain him a little, but he kept going. "So... why... why did you ask me out?"
"Honestly?" she raised an eyebrow.
He nodded fervently.
She sighed. "I felt sorry for you."
Matt's mouth fell open. "What? But... hang on, that's why I agreed to go out with you!"
Kira blinked. "What?"
"I felt bad for you!" he sighed. "You just looked a little desperate whenever..."
"Desperate?" she repeated, completely shocked. "But... how...?"
"I know why you felt sorry for me," he said glumly. "It's Lydia. It's always Lydia."
Kira bit her lip, and nodded meekly.
He sighed, as though she'd just confirmed what he already knew. "Well, I knew people felt bad for me. The poor, new kid who fell head over heels for the first pretty face he met who barely knew his name."
"Sorry," she said quietly. "I really am." She gave him a few moments of silence, then straightened up, and said in much sharper tones, "But why'd you feel bad for me?"
"Well..." Suddenly, Matt looked awkward, even a little scared. "Here's the thing, Kira... people like you, they really do... but you're a bit... creepy."
"Creepy?" she repeated, totally confused.
"Well... there you are, the picture of innocence, vague and sweet and kind..." he muttered quickly, "but then... I dunno. You see that flash in your eye. You're not... not as nice as you seem... people know this, but they can't seem to help trusting you."
A dull realisation was creeping up in Kira's mind. Who better to watch and listen as Head of the Spies than the vague, harmless girl who sat with her head in the clouds?
"It's just... I've seen you with Lee. I think that's when it comes out. Suddenly, you're not so dreamy anymore... Lee makes you sharp, I guess. One time, I was talking to him about my sister, and he just laughed and said... well, I didn't know what angry was until I'd seen you in one of your tempers."
The harmless little spy, who could fly up at any moment, and shock her enemy when the time was right...
"And they keep contradicting each other," Matt sighed. "These two images of you, and they confuse people who know they both exist. It puts some on edge... I guess I'm one of them..." he grinned a little sheepishly at that, "but seeing you wander around, pretty much ignorant to everything around you, when you asked me out, I felt bad about saying no, because although you scare me a bit, you are really nice, and you don't seem to realise that you freak people out... a bit."
"I'm the Freak Dreamer," she repeated hollowly, summing it all up, "that people are scared of. So you felt sorry for me, and said yes, because you thought I fancied you."
"Like... I was your Lydia," he smiled, evidently relieved she understood what he was trying to say.
Would her enemies feel sorry for her too? Would they think her a little pathetic... perhaps shed some light; bring her places to make her feel special... let her meet people and see things no ordinary person ever would be allowed to see...
"Why did you think I fancied you?" she asked him softly.
"Because... I dunno, you familiarised with me. And the whole chess game. You helped me, not Lee."
"Thanks," she muttered hollowly. "Thanks for that."
"I'm sorry, Kira!" he cried, looking stricken. "I thought... I thought you knew at least some of this..."
"For the most part, I don't really care what people think," she smiled weakly, "but thanks for telling me that... it helped me."
In more ways than he'd ever know.
"Also," he finished, a little unnescessarily, "I thought it might make Lydia wise up a bit... take notice..."
"Knew that already," smiled Kira.
He looked a little taken aback. "You did?"
"I'm not completely stupid," she laughed. "Still, it doesn't mean I like you much..."
He considered her for a few moments. "No, I don't really like you very much either."
She laughed, but it tasted bitter on her tongue. It was just to try and cover it up; the gaping whole of realisation that'd sprang up in her heart; the shadows that'd began to swirl around her mind.
That was why she'd been chosen.
She understood it all now, but could feel nothing but a bitter resentment.
Suddenly, her mobile vibrated, and the familiar, tinkling water sound came running from it, loud, clear and crisp. She fished it out of her pocket, and it was almost a relief to see that Lee was texting her. She wanted nothing more right now than to go and speak with him about all of this; to hear his thoughts, his wisdom... his kind words of reassurance...
'Hey, kira! U'll nvr guess wat- im goin to da dance wit madeleine! Isnt it gr8? Tb asap, i wana knw wat u think- nd so does she.'
No.
NO.
NONONONONONONONONO...
The resentment that was already rising up inside of her burst forth, and her fingers flew over the tiny keypad, her blood roaring in her ears.
'Yea, i already kno. F off, im busy.'
She snapped her little mobile closed and shoved in into her pocket, her rage etched into every line in her face. She couldn't seem to help it; usually, she wouldn't have cared. She really, really wouldn't have. Alright, last night, it had been weird, watching him and Madeleine... but she'd never, ever expected...
"Kira?" Matt's voice was tentative. Kira looked up sharply, and felt a horrible pang. He looked nothing short of terrified.
"Yes?" she asked, in a forced attempt to keep her tone calm and serene.
"Er... I forgot, we've got an assembly to go to..."
"That's alright," she said brightly. "I'll miss it. I'm in town anyway, I've got to go get a dress. What d'you think of blue?"
"I..." he stared at her for a few seconds. "You'll look lovely."
"Thank you," she smiled. "Go on, I'll see you later, okay?"
He nodded, a little unsure, and got unsteadily to his feet. "See ya."
She waved brightly at his retreating back as he hurried on up the street towards the school. As soon as he was out of sight, her smile vanished and she pushed the book she'd been reading away from her, feeling a little sick.
Lee had Madeleine now. Lee could... Lee would spend all his time with her; laugh with her; talk with her... just... just be with her. She'd had him all her life, and she was a selfish, selfish cow to think it'd always be that way. This resentment had to die away- it had to...
Lee was Madeleine's, and Madeleine was his.
She knew what couples were like.
"Hey," came a soft voice from behind her.
She jumped, turning around to see the plump waitress who worked at the Square Coffee and Book Shop.
"Would you like another coffee, love?" she asked kindly. "You look like you could use one."
"No, it's fine," smiled Kira, getting up and passing the book back to the woman. "I have to go and buy a dress- there's a dance up at the school tonight, you see."
And without another word, she picked her bag, and swept out of the coffee and book shop, burying the fire deep within her chest. Maybe it was a good thing she controlled water, not fire, or this whole shop would currently be in flames.
