The Warriors

Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

The next morning I decide that I want to look fantastic today.  It defiantly wasn't because I wanted to show Shang that it didn't bother me what he did, because that would be really immature, and I am nothing if not mature. 

                "Go on believe if it turns you on, take what you need till your body's numb," Larry sings, bursting through my double doors.    "It's called knocking," I say, laying on my bed thinking about everything and nothing.  He doesn't hear me and keeps singing his favorite Cobra Starship song.  Sometimes, actually all the time, I wonder how we became best friends. 

                "What are you going to wear????" Larry asks.  "Clothes," I say, and leave him lying on the bed.

                I decided to wear a white, long sleeve dress that lands mid thigh, and has jewel designs at the semi circle collar and at the cuffs of the sleeves.  Then I choose some red felt peep toe pumps, and paired that with some subdued red lipstick.  I braided my hair loosely leaving tendrils of curls to frame my face and got a white Chanel bag that had a long gold chain handle.  When I walked out of the bathroom/closet, Larry whistled.  "Well don't you look hot," he says smiling.  He himself is wearing an Armani suit that is navy, so that it offsets his blond hair and a crisp white shirt with a red silk tie.  We look like we are going to work and not school, but that is beside the point.  Anyway, most kids that go to this school dress this way, so I don't feel so bad.

                Again we are drinking coffee waiting for Lisa, but this time she comes down in her robe.  "Why aren't you ready?" I ask her, putting my cup down.  "I was wondering if you could help me pick something out?" she asks, not looking me in the eye.  I feel suspicious about her, because it is not in her nature to ask ME for help.  "Sure," I say, wearily, not wanting to get in a fight.  She smiles brightly and heads back upstairs.  I glance back at Larry and he just raises his eyebrows.  "I'll drink your coffee for you," he says, then shoos me away.

                Looking through her closet, I find very little clothes that I would even dare wearing out in public.  "Why don't you use some of my clothes," I say, scrunching my nose at her fashionless closet.  "Really?" she asks astonished.  She makes it seem as if I were the devil telling her that I loved God.  "Yes, really.  Now follow me, we have to hurry or we'll be late."

                I decide to put her in something dark, since it looks good on her.  I got a vintage, lace dress that had a maroon silk slip underneath.  The collar had a ribbon to tie, and it landed right above her chest.  I then got some nude colored high heeled Jimmy Choos, and a necklace that had multiple strands of pearls.  I put a maroon lipstick on her, and took off all of her eye makeup, replacing it with mascara and a light brown eyeshadow, so she would have smoky eyes rather than raccoon eyes.  I ran my hands through her hair, and left it the way it was.  "There you go," I say and let her look at herself in the mirror.  She stands there, speechless.  "Now, may I ask what brought this on?" I inquire.  "I just....Those people had so much respect for you...you know Laura, Shang...Alexander, and I realized that I wanted to stop being the way I was," she says, looking at me.  I smile and say, "It's because of Alexander, isn't it?

 She nods, "I met him at a club, half the reason why I wanted to come here, and he told me how much he admired you.  I didn't want to be the slutty sister anymore," she says, looking down.  "You were never slutty, just young and reckless," I say, pulling her into a hug.  "Thanks," she says, and smiles.  "We should go," she adds and grabs a bag.

                I'm nervous the whole way there, not wanting to confront Shang, not wanting to see Shang.  I park the car, and can see Laura, Dale, Alexander, and a girl named Valery waiting for us. Nowhere in sight is Shang.  I let out the breath I had been holding as I get out of the car.  Larry walks over to Dale and says hi.  They go off into their own little world.

                Since I am too busy watching Alexander's reaction to the new and improved Lisa, I don't notice Shang come with a young Asian girl in tow.  "Hello," his deep voice says, penetrating my thoughts.  The young girl with him could only be the infamous Abbey.  Everyone says hi to him, but I stay silent, hiding behind Larry and Dale.  I start to walk off, before he can see me, which I know is a cowardly thing to do.  Just call me Jane the Cowardly Warrior.

                "Jane," he says, coming up beside me.  I didn't hear him approach, which tells me how bad my nerves are fried.  I flinch as he brushes against me.  Cursing myself for showing my feelings, I hope that he didn't feel that teeny tiny thing.  But of course he does feel it.  "I'm not going to hurt you," he says, seriously.  "I know," I scowl, hiding my doubt.  I am very sure he can hurt me.  The whole reason I was becoming a Warrior was so I could protect myself from men.

                "Okay.  I just wanted to say I was sorry, again," he sighs, stopping since I stopped.  I didn't want to go anywhere alone with him.  "And I forgave you, now could you please leave me alone?" I say.  "Fine.  I'll leave you alone.  But after I tell you this, I wasn't going to hurt you.  I was going to use you as bait so I could save my sister....now I didn't mean to fight you, I didn't think you knew how to fight, and I am sorry for hurting you.  I want to be friends with you, but because I don't have many friends, and I don't know how to make you be my friend.  Laura tells me that by being nice I can make friends, but all I know is I want you to be my friend, and I have no idea how to make that happen."

                I blink, not expecting his whole tirade.  I guess a mature person would say, fine lets be friends, but I guess this shows you how immature I really am.  For all my talk about being a grown-up person, here I am acting like any teenager.  "Well, I guess you better learn how to," I say, and try walking away, but he grabs my hand, showing me that he means no harm, and says, "Will you teach me?"

                I thank the Lord that the first period bell rang before I had to give an answer.   He let go of my hand and we stared at each other.  I hardly noticed the other students walking past, and around us.  I was caught in his gaze, and I couldn't seem to get away.  I felt like a trapped animal, and my heart started beating erratically.  "Just don't hurt me," I say, softly.  He nods, and then grabs my hand again.  He brings it upward towards his mouth and softly lays a kiss on it.  I would've melted in a puddle right then and there, had Lisa not come up to us beside us and said, "You guys should get to class."  It is then that I notice that the halls are empty.  Both of us blink out of the trance, and he says, "I'll see you at lunch?" I try to keep my smile hidden, but it comes out of its hiding place, "Yes," I declare.  He smiles in return, and then turns to leave, slowly letting my hand go.