Icy Reception
Part III, Chapter One
Ami was sitting by herself on the train home from school; the seat next to her was empty. She was excited to be returning home for winter break. Usually Mina went with her, but she was spending the holidays this year with Kunthan and his family. After they had met at the beach several years ago, they had really hit off during the short time they'd spent together (Ami had mainly stayed with Nevan...and Rei and Jaden. The latter two had started their infamous on-and-off relationship there, and surprisingly, Zach had kept considerately out of her way. But she didn't think about him much if she could help it).
Mina and Kunthan had lost touch after the summer vacation, but they had met again approximately one year ago and, after a few dates, begun serious dating. Kunthan wasn't as stiff as he looked once you got to know him; he really was rather sweet and dependable. Not exactly the guy Ami had envisioned Mina going for, but then again, Mina had always had interesting tastes. She seemed perfectly content with Kunthan, and he never had eyes for anyone except her.
Ruefully, Ami thought that there must be some mysterious, attractive forces at work, making them fated to run into each other over and over again. If they had radar, they would be picking up each others' signals much more often that she would've liked.
Rei and Jaden, on the other hand, were a different story than Mina and Kunthan's (basically) steady relationship. Their schools were in close proximity, and half the time Rei was fighting with him and declaring herself done with him forever, but the other half of the time, they were a normal, happy couple–sort of.
It was impressive, Ami noted wryly to herself, that Rei had managed to keep Jaden interested in her for so long. According to Nev (who had heard it from Zachary, who knew about it firsthand), Jaden's habitual switching of girlfriends had been legend until Rei had come along. Ami was happy for her cousin, and if there existed a tiny part of her innermost self that wanted the same kind of happiness (minus the routine fighting and break ups), she wasn't aware of it...really.
There had been a guy just her age at boarding school who had been pursuing her–sort of. That is, Greg had plainly been interested in her...before he'd been expelled for cheating. Ami decided that it was lucky she hadn't gotten too fond of him, even though his messy brown hair and deep brown eyes had been attractive, in a way. She preferred light-colored eyes herself (i.e. blue or green. Preferably the latter, because they were rarer). Nevertheless, her experiences in life had just proven to her what she had always known since age seven, when she'd first met Zachary Coruni: men were an unfathomable, alien race not to be trusted.
She brushed aside her midnight dark bangs and smiled at the snowflakes falling outside the window. Ami loved snow; winter had always been her favorite season. There was something poetic, melancholy, and very soothing about watching snow fall... The flakes seemed to glide so gracefully down to earth, sometimes being dashed down by the wind every which way, sometimes drifting lazily past. She wanted to attain that kind of grace; the only time she had seen any semblance of it in humans was when they danced or ice-skated.
Shaking herself out of her daydreams, Ami smiled brightly at the falling snow, as if she shared a secret with those delicate flakes. Rei was already home, and her parents had been talking about a nice, cozy holiday spent at home. It was fortunate that she'd managed to finish all her shopping and homework already. There would be no surprises for her this winter break; she planned to spend it catching up with Rei and curled up before the fireplace with a stack of books she'd been wanting to read for some time and a steaming mug of hot cocoa...
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That night at dinner, Richard Anderson broke some surprising news while his wife, Kira Mizuno, served them all. "I know we talked about spending the holidays at home, but doesn't that sound sort of boring and uneventful?"
Rei had a horrified look on her face, and Ami felt a feeling of foreboding come over her. She didn't want to know what was coming next...why hadn't Rei warned her that her parents were up to something?
"Actually, Uncle Richard, it would be so much nicer if we had some peace and quiet at home." As her uncle and aunt's faces fell, Rei sighed deeply and submitted to the inevitable. "But of course, now that you mention it, it does sound rather–boring." ‘That is, if boring meant "too good to be true."'
"So...um...where are we going?" Ami ventured cautiously.
Her mother beamed happily as she replied, "Oh, Ami, of course you know the Corunis. We thought it might be nice, since we're such good friends, to attend their holiday gala. It's only for three days, and there'll be a big party–and a ball–the last night. They host a winter celebration every year, and we've never attended one; can you imagine that? And we all get along so well! I can't imagine what we were thinking. Don't look so disappointed, Ami; you can spend the rest of the break any way you want. And think how many eligible young men you could meet? Don't you want to see Jaden and Zachary again? They're such nice, charming young men! "
Ami tried hard but couldn't quite repress her incredulous look. The power of speech simply failed her at the moment, and all her beautiful plans melted away before her eyes. She was spending three entire days residing in the house of the self-centered, sexist jerk who would make those three days a living hell for her and...
"Rei, it'll be the perfect opportunity for you to make things up with Jaden, " suggested Richard helpfully to his niece.
Rei, unprepared for this comment, choked on her chicken. She spit it out discreetly in her napkin, and the look on her face mirrored Ami's.
"Christmas is such a romantic holiday!" her aunt agreed, sealing her fate as her eyes went dreamy, "the tree, the decorations, the mistletoe..."
Well. Rei and Jaden having broken up wasn't exactly a novelty, but Ami was surprised that Rei hadn't told her right away. Usually she wanted to rage and complain, but this time, she had kept quiet about it, which meant that it was probably a big disagreement. "Um...we're not celebrating Christmas at home?" was the safest question that came her mind. It was a better alternative to "What was it this time?".
Her mother sent a shocked look and a plate of broccoli in her direction. "Of course not, Ami. That's the whole purpose of the extravaganza! We'll spend the morning together, of course; the Corunis are very considerate. Then the highlight of the party will proceed at night, and we'll all leave in the morning!"
Ami hadn't known that Zachary, who was surely included in the Coruni family, possessed the word "considerate" in his vocabulary.
"So what do you think?" Richard asked, smiling jovially.
Ami and Rei sent each other a desperate look, but Rei smiled painfully first and replied, "I think it sounds really...great, Uncle Richard. I...can't wait." It was bad enough that she hadn't attended the boarding school they picked out for her and worse that she refused to make social calls...she knew they had defended her against the snobs that were against her Japanese heritage. She might as well do something for them in return–even if it killed her.
All three of them turned expectantly to Ami. "Um–yeah, me too," she said awkwardly. ‘I hate the holidays. I hate my life. I changed my mind–winter is no longer my favorite season. Autumn and spring are much more harmless, and they don't have these annoying seasonal celebrations and romantic nuances–okay, so spring does... But autumn's the dying month–sometimes.' Her mind stopped contradicting itself, and the only thought it could present her with was a wail of ‘Zachary Coruni?? Why does it have to be him? Why couldn't it be someone who actually has brain cells–or someone who actually uses them for something besides ogling girls?'.
Meantime, Rei was glowering at her alfalfa sprouts and absentmindedly ladling gravy over her broccoli, entirely missing the chicken. ‘I knew it was too good to be true.'
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A few days later, Ami was in the middle of her packing when her mother knocked on the door. Kira entered and sat down on the bed next to the half-filled suitcase. Instantly, Ami felt a rush of anxiety wash over her: her mother had that look of "We're going to have a serious talk, no matter what" on her face.
She sat down on a nearby chair and braced herself for whatever was coming at her...but it wasn't what she expected.
"Ami, honey, I know you aren't too happy about going to the Corunis' party, but I can't understand why. Do you want to talk about it?"
She flushed dully and began twisting her fingers together nervously. Before she could come up with a suitable excuse, she blurted out, "I don't like Zachary, and spending three days with him is going to be absolutely intolerable!"
Her mother was very taken aback by Ami's outburst. Usually, her daughter was meek, obedient, and very composed. Actually, she sort of liked the refreshing change, even though she'd had long experience with Rei's occasional temperamental fits. "But I thought you'd never seen him before, Ami."
"I met him at the beach when I was seven, and he was awful!"
"Oh, right." She smiled fondly at the memory, even though Ami was fuming. "He was such an adorable child!"
"He was a devil child!" she countered fiercely before she could stop herself.
Kira sighed–of all the times for her daughter to be difficult, it had to be tonight. "Well, boys will be boys. He's much older now."
She repressed the urge to roll her eyes. ‘Personally, I think I actually preferred his seven year old self, when his mentality fit his physical age.' "I don't think it's possible for him to grow up. I met him..maybe three years ago...at the beach, when Rei met Jaden–again."
"And what did you think of him?" her mother asked eagerly.
"He's an incorrigible, shameless flirt!"
"Oh." Kira's enthusiasm deflated for a moment, but then she perked up again. "But this means you think he's attractive, even if you don't like him?"
Ami looked at her mother as if she'd gone mad. Quickly, she explained, "There are hundreds–thousands–of vain, egotistical jerks, mum. Zachary Coruni is one of them. I don't have to think he's good-looking to know that he flirts with anything that looks remotely feminine."
"Oh, Ami...I'll admit he may not be as handsome as Jaden, but he's still such a good catch! He's always so polite and charming. Try and give him a chance, Ami," she urged.
Funny how this conversation sounded so familiar...when was it? Ah, yes–when Nevan had persuaded her to give Zach a chance. Well, that had turned out swell. Suspiciously, Ami asked, "Why are you so interested in us getting along?"
Instantly, her mother became tongue-tied and started fiddling around with the nicknacks on her shelves. Among the items were some pearly, iridescent shells and a worn blue ribbon. Ami pursued the subject relentlessly until she gave in, throwing up her hands in defeat. "Fine, fine. I'll tell you: you know how important it is that you marry someone who's, well...appropriate. Of course, your father and I want you to marry someone you love, but we'd like him to be financially well-off and with a good career. Zachary's going to a very prestigious university next year, and I've heard that his grades are wonderful. He's quite the catch among the young ladies; they're all mad for him. He's the perfect gentleman."
This time, Ami did roll her eyes. It figured; he must be in seventh heaven, with all the girls chasing after him. It probably wouldn't matter to him whether they were after his name or his money; most likely, he just wanted a beautiful girl who would adore him to the point of idolization. She shuddered at the thought. "If you want a stronger link with the Corunis, mum, aren't Rei and Jade good enough?"
Immediately, her mother went on the defensive. "This isn't about business deals, Ami! Is that what you think this is? We just want you to consider Zach...you could see if you like him or not. It's been three years since you saw him, after all."
Ami felt a headache rapidly coming on, so she agreed to the rest of her mother's demands without really listening. As soon as Kira left, she threw herself onto her bed and closed her eyes, reveling in the peace. A second later, another knock sounded on the door, and she groaned. Who was coming to torture her now?
"Well, that's a really nice way to greet your best friend," Rei teased, tossing a pillow at her cousin's head. "What happened? I saw Aunt Kira leaving your room looking all excited and bright-eyed. What could possibly have happened that's better than you having one of the highest GPAs at that nasty, stuck-up school of yours?" she asked playfully.
"Ugh," she muttered into her pillow, then sat up to complain. "Mum's suddenly been struck with the urge to play matchmaker. She hasn't a clue what to do about you and Jade, but she's decided that Zachary Coruni, the ultimate gift to all womenkind, of course–"
"Of course," Rei smirked, trying to keep a straight face.
"She wants me to marry him!"
"What?!"
Ami flushed slightly, thumping her pillow in agitation. "She didn't say that, but it's her eventual plan. For the moment, she wants me to decide if I like him or not. She gave me the entire rundown on where he's going to college, how many girls are chasing after him, how charming he is, how well-mannered, etc., etc. I'm surprised she's not referring to him as her son-in-law yet."
Rei patted her on the shoulder comfortably. "Oh, come on, Ames. No one's going to make you marry him. Your mother just wants you to be happy. She hasn't had a very easy life, with everyone being prejudiced and whatnot, so she's determined that you have everything she didn't. I don't have a chance, because everyone hates me already–but the feeling's mutual. Besides, you're her daughter and her only child. So you're going to have to talk to him–briefly," she added hastily when she saw Ami's eyes widen in panic, "and you might have to dance with him if he asks you..."
"What? I'm not dancing with him! I'm not even going near him if I can help it!"
She smiled wryly. "If it's any consolation, I think the crowd of girls around him is going to be so thick that he might just be stuck with them all night. You know him and Jaden both–you can tell they're related by how attracted they are to women."
She turned her face into her pillow and laughed. "So maybe it won't be as bad as we think."
"No...it'll be worse."
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The next morning, Ami found herself clumping morosely to the doorway of the Corunis' mansion, with its pristine white pillars and imposing size. The place looked amazing, and the recent blanket of snow only added to the residence's charm. For a moment, Ami was caught up in a fantasy of princes, princesses, and balls, but it was instantly dispelled when she remembered her foe: Zachary Coruni was no prince. He was more like an evil wizard–and she was trapped in his tower for the next three days. How was she ever going to survive?
Aileen Coruni was standing at the door, ready to receive them, and she hugged all of them enthusiastically. She and Kira began chattering away, and Richard was drawn into the parlor, where several of his colleagues were talking. Just then, two blond-haired men appeared in the foyer, and Ami swallowed hard as her gaze settled upon the second one. Jaden was very familiar to her, of course. He wasn't the one that was fazing her so...nope, it was just her luck that in her opinion, Zachary had to be the most gorgeous guy ever to exist...he was second only to Einstein in his youth, of course, but then again, Einstein was dead and Zach was not. Fervently, she wished it was the other way around.
Zach's hair was several shades darker than it had been three summers ago; it was a coppery color now, long and tied back in a ponytail. His wonderful, emerald green eyes were still as dazzling as ever, and she hated him for it. Ami was extremely aware that she was still standing in her thick, puffy jacket and that her bangs were wet and plastered to her forehead–and that she, having had extremely bad luck in the gene pool, was several inches shorter than Rei. Zach and Jaden towered over her by at least a head.
The moment he saw her, Zach knew who she was. His mother beckoned them forward happily, and he obeyed immediately. Jade followed suit sulkily, his effervescent smile fading. Aileen beamed as they greeted Mrs. Mizuno and Rei politely...sort of. Her smile faded slightly when Jaden muttered something incoherent and impersonal to Rei, whose eyes were fixed on the ground. She nodded politely, and they stepped away from each other as quickly as possible. His smile was more genuine as he greeted Ami cordially, and then...it was Zach's turn.
Aileen's smile was back and brighter than ever as she introduced them. "Ami, do you remember my son Zach? Zach, this is Ami Mizuno-Anderson...you used to play together at the beach."
Evidently, it was the wrong thing to say. Ami's tentative expression changed to one of complete remoteness, and Zach grinned devilishly. Smoothly, he said, "Oh, right. I remember Ami very well. You've grown up."
She wanted to kill him, and more importantly, she wanted to smack the smug smile off his face like Mina had done before, but she merely held out her hand for him to shake. With an icy smile on her face, she answered Mrs. Coruni, "I remember Zachary, too. I regret to say that you haven't changed." Her ending address was cold, but it didn't seem to deter him in the least.
As they all watched (Kira and Aileen looking very proud of themselves and as if they were already envisioning their grandchildren, and Rei and Jaden feeling nervous and ill-at-ease), he took her hand–but instead of shaking it and releasing it, he lifted it towards his lips. Ami watched in horror, but she seemed to have lost control of her motor nerves: her mind was screaming at her hand to yank itself away, but for some reason, the treacherous hand wasn't obeying. She felt his warm breath on her skin–which, strangely enough, was not exactly an unpleasant sensation but a rather unnerving one–and then her hand was falling back to her side, no longer in his firm grip.
Zach's eyes were dancing with fiendish delight, of course. It was the proper type of greeting...from about a hundred years ago. It hadn't been appropriate for there to be an actual kiss, of course...it just looked like one. His lips hand never touched her hand–but he wished they had. Next time, he promised himself. Ami's cheeks were burning scarlet, and he admired the color. He smirked widely as his mother, looking faint with happiness but a little shocked at his audacity, motioned Rei and Ami upstairs. Rei eyed him suspiciously as she dragged Ami away. For a minute, the cool facade had slipped away. She looked stunned. Unfortunately, her mask was back in full force as she glared at him disdainfully with all the hauteur of an ice queen. Oh yes, it was going to be an extraordinarily amusing three days for him...
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AN: Let me introduce you to the "new and improved" Zach! ^.~ Not quite what we expected...but don't worry, he's not completely shallow or evil. Well, expect things to move fast between Ami and Zach, but we must slow down time a bit to allow for much-needed character development. For those of you who are not as dedicated to Ami/Zoi as I am, here are the characters included in this part of the story: Darien, Serena, Rei, Jade, and Nephrite. (Please, no requests for Lita. We're not ready to have everyone together yet! Wait until next time for her!! And I promise, absolutely everyone will make an appearance in the last part.) Thank you for the reviews, everyone! I really appreciate them so much :)
~Ice
Mainpage: Love at Fifth Sight
