Pep Talks and Facials
Part III, Chapter Four
Ami returned to her room feeling a little hurt. But just a little bit, she was able to convince herself–at least until she was able to vent in private. Rei was awake and rummaging about when she entered the bathroom they were sharing, but because Rei wasn't a morning person herself, she didn't comment on Ami's dark expression. When Rei had left, closing the door after her with a comforting snick, Ami stepped into the shower. It was time to assuage her wounded pride with some good, old-fashioned logic.
She did a lot of her thinking in the shower. Things were busy all the rest of the time, and she found the hot water comforting as she shampooed her hair and thought about how much had happened in the course of only a day. Of course, life with Zachary Coruni–especially in his house–was anything but peaceful. Ami grumbled inwardly. She hadn't come here to be seduced (or something along those lines), she had come here to be tortured. Wait. Didn't that not make sense now? And Ami was a person who reveled in sense.
So all in all, the morning was off to a Very Bad Start now. And she had hoped, like Jaden, that her morning swim would put her in a good enough mood to deal with the prissy heiresses and arrogant heirs. The latter were only slightly preferred over the former because, for the most part, they left her alone. They thought her uninteresting, unfashionably naive, and shy. But that was besides the point–at the moment.
She was supposed to be ready to face the day with her usual cool aplomb. Instead, Ami wanted to hide her in room and never come out. Or maybe it would be more correct if she said she wanted to hide in her room and never come out so she could avoid a certain blond-haired, green-eyed someone.
And she hated the fact that he got to her. Ami wasn't a person who appreciated drastic lifestyle changes. The fact that he was probably delighting in her discomfort infuriated her. He was playing psychological mind games with her, and unfortunately for her, they were turning out to be infuriatingly effective. Ami was a person who liked solving puzzles...and she just couldn't figure Zachary Coruni out. His inconsistent behavior had her utterly baffled, and she hated waiting for his move. It was like a deliciously challenging chess game–the only problem was, she wasn't enjoying this kind of game.
Again, she tried to reason with herself. Ami had mixed thoughts on naivete. It was half-and-half, really. She knew what she thought she needed to know, and she wasn't that ignorant of things in the world. What did it matter if she hadn't been interested in what went on relationship-wise until...well...yesterday? She was more savvy in discouraging guys from flirting with her than she'd been two years ago, and that was good enough for her.
There was no harm in acting naive–unless you really were naive. That was the problem. Or part of the problem. Most of the problem, she thought self-righteously, was Zachary. After all, she was nobody's fool. She'd known that Zach had dangerous intentions the minute she'd laid eyes on him...yesterday. Just about everything could be traced back to yesterday.
Zach's cool greeting by the pool had confused her. It was unfair, she thought, that he had chased after her the entire day yesterday and then given her the cold shoulder today. Talk about mixed messages. If the guy showed an interest, wasn't he supposed to follow through?
She scoffed at herself, working the shampoo into what the bottle called "a rich lather." It was really a pathetic-looking white foam. She was acting–and feeling–like a heartbroken girl. So what if she had let herself indulge in a few fantasies of talking to Zach...kissing him...dating him. It was ridiculous. Making her fall for him–if he was doing it purposely–was probably just a very amusing way of passing the time for him. He probably thought she was too naive to know what he was after. Well, she'd show him–eventually.
It was too bad that it wasn't "that time of the month." Then she'd actually have an excuse for her emotions...almost every smart girl's solution was to blame everything on hormones. After all, it worked fine for Rei and Mina.
Ami sighed heavily. It was all her fault. She should give Zach the benefit of the doubt, even though she felt that he didn't deserve it. No. She would be nice to him today...show him how charming and stylish she could be, and then maybe he would actually notice her.
‘Didn't he notice you enough?' the sensible part of her mind groaned. But Ami's emotional side wasn't done.
‘I guess,' she thought defeatedly, ‘that it was all my fault. After all, no one else thinks that just because a guy pays them the slightest bit of attention that they're interested. You mistakenly thought he might be interested, so you started thinking he liked you. That he was perfect. His looks didn't help. They actually made everything worse.'
Ami went off on a brief tangent to think about his eyes. Green eyes were so rare. She had seen maybe one or two people with truly green eyes, and she thought they were beautiful.
Ami sniffed self-pityingly until her pride flared back to life. "Damn shampoo," she muttered to herself. "I'm always getting it in my eyes."
But really...hadn't there been something besides teasing laughter as he'd looked at her in the library, a spark of excitement when they were standing by the pool? She told herself, firmly, that it was all imagined. And if it wasn't, it didn't matter.
One last, determined scrub left her scalp tingling. There. It was done. She felt more like her old self as she began rinsing the shampoo out of her hair. It was like all the bad thoughts and insecurities had also been cleared from her mind and were drifting down the drain, never to plague her again. Ami's smile was bittersweet–if only things were that easy.
She got out of the shower and toweled herself briskly. Then she pulled a sparkly white sweater over her head, blew dry her hair, and brushed out the tangles. At last, Ami was standing before the fogged-up mirror. She rubbed a patch dry for herself and found herself staring into dark cerulean eyes.
If she tilted her chin up slightly, giving her a more confident look, the angle of the light changed. Her eyes were a lighter, more vibrant shade of blue. Her lips quirked into a smile, and she walked out of the bathroom with a bounce in her step.
Things were back to normal: Zachary Coruni was nobody, and he couldn't touch her. Everything would be fine–in two more days. If she could just survive those two days, Ami figured that she could survive just about anything afterwards.
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Ami sat primly at the table with her back straight, ignoring all attempts to draw her into conversation with Zachary. He, in turn, never once met her glance after a brief "Good morning." He was wearing glasses–something Ami had neglected to notice before.
Once everyone was seated, he retreated behind his cup of black coffee, stirring it moodily. He didn't realize that the steam was fogging up his glasses until Jaden snickered at him. Zach glared at him and made the same rude gesture he had made half an hour earlier–but this time his hand was concealed under the table. Jaden didn't have to look to know what it was.
He turned his thoughts inward after that, ignoring the conversation going on around him. Zach could honestly admit that he didn't completely understand why he was attracted to Ami Mizuno-Anderson. All he knew was that, well, he was. Looking at her from afar, trying to distance himself to the viewpoint of a stranger, Zach admitted that maybe Ami wasn't as upbeat and warm as Mina or bold and fiery like Rei.
The problem was (and it was a very serious problem), there was something that made her special in his eyes. And from the moment he had begun to recognize this, Zach had known he was doomed....because at this moment in time, it would be her–or no one else at all.
It seemed that it had been this way for him all his life; everything had always been about extremes. He would begin something and see it all the way through to the end, even if it killed him, or he wouldn't even bother considering the project. This trait had exasperated his brother, befuddled his parents, and annoyed his teachers.
He just couldn't find a single fault about Ami, but it didn't bother him in the slightest. It was true that she was a little shy, but there was nothing demure in that steel interior of hers. She appeared to be mousy and easily overlooked, and it was a wonderful mask to hide behind.
At age seven, she had been a pain and a crybaby, but that was forgivable; seven years later, she had grown up–somewhat. It still didn't seem like she had changed much since then. Some disillusionment about the world appeared to have occurred on her part, but she was still shy and innocent. Sort of. He was actually beginning to have his doubts.
It was an unavoidable fact of the matter that he was physically attracted to her. It was very possibly that her appearance had been the first thing he had seriously noticed about her, besides the fact that she had highly disapproved of him and hadn't hesitated in letting him know it. She wasn't as undeniably as Mina or as exotic-looking as Rei...she was just different. She was her own person, and there was no one else he knew that was remotely like her.
She had stayed in his mind ever since their confrontation two years ago. That they had met as children didn't really matter to him. It was a plus that she was still riled over how he had bullied her then, but Zach was focused in the here and now. Particularly now, because she was sitting across from him and staring at her toast.
Ami seemed to be fully in control of her world (except when he made her blush), and she treated him with icy disdain. Zach knew himself well enough to predict that he would have lost interest in both the ice princess and the blushing schoolgirl if he hadn't experienced the full force of Ami's smile.
It was a very enigmatic smile indeed. There was a bittersweet element to her smile, a shadowed look in her eyes. It was the look of a soul waiting to be set free in the world, a soul that yearned to fly high beyond the rooftops and the restraints of everyday life.
His ears had rarely been treated to the sound of her laugh, but the times that he had heard it, its crystalline chimes made music. Her laughter was purely joyous, uninhibited and carefree. It carried the lure of freedom with it, floating on the breeze.
When Ami was caught off-guard and enjoying herself, being in her company was like standing under a waterfall. Her spirit contained purity and serenity. She was as natural as that waterfall and just as refreshing. The alluring aspect of her was as beautiful as the mist that rose upwards from the lakes that high falls ended in.
Ami intrigued him. He knew she had the potential to become a slightly different person, one who was more true to herself and the world. His interest had first been piqued when he'd noticed the sparkle of mischief in her eyes. There was a side of her that resembled a water nymph in a fantasy, playful and ever-elusive.
He had heard stories from Nevan and Jaden about how much more comfortable and personal she was around Mina and Rei. Zach suspected that Kunthan had also seen Ami let loose, but Kunthan rarely talked about other people (Mina being the sole exception). The day that Zach talked like a girl had hung the sun, the moon, and the stars, he would really be whipped. Inwardly, he shuddered.
It was horrifying to see how far the mighty, stoic Kunthan had fallen. He privately promised himself that he would never, ever care that much about a girl. It sounded unhealthy. Besides, he figured it wouldn't be that difficult.
He had few close female friends–there were a lot of girls he had a good time flirting with, bu they didn't count. Rei and Mina were exceptions, but they were already dating Jaden and Kunthan. Most of their time and attention was concentrated on their boyfriends. No problem there. Zach's two closest girl friends were Lita, who was his cousin, and Serena, who he and Jaden treated like a little sister.
It had always been easy for him, in his perpetually-short relationships, to care less than his girlfriend. It was safer. After all, nothing was permanent. Zachary had long decided that there was no such thing as earth-shattering, eternal love.
The story of Romeo and Juliet was not only extremely disillusioning but also highly overrated. They met one night, kissed, made out on her balcony, and decided to get married the next day. It didn't matter that their friends and parents died left and right. Plus, there was the whole age-difference thing. It was actually very disturbing.
And when things didn't go their way, it was time to take drastic measures (i.e. death...sort of). Romeo waxed lyrical forever, Juliet still didn't wake up, and he was too daft to notice that she was alive for pity's sake. In fact, although he'd never thought about the story much until it had been assigned in school, Shakespeare had taken the meaning of "one night stand" to a whole new level.
But getting back to the present subject (regardless of what was considered one of the most romantic stories in literary history)... Zach was more in control of himself than most other people suspected. Even Rei didn't have the full measure his iron will–but Jaden knew. Kunthan knew. And Nevan knew. What he did, he chose to do.
If he was throwing Ami off-balance, she was affecting him more than anyone suspected. He actually wanted to let go of all his hard-earned, inner calm. He wanted to throw caution to the winds and discover the person behind Ami's facade...
But Zachary had already gotten a glimpse of the fascinating person inside Ami Mizuno-Anderson. He had a feeling that if he got through to her, released her, he would never be able to let her go. He would be sucked into a whirlpool he didn't know how to get out of.
So Zach decided, for once, to play it safe. Just for a little bit, he reassured himself. He could see that she was thrown off-balance. He had thrown himself off-balance. It would be better, for the both of them, if he kept his distance for the time being. But he was far from done with her.
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Ami shadowed the doorway apprehensively. There house was packed to the brim with visitors. Once the clock had struck ten, it seemed as if the doorbell hadn't stopped ringing. She had spent most of her time in one of the parlors chatting politely with some girls she knew. Some of them went to the same school as she did.
A light lunch had been served shortly thereafter, and she was grateful for the chance to restore her sanity. She had been seated next to Rei and a vacuous brunette who ignored them both in favor of the blond-haired girl on her right.
Ami was pretty sure that she had seen Jaden pulling Rei aside after lunch... She hoped they were making up and not making the situation worse. During the morning's ordeal, she had avoided looking for Zach. Because, of course, she didn't care what he did or who he talked to.
Although she had (inadvertently) noticed him playing the obedient host and standing by the doorway with Aileen and Jaden to greet the guests. He had looked perfectly charming–but for some reason, Ami thought he was feeling tortured. She quickly dismissed the thought. He probably reveled in all the chaos and attention.
At lunch, she had looked up once when someone had called Rei's name. The dark-haired girl returned the greeting with evident fondness, and the girl who waved back vivaciously was one of the prettiest she had ever seen. In fact, Ami thought that she could give even Mina a run for her money. But as she'd looked across the table, making note of the stranger's crystal blue eyes, her gaze intercepted an uncanny green one.
She had flushed and looked down at her plate, suddenly ill-at-ease. Zach was seated between the beautiful, beaming blonde and Jaden. Her mind told her that she wasn't the least bit jealous. Her heart felt otherwise. She groaned inwardly–wasn't she supposed to have squashed any and all feelings she might feel towards Zachary Coruni except polite tolerance?
It was then that she realized Rei had been trying to get her attention. "What? Sorry, I...drifted off."
"Sure you did," her cousin said, rolling her eyes knowingly. "That's Serena Tsukino; we go to school together. You haven't met her yet, because her family moved here very recently. I'll introduce you later."
Ami blinked at her in surprise. "Is she Japanese? She doesn't look very Japanese."
"She lived in Tokyo for a few years–Juuban district. Maybe one of her parents is European or American."
"Mm. I feel so bad for her–she has to sit next to Zach."
Rei giggled. "Oh, Ami. Just because you can't admit that you like him doesn't mean everyone else has to hate him." Her face flamed as Rei went on to say, "Serena and Zach actually adore each other. All of the guys treat her like their princess, and she deserves it. Serena's like an angel reincarnated. She's never mean to anyone. I don't understand how she can do it."
Ami smiled weakly. She would have felt more like laughing if Serena didn't sound so perfect.
"I changed my mind. She can't be an angel, because she's too klutzy–right, meatball head?" She said the last part loud enough for Serena to hear, and the twin buns on her head bobbed with her head as she nodded vigorously, undisturbed by Rei's teasing.
"Are they dating?"
Rei looked at her as if she was crazy. "Serena? And Zach? No! They're just very good friends. She's probably his only close friend who's a girl. Serena is the only person he feels obliged to be nice to all the time, and he actually behaves himself around her. Before, I didn't think that was possible. She flirts with him nonstop, but we all know it's just to make Darien jealous."
"Darien...?"
"Chiba. Over there–the black-haired guy with blue eyes. He's another Japanese...only he actually looks more like it. So you don't have to worry about competition, Ames. Even if Darien can't get up the nerve to ask her out, he'd go ballistic if Serena and Zach started dating. I hope they don't. They're such good friends, but they don't seem like they would be compatible romantically."
It was around one thirty now, and Ami was tired of listening to where so-and-so was going to college, how much money so-and-so's father made (insinuated in a roundabout manner so that it wouldn't seem like bragging), and that so-and-so was dating yet another new boyfriend (or girlfriend). She looked up suddenly, alerted by the sound of footsteps coming down the hall.
Ami practically ran all the way into the room...because Zachary and a brunette she didn't know had been walking together in her direction. She hoped they hadn't seen her...or that they weren't going to come in...
"So where do you go for your facials?"
Ami stared at the speaker, a dark-haired girl with very tanned skin. Wonderful. She had barely escaped Zach and some new girlfriend of his to walk into a conversation about facials, of all the things in the world that could be discussed. And Ami was not an advocate of facials. The more you got, the you needed them. "Um..."
"Sorry...I forgot to introduce myself." Her tone implied that Ami should have known who she was. "I'm Melissa. Melissa Cromwell." The emphasis on her last name indicated some company her father owned.
"Ami," she replied faintly. So this was what happened when one went away to boarding school for practically two-thirds of the year. Some new, snobby girls joined the old ones...
"So about the facials? Do you go anywhere near here?" Melissa asked her.
"Actually, I've never had one, so I couldn't tell you, sorry." Ami's tone of voice was
deceptively sweet as she distributed a polite smile all around. Secretly, she was grinning in victory. Score one for Ami, zero for Melissa Cromwell and co.
As she headed for the door, she heard the conversation continuing behind her.
"Never had a facial?"
She rolled her eyes. They sounded like it was such an impossible feat...
"But she has such nice skin...there isn't a single blemish on it!" one girl wailed distractedly.
"Never mind what she said. She was probably lying. Who was she, anyway?" she heard Melissa ask the others.
"Shh. Melissa! Even if you're new here, you should watch who you're talking about." Ah. Ami knew the speaker this time. It was Emily, who was always painfully precise about protocol. "That's Ami Mizuno-Anderson."
"And everyone who's someone has heard of Richard Anderson. I wouldn't go around insulting his daughter, if I were you."
Melissa sniffed. "Because she'll run off and tell her daddy? Please."
Before anyone could reply to that statement, Allison, who was prone to gossiping, whispered loudly, "But you know what I've heard about Ami? Her parents are cozy with the Corunis, and they wanted to introduce her to Zach!"
Ami stiffened, and she paused in the doorway.
"Aren't they satisfied with Rei dating Jaden? It's not fair for one family to get two of the best-looking guys around," someone whined.
"Evidently not. But the Corunis don't seem to mind–Ami and her family already spent all of yesterday with them, before the rest of us got here!" Allison squealed.
Ami resisted the urge to hit her head on the doorway. After all, she did have that bruise from the day before. How had Allison found out about that...?
"Ami?"
Oh no. Oh no... She turned around slowly, feeling as if her doom was approaching her. "Zach...hi."
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AN: And the general consensus is probably.... "Finally!!!" I apologize for the very long delay...thanks to Kaze and also ReE for getting me back on track ^.~ Anytime you feel that I'm being lazy (which is only the case a quarter of the time...the other 3/4 of the time I'm drowned in schoolwork), drop me a line and yell at me to continue.
So I revived the story....went back and revised Part 3. I decided that Ami and Zach were acting too immature in this part of the story for them to be as old as I originally intended, so I went back and fiddled with the age implications a bit.
This chapter was a little strange, in my opinion @.@ and I know Jane Doe asked for Zach's POV. Well, he's difficult to place right now ^^;; but hopefully this has given us all some perspective into his character. After all, he was just the creepy stalker/pianist/jerk without much of a personality.
Comments, questions, concerns....suggestions, anyone? ^.~ Thanks for all the reviews! I really appreciate the feedback :)
<3, ~Ice
P.S. If I have offended anyone in my not-so-appropriate analysis of "Romeo and Juliet" (which isn't mine, of course)...well....sorry. ^^; But I think it's a fairly accurate, condensed version ^.~
Mainpage: Love at Fifth Sight
