Chapter 26

As they walked across to the dorm, Amber stared at Seiji. "Hey Seiji" she grinned, "I've just realised what's wrong with your face."

Seiji frowned slightly, laughing, "Uh, that's nice."

"Awwww," Art gently kissed Seiji on the cheek, "I don't think there's anything wrong with your face." he said, desperatly trying to seem nicer than his sister.

"No!" Amber laughed, "Your face is perfect," she grinned, "But you haven't got any of your peircings in."

Seiji blushed, "It's nothing personal, against you, you understand, but it's uniform rules."

Amber grinned up at Art, "But Art..." she said, "Because it's half term and all, surely the rules don't apply."

Art laughed, and shrugged, "I don't see why he can't put them back in. You could do it now." he said, as he pushed open the door to the dorm.

Amber grinned at Seiji, "Fetch them." she ordered.

"Oooh," Seiji said, laughing as he went to get his earings and eyebrow bars, "Little miss bossy boots." he turned to Art, "You putting yours back in?"

Art thought about it for a second, knowing he shouldn't really, because he was meant to be a Responsible Adult. He grinned at Amber, "Some of the holes may have closed up, can you redo them?" he said, as he ran up to his room to get them.

Amber grinned and got a needle out of her pocket. Out of another pocket she got a lighter, and stood, oblivious of all the attention around her, staring at the gentle flickering of the flame, dancing infront of her. She smiled, and stuck the needle in the flame, until the tip was glowing hot. She turned and grinned at Seiji, "You first?"

Seiji shook his head, the rest of his year seeing fear in his eyes for the first time ever, "No." he said firmly as Art returned, "Do Art first."

Art had returned,, earings all the way down each ear, and two in his left eyebrow, he grinned at Amber, "S'only one of the ones in my ears and my lip that wont go in."

"Ok." she smiled, waving the needle about in the air until it had cooled, "Come here then." She laughed as he walked over to her, "And kneel down, you're too tall."

Art grinned, and knelt down, handing her the earing.

The kids watched open mouthed, Art had all of a sudden ceased to look like a teacher, and started to look like a real person. He grinned at them as Amber slid the needle through his ear, hardly wincing.

Fergie grinned, "Wow," he said, blushing slightly, "You're really brave."

Art laughed, "It doesn't hurt that much."

"Right," said Amber, "Lip next."

"No way." said Art, grabbing the needle and lighter off her, "I am not letting you, and a needle, anywhere near my lip. I'll do it myself." He let the needle grow hot again, and then cold. "One of you girls have a mirror?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah." Mara handed him a small mirror, "That ok?"

"Mmm, brilliant," said Art, not really concentrating on speaking. He pulled his bottom lip out, and stuck the needle through what was once the hole. As he pushed the ring through a tiny drop of blood formed on his lip. He wiped it away with one finger, and stared at it for a second, before holding out his finger to Seiji.

Seiji grinned, and gently licked the drop of blood from Art's finger, smiling as he did so.

"Ok," said Fergie, who had his eyes screwed up tight, "And you two call us weird."

Art laughed, "You next Sei,"

"I'm, I'm not so sure." Seiji looked genuinly scared, "I, I, it hurts you know."

Tor laughed, "Can't hurt that much, Art was fine."

"Hmm," Amber laughed, "I think this calls for desperate measures. Seiji, give them to me."

Seiji obediently handed over all his earings and eyebrow bars, "Please don't hurt me."

"Of course not," Amber laughed as she pushed him onto the bed. "Stay still," she ordered, half kneeling on his stomach so he couldn't move.

"Bitch," he swore, but laughing so she knew he meant no offense,

Quickly, she put the earings in, the holes hadn't closed over, so it wasn't a problem, but then she came to putting them back in his eyebrow. The first one went in easily, but when she came to the second she sighed, "I reckon I'm gonna have to redo this one completely."

"Uh, it's ok." said Seiji hurriedly, trying to sit up, but realising he couldn't, "I don't need the second one."

"Needle please," Amber said to Art, ignoring Seiji.

Art obediently handed the needle to his sister.

As she pushed the needle through his eyebrow, Seiji bit his lip, and furiously blinked back tears.

"Awww poor Seiji," Fergie laughed, "Bad hayfever yeah?"

"Fuck off" Seiji muttered as he stood up, his hand covering the tender eyebrow.

Art put a gentle hand under his chin and kissed him gently. A visible shiver ran down Seiji's spine,

"Shit," he swore, his hand reaching up to the ring through Art's lip "I'd forgotton how good kissing you with that thing in feels."

Amber laughed, "Hey Seiji?"

Seiji turned around to look at her, "What?" he asked, suspicoius,

"Can I peirce your nipple?"

"No!"

Art laughed, "Yes," he mouthed to his sister, who laughed again. Art turned to the rest of the year, "We need to start to pack guys," he indicated to the pile of holdalls in the corner of the room, "Shove a load of stuff in, we're going for about a week, ish." he laughed, "Depends how long we can stick it out."

"Wait," Mara looked up, "Are we in tents?"

Art laughed, "Yep," he grinned, "So if you're gonna screw your boyfriend do it quietly. Or," He turned and grinned at Seiji, "In the woods."

All the guys laughed, and the girls looked fairly indignant.

"Mmm," said Matt from where he lay on Eagle's bed, head in his hands, "Quiet please."

"Aww Matty," Raven laughed, "Not hungover are you?"

"Come on guys," Art instructed, "Pack!"

There was a scurry of activity as everyone went to their chests of drawers to start shoving clothes into bags. Everyone that is except Tor and Matt.

Tor turned and grinned at Fergie, "Will you pack for me Fergal?"

Fergie rolled his eyes, "No, I hate you." he said, and started to pack anyway, "You know, I really don't see why I do this."

Matt groaned slightly and tried to sit up, "Dammit Art, do we have to go."

"Yes."

Matt looked around, trying avoid staring out the windows into the october sunshine. He caught sight of Eagle getting stuff out for Matt aswell as himself.

"Hey Eagle, you don't have to pack my stuff,"

"I know." Eagle smiled, and carried on doing it anyway.