Chapter 5 : The Bottom Of The Shot Glass (YYHXOVER)

Author’s note : This is one of the first chapters that will have actual seriousness in it. Not wholly as a crossover or a gag, this has some *true* points within it as well.

*****

“Are you sure you weren’t joking?” asked Jericho of Syl.

She blinked innocently back at him, “What would make you think otherwise?”

The younger man paused to catch his breath before responding. “We all hiked for bout three hours; all of us, reasonably younger than you are, became tired. But you“ he took a deep breath, “You aren’t even winded?”

She shook her head at them and looked pleasantly confused.

“That must be one hell of an exercise program you take,” murmured Yvonne from her position on the couch. She was tired as hell; her hair was even plastered to her brow with a sheen of perspiration.

Anne nodded beside her. She looked as wasted as Yvonne was. Beside her, De couldn’t even begin her usual tirade, as she was busy catching her own breath. Jericho looked at all of them, then at himself. He wasn’t doing so good either. His hiking clothes were clinging to him like a second skin thanks to sweat. Heat radiated from his body and he felt like he was ready to collapse.

Taking this and comparing it to Syl’s state, she was standing in front of him, looking as if she just came from a pleasant stroll down a small garden. His brain sympathized with his body as it ached with trying to figure out a reason on how she could have survived that hike. Then he just shook his head and said, “Let’s just get back to our room okay?”

The others couldn’t even muster the strength to reply.

*****

“This place is so peaceful.” Said Meg as they walked down the easy mountain path. The wind played with her hair for a while and she smiled.

“Yeah, not like those crazy people ne?” said Erika.

Andrea laughed out loud as she remembered the small group that went by nearby. There were five of them and they looked like they had taken the hard trail. “Poor fellows” she said.

“No, I think they were all girls.” Said Meg.

“There was a guy I think.” Interjected Yuuki. “The one carrying the blue backpack”

“Nah, couldn’t be. That was most likely a girl.” Said Jericah. Then she wrinkled her nose. “But I can’t be sure. They were too far to see properly. I could be mistaken.”

“Speaking of mistaken…” started Yuuki.

“Shut up” Jeri said.

“I mean….it’s not exactly everyday you get to be mistaken for a guy ne Jericah?” prodded Yuuki. She just laughed when Jeri turned a glare worthy of Heero’s straight at her.

“It’s all Cliff’s fault.” Growled Jericah as she cracked her knuckles. “He will be *so* dead after I lay my hands on him.”

Erika shook her head and murmured, “And you wonder why you’re mistaken for a guy.”

“What were you saying?” Jeri trained her glare at Erika.

“Nothing!” said Erika suddenly, waving her hands in front of her.

*****

“A bar?” Syl looked a little reluctant.

“C’mon Syl!” wheedled Anne, “It’s not like we’re going to get stoned!”

“Yeah” chimed in Yvonne. “It’ll just for us to hang out, you know, get together!”

“Why are you focusing on me anyway?” said Syl crossing her arms. “You can haul De and Jericho over there, why me?”

Yvonne actually looked disappointed and mad at the same time. “Jericho won’t go if you won’t. That’s what he said.”

“Neither would De. “ added Anne.

“So will you go?” started Yvonne

“Just for us…?” joined Anne

“PLEASE~~?!?” they wheedled together.

Syl could only sweatdrop before answering , “Oh well, okay.”

“Jericho! She said yes!” called out Yvonne.

Jericho’s head popped out of the bathroom looking surprised. “She did? Okay then, I’m with you. Just wait okay?”

“Jericho! What are you doing there?” asked Yvonne, blushing furiously.

“Taking a bath.” He said confusedly, “What else?”

Yvonne promptly fainted. Jericho and the rest sweatdropped.

*****

“A bar?” was Andrea’s reluctant reply.

“Yeah! C’mon!” wheedled Meg.

“It’s not like we all have to get stoned you know.” Added Jericah from her perch on the balcony. “However, *I* plan to get majorly drunk. That’s why someone has to remain sober.”

“And that’s me?” asked Andrea in a disbelieving voice. “That’s all?”

“Yeah” said Jeri, looking out to the view. “I might need someone to flush my head down the toilet you know, just to get me remotely sober.”

“Oh well, “ started Andrea.

“Besides, it’ll be a good place to hang out you know.” She looked at Andrea and tossed her hair back, “C’mon Andrea…”

Erika sat on the dresser table and looked at her expectantly. Meg was busy scooping out someone below them. Yuuki smiled broadly at her.

“Oh alright” she said.

Jeri gave a large smile and said, “Trust me, you won’t regret it.”

At Jeri’s words, Andrea immediately felt that she would regret her decision.

*****

“I don’t think our students would recognize us if they saw us now.” Murmured De as she swirled her drink.

“You mean in civvies or drinking?” asked Anne.

“Both” answered De before taking a huge gulp.

“I just hope the *don’t* see us period.” murmured Jericho with a shake of his head. He looked a little more than a little ill at ease.

“What’s wrong with you?” asked Yvonne. “You haven’t been able to relax and that’s your second bottle already.”

“And you had us look for an ‘inconspicuous table’.” Added Anne as she leaned back on her chair.

“Is something the matter?” added Syl as she looked at him from her seat across him.

“It’s just a feeling…” he trailed off, looking distinctly embarrassed.

“Of what?” prodded De as she leaned forward.

“I just feel like our students are here, you know” he shrugged a little stiffly, “Watching us”

“Oh you poor thing” intoned Syl, “You’ve become so used to them following you around haven’t you?” she gave him a sympathetic smile.

“You mean that it’s reached the office?” asked Anne as she looked at Syl with confused eyes.

“You won’t believe how talkative some people are at times.” Said Syl with a nod.

“Why don’t you do anything about it?” asked Yvonne rather harshly, “It is a little improper to go chasing teachers around isn’t it?”

“Why are you so irritated at them?” asked Anne, “They’re after Jericho, not you.”

“I am concerned about a fellow teacher, you know.” said Yvonne, folding her arms. “So there, why don’t you do anything about it?” she directed this to Syl.

“Well,“ said Syl who seemed to think a little, “If it was up to me, I can’t find any fault with that.” She said.

“You find no fault in them following Jericho around?” said De who sat up in her chair.

“Well, point one, only two of them do so and they don’t do anything other than smile and wave.” Said Syl, a thoughtful look crossing her face. “Point two, it’s not like those two’s grades have fallen in any subject because of Jericho, Right?” she looked at Anne when she said this.

“Jeri’s and Meg’s grades are okay.” Said Anne.

“Who follows Jericho most of the time anyway?” asked De after a short period of silence.

“At first they were usually together, “ answered Jericho, “In the end, sometimes all of them would be there.”

“Jeri usually leads the pack” he finished a moment later.

“Jeri?” asked Syl, “She’s the one who’s hair is always in a braid right?”

“Yeah.” Shrugged De, “She’s okay in my class.” Suddenly she wrinkled her nose, “except when she falls asleep in it.”

“She fell asleep in your class?” asked Anne.

“Once, but she looked sheepish enough when she woke up that’s why I didn’t call attention to it.” De shrugged.

“She’s okay in my class too.” Said Jericho. “Pretty well in fact.”

“She’s got motivation.” Laughed Anne.

“What’s so funny?” asked Jericho looking confused. “What motivation?”

“Whooboy” said Anne, “Haven’t you gotten it yet?”

“Gotten what?” interjected Yvonne.

“The reason that…” she stopped short and actually looked guilty, “Oh I can’t do it. I can’t break the trust that they gave me…”

“C’mon Anne,“ said De, “I think he knows anyway.”

“Knows what?” asked Jericho exasperatedly.

“Oh fine,“ Said Anne, “The reason why Jericah is following you around is that she’s got a crush on you.”

“What?!?” said a surprised Jericho, “Why?”

“Why not?” countered Anne who smiled at him from behind her glass.

“No way,” said Jericho, “Jericah’s a tomboy, she goes for girls.”

Anne sputtered in her drink and Syl raised her eyebrow. De just shook her head and Yvonne gave a surprised squawk.

“You’re making it all up.” Said Jericho, oblivious to their reaction to his other statement.

“Don’t believe me?”

“No” was his flat reply.

“Okay, call her parents, her friends revealed it all to us when it was our recollection day.” She smiled a little, “She had looked so scandalized then.”

“Jericah?” said Jericho, “Looking scandalized?”

“Yeah.” Was Anne’s response.

“I find nothing wrong with that.” Said Syl after the moment of incredulous silence.

“What makes you say that?” was Yvonne’s oddly strained response.

“What is wrong about having a crush on Jericho?” she countered, “Jericho’s a rather handsome young man, not married or anything. Nor is he spoken for.”

Jericho sputtered and looked away.

“I think Meg used to have a crush on him too.” Added De after calling their attentions.

As Jericho sputtered even more, Anne cocked her eyebrows and said, “Used?”

“Yeah, I think it wore off.” Smirked De.

“Meg isn’t as bad as Jericah.” Said Anne.

“In what way bad?” asked Syl as she picked her glass up.

“She’s pretty quiet and well behaved in class not quite like Jericah.” Said Anne. “Jericah has a tendency to be a little belligerent.”

“You might not know” said Yvonne, “She might be hiding something under that silence.”

All the other teachers nodded.

“What about Erika?” murmured Anne, “She’s pretty quiet too. Well behaved even.”

“But she does seem to have a few problems in Math.” Said De.

“De, almost everybody has problems in math.” Said Syl, “The only ones that don’t are the math teachers themselves!”

They all broke into easy laughter.

*****

“What a great place this is.” said Meg as she sipped her drink. “Nice ambiance.”

Yuuki didn’t reply, she was to busy listening to the band that played a few light songs. Erika merely nodded at her and Andrea looked a little ill at ease. Jeri…

Jericah was facing away from them with a blank expression on her face. She seemed a little preoccupied with something as she swirled her drink in the glass.

“Oi, Jeri” she said, “What’s wrong?” this question drew the attentions of the rest of her friends.

Jeri looked back at her slowly and said, “Nah, forget it. I’m just thinking.”

“Of what?” prodded Andrea, “Jericho?”

Jeri’s face quirked but didn’t reply.

“Guilty as charged.” Accused Yuuki with a small laugh.

“What made you think that every time I blank out I think of Jericho?” said Jericah suddenly with unusual vehemence. “Did it occur to you that I might have a life other than him?” she looked back at them with blazing blue eyes.

“Jeez…” said Andrea as the other three were dumbstruck, “It was just a joke Jeri…”

“What’s wrong?”

Jericah averted her gaze and said in a small voice, “Nothing, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.” She stood up suddenly. “I’m going to get another drink”

The four could only look on.

“What’s wrong with Jeri?” asked Yuuki with a nod towards the direction that the girl had disappeared into.

“I dunno.” Shrugged Erika, “She was pretty serious about getting drunk a while ago “

“She usually does end up drunk.” Said Andrea with no small amount of distaste.

“Each to her own” was Meg’s only contribution as she turned back to watching the band.

*****

Jericah looked away from the band and called for the waiter. The bartender looked at her oddly as she ordered one of the hardest drinks in the house. Just as he was about to go about her order, a red headed youth called for his attention and asked for the same thing. The red head sat a seat away from Jeri.

From this viewpoint, Jeri could see that she had exquisite green eyes to go with her marvelous flaming red hair. Before she could gape any further however, she noticed how sad those green depths were.

:She’s sad: thought Jeri with a little nod. :Like me:

A little later on the bartender came up. He placed a shot glass in front of Jeri and said, “Here you go sir.” Jeri sighed as she realized that she had been mistaken for a guy…again, but was too depressed to argue.

“And here you go ma’am” said the bartender as he placed the shot glass in front of the red head. There was a rise and fall of her shoulders, as if she sighed deeply, but she responded with a small thank you instead. Her voice had rice alto tones, making Jeri smile in spite of her current depression.

:Such a pretty lady and such a heavy drinker: She muttered to herself :if I was that pretty, I wouldn’t drink this crap:

She sighed again and swirled the liquid within her glass, a little reluctant to drink it. She had learned to drink this with her little adventures with Cliff. She hadn’t learned to love it, Just consider it good for getting rid of horrible memories. Cliff said…

There was a choking sound to her side and she saw the young lady bend over coughing. She went over and patted her back saying, “It’s a powerful drink ojousan, be careful.”

“Arigato, “ she said, Then she looked at her oddly, “What did you call me?”

Jeri blinked, “Ojousan?” she hazarded.

With a sigh, she straightened up and said, “I’m not a girl, mister, I’m a boy.”

Now it was Jeri’s turn to sigh, “So we’re even, I’m not a mister” she smiled at the red head’s odd look, “I’m a girl.”

For a time, the two mistaken youths looked at each other with unreadable expressions. And then they both broke into peals of laughter.

“I’m Jeri” said Jeri after they calmed down, “Jericah Helios”

“I’m Shuuichi Minamino.” The red head smiled.

*****

“What about Andrea?” asked Syl.

“What about her?” asked Anne.

“You know, how she reacts in class, the usual.”

“Pretty normal, well,” Anne shrugged, “compared to her friends I mean.”

“Well, I heard she’s rather good in your class,” ventured Syl suddenly.

“Well yeah,“ started Anne, “Why are you so curious about her anyway?”

“Oh nothing” said Syl.

“Jericho…” they heard Yvonne call. They turned to see Jericho snapping out of some kind of trance.

“What?’ asked Syl.

Yvonne gave Jericho a rather evil look and said, “He was spacing out.”

Jericho smiled apologetically and said, “Sorry, was thinking of something…”

*****

“So that’s the reason why you’re here” said Jeri, nodding at her new found friend.

Shuuichi smiled at her and said, “What about you? Why are you here?”

“The hotel or the bar?” asked Jeri.

“Well, I know that you’re here to take a vacation from school, so I guess the bar.”

“Well, “ Jeri looked away for a while, “Let’s just say we’re trying to forget about a certain someone for at least a night.”

“aah,” Shuuichi, “ I know what you mean,” he patted her shoulder a comfortingly.

Jeri sighed and said, “It’s not as if he owes me anything you know,” she shrugged and said, “He barely knows me.”

“Unrequited love?” asked Shuuichi with no humor in his eyes.

“Totally.” She shrugged, “I want him to see that I’m in love with him but I’m afraid of driving him away.”

“Aah,” said Shuuichi, “That’s always the tricky part.” He sighed deeply, “He’s the one thing that I love in this world, yet I can’t show him.”

“Him?” smiled Jeri.

Shuuichi blushed so much that Jeri said, “Oh no, it’s okay, I understand.” She smiled inwardly, remembering one of Cliff’s friends.

“So we’re more or less in the same boat, you and me” he said after a while.

“Both with love for two people who barely seem to know we’re alive” he murmured.

“And both always mistaken for the opposite sex.” Added Jeri.

They remained quiet before looking at one another. When green eyes met blue they suddenly exploded in laughter.

With a toss of her head, she drank the last of her drink and said, “That was fun.”

Shuuichi nodded and ordered another round for both of them. “Kampai” he said as he gave hers.

“Here’s mud in your eye too.” Smiled Jeri as they drank.

They turned to look at the band that was requesting songs. Shuuichi suddenly had a bright idea and tugged on Jeri’s arm. They moved towards the band and she leaned over and asked him, “What are you doing?”

“Watch” was all the enigmatic red head told her.

*****

“That’s a nice song they played.” Complimented De as she looked over to the band.

Jericho reluctantly nodded. Briefly, he had memory of hearing Jericah singing that very song in class. But still it was good; he just didn’t need to be reminded of her right now.

“D’you remember the Community day?” asked Anne, ”The 8 of them sang one of their songs right?”

“Yeah,” nodded Syl, “I helped them get there. They were very excited.”

“Wonder why only five of them are there?” asked De.

“They’re teenagers De,” said Syl, “They change and a part of them are still children, they’re learning to grow.”

Jericho was oddly detached from this part of the conversation. He came to Tagaytay to avoid his students; talking about them will not help his vacation any. Besides that, most of the women were talking gossip most of the time, leaving him well out of his territory. Instead, he turned to look towards the band. He heard them telling the audience that they would accept requests.

Over the corner of his eye, he saw a red head move towards the band with obvious determination. Behind him, he was dragging a girl about his height. He saw the red head talk briefly with band leader who nodded and smiled.

The red head pulled the girl, who was mildly protesting, to the dance floor. Suddenly the band leader piped up the volume and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, the following is the slow dance version of ‘Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely’ by the Backstreet Boys.” He smiled and said, “Especially dedicated by Mr. Shuuichi Minamino to a certain Ms. Jericah Helios, Take it away boys.”

Jericho snapped up with the mention of Jeri’s name.

:It can’t be: he thought.

He followed the red head and the girl who danced on the dance floor. They moved around as the song started along with the other dancers but after a while her face came to view.

And there in the faint light of the bar, he saw Jeri’s face. She leaned on the red head’s shoulder and smiled up to the guy’s face. She looked drunk, but quiet and almost happy. Tears glistened at the corners of her eyes. He could see her lips form the words…

“Arigato…”

He looked back down his shotglass and ignored the other teacher’s gasps of surprise

Looking down at his drink, he wondered vaguely how Jeri found her temporary peace at the bottom of the shotglass.

*** Owari ***

Author’s notes : I finally finished this! This is the longest chapter yet! Sheesh. I’m so vain ne? The excerpt of the song before we met is from Savage Garden’s “Tears Of Pearls” it’s a beautiful song made by fantastic songwriters.