A Tale of Two Exchange Students: Part Seven

By Gayle Sherwood
The air became still. Not a leaf, a petal, nor a wisp of earth blew by their feet. Ranma stood ready for an attack, a single bead of sweat running down his cheek. He glared menacingly at Jonah, who directed his attention away from Garet. Jonah eyed the new apponent, and recalled his face from earlier events. He yawned, and cracked his knuckles, smiling at Ranma.

“This isn’t any of your business, but if you want some...” Jonah said calmly, “come and get it.” He clenched his fists, and stood ready.

“You made it my business when you put your hands on her!” Ranma snorted, his aura flickering around his body. He took a step towards Jonah, raising a fist, but felt a restraint holding him back at the waist. He looked down, and saw Akane, her arms wrapped around his waist, crying. She looked up into his blue eyes pleading.

“Please Ranma... don’t. He’ll kill you!” Akane cried. Ranma looked down at her.

“C’mon Akane! Don’t be so dramatic! Stay out of it. I can handle myself, okay?!” He retorted, almost insulted. Akane slapped him once, then again.
“If that’s how you feel.. fine!” she screamed. Ranma grabbed her by the wrist and swung her around. His strength was underestimated, and she slammed into his chest violently. She looked up, surprised that he would use such force just to grab her. His voice was stern and his face tight with anger.

“WHO do you think I’m fighting for here, huh!? MAN! Women are impossible! If I didn’t love you, I--” Ranma stopped and swallowed loudly. His mind plotted out a exactly how he was going to fit his shoe in his mouth. He could feel his face flush red, and his heart began pounding uncontrollably. He couldn’t look back at her, but he felt her response. The heat of her body warmed his, and he could feel her heart thumping in her chest.

Akane couldn’t look up at his face. She was too shocked. There was an eerie silence. The wind stirred a bit, and a leaf landed on Ranma’s slipper. He looked ahead, remembering finally what he was there for and just in time. Jonah pulled out a long blade from his boot. Ranma got only a quick glance at it, because it went singing through the air towards them both the very next second. It was a two sided blade, honed and balanced for throwing. Ranma couldn’t jump out of the way in time, it was too short of notice. He watched in horror as it left Jonahs hand, and whirled towards his stomach. When he realized the true horror it was too late.. “No...it’s not coming towards me.... it’s coming towards AKANE!” He still had Akane! His eyes widened in horror.

“ABUNAI!!!!” ((Anyone who wants to know, “ABUNAI!!” means “Watch out!” in Japanese.)) Garet screamed shoving them out of the way. The blade flicked past his right cheek and wedged itself into the tree behind them. Garet stopped and looked down on the floor. Laying in the dirt and a few drops of blood, was his ponytail as well as most of the hair from the right side of his face. He picked it up, and rubbed his thumb on the smooth surface. He’d grown his hair since he was twelve. Jonah laughed and slapped his knee. He stopped abruptly in the middle of his laugh, and stood in stance.

“AH!” Garet screamed. His hair was precious to him. It was something he’d carried with him for the last four years. Without warnning, Jonah slammed his forearm into Garet’s chest, driving him into the tree behind him. He pushed his weight up against him so he couldnt escape, and leaned in closely to his face. Garet could smell the sweat on his skin. He couldn’t breathe... the pressure on his chest was too great. He whispered begrudgingly at Jonah, anger rising in his voice. “You knew... I wouldn’t let it hurt her... why did you do that...?” He winced in pain as Jonah increased the strength in his hold. Jonah leaned in close, inches from his face, and quietly responded.

“So that everyone can see the humiliation on your face...” he grinned, grabbing Garet by the hair and holding his head back. Jonah kissed Garet hard on the lips. It was a deep kiss, and Garet was powerless to stop him. His eyes flicked in every direction. Akane and Ranma’s eyes were wide with shock, looking at him. In the distance, Jamie and Rei’s were frozen in step, looking on.. everyone was watching. Jonah had gotten his revenge. When he finally broke the kiss, Garet fell to the floor. Jonah stepped away looking down at his opponent.

“Garet..” Akane looked surprised. Her eyes... they pained for him, he could feel it. He stared at the ground, feeling his body lose it’s tension. Garet could feel his mind lose it’s grasp. Distant memories. Distant, but not ancient. The streetlights flickered with each passing car, and there were many. On the corner of Geary, by the donut shop, a homeless man sat, trying to find warmth in a 25¢ cup of coffee and a used newspaper. It was late, and the fog had rolled in, leaving the city with the chill of cold air. What was not highly unusual was the four teenagers walking along that street, finding warmth not in coffee, but by eachother’s grasp. Garet felt his mind darken, and he blacked out.

I can still remember that night, the night that started all of this. Jonah and I... we were walking down the street... he was with Jaime... I was with......with.... Sarah.. Oh Sarah... How could I let that happen!!? We were just walking... just talking.... laughing... the sound of your voice... your eyes... God... why did you take her from me!? If only she hadn’t crossed that street... if only she had looked! If only... If I had been... if... It’s my fault.

In his darkest memories, Garet could still remember when she walked into his life, and when she was dragged out. “It’ll just be for a second, I promise! I just want to say Hi to some friends!” Friends....

Garet.... Garet..... Garet..... Garet.... Garet....

“GARET!!!” A voice called.. he felt someone slap him hard in the face... twice.. three times. He couldn’t stand it anymore, and darkness turned into light... a silouette. “An Angel...?” he said, surprised. The face contorted, and he grumbled a bit. “Damn demons.” Jaime smacked him again, this time closed fisted.

“Asshole.” She smiled. He looked around. He was laying in the dirt, sweating, and soaked. Garet couldn’t remember what had happened... then it flooded onto him, the fight, Akane, the kiss... and he jumped to his feet.

“BASTARD!!! WHERE DID YOU GO!!!!!!” Garet called out in a shrill voice. The forest was empty, other than Akane, and Ranma. They all had been sitting around Garet, waiting for his awakening.

“Garet...” Akane smiled. Someone was missing. Something important. Jonah was gone... but...

“Rei!!” Garet cried out. “Where’s Rei!?” Nobody could make eye contact with him, and that was when he noticed. Ranma had blood on his shirt, and his left arm hung lifelessly at his side. Akane had blackened arms and legs, and several cuts. Jaime was limping, and blackened around her eyes.

“We tried to stop him... not even Ranma...” Akane choked. “He said he wanted his revenge, that’s all he would say. He wanted his revenge, and he would take her back.” Akane looked up with confusion. “I just don’t understand...”

Garet’s eyes grew wide with horror. He knew what Jonah meant... he knew it all along, what he had come after. The pain would be so great this time... worse than last. If he couldn’t stop Jonah, who could!? Jaime placed her hand on his tensing shoulder. “If only I had stopped her from... crossing that street... GOD!!!!” Garet screamed, slamming his fists into the ground. His knuckles cracked with each blow: Pounding the earth which consumed his only love. Garet wanted revenge too, only not mortal revenge. He wanted to take his revenge against the sky; against fate.

“Bro.. what happened that night... is in the past... and we can’t change that... you know we can’t change that!” Jaime tried to shake him out of his own world. It was almost too late though. He was too stuck. He held it in too long, his fears too great....

So that is as far as I got, reader. I'm sorry to leave you hanging, but it wasn't that great of a story anyway, so I figure you'll all get over it quickly. If you have any questions as to how I wanted to end it, e-mail me at akanesan@ix.netcom.com or gayle_sama@hotmail.com. Thanks for bein' faithful!