Links ~ Chapter 6

Previously

Relena didn’t want to be there. There being the formal gathering her father was holding in honor of their newest neighbors, the Winners. She was surrounded by grownups who wanted to do nothing more than pinch and poke and point out to the other guests what an ‘adorable little hostess’ she was. To make matters worse, Duo wasn’t there to take his share of the abuse. Nice of him to get grounded this weekend. 

“Ow!” someone cried.

Relena sought out the source of the sound and found it originated from a small blond who was rubbing his cheek with the corner of an equally small blanket that was draped around him. He had been cornered by a gaggle of older women who were cooing at him and thwarting every attempt he made to pull his blanket over himself.

“You are such a cutie!” one of them said.

“A little angel!” another added.

“Oh, don’t be shy,” the first woman pleaded, pulling the blanket off his head.

“Gimme!” the boy wailed, repeatingly stamping his feet.

“‘Scuse me,” Relena snatched the other end of the blanket out of the now stunned guest’s hand. With her free hand she grabbed the wrist of the terrified waif and led him away.

“You okay?” she asked once they were in the absence of adults.

“No,” the little one replied. I don’ like these kinds of pawties.

“Me, too. Do you wanna play in my room?”

“Can I?” he practically exclaimed, but then quickly looked down at his shoes. “Um, may I?” he corrected himself.

“Yes, you may,” she answered, thinking about the game of ‘Mother May I?’ she, Duo and Eliza would often play. She grabbed his hand again and led him to her playroom on the other side of the mansion.

The two managed to make it to the other end without being futher assaulted, but just as they arrived at the playroom, Relena could see that the room’s light was already on. She slowly opened the door and quietly crept up the small staircase. There, sitting on one of the sofas, was a young Asian boy who looked about her age. “Hey!” she called out to him. “Why are you in my room?”

He looked up from the book he was reading and slammed it shut. “Children?” he sighed in disgust. “I suppose I must play with you now.”

Insulted, Relena climbed the rest of the stairs, closely followed by her new companion. “You don’ have to play wth us. We’re big enough to play by ourselves.” She stuck her tongue out at the older boy before sitting down in front of the television. She turned it on, set the channel and then pulled out a video game console.

“Wanna play Nintendo?” she asked the blonde.

“You got Supa Mawio?”

“Uh-huh. My Daddy got it for me for my birthday.”

“How old is you?”

“Seven.”

“I six.”

The Asian boy groaned loudly as he made himself comfortable with his book on the floor behind the sofa. Relena chose to ignore him, though she could have sworn she heard him mumble “I’ll be eight next month”. She turned her attention back to the other boy. “What’s your name?”

“Chang Wu Fei.”

“I wassen askin’ you, Chang.” she snapped.

“Wu Fei.”

“What?”

“Wu Fei” He looked over his shoulder at Relena. “My name is Wu Fei. My family name is Chang.”

“Oh. Then I wassen askin’ you Wu Fei.”

Wu Fei snorted indignantly and went back to his reading.

“My name is Quatwa Wa… Quatwa Waba… My name is Quatwa Winnaw.”

“My name is Relena Darlian.” She held up a game controller. “Here, you first.”

The two took turns playing ‘Super Mario Brothers’. Each trying to get further in the game than the other before dying.

“Washid plays this game wit’ me alot.” Quatre announced when he made it to yet another level. “He plays it by hisself, too.”

“Who is Washid?”

“Not Washid. Washid. Wit’ a ‘R’. He my bodyguawd.”

“A bodyguard? Ooooooo!” ‘Quatre must be really important to have a bodyguard. I don’t have one.’

“Only the weak need bodyguards,” came from behind the sofa.

“No,” corrected Quatre, “I got Washid because I special. I the only boy. Fatha don’ wan’ stuff to happen to me.”

“You the only boy?” asked Relena. “You got sisters?”

Quatre nodded. “I got seven plus ten of them. All olda then me.”

“Wicked!” exclaimed Relena.

“Proves how weak you are, Winner. All those girls.”

“What is wrong with girls?” asked Relena, who was obvioulsy put off by Wu Fei’s remark.

“Nothing wrong with them. They are just weak. They must have men to protect them.”

“Says who?” She stood up.

“Says all the wise people.”

“You mean the wise men.

“Same thing.”

Pop!

Wu Fei never saw it coming. He only felt a sudden sharp pain in his nose then the flow of blood. “What did you do that for?” he shouted.

“To show you girls ain’t weak,” Relena replied, rubbing her fist. Quatre watched as Wu Fei ran out of the room in search of first aid. He stared at Relena in awe for a moment before quickly curling up into a ball and pulling his blanket over himself when she sat down next to him.

“Don’ worry,” was all she said, as she returned to the game.

Continue…

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