To Share Your Presence

By Oyuki

Chapter 1

“All seniors to the cafeteria at this time. All seniors.” a feminine voice over a loud speaker said.

“Yeah! I love being a senior!” yelled Hilde Schbeiker to her friend, Relena, who sighed and followed her friend. In the high school they attended, being a senior meant a lot of privileges the other grades didn’t have.

“I guess you’re right, but you have to be 18 to have a lot of those privileges,” Relena said.

“Lucky for us that we are!”

The two girls walked through the metal hall that lead to the cafeteria along with the other seniors in their class. When they arrived at the doors three was a woman standing by, handing them all pamphlets. Hilde reached for one and began reading what it said. “Ugh! Why do they have to do this? Who the hell cares who I’m having sex with?” said Hilde.

“They only want us to be healthy. I’m pretty sure they don’t care who you’re doing it with. They just want to make sure we don’t have any STDs.” The two girls walked to the bar where the cafeteria ladies were serving them their lunch.

“But they why are they asking for the name of our partners?” asked Hilde indignantly while heading towards their usual table.

“Damn, don’t you know anything Hilde? In case that someone does have a STD they can inform them!”

As they sat down their friends began to fill in the empty seats around them. In front of them sat Adriana, the most beautiful girl in the school. She was 5’10”, light brown hair that hung in beautiful curls down to her waist. Plus all the “assets” the girl had. She was beautiful. Next to her sat Duo Maxwell, the hottest guy in the school.

Hilde looked at them and sighed. They were both very good looking, they deserved to be with each other, and they were.

“Who could you be sleeping with? You don’t have a boyfriend,” said Duo jokingly. Hilde, sleeping with anybody? No, she was... she was Hilde. Little Hilde!

Hilde narrowed her eyes at him. “That doesn’t mean I’m not sleeping with anybody.”

Adriana laughed. “Who are you sleeping with?”

Hilde smiled at the couple and said, “That is my and his little secret. If we wanted you to know, then we’d tell you! And why do you people care who I’m sleeping with, anyway?” yelled Hilde.

“Because it’s you, Hilde. Nobody could ever picture you sleeping with anybody?” said Adriana.

“And why not?” screeched Hilde.

“Calm down, Hilde. I’m sure Adriana didn’t mean anything by it,” said Duo looking at his girlfriend.

“Whatever. The other classes are coming in, I’m out,” she said and picked her half eaten lunch up and dumped it. She hurried out of the cafeteria.

Relena looked at Adriana and narrowed her eyes. “Nice going,” she said.

Adriana rolled her eyes at her. “Oh big deal, so she left. She’s probably gonna go meet her boyfriend. And I bet you know who it is!”

“Of course I know who he is, and like she said, he’s not her boyfriend.”

“Then that just makes her a slut,” said Adriana unpleasantly.

In an effort to defend her friend Relena disclosed one of Hilde’s secrets by saying, “She would be a slut if she was sleeping with a lot of guys, but she’s not. And he’s her first. And you know what, Adriana? Why do you care who the hell she sleeps with? Take care of your own affairs ‘cause everybody knows you were a slut before you started going out with Duo. Oh, I’m sorry I meant before you started sleeping with him then going out with him.” Relena was pissed beyond belief. She picked up her tray and dumped it, but she didn’t leave. She came back to the table to talk with the rest of her friends.

“I hate them! Both of them! How can you stand to be friends with them, Duo? Hilde has hated me since you and I--”

“Don’t start with that, Adriana. I met them long before I met you and I’m not going to stop being their friend just because my girlfriend doesn’t like them.”

“Fine, Duo, but you and I both know that Hilde wants you, and she would do anything to see us break up,” Adriana said slowly.

“Yes because we both know that her sleeping with some guy is going to make us break up,” he said sarcastically. “I’m going back home for now. I can’t talk to you right now, you’re being a bitch.” Duo stood up and walked away from the table.

Adriana took a deep breath and didn’t say anything. Instead joined Relena and her friends. They were all friends, except for Relena, Hilde, and Adriana but having all of their other friends in common forced them to hang out together all the time.

*~*~*~*~*

Duo couldn’t believe what he’d heard. Hilde wasn’t like that, she was sweet and nice and his head just couldn’t see her like a woman. She was like a little... brother. She was always hanging out with them when she was young, doing all the things the boy did, never even dressing like a girl. If you looked at her from behind you probably couldn’t even tell she was a girl. She had nothing in the way of height, well if you compared her to Adriana she was a shrimp. She couldn’t be more than five feet, and she had nothing in the ass department... not that he’d noticed. He could never look at her like that. And her breasts, well he didn’t know, he’d never looked.

Why was he thinking of this right now, though? Maybe because of what Adriana had said, about Hilde wanting him. They’d all known that, but that was last year... maybe that’d changed. He had to admit that he’d felt like The Man when they’d found out... thanks to Adriana.

Duo walked home slowly; he shared a house with three guys, Heero Yuy, Quatre Winner, and Ryan Estrella. He didn’t really want to go home, but he didn’t want to be near Adriana after what she’d said. With his hands in his pockets he approached his front door. He inserted the key in the lock and opened his door only to hear someone shouting, but then everything was quiet again. He didn’t hear the noise again. He frowned. “What the hell was that?” he whispered to himself. He shrugged his shoulders and walked upstairs.

He knocked on his room mate’s door.

“What?” yelled Ryan, sounding angry.

“Can I talk you, man?”

“Uh... is it important?”

“Well, kinda,” said Duo, taking that as a ‘come in’ and opening the door to the room. But he almost fainted at the sight when he came in the room. There, on Ryan’s bed, was Hilde, wearing only her bra and panties and stradling Ryan. ‘It was true!’ his mind screamed.

All Ryan could do was smile at her, his face turning red while looking at Duo. Hilde didn’t even turn around, instead she just said, “Hi Duo,” in a quiet voice.

Ryan was the first to speak saying, “Can’t you wait for a ‘come in’, Duo?”

Duo couldn’t say anything. His mind was befuddled. She was sleeping with Ryan Estrella? With Ryan? He couldn’t see what she saw in him. He was a tall, thin Filipino guy with bleached, blonde, spiky hair.

“Hey, uh Duo, can you get out of the room, I need to get dressed,” said Hilde while getting off of Ryan and sitting next to him on the bed. She was so embarrassed, her face turning several different shades of red.

Duo didn’t hear them, he was too confused. “Hey, Duo! Duo, get out of my room! Earth to Duo!” yelled Ryan.

He barely registered what his friend had said but he complied and walked out of the room. How could she sleep with Ryan? How could she do that? And with Ryan’s reputation? What was she thinking?

Five minutes later Hilde and Ryan came out of the room, both of them laughing. Hilde’s face was still a slight shade of pink, but her clothes back in their place. She didn’t know how to react, so she just started laughing at her own mortification.

“I’m sorry Duo, that was so embarrassing,” she said smiling, trying to hide her embarrassment with humor.

“How could-- how can you sleep with Ryan? With his reputation--”

“Hey, I’m right here!” said Ryan indignantly.

“I like Ryan, Duo. He’s nice and he’s cute and... why am I telling you this? It’s none of your business!”

“I-- I promised your brother I would watch out for you when he graduated!” he sputtered.

“Oh please, Duo that was three million years ago! And you can’t stop me from doing what I want to do! You shouldn’t care either way, I’m not hurting you or anybody, so Ryan and I would really appreciated if you did not try to persuade us to end our ‘relationship’, okay?”

“Yeah, Duo, we’re both happy with this, so please don’t try to ruin this for us,” said Ryan smiling.

“You.. you shut up! How could you--”

“Look, Duo, I’m not doing anything that I don’t want to do, nobody forced me into anything. And what did we just ask you?”

“Fine, fine! But don’t come crying when you two break up... or whatever. Are you guys dating?”

“We are!” said Ryan who looked at Hilde.

“Fine, yes were are dating, Ryan is my boyfriend. We’ve been going out for two months now. So now you can turn around go tell your little girlfriend that I’ve been sleeping with Ryan for the last two months!” With that, Hilde went back into Ryan’s room and slammed the door.

“How in hell did you get her to go out with you?” Duo asked Ryan.

Chapter Two

“Not with too much effort, it was actually Hilde who started it all. We had to do this big project for Physics and we were studying. The next thing I know the girl is all up in my face, then she started to kiss me and what can I say? She’s a hot kisser, one thing lead to another and here we are now!” Ryan explained. He’d always thought Hilde was hot and he liked her, she was a cool person. It was actually Hilde who didn’t want their relationship to be public. If it had been up to him, he would have made it public that first time, she was intelligent, beautiful and popular, what guy wouldn’t want that?

Duo was still trying to make sense of the situation. “Then why are you guys keeping this all on the DL?”

“Hey don’t look at me like that! That was her idea. I mean, I’m proud that Hilde is my girlfriend, but she didn’t want people to know,” Ryan said sadly.

“But wait, doesn’t it make you wonder if she’s ashamed of you? I mean she didn’t even want her friends to know about the two of you.”

“Listen, Duo, I’m glad she’s my girlfriend, and if she wants to keep this a secret, oh well. If that makes her happy, she can do whatever she wants, besides it’s nobody’s business but ours, Duo,” Ryan said the last slowly, so Duo would take the hint.

Duo shook his head and sighed. The thought of Hilde being pawed by Ryan made him sick! He didn’t know why, but he just couldn’t picture her like the aggressive girl Ryan had described. “But you just can’t have a relationship based on-- on... sex,” he said in an attempt to get Ryan to see reason. He didn’t want them together, he couldn’t see them together!

“It’s not just based on that. We have deep conversations too! What, do you think we just jump into bed every time we see each other?” he asked. Duo didn’t respond.

“You do!” Ryan accused. “It’s no like that Duo. I respect her as a person, as a human being. I think she’s beautiful and she’s good in bed, but that does not compare to her mind! And IF we break up, for any reason, I would like to remain her friend because she’s a great person!”

“That’s a great speech and all, Ryan, but do you really like her?” Duo asked skeptically.

“Duo, what is your problem? Of course I like Hilde! I don’t know if I could ever love her, but as long as the relationship lasts I will never hurt her! For all we know, we could break up in the next minute!” Ryan said opening the door to his room. Hilde was sitting on his bed fuming with anger.

On the other side of the door, Duo was also seething with anger. He wasn’t going to just stand by and let them... let them... “Shit,” he muttered.

*~*~*~*

Inside the bedroom, Hilde was shaking with her anger. Who did he think he was to come and judge her like that? What did he think he was doing when he had a bitch for a girlfriend?

Ryan chose that moment to come in the room. “Hey, you okay? You look pretty mad,” he said sitting next to her. Hilde just shook her head. “You know, he’s just jealous,” Ryan said to her astonishment.

“What?” she managed to ask.

“Duo. He’s jealous; he likes you... he cares about you.” Hilde just looked at him like he’d grown another head. “Yes, I know it’s strange to hear that from your boyfriend, but it’s true. I’d be an idiot not to see it.”

“But... you--”

“You don’t have to say anything, I know you care about him too and you’re just using me for my body, but I don’t mind,” he said smiling.

“Are you mad?” she said quietly. She was surprised at how easily he’d read her, her intentions.

“No, you’re hot and I like you. I don’t know where this,” he said pointing to the two of them before continuing, “is going, but if we decide we’re not suited for each other, then we’ll part as friends.”

“That’s so sweet of you, Ryan,” Hilde said kissing his lips lightly. “But before we continue where we left off earlier, I want you to know my motives for... you know starting this.”

Ryan stretched out on his bed and folded his arms behind his head. “Shoot,” he said.

Hilde turned to him and looked directly at his dark eyes.

She took a deep breath before saying, “You are a very attractive guy, Ryan, and you know that. You use it to your advantage. Anyway, you know I have feelings for Duo, and I know those feelings are ridiculous and that they will lead nowhere, but I can’t help it. I’ve liked him for so long and he’s never seen me as more than a little sister, a pal, a friend-- whatever you want to call it-- and I’m tired of that. I want to feel like I’m attractive, Ryan, that not all guys see me as a tomboy. So, I took a chance with you! I said to myself, ‘Hey, there’s this really hot guy that I find myself attracted to, go for it Hilde. What’s there to lose?’ And I did it. I kissed you, and for the first time in my whole life, I felt sexy, like somebody wanted me... sexually.” Hilde looked at Ryan. She hoped he wouldn’t be mad, she liked it and would like to find out if their relationship would go somewhere.

Ryan sighed and smiled. “See? I told you that you were just using me for my body,” he said, both of them laughed at that. “But in all seriousness, Hilde, you are hot. I don’t care what anybody says, you are one of the hottest girls here. I like you, I’m attracted to you. And like I told Duo, I think you’re gorgeous, intelligent and funny and I really like you, I don’t know if I could love you, I don’t think I can, but as long as this relationship lasts, I will never hurt you. And if you want to break up with me because Duo finally got some sense knocked into his large head, then that’s all good. I won’t be hurt; I’ll think of our time together as a growing experience.”

“So... basically we’re just using each other until Mr. or Ms. Right come along?” she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

Ryan grinned and said, “If you want to think of it that way, then I guess you’re right.”

“Boy, you’re a fool,” she said rolling her eyes.

“A lovable one though!” he cried taking her down onto the bed with him.

Later that day, Duo stopped in front of the door of Ryan’s bedroom. He walked closer to the door and heard giggling and moaning, his eye started to twitch as he walked away.

Chapter 3

“What?!” screeched Adriana at the top of her lungs. “With who?” she said a little more quietly when she noticed several students had looked her way after her outburst.

“Ryan... Ryan Estrella!” snapped Duo. He still didn’t like it. Hilde deserved better than that guy... that skinny guy who had nothing going for him.

“How is that possible? Hilde’s such a... such a tomboy; she’s got no curves and let’s not even go to the chest department! Oh God! How can he do that?”

Both Duo and Adriana were unaware that both Hilde and Relena were standing behind them, listening to what they were saying.

“You say it as if it’s a big sacrifice to go out with me, Adriana?” asked Hilde. She was very annoyed at them. She was always annoyed at Adriana, but Duo... how could he be taking her side in this?

“Hilde!” Duo said guiltily, as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. “How long have you been standing there?” he asked stupidly.

“Save it, braid boy,” she said ominously. She turned to Adriana and said, “I believe you were talking about me, what were you saying? If I may ask?” Hilde’s 5’0” frame was tiny compared to Adriana’s 5’10” but she had to stand up for herself, even if she looked foolish facing off with a giant.

Adriana got cocky, straightened up to her full height, looked down at Hilde and said, “All I was saying, Hilde, is that how is it possible that you could have snagged Ryan Estrella...?”

“You mean because you couldn’t?” said Hilde with an evil smile.

“How did--” she started to say but caught herself. She couldn’t find anything to say, she stood there opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water.

“Oh yeah, we all heard about that... Oh! I’m guessing Duo didn’t hear all about your little plan to get Ryan to sleep with you!”

Duo was caught in between the two combatants. He didn’t know what to do. On one hand, Adriana was his girlfriend, but on the other Hilde was his best friend. He looked at Relena for some sort of sign that would tell him something, but she just smiled at him.

“Now you’re just making things up, Hilde,” said Adriana. She’d regained her composure, she had to play her part right if she didn’t want Duo to get mad at her.

“Oh yes, Adriana I am because we all know that I LOVE to spread rumors!”

“Whatever, Hilde. All I know is that you’re probably paying Ryan to go out with you because there’s no way in hell that he’d ever take YOU seriously,” Adriana sneered.

“Listen, bitch, make one more comment like that and I won’t hesitate to mess up your pretty hair!”

“You, Shrimp? Come on, you’re half my size! Be serious!”

“That’s enough, Adriana,” said Duo who was now standing next to her. He put his hand on her shoulder but she shrugged him off.

“Stay out of it, Duo!” she snapped.

Hilde scoffed and said, “You’re going to let her talk to you like that, Duo?”

“That’s enough from the both of you!” he said. He really didn’t want them to fight, as small as Hilde was, he knew that she could cause Adriana more damage than she could do to Hilde.

“What’s wrong Hilde? Trying to steer the conversation away from the subject?”

Hilde was pissed. She was sick and tired of Adriana acting like a bitch to her and for no reason at all! She just didn’t like her and Relena for some odd ass reason! “I’m getting really tired of you always talking shit about me, Adriana! So stop before I’ll have to shut your big mouth for you!”

“You’re just pissed because I have you all pegged! I know that the only reason that you got with Ryan is because you were desperate for a good lay. You probably threw yourself at him, and what guy can resist some hoe begging to be screwed! And let’s not forget the fact that the guy you wanted already had a girl! Don’t deny it Hilde, we all know that you’re still drooling over MY boyfriend!”

That earned her a slap from Hilde. “The only hoe out of the two of us is you! And listen bitch, stop getting into other people’s business, especially mine because as big as you are I can do more harm to you than you could do to me!”

Adriana just stood in the same spot. She was holding her cheek and she was visibly shaking with anger.

Hilde turned to Duo, anger radiating from her body. “I would suggest that you also stay out of my business! I don’t appreciate you making my private life public in the school cafeteria!” Hilde said angrily and stomped off.