Title: Paint the Sky with Stars - Chapter 3

Author: Yugure

Genre: Romance - Z/L

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own Zel, Lina, or any of the Slayers characters. I do, however, own the surly teenage girl at the bookstore, although the last time I told her that, I ended up with a black eye. Damn refractory adolescent. *grumbles and walks away*

Author Notes: I'd also like to mention that Zelgadis is, indeed, in college. He attends a local university.

Chapter 3 - Dancer in a Daydream

Lina poked her head past the door of her family apartment and took a quick look around. So far, so good, she thought as she scanned the living room. Looks like Onee-chan isn't home-

"Lina, where have you been?" the voice froze Lina in her tracks, with one foot raised to cross the threshold. Quickly removing all emotion from her face, Lina turned around and smiled at her older sister.

"I… I just went down to the drugstore. You know, that time of the month and everything…" Lina explained, hoping that her sister would show a rare smidgen of sympathy and also hoping she wouldn't catch the small white lie. Of course not, Lina thought dejectedly as Luna crossed her arms and frowned at Lina, unintentionally pushing her well-endowed chest in Lina's face.

"I was just there. You, apparently, weren't."

"… um… well, I was, earlier today, and then I went to the movies for awhile -"

"Show me your ticket stub."

Dammit! Onee-chan is going to be so pissed off… Lina grumbled in her mind. She rooted through all of her pockets, pretending to look for the ticket, while her brain churned for an explanation to give to Luna.

"It's here somewhere…" she mumbled, and suddenly, her hand closed on something. Pulling it out revealed it to be a movie ticket. Albeit, it was from last week, but Luna didn't know that. Lina prayed that her sister wouldn't look too carefully.

"We don't have that kind of money to spend on frivolous expenditures like that," Luna finally replied after glancing at the ticket. She walked past Lina into the room. "Mom's down at the Bottom, so she'll be awhile."

Great, just great. Mom's off getting trashed while I have to sit at home with Luna. Lina closed the door. The bar Bottom's Up was well known for its many fights and indiscretions. Lina's mother was there so often she was on a first name basis with all the bartenders. Even some of the busboys. Often, she was out until dawn and came staggering back home to a sympathetic Lina. Luna usually left before then, for heaven knows what. Lina suspected a boyfriend but hadn't the guts to ask Luna the truth.

"I'll be in my room." Lina hurried to the hallway.

"What about dinner?"

"I'm not hungry." Lina had her hand on the doorknob to her room when Luna called her back.

"Don't forget your CD player." Luna held out the boom box, which Lina took with trembling hands and a pale face.

"Um… thanks," Lina stammered. She immediately sought shelter in her room.

Once inside, Lina set down her possession and threw herself on her bed. She knows. She knows I wasn't at the movie theater. I had my CD player with me, and everybody knows you don't take CD players to the movies. But why did she let it slide? Why? Normally, onee-chan would beat… well, she didn't. I guess I should be happy. Dammit, why? She never does anything simply because. There must be some kind of ulterior motive. But now what? Mum's not home so I don't dare go out there with Luna. I guess I'll just…

Suddenly inspired, Lina grabbed a spiral bound notebook off her desk, snagged a pen from the floor, and started writing.

Dear Journal,

I was dancing in my clearing again today. Well, I know it's not exactly mine, but nobody else even knows about it… Until today, that is. I was minding my own business when this guy comes barging in with a shocked look on his face. Immediately I got all angry like I always do. It seems to scare away all the other guys I meet, so I thought it would work on him. But it didn't. He apologized and took me out for lunch. Lunch! At a really nice restaurant, too. He must be loaded, to spend money like that on a poor girl like me. He wasn't that bad look -

Lina blushed and erased the last line. Even though her journal was supposed to be for private thoughts, and only her eyes should ever see it, she still had a hard time writing down what her mind already knew. She continued:

I wonder if I'll ever see him again… He seemed really nice. I think I might've scared him away at the end, though. I kinda blew up in his face. But really, I couldn't help it. It just makes me so mad when people try to do things for me. I'll never get anywhere in life if I can't do it myself. You know?

And then Luna almost killed me when I got home. I told her I was at the movies. Hah. Funny. If she ever found out where I really spend all my time, she'd probably break my CD player and me, too. For some reason, she doesn't like it when I'm having fun. She doesn't like it when I do the things I love to do. I don't know if that makes something wrong with her or me, but… whatever. Well, that's all for tonight.

Lina

***

The next day…

"Where's your classical literature section?" Zelgadis asked the bored-looking young lady behind the bookstore information desk. The girl gestured vaguely behind her without looking up from her book. Biting back a vitriolic retort, Zelgadis nodded his thanks and headed in that direction.

The rows upon rows of books always brought Zelgadis a sense of security. He loved to immerse himself in literature. He felt as though he could get lost in the bookstore and nobody would ever find him, which would be perfectly fine by him. Considering the large, comfortable chairs the bookstore provided, spaced throughout the store, Zelgadis often grabbed a book at random and settled down to read away the day.

Today, however, he was on a mission. Being so close to his favorite reading chair and knowing he couldn't stay was a very unpleasant feeling. But he didn't have time to waste today. In and out, that's all he could afford.

The book he needed was for one of his comparative literature classes. Unfortunately, the precise version he needed was nowhere to be found. Zelgadis thumped his hand on one of the shelves in frustration as his eyes scanned the bindings, not finding what he was looking for.

"Hey, we'll have to charge you for property damage if you do that again," a waspish voice needled Zelgadis. A redheaded girl poked her head into the aisle and immediately her eyebrows went up. "Hey. It's you."

"Lina? You work here?" Zelgadis took in the sharply dressed girl and the annoyed look that began to take form on her face.

"Yeah. You got a problem with that?"

"Well, no. I just thought… you didn't seem to be…"

"I didn't look like I could hold down a job? Gee, thanks Zel. You're a real great guy." Lina crossed her arms and leaned against the shelf Zelgadis had been beating on. Zelgadis's vein above his eye twitched in response to the nickname.

"My name is not Zel. It's Zelgadis."

"Same diff. Now, why exactly are you beating up our bookshelves? I'm sure they didn't do you any harm. They don't bite… much."

"I'm not 'beating up' anything," Zelgadis replied, trying to keep his temper under control. For some reason, this girl managed to get under his skin faster than anyone else he knew. "I'm looking for a book for a comparative literature class, and I can't find it."

"I'll help you look. What's the title, and who's it by?"

"Beowulf. I need the transliteration by Seamus Heaney. The other ones won't do."

"I've read that before. Pretty good, for something written by a bunch of monks hundreds of years ago." Lina knelt down and began pulling books out of the shelf.

"You've… read Beowulf?"

"Don't sound surprised. I may not be in school right now, but that doesn't mean I'm a total idiot."

"Sorry. I didn't mean it that way. It's just that most people don't read classics like that on their own." Zelgadis knelt beside Lina and looked at the books she pulled out.

"Okay, looks like we don't have it in stock right now. I'm fairly sure we do carry it, though, so I can order it and it'll be here in a week or less."

"When is the soonest you'll get it in?"

"Three days, if we're lucky." Lina shoved the books back into their rightful place, stood up, and dusted off her hands. "Follow me to the computer. I can do it right from there." Zelgadis acquiesced.

Their conversation died a terrible, sudden death, and the only sounds reaching Zelgadis's ears were the quick clacking of the keyboard keys and strains of Vivaldi's "Winter" over the speakers. He felt obliged to say something. The virtual silence was an uncomfortable weight.

"Lina… I'm sorry for what I said in the restaurant yesterday. I didn't know you would be so upset. I never would've said anything if…" Zelgadis's voice trailed off as he stared at Lina's blank face. She didn't look mad or upset. Rather, she seemed to be contemplating something. After another uncomfortable moment of silence, she nodded and went back to typing.

"Apology accepted. I'm sorry I blew up like that. I was way out of line." She paused a moment. "I need your phone number so we can call you when your book gets in." Zelgadis rattled off his number and Lina typed it in. "All set."

"When do you get off work?" Zelgadis suddenly heard himself say. Completely taken by surprise at this outburst, Zelgadis's mind went entirely blank. The equally astonished look on Lina's face was like a boot in Zelgadis's backside.

"Umm… not for a few hours. Unfortunately."

"Oh… okay." Great, Zelgadis. Sound like a complete mental moron, Zelgadis thought. "Well, see you around, then." He turned to walk away when Lina coughed.

"But I don't work at all tomorrow."

"You don't." The words came out more like a statement than a question.

"Nope."

"I have a full day of classes tomorrow."

"Oh."

The two people stared at each other, both feeling the oppressive weight of inadequate words and things left unsaid; feelings unexplored and questions unanswered.

"See you later." Lina turned away to hide the disappointed look that came unbidden to her face.

"Yeah. Bye."

With this brilliant closing statement, Zelgadis departed from the bookstore.