Ranko affected a giggle, leaning back in her chair. She remembered at the last second to cross her ankles, as otherwise the red-and-silver pleated skirt of her cheerleading uniform would have left little to the imagination, and in a cafeteria full of hundreds of high school boys, she decided that might not be the best thing. Decorations for the holidays had already been hung throughout the cafeteria, and the jolly atmosphere felt entirely out of place for how miserable she was.
She looked up at Eiji, leaning on his calf as he sat on the table with his feet in his chair, telling a story about something or another he’d done at basketball practice. Ranko was only half-listening, as she was only pretending to care. As unenjoyable as the experience of pretending to be his girlfriend had been for her, she had to admit that Eiji’s plan was working; neither of them had been cornered by a potential suitor in the corridors all week. She wasn’t sure it was worth it. The guy must have been popular for his looks, because he was actually pretty boring to talk to.
As she smiled up at him - way up at him, since he already had a massive height advantage over her, and he was seated higher up than she was - she made a mental list of places she’d rather be than sitting waist-high with the most athletic guy at school like she was the latest trophy he’d won. He did that a lot - he wanted to go about his regular life as if nothing had changed, having his conversations and paying little mind to the fact that Ranko was there. She felt like a fashion accessory. She supposed it was better than him getting all grab-ass with her, though, because she doubted she’d be cheering for many basketball victories in the near future if she had to break the star center’s arm.
He must have just remembered he was supposed to be playing a part, because halfway through his next sentence, he reached down and placed his hand on Ranko’s shoulder. It took every scintilla of self-control she had not to visibly shudder, first at the unexpected sensation of being touched on her bare, hypersensitive skin, then at the thought of who was doing it. She was going to need to get herself a windbreaker or something to wear over the sleeveless shell of her uniform if this went on much longer, she thought. Not to mention, it was getting hard to be outside in her uniform with the temperature dropping. Last November, she was freezing outside every day in her once-favorite red Chinese shirt and gi pants, and now, she spent a few days a week in a sleeveless top and a skirt that had yet to introduce itself to her knees, and the slightest breeze made her want to run for cover.
“Oh, hey, Ei-chan! You having fun up there, cute stuff?” Ranko crinkled her nose at him, trying to be cute, but really, it just helped cover the nausea.
“Sure thing, hon. Just hanging out with the boys.” Eiji chuckled nervously. Ranko had definitely had to carry the performances when the two of them were seen together, because the poor boy couldn’t act his way out of a paper bag.
“Well, I mean…” She smiled coyly up at him. He’d mentioned that Hachiro and a few of the other boys on the basketball team were among those he was most concerned with convincing about their relationship, as at least one of them had some suspicions about his true preferences, so she tried to lay the performance on a little thicker around them. “If you want to sit up there and talk sports and deprive me of cuddles when I’m cold, who am I to stop you?”
She was so glad Akane didn’t know about this. Not only would she feel terrible if she knew what misery Ranko was putting her through for her benefit, but Ranko was pretty ashamed of the whole thing. Standing beside him in her cheerleading uniform, not really having much to offer the conversations he tended to get into but following him around everywhere, kind of made her feel like, well, exactly the sort of stereotype expectation that jocks had of girls. Being gay didn’t necessarily make you any less of a misogynist, she guessed. She hoped Akane would understand her intentions. It’s not cheating if the whole thing’s a sham, right?
“Uh, sorry, Ranko, we’re almost done, I… I promise.” Eiji’s stammering response would have been far more suited to a boy who was nervous because he actually was interested in dating her, but Ranko rolled her eyes. My gods, this guy’s pathetic.
“Um, Eiji? I’m gonna go… say hey to my friends, okay?” He hadn’t even let her out of his sight long enough for her to go get something to eat yet.
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Ranko started to stand, but the towering athlete frowned down at her. “Aww, don’t leave yet, babe. I’m just getting to the best part.”
Babe? Well, that’s my appetite gone. Eugh. You’d better hurry up with your end of the deal, buddy.
Ranko smiled brightly to the three junior boys to whom Eiji was speaking. She hoped that it sufficiently hid the gritting of her teeth. “I can’t wait!” Gag me with a fucking spoon.
Looking across the cafeteria from the hostage situation she called a lunch, Ranko winced. Against the back wall, at a table at the outermost periphery of the crowd, her friend Kumiko sat alone at their usual table. Once or twice, Ranko thought she caught her stealing a glance across the room at the table where Eiji held court with his prize in tow. I’m so sorry, Kumi, she thought to herself. I’ll be back over there as soon as I can, I promise. I’m only here for Akane, I swear.
“What about you, Ranko? What are you doing Sunday night?”
Ranko snapped her eyes up at one of the boys who had been talking to Eiji when she heard her name. “Huh? Oh, sorry. Spaced out there for a second. So, Sunday, I’m super busy. It’s actually my birthday.”
“Hey! That’s great! Where’s the party, and what should we wear?” The other two boys whooped crassly, and one of them replied with a snicker. “More importantly, what will you be wearing?”
“Back off, guys. Can’t you see she’s with me?” Eiji shook his head, gripping the redhead’s shoulder tightly for emphasis.
“Oh, right. Sorry, Eiji.” The tallest of his fellow basketballers grimaced at his faux pas.
Ranko glowered. She already knew there would be no apology for her, just the alpha male of the pack whose territory had been threatened. It was times like these that she felt gross for having ever been a teenage boy.
An agonizing minute or two later, the trio of boys sauntered off for a second helping of curry bread, and Ranko glared up at Eiji, speaking angrily but under her breath. “I said I’d be seen around the school with you. I didn’t sign up to be kept prisoner, man.”
Eiji nodded. “I’ll make it up to you. Tomorrow I’ll walk you to your home skills class and eat whatever you’re cooking.”
Gee, thanks, Ranko thought darkly. “Yeah, sure. Sounds great.” She sighed heavily. There had to be an end to this sham soon. “Where are we with Akane and your sister?”
Eiji sighed. “Still working on it, I promise. I have a plan, I just need the opportunity to use it.”
“Well, hurry the hell up,” Ranko said with a groan. “The season’s gonna be over by the time you get off your butt at this rate.” And I’m getting pretty friggin’ tired of being your pet cheerleader while you string me along, buddy.
Every instinct she had made her want to walk away from the whole thing right then. But she only had until Friday to come up with something for Yokai, and that almost certainly meant her bandmates would force the issue about giving them Sneak. She’d have no choice but to talk to her soon. She needed to deliver a win for Akane, and fast. Plus, she really missed spending time with Kumiko.
Ranko stood without waiting for him to take his hand off her shoulder. “I gotta go.”
Eiji sighed, sitting down. “Look, Ranko, I’m sorry if this is uncomfortable for you. I’m doing my best here, but I have no idea what I’m doing.”
That makes two of us, Ranko thought. I also think you have no idea what you’re doing.
“Yeah, that’s great. Just make sure we hear from your sister soon, or the Yusue power couple might be headed for a very public breakup.”
Ranko shouldered her bag, only getting three steps away from him before the bell for fourth period rang.