Anna-Beth and Andrew Anderson's Story

--
Daileass Taveon
--

Once the bell had rung the blonde male seemed more enthusiastic, feeling relived that lunch had finally came, and that their class was over, though not overly detesting it, the butler just found the while thing a tad boring, if nothing else. Clearing up his things Dail vaguely heard Katherine, and turned to the girl moments after to give a simple nod in response. “Yeah, alright. Best getting going.” He added, before ensuring his essay was neatly present upon his desk as the teacher had asked, and that his area was reasonably tidy despite doing very little at his desk anyway.

Heading out the classroom the butler waited for his mistress, watching quietly as the others ventured out and into the hall, and remembering that everyone was meeting up at the gardens. “Suppose we’ll have fun.” Dail mumbled quietly, with slight nerves as he stood idly outside the classroom. Turning a little, and peering inside he gave a small wave towards Katherine, motioning for her to follow, or really, just to hurry up a little, knowing him.

--
Ackley Bee
--

Packing up his things as the bell rang, the short master quickly gathered his belongings before following on out with his maid, and heading without doubt to the cafeteria. Of course, with his eagerness, it hadn’t took that long to arrive at the cafeteria with hunger taking it’s effect.

“I’m staaaaaarving,” Ackley sighed, a little exaggeratedly. “Do you know what your getting?” Turning to the girl, he eyed up Rebecca curiously while pondering over his own options of food.

"I have no clue!"

Rebecca then noticed, right next to where she was standing, a pink-haired girl with a massive tray of vegetarian food. "Sheesh! What sport do you play that works up your appetite? That's a lot to handle in one sitting!" A smirk entered her face. "Bet I can handle more than you can! How 'bout a little food war, for the heck of it?"

---

Agatha wrapped her arm around Andrew's letting him lead the way. Oh, gosh! This is just too good to be true! Am I dreaming? No, it's real! I can't believe it!

Andrew strode from the room, leading Agatha through the halls delicately, reveling in her warmth so close to his side. "Hungry?" he asked her, "Or do you just want to stroll about?"


((Sorry for shortness...))

Rebecca stood up. "Well, Eliab just stopped me from doing that." She looked downwards, blushing in embarrassment. "Sorry for the hold up, Ackley. Let's go."

Eliab noticed Daileass and smiled. "Oh! Hi, Dail! I was just stopping my sister from entering a food war!" He stood up. "Charles is already at the gardens, waiting for us. I'll get my tray." Once his tray from a nearby table, he added, "Rebecca's impulses are extremely predictable." He noticed Katherine after explaining what happened, and he kept his reaction inside, so not to reveal his feelings for her; that was a mistake the first time. Gosh...

Rebecca gave her brother a glare. "Må jeg virkelig trenger mer forlegenhet?" Do I really need more embarrassment? The angry expression vanished as she picked up her tray. "Come on, Ackley. Let's go to the gardens." As she walked out of the cafeteria, the maid realized there was a feeling inside of her which she could not identify. Why is it there?



---

Agatha shrugged, maintaining her closed-mouth smile. "I'm not that hungry. A stroll would be great." The Grecian blushed, unsure what else to say to Andrew.

Andrew liked walking with Agatha, she seemed to fit beside him well. He swallowed tightly, brow furrowed a bit, trying to figure out what was going on with him. His palms were a bit clammy, his knees trembled, his face wouldn't quit heating up into a ferocious blush...nervousness did not sit well with the blonde boy. Rarely, if ever, had he been this nervous before. Why SHOULD I be nervous? he thought tensely, it's just a girl. I've spent time with plenty of girls, I shouldn't be nervous over this one. Daring a glance down at her form, his heart thumped faster, and he quickly stared forward, biting the inside of his cheek in annoyance. What on the bloody earth was happening with him?

Anna-Beth skipped back onto the school campus, the hood from her sweater pulled up over her head, concealing all but her lips--which were turned up in a sly grin--in shadow. With quick, but still delicate steps, she hurried towards the gardens, notebooks clutched tightly to her chest, book-bag bumping against her rump as she scuttled along. Adrenaline still filled her veins--she had done something her parents wouldn't like very much, something they would scoff at. Perhaps her mother might even faint...Her brother would certainly be surprised, she had no doubt, and Charles...Her grin faltered a bit. She hoped Charles would still like her once he saw. Finally, she arrived in the gardens, and began to search for her friends, excited yet nervous.

As Eliab followed Dail, he could not help but wonder what he would say to Katherine, and how. Should I be smooth? No, she'd see right through that, plus I may come off as cocky! How about... Nah, too cowardly-looking! The whole time he was thinking, the yankie kept a calm look about him. Just be yourself, Eliab. That's what she would want you to do.

---

Rebecca looked up and smiled at Ackley. "You're fine." She laughed a little. "Wouldn't be Eliab if he did not do what he does, that's for sure!" An idea came to mind, out of the blue. "Ackley, with that sweet tooth of yours, have you ever had any peach cobbler, or pecan pie? Those desserts are as Southern as any can get. Well, Southern American, that is. I know the recipes for both if you ever want to try any sometime." Wait! Did I just ask him out, or was it just a friendly gesture?

---

Charles behaved a little anxiously as he waited for everyone, especially Anna. He chewed on a pack of mint Mentos he bought from one of the vending machines to freshen his breath a little. Once he swallowed, he checked the time. Hopefully, we'll have enough time by the time she gets here. I just hope... His train of thought was interupted when he saw a hooded figure. A sly grin entered his face as he knew who it could be.

Walking up towards her, her playfully asked, "Well, I wonder where Anna could be? I just have no idea!" Pretending to look around as he inched closer, his gaze turned to Anna. "Ah! I see her smile," The Scotsman placed a hand on her shoulder as he looked behind her. "but where O where are her sparkling auburn-honey eyes?" Looking behind, Charles let out a high-pitched "Hmph!", much like Curly from "The Three Stooges" would, then went back to his normal voice. "I just have no idea!" He looked back at Anna, a playful grin on his face. "Do you know, by any chance?"

---

Agatha looked up and saw how flustered and red Andrew's face was. "Are you okay?" Is he behaving that way because he...? Hey! That could be it! But, how do I know for sure?

"I'm fine," Andrew murmured, "just wondering where my sister could be...she hasn't called yet." It was a lame excuse, he knew, but she might take it, he did worry about his sister usually. "Are you alright? Is it too warm for you? Are you cold? Is everything alright?"

Anna-Beth grinned broadly, giggling as Charles playfully searched for her. He was so cute, so fun, she absolutely adored him! "No, no," Anna retorted, keeping her voice slightly higher-pitched than normal, "I don't believe I do! I saw a girl wandering about earlier, small and blonde, with those 'auburn-honey eyes' you were talking about. Could that have been her maybe?" She smiled and inched closer, "She looked like she was searching for someone, probably someone Scottish, emerald green eyes, fiery red hair, very sweet, funny, rather charming. Do you know anyone like that? She would probably be searching for a man like that."

Nervously, Anna-Beth tugged the hood a little farther back, revealing her nose and a bit of her eyes, still hiding the rest of her head beneath the cloth. Her hands were shaking slightly, and she gulped from nerves, though tried to appear steady still.

Charles playfully scoffed when Anna replied to the negative, but then acted like he was thinking on her query about a "girl" she saw. "You know what? That actually may be her!"

"She looked like she was searching for someone, probably someone Scottish, emerald green eyes, fiery red hair, very sweet, funny, rather charming. Do you know anyone like that? She would probably be searching for a man like that."

A mischevious grin entered Charles' face. "I might. Let me think for a moment..." He was about to say something when he noticed Anna's hands trembling. Concern replaced his mischevious and playful attitude he had up 'till that point. "You're shaking. What's wrong?"

---

"I see." Maybe that all it is. Still, there could be more, but I won't bother him about that if he doesn't want to talk about it. Agatha's blush disappeared as she smiled. "I'm fine!" She had an urge to kiss Andrew on the cheek, but decided against it. What do I do? I don't want to look rash!

Anna's smile wilted a bit, and she pulled her left hand up to her face, covering her lips nervously. Nothing was wrong, per se, she was just...well... "I've done something," she said, "and I'm afraid you won't like it...perhaps I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but...I'm rather nervous that you won't like, that Mother and Daddy won't like it, that Andrew...Andrew won't like it..." Her voice faltered, and she took a quick huff of breath. "I'm rather silly, aren't I?"

"I'm glad," Andrew said, his voice warming as he saw her smile from the corner of his eye, "I'd never forgive myself if I were boring you or some such."

"So?" Charles hugged Anna. "It's a good kind of silly, to me! Come on! It can't be that bad!"

---

"What are you talking about, Andrew?" Agatha could not believe he just said what he said. "I feel safe when I'm with you! You're the only one who has ever made me feel this way since I came to London, and I love you!" She gasped and covered her mouth. She had just admitted her feelings for him unintentionally. Oh, no! What will he think of me, now?

((Well, this is quite a pickle for Agatha, isn't it? Ironically enough, she may probably be in the same situation that Eliab is in with Katherine, right now. Their situations may be similar if a certain prediction of two I have is correct.))

With a gulp, Anna-Beth reached up with trembling hands and pulled back the hood, revealing her secret: her hair. Her long sheet of golden locks had been cut until they just brushed the tops of her shoulders, the bangs falling stylishly over one glimmering eye, both of which had filled with terrified tears. Light-headed--quite literally--she felt odd without her curtain of hair, but she liked it, loved it, actually. It made her look even closer to her brother, if anything, the length more closely resembling his. A small, royal blue bow was tied around her head like a headband, bringing a childish, yet still somehow regal, look to the girl.

"Is ti bad?" she squeaked, running quivering fingers through the chopped ends, "Do you hate it? I look awful, don't I? Oh, I do!"

-------

Andrew froze, his face locking into a state of shock, jaw locked, mouth slightly agape. "and I love you!" Her words echoed through his mind, and he struggled to think of something to say.

"I--" The only girl to say she loved him was Anna-Beth, his twin, the only one he thought he'd ever need. "I--" Love? She loved him? How did love even work?! "I--"

Charles grinned from ear to ear. "Anna, you're overreacting." He hugged Anna-Beth a little tighter. "I like it! Looks cute on you!" He gave her a brief kiss on the lips before letting go and picking up his tray. "Hungry? Got some pizza."

---

Agatha did not know quite what to say to Andrew, either. Silently, she hugged him, leaned up, and kissed him on the cheek. Once she did that, she gathered up enough courage to say something. "Andrew..." Her eyes began to water. "Call me an idiot if you want, but... I can't stand the thought of being without you!"

---

Rebecca smiled broadly at Ackely's response. Yay! "Sounds like fun!"

"You like it?" Anna asked delicately, her cheeks tinted rose pink from Charles' kiss. She breathed a sigh of relief and shook her hair out, sliding her hands into her pockets. It made her happy that Charles still liked her, and she giggled, amazed at herself that she had been so worked up for no reason.

Andrew gulped and took Agatha's hand gently, pulling it up to his mouth and kissing her fingers. "Please," he said, "don't cry. I don't want to be without you either. So please, don't cry. Hit me, or scratch my arm up, or something, do anything but cry."

Agatha's eyes widened when Andrew kissed her fingers. She listened carefully before brushing away her tears and leaning in to kiss him on the lips. When parting lips, the Grecian smiled and said, "Why would I hit you, Andrew?"

---

Charles nodded. "Of course, sweetie!" He looked towards the gazebo. "There is a nice view from in that gazebo. Why don't we sit in there for a bit? Our friends should be over there, soon."

---

Eliab raised an eyebrow. "If you say so..." He was not sure whether what Katherine just said was the case or not, but he did not want to bother her about it if she did not want to discuss it. He shrugged. "Charles should be at least somewhere close to here, considering what he said about meeting everybody in the gardens. There is a specific person he wanted to see, which is why he came early." Looking around, he spotted Charles with Anna-Beth and laughed a little. "Just as I thought! There they are! May be best to leave them alone for a bit, wouldn't you say?"

He set his tray on one of the tables in the gazebo. "You were proably wanting to see my sketchbook from earlier?"

---

Rebecca nodded. This is so awesome! Once out in the gardens, she saw flowers and trees everywhere, her eyes widening in surprise. "Oh, my gosh! Eliab wasn't kidding about the place, was he?"

---

A black-haired boy stood behind one of the trees in the gardens, inhaling the scents of the plants while drinking a vanilla protein shake he bought from one of the vending machines. It sure beat having to be watched by the whole school as if he had actually achieved soemthing. Sure, he had a maid he could talk to, but he preferred the occassional quiet the gardens provided. Just as he was about to move on, he spotted two familiar people.

"N'a pas les voir à l'auditorium?" Didn't I see them at the audtitoruim. The boy raised his eyebrows at the thought of them. "Elle a l'air beaucoup comme la jeune fille, j'ai rencontré, à la fois, et le garçon semble avoir des traits de deux personnes, que mon père m'a dit au sujet de ses jours comme un étudiant d'échange en Norvège. Je me demande si...?" She looks an awful lot like the girl I met, once, and the boy appears to have traits from two people my father told me about from his days as an exchange student in Norway. I wonder if ...? He smiled a little. "Eh bien, ils regardent plutôt mignons ensemble. S'ils ne sont pas un couple, ils devraient l'être. Il m'arrive de connaître quelques astuces pour y arriver." Well, they do look rather cute together. If they're not a couple, they ought to be. I happen to know a few tricks to make it happen.

With a shrug, Andrew looked away, blushing, "I dunno, get frustration out, or...something, I dunno."

"Alright," Anna-Beth smiled, and edged closer to him, her short hair swinging freely about her shoulders. She felt light and free, not tied down. It was like her parents had lost some sort of control over her.

Eliab noticed Katherine felt uncomfortable about somthing. "Something wrong?" He looked in several directions before he spotted a black-haired boy walking away. The yankie looked back in Katherine's direction. "We were being watched, were we? I think I spotted a guy who was looking at us before he left. He's gone, now. Don't worry." He brought out his sketchbook and opened it. "Anyway, here are the sketches. One of them is not finished, yet." Good thing there are only hills in that particular sketch. The yanki ate his sushi, Beijing beef, and chow mein while he let the brunnette look at the sketches.

---

Charles used his free hand to hold Anna by the arm as the two headed towards the gazebo. Once, inside, the Scotsman spotted his butler talking to Katherine. This just keeps getting better. Charles sat down at a table separate from the other pair. "I think we should leave those two alone, Anna."

---

Agatha giggled at the thought of what Andrew said about letting out frustration. For a joke, she used her index finger to flick him on the shoulder. The Grecian held Andrew by the hand after that while walking. "Come on, you silly duck!" She gave a sweet smile when she looked back at him. "Anywhere you would like to go to before next period?"

---

Rebecca nodded prior to spoting a bench nearby. Once seated, the maid began to eat. She stopped after getting a quarter of the way finished and talked to Ackley. "You said you wanted to learn a couple sports? Given the what you told me about not being fit, maybe a contact sport would not be suitable for you. That being said, I could ask Eliab to give you some baseball lessons. Baseball is similar to cricket, so..."

Andrew shook his head, not entirely trusting his mouth to form words. He was still a bit in shock, a bit nervous, but exceedingly happy, having Agatha grasping his hand. She was silly, and fun, and very open, which he loved. Usually, his sister...there he went again, his mind automatically on his sister. Was he able to think of nothing else? There was always a voice in the back of his head, connecting him to his sister, tightly, like if it loosened at all, he would lose her all together. With a quick shake of his head, he cast the thought aside and focused on Agatha again, smiling gently.

Anna-Beth smiled and nodded, propping her chin on her hands and studying the two. "They could definitely use some close time together...adorable, aren't they?" she crooned, and smiled gently, eyes glimmering as she watched the pair.

"Yes, they are." Charles nodded and whispered, "Well, I'd try not to reveal Eliab's crush on Katherine, if you can help it. I kind of promised to let him do that on his own, you know." Taking a bite out of one slice of pizza, he thought about how everything could work. He shook the fears out of his mind prior to speaking once he swallowed. "You sure you aren't hungry, Anna? I bought extra, just in case."

---

Agatha shrugged and slowed her pace until she came beside Andrew, continuing to grasp his hand. She did not know where to go, yet she was happy. It was a shame they could not head to the gardens, at the moment, where Anna-Beth and Charles were.

"No, no," Anna-Beth assured Charles with a dazzling grin, "I ate while I was out. Don't you worry!" Fixing her gaze up at the sky, she sighed gently and nodded. "I'll keep my mouth shut about it to them, I promise."

Andrew glanced at Agatha beside him, and smiled gently. "Is there anywhere you would like to go? In particular?"

Katherine Prescott

Katherine glanced around when Eliab did, but she saw no one suspicious. Though she did spot Anna-Beth and Charles, but they were still a bit away. Hearing the dark-blonde tell her that whoever was watching them was gone, she left out a small sigh. "Weirdo..." She muttered quietly, before looking to Eliab. He had his sketchbook out, opening it to her. Nodding, she took the sketchbook from him, placing it in front of her. Making sure she was careful not to get anything in the sketchbook, she ate her pizza while looking through at the sketches. "These are really good!" She smiled, her voice seemed to lighten up a bit.