“Big breasted cows.”
“Damn show offs.”
Then someone laughed and I clearly heard a girl say, “Talk about envious.”
“Flat chested and hopeless.”
“No wonder they can’t keep their boys.”
“Men like something to hold onto, little girl.”
“I got no complaints from Kaden. There’s no way he’d ever stray.”
Suddenly one half of the cafeteria grew quiet.
The other half seemed to notice and stopped bragging rather quickly.
Duncan and I stood silently, watching the cafeteria polarize into two camps with messy battle lines drawn all over the place.
Girl glared at girl.
Friends eyed their friends with either envy or scorn.
And then some nameless idiot from the male camp broke the silence with a loud battlecry.
“Big breasts forever!”
The male camp erupted into cheers.
“All hail Dee cup and above!”
Yes, the cafeteria had definitely polarized. The battle lines were drawn and a small scale war over a millennia old rivalry erupted.
Small breasts versus large breasts.
“Emily you bitch! You let my Daniel fondle you during karaoke! Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
“Charlie was slobbering all over your chest Cassandra and you let him!”
“What—you saw that? You were watching us!”
“Karen lost her top on purpose down the water slide, then made my Marcus fetch it for her.”
“What a shameless bitch.”
“I found your photo on his palm-slate, Maria!”
“Hey, he begged me for it. He promised not to tell you.”
I stared in horror and disbelief at what I was seeing.
Oh my gods! What have I done! I really have started a war.
Across all three floors, girls hurled accusations and insults at each other. Friendships went south in a heartbeat, and I heard a few slaps ring out. Somewhere to my left I heard the sound of fabric tearing.
“You ripped my blouse, you bitch!”
“Trying to hide your big tits, were you.”
“Give Adrian back to me to you cow.”
“I’m sick and tired of boys asking me for your number. It’s always you they ask about. What the Hell is wrong with me?”
“My breasts didn’t grow when I became an Aventis. What am I supposed to do now?”
From a corner of the cafeteria I heard a loud crash as chairs tumbled over.
Now things were getting serious and some of the braver guys were stepping in to stop the various struggles breaking out. I witnessed one high-school senior separate two girls tearing at each other’s hair.
“Cassie—stop it. Calm down. You and Marina are friends.”
“You’re protecting her. Look, she’s hiding behind your back.”
“Jeezes, Cassie, you’re over-reacting.”
“I hate this. You never look at me the way you do her. Why? What’s wrong with me?” The girl popped open her blouse. “What? These aren’t big enough for you?”
I thought the senior’s eyes were going to pop out.
“No—no, they’re perfect.”
The girl hiding behind him suddenly grabbed his right hand and pressed it down on her chest. “Huh? What about these? You don’t think these are better?”
Even from a distance I could see his fingers automatically fondle her mammoth chest.
“Wow, so soft.”
Ah, you idiot! You made things worse!
The girl, Cassie, screamed and landed a kick to his crotch. Before he hit the ground, she’d tossed a drink at her former friend.
Duncan took a step forward. “We have to do something.”
I glanced at him in disbelief. “Are you kidding? Do what? We can’t step in there. We can’t choose one side without pissing off the other.”
He started moving forward again but I grabbed his arm.
“You walk in there, they’ll eat you alive.”
“If we don’t stop them, we’ll have a war on our hands.”
“It’s already a war, and we kicked it off.”
“What? How?”
I really couldn’t believe this guy was a grade Aye student. “Don’t you get it? You and I both admitted we like large breasts. That means half the female student body is against us. They’ll never listen to us. They’ll lynch us.”
As though proving my point I pointed at two small breasted girls chasing a young man across the cafeteria floor.
“Liam get back here.”
“Cheating bastard, don’t run away.”
Duncan looked aghast. “We—we have to call security or the teachers.”
I pointed at the entrance to the cafeteria on our level. “Looks like they’re already here.”
I didn’t recognize the female teacher, but she certainly had a figure and face you’d find hard to forget. My attention centered on her chest, and I had a sudden sinking feeling that her arrival was going to make matters worse.
Behind her, a half dozen burly security guards arrived and formed a line abreast, but the men looked downright reluctant to step one foot deeper into the cafeteria. In a way they were hiding behind the buxom brunette of a teacher.
The female teacher yelled loudly, trying to compete with the din of the commotion. She had a small loudspeaker in her left hand which she brought up to her full lips. “That’s enough. Stand where you are and don’t move. Every student is to cease their activities right now.”
“Oh no—it’s Miss Katrim.”
“Miss Katrim’s here.”
“Aggh, it’s Miss Twin Peaks.”
Miss Katrim did indeed fit the bill. Quite an impressive rack she was sporting.
An envious female voice cursed loudly. “Look at her puffing out her chest.”
“Even the teachers are big. It’s not fair.”
“She’s not helping my self-esteem.”
“This academy is biased!”
“They hired her because of her bust.”
I didn’t know where the cries were coming from. It sounded as though from a number of places, but they were all girls voicing their disapproval of the well-proportioned young woman.
Miss Katrim had turned bright red. She seemed at a loss for what to say, then abruptly demanded, “Who said that? Come down here right now. I will not tolerate this insolence.”
On the third level, one girl walked to the round balcony overlooking the center of the cafeteria – its atrium. She had short blonde hair, and stunning legs, but where it counted – in my humble opinion – she was doomed to a life of mediocrity. “We demand changes to the teaching staff. We feel large breasts are not appropriate in a teaching environment.”
“What?” Katrim looked stunned. “What in Pharos are you saying?”
The girl pointed and declared, “You give boys the wrong idea about women. Women are not all about their chests. There’s more to us than just our cup size.”
“Wh—what?”
The girl folded her arms under her prepubescent chest. “It’s no wonder they can’t concentrate in your class.”
I swallowed loudly, amazed at this girl’s bravery and forceful convictions. She was clearly leadership material. Man, she had beautiful baby blue eyes.
But her chest! Ah, what a tragedy. Even I could tell she wasn’t anywhere near modestly sized.
I glanced at Duncan.
He was looking at the girl with admiration and a hint of pain.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Hey, you suddenly like them small?”
He shot me a surprised look. “No, big is better—ah what the Hell did you make me say.”
I waved my hand at the girl standing before the balcony railing. “Do you know her?”
He looked troubled then really guilty. “Ah, yeah, I do.”
“Who is she?”
“Melanie Cardwell. We’re childhood friends.” He sighed heavily and stared at t
he floor. “She’s had a thing for me for a while now. And she dislikes Haruka. More like hates Haruka….”
I looked at the girl again. “Damn, she’s beautiful. I mean really, really beautiful.”
“Yes, I know. However, as you can see, she really hates being…small….”
I nodded in abject sympathy. “It really is a tragedy, otherwise she’d be perfect.”
The cafeteria had quieted down considerably as everyone’s attention was focused on the stand-off between Melanie and Miss Katrim.
But then someone unbalanced the situation with a few choice words.
“Hey Melanie, so that’s why you’re such a fast swimmer. No drag.”
“The swim team ace has such a sleek figure. Get it? She’s sleek—sleek.”
“She’s so hydro-dynamic.”
“But she’d make a poor mermaid.”
“Even mermaids have larger breasts.”
I was starting to feel sorry for the girl. Her proud, confident expression crumbled a little with each successive jibe at her expense.
“Hey Melanie, no wonder Duncan made a place for Haruka in his heart.”
“No amount of padding is going to help, Melanie.”
“Give up Melanie. You’re not in Haruka’s league.”
“Let’s give Melanie an Aye rating.”
Some of her haters began to chant. “Aye cup. Aye cup. Aye cup.”
I saw her break into tears, and something snapped deep inside my chest.
Before I knew it I’d run toward the inner balcony guardrail, picked up an empty chair, raised it high overhead and thrown it clear across the cafeteria floor. It sailed high over the balcony before it fell and crashed loudly on the ground floor some twenty feet below.
“Shut the Hell up!”
I didn’t know I could yell so loud but I didn’t think my voice could take it either.
“All of you, shut the Hell up!”
I was trembling with anger. I didn’t know why, but the sight of Melanie – a girl I didn’t even know – slowly breaking down in tears had boiled my blood in an instant.
“How the Hell can you make such a special girl cry.”
I kicked the glass wall that ran under the balcony railing, and it cracked in a starfish pattern.
“You big tit cows have nothing but your breasts going for you. Just wait till you get older. Let’s see where those are hanging after you’ve popped out your third kid.”
I can’t believe I just said that.
But I couldn’t stop myself.
I was like boulder on a downhill roll, and nothing was going to stop me.
I pointed at Melanie and yelled, “I see nothing wrong with that girl. She’s perfect. To Hell with all you jerks for making her cry.”
I grabbed another nearby chair, lifted it over my head and smashed it down on the railing.
A number of girls screamed in fright and suddenly there was no one within fifty feet of me except for Duncan.
I turned and pointed harshly at him.
“You want big, then good luck with Haruka. Melanie is better off without you. You’re a jerk who couldn’t appreciate her and it’s clear you don’t deserve her either.”
Duncan stared at me in shock.
I waved a piece of plastic chair at him. “If I had your good looks, I’d be lining up for a chance to go out with a girl like Melanie. Ah, good looking guys like you piss me off. You have it all and you leave nothing for the rest of us.”
I threw the piece of chair at him, deliberately aiming to miss but only by a few inches.
Duncan ducked involuntarily.
Was this really going to work?
I mean, I was making a huge scene, but at least everyone was focused on me.
Plus, I was kind of pissed at Duncan.
Apart from her chest, Melanie Cardwell was easily a nine point five on the ten scale. Damn, I would have to revise the scale, especially since I have a thing for blondes with blue eyes.
A loud voice blared out. “You there. You are destroying academy property. Cease and desist.”
Miss Katrim sounded like a wannabe Enforcer?
She was waving madly in my direction. “Guards, apprehend that student. Take him into custody.”
The guards looked hesitant for a few moments, then charged in my direction.
Okay—so they’re focus was definitely on me.
I looked down over the guardrail at the floor below.
A twenty foot drop, more than six meters.
Could I handle it without my Fragment?
As a Familiar I could take more punishment than a Regular, but it was still a twenty foot drop and I needed to survive without injury.
To Hell with it—here goes nothing.
I climbed over the railing, then while holding on I looked up at the hundred odd faces gaping at me.
Then I looked in Melanie’s direction.
Ah, at least she’d stopped crying. She was staring wide eyed at the scale of my wild antics.
I raised a hand high as I heard the running guards grow nearer. “Melanie, you’re perfect—don’t change a thing.”
Then I jumped to the ground floor of the cafeteria.
I flexed my legs, took the impact and let it shoot up through my body. Then I tumbled forward, and by some miracle I executed a neat roll.
Months of training had finally paid off in the most unexpected circumstances.
I gained my feet and stood up despite the pain lancing through my legs.
Damn, that really hurt. My legs felt like they’d been stabbed by sharp needles.
But I looked up at the blonde beauty with clear blue eyes, and waved at her triumphantly while Katrim’s voice thundered loudly.
“How dare you! Stay right where you are. Guards—apprehend that hooligan.”
Damn, time to run away.
I winced as I first started walking, then jogging across the ground floor of the cafeteria. I pushed open the glass exit doors, and then made a dash for freedom.
Eventually I needed to be caught, but I still wanted to give the student body in the cafeteria a good show so I ran for the athletics ground where the girls of the Track-and-Field club were slowly finishing up their training session.
When I arrived at the sporting field I slowed to a stop, and collapsed on the grassy ground.
The guards caught up to me a couple of minutes later.
Six burly men surrounded me while I lay on the ground.
I stood up slowly and raised my hands in defeat.
“I surrender.”
The head guard shook his head. “You’ve got balls, kid, even for a Familiar.”
I sensed one of the guards step up to me from behind.
The shock from a stun baton ran through my body.
Oddly, it wasn’t enough to make me lose consciousness, but I decided to play along.
I collapsed to my knees, then closed my eyes as I fell forward on the soft ground.
Now all I had to do was fake being unconscious and hopefully I’d get off with just a warning.
Chapter 14 – Crime and Punishment.
(Haruka)
School Week Two. Wednesday.
After lunch, the entire high-school student body – in the vicinity of fourteen hundred students – was corralled into the gymnasium floor and an impromptu assembly was held.
I had no idea what was going on. Siobhan, Alistair and I had just returned to class when the students were called to gather at the gym. I didn’t see Caelum amongst the students in our class, and for some reason that triggered warning bells inside my head.
The school principal presided over the assembly, but it was the Student Council President who explained the situation.
That’s when I learnt of the mini-war that took place within the cafeteria.
A conflict between a divided female student body.
Girls with large breasts facing off against those with small breasts. It seemed the millennia old rivalry between big and small had come to a hea
d within the academy grounds. Dirty laundry was aired, and differences were loudly expressed.
In other words, to quote Caelum, it was a Bust War.
In fact, it was already being called the War of the Busts.
I looked around me, and noticed sour and smug faces alike. Envious and gloating expression faintly veiled behind clenched teeth and thin smiles.
And I noticed I was receiving quite a few derisive looks, many from my female classmates.
Even Siobhan appeared uncomfortable. Like me, she was comfortable Dee cup.
But Alistair was barely a Bee cup, and I suspected she added some padding to her bra.
Thus I realized that this War of the Busts was threatening to come between my friends.
In fact, I noticed Alistair had an increasingly sullen look on her face.
I whispered, “Alistair?”
She ignored me and angrily folded her arms over her small chest.
No way! Was this how our friendship would end? A look at Siobhan confirmed she was worried about this development between us.
This couldn’t be happening.
How the Hell had this all started?
Then I heard the Student Council President begin listing out the names of students identified as most responsible for the unrest in the cafeteria. This included those identified as starting the altercation as well as promoting it. As each name was called out, the students had to walk to the back of the gym.
Most I didn’t know, but there was one name that made my stomach sink.
Severin Kell spoke clearly with a voice full of presidential authority. “As the main instigator of this unrest, Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear is suspended for one week and will pay reparations to the academy for the property he damaged.”
Huh? What did he just say? Caelum was the cause of this war?
Kell continued smoothly. “For her insubordination and clear disregard of authority, Melanie Cardwell afil Avenir, will be suspended for two days. In addition, she has been suspended from her position on the academy swim team pending further disciplinary action.”
Now that was a surprise. The ace of the swimming team was being suspended. She was one of the reasons Galatea Academy won the swimming competition last year.
I blinked in surprise.
Melanie Cardwell was a Familiar?
Weren’t Familiars supposed to be weaker than us Aventis? How could she be such a superb swimmer? How could she compete alongside the Aventis? And she was the swim team’s ace to boot.
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