「Odd x Reader」Edge of Reality

14

Monday mornings aren't my favorite, said everyone ever. Especially since we're starting the day with gym, and despite all of our protesting, Jim decided to go ahead and hold class outside today. It's snowing! And to top it off, he's added another mile run to torture us.

"Almost done?" I ask while watching the second group of kids struggling to run. Thankfully, Ulrich and I lucked out in being placed with the first group.

"Almost." He rubs his hands together to warm them up before copying Aelita's homework answers onto his paper. "Now, quiet. I need to focus."

I roll my eyes. "Don't forget to get a few of them wrong. We can't have you suddenly turning into a math-wizz overnight."

"Yeah, yeah."

Aelita and Odd are competing for first place on the track. Jeremie is. . . well, he's trying his best, at least. He's certainly not in last place but not anywhere near first. Even Sissi seems to be doing better than him. Even with Jim's yelling, the other students don't seem to care.

Ulrich had placed first, while I placed second between us. Overall, we placed third and fourth due to tripping over each other. I wouldn't have minded so much if it wasn't for the stinging scrape on my left knee.

"Yoohoo, anyone home?" I wince at the sudden pinch on my arm. Ulrich chuckles before I return the favor. "I've been trying to get your attention for a solid minute. You feeling okay?"

"Yeah." I nod with a sigh. "It's just freezing out, and I'm tired. Nothing special."

"Right. You sure it's got nothing to do with the dance this Wednesday?"

"The dance?" I question. "Oh, right. I completely forgot that's a thing schools do."

"You make it seem like you've never been to one before."

I shrug. "I haven't. It's never interested me before."

"Not even if you went with Odd?"

I gaze back at the track and spot Odd further along than everyone else. His smile never wavers as he rounds the corner toward the finish line. Aelita seems to have given up on their race and is helping Jeremie catch up.

"Nah. We're not that close anyway. We haven't chatted much lately other than the occasional small talk." I shake my head. "Now that I think about it, I haven't made many friends outside our little group. Heh, whoops?"

"Really? Whoops?" He rolls his eyes. "What about you and Elliot? Nothing going on between you two?"

"Oh no, definitely not. We're just friends, that's all."

"Just friends?" Ulrich leans over and nudges me with his arm. "It's almost like I've heard that a billion times before."

"Oh, haha, Stern." I scoot closer to him, hoping to warm up a bit more while hitting him back twice as hard. "I'm assuming you've asked Yumi already, then?"

"No, but I do have something planned out for her." He admits sheepishly. "With how things are going lately, I think we might be able to move past our 'Good Friends' phase."

"Oh? So you admit it's a phase?" I grin. "Fantastic, that's just great!"

"Lay off, will you?"

"Would you look at that? Odd, The Magnificent does it again! Not only am I better than Mr. and Mrs. Enstine, but I'm also the best in our entire school!"

His boasting is deafening, making it near-impossible not to cringe when he's shouting loud enough that the entire campus can hear his self-praise.