"Little Zvahl, is that a new bow?"
The voice is familiar, but the words are strange. There's a tugging sensation on the back of my head, and it distracts me from my conversation with Kandi. I turn around on my heels, continuing to hold onto the straps of my backpack by my armpits.
"Yeah, it's for breast cancer awareness month. All the cheerleaders have them." Without thinking, my hands raise to fix the bow. My nose scrunches up in a bit of disapproval. "But, um, Little Zvahl. That's not sticking, right?"
Garroth appears to have a distaste for the name himself. His hand rubs the back of his neck, a sign he feels awkward or embarrassed about something that was currently happening. "I didn't like it either," he admits. "I don't know why I even called you that."
I shrug my shoulders, slowly shutting my locker and clasping it shut with the lock. My eyes break from his for the slightest of moments when I go to clear the lock itself. Kandi has managed to lose my attention, and the shuffling of her feet is a dead give away she's annoyed. "Call me whatever you want. . . I just don't like being called Laurance or Cadenza's sister," I say. "Though, I don't think your dad would be pleased with a tardy being on your attendance. The bell is going to ring in, like, two minutes, and your class is halfway across the school."
Garroth's facial expression drops into one of deadpan. His feet are quick and squeak against the rubber tile. His retreating figure is fast and shrinks rapidly with each growing second. Kandi's elbow becomes one with my side, and this causes me to flinch in mock pain when my attention is retained by her.
"'The bell is going to ring in, like, two minutes, and your class is halfway across the school,'" she mocks, trying to mimic my voice while she rolls her eyes. I know she's not trying very hard because all she did was lift her pitch. She starts our way to math by taking the first step, keeping her gaze in front of her. "Not only did you just sound stupid, but that was the awkwardest conversation I have ever heard. I would know. I hear Garroth talk often."
I dismiss her words with a slight hum, glancing up at the digital clock hanging from the ceiling before quickening my pace. She follows, but nonetheless continues to tease me on my word choice.
Frankly, I've developed quite the crush on Garroth, and she's well aware of this. I simply don't think she agrees with it, though. Laurance doesn't seem to like to think of the possibility of it happening, and Vylad rolls his eyes at the mere mention of Garroth now.
Garroth and I are different. There's no doubt about that. He's more of a player type, and I'm a good girl. In their eyes, I'm bound to get hurt. In mine, I see a different story.
"I hear Laurance often talk, and you still try to get into his pants," I comment, jabbing my elbow into her arm as some form of payback from earlier. "Though, Garroth is kind of stupid. We're both on the team. He definitely should've noticed the difference of bows in your hair. It sticks out more."
"That's because Garroth totally likes you." Anxieties fly when I see the math door. I'm not terrible at math. Not great, but not terrible. What I don't understand, I go to Vylad because Vylad's a lot easier to talk to than a teacher that looks at me like I'm stupid for not understanding the problem at hand. "But you have those facts wrong. He's the one who tries to get into my pants."
"Who's trying to get into whom's pants?"
I laugh at the dumbfounded expression on Vylad's face. He sits directly in the middle of the front row. I place my books on the desk next to his, and Kandi places hers on the desk beside mine. I sling my backpack down beside my chair and sit down, legs crossed. I have more confidence in my cheer uniform than my school uniform, and that's saying something.
"Your sister is trying to get into Laurance's pants."
"Not true! He's trying to get into mine."
Vylad stares at her for a moment before his attention drops to the math book on his desk. He opens it, flipping through the notebook on his lap to try and find last night's homework and what page we left off on. "Kandi, can't you control your hormones for once in your life?"
I snicker, sinking in my seat to avoid any comments Vylad wants to throw my way. But with the cautious gaze he gives me, it tells me I'm not out of the clear and to sit up because of my skirt. Moments later, our teacher walks in and the bell rings.
I glance between Kandi and Vylad one last time before opening my book with a sigh, searching for my glasses.
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
It's halftime, and I'm freezing my ass off. The sweats I've thrown on over my uniform are doing little for comfort, and my throat is screaming for me to drink something. I plop myself down on the bleachers next to Vylad. I pour some water down my throat out of my overly bedazzled water bottle and lean up against him. My mouth opens, a smile causing it to be oddly formed before Vylad groans and flicks a piece of popcorn into my mouth.
"Have I ever told you that I love you?"
He glances down at me before shaking his head. My popcorn is flicked into my mouth before he gives up the container to me. Vylad knows I won't eat it all. I don't even care for popcorn.
"You just love the idea of me."
"I'd love the idea of you even more if you refill my water bottle."
There's another groan before he stands, taking the water bottle away from me and walking away. Kandi sits next to me, reaching for a handful of the popcorn as she watches Vylad walk off. "He's such a puppy."
"Don't compare your brother to a dog," I say, snatching the container away from her.
"Garroth is a dog too, but a different breed. You call Laurance an animal."
I roll my eyes. "That's because Laurance is a pig."
