Sympathy For The Devil

12. The Minnow Bites Back

Returning to school after missing a week was a bit surreal, especially when exerting herself for too long still made her dizzy.

Of course, Marie had only technically missed school. When one's sister was a top student who was only too happy to visit her teachers for any work she missed, keeping up was just a matter of playing catch-up in the last few more-or-less-lucid days and cramming the information into her tired, recently-feverish brain. It was less of a reason to worry, if nothing else.

What did worry her was the fact that she had missed the last swim meet. She had missed it by that much. Edd had been counting on her like he always did, and just her luck, the flu had come a-knocking. She wondered whether he had trusted someone else to hold his dog tags for him or been able to put aside his borderline paranoia and stick them in his locker. If it was the latter... hell, it might be good for him. Might teach him to trust that not everyone was a douche.

The hum of conversation went on around her, but she largely ignored it as she made her way through the halls. It wasn't until her own locker was in sight that a familiar voice lifted itself above the rest.

"Marie! Hey, Marie!"

Still feeling not quite all there, Marie turned to find herself greeted by half-moon glasses and a bright grin, and found herself smiling back. "Morning, Nazz."

With one arm, Nazz hugged her books against her chest; with the other, she drew a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "It's great that you're back," she said, smiling over the rims of her spectacles.

"Heh, thanks." Despite the lingering fuzziness in her head, Marie inwardly melted. Oh no she's still cute somebody hold me.

"So, um, I assume you're feeling better, then? How are you doing?"

"Oh! Uh, still a little out of it sometimes, but I'm good!"Oh my God and she's been concerned about my well-being too.

"Oh, that's good then. I mean, that you're good. Uh." Nazz looked just the tiniest bit embarrassed, and her ears turn slightly pink.

She's like a kitten I just wanna hug her oh no must continue the conversation somehow just say something. "Oh yeah, and I just missed that swim meet last week, didn't I?" Marie blurted. "Uh, d-did it go all right?"

The smile on Nazz's face vanished as if she'd shaken it from an Etch-a-Sketch. Crap. CRAP. Damn it she hates Eddward you dumb girl what were you thinking.

"Yes," Nazz replied, suddenly cautious and wary.

Abort! Abort! Panic!

"Would you say it went swimmingly?"

The question had slipped out before she could stop it. Wistfully she imagined an alligator dropping out of a trap door from the ceiling and eating her.

For a split second she was met with Nazz's utterly dumbstruck expression, before the blonde's face crumpled in a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"What the hell?" Nazz giggled. "Sorry, that was terrible, I just wasn't expecting that."

Ooh, good save, Marie. Looks likeyou're not a total screw-up after all.

"You do realize puns are the lowest form of comedy, right?" Nazz went on, her tone teasing.

"Puns are the highest form of comedy," Marie retorted playfully. "A good fifty percent of Shakespearean humor is made of puns."

"It doesn't count if the other half is mostly dick jokes."

This surprised a laugh out of Marie, and her embarrassment over the previous awkwardness had almost faded entirely when Nazz spotted something behind her, and froze. Confused, Marie searched her face for some sort of clue, but it was as if a pair of doors had slammed shut behind her eyes. Nazz's expression chilled, and an unnerving anger had taken over the previous lighthearted mirth. Marie followed her gaze and glanced back over her shoulder.