Love is a Losing Game

LIALG - Chapter 21

"Okay, either I got sunburn on my corneas again or everything is actually red and pink," I remarked, blinking at the decor in the halls.

Evie's answering giggles reverberated through our joined hands and into my body. "No photokeratitis this time, M. One of the Auradonian holidays you can't see from The Isle is Valentine's Day, which falls on February fourteenth," she said, gesturing to the lace-edged red velvet draped along the walls of the dorm halls. Every few feet, a red or pink paper heart hung down, swaying gently as students walked past.

"Photo-carrot-titties! That's what it was!" I exclaimed, snapping my fingers an a faux aha moment. My antics were met with a good-natured eye-roll.

"The history of the event is all speculation, sadly, but the gist of the holiday is for people to express their love for others, traditionally to a lover or potential partner," Evie continued. "Usually with gifts, or 'valentines'."

"They have a whole day for that? Doesn't that seem like something that should be done, I don't know, like, every day?" I questioned, nose wrinkling. "Besides the valentines," I turned to glance up at her, feeling her gaze.

Soft red-brown eyes and a fond smile stared back at me. "Yes," she agreed. "I suppose it is just another way for corporations to mooch off of the people of the kingdom...but it's still a nice concept in practice," she said, a faraway look now in her eyes.

I was going to reassure her, but all my thoughts became muddled as we arrived in the great hall and were met face-to-butt with an angel-winged, naked baby holding a bow and arrow. The massive sculpture hung in place of the Christmas tree, spinning slowly in the air above the other students, who, oddly enough, paid it no mind. "Do I even want to know?" I wondered, not able to tear my eyes away from such an outrageous sight.

"You might actually like Cupid," Evie urged. "He has wings, like fae, and shoots people with arrows to make them fall in love."

"I'd like him a lot better if he shot arrows at idiots instead," I commented, turning down a hall and glancing at the room numbers to find my first class for the semester. "Besides, my wings will look nothing like that."

Evie was silent for a moment as we walked.

"Three hundred forty-two, three hundred forty-three," I counted absentmindedly as we passed the classrooms.

"...Mal?"

"Three hundred forty-four!" I exclaimed, turning around to find her looking at me critically. "Evie?"

Her body seemed to expand as she inhaled deeply, ready to say something. Then it deflated and her intense gaze faded. "It's, uh, it's going to be really weird not having any classes with you this semester," she said half-heartedly, looking down at her clasped hands.

I offered a tight-lipped smile and covered her hands with mine. "It'll be fine, E. We spend, like, every second in between classes and lunch together," I assured her.

She nodded unconvincingly, thumb stroking my hand.

"And besides," I started, taking a deep breath. "Uma switched dorm rooms, so you can sleep over sometimes—if you want."

"Uma switched dorm rooms?" Evie exclaimed. "Was it something I did or said? Oh Mal, I'm so sorry! You guys seemed okay! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I...just...had a lot to think about," I said lamely.

"I'm sure you did!"

"Anyway, she said she still wants to be friends and hang out and everything, but she wants to move in with Harry. He was all alone in his dorm, you know. So it kind of makes sense—to spend half the year with me and half with Harry," I explained, using the logic I had settled on while rearranging my dorm room over the weekend.