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“Gaaaaaah!” Ssyelle groaned in frustration, her hands gripping the ends of her hair. “Why on Asterock do we have to learn about the stupid battle of Tama Hill in whatever BG time period when we’re in the age of Gorotama!” she gestured with her hands sharply toward the textbook, framing the absurdity.
“Shhh!” the librarian enunciated, popping out from around the nearest bookshelf.
Ssyelle narrowed her eyes. “What is your problem? Do you want me to file a complaint? Because I will file a complaint if you don’t stop shushing. Because from what I can tell, you are the only one taking issue with anyone talking.”
They both had a staredown, neither one backing down. Key seemed to be getting antsy beside her, tapping his fingers on the table. “Um, maybe we could talk this out…?”
“”Quiet!”” both Ssyelle and the Librarian said. Key held his hands up in surrender, nervously looking between the two as they stuck out their fists, raised them, and…
“”Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!””
Key facepalmed, “you’re kidding me, right?”
“Yes!” Ssyelle celebrated, thrusting her fist in the air.
“Best-two-of-three?” The Librarian had the audacity to ask. Lucky for her, Ssyelle had a competitive side.
“You’re so on.”
“”Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!””
She won all three. The Librarian shook her hand with a newfound look of respect, then promptly left them alone. “What did I just witness?” Key murmured in confusion.
“I don’t know what you’re so confused about. Everyone knows the only true way to solve a dispute is with Rock Paper Scissors."
“You know what, sure. You at least got rid of her. Back to your original question,” he said, pointing at her textbook. “Before Gorotama, is obviously important because it’s what eventually came to form the games in the first place.”
She frowned. “I’m not a fan of bloodshed, violence, and more violence.”
“Me neither, but think of all the cool combos and moves we can learn from them! They were on a whole nother level.”
Ssyelle leaned her elbow on the table, head on her hand, and watched Key as he got lost in taking about Gorotama (Sorry, before). Maybe he was a bigger fan than she was, after all. Key surprisingly being a history nerd was really endearing. And it showed how much effort he really put into becoming a Dragon Striker.
“—in combat differed greatly. They were completely unrestrained, so the heights they could reach were so—what? Is there something on my face?”
“Nope,” she said, popping the ‘p’.
“Then why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like I just did something embarrassing and you’re waiting for me to figure it out, looking all smug-like.”
Ssyelle chuckled and shook her head. “No. You’re a huge Gorotama nerd, and I thought it was cute.”
“O-oh, cute?” he stammered, blushing.
“Mhmm, yup. Cute, is what you are.” And it was even cuter watching him squirm in his seat. Where did all that confidence go from earlier?
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Knights,” said an unfortunately familiar voice from behind them. Pregrina. “Good hiding spot. The library is definitely not the first place I would look for you guys.”
Ssyelle turned to face Pregrina and her lackey. “What do you want, Pregrina?”
Pregrina placed a hand on her chest and put on a look of hurt. “Wow, what an accusation. What? Can I not say hi to my favorite team once in a while?”
“Stop kidding yourself and answer the question,” Key said, his voice low and tense.
Her stomach clenched when Pregrina switched her now narrowed eyes to Key, and smiled that wide evil grin of hers. Ssyelle had a bad feeling about this.
“Fine.” She summoned ghastly strands of hair from her short length and tossed her hair back. “Callista is after you. So are the Roses, and the Shadows, but everyone has their own reason for finding Key, whether it’s to give him another reason to be expelled or to do it themselves, if you get my meaning. It’s funny, right? For all that we have a council, they love acting on their own.”
“And why are you telling us?” Ssyelle asked. “Surely you have a motive.”
“Actually, I only want to watch things play out, maybe shift a pawn here and there to…spark...some tension.” She winked and turned on her heel. Then she stopped and glanced back at them. “Oh, one more thing. I heard that Callista plans to visit the Gorotama History section within the hour. Something about wanting to up her…technique.” She gave a little wave and vanished into the shadows.
“I really hate that girl,” Ssyelle said, her knuckles white. “That grin is so punchable.”
Key put his hand over hers and gently pushed her hand back down. “Let’s not do that, not yet at least.” He stood up and pushed in his chair. “As much as I don’t want to, we should…go see Sugoi.”
She sighed. He was right. They’ve avoided everyone long enough. The only reason they were here in the first place was to get Key’s mind off things. Now it was time to face the consequences. “Yeah, you’re right,” she breathed out, standing up.
They walked out of the library and headed toward the Goyen hall. After cornering a few hallways and bumping into Key’s shoulder a few times, she reached over and took his hand and squeezed. Eventually Key broke the silence. “So, uh…Ssyelle?” he asked, nearly whispering.
“Yeah? Why are we whispering?”
“I was wondering…I feel like some things have changed between us. And I just wanted to clarify.”
“Clarify what?” she asked innocently, knowing exactly what he wanted clarified.
“Are we…together now?”
She started to swing their joined hands back and forth. “That’s a weird way to say we’re walking beside each other, but you could call it that, y-yeah,” she snickered on the last word. She couldn’t hold it in.
“Wow, you’re teasing me!”
She nudged his shoulder with hers. “Then say it so I can’t twist your words.”
“Fine,” he chuckled, squeezing her hand. “Are you my girlfriend now?”
“Yes, yes I am,” she said, her smile audible. She leaned into him, trying to put her head on his shoulder while they walked, but they just ended up stumbling and almost running into some lockers.
“Ssyelle! What are you doing?” he laughed.
She giggled as well. “Oh, you know, falling for you a second time.” Then they both laughed, collapsing against each other in a heap of giggles and a lack of care for anything around them, or anyone.
“Ssyelle? Key?”
They immediately stopped laughing and shot apart. Odward stood ahead of them, blocking their path. He did not look happy.
“You have some nerve showing your face in these halls after what you did,” Odward said, his voice eerily calm and composed.
Ssyelle smoothed her clothes out before looking Odward in the eye. “Odward, you know better than I do that Gorotama is a dangerous sport. It’s terrible what happened to Casper, but Key didn’t—”
“Save it, Ssyelle,” Odward said in a low tone. “He’s a danger to the school. His tama is unstable and uncontrolled. He’s lucky he wasn’t immediately expelled.”
“So I wasn’t expelled?” Key asked, voice hesitant.
Odward crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Key. “Doubt it, since you’re Goyen Sugoi’s latest pet project. Could be suspended though.”
“Yeah, that’s fair,” key said, rubbing his arm and looking at the ground.
After a moment of silence, Ssyelle gently elbowed Key’s shoulder. “Anyways, we were just on our way to see Sugoi. The verdict is ultimately up to the council anyhow. Let’s go, Key.”
Key trailed behind her as she passed by Odward who still hadn’t move since he first approached them. And just when she thought they were in the clear, he spoke again. “Some advice…I wouldn’t roam these halls alone if I were you. Callista is looking for a fight and well…to be blunt, she lacks self-control. You both have that in common at least.”
She turned around and narrowed her eyes at him. She was honestly surprised he wasn’t looking for a fight. Though he seemed to sling words more often than getting physical. “You done, Odward?”
He tsked and threw his hand up in a dismissive wave as he turned around and walked away. She let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding.
“You know, I really should start writing this stuff down. If you ever downplay your abilities again, I’ll just give you a bunch of these situations you were badass in.”
“Ha!” Ssyelle laughed, her shoulders momentarily shaking. “I don’t downplay myself.” Did she? Oh, she kinda had before the trials, hadn’t she? And also before when Key signed her up for the All Stars game…”Do I?”
“Sometimes. But you are the best keeper at Kal Asterock, so it’s about time you stop doing that.”
“Key…” she blushed. “I am not the best.”
“The stats say otherwise.”
She rolled her eyes. “Just because my record is clean from the start doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way. Come on, you.” She started dragging him toward Sugoi’s office. “We’ve got to chat with Sugoi.”
“Ssyelle…do we have to?” he groaned, letting his legs drag behind him.
“Mhmm, captain’s orders.”