Page 66 of Validus Vale Academy 1
ME:And???
STRIKER:x_x
Fuck this shit. The investigator thinks she’s hilarious.
ME:Docking a zero off your check with every emoticon
STRIKER:?∩?
ME:Fine. Tell me.
STRIKER:Dead.
29
Sunday morning, I wake from even more intense dreams about the twins, but amazingly, no sore muscles.
Standing under the pounding hot water of my Ludo-installed shower, I think about the day ahead. Last week was nuts, and I’m going to get behind in classwork if I’m not careful. I can’t risk losing my scholarship. Not now, I know the twins are missing, last seen here.
After zipping up my purple cut-off jean shorts (with black sparkly tights underneath), I'm pulling on an acid-yellow cropped hoodie when Willow knocks on the basement door. “Nice fit!” she exclaims. Willow herself is wearing high-waisted vintage Levi's, a slightly oversized, pale gray cashmere sweater, and chunky loafers that probably cost more than every item I’ve ever thrifted. “Want to get food?” she asks.
“Sure, where’s Dunc?” I reply, slipping my feet into battered, star-pattern high tops.
“Hanging out with Scott.”
“Who’s Scott?” I wrack my brain and come up blank.
“The kid who has the Bieber-at-age-fourteen haircut, you know?”
“Oh, right.”
“Anyway, they are doing some online tournament, Mayhem and Magecraft. Don’t ask Duncan about it unless you want several hours of explanation.” She rolls her eyes, but it’s with affection. We love our little nerd-bro.
“Duly noted,” I say, grabbing my tablet and bag. “Food, and then I’ve got to hit the library. I haven’t even started Professor Bilderblast’s assignment.” We also have a potions quiz coming up, as well as a history of combat paper.
“Gods. Me neither,” she groans. “I’ll be your study buddy.”
Willow and I take our breakfast to-go and find a sheltered table in a sunny corner of the quad. “So,” she says, through a mouthful of bacon sandwich, “Any updates on the investigation? You know Duncan can hack shit, right? We can always pull him in…”
I love this girl; she’s so fully on board. “I don’t want to drag either of you into something illegal,” I mumble through a bite of scone. “But I’ll admit, there’s no new news.” Apart from Maximus disappearing as well, but not my story to share. Instead, I redirect the conversation. “What about your weekend? Was that film club thing any good? You were watching Grave of the Fireflies, right?”
She nods. “That film makes me cry so hard, it should have sob-titles, not subtitles.”
“I can’t decide if that’s a you-pun or a Duncan-pun,” I laugh. “You’re as bad as each other. Dunc’s also doing film club, right?”
Willow, to my amazement, turns bright red. “Something to tell me, Ms. Bloomhower?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
She groans and lets her head fall forward onto the table with a soft thump. “Oh Gods, Theo,” Willow whispers. “I think I’m in love.”
Not what I was expecting to hear. “Willow Bloomhower, you’re in love, Dunc?”
She slaps my arm. “No dummy…”
“Then who?”
—will she judge me?/I’m embarrassed/no I’m not/eek—
I make a ‘please continue’ gesture several times until Willow relents.
