It was lunchtime.
-
“Awh man,” Dane groaned, slapping his palms down on the thick wooden bar, his green eyes squinted shut as if he was suffering some deep inner agony. “I...I can't believe this!”
The girl beside him laid a hand on his arm, concern flicking across her face as she carefully balanced a wide dinner plate in her other hand, adorned with a pair of spicy chicken tacos and a small salad.
“What's wrong, Dane?” she whispered in a low, tremulous voice that could only be heard by him; the large dining hall was full of rambunctious clamor, packed to the walls with students, teachers, and visitors, and nobody seemed to have noticed Dane's moan of defeat.
“I...” he whimpered, blinking, his vivid eyes flashing like jewels behind dark bangs, “they.... I can't stand for this. Melodia, back me up!” Impulsively, slamming a clenched fist on the bar, he jumped onto the broad counter and howled in a loud, authoritative, accusing voice that wasn't much like him---"OKAY, listen up!”
When only a few people turned their heads, he gritted his teeth, and pointed around the room, “HEY! LISTEN UP!”
Melodia covered her face and stifled a shaky sigh.
The room fell deathly quiet, and Dane Judge jerked his head back sharply, his dark, chestnut-brown hair brushing his neck, “now, I don't wanna hear no lies---that means tell the truth---because this is a matter of life and death. A serious crime has been committed here!”
The girl beside him laid a hand on his arm, concern flicking across her face as she carefully balanced a wide dinner plate in her other hand, adorned with a pair of spicy chicken tacos and a small salad.
“What's wrong, Dane?” she whispered in a low, tremulous voice that could only be heard by him; the large dining hall was full of rambunctious clamor, packed to the walls with students, teachers, and visitors, and nobody seemed to have noticed Dane's moan of defeat.
“I...” he whimpered, blinking, his vivid eyes flashing like jewels behind dark bangs, “they.... I can't stand for this. Melodia, back me up!” Impulsively, slamming a clenched fist on the bar, he jumped onto the broad counter and howled in a loud, authoritative, accusing voice that wasn't much like him---"OKAY, listen up!”
When only a few people turned their heads, he gritted his teeth, and pointed around the room, “HEY! LISTEN UP!”
Melodia covered her face and stifled a shaky sigh.
The room fell deathly quiet, and Dane Judge jerked his head back sharply, his dark, chestnut-brown hair brushing his neck, “now, I don't wanna hear no lies---that means tell the truth---because this is a matter of life and death. A serious crime has been committed here!”
Dane seemed oblivious to the growing tension in the room, and didn't appear to notice the teachers and hall guards walking towards the serving table he stood on, his sneakers hidden by plates of fruit, salad, and sandwiches.
As his voice slowly grew to a gravelly rumble, he shouted, “Who took the last tater-tots? Hunh? HUNH? Who did it? I've been waiting since breakfast to eat. SINCE BREAKFAST. And while in all my classes, I've been dreaming of those tater-tots. And now, after waiting in line like a civilized student to get my turn at the food, I find that they're GONE. Thanks a bunch guys, yeah, thanks, I hope you're satisfied you buncha dream-killers!”
Melodia was surrounded by still, silent classmates, her thin red hair hanging around her shoulders like limp cobwebs, her brown eyes wide and disbelieving. A laugh broke out somewhere towards the far side of the room, but she didn't know who it came from.
As his voice slowly grew to a gravelly rumble, he shouted, “Who took the last tater-tots? Hunh? HUNH? Who did it? I've been waiting since breakfast to eat. SINCE BREAKFAST. And while in all my classes, I've been dreaming of those tater-tots. And now, after waiting in line like a civilized student to get my turn at the food, I find that they're GONE. Thanks a bunch guys, yeah, thanks, I hope you're satisfied you buncha dream-killers!”
Melodia was surrounded by still, silent classmates, her thin red hair hanging around her shoulders like limp cobwebs, her brown eyes wide and disbelieving. A laugh broke out somewhere towards the far side of the room, but she didn't know who it came from.
All she was aware of was the deep, furious blush rising to her cheeks, turning her white skin an unusual pinkish color. She could feel the heat from her mouth to her ears, burning in her temples and jaws. Why did he always have to draw the attention of the entire school? It was so embarrassing! She'd only been living at the School of Learning for three months, and had become good friends with the fourteen-year-old joker who seemed to find a divine pleasure in making her miserable. Could he not just accept that she wanted to lie low under the radar?
Dane seemed to be holding back tears, “I don't know how I can go on with life, knowing that you---my supposed friends---have betrayed me like this! How could you!” His voice reverberated unnaturally off the stone walls, wavering in pitch as his words rose and fell, like it was searching for a way out of the place, which was a strange, but cultured mix of modern style and medieval essence.
Dane seemed to be holding back tears, “I don't know how I can go on with life, knowing that you---my supposed friends---have betrayed me like this! How could you!” His voice reverberated unnaturally off the stone walls, wavering in pitch as his words rose and fell, like it was searching for a way out of the place, which was a strange, but cultured mix of modern style and medieval essence.
"How could you?"
-
