Disclaimer: I own the plot and the characters, but the whole Laradame Academy is type of Hogwarts re-make of mine. So, I own what you don't recognize and the base was all J.K. Rowling.
Chapter One- Catching Up With Friends
"Hurry up Mal, we're going to be late," Allie warned as she checked her watch for what seemed to be the thousand and first time. It read 10:45, which meant that if Mallory didn't hurry up and find their tickets the two girls would be late. The bell on the ship bellowed out a loud call twice as the smokestacks began to emit out billows of cloudy smoke.
"Coming," Mallory responded, frantically digging in her denim purse. She pulled out two identical tickets with a crest on the top with a sweeping shining silver L in the center. Surrounding it were three equal areas, one green with a fox, one blue with a bat, and one purple with a shark.
Allie sighed with relief and grabbed one, hurrying over to the stairs that led students onto the ship.
"Just in time girls," William, who was standing at the foot of the stairs collecting tickets, said with a chuckle. Both girls nodded and flashed innocent smiles as the pranced onto the deck with tons of luggage rolling up the stairs behind them.
"Didn't think you guys were gonna make it," a familiar voice said. Mallory turned her head to see Ace Emerson approaching, his brown ruffled hair just as unruly as it had been when she had last seen them and a silly smile on his face.
"Ah, too bad, you'll have to deal with us," Allie responded teasingly as she flung her purse at him. It hit him in the left shoulder and fell to the wooden-planked floor with a soft thud that couldn't be heard amidst the crashing waves and chatter. Ace picked it up and handed it back over to the tall, platinum blonde girl, holding his arm across his stomach and bowing afterwards.
"Miss Medrica, care to take a swing at the moving target?" Ace asked formally, trying to hold a straight face although a grin was hiding right behind it. Mal's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she merely shook her head, biting her lower lip. Why did she always have to act so stupid when she was around him? He was just her friend, after all.
Saving her from the situation, Allie waved her hand and said, "She's no fun, Acey-poo, but I'll give it another try." He stepped back twice and Al laughed, grabbing his arm.
"MAL-LOR-Y! ALL-IE!" a voice shouted from behind the two girls. Before they could even turn around to see who it was, their luggage came rearing up behind them knocking them to the floor. Ace found this hilarious and burst out in peals of laughter, his eyes crinkling.
"Priceless," he said dreamily, locking the moment in his memory.
"Oh yeah, just dandy," Mal retorted, pushing herself back up. She turned around to see who had done it, and couldn't hold back a smile- it was Andrew Delaney, figures.
"You little .," she began, but was cut off as he sent the bags racing towards Mal's knees again. She promptly stuck out her foot and held the suitcases back, giving Allie enough time to regain her composure- a girl of almost six foot toppling to the ground wasn't exactly a sight you saw every day. Ace saved the girls and attempted to pick up one of Mallory's suitcases, although it gave him a bit of trouble.
"What did you pack in here? Your uncle?"* he protested, hauling it off the ground. He clutched the handle of another in his opposite hand, straining to not drop the heavy load.
"Well," Mallory began matter-of-factly with a smile playing on her face, "there are these new things called wheels, Ace. Ever hear of them? See, they're attached to the bottom of heavy things so that you can just pull it without having to lift it off the ground. Ingenious I tell you." She trailed off, emitting a laugh as she put the suitcases on their sides, and extended a longer handle off of one end.
"Hmph," Ace grunted, obviously at a loss for a comeback although one was brewing already. "Then why don't you two girls have wheels?" he finally asked, looking rather curious. Allie and Mallory simultaneously glared at Ace defensively, bringing their hands to their hips.
"Okay, okay, just kidding my darlings. Be back in a sec, we saved you two a cabin," he said and with that he turned around and headed towards the stairs. Mal watched him retreat to the lower level, and somewhat wished she was with him.
What are you thinking, girl? Get your mind straight!
She shook her head slightly and her wavy brown locks flew back and forth over her shoulders. Mallory looked over her shoulder to find Allie, but by the looks of it, she had already wandered off with Andy and the other boys. How Allie-like. Abandoned, she sprinted down the deck in an attempt at catching up with Ace. She wandered down the stairs and her bright green eyes met a brightly lit hallway. Her choices were either to take a right or a left, and she opposed her instinct and took a left.
As Mallory wandered down the halls, she peeked into each open door she spotted in hopes of seeing the familiar face of Ace inside. Right near the end of the hall, after intruding upon many of the students, she came across the person she had been in search of.
"Hey, I was lookin' for you," she said with a small smile as she tucked a tress of her hair behind her ear. A hint mystery wrapped her voice like the ribbons of a gift. Ace turned around and raised an eyebrow at the brunette, who was leaning one hip against the door frame.
"Oh hey Mal, I thought you were with Allie.?" Ace asked, uncertain.
"She ran off with some of the other 6th years," Mallory returned simply, walking closer. The trip to Laradame Academy on the boat was three days long, so every cabin had two beds in it- and, as long as Allie didn't decide to room with her boyfriend, the two friends would be staying here. "How was your summer?"
"Not too shabby," Ace said, propping the girls' luggage against the wall and making his way over to Mallory, "How about you? Where did the Medricas go on their annual vacation?"
"Australia," Mallory said, beaming at the fond memories. "I was supposed to take Allie along too, but she ended up staying at Andy's most of the summer," she added as an afterthought, although Ace was probably already well aware of that.
He nodded and said, "She can get caught up with the boys, if that's what you're hinting at." Ace locked his blue eyes with Mallory's green ones, and the two stood in silence before Mal finally broke away. Why can't she ever notice me, instead she goes ranting on about all of Allie's boyfriends instead of her own, he thought to himself with low spirits. He had been longing to see Mallory since the two had said good-bye at the close of their fifth year, and this was the only conversation they could have? Puh, he could have more of a conversation with a rooster.
"Err," Mallory stopped, unsure of what to say next. She was at a loss for words, and Ace wasn't helping, "how're you and Kelsey? Still dating?"
Ace sighed heavily, "Mallory, what planet have you been living on? We broke up mid-July, honey." He smirked and ruffled her hair, making it into a nicely tangled web of brown waves.
"Earth, my good man," Mal answered promptly in her best little-girl voice as she shrieked and trying to escape from Ace, who was currently doing a good job of making her hair into a static electricity plant. Mal smacked his arm light-heartedly, to which he responded with a yelp. "Wimp," she teased, kicking him in the shin for effect.
Just then, a fan of platinum blonde hair and a fresh face appeared at the doorway.
"Ace? Mallory?" Allie asked questionably, walking in.
"No, Mace and Allory," Ace said bluntly. Allie rolled her eyes and whacked his other arm.
"Sheesh! What did I do today?" he asked, muttering something under his breath that sounded oddly like Girls. Allie and Mallory laughed, and grabbed two pillows off of the beds, pummeling him onto the mattress. It didn't take long before both girls had exploded their pillows and the three were blanketed in a thin layer of feathers. Mallory and Allie giggled and Ace made a vain attempt to escape.
Mal ambushed him quickly sending him pounding against the bed.
"A bit seductive, are we now?" Ace purred, his blue eyes twinkling. She rolled her eyes and fell onto the bed beside him, wiping feathers off her face and plucking them out of her hair.
Allie walked over, her thumbs in her pockets and her hands dangling in front of them. "Mal, would you mind if I roomed with Andy? He's been begging me ever since I got here and he used the puppy dog eyes," she asked cautiously. In a way she felt bad for abandoning Mal for her boyfriend, but she was pretty sure the brunette understood. Right on cue, Mallory nodded agreeably.
"Ace you're staying with me then," Mal proclaimed with a devilish grin on her face. She ruffled his untidy hair even more as payback for before. Allie smiled slightly and turned away, putting one hand on the handle of her suitcase and grabbing a duffel bag as well. She lazily dragged it out of the room, waving good-bye to Mallory and Ace, and turned the corner.
Ace groaned as he said good-bye to Al, his eyes sending out a mock plea to rescue him from Mallory. But, instead of being rescued, he was tackled to the floor. "Oof!" Mal landed on top of him with a thud.
"Get-off-me!" Ace gagged until she finally gave in and stood up.
"I'm not that fat," Mal countered confidently.
"No," Ace said quickly, surprising her, "you're not. You're a beautiful girl and I love you to pieces and I'm going to kiss you right now."
And, he did just that. Mallory backed away, trying to escape her friend, but once she was backed against the wall- literally- she had no option. He kissed her forehead sweetly, and smiled, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.
"I'm so not rooming with you" were Mallory's last words as she slapped his cheek.
AN: This is my first attempt at a fan fic, but even so, don't hesitate to criticize in your reviews. I know I'm not the best writer and the only way I can get better is with your input. Thanks muchly! Now review, review, review! And if you like it, I'll update with the next chapter. =)