"Hey, Watergirl!" I squinted, then stood upright. A few drops of water dripped down my forehead and made a little splash on my nose. It wasn't helpful. I snarled at my tormentor.
"Yes, Jockboy?" I retorted, sugary-sweet. Junior high had trained me well. I had a whole repertoire of such return-fire insults stored away.
"Ever tried being doused with Gatorade?" his sniveling little friend unscrewed the cap on a monster economy-sized bottle of the sports drink. Visions of a sticky seventh period danced through my head. I ducked just in time.
Jockboy and Sniveler had hit the principal. Haha. Junior Janitor duty for the rest of your lives.
The principal just laughed, apparently taking it as a "winning team coach" kind of thing. I wanted to strangle some sense into him. He put one arm around Sniveler and one arm around Jockboy, trading sports metaphors with them all the way down the hall. Jockboy looked back. I gave him a sarcastic look. Why...Jockboy almost looked sorry.
I went back to the water fountain. I still felt dry. No wonder people think I'm a freak.
I wrung my hair dry as well as I could. I filled my water bottle to the brim, then gulped a few last swallows of the liquid. I smiled apologetically to the long line of people behind me. They ignored me, sighed, or rolled their eyes at me.
I shrugged it off.
*
Jason Bates felt a small tug at his pajamas.
"Eurgthhth..." he groaned, swatting away the miniature gray head on a stick. "Brett, if you don't stow that piece of tourist junk, I'll stow it for you...in the ocean!"
"Is not Brett." Jason jumped at the voice of the not-Brett. He heard Brett giggle evilly, then switched on the lights.
"Hi Neri!" Jason rubbed his eyes, then blinked twice. "What are you doing here?"
"Couldn't wait to see you," Jason quickly stowed the dinosaur head-grabber under his pillow as Neri explained, "So I come. Brett find me in halls."
Jason smiled, then gave Neri a quick hug. "It's been too long, Neri. It's good to see you again."
"How was holiday on further-in land?"
Jason sighed softly and let Brett take over the conversation.
"It was fantastic! We went everywhere with Dad! I missed you, and Mum, and Cas and the gang, but it was still fun!"
"Jason, you not have good time?"
"Yeah, I guess."
Neri frowned momentarily. Something told her not to push this conversation. She brightened. "Mother is still awake. I tell her hello. She happy to see me as I happy to see her." Brett swore Neri made a pointed glance at Jason at this point.
*
I saw her at the water fountain again today, along with the principal and two dumb football players. She was wetting down, just like I wanted to do... of course, I couldn't. I'd have to break myself of this excess water habit. If Kalinda was getting this much grief for it, imagine how bad a *popular* guy would get it. No, I definitely couldn't do my wetting down here.