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Pete spent the drive to the B&B grilling about how the day went. "Pete! I'm not telling you, I'll tell everyone when everyone's at Leena's! What about you and Kelly? How's that going?"
Pete's dorky smile came out. "Amazing. When she left, I was like, I don't even know. But now she's back. I love her so much!"
I shook my head. "So is she moving into the B&B? Or are you moving out?" I asked quietly.
"I'm not leaving, Pipsqueak," Pete said, messing up my hair.
I moved away from his hand. "Good."
After a few minutes we reached Leena's and were quickly followed in by a pissed Claudia, an amused HG, an un-amused Artie, and Myka scolding Pete.
Jinksy and Leena were in the kitchen talking when we all walked in.
"Hey, how was it?" Jinksy asked.
I shrugged throwing my bag on the floor, earning a glare from Leena. "Different."
"You'll get used to it," Jinksy replied.
Everyone sat down around the table and Leena pulled out some cold cuts for a snack before sitting also.
"So what did you think of the people?" Myka inquired.
"I think I'll have to dumb myself down a bit, though I guess I'm kind of used to it," I answered.
"So, big basketball game tonight! Who's down for going to it?" Pete asked.
Claudia just scoffed. "No thanks."
"I think I'll read a book instead," Myka told him.
Artie muttered something about being away from the warehouse for too long. HG looked at me, I shrugged, "I don't know." I had never been one for sports, spectator or otherwise.
Jinksy copied my shrug, "I could do with going to see a game."
"Okay, Jinksy's in, but you kind of need to come Crissi. It's your new school," Pete pleaded, glancing at me.
I sighed. "Claudia, will you help me find something to wear?"
She nodded. "Of course. I can't let you go out looking a hot mess."
I stuck my tongue out at her. "I think I've done a good job of dressing myself, thank you!"
Claudia ignored me – weird I know.
Artie glanced at me. "She's testing out of three classes tomorrow. Don't be out too late."
"Congrats, Crissi," Jinksy told me.
I smiled. "Thanks Jinksy."
Leena also smiled. "Good luck."
"Thanks Leena. Are you going to come with us?" I partially insisted.
You could see her thinking it through. "I guess I could come with you guys."
"HG?" I turned towards the other person who hadn't supplied an answer.
HG had once again been having an eye conversation with Myka. "Sorry, darling, there's been a new idea floating around my head and I've been dying to put pen to paper."
I nodded with a smirk and raised eyebrow, telling her and Myka that they had been caught. "I'll call Jenna later to tell her we're coming to the game."
"What was your favorite part of the day?" Leena questioned.
I didn't know. I answered, "Uhm, I guess choir, it was the only class I didn't feel like everyone was an idiot."
Myka shook her head. "You'll get used to it."
Then a thought entered my mind. "What happens if I become a delinquent, Artie?"
"It runs in your family," Artie supplied bluntly.
"Doesn't answer the question, Artie," I told him.
Artie glared at me. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
"Don't you mean if?" I tilted my head to the side.
"You," he pointed at me, "are related to," he pointed to Claudia, "her. It's a matter of when, not if."
My jaw dropped. "That is so not fair."
"When it happens we'll discuss it then," Artie answered shortly, forcing the topic to be dropped.
The answer didn't appease me, but I allowed it to drop for now, it wasn't like Artie could make me do inventory, something Claudia and Pete were often threatened with. HG shook her head at me; I was having a feeling that if I became a delinquent, she would be the one to ground me, or whatever. That thought did not appeal to me. At all. We spent a bit longer snacking and talking before we all ran off to our respective caves. Pete and Claudia to Pete's room to go play video games, Jinksy tagging along, Myka to the living room to read a book on the couch, HG following behind with something she'd been tinkering with, Leena was cleaning the kitchen, Artie left for the warehouse, which left me. I decided to chill out in the kitchen with Leena.
"You seem confused," Leena stated when everyone cleared out.
I shrugged. "A bit. Trying to make sense of everything still."
"Your aura's looking like Artie's," she said in her concerned voice.
I raised my eyebrow at her. "I could say the same to you. You need a vacation, Leena."
Leena shook her head. "This place wouldn't be standing when I got back, between Pete, HG, and your sister."
"I'm sure Myka could handle Pete and HG, and I think Claudia listens to Jinksy well enough. You totally could handle a vacation," I retorted.
"You would all starve," Leena argued.
I rolled my eyes. "You're making excuses, Leena. Claudia makes a mean omelet, and Myka knows more than enough about other forms of food, Pete makes decent pancakes, and I've heard Pete brag about Kelly's cooking more than enough times. Even before she came back."
"And I could totally count on you guys to clean up after yourselves," Leena retaliated.
"Excuses, excuses Leena," I responded grabbing my bag off the floor before heading up to my bedroom.
Opening my door, I sighed walking over to my desk, glancing over calculus homework I had been working on in one of my notebooks. I sat down at my desk, flipping to my German homework, I know I didn't have to do it, but I was looking for a distraction – mindless easy distraction. I sat there doing pointless conjugations and writing sentences for half an hour in silence. I was startled when there was a knock on my door.
"Come in," I called.
Pete and Claudia came in. "Mario Kart, come on," Pete said throwing a wireless controller at me.
I clicked my pen and got up. "You're going down!"
Mario Kart was a good way to process everything also, take out all my emotions on the game and kick Pete's ass, all the while feeling more relaxed by the end of it. I gave Jenna a call telling her I was coming to the game and she seemed excited.
Pete was in the lead, but only by a touch, Claudia was right on his tail.
"Hey Pete?" I asked.
"Yeah?"
I smirked. "Have you asked Kelly about the game?"
He looked at me blankly. "What?"
Claudia passed him, then me, followed by Jinksy. "Hey! No fair!"
"All's fair in love and Mario Kart," I told him.
"Nuhuh!" He retorted by sticking his tongue out at me.
"So did you talk to her?" I asked him.
"About what?"
I facepalmed. "Is Kelly coming with us to the game?"
Pete shrugged. "She's working late tonight, setting everything back where it was in her practice. I'll give her a call, since I'm out now. Thank you very much!"
We laughed as Pete pulled his phone out and we started another round. Pete and her talked for a while doing all their kissy-kissy-love-love stuff. When he final got off the phone he smiled. "She's coming with."
We played Mario Kart for a while longer until I decided to get ready. I took off my makeup and washed my face. I knew I was only going to put my makeup back on, but my face felt gross. I walked back into my room; Claudia was going through my clothes. She laid a pair of destroyed skinny jeans and a read tank top out.
"What shirt do you want to wear?" Claudia asked me.
I glanced at my dresser and pulled out my black shirt that had a graphic spine and ribcage with a red heart, Claudia gave me a smirk. "Get dressed, Pete said Kelly would be here in like half an hour." She walked out of my room.
I quickly got dressed and put my makeup back on; I grabbed my leather jacket and headed downstairs with my phone and iPod. Leena and Claudia were talking about something warehouse-y and Pete and Jinksy were talking sports and HG and Myka were nowhere to be found. I walked over and sat down between Leena and Claudia.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing, just talking about placements for artifacts," Claudia answered.
I nodded. "And you can't just place them anywhere, their energies would go insane."
Leena smirked at me. "Try explaining that to them."
I gave a small laugh and we all continued talking until Kelly walked in the door. "Ready to go?"
Pete, Jinksy, Leena and I all stood up and headed out to the SUV. The outside air was really cold and the five of us made a run for the car, which unfortunately for us, wasn't much warmer.
"Why does it have to be so cold?" Pete whined.
I rolled my eyes. "Well Pete, with the tilted 23 degrees on its axis, during the months where—"
"I know! Still!" He cut me off.
I stuck my tongue out at him. He didn't like my know-it-all attitude, Kelly slapped his arm for being mean to me and I couldn't hold in my giggle.
"How did you like the school, Crissi?" Kelly asked turning around to look at me.
I shrugged and realized I do that a lot. "It was different. I'm probably going to get very bored for awhile."
"Crissi's testing out of a few classes to make that a bit easier," Jinksy informed her.
Kelly smiled. "That's great! I'm sure you'll do well."
I gave a small smile back. "Thanks Kelly."
Pete pulled into the parking lot. "We are here."
The five of us quickly got out, making our way into the school. We walked in and followed the signs to the gym. Waiting outside of the gym was Jenna in her cheer uniform.
"Hey, I'm glad you could make it," Jenna said.
"Hi, oh this is Steve," I cupped my hand towards her and mock whispered, "Jinksy." I smiled, "Leena, Pete, and Kelly."
Jenna nodded. "Nice to meet you, come on."
She led us into the gym and went down to the sidelines to cheer. I followed Pete and everyone else down the steps to get closer to the court. We sat down and Pete and Jinksy got into the game while Kelly, Leena and I just sat there talking a bit. I started to get a headache. I had made it through the day, but I still wasn't used to being surrounded by so many auras and it was taking a toll.
"Crissi, are you okay?" Leena asked putting a hand on my shoulder.
I nodded. "I have a bit of a headache. I'm fine though."
Leena pulled a bottle of ibuprofen out of her purse and handed me two, I popped them in my mouth, swallowing them like House. I had long ago mastered the art of swallowing pills. We resumed our small talk and I took a minute to look around and see who was here, if I recognized anyone. I saw the girl with pink bangs. She was sitting with her friends and I honestly wondered why they would come to a basketball game; but then I realized there's probably nothing better to do. I briefly wondered if Univille had an underground, though if it did Claudia probably would have found it by now. I watched as Pete and Jinksy got more and more into the game, and Leena and Kelly continued their talk.
"Hey," I heard a voice behind me.
I turned around to see the girl with pink bangs. "Hi," I replied.
She sat down on the bleachers behind us. "I'm Dakota, and you are Crissi."
I nodded. "Yeah, and…?"
Dakota gave a small smile. "Want to come sit with me and my friends?"
I looked over at where her friends were sitting. "Sure." I turned to Leena. "I'm going to go over there, okay?"
Leena glanced over at them for a second, inspecting their auras no doubt, before smiling. "Have fun."
I got up and followed Dakota over to her friends. "That was a bit weird," she said.
I shook my head. "It's just Leena being Leena."
We sat down with her friends. "Guys this is Crissi. She's the new kid."
A boy with dirty blonde, curly hair replied. "Nice to meet you. What made you want to come to Univille?"
I glanced over at Pete and Jinksy for a second. "Living with my sister, I lived with my brother for awhile so I came here to stay with her for a bit."
"Sounds like your life's been interesting," another boy stated.
"Yeah, I suppose," I replied thinking they didn't know the half of it. "What's life here like?"
Dakota laughed. "Life is boring as hell. There's nothing to do, unless you know where to look."
I smirked. "And where exactly should I be looking?"
A boy with black hair moved his bangs out of his eyes. "Stick with us and you'll find out."
I rolled my eyes. "Why so cliché?"
Dakota raised her eyebrow at the kid. "Just this once the cliché is right. Anyway, the curly dirty blonde kid is Mike, the other kid is Nate, and black haired dude is Ryan."
I nodded. "And everyone in Univille already knows the new kid," I stated.
They all nodded. "It's a small town of old people; it's all gossip here," said Mike.
"I've been in worse places," I replied looking around the gym, there were a few championship banners and trophy cases.
"Do you know what your schedule is, yet?" Ryan asked.
"No," I answered, shaking my head. "I have to test out of a few classes first."
We all continued talking until the game was over and everyone came over to get me.
"Ready to go, Crissi?" Jinksy asked.
I stood up and nodded. "Yeah," I turned towards my new friends. "I'll see you tomorrow, bye."
They returned the good-byes and I followed Pete, Kelly, and Jinksy with Leena.
