Legends We Make
By: Sheiado

Chapter Eight: Partnerships and Plans

Her fists curled themselves angrily against her sides, the nails biting harshly into fleshy palms. Outwardly, she appeared calm and composed. Inwardly, however, she was fuming with an alarming intensity.

Her heels clicked resonatingly down through the halls, her posture rigid, her strides confident and built with noticeable tension. Keen eyes sifted with perceptive ease through still surroundings, ignoring the soft, fluttering movements behind her.

The halls were deathly quiet, still and utterly deserted.

Two occupants remained, one a mere girl and the other, a shadowing equivalent as he trailed stealthily behind her.

Movement stopped abruptly, the girl pausing in mid-stride to pivot and look backward, her eyes meeting his unflinchingly.

"Thank you, by the way," Evelyn spoke tersely, her voice tinged with the tiniest fraction of gratitude. She didn't thank or apologize often and the awkwardness of the situation irritated her.

Warren merely nodded, raising an amused eyebrow at the girl's back as she turned around on her heels and continued walking, as if she had never uttered a single word to him.

This is a partnership that is sure to get interesting, he concluded.

Sighing wearily, Warren began following her again, his eyes staring blankly ahead.

8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8

All eyes were transfixed on them. Upon entering the classroom, heads turned and conspiring voices erupted in low, hushed whispers.

Evelyn breezed through the room without any indication or care, plopping herself down at her desk and staring straight ahead at the chalkboard. Warren followed in after her and trudged through with a scowling glare rippled across his face. All students shifted back abruptly in their desks, not meeting his eyes.

The whispers stopped.

"Mr. Peace, Ms. Elektra," Ms. Wendell acknowledged, throwing them an indicative nod. "So nice of you to finally join us…"

She smiled brightly and continued on with her lecture, as if they had been present the whole entire class period, "Now, force and will power are key factors in power function…"

And the lecture continued.

An hour later…

Class had finally ended and Evelyn gazed over at Warren in calculating silence. "Don't bother, by the way."

He stared at her with vacant eyes. "Bother with what?"

"Watching over me by Principal Powers' orders. I don't need a babysitter or a fucking nursemaid, Peace," she answered calmly, no trace of hostility or anger in her voice. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She stood up and stalked off abruptly before even a sound could utter itself from his lips.

"I never said I would," he murmured, watching her retreating form as his quiet reply went unheard.

Women.

8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8

"Hey Warren!" Zack called, his voice echoing soundly throughout the campus. Trailing behind him was Will, Layla, and Majenta.

'Great…'

Outside they were pretty much unavoidable to him and today of all days, their presence did nothing but grate on his already ruffled nerves. He knew exactly what and whom they were going to want to discuss and carry on about.

At present, it was a sore subject that he really didn't want to breach or get into. Annoyed, Warren kept on walking toward the buses in heavy, unbreakable strides. Unfortunately, the albino's legs were so tall and lanky that he met the pyro halfway toward his destination.

"Yo, man," he addressed breathlessly, "What happened after gym?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he shot back stiffly, his expression hard and stoned face.

Unfortunately, nobody even remotely apart of the sidekick clique could take a fucking hint or clue at his mood, attitude, or words. And all of those just ended up going in one ear and out the other…

"Why did Coach Boomer ask for you, man? Is she okay and everything…? What happened?"

Layla and Will soon surrounded him also.

"Does the words 'I don't want to talk about it so leave me alone' mean anything to you?"

Layla rolled her eyes at the pyrokinetic's anger, answering firmly, "We just want to know what happened and if she's okay."

"She's fine, she's conscious, she's breathing," he snapped gruffly, pushing himself past Zach in an angry fury.

"Wow," Layla whispered, "He's not in a good mood."

"Hey, Man," Zack called out after him, "We'll see ya later then!"

"Probably because he met her," Will answered, a smile curving upon his lips. "She's about as bitchy as he is in a bad mood."

"Dude, you talked to her? What'd she say…?"

Majenta rolled her eyes.

"Well, she kinda complained that she was partnered with a Neanderthal for collateral and that I should keep my head in the game. Other than that, she wasn't all that talkative."

Layla's eyes widened. "She what?!"

"Well, she doesn't seem all that impressed with your powers like everyone else," Magenta spoke, "Besides, what are hers? Exploding and then fainting into a human fireball…?"

"Kimagure, man!" Zach corrected. "She's like an elemental with a rare ability. And she saved Ethan's ass in the hall yesterday morning, you at least gotta respect her for that."

"Well, she made quite the performance at gym, didn't she?" Majenta shot back.

"Okay, guys," Will interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Let's get on a new topic before you two bite each other's heads off. Are you guys coming tonight or what?"

"Where?"

"The Paper Lantern," Layla perked up. "We're all going to meet there tonight."

Zack shrugged, the brewing argument forgotten. "I'm down… Majenta?"

"I got three papers to work on, I can't."

"What about Ethan?" Layla asked.

Majenta rolled her eyes. Nobody ever listens. "His parents won't let him out on a school night, remember?"

"Oh." Smiling cheerfully, Layla covered up her disappointment. "Well, looks like once again I'm going to be out numbered by the guys. Wonderful."

Will frowned, giving her a mock puppy face. "You make it sound like such a bad thing…"

"Awwww! I didn't mean it that way…"

Zack rolled his eyes skyward, not wanting to watch the two kiss and make out in front of him, muttering under his breath, "Great, and I get to be the third wheel until Mr. flammable gets done..."

Majenta smiled. "Sucks to be you!"