Day 20

Disclaimer: My Flash Animation teacher says that our generation doesn't respect idea ownership rights. He says we don't even know how to spell "Copiwrites" anymore.

"Isn't Vincent so hot now?" Alice asked me.

I sighed, I hated being in denial. "Yes, but you shouldn't be saying that. Do you have any idea how mad Lucrecia already is at you?"

"It's not like she's here or anything."

I glowered. "You know they say that 'the walls have ears', Alice." I was referring to myself, but Alice didn't know that.

"Good thing we're in the middle of the room then."

"You've missed the point, I'm afraid, Liz…" The entire conversation was putting me in a bad mood. Why? Mostly because Vincent and Lucrecia needed to be together, and these external opinions were attempting to drive a wedge between them.

Alice seemed to have tired of talking, and Morgan was not at school today so I was bored enough to tag after Alice on her interminable quest to mooch food off every student in the school.

She bounded out of the cafeteria doors into the courtyard, followed by me and my spiral notebook. Today, I was writing poetry.

"The lives of the dead eternal intertwined… hmmm… a little bit too… epic?...…."

"You should write a poem about Vincent."

"This is a poem about Vincent…"

"Really? Hey, look, there he is! Let's go talk to him!" Alice bolted.

"Not a good idea…" I mumbled with my nose still buried in writing my vampyric poetry for the purpose of pissing off Randal. (Gold star for alliteration.)

When I had caught up to her I found Alice chatting away happily at Vincent, oblivious to his stony disinterest and frequent glances in the direction of the library. I assumed that Lucrecia was in the library.

"Have you ever read Twilight Vincent?"

"No. And I don't plan to, thanks."

"Well, everyone's saying that you look like Edward with your hair like that and everything. I don't think so. You're waaaay better looking. I mean, in the book he's supposed to be gorgeous, but in the movie?" Alice made a noise which I cannot accurately replicate using written English.

Vincent gave me a fleeting, pleading look over Alice's shoulder at me. I mimicked Sephiroth's SOLDIER salute by way of acknowledgement and scurried to the library.

When I got there I found Lucrecia completely absorbed in studying for some unfathomable reason.

I made a noise like opening a radio channel. "Earth to Lucca, come in Lucca." Radio noise again.

"What, Nix?"

Radio crackle. "We have a problem, please report immediately to Earth. Repeat—"

"What is the problem, Huston?" She asked sarcastically.

"You'd better see for yourself…"

A few moments later I was following Lucrecia who was walking faster than I had honestly thought was possible in heels.

Alice was still chatting at Vincent, who had taken a defensive stance now with his arms folded and his eyes focused over her head.

"…but seriously, I don't see what's really so cool about Twilight…"

Vincent noticed us when Lucrecia was a few yards away and Alice noticed his expression of relief and turned just in time for Lucrecia to hit her across the face.

I stopped dead. Alice looked shocked, one hand over the side of her face.

"Great Goddess…" Part of my mind was having trouble comprehending what I had just seen. "That was the craziest thing I've ever seen!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucrecia asked glaring at me.

"You…like, actually slapped someone!" I said. I grabbed her shoulders melodramatically. "We're so proud of you!"

Alice was still standing with her mouth open like a codfish. Vincent was looking at me warily as he carefully took Lucrecia away from me.

"You don't even care that I just got slapped?!" Alice asked.

"No, not particularly, you were asking for it anywaze…"

Everyone was looking at me. I decided that the safest thing for me to do would be to leave the area before someone tried to put me in a spongy room. Again.

Randal had me hand out the "copies" of Beowulf. Each one consisted of a brightly colored folder—you know the kind you see all over during school sales—and about fifteen pages photocopied out of an English textbook.

When I finished handing everyone copies (nonchalantly giving Cloud the only neon pink colored one) and sat back down at my desk I looked at Lucrecia, worried.

"This isn't Beowulf…" she mouthed.

I held up a hand with my pointer finger and thumb about an inch and a half apart. She nodded.

Randal spoke, interrupting out mute conversation. "This is a highly revised edition of the epic poem Beowulf…"

"Beowulf!" I whispered in response.

Randal ignored me. "I believe that based on the level of this class, this edition should be simpler to comprehend for some of you."

Lucrecia looked at me worriedly and I looked back, more angry than anything.

Randal went on to say that she would be reading the poem aloud (yuck) for our benefit. She also said that anyone caught not reading along would be given detention.

I flipped through the little copy of Beowulf, trying to find some redemption for the drastically edited translation. Once I had finished skimming I looked over at Lucrecia again. She gave me a significant look and her eyes flicked to Randal. I looked up at the teacher, who had apparently been giving me a very pointed look for the last fifteen seconds. I sheepishly closed the folder and looked up at Randal.

When she felt that she had the class's attention she opened her own copy of Beowulf, cleared her throat and began reading the summary of the poem.

I was quickly bored, skimming ahead in the text and preempting every time Randal was about to say "Beowulf." I got out my spiral-bound writing notebook and started doodling.

Nix says: Sorry, I hate this chapter almost as much as I hate Twilight… I'm also sorry for hating on your book, Twilight Fans.

You know the future of the world is doomed when expressing your opinions on Edward Cullen's hair offends more teenagers than expressing your opinions on politics and religion…

If you want a glimpse into my state of mind at the moment, find the song "Running out of Ink" by Barenaked Ladies.