Chapter Three
The First Battle
Marie stood in shocked silence as Paladine gave a grave reply to Nathan's question. "Tonight," the old man told them.
"Nathan, a word," she said, making it clear it was a statement, not a question. And Nathan, he had the gall to make a joke! He gave Paladine a pained look, shrugged, and said one word.
"Women." Marie grabbed him by the arm and dragged him down the hall. She looked around, and then ducked into the boy's bathroom, dragging him with her. He gave her a small, half-sarcastic grin and said, "Guess you have experience sneaking in here, huh?" She gave a brief snort and then quickly got to the point.
"You can't be seriously considering this."
"I'm not."
"Good."
"I've already decided I'm going." He smiled, knowing he was making things difficult and enjoying it. "So, you see, I'm not considering it. Anymore, that is." She gave him a look that could've killed a herd of wild bull and he simply smiled. Well, she had liked Nathan because he couldn't be easily bullied, and that included from her. She'd have to try another approach, then.
"Well, Nathan," she replied, her voice softening, sweetening, and taking on an air of seductiveness, "if you're so set on this damn fool quest, you probably won't be coming back." The left side of Nathan's mouth turned up in a little grin that said 'I know what you're doing, but I'll bite. Go on.' "You and I have known each other for a long time now, haven't we?" He nodded, but that grin didn't change at all. "And we've only been friends that entire time, right?" Again the nod, and again the grin didn't change. "Well, since you're probably going to go off and get yourself killed, I figured that maybe you'd like to see what it was like to be. . .more than friends?" She struck her sexiest pose, pursed her lips, closed her eyes, and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Finally, she opened her eyes to find Nathan at the urinal, relieving himself. She screeched, spun, and squeezed her eyes shut. "Oops, sorry. You had your eyes closed for so long I thought you'd fallen asleep, and I really had to go, so. . .sorry. Oh, and it's all clear. I'm at the sink now." She turned slowly and cautiously opened her eyes. It would've been like him to tell her he was at the sink and then be standing behind her, to scare her. This time, though, he really was at the sink. "To my credit," he added, "it is the boy's bathroom."
"So," she replied, trying to recapture that seductive air that had been in her voice and movements before, "where were we?" Nathan laughed.
"You were trying to bully me into staying here, and when that didn't work, you decided to try seducing me." He shook his head. "You're a straaange girl, Marie Larson. No offense, of course. A good kind of strange." He gave a little shrug. "One of the many reasons I like you." Marie fancied herself a stubborn girl, but even she found it hard to stay angry when given such an obvious compliment. Still, she tried her best at a pout. Nathan, however, defeated it when he laughed. "Don't bother pouting, it isn't going to work. Besides, that one doesn't even look real." She sighed and gave up the façade, letting everything fall away, even the tough act she'd been putting on since dragging him into the bathroom. Much as she hated to admit it, she didn't want Nathan to get himself hurt, and she was scared stiff that he would. To Nathan's credit, he noticed it immediately, noticed how her eyes were watering, and he placed his hands on her upper arms, applying a little gentle pressure. "You know I've always felt kind of.different, like an outsider or something, my whole life. I never really felt like I belonged anywhere." He gave her a slight shrug. "Maybe that's why my grades were slipping. I'd just stopped caring. But this. . .this I genuinely care about. This is my chance to belong somewhere." He smiled warmly. "And don't you ever think I won't miss you, not for one second. I will. Every day. There'll always be that little, cheerleader shaped hole in my heart." He put his arm around her waist. "Hopefully she won't wave those pom-poms around, though, know what I mean?" That got a small laugh out of her. It was brief, however, and the two of them drifted into a short silence, broken when Marie spoke.
"Well, I hope you don't think I'm going to let you go on this little adventure by yourself, Nathan Daystorm." She noticed the affectionate smile on his face and added, "It's not like I care or anything, just that I was there in the dream, so I figure it's unavoidable." He smiled and gave her waist a gentle little squeeze. She leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "Just promise not to get yourself run through, ok?" He kissed the top of her head.
"I promise." He sighed. "Now, let's go see the substitute about taking us to another wold."
Marie stood in shocked silence as Paladine gave a grave reply to Nathan's question. "Tonight," the old man told them.
"Nathan, a word," she said, making it clear it was a statement, not a question. And Nathan, he had the gall to make a joke! He gave Paladine a pained look, shrugged, and said one word.
"Women." Marie grabbed him by the arm and dragged him down the hall. She looked around, and then ducked into the boy's bathroom, dragging him with her. He gave her a small, half-sarcastic grin and said, "Guess you have experience sneaking in here, huh?" She gave a brief snort and then quickly got to the point.
"You can't be seriously considering this."
"I'm not."
"Good."
"I've already decided I'm going." He smiled, knowing he was making things difficult and enjoying it. "So, you see, I'm not considering it. Anymore, that is." She gave him a look that could've killed a herd of wild bull and he simply smiled. Well, she had liked Nathan because he couldn't be easily bullied, and that included from her. She'd have to try another approach, then.
"Well, Nathan," she replied, her voice softening, sweetening, and taking on an air of seductiveness, "if you're so set on this damn fool quest, you probably won't be coming back." The left side of Nathan's mouth turned up in a little grin that said 'I know what you're doing, but I'll bite. Go on.' "You and I have known each other for a long time now, haven't we?" He nodded, but that grin didn't change at all. "And we've only been friends that entire time, right?" Again the nod, and again the grin didn't change. "Well, since you're probably going to go off and get yourself killed, I figured that maybe you'd like to see what it was like to be. . .more than friends?" She struck her sexiest pose, pursed her lips, closed her eyes, and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Finally, she opened her eyes to find Nathan at the urinal, relieving himself. She screeched, spun, and squeezed her eyes shut. "Oops, sorry. You had your eyes closed for so long I thought you'd fallen asleep, and I really had to go, so. . .sorry. Oh, and it's all clear. I'm at the sink now." She turned slowly and cautiously opened her eyes. It would've been like him to tell her he was at the sink and then be standing behind her, to scare her. This time, though, he really was at the sink. "To my credit," he added, "it is the boy's bathroom."
"So," she replied, trying to recapture that seductive air that had been in her voice and movements before, "where were we?" Nathan laughed.
"You were trying to bully me into staying here, and when that didn't work, you decided to try seducing me." He shook his head. "You're a straaange girl, Marie Larson. No offense, of course. A good kind of strange." He gave a little shrug. "One of the many reasons I like you." Marie fancied herself a stubborn girl, but even she found it hard to stay angry when given such an obvious compliment. Still, she tried her best at a pout. Nathan, however, defeated it when he laughed. "Don't bother pouting, it isn't going to work. Besides, that one doesn't even look real." She sighed and gave up the façade, letting everything fall away, even the tough act she'd been putting on since dragging him into the bathroom. Much as she hated to admit it, she didn't want Nathan to get himself hurt, and she was scared stiff that he would. To Nathan's credit, he noticed it immediately, noticed how her eyes were watering, and he placed his hands on her upper arms, applying a little gentle pressure. "You know I've always felt kind of.different, like an outsider or something, my whole life. I never really felt like I belonged anywhere." He gave her a slight shrug. "Maybe that's why my grades were slipping. I'd just stopped caring. But this. . .this I genuinely care about. This is my chance to belong somewhere." He smiled warmly. "And don't you ever think I won't miss you, not for one second. I will. Every day. There'll always be that little, cheerleader shaped hole in my heart." He put his arm around her waist. "Hopefully she won't wave those pom-poms around, though, know what I mean?" That got a small laugh out of her. It was brief, however, and the two of them drifted into a short silence, broken when Marie spoke.
"Well, I hope you don't think I'm going to let you go on this little adventure by yourself, Nathan Daystorm." She noticed the affectionate smile on his face and added, "It's not like I care or anything, just that I was there in the dream, so I figure it's unavoidable." He smiled and gave her waist a gentle little squeeze. She leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "Just promise not to get yourself run through, ok?" He kissed the top of her head.
"I promise." He sighed. "Now, let's go see the substitute about taking us to another wold."