Chapter 20: The Christmas Fair
"Where is that girl?! She's supposed to be helping us hang these flyers!" Kirielle complained loudly as she glanced around the school front yard. The absence of bright red hair in twin ponytails was glaringly obvious to anyone who cared to look. But Tonia didn't even bother.
"Mint is indisposed. She got back late from abroad yesterday, and she hasn't had a day's rest yet since Gamul."
"You're always making excuses for her," Kirielle muttered angrily but quietly, not in the mood to provoke a confrontation. "I bet you don't even know which city she went to." But the news that Mint left town immediately after the games was irrefutable, since their source had been Coach Mira herself, right before she announced that the gymnastics team got assigned to doing the front yard decorations for the school fair.
"Hey, Tonia," one of the junior members called. "What are we going to do if it rains during the program? There was a storm warning on the radio last night," she said as she indicated the slightly cloud-heavy sky. It so happened that the Carona High Foundation Day occurred very near Christmas, and that was rainy season in their part of the Continent.
Tonia sighed, just a little. "There are extra tents being set up in the soccer and tennis fields, and most of the booths are indoors anyway. We just cross our fingers and pray that the storm doesn't hit us."
Rue didn't finish the earrings. But half-completed Christmas presents were the least of his problems right now.
Neil was at the shop class door, distracting the group of first year girls who all wanted to talk to Rue about the Christmas fair (all of them hoping to be the lucky chosen date). Apparently there was a rumor circulating among the freshmen that Rue, being the astute gentleman that he was, could never say no to a girl who was insistent enough. It was common knowledge that as of that morning he was still dateless, and therefore, up for grabs. Maybe the rumor did carry some truth, albeit just a little, for Rue always had a weakness in saying no to anyone (not just girls).
Not for the first time, Rue wished that he could just duck into the broom closet until everything blew over. Since the workshop was located on the building's main floor, he managed to sneak out through a window.
"You're better off just hiding someplace until the afternoon," Neil had advised.
"Where am I supposed to hide? There are students in every corridor and classroom!"
"What did you expect?" a girl voice asked him. "Tomorrow's the school fair!"
"Elena?" Rue blinked. "What are you doing here?" In his apprehension over where to go, he had traveled to the front of the principal's office without realizing it. Elena and Prima were sitting by the nearby stairs, Prima busy with some crayons and a coloring book.
Elena shrugged. "It gets stuffy in dad's office. And Prima and I didn't want to stay home."
"Lookie, Rue!" Prima shouted suddenly, and he raised a bandaged right thumb for them to see. "I got a paper cut from Papa's phone book! But big sister kissed my finger and made it all better!" Prima grinned and hugged the girl.
Rue couldn't help but smile. Elena and Prima got along so well. So much like him and Claire, over five years ago…
"There he is!" a girl's voice shouted from the end of the hallway. "I saw him first!!" Rue quickly snapped out of his reverie, and he almost panicked. Not again…
"You'd better run, Rue," Elena sympathized. "Prima and I will try to distract them here."
There was only one place in the whole building that (possibly) didn't have any students—the second floor storeroom where the extra textbooks were kept—and that was where he made his way to after making sure that no one was following him. He let out a sigh of relief as he closed the door. Alone at last… But not exactly. Of all places to duck into, and he had to choose the same broom closet where she was hiding from committee work assignments. "Mint?"
"What?!" she asked irritably. "You're invading my privacy here, in case you haven't noticed! And you'd better not tell Annette where I am or you are gonna be sooo dead." She raised one eyebrow quizzically. "What's with the face?"
"Umm, it's just that… n-nothing," he shrugged it off. Mint glared daggers at him, and he blurted it out before he knew it. "The Fair opens tomorrow night, and I still don't have a date."
"Sheesh." Mint rolled her eyes, annoyed. "So go get one! I'm sure girls are falling all over themselves to ask you out." The words stung Rue for some reason, or maybe it was just the way she said it. Mint didn't notice. "I bet that's why you're here in the first place—trying to hide from them."
How does she keep doing that?! He plopped down on the closet floor across from her. He had known from the start that relatively a lot of girls would ask to be his school fair date (although his first estimate was less than those who did ask him out—he kept underestimating his popularity). He didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so he couldn't play favorites, and besides, he really didn't want to go with any of them. Truth be told, he didn't know anyone whom he'd want to go with (he'd go with Neil as a last resort but it just wouldn't look right, and besides, Neil was already going with Annette). The only girl he'd sincerely consider going to the fair with would be either Claire or his bright-eyed chemistry seatmate.
Well, Mint was sitting in front of him right now. Even sans Neil and Annette's urgings, the thought of asking her out had occurred to him before (several times), but he never thought he'd ever get a chance to actually— He self-consciously scuffed the floor with his heel. She did say we were partners.
"Umm, Mint…?" He pried his eyes away from his shoes and hesitantly turned towards her. "It's tradition for the class reps to open the fair, and since you're my assistant… umm… how about…" he coughed just a little, and prayed that his face wasn't as flushed as it feels. "How about we go together?"
Mint turned and inclined her head to one side, studying him, and if she was surprised at his asking her, she hid it well. "Do you know, Rue, that 2-A is the only section with an assistant class rep?"
"So you'll go with me?"
"Sorry," she shook her head. "I already have a date for tomorrow night."
Rod was in his garage that doubled as a workshop, temporarily leaving the store to Johnny Wolf's capable guardianship. Mint found him slouched over some weapon magazines at his desk when she visited him after school.
"Rod? There's something I'd like to ask you." Mint said. She didn't knock when she came in, but the weapon-smith never minded. He swiveled his chair towards her and she pulled out the pair of gold bracelets from her knapsack. "Could you tell me what these are?"
Rod frowned thoughtfully as he took them. "Where did you get this?"
Mint merely shrugged. "Someone just gave it to me."
"These bracelets are very stylized, but I'm sure I've seen something like this before." He turned the bracelets over and held them up. "It has these markings underneath… is that the Cosmos Corp logo? There's something funny about this. Let me check, alright?" He placed the bracelets down on his desk and pulled his laptop out of the nearby drawer. He tapped his fingers on the wood absently as he waited for his computer to boot up.
Mint was looking at him expectantly. "What's so weird about the bracelets?"
"It's not the bracelets…" he whispered, almost inaudibly. He clicked a few keys to open his favorite Internet search page. He glanced once more at the bracelets, turned to his laptop, and after reading the data that came up he turned towards the girl. "These are very powerful psyche-dampers, Mint. Psyche-dampers are the opposite of psyche-amps—they prevent the 'gifted' from using magick, and are used as manacles for the telekinetic/psionic criminals who cannot be held captive by ordinary handcuffs." His eyes glinted as he peered closer towards the girl's guarded face. "I wonder why someone would give these to you."
"Maybe she didn't know what they are," Mint tried to shrug it off, even as she cursed mentally. If Rod hadn't guessed it before, he would almost certainly guess it now. She tried her best to keep her expression impassive. "That's everything. I'll see you later, Rod."
"Going so soon? How about a game before you leave?"
But Mint shook her head no. "Maybe next time. I still have a couple of packages to deliver, and one last Christmas present to buy. By the way, thanks for the stuffed toy, although I really wanted that new and very expensive IllusionScape video console…" she winked at him.
"You opened your present already?!" Rod asked sternly.
Mint grinned mischievously as she nodded. "Speaking of presents, here's yours." Without warning, she bent and kissed him on the cheek.
Rod's jaw dropped ever so slightly in stunned surprise, but with a manly effort he was able to conceal it. "Cheapskate."
Mint couldn't help but laugh. "Kidding. Here," she handed him a small package wrapped in brown paper. "Don't open it now or I'd get embarrassed. See ya, space cowboy."
She closed the garage door quietly behind her. Rod combed his fingers through his hair absently, and he let out a deep, contented sigh as he leaned back his chair.
"Holy—!!" He almost fell out of his seat when he opened his present. It was The Last Hero, a rare book that he had been practically dying to get for ages now. He didn't even remember when he had told her about it. Cheapskate, my foot, she had given him a mint first-print copy. She must certainly have connections to even know where to purchase it.
With a sigh and his feelings in turmoil, he gently placed The Last Hero on the desk. He noticed that the bracelets were gone. Mint had taken them when she left.
School fair night, and Rue (2-A class rep), Tonia (3-A class rep) and their dates were to assist Principal Klaus and his wife with the opening ceremonies. Neil went as Tonia's date just for the occasion (his real date was Annette), since Tonia had been too busy to get a partner (and Annette threatened to force-feed him burnt homemade goods if he didn't help Tonia out). Rue went with Annette as a last resort (the whole 'double-date' being Annette's idea, since Elena was still in junior high and Mint literally disappeared after lunchtime).
How would Mint say it? Booooring… Rue couldn't help but think. Suffice to say that he had to try very hard to keep his eyes open throughout the entire program. He almost wished that the storm Tonia was so worried about did arrive—at least with the ceremonies rained out, he wouldn't have to force himself through it.
After the traditional ribbon-cutting and all the fancy stuff, he was ready to go back to his dorm. Annette and Elena kept jiving at him for being such a spoil sport, but the plain truth was that he was too preoccupied with other things, and he knew that he'd only spoil their experience of the fair if he went with them.
Neil accompanied him to the gates after they got Rue's school things, with the promise that he'd go back to the group after seeing Rue off. When no one was looking, he handed Rue a small package, indicating the other to open it quickly. Rue almost gaped in surprise when he opened the present.
It was the latest multi-tool from the mechavehicle equipment shop. The one with the auto-lock mechanism and built-in antigravity meter.
A note fell out of the plain paper wrapping, and he bent to pick it up. It read: Merry Christmas, Rue! Neil told me that your multi-tool broke, so I hope you can use this one.
The note didn't say who it came from, but somehow he just knew it was from her. He shook his head, not knowing whether he should be happy that she had thought of him or remorseful that he hadn't been able to give her anything.
Mint. He wondered how much effort it took on her part to get him such a gift.
He took a deep breath, even more determined now to finish those [expletive] earrings.