Chapter 11- To Get A Date
"You shouldn't be doing this. It's not right."
"So what? Think about it Xen- you'd have to be very stupid not to realize that everything we're doing's not right, so what difference does it make? Anyways, judging by the look on his face when I apologised to him, Randall likes me already. All I'm doing is being nice to him. And that isn't a crime."
"Yes, but you're doing it for all the wrong reasons."
"I'm doing it because Cy has told me to." Zephyr hefted another box into her arms, then passed it to her brother to continue the conveyor belt, and as the boxes reached the last monster, they were stacked according to what they held inside. "And you know what Cy's like. He threatens me almost every day, then acts all sweet afterwards and then expects ME to play HIS game." Zephyr grabbed the next box that had been passed out to her forcefully, then shoved it into Xenon's chest. "I hate him." Xenon looked at her pleadingly.
"But Randall doesn't deserve this. He's never done anything wrong to you, has he?" Zephyr sighed.
"No, maybe not," she replied quietly, the guilt inside her growing rapidly like a fire spreading over acres of bone-dry grassland. "But if I'm not nice to him..."
"Why can't you just leave him alone? Not get involved with him? How would he ever find about the plan in the first place anyway? Cyrus is being too over-cautious."
"Yes, well. Cy says that Randall has come close to foiling the plan before, and he can't afford it to happen again."
"And how do you know he's not lying?" Xenon retorted sadly, looking deep into Zephyr's eyes with resentment. "How do you know that he's not just stringing you along for the sake of it? You know how he and Dad don't get on well." Zephyr refused to make eye-contact with her brother, scared that she might get upset, although she still answered his relevant question.
"Yeah, I know. But, after everything he's done...well, I still trust him." Xenon suddenly became suspicious.
"He's not blackmailing you, is he?"
"No!"
"Because he could. He knows your past; he knows all the things you want to know. At least, that's what HE said."
"How do you know that?" Shifting uneasily, Xenon curled his tail around himself.
"Well...he gave me a little...monster-to-monster talk, so to speak." Zephyr, suddenly alarmed but managing not to panic, as always, knew that she needed to get the details of the little conversation between Cy and Xenon, and she didn't care who she got it out of.
"What happened?"
"Oh, nothing to worry about. He just said to warn you about..."
"About?"
"About some things you might've forgotten, to do with Randall. He doesn't want you getting too close to his brother though- he seemed really serious about that." Zephyr rolled her eyes.
"Figures. Look, to be honest, I don't even like him. Not even as a friend."
"Why not?"
"He's just weird. I can see why Cy is ashamed to have him for a brother. It's funny- they look so alike, yet Cy and Randall couldn't be any more different." The boxes, now neatly stacked once again in their sub- categories, stopped coming, leaving Zephyr and Xenon to go back to their rooms. They stayed where they were for a little while longer though, to continue with their conversation and wait for someone they had been expecting.
"Actually," Xenon went on, "Randall IS a bit like Cy. The thing is, you don't know him very well, and neither do I, so how can we say?" Zephyr shrugged.
"I don't know. But I still don't like him."
"Don't you? Are you sure? Because you don't seem it."
"I..." Zephyr turned away from Xenon as Cy came into the Hall, looking around with a grin on his shiny face at the towering stacks of prepared boxes. She quietly whispered a reply while she had the chance.
"I'm sure."
"So, Zephyr, Xenon, how are things going? It looks good in here!" Cyrus strode over to the siblings confidently, still smiling. "What's with the long faces? Has someone died? No, don't tell me- you've just found out that Randall wants to be your friend!" There was no laughter at this pathetic joke, and a strained silence was interrupted by Cy's casual tone. "Yeesh, you can't take one little joke, can you? While we're on this subject, how is it on the Randall-front? Things going as planned?" Zephyr put her arms on her hips, staring solidly at Cy. Not moving a muscle, Xenon also stared at the red-tipped lizard-monster, not with aggravation, but with trepidation.
"Yes."
"Not getting too attached to him, are you?"
"I wouldn't worry if I were you. Your brother's a git."
"That's good to know." Cyrus slithered over to a spare box which had been left to one side for his inspection. Ripping the sellotape and opening the box roughly, he threw off the canister's bubble wrap and lifted it up, its contents sloshing around in its interior. Sticking out a bright red tongue, Cy smelt the air around the canister, eyes narrowed, breath bated and concentration centred. For a second he stood stock still, his brain analysing the scent particles that he had just picked up. Then, once satisfied, he smiled evilly, his sharp teeth gleaming.
"Perfect. The chemical mix couldn't be any better. The boss'll be pleased." Cy dropped the canister back into its box, and as it landed with a reverberating clank, Zephyr and Xenon flinched. "I wouldn't worry, you two," Cy said, coming over to the Stefanis once again. "I know what I'm doing." Cy turned to Zephyr, not smiling. "And I hope you do too." The tense air surrounding the three built to a climax before finally relaxing. "So...are the boats still coming on Prom night?" Cy questioned the two in an attempt to make conversation.
"Yes, as far as we know," Zephyr replied, sounding bored. Cy nodded, his fronds shifting slightly.
"Good. Well, I'd better be on my way. It's quite late- you two should get some sleep. Get back to your Form room before anyone suspects anything." They departed without another word, though Zephyr was in emotional turmoil. Cy had told her earlier that the best way to make sure that Randall was 'preoccupied' on the night that part of the plan would be set in motion, was to ask him out to the Prom, which was, coincidentally, on the same night. But she couldn't. She couldn't because she knew that if she did, then she would betray Cy, and do the one thing that he was forever worrying about. And if she did that, it would be all over.
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"And it's another goal to West House! Look at the crowd roar! Oh, South House are looking bad today, don't you think Jon?"
"Oh yes. They need to get their tactics right if they want to have even the slightest chance of winning the Tournament. Lucky for them this is only a friendly!" The tannoy blasted the commentary over the Sports field as South and West battled it out. Randall, Jay and Carmen sat on the side lines amongst the other reserves, waiting to be called on pitch. The chilly morning air blustered sharply around the students, and frost was beckoning.
"The whistle has been blown, and South House are changing some players."
"Yes, a wise decision."
"And the subs are as follows- Jacobson's coming off, being replaced by Armenta, Shri's coming off, being replaced by Ingent, and finally Ghan's coming off, being replaced by Striker." Randall shuffled over as the bully he had encountered several days ago in the greenhouse shoved him aside and jogged onto the pitch, metal Chomper in one hand, Kue ball in the other. The wind blew harder till most students were groaning under their breaths, dragon smoke emitting from their mouths. Randall huddled up closer to Jay, making sure that his friend's spikes didn't pierce him, and nodded every now and then as Carmen protested against the fact that she didn't have a choice of who to go with to the Prom. A whistle blew shrilly, making the students shudder, and the fast-paced game of Shotzock continued.
"...and he didn't even offer to help me organise the welcoming letters! It amazes me how irresponsible he is, and now I have to go with him to the Prom!"
"Well, you should at least give him a chance," Randall said, stopping Carmen in mid-flow. Jay piped up, relieved that Carmen had fallen silent for a few seconds, even if it was to let Randall speak.
"Yeah, Ran's right. He might be a really nice guy, just without good organisational skills or something."
"But if he doesn't have good organisational skills, why is he South House's Captain?" Carmen demanded. Jay's expression was painfully blank. Randall butted in before they could get started off again.
"Can't we just stop talking about the Prom?" Jay saw this as an opportunity to tease his friend.
"Why? Is it because you can't find someone to take?" Randall didn't reply, instead turning his head to watch the game, and Jay took this as a 'yes.'
"Randall can't find a partner! Randall can't-"
"Oh, shut up." He cocked his head to one side, his scales reflecting the almost eerie light of the sun.
"Who are you takin' the Prom anyways? It seemed like you had a few people to choose from, but I don't hear you saying much about who you've decided to go with."
"Oh...well, to be honest, the gang that were hanging around with me the other day aren't really my type."
"Sure. Translated, that means they figured you out."
"No, no, not necessarily-"
"One who lies will be discovered," Carmen added, completing the argument. Suddenly, there was loud cheering from the other side of the pitch and the West House students had risen to their feet, waving their colourful banners and screaming out their anthems. There was an utmost silence on this side though, and the South House students quietened in shame. The tannoy boomed once again as more changes to South House's team were made, and as each name was called out, the opposite side booed heartily. Jay poked Randall in the side to catch his attention and shook his head towards a player that had just come off.
"Now SHE'S who you wanna go to the dance with, am I right?" Randall's mouth hung open for a second and he felt a very strong urge to punch his agitating friend.
"No way." Rising an eyebrow, Jay looked at Randall intensely, but the lizard-monster stood his ground. "No. Zephyr isn't my type, okay?"
"Isn't your type? On the contrary, Randall my friend, she's exactly your type- weird, freaky, antisocial-"
"Hey!"
"It's true, honest! Carmen, you agree with me, right?" The Captiness leaned back a little, as though she was being attacked by Jay's question, then looked worriedly at Randall.
"Well...I must admit, you do seem to have certain similarities..." Randall glowered at her with all his might, then eventually gave up, disappointed. Zephyr had taken a seat near the back of the stand, wiping sticky mud off her arms and tail whilst her friends tried to run around on the pitch, shrieked every time the ball came near them. One of them, the one that had insulted Randall harshly a while ago, was knocked face first into the mud as a West House player shoved her aside, and she squealed like a pig in water. Chuckling, Randall turned to speak to Jay, but the seat beside him was empty.
"So, your name's Zephyr, right?" said Jay warmly, trying to act friendly and welcoming to the bewildered lizard-monster that he had sat by. She stopped flicking the mud off of herself for a while just so she could put as much effort into giving Jay as weird a look as possible. But, unfortunately, he wasn't deterred.
"You know my friend Randall, right?" he said, smiling fakely. Zephyr nodded slowly.
"Yeah. And...?"
"Well, he was just wondering-"
"I wasn't wondering anything." Randall glared hurtfully at Jay and then looked with an apologetic expression at Zephyr.
"Randall, do you mind?" Jay said, pretending to be annoyed. "I was having a private conversation with Zephyr here."
"Just ignore whatever he says," Randall continued, trying not to sound too desperate. Jay stood up, held Randall firmly by his upper shoulders and swivelled him around.
"Randall, just GO!" In an undertone he added, "Do you want a date or not?" Randall, still repudiating to move in the direction that Jay wanted him to go, stepped aside to let a girl past.
"Thank you," she said sweetly, just before Randall and Jay, at pretty much the exact same time, worked out that it was Zephyr that had just gone by. Jay barged past Randall, nearly sending him flying, and ran down the steps after Zephyr, the lizard-monster with his rounded toes padding the hard concrete behind him.
"So, Zephyr?" Jay gasped breathlessly as he caught up with her. They had reached the bottom of the stands and were going by a group of depressed cheerleaders- South House was being thrashed.
"Yeah?" she said, struggling not to smile.
"Randall would really like to go to the Prom and-"Springing backwards as something tugged hard at his tail, Jay yowled in surprise and shook his body as a natural defensive reaction. Meanwhile, Randall was holding on tight, trying anything to stop Jay from asking the forsaken question and ruining his entire life. Jay grew stronger, and after a second, managed to get Randall to let go. His tail still shook wildly from side to side though, and at one point whacked Randall hard on one side. The lizard- monster was pushed out of the stands and through the group of prancing cheerleaders, and as he fell backwards into the mud, slipping over and grasping at the air helplessly, the girls scattered, screaming and waving their pompoms about erratically. Zephyr and Jay watched on in amazement and amusement, as did the remainder of South House. Embarrassed, Randall shakily clambered to his feet and tried to shake some mud off, hoping to salvage his pride and reputation.
As another cheer travelled over from the West House side, he realised he was standing on the edge of the pitch and before he could move, the Kue ball had rolled slowly in front of one of his feet. The West House player who came to collect it was large and hefty, and as he scooped up the ball, 'accidentally' spraying Randall with gooey mud, he grinned and ran off with the speed of a very fat gazelle. Randall was dripping with mud, but he didn't care, as long as he got off the pitch. Laughing his head off, Jay greeted him at the edge of the stand, Zephyr lingering beside him. As she chuckled, not cruelly, at Randall's misfortune, he blushed deeply and wiped some of the mud that had been oozing off of his fronds. Zephyr looked around, making sure certain people weren't near, and smiled at Randall. Then, looking up at Jay, she spoke.
"The answer's yes. I'll go with Randall to the Prom. Just as long as he's not looking like this on the night." She gave Randall a surprise wink, and hearing her name being called, scuttled off.
"If it wasn't for me..." Jay began. Butting in, Randall wiped some more mud off.
"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have looked such an idiot in front of the whole of South House." Just as he had said this, their P.E. coach came over to them.
"Since you want to be so involved with the match, how about you join in? You're substituting for Flakely, NO ARGUMENTS!" he demanded before Randall could protest. He left the two for a second longer, and then beckoned for Randall to go over.
"And if it wasn't for you," Randall added huffily, "I wouldn't have had to play Shotzock."
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The freezing cold air of the morning eventually gave way to a warmish vent by lunchtime, so most of the students had decided to utilize this sudden touch of spring by eating outside. They sat on the warm stretches of grass in little groups, and Randall, Jay and Carmen (to the spiky monster's annoyance) were one of them. Clearing up, the clouds had retreated even further now to reveal a pleasantly blue sky for the first time in over a week. The threesome munched their lunch mainly in silence, sometimes breaking out into small conversations. Most students, Randall and his friends among them, had chosen a prime spot atop a rolling hill, overlooking the sea and a beach that went on for miles. But, because of such a gathering, it was getting a tad crowded and the groups of students sat closer together.
Randall growled under his breath as the bully that he had confronted before, named Striker, sat down a bit too close for his liking, along with some of his own friends. Sticking a fork into a chunk of plaicy, a variation of fish, Randall continuously stabbed at it till it was nothing more than a pile of mush, his friends looking on.
"What?" he said, noticing them staring.
"Randall, I know this'll be hard for you to take," Jay replied in a fakely sincere voice, "but your plaicy is already dead."
"Ha ha." As Randall said this, another piece of plaicy, this one still a whole rather than a pile of mush, flew through the air nearly hitting Randall. Fortunately, he ducked, but not so fortunate was who it hit. Striker felt the plaicy land on his back and sat up straight, the fish sliding its way down his coarse but patchy fur. He turned around, and the first thing in his view was Randall. The lizard-monster's eyes widened as he realised what the bully was thinking.
"Err...Ran?" Jay whispered to his side. "I'd go now if I were you."
"You shouldn't be doing this. It's not right."
"So what? Think about it Xen- you'd have to be very stupid not to realize that everything we're doing's not right, so what difference does it make? Anyways, judging by the look on his face when I apologised to him, Randall likes me already. All I'm doing is being nice to him. And that isn't a crime."
"Yes, but you're doing it for all the wrong reasons."
"I'm doing it because Cy has told me to." Zephyr hefted another box into her arms, then passed it to her brother to continue the conveyor belt, and as the boxes reached the last monster, they were stacked according to what they held inside. "And you know what Cy's like. He threatens me almost every day, then acts all sweet afterwards and then expects ME to play HIS game." Zephyr grabbed the next box that had been passed out to her forcefully, then shoved it into Xenon's chest. "I hate him." Xenon looked at her pleadingly.
"But Randall doesn't deserve this. He's never done anything wrong to you, has he?" Zephyr sighed.
"No, maybe not," she replied quietly, the guilt inside her growing rapidly like a fire spreading over acres of bone-dry grassland. "But if I'm not nice to him..."
"Why can't you just leave him alone? Not get involved with him? How would he ever find about the plan in the first place anyway? Cyrus is being too over-cautious."
"Yes, well. Cy says that Randall has come close to foiling the plan before, and he can't afford it to happen again."
"And how do you know he's not lying?" Xenon retorted sadly, looking deep into Zephyr's eyes with resentment. "How do you know that he's not just stringing you along for the sake of it? You know how he and Dad don't get on well." Zephyr refused to make eye-contact with her brother, scared that she might get upset, although she still answered his relevant question.
"Yeah, I know. But, after everything he's done...well, I still trust him." Xenon suddenly became suspicious.
"He's not blackmailing you, is he?"
"No!"
"Because he could. He knows your past; he knows all the things you want to know. At least, that's what HE said."
"How do you know that?" Shifting uneasily, Xenon curled his tail around himself.
"Well...he gave me a little...monster-to-monster talk, so to speak." Zephyr, suddenly alarmed but managing not to panic, as always, knew that she needed to get the details of the little conversation between Cy and Xenon, and she didn't care who she got it out of.
"What happened?"
"Oh, nothing to worry about. He just said to warn you about..."
"About?"
"About some things you might've forgotten, to do with Randall. He doesn't want you getting too close to his brother though- he seemed really serious about that." Zephyr rolled her eyes.
"Figures. Look, to be honest, I don't even like him. Not even as a friend."
"Why not?"
"He's just weird. I can see why Cy is ashamed to have him for a brother. It's funny- they look so alike, yet Cy and Randall couldn't be any more different." The boxes, now neatly stacked once again in their sub- categories, stopped coming, leaving Zephyr and Xenon to go back to their rooms. They stayed where they were for a little while longer though, to continue with their conversation and wait for someone they had been expecting.
"Actually," Xenon went on, "Randall IS a bit like Cy. The thing is, you don't know him very well, and neither do I, so how can we say?" Zephyr shrugged.
"I don't know. But I still don't like him."
"Don't you? Are you sure? Because you don't seem it."
"I..." Zephyr turned away from Xenon as Cy came into the Hall, looking around with a grin on his shiny face at the towering stacks of prepared boxes. She quietly whispered a reply while she had the chance.
"I'm sure."
"So, Zephyr, Xenon, how are things going? It looks good in here!" Cyrus strode over to the siblings confidently, still smiling. "What's with the long faces? Has someone died? No, don't tell me- you've just found out that Randall wants to be your friend!" There was no laughter at this pathetic joke, and a strained silence was interrupted by Cy's casual tone. "Yeesh, you can't take one little joke, can you? While we're on this subject, how is it on the Randall-front? Things going as planned?" Zephyr put her arms on her hips, staring solidly at Cy. Not moving a muscle, Xenon also stared at the red-tipped lizard-monster, not with aggravation, but with trepidation.
"Yes."
"Not getting too attached to him, are you?"
"I wouldn't worry if I were you. Your brother's a git."
"That's good to know." Cyrus slithered over to a spare box which had been left to one side for his inspection. Ripping the sellotape and opening the box roughly, he threw off the canister's bubble wrap and lifted it up, its contents sloshing around in its interior. Sticking out a bright red tongue, Cy smelt the air around the canister, eyes narrowed, breath bated and concentration centred. For a second he stood stock still, his brain analysing the scent particles that he had just picked up. Then, once satisfied, he smiled evilly, his sharp teeth gleaming.
"Perfect. The chemical mix couldn't be any better. The boss'll be pleased." Cy dropped the canister back into its box, and as it landed with a reverberating clank, Zephyr and Xenon flinched. "I wouldn't worry, you two," Cy said, coming over to the Stefanis once again. "I know what I'm doing." Cy turned to Zephyr, not smiling. "And I hope you do too." The tense air surrounding the three built to a climax before finally relaxing. "So...are the boats still coming on Prom night?" Cy questioned the two in an attempt to make conversation.
"Yes, as far as we know," Zephyr replied, sounding bored. Cy nodded, his fronds shifting slightly.
"Good. Well, I'd better be on my way. It's quite late- you two should get some sleep. Get back to your Form room before anyone suspects anything." They departed without another word, though Zephyr was in emotional turmoil. Cy had told her earlier that the best way to make sure that Randall was 'preoccupied' on the night that part of the plan would be set in motion, was to ask him out to the Prom, which was, coincidentally, on the same night. But she couldn't. She couldn't because she knew that if she did, then she would betray Cy, and do the one thing that he was forever worrying about. And if she did that, it would be all over.
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"And it's another goal to West House! Look at the crowd roar! Oh, South House are looking bad today, don't you think Jon?"
"Oh yes. They need to get their tactics right if they want to have even the slightest chance of winning the Tournament. Lucky for them this is only a friendly!" The tannoy blasted the commentary over the Sports field as South and West battled it out. Randall, Jay and Carmen sat on the side lines amongst the other reserves, waiting to be called on pitch. The chilly morning air blustered sharply around the students, and frost was beckoning.
"The whistle has been blown, and South House are changing some players."
"Yes, a wise decision."
"And the subs are as follows- Jacobson's coming off, being replaced by Armenta, Shri's coming off, being replaced by Ingent, and finally Ghan's coming off, being replaced by Striker." Randall shuffled over as the bully he had encountered several days ago in the greenhouse shoved him aside and jogged onto the pitch, metal Chomper in one hand, Kue ball in the other. The wind blew harder till most students were groaning under their breaths, dragon smoke emitting from their mouths. Randall huddled up closer to Jay, making sure that his friend's spikes didn't pierce him, and nodded every now and then as Carmen protested against the fact that she didn't have a choice of who to go with to the Prom. A whistle blew shrilly, making the students shudder, and the fast-paced game of Shotzock continued.
"...and he didn't even offer to help me organise the welcoming letters! It amazes me how irresponsible he is, and now I have to go with him to the Prom!"
"Well, you should at least give him a chance," Randall said, stopping Carmen in mid-flow. Jay piped up, relieved that Carmen had fallen silent for a few seconds, even if it was to let Randall speak.
"Yeah, Ran's right. He might be a really nice guy, just without good organisational skills or something."
"But if he doesn't have good organisational skills, why is he South House's Captain?" Carmen demanded. Jay's expression was painfully blank. Randall butted in before they could get started off again.
"Can't we just stop talking about the Prom?" Jay saw this as an opportunity to tease his friend.
"Why? Is it because you can't find someone to take?" Randall didn't reply, instead turning his head to watch the game, and Jay took this as a 'yes.'
"Randall can't find a partner! Randall can't-"
"Oh, shut up." He cocked his head to one side, his scales reflecting the almost eerie light of the sun.
"Who are you takin' the Prom anyways? It seemed like you had a few people to choose from, but I don't hear you saying much about who you've decided to go with."
"Oh...well, to be honest, the gang that were hanging around with me the other day aren't really my type."
"Sure. Translated, that means they figured you out."
"No, no, not necessarily-"
"One who lies will be discovered," Carmen added, completing the argument. Suddenly, there was loud cheering from the other side of the pitch and the West House students had risen to their feet, waving their colourful banners and screaming out their anthems. There was an utmost silence on this side though, and the South House students quietened in shame. The tannoy boomed once again as more changes to South House's team were made, and as each name was called out, the opposite side booed heartily. Jay poked Randall in the side to catch his attention and shook his head towards a player that had just come off.
"Now SHE'S who you wanna go to the dance with, am I right?" Randall's mouth hung open for a second and he felt a very strong urge to punch his agitating friend.
"No way." Rising an eyebrow, Jay looked at Randall intensely, but the lizard-monster stood his ground. "No. Zephyr isn't my type, okay?"
"Isn't your type? On the contrary, Randall my friend, she's exactly your type- weird, freaky, antisocial-"
"Hey!"
"It's true, honest! Carmen, you agree with me, right?" The Captiness leaned back a little, as though she was being attacked by Jay's question, then looked worriedly at Randall.
"Well...I must admit, you do seem to have certain similarities..." Randall glowered at her with all his might, then eventually gave up, disappointed. Zephyr had taken a seat near the back of the stand, wiping sticky mud off her arms and tail whilst her friends tried to run around on the pitch, shrieked every time the ball came near them. One of them, the one that had insulted Randall harshly a while ago, was knocked face first into the mud as a West House player shoved her aside, and she squealed like a pig in water. Chuckling, Randall turned to speak to Jay, but the seat beside him was empty.
"So, your name's Zephyr, right?" said Jay warmly, trying to act friendly and welcoming to the bewildered lizard-monster that he had sat by. She stopped flicking the mud off of herself for a while just so she could put as much effort into giving Jay as weird a look as possible. But, unfortunately, he wasn't deterred.
"You know my friend Randall, right?" he said, smiling fakely. Zephyr nodded slowly.
"Yeah. And...?"
"Well, he was just wondering-"
"I wasn't wondering anything." Randall glared hurtfully at Jay and then looked with an apologetic expression at Zephyr.
"Randall, do you mind?" Jay said, pretending to be annoyed. "I was having a private conversation with Zephyr here."
"Just ignore whatever he says," Randall continued, trying not to sound too desperate. Jay stood up, held Randall firmly by his upper shoulders and swivelled him around.
"Randall, just GO!" In an undertone he added, "Do you want a date or not?" Randall, still repudiating to move in the direction that Jay wanted him to go, stepped aside to let a girl past.
"Thank you," she said sweetly, just before Randall and Jay, at pretty much the exact same time, worked out that it was Zephyr that had just gone by. Jay barged past Randall, nearly sending him flying, and ran down the steps after Zephyr, the lizard-monster with his rounded toes padding the hard concrete behind him.
"So, Zephyr?" Jay gasped breathlessly as he caught up with her. They had reached the bottom of the stands and were going by a group of depressed cheerleaders- South House was being thrashed.
"Yeah?" she said, struggling not to smile.
"Randall would really like to go to the Prom and-"Springing backwards as something tugged hard at his tail, Jay yowled in surprise and shook his body as a natural defensive reaction. Meanwhile, Randall was holding on tight, trying anything to stop Jay from asking the forsaken question and ruining his entire life. Jay grew stronger, and after a second, managed to get Randall to let go. His tail still shook wildly from side to side though, and at one point whacked Randall hard on one side. The lizard- monster was pushed out of the stands and through the group of prancing cheerleaders, and as he fell backwards into the mud, slipping over and grasping at the air helplessly, the girls scattered, screaming and waving their pompoms about erratically. Zephyr and Jay watched on in amazement and amusement, as did the remainder of South House. Embarrassed, Randall shakily clambered to his feet and tried to shake some mud off, hoping to salvage his pride and reputation.
As another cheer travelled over from the West House side, he realised he was standing on the edge of the pitch and before he could move, the Kue ball had rolled slowly in front of one of his feet. The West House player who came to collect it was large and hefty, and as he scooped up the ball, 'accidentally' spraying Randall with gooey mud, he grinned and ran off with the speed of a very fat gazelle. Randall was dripping with mud, but he didn't care, as long as he got off the pitch. Laughing his head off, Jay greeted him at the edge of the stand, Zephyr lingering beside him. As she chuckled, not cruelly, at Randall's misfortune, he blushed deeply and wiped some of the mud that had been oozing off of his fronds. Zephyr looked around, making sure certain people weren't near, and smiled at Randall. Then, looking up at Jay, she spoke.
"The answer's yes. I'll go with Randall to the Prom. Just as long as he's not looking like this on the night." She gave Randall a surprise wink, and hearing her name being called, scuttled off.
"If it wasn't for me..." Jay began. Butting in, Randall wiped some more mud off.
"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have looked such an idiot in front of the whole of South House." Just as he had said this, their P.E. coach came over to them.
"Since you want to be so involved with the match, how about you join in? You're substituting for Flakely, NO ARGUMENTS!" he demanded before Randall could protest. He left the two for a second longer, and then beckoned for Randall to go over.
"And if it wasn't for you," Randall added huffily, "I wouldn't have had to play Shotzock."
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The freezing cold air of the morning eventually gave way to a warmish vent by lunchtime, so most of the students had decided to utilize this sudden touch of spring by eating outside. They sat on the warm stretches of grass in little groups, and Randall, Jay and Carmen (to the spiky monster's annoyance) were one of them. Clearing up, the clouds had retreated even further now to reveal a pleasantly blue sky for the first time in over a week. The threesome munched their lunch mainly in silence, sometimes breaking out into small conversations. Most students, Randall and his friends among them, had chosen a prime spot atop a rolling hill, overlooking the sea and a beach that went on for miles. But, because of such a gathering, it was getting a tad crowded and the groups of students sat closer together.
Randall growled under his breath as the bully that he had confronted before, named Striker, sat down a bit too close for his liking, along with some of his own friends. Sticking a fork into a chunk of plaicy, a variation of fish, Randall continuously stabbed at it till it was nothing more than a pile of mush, his friends looking on.
"What?" he said, noticing them staring.
"Randall, I know this'll be hard for you to take," Jay replied in a fakely sincere voice, "but your plaicy is already dead."
"Ha ha." As Randall said this, another piece of plaicy, this one still a whole rather than a pile of mush, flew through the air nearly hitting Randall. Fortunately, he ducked, but not so fortunate was who it hit. Striker felt the plaicy land on his back and sat up straight, the fish sliding its way down his coarse but patchy fur. He turned around, and the first thing in his view was Randall. The lizard-monster's eyes widened as he realised what the bully was thinking.
"Err...Ran?" Jay whispered to his side. "I'd go now if I were you."