Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age.
AN: Sorry for the wait…anyway, here's chapter 14, marking the end of the vital bits of this story. The next part isn't as important, but still. May do a sequel…too early to tell. Thanks for the reviews!
Chapter 14:
"Here."
Ellie startles as Shira practically thrusts the ziplock bag into her hands, as if she wanted to be over and done with it. Still, the brunette smiles and looks inside it, then glances back up again. "You didn't tell him?"
Shira shrugs and walks away, relieved when Ellie doesn't stop her. When she looks over her shoulder, Ellie is already heading to her locker.
Letting out a sigh, Shira runs a hand through her hair and groans. Only a few more days until winter break, and then some of the Half-Peak students who remained would stay an extra week before travelling with the Valley Students to Glacier Pass.
Diego was one of the students, and Shira found, to their immense luck (and maybe a little extra magic) that they were in a small bus together with Manny (tolerable when he was quiet), Ellie (always a plus), Sid (if he irked her she was going to kill him, and no one was going to stop her), and the twins (Big NO).
Still, it wasn't like she could argue with the placement, so she settles down and makes sure everything is settled. Her parents sign dozens of forms and makes sure she is aware of all the help and numbers that she will potentially need, including both legal and those from the Other World.
As the days fly by with a blessed lack of deadlines, there is a noticeable buzz of excitement in the air as the Sophomore students look forward to the trip to Half-Peak. Winter holidays come with a cheer as the students dash out of their classes, barely heeding their teachers' calls to keep up with their work.
Ellie constantly invites her over. Shira agrees to go when it's just Ellie, but when it's everyone else and they are clearly uncomfortable with Diego joining them, she starts to decline their invitation more often than not.
Call Shira whatever you want, but she is loyal if you earned her trust.
And Diego is one of those few trusted peoples.
The point remains that Shira's suitcase is still startlingly empty, to the point that her parents are starting to fuss over it. She shoves it under the table, not wanting to confront the real reason why she doesn't want to pack it, and goes out more often than not.
Diego makes it a habit to come by and pick her up whenever they go out together, and Eliza is crafty enough that he starts to come in. As the time he spends at her house becomes longer and longer, Shira ignores her mother's sly winks and her father's knowing looks, and instead pushes Diego to her bedroom (pointedly ignoring her mother's call to 'leave the door open!').
Regardless of her parents, Shira enjoys having Diego around. He's quick and sharp, and gets along with her parents better than she could even hope to. Her father, viciously judgemental, gets the favour returned by a Witch more than half his age, who doesn't share the same fear that others do of him. Eliza rolls her eyes, but is delighted when she and Diego discuss political issues that Shira has no interest in.
Diego never stays over, but it's a close thing.
Shira's parents are protective of her, especially since the Hound emerged, and despite Diego's power - or maybe because of - her parents are reluctant to let Diego traverse back to his room alone.
Still, he persists stubbornly, humouring them with late night texts of having reached his place safely.
Anyways.
She digresses.
The point is, they were leaving in two days, and Diego was currently at her room to help her pack. Her parents had become so worried they had recruited him behind her back, and he had listened, that snivelling traitor.
Still, Diego's grinning and in a good mood, and Shira knows her anger will die down soon. At the moment, she is currently sorting through her clothing, because she is not going to let Diego sort those out, whether or not he was joking about finding the most ridiculous clothes she owns.
She has that much dignity, after all.
Diego examines the painfully few books on her shelf. "You do realise a shelf is to hold books, right?"
Shira flips him off and folds another shirt.
Diego rolls his eyes and plops down in the desk chair, watching her fold clothes. She scowls as another shirt - nearly folded - slips off the bed, landing in a crumpled heap on the floor. Chuckling quietly, Diego waves a hand, and the shirt carefully folds itself and slips into her bag.
Shira turns, hands on hips and exasperated as always. "You couldn't have started with that"
"Where's the fun in that?" Diego asks lazily. "Besides, it's not like I use magic like that all the time."
"You don't?" Shira furrows her brow. "I thought you could get away with smaller feats of magic like this."
"I can," Diego confirms, "but too much tends to pile up and still create a target on my back. So, boring mortal way it is."
Shira huffs out what she refuses to acknowledge is a huff, and turns back to her clothes.
"Anyways," Diego straightens. "The charms protecting your house thankfully shields my magic as well. So thank you for that."
"You're welcome," She snipes back.
Diego grins, then heads back to the shelf.
"Not another word about it," Shira calls as she holds up a pair of jeans. Would she really need this?
"Just packing books, kitty," Diego assures her. "Nothing diabolical about that."
"That's what you think," Shira mutters darkly.
Diego laughs, startled, but returns to the task at hand. "History of Music?"
"No."
"Abraham Lincoln biography?"
"Yes."
Diego tosses the book to her carelessly without turning around; likewise, Shira reaches out a hand and catches it effortlessly to slip it into her back.
"Textbooks?" Diego teases.
Shira groans.
Diego laughs again as he pulls out the relevant ones, cocking his head to the side to read the titles on their spines. He whistles. "Advanced chemistry, kitty? Never took you for it."
"Shut it," Shira snaps back.
"Spanish," Diego mutters, listing now, "English…actually, let's just bring all of them."
Shira glares. "I'm carrying this, you know."
"I do," Diego replies, dropping the stack of books on her bed. The books bounce on the bed, one of them thudding to the floor on the other side. Shira eyes him, unimpressed, as he grins a little sheepishly. A quick wave of his hand causes the books to slide back into her luggage.
Shira gives him an exasperated but fond smile, and rewards him with a kiss on the cheek.
"What's Half-Peak like?" She asks.
Diego shrugs. "Huge? More gym equipment, if that's what you're asking."
"What about the Tournament?"
Shira practically feels Diego perk up. His eyes light up almost comically as he throws himself into the desk chair once more. "At least thirty teams every year from across the nation, and Half-Peak has attended ever since the Tournament started. We've been hosting the event for the last ten years."
Such a kid, Shira thinks fondly. "How does it happen?"
"It lasts for a week. Smaller matches on the first day to eliminate about half the teams; the second day takes out the remaining half, and it goes on. Usually the matches get longer as more teams get eliminated, so by the end of the week, it's usually between the final two teams. It almost always includes Half-Peak and," he sneers, "Underworld."
"Underworld?" Shira asks.
Diego shrugs. "Name doesn't matter. They always…work around the rules."
"They cheat?" Shira demands. "And they still play every year."
"Doesn't matter so long as they don't get caught," Diego sighs, sounding irritated. "And it's not just cheating. It's the small technicalities that cause other teams to become disqualified from competition."
"So the only way to defeat them…"
"Is to memorise the rulebook back to front, front to back." Diego reclines further. "Trust me, it's a pain, but it's necessary to make sure we turn up on time, right shoes, right clothes, right sports, right time outs, and everything." He sighs. "Coach made it a requirement ever since Half-Peak nearly lost their winning streak after some idiot showed up five minutes later and nearly jeopardised us."
"I'm guessing you've never played though?" Shira asks. "Unless the homeschool rumours are false."
Diego grins. "Nah, they're unfortunately true. But the time I joined, the Tournament was already over. First time this year."
"What sports?" Shira hums, stuffing in some pajamas.
"Basically everything that you can think of. Track-and-field, long jumps, javelin, everything. Think of it as a mini-Olympics."
Shira cocks her head to the side. "They all happen at the same time?"
Diego gives a nod.
"I thought you were doing more than one?"
"I'm one of the few," Diego confirms. "Coach organises it so we can make it to all our events on time." He grins. "Benefit of hosting: we get to decide the schedule."
"Which sports are you doing?"
"Football, and track."
"Good luck," Shira says. There is a hint of sarcasm in it, and she can tell Diego has noticed from the growing smile on his face.
"Gee, you have a way of making 'good luck' sound like 'drop dead' too."
"It's a skill."
Shira nods then shuts her luggage. "That's enough packing for today."
Diego stares in dismay at the half-filled luggage. "We've been here not even an hour."
Shira shrugs. "I need a drink."
Following the holidays, Shira finally boards the bus with her friends to Half-Peak. Again, Ellie and Manny are sending wary looks at Diego, but the Witch successfully ignores the as he takes a seat in the front.
Ellie shoots her a supportive smile as she goes with Manny to the back.
Shira slides into the seat next to Diego, who has plugged in his earphones. He offers a earbud to her, which she slides into her right ear. He presses a dry kiss to her cheek, then turns out the window.
Half-Peak, here we come.
