AN- I wrote this in my school planner, haha. XD You should see how filled up the little margins are.
As soon as Shadow hears the word, "partner," he smiles wildly. This is perfect—no, more than perfect. This project is going to be easy with one of his best friends by his side. His gaze drifts a few seats ahead, and he sees his excitement reflected on Red's face. It's clear they're thinking the same thing—Let's be partners.
"Now," Mr. Strudwick continues, "Get in pairs so I can record all of this…" His gaze drifts down to his notebook, and as soon as he looks up Shadow has reached Red's side. Mild surprise flashes over his face, but Shadow just grins and gives Red's hand a quick squeeze. Red squeezes back, and Shadow's grin grows just a bit wider.
Mr. Strudwick looks left and right, occasionally stopping to glance at his notebook and scribble something down. Students scramble to get their ideal pick, and the room is full of chattering. Ralph and Agitha pair up almost as fast as Red and Shadow did, and they wave at Shadow despite being in the pair of desks behind him. Saria pairs up with Mido, who's turning a bright red. Shadow sees both Cawlin and Pipit head towards Karane, but she approaches Malon before either of them can make a move.
Out of the corner of his eye, Shadow catches a glimpse of lavender. He turns, only for his dark blue eyes to lock with Vaati's honey brown. As Vaati looks away, Shadow briefly wonders who on Earth would want to be partners with the former demon king. That is, until he spots Fado nearby, gently nudging Vaati's shoulder. Traitor, he thinks as he turns around, but deep down he knows Fado is up to something. It's the only thing he can be sure of with that girl.
Trying to lift his spirits, he turns back to Red. By the way his lips are twitching, he can tell it's working. "This is gonna be so much fun," he says, lips curling up into a small smile.
Red smiles, and that gets Shadow's small smile to erupt into a larger one. "I know!" Red agrees. "I mean, it'll still be work, but with you it'll be fun work!"
Shadow nods happily, but his eyes impulsively dart back to Vaati and Fado. When he looks back, confusion is written all over Red's face. "I can't believe Fado is Vaati's partner," he says, hoping that it's a valid explanation.
Red looks surprised, and within fractions of a second he's staring at the pair in the back of the room. When he turns back to Shadow, something in his confused stare has frozen over. "That's weird," he says slowly.
Shadow picks up his pencil. Turning it over in his hand, he clutches it tightly. "I know. I mean, Fado is weird, but she's nice." He pauses, then adds, "I should know," as an afterthought.
Red is quiet for a second or two before saying softly, "You won't ever end up like Vaati, right? I mean, I don't think you will, but… Fado, and…" He trails off, staring at his jeans, but Shadow knows what he means.
But on the other hand… what would have caused Red to think that?
"What? Red, no! Of course not."
Red smiles, his gaze softening as he looks back up at Shadow. "Promise?" he whispers, and it's as if he's prodding Shadow with his words; nudging him in the right direction. He's not forcing Shadow to be nice, he's merely suggesting it.
Shadow smiles, because Red is too nice for his own good, and he's not sure Red even knows it. "I promise."
AN- Ahhh yes. More extras!
From Doubtful to Confident (about their decisions)
Red- Red's problem isn't that he hates himself, it's that he has a lot trouble making decisions. He's definitely the type to waver between his options, mostly because he doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, or because both options are ohmigosh so great. Even once he's decided, he wonders if it was the right choice. Some might say he needs to get a grip.
Green- Green really hates deciding between two things, especially when someone's feelings are at stake. That's why he was reluctant to give up Vaati. And as you know, if he feels he's made a wrong choice, he'll try to change back (unlike Red, who just worriedly wonders about what he's done).
Vaati- Vaati… was difficult to place on this scale. Back when he was king, he was extremely confident in most of his decisions, but that's because he had the student body wrapped around his finger. But on his own… Vaati just doesn't know what he's supposed to do. He'll do something, and tell himself that it was the right decision, even if he really isn't sure.
Shadow- Shadow is right smack in the middle of this. Sometimes he sure of himself, sometimes he's not so sure. His confidence wavers. He just has a shy side, I suppose.
Zelda- Zelda has to be fairly confident in her decisions. It's part of running for student council… right? Well, when it comes to decisions about her school, she's very confident. Everyday decisions? Fine. But if drama erupts, the pressure is on. Big time.
Blue- Blue acts like he's always confident in his decisions—and a lot of the time, he is. But not always. He has his moments—quite a few of them.
Vio- Have you guys noticed that even when drama breaks out, Vio always seems to know what he's doing? Vio's always convince that what he's doing is the right thing—or that it's not bad, at the least.