A/N: Two updates within three days! You guys are spoiled... ;)
The bell rang, and Merida left her English class behind her in her rush to the cafeteria. English wasn't her choice of class, but it wasn't the worst. Her teacher was kind, and definitely the more laid-back type, with a voice that was as soothing to the ears as water trickling over rocks. She was Merida's favourite teacher, but the work assigned was the worst. Even though she did the work, it didn't mean that she had to like it.
Manoeuvring her way through the emerging throngs of students, eager to get to the cafeteria (aka. the commons). She wasn't worried about getting themselves seats. She knew that, even though there were barely enough tables to accommodate all the students, there would always be their table free for them. It was an unspoken rule. Once you laid claim over a table the first day at school, it was yours. No one had the right to take it.
Finally reaching the cafeteria, she raced towards the lunch line, becoming a part of the hungry pack.
Getting through the feeding frenzy that was the café area, mobs of people itching to get to the food and sweets first, she made her way out to the table, successful with a bowl of the popular mac n' cheese dish that was served only today this week.
Rapunzel was already there, with her usual bottle of sweet tea and a bowl of fruit.
"Hey, Punzie. You feeling okay? You usually love macaroni day." Setting her bowl down and settling down into a chair. At Merida's voice, Rapunzel snapped her head up, a dazed, almost hazy look in her eyes.
"Huh, oh, yeah. I'm fine." Rapunzel smiled, but Merida knew just by her look when she first approached that something was up, though.
"Punzie. For the years that I've known you, I'm become very learned to your mannerisms. You aren't telling me something." A cheesy fork was put into her mouth.
Rapunzel looked at her. She didn't speak for several moments as she pushed around the fruit in her bowl. "I'm just not really hungry." Another moment of pushing around the fruit cubes. "I don't know. I've been a little worried I guess."
"'Bout school?" Merida popped another fork of cheesy food into her mouth.
"No, not quite school. Even though they should ease the work load down quite a bit." She took a sip of her tea, replaced the cap, and rested the side of the bottle on a cheek.
Merida noticed Rapunzel's cheeks and forehead were more flushed than usual. The first thought that Merida had was that Rapunzel's fever came back. Reaching over, Merida checked her forehead.
"Merida?" Rapunzel questioned the sudden approach, but she allowed Merida to check her temperature. It didn't seem too overly warm, definitely not as warm as her forehead yesterday when she really had the fever, but warm still.
"Are you sure you're okay, Punzie?"
"Yeah, I feel okay. Better than I was yesterday. Besides, we checked my temperature this morning, and it was a healthy temperature."
"Just wanted to make sure that it didn't come back. Don't strain yourself too much today, Punzie. Otherwise, it will come back again."
"Alright, mother." She gave a genuine grin this time, as well as finally spearing a fruit cube on her fork.
There was a moment of silence, both girls eating their meal happily. Merida went over their conversation in their head, when she was reminded of something. "Oh, yeah. So what exactly was bothering you?"
Rapunzel paused in mid putting-a-fruit-cube-into-her-mouth and looked down at the table. "Well, Jack has been acting a little weird today..." Merida froze, her body starting to heat up nervously. She bit her tongue in an attempt to keep a poker face. Shit. "… but it may just be me. Have you noticed anything?"
"Uhh, I can't say that I have." Jesus, you might as well say you spilt her secret on accident! You sound guilty as hell! "I don't have any morning classes with him, so I wouldn't know. You can ask Hiccup though, he has fourth period with him."
"What about second period?" Hiccup and Jack walked up to the table, their own food in their hands as they sat down. Hiccup next to Rapunzel and Jack next to Merida.
"Damn, what took you guys so long? You're usually the first ones here." Merida pointed her cheesy fork at them accusingly, trying to avoid the previous topic.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I was dragged into helping clean up the lab with Hiccup."
"I volunteered, but you were the one who decided to stay to help me, Jack." Hiccup now pointed a cheesy fork at Jack.
Chuckling, Merida caught on. "Oh, so Jack isn't the 'cool guy' he sets out to be."
Jack's eyes now flickered from Merida, to Hiccup, then back at Merida. "Helping others out is cool, Merida. You know, being a good person and helping out others is what a cool person does. Unlike a red-head who wouldn't offer to do that."
Rolling her eyes, Merida spoke again. "Jack." She put a finger up in the air to silence him. "You know, you just contradicted yourself just now. You say you were dragged into it, and then you say you offered. Which one is it, Frosty?"
"Well, I-" She saw it. The emotions in his eyes giving him away. He went from a defensive to an acknowledgement of his actions. In the end, he decided to remain silent to prevent himself from looking more like a fool. A wise decision indeed on his part. Merida snickered and focused back on her food.
Several minutes went by, with little conversation until everyone had satisfied their hunger.
The rest of the lunch period went by more or less as usual: Jack and Merida having it off (Jack giving Rapunzel the frequent glance at Rapunzel when she wasn't looking) and Hiccup making the occasional sarcastic comment or playing peacekeeper about their bickering, but Rapunzel remained quiet. It seemed normal until Rapunzel placed her head on the table, giving a few laboured breaths.
Jack noticed right away. "Rapunzel? Are you okay?" Hiccup placed a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder, and Merida again reached over to touch her forehead.
Oh you have got to be kidding me. "She's burning up. Her fever came back. I'll call her parents." As Merida pulled her phone out of her pocket the class bell rang, signalling the five minutes till class started.
"Guys, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy. We need to get to class." She made to stand up, but Merida saw her wobbling, reaching for the table for support.
"No no no no, girly. You are going home. There is no way you are staying here when you can't even walk straight." Merida, being the athlete she is, jumped over the table and slung Rapunzel's arm over her shoulders.
"Fine. I'll call my parents, but you have class. I'm not going to have you be late to class because of me. I can get to the office by myself. Don't worry." Rapunzel took her arm from her shoulders.
Princess you are as stubborn as a- "I'll take her." Merida stopped trying to get Rapunzel's arm back over her shoulders as she turned to the voice. Jack made his way around the table. "I have a free period. I can take her to the office."
Letting out a groan, Merida gave up. "Fine. Punzie, you better make sure you are as healthy as a horse before you come back to school."
"Yes, mam'." Rapunzel gave a slight smile as she hung onto a chair.
Merida, now freshly reminded of Jack, walked up beside him, whispering to him as she passed. "Don't make it seem obvious that I told you. I don't want her to think that I betrayed her. Got it?"
She didn't need to see him to know that he nodded.
Taking the lead, she and Hiccup walked out of the lunch room. Looking back, Merida watched Rapunzel and Jack walk out the opposite doors.
A/N: Alright so here are their schedules:
Rapunzel:
1. History
2. Painting
3. Language
4. Math
5. English
6. Theatre
7. Science
Merida:
1. Math
2. Science
3. History
4. English
5. Art
6. Theatre
7. PE
Hiccup:
1. English
2. Math
3. Workshop
4. Science
5. History
6. Theatre
7. Art
Jack:
History
2. PE
3. English
4. Science
5. Free
6. Theatre
7. Math