Samara opened her eyes with a long groan. A stiff pain came from her neck and when she sat up she realized why. She had been sleeping on top of a hard cussion in a weird angle. As she looked around her she realized she was the last one up. Voices came from her bedroom.
"…can't figure out why it doesn't work!" Stella sounded irritated.
"What if I hold everything together with branches?" Flora asked.
"That won't work at all!" the fairy of the Sun said.
Samara peeked inside and saw that Flora and Stella were holding pieces of her dress in their hands.
"Good morning." She said.
The two fairies turned towards her.
"Good morning, how did you sleep?" Flora asked with a smile.
"Very good actually." Samara said thruthfully. "Where is everyone else?"
"Musa went to a bar with Riven and Tecna went to Red Fountain to meet Timmy." Flora said.
"That reminds me that I need to hurry to get dressed myself." Stella said.
"Wait what time is it?" Samara asked.
"Near eleven o'clock." Flora said. "We didn't want to wake you up too early, given everything what happened yesterday…"
Samara stared at the pieces of fabric and felt her head turn red of embarrasment.
"I am so sorry, don't bother with the dress, I'll find something else to wear." She said as she took the pieces from her friends.
"Really, I could just…" Stella said but Samara pushed her out of her room.
"No you need to get ready for Brandon and you too Flora, Helia will be waiting outside."
"But…"
"I'll find something to wear, I just freaked out about it yesterday because I was tired, I am so sorry about that." Samara said before closing the door.
She could hear two doors closing which meant that Flora and Stella retreated to their own rooms.
"Okay…" Samara sighed as she looked around. "First things first."
She threw the pieces of her dress into the trashcan and opened her closet. Within ten minutes literally every piece of clothing was on the floor.
"Oh no…" Samara groaned as she rummaged through the pile.
Then suddenly a light popped up in her head.
"The black dress…" She muttered. "That could work for dinner but I can't wear it to walk in the forest."
…
Palladium blinked several times before he forced his eyes open. The sun was basking his room in an orange glow which felt nicely warm. He rolled over and checked the time. Five minutes before eleven. He rolled back and closed his eyes again.
Wait…WHAT
He jumped out of bed and started to collect his clothes from his dresser.
How in whoevers name did I sleep this long?! I never sleep this long without even waking up once from a nightm…
He stared at himself in his bathroom mirror, toothbrush in hand.
"Wizgiz!" He growled.
Said leprachaun was enjoying a late breakfast when he looked up to footsteps emerging. Palladium was marching towards him and didn't look too happy.
"Ah there you are, had a good rest I hope?" Wizgiz asked.
"You drugged me!" Palladium said.
Several students who were walking by looked at them. Palladium smiled at them but resumed glaring daggers at his friend when they were gone.
"You put a sleeping potion in my tea last night." He growled.
"That I did, you're welcome." Wizgiz said sipping his coffee.
"I almost overslept, I'm supposed to meet Samara here right now, what if I hadn't woken up in time?"
"She will most likely break up with you and never want to see you again." Wizgiz said with a smirk. "Relax Palladium, Samara is a young adult not a teenage girl, she would have understood."
His face grew a bit more serious.
"Are you going to tell her about last night?"
Palladium took his time to answer by stuffing some of the breakfast left on the teachers table in his bag.
"What are you doing lad?" Wizgiz asked a bit concerned.
"I was supposed to prepare a nice picknic for us to enjoy in the forest, but since I did not have the time to do that I will have to take this instead." Palladium said.
"I could have helped you do that." A voice suddenly sounded behind the elf.
Palladium almost knocked down a coffee pot as he turned around to see Samara.
"Oh there you are." He said.
The fairy looked at him with a slightly concerned look.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"Yes, yes everything is fine." Palladium said. "Ready to go?"
Samara nodded. "I'm sorry if I'm not really properly dressed."
She wore light blue jeans with a light pink shirt and her hair was tied in a messy bun.
"You look great." Palladium said.
Samara laughed a bit nervous. "I didn't know what to wear and just threw this on last minute."
"Alright off you go." Wizgiz said with a smile.
Palladium took Samara's hand and together they walked out of the school. The sun was shining bright now.
"It's nice weather to walk in the forest." Samara said, trying to ignore some weird looks other students gave them.
"It sure is." Palladium said tightening the grip on her hand just ever so little as he saw the same faces.
Samara looked at him a bit closer. He wore beige pants with a light green blouse. The top two buttons of the blouse were loose.
They walked through the gate and entered the path that led into the forest. Immediately the air around them grew colder.
"What was it you needed to tell me about last night?" Samara asked now that they were secluded.
"It's not that big of a deal." Palladium said. "Last night I…well I had a nightmare."
He realized how childish that sounded but to his relief Samara did not laugh.
"What was it about?"
"Celena, impersonating you."
He decided that was all she needed to hear.
"She keeps haunting us." Samara sighed.
Palladium nodded and threw his arm around her waist. "But lets not have her ruin our first Cupids Day together."
They soon found a clearing and sat down to have lunch. Samara noticed it was the same spot as where they sat down the night of the ball but decided not to bring that up.
Since neither had eaten any breakfast they helped themselves to everything Palladium had shoved into his bag.
"So Wizgiz has given you tea with your own sleeping potion in it?" Samara asked trying to hide her amusement.
"He did!" Palladium said before he ate a grape. "Best sleep I've had in a long time though."
Samara took a bite of her second cheese sandwhich.
"How come you haven't had breakfast?" Palladium asked.
The fairy swallowed the bite down before answering.
"I overslept as well." She said. "And had a wardrobe failure."
"Seems we both needed some more rest." Palladium said.
Samara nodded and decided not to tell her boyfriend about her meltdown last evening. It was just lack of sleep that was all.
After lunch they lay down on the grass and stared at the sky. White clouds slowly drifted by. Samara closed her eyes contently as she heard Palladiums heart beat steady underneath her ear.
"Can't believe lessons start tomorrow already." She whispered. "I could spend another week like this."
Palladium hummed in agreement. "I have the firstyears in the morning, already can't wait." He said sarcastically.
Samara laughed. "I have no idea what our schedule is like, we have to be in the auditorium at nine to hear a speech from Faragonda."
"Yes, interesting year this will be."
Samara turned around to face the elf.
"What do you know?" She asked.
Palladium raised his shoulders in a bad act of ignorance.
"Tell me!"
Samara started to tickle Palladium.
"You know I can't!" He laughed out loud.
He rolled them both over and held her hands above her head.
"You'll have to wait and see."
Samara laughed. "I know, it will be weird not having you as a teacher anymore."
Palladium sighed. "I know that, but I have informed professor Avalon about all my lessons for the coming two months." "Poor lad seemed quite overwhelmed…"
"Enough about school." Samara said. "I'd rather focuss on this."
She held her head up and kissed Palladium. The elf was taken aback for a second, the tips of his ears turning a bit red but kissed her back. This time, they didn't stop there.