"Does he always do that?" I asked over lunch, which we were eating outsde on the lawn rather than the cafeteria where we'd be more likely to be overheard.
"He doesn't usually hand out punishments like that," agreed Cornelia. I'd filled her in after history on who I was. "Still, maybe you should have Will do the report. After all, she's had plenty of spare time today."
I get the distinct impression that she was a little bit mad at Will about swapping out with me for the day. That put her on the same side as Taranee, but the dusky-skinned girl was currently a bit distracted by Irma who had finished her own packed lunch and was now trying to wheedle away Taranee's last sandwich.
"She'll be back at school tomorrow," I pointed out and clutched at my hair. "I've never actually written a report before now, can someone -"
Irma snatched the sandwich out of Taranee's hands right before the Guardian of Fire was about to take a bite and the rest of us were forced to scramble out of the way as the brunette bolted with her prize, our other friend right on her heels.
"Seriously, leave it to Will. You let her get away with too much."
"Well maybe I'll give her the normal homework. But I must have messed up to get the extra report so I'll deal with it."
"You're incorrigible," Cornelia sighed.
I looked over at where Taranee had tackled Irma to the ground, causing the sandwich to go flying off into the bushes. "Are you sure you aren't talking about Irma?"
"Irma's insane, we all know that. But you're not really living your own life, you're just getting by on the scraps from Will."
"That's... not true." It sounded weak even to me.
She rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you clean up after her every day. You help with her homework... now she's sending you to school for her."
"It's just this once!"
"So far," Cornelia told me with a flick of her hair. "Why don't you leave her the homework and come over to mine for dinner. She can hide out in the library - no one would ever go looking for Will there - and you can see what real sisters are like."
"You have a sister?"
"Yeah, the little monkey." I'm pretty sure it was an insult, but Cornelia said it fondly.
"I'd like to meet her, but if I do what you say then I'd be ditching my work onto Will, maybe another time."
Cornelia sighed. "You're an idiot. But I suppose you're our idiot."
"Have you chosen a name yet?" asked Hay Lin. "Because we can't keep just calling you not-Will."
I shook my head. Who knew picking a name would be so hard? Will still hadn't managed to pick a name for her dormouse either.
"Why not Astra?" Cornelia suggested. "It's a pretty name."
"It is pretty, but I'm more than just an astral drop," I objected.
"I'm going to call my astral drop Yan Lin, for grandmother," Hay Lin decided.
"You're going to create one?"
"Well not now, but next time Mum and Dad need me to help at the restaurant," she explained.
Cornelia gave me a 'you see what you started' look.
"What are you talking about?" asked Irma, plumping herself down next to us, the squabble with Taranee apparently over with.
Hay Lin sprawled backwards on the grass, stretching her arms out. "We're picking a name for her!"
"You don't get to pick," I protested.
"But we can make suggestions, right?" Taranee asked.
"I guess."
"Well." She knelt down beside me and put one hand on each shoulder. "How about Minerva?"
"'Minerva'?"
"She was a Roman goddess. The story is that Jupiter split her head out and she jumped out, fully grown."
"Well that fits," agreed Cornelia.
"I don't know about having a historical name."
"It's mythology not history."
"Well I like it," Irma declared. "We could call you Minnie."
"Never mind." "Forget it." "Next suggestion."
"What'd I say?" Irma asked Hay Lin who gave her shrug rather than get into an arguement.
Cornelia checked her watch. "We're running out of time before next class. I don't suppose anyone's come across anything relating to Metamoor at all? New sightings of Elyon?"
"Not since the museum. Maybe they're backing off?"
"I haven't seen anything new on the map."
Taranee sighed. "Yes, but doesn't need the Heart of Kandrakar to show anything new? That's another reason Will ought to be here. If anything happens, she's halfway across town!"
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
"He doesn't usually hand out punishments like that," agreed Cornelia. I'd filled her in after history on who I was. "Still, maybe you should have Will do the report. After all, she's had plenty of spare time today."
I get the distinct impression that she was a little bit mad at Will about swapping out with me for the day. That put her on the same side as Taranee, but the dusky-skinned girl was currently a bit distracted by Irma who had finished her own packed lunch and was now trying to wheedle away Taranee's last sandwich.
"She'll be back at school tomorrow," I pointed out and clutched at my hair. "I've never actually written a report before now, can someone -"
Irma snatched the sandwich out of Taranee's hands right before the Guardian of Fire was about to take a bite and the rest of us were forced to scramble out of the way as the brunette bolted with her prize, our other friend right on her heels.
"Seriously, leave it to Will. You let her get away with too much."
"Well maybe I'll give her the normal homework. But I must have messed up to get the extra report so I'll deal with it."
"You're incorrigible," Cornelia sighed.
I looked over at where Taranee had tackled Irma to the ground, causing the sandwich to go flying off into the bushes. "Are you sure you aren't talking about Irma?"
"Irma's insane, we all know that. But you're not really living your own life, you're just getting by on the scraps from Will."
"That's... not true." It sounded weak even to me.
She rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you clean up after her every day. You help with her homework... now she's sending you to school for her."
"It's just this once!"
"So far," Cornelia told me with a flick of her hair. "Why don't you leave her the homework and come over to mine for dinner. She can hide out in the library - no one would ever go looking for Will there - and you can see what real sisters are like."
"You have a sister?"
"Yeah, the little monkey." I'm pretty sure it was an insult, but Cornelia said it fondly.
"I'd like to meet her, but if I do what you say then I'd be ditching my work onto Will, maybe another time."
Cornelia sighed. "You're an idiot. But I suppose you're our idiot."
"Have you chosen a name yet?" asked Hay Lin. "Because we can't keep just calling you not-Will."
I shook my head. Who knew picking a name would be so hard? Will still hadn't managed to pick a name for her dormouse either.
"Why not Astra?" Cornelia suggested. "It's a pretty name."
"It is pretty, but I'm more than just an astral drop," I objected.
"I'm going to call my astral drop Yan Lin, for grandmother," Hay Lin decided.
"You're going to create one?"
"Well not now, but next time Mum and Dad need me to help at the restaurant," she explained.
Cornelia gave me a 'you see what you started' look.
"What are you talking about?" asked Irma, plumping herself down next to us, the squabble with Taranee apparently over with.
Hay Lin sprawled backwards on the grass, stretching her arms out. "We're picking a name for her!"
"You don't get to pick," I protested.
"But we can make suggestions, right?" Taranee asked.
"I guess."
"Well." She knelt down beside me and put one hand on each shoulder. "How about Minerva?"
"'Minerva'?"
"She was a Roman goddess. The story is that Jupiter split her head out and she jumped out, fully grown."
"Well that fits," agreed Cornelia.
"I don't know about having a historical name."
"It's mythology not history."
"Well I like it," Irma declared. "We could call you Minnie."
"Never mind." "Forget it." "Next suggestion."
"What'd I say?" Irma asked Hay Lin who gave her shrug rather than get into an arguement.
Cornelia checked her watch. "We're running out of time before next class. I don't suppose anyone's come across anything relating to Metamoor at all? New sightings of Elyon?"
"Not since the museum. Maybe they're backing off?"
"I haven't seen anything new on the map."
Taranee sighed. "Yes, but doesn't need the Heart of Kandrakar to show anything new? That's another reason Will ought to be here. If anything happens, she's halfway across town!"
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.