|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:09 pm
After the excitement of her painting exams and the sheer terror of midterms, settling into a normal school routine seemed positively boring. Ophelia had come off rather well in both, passing her painting exams with flying colors (if you'll excuse the pun), and managing to pass all of her school exams, even squeaking a B on the Math exam after the curve. (It helped that the course was remedial level.)
Continuing the trend of boredom, school lunches were positively unexciting, though occasionally they were perplexing. Ophelia put her tray down on a table in the cafeteria and examined the plastic spork lying on it. A curious utensil, never mind that they somehow thought she would need it for a sandwich.
She shrugged, put it down, and twisted the lid off of her iced tea. She was so totally over February.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:13 pm
Ophelia was not the only girl completely over February. February was the cruellest month for Wisp Darnell, who loved summers, and spent most of her nights dolefully wandering the city with a scarf around her neck and a slightly red nose; she did it rain or shine, half-compelled to for reasons she didn't explain and didn't question. She had re-dyed her hair since Ophelia saw her last -- her bangs were now an orderly rainbow from red to indigo, the rest of her hair the platinum blonde, and she immediately clattered down next to her friend.
"Hi," she said, and hugged Ophelia warmly with one arm as though the school day had been a long wasteland apart. Her tray appeared to be mostly sandwiches and a badly iced cupcake in a brown paper bag; probably from home. "Brrr. I am OVER this cold. I am over it. I am like, 'Yo cold, it is time for a scheduled time-out,' that's what I am like."
And: "Wow, is that a spork?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:30 pm
Ophelia held up the spork. "Yeah," she said. "It is." She frowned at it. "Kind of a weird thing to give me to eat a sub sandwich with, right?"
She put the spork down and looked over at her friend. "Anyway," she said, "I haven't seen you in like forever! Where have you been hiding? How'd your exams go?"
While she waited for an answer, she picked up her sandwich and took a bite out of it. She saw even less use for a spork now that she was actually eating.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:37 pm
"Awwwwwwwwwful," she admitted, "I passed maths, and I got great marks for like, art -- and science was okay -- English wasn't, I like barely passed. Seriously. That was the worst exam. I went in there and I had a complete freak-out. And I was like, B- in French and I never want to have to do it again, I busted my butt just getting B-. B for bore. How about you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:16 pm
"Pretty okay," shrugged Ophelia. "I barely got a B on math, and Biology and I are having a bit of a fight to the death - I could barely stay awake to study for it - but everything else was okay. I did really well in art, and on my painting exam."
She pointed to the lapel of her jacket, where a small gold paintbrush pin gleamed. "I'm officially an apprentice now!" she exclaimed happily. "Anyway, your hair looks so amazing and did I mention that I have a little brother now?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 5:31 pm
Wisp clapped out loud. She then extracted a sandwich and a brownie from her paper sack, contemplated them both, and picked the brownie to eat first instead, unwrapping it delicately. "No way," she said, but didn't sound as surprised as any other girl might have been -- they were both from the Liberty Center. Little brothers happened. She was a little sister. "What's he like? Is he cute?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:42 pm
"He's totally adorable," nodded Ophelia, beaming. She took a gulp of her tea and continued. "Dad named him Phineas, but dad's got a thing for names kids can't pronounce? So we call him Fish. It'd make sense if you saw him."
She smiled brightly. "You should come over and see him!" she said. Never mind that Fish was in the daycare right now and they could go see him during lunch. This was more fun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 8:13 pm
"Can I come this afternoon?" her friend said, and then thought better of it; "Sorry, I am so rude, Mom is always all Wisp stop inviting yourself everywhere you have to wait don't be a pain to your friends that's not proper you know, words words words -- but can I come over and see him? I love babies. I love cute babies named 'Phineas' even more, promise."
How Wisp knew this innately wasn't apparent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:28 pm
Ophelia smiled, giggling lightly at the same time. "I think that'd be really cool," she said. "And we can catch up on all sorts of stuff."
She contemplated her sandwich and then took a bite of it. She chewed thoughtfully, swallowed, and took a sip of tea. "We have totally got to take more classes together next semester," she declared.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 12:39 am
"Yes totally," said Wisp, only then she looked depressed. "Except I will probably go to remedial English and be in with all the kids. So. We'll have maths together and we have art together -- oh man we TOTALLY have to take the same art classes, okay? -- and we'll have the same gym class, and health class, and."
Her blue eyes bugged out comedically when she added, "Have you had sex ed yet? We so have it scheduled. I'm all, woo this be WHACK, I kind of hope we never get around to it because I will die of embarrassment, you know?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:18 am
"I think I'm scheduled for it next semester," nodded Ophelia, who wasn't sure how she felt about taking Sex Ed. Her father hadn't been quite sure what to do with her after she'd grown, so for once in her life he'd handed her off to her aunt on the other side of Gaia who was otherwise totally avoided. Aunt Michelle had explained things like bras and pads and periods to her, but had stopped short of the birds and the bees.
"I'm in Studio Art and Art History," she said, changing the subject. "Actually, I'm in three different history classes, but they're so cool! You have got to take History of Magic with me, okay? I am, like, awful at practical magic, but History of Magic is an awesome class."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:43 pm
Wisp immediately puffed out her cheeks in the manner of a nervous puffer-fish. "Oh man, you pick the one class I know I am going to suck at," she said. "I am actually pretty okay with practical magic? It's like, it's not that difficult for me? But don't ask me anything about history. It's way worse since my mom has written like a billion books, WRITTEN, so any stupid mistake I make she is like 'Wisp what the hell why are you so stupid in your brain pan,' and I am like 'ugh you are right.'"
But she looked hopeful: "Maybe if you help me? Like, I don't know -- I hate study group but if it was you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:52 pm
Ophelia grinned. "History of Magic is really cool," she said, "It's not like in Harry Potter at all. Old-timey Wizards having wars and trying to double-cross each other is really kind of awesome to learn about."
She thought for a moment.
"Like, have you seen the movie The Prestige? The one with, like, um, Batman and Wolverine in it? It's sort of like that."
She laughed. "And of course I'd help you! What else are friends for?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:58 pm
"Shopping for sandals," said Wisp promptly. "We so need to do that too."
But she pulled out her folder, still chomping on her brownie, and was already scribbling in history of magic into her timetable as a note to herself. "Oh my God," she said. "They made a sequel with Wolverine AND Batman?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 5:08 am
Ophelia twiddled with her spork. She investigated the fruit cup that was balanced on the edge of her tray and decided maybe it really did make sense to have one after all. "Well, it's the same actors," she shrugged. "So it's not really Wolverine and Batman, but it sort of is?"
She bounced in her chair. "Definitely," she said. "I so need some new sandals. All of mine stopped fitting when I grew. I have huuuge feet now. It's ridiculous."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
