Page 37 of Skyblossom
“Oh my god, I need a minute,” Summer said. “Drake? What’s he talking to her about?”
“Does he know how to talk?” I said. Rosie threw her hands up.
“I didn’t think so! Maybe the girl is into mysterious.”
“Was she hot?” Kali said, and Rosie made a face.
“That’s the thing. Shewas. Like, I’d have jumped her then and there if she’d asked.”
Lumi put a hand up. “Do you want me to try foreseeing if you’ll get in her pants?”
Rosie stopped, a hand in the air, as her mind worked. “Not no,” she said finally. “Keep me posted. So she’s, like, genuinely hot! She can’t just be with Drake because she’s desperate. So he must actually be interesting when he talks to somebody!”
“I think he’s interesting,” Opal said, looking at their phone. Viv made a face at them.
“You think he’s interesting because he has an artifact. And you argue every fifteen minutes because you want to touch it and he won’t let you. That’s not interpersonal connection.”
“Yeah, it is,” Opal said, not looking up from their phone.
“So, we’ve got the first project for our team,” Rosie said. “And that’s to figure out who this girl is andwhatshe sees in Drake. Of all people!”
Lumi clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling. “Ooh, we’re a team? With missions and everything? Do we have a team name?”
“Oh… yes…” Rosie said, eyes narrowed, scanning the table as she thought of an answer on the spot, and her eyes landed on me before she said. “Skyblossom…”
Opal interjected, putting their phone down. “Artifact Force!”
Lumi clasped her hands together. “And the Chocolate Cake Crew!”
Viv stared into the middle distance. “I am not joining Skyblossom Artifact Force and the Chocolate Cake Crew.”
“Yeah, you are,” Kali said, elbowing her. “You’re in the galeria, you’re in the team. Besides, you’re not going to leave me stranded in the team by myself, are you?”
Viv looked away. “Ugh. Fine. If you’re in it.”
Summer met my gaze, suppressing laughter, and I laughed too when I saw it, eyes sparkling. “That sounds perfect,” she said. “Thanks for having me in the team.”
Rosie banged her hand down on the table. “That’s right! A force to be reckoned with across Starfall. And our first missionwillbe to figure out what the deal is with Drake and the hot girl!”
Lumi nodded. “I’ll be on duty figuring out if you two are going to fuck!”
Kali spoke lightly. “I hear one of the incoming first-years is getting tentatively placed in the empty room in our galeria… guess we’ll see how they feel about Skyblossom Artifact Force and the Chocolate Cake Crew.”
“Ooh, a mystery new member,” Summer said. “We’re off to an exciting start this semester.”
“Did they apply to the galeria?” I said. “Or were they automatically prompted for that room?”
“They requested it,” Kali said. “I think they’re a wannabe duelist. Maybe some admirer of Rosie’s.”
Summer laughed, elbowing me. “Getting a whole duelist collection together,” she said. I nudged her back, whispering playfully.
“I’ve noticed you don’t seem to mind me getting more practice in.”
“Psh. Not the worst thing ever.” She leaned over and kissed my cheek, just as the lights dimmed, pulling the focus in towards the stage at the end, where the five new House Champions for this year took the stage together with Headmaster Aries, and as the chatter through the hall died out, Rosie got in,
“Research the incoming first-years and figure out any interesting figures is another team mission. And whoever this newbie in the galeria is! What’s their agenda?”
I put a hand on her shoulder. “Shh. It’s okay. We can enjoy the presentation now, Mastermind Rosie.”
