Page 15 of Distortion
The question must be on my face when she turns back to me because she shrugs and rolls her eyes very dramatically. ‘We were roommates last year. We got bad blood. There was this blue yarn and I was making this kickass costume ... anyway I borrowed some.’ She huffs. ‘She’s in textiles and it turned out it was for her final project. I mean I replaced it, but how was I supposed to know that a different batch number can mean a totally different color hue? You’d think that shit would be standardized.’
I just nod, even more confused than I was before.
‘Anyway, ignore Travis and Mich. They’re idiots,’ she continues, waving a hand at the two boys in front of me when they sit up and loudly protest her name-calling. ‘Did you want to sign up?’
‘Um ...’ I glance at the two idiots. ‘Yes.’
Mich rolls his eyes. ‘This is bull,’ he mutters. ‘She’s probably here on orders from the sorority she’s pledging with. You know how they get their newbies to do dumb shit. I mean, c’mon, Lu. Look at her.’
‘I’m not,’ I start, but Lu raises a hand to stop me.
‘It’s okay,’ she says. ‘I’ll make sure you get on the list. Now, I want you to be honest with yourself.’ She pauses, I suppose for dramatic affect. ‘Do you want to dress like awarrior and battle like-minded individuals with pretend weapons?’
I grin at her and nod.
‘Okay,’ she says, drawing closer to me. ‘The first rule of Medieval Fight Club is ... you don’t talk about Medieval Flight Club.’
‘Okay! I won’t,’ I say earnestly with shake of my head.
‘The second rule of Medieval Fight Club is ... you don’t talk about Medieval Fight Club!’
I wonder if she’s gotten confused since she said the same thing twice, but she just starts giggling. I give her another smile, not understanding the joke.
‘Okay,’ I say.
I ignore whatever assholerly thing Travis says under his breath as Lu picks up one of the tablets from the table, still laughing a little.
‘God, I crack myself up,’ she mutters to herself. ‘Name?’
‘Marg – Daisy.’
‘Last name?’
Evans.‘Novelle.’
I glance up from the table when I don’t hear anything else to find all three of them staring at me again.
‘What?’ I ask, wondering what I’ve said or done now.
‘Novelle?’ the guy sitting next to Travis murmurs. ‘LiketheNovelles?’
I resist the urge to wince. Of course everyone knows John Novelle. He just paid for a sparkly new building here. Should have just used my late dad’s last name.
‘Yeah,’ I mutter. ‘John Novelle is my stepfather.’
‘So ...’ Lu’s eyes widen, ‘that would make Shade your ...’
‘Stepbrother. Yeah.’
‘Fuck,’ she mutters.
Then she seems to get over her surprise and taps in my last name.
‘Cell?’
I open and close my mouth. I didn’t think this through, I realize.
‘I don’t have one,’ I say.
