Rising Shards

Things were going well. Like, so well I was getting suspicious. Marms and I got to dance, and any doubts I had about going to a dance washed away. I thought it'd be boring and stupid, but when it was just me and her out there...it was like the world was a better place.

Then we sat down with Roux and Raytris, then Risa showed up. First thing she says: "You know, getting rejected by you was one of the best things to happen to me."

What the hell am I supposed to say to that?

I guess I was glad I rejected her? Don't get me wrong, she was still my childhood best friend, and nothing could take that away. I just couldn't make myself turn those feelings romantic. Maybe I could have if we didn't get separated, if she didn't ghost me for a long while, then come back being like fifty percent more jackass. The latter was probably because she was with her rich family, and was at Wildfire Hearts, but still.

Now she had a polycule apparently that she spent like three hours bragging about on the bus ride to that mall shopping thing, and she was back to it again. Like, good for her, but I personally would find it hard to want to date Ovie Chirhart or her minions. 09 I used to be cooler with before she and Ovie kidnapped me, which I still wasn't over. Now they were all sitting by me like that didn't happen.

"Why are we even here?" Ovie asked, turning her nose up. I agreed with her, but her tone made me want to argue.

"You could try being nice," 09 said. "We're working on that, after all."

"Whatever," Ovie said.

Dancing with Marms had my brain in a different state than usual. Normally, I'd probably keep egging Ovie on until she left or one of us blew up, but even though I was annoyed by her being there, and I was still pissed about just about every interaction I ever had with her...I was also feeling too good to really care.

"I'm in a really good mood Ovie, so why don't you just like drop the whole mean girl thing today," I said. I reached my hand for the table, for some reason picturing high fiving Marms' hand, which in my imagination was palm up on the table, but it obviously wasn't. I felt strangely sad about this, so my attention went back to Ovie. "It's good to see you with someone who isn't a complete asshole like Jeans. Like four girls, damn."

"Her greed knows no bounds," Roux said.

Ovie rolled her eyes.

"I'm complimenting you," Roux said. "I respect a gal who gives completely into greed." Raytris snickered. At least one person thought Roux was funny.

"No, you're not, and no, you don't," Ovie said.

"You know, I'm still pissed about you kidnapping me," I said. "But...I think we should put that behind us. You're...like, good. Right?"

Again, if Marmalade didn't get me in such a good mood, I don't think I would've said any of this. But seriously, she awoke some weird side of me that was...I dunno, nicer?

Ovie looked more annoyed by this than if I just said she was a dumbass. "What do you even mean by good?"

"Like...I know how messed up Zates got by Jeans," I said. "Not to get all heavy at the dance, but like...are you good now? You don't talk to her anymore, right?"

It felt weird as hell saying it, but not bad. Like I just wasn't holding back on this for whatever reason. I smiled just a bit at Marmalade, wondering if she knew it was because of her I could activate this like...happy enough that I was willing to check in on Ovie of all people. Marmalade looked more perplexed than anything.

"And uh, if you don't wanna talk about this, it's cool," I said. "I am throwing it at you out of nowhere."

"I think it'd be good for her to talk about it," 09 said.

"She talked about that with us already," Risa grinned, somehow managing to yawn and stretch. in a way that felt like bragging.

"It was scary, but like, good," Chellsi said.

"Yeah, Ovie's so...like chill now!" Mikeila-Keila said.

"And we make out!" Chellsi said. "Like, for truthsies!"

"Yeah, for truthsies," Mikeila-Keila said.

Ovie's girlfriends must have had the same kind of effect on her that Marmalade did for me, because she didn't even snap about any of this, but she did blush a lot.

"I ended it with her, yes," Ovie said. "Thought about doing it in person, but I couldn't. I wrote her a letter. And mailed it to her. Texted it, too. I know she saw it."

I felt like a total idiot just then, because I somehow forgot even though we just talked, I forgot Jeans was like, technically here. If Aira came over, I'd have to find some way to get Ovie out of here.

Once we get Jeans and that Rem dude free, I'm telling her to back the hell away from Ovie. Not that that would do any good, I knew, but I suddenly felt like I should.

"And that's all I have to say about that," Ovie said. "Let's move on. Please. Things are...much...more suitable for me now."

"You got it," I said. "I think that's awesome."

"Whatever," Ovie said, but I saw the faintest hint at a smile on her face.

"Koridia's sudden maturity is concerning," Roux said.

"Yeah, where the hell is therapy Kalei coming from?" Risa asked.

I thought back to growing up in Anesville, where I'd hang out with Risa and Roux at the park. "We've all grown up a lot, I guess. I remember when you were too scared to even say 'heck.'"

"OK, fair, you got me there," Risa said.

We all managed a surprisingly pleasant conversation. It went so well that by the end of it, when Risa, Ovie, 09, Chellsi, and Mikeila-Keila left to dance some more, I wondered if it'd be easier to talk to the others about this Downside stuff finally.

And maybe...

As Raytris took a glob of her slime, handed it to Roux, who threw it back at her, and then repeated that over and over, I looked over at Marmalade.

Maybe there are some other things I need to talk about today.

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