walking away.
Morgan, Roland, and I stood stunned with our mouths agape. Taylor ran up on us in a reserved panic.
“Did you see that? That was impossible,” he gasped. I reached down and plucked the football from the grass and slowly handed it back to Taylor.
“Nothing’s impossible, T. Not in this school.”
LEVEL 08
BIG FREEZE
Detention. Again. Story of my life. At least I was able to share this latest round of punishment with Olivia. She quickly walked past my desk, pulling her long brown hair up into a ponytail. Strips of vibrant purple were painted throughout, highlighting her perfect face. She impatiently tapped her fingernails along the surface of her desk and looked my way.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“We meet again,” I teased. She playfully rolled her eyes and leaned closer to me.
“I’ve got some good news.”
“Really? What?”
“Homecoming Dance!” she announced. A disgruntled kid in the back of the room grumbled disapprovingly. We tried our best to ignore him.
“Homecoming?” I asked, wide-eyed. Was she going to ask me to the dance ? I hated school functions, especially dances, but for her, I’d make an exception.
“Yeah. My band just got the word, we’re playing the dance.” She sounded so excited but all I could do was pout. I thought for sure she was going to ask me to be her date. For a split second I thought maybe she had reconsidered our arrangement.
“Oh,” I mumbled. “That’s great, Olivia.” She could tell I was upset but she pretended not to notice.
“Lucas, I was hoping you’d be there.”
“I don’t know. I’ll probably still be grounded then, and I really hate school dances.” I searched my brain for more excuses not to come and she looked hurt by my words.
“Is that so?” she frowned.
“Yes.”
Looking away from me, “Okay.”
An awkward silence began to fill the void between us. I shuffled in my seat nervously. I felt bad. Surprisingly, my arm began to tingle and Ripley came to life inside my head.
~ Lucas, you should accept her invitation. ~
I should? I responded back with only my thoughts.
~ Yes. ~
Why? She said she needed to take things slow. I think the fact that I have an all-powerful dragon living inside of me is just a bit too much for her.
~ You’re wrong. ~
How would you know?
~ Because I believe. ~
With a huff and a slap on my desktop, I snapped out loud, “Don’t start that again!” Olivia looked at me with shock. Quickly, she glanced down at my tattoo along my arm and smiled.
“What’s Ripley saying now?” she barely whispered.
“Umm…nothing…” I said, embarrassed. She locked her eyes on mine and tilted her head my way as if to say, ‘stop lying to me’ . I shrank in my chair a little before finding my courage again. Maybe Ripley was onto something. Why would she be upset that I refused to come to the dance if she didn’t still have feelings for me? I held my breath and slid closer to her.
“Maybe I could stop by the dance for a few minutes.” Her face lit up a little at my words.
“Really?”
I nodded my head yes, and asked, “Would you save me a dance?” Her eyes spun with anticipation.
A playful smile crawled along her lips. “Maybe.”
Time slowed down and I felt my heartbeat in my cheeks. Olivia always seemed to do this to me. I returned a goofy smile and leaned back in my chair. I could’ve lived in that moment for at least a week but like the rest of my day, things were about to get complicated.
“Are you two done?” Someone asked disgusted from the back of the classroom. “I understand detention is supposed to be a punishment, but listening to you two lovebirds is just plain painful!”
Olivia and I whipped around to find Rory McConnell, the school’s worst bully. Red hair, pimples, bad teeth, all wrapped in a leather jacket and attitude. He was one of my regulars. A bully you could set your clock by. Looking into his bloodshot eyes, I knew
Morgan, Roland, and I stood stunned with our mouths agape. Taylor ran up on us in a reserved panic.
“Did you see that? That was impossible,” he gasped. I reached down and plucked the football from the grass and slowly handed it back to Taylor.
“Nothing’s impossible, T. Not in this school.”
LEVEL 08
BIG FREEZE
Detention. Again. Story of my life. At least I was able to share this latest round of punishment with Olivia. She quickly walked past my desk, pulling her long brown hair up into a ponytail. Strips of vibrant purple were painted throughout, highlighting her perfect face. She impatiently tapped her fingernails along the surface of her desk and looked my way.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“We meet again,” I teased. She playfully rolled her eyes and leaned closer to me.
“I’ve got some good news.”
“Really? What?”
“Homecoming Dance!” she announced. A disgruntled kid in the back of the room grumbled disapprovingly. We tried our best to ignore him.
“Homecoming?” I asked, wide-eyed. Was she going to ask me to the dance ? I hated school functions, especially dances, but for her, I’d make an exception.
“Yeah. My band just got the word, we’re playing the dance.” She sounded so excited but all I could do was pout. I thought for sure she was going to ask me to be her date. For a split second I thought maybe she had reconsidered our arrangement.
“Oh,” I mumbled. “That’s great, Olivia.” She could tell I was upset but she pretended not to notice.
“Lucas, I was hoping you’d be there.”
“I don’t know. I’ll probably still be grounded then, and I really hate school dances.” I searched my brain for more excuses not to come and she looked hurt by my words.
“Is that so?” she frowned.
“Yes.”
Looking away from me, “Okay.”
An awkward silence began to fill the void between us. I shuffled in my seat nervously. I felt bad. Surprisingly, my arm began to tingle and Ripley came to life inside my head.
~ Lucas, you should accept her invitation. ~
I should? I responded back with only my thoughts.
~ Yes. ~
Why? She said she needed to take things slow. I think the fact that I have an all-powerful dragon living inside of me is just a bit too much for her.
~ You’re wrong. ~
How would you know?
~ Because I believe. ~
With a huff and a slap on my desktop, I snapped out loud, “Don’t start that again!” Olivia looked at me with shock. Quickly, she glanced down at my tattoo along my arm and smiled.
“What’s Ripley saying now?” she barely whispered.
“Umm…nothing…” I said, embarrassed. She locked her eyes on mine and tilted her head my way as if to say, ‘stop lying to me’ . I shrank in my chair a little before finding my courage again. Maybe Ripley was onto something. Why would she be upset that I refused to come to the dance if she didn’t still have feelings for me? I held my breath and slid closer to her.
“Maybe I could stop by the dance for a few minutes.” Her face lit up a little at my words.
“Really?”
I nodded my head yes, and asked, “Would you save me a dance?” Her eyes spun with anticipation.
A playful smile crawled along her lips. “Maybe.”
Time slowed down and I felt my heartbeat in my cheeks. Olivia always seemed to do this to me. I returned a goofy smile and leaned back in my chair. I could’ve lived in that moment for at least a week but like the rest of my day, things were about to get complicated.
“Are you two done?” Someone asked disgusted from the back of the classroom. “I understand detention is supposed to be a punishment, but listening to you two lovebirds is just plain painful!”
Olivia and I whipped around to find Rory McConnell, the school’s worst bully. Red hair, pimples, bad teeth, all wrapped in a leather jacket and attitude. He was one of my regulars. A bully you could set your clock by. Looking into his bloodshot eyes, I knew
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