𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍

twenty four

I'm gonna need everyone to ignore how Daniel's trip to Okinawa fits into the timeline. I moved it around. It happened before this. It was necessary :)

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『 twenty-four 』

October was coming in strong. 

Their year was starting off with even more strange changes. It was definitely a new year to get used to. 

For starters, Yasmine and Moon had started sitting with Natalie and Demetri at lunch. It was a tactical move. Yasmine and Demetri had been paired together for their earth science class. She was less than thrilled. The same could not be said for Demetri. Even after everything that happened with Aisha at the end of the last school year, he still nursed a heartbreaking crush on her. 

"Are you ready to rock our earth science project?" Demetri asked. He carried in a large board, setting it gently on the lunch table. Natalie politely moved her tray away for more space. It was large, and covered by a bedsheet. 

"I'm ready to go back to a world where we don't have to talk to each other on a regular basis," Yasmine told him. 

Demetri didn't let it get to him. He didn't let many things get to him those days. "Hey! My popularity is on the rise, while yours is steadily declining," he reminded her. "But, uh... maybe we can meet somewhere in the middle, like a sexual Venn diagram." He winked. 

Natalie giggled, as did Moon. "Ew..." Yasmine stared at her tray. 

"So what's under the sheet?" Moon asked. 

"I am glad you asked!" Demetri jumped up. He whipped the sheet off. "Behold! What scientists believe to be the Valley when the dinosaurs roamed the earth!"

It was a lego diagram of a volcano area. It was very intricate and complicated. The details were an art project all on their own. Natalie applauded. "Demetri Alexopoulos, you are one of the coolest friends I have," she cheered. 

Moon proudly pat his shoulder. Even Yasmine admitted it was very impressive. 

Demetri grinned. "Go ahead, press the hadrosaur egg," he told Yasmine. 

She hesitantly reached forward and pressed down on a bunch of eggs just below the base of the volcano. The egg clicked. Demetri's genius went beyond lego designing. Some sound effects created a bird screech. The top of the volcano rumbled, and smoke billowed from the top of it. No red lava, just smoke. In Natalie's opinion, smoke was a cooler effect than the messiness of a lava flow. The girls applauded him again. 

"Oh my god..." Yasmine smiled. "My parents may not have to pay for my A this time."

"Your parents will never have to pay for another A ever again," Demetri told her. 

Moon gently touched the tops of a few plastic trees. "Is it all to scale? How many pieces?" Natalie asked. 

Demetri leaned forward against the table. "It's as close to scale as I could get it. You don't want to know how many research papers I read to get this as accurate as possible," he explained. "8,251 pieces. I had to disassemble four of my Jurassic Park scenes for this bad boy."

Natalie whistled, waving some wisps of smoke from her face. "That is dedication."

A soccer ball came flying through the air, obliterating the volcano with a crash. Natalie flinched. Lego pieces spewed everywhere. Smoke dispersed through the air. Some sound piece loudly malfunctioned. 

"Oops! The ball must've slipped out of my hand!" Hawk announced, catching the ball that Doug threw back to him. Natalie closed her eyes, praying to keep her temper under control.