23. S P A M A N D V A N E X A : Dreamers

CHAPTER II

PROTECTORS, Pt. I

"Today's the day..."

Spam jumped in his seat as someone whispered in his ear, and he turned to see Damian leaning over his shoulder. "Damian! You spooked me!" he exclaimed, quickly closing his notebook.

"Oops. My bad, Canned Man." Damian snickered and rubbed his shoulder against Spam's. "Guess what I heard floating through the grapevine."

"Um... do tell?"

"Well, I'm not supposed to say this, but... a little birdie says you've got the hots for Vanexa," Damian purred, bobbing his eyebrows. "And the same little birdie says you're gonna ask her to the fall dance."

"What? Who told you that?!" Spam cried, distraught.

"Nobody," Damian responded with a mischievous grin. "I eavesdropped on Zill and Kayla." He cackled and floated over to Spam's other side. "So you're gonna ask her soon, right? I mean, the dance is, like, on Friday. Clock's a-tickin', mate," he added in an impressively-accurate British accent.

"I know," Spam mumbled, glancing up at the stage, where Vanexa was practicing her violin. "I'm... waiting for the right time."

"Right time? Just do it now, lamebrain!" Damian nudged Spam with his elbow. "When you're shooting your shot, don't wait—just do!"

"I don't know..."

"Yeah, well, I do," Damian interrupted, pulling Spam out of his seat and pushing him toward the stage. "I've asked plenty of girls out, and you know what they all said?"

"Um... 'no'?"

"Exactly! But guess who doesn't care? This guy! Now go up there and sweep her off her feet!" Damian gave Spam one last shove before flying away as fast as he could.

Spam looked up at Vanexa, who had just finished her practice and was packing her violin into its case. "Oh... um... er... Vanexa?" he asked meekly. "I—I have a—"

"Not now, Spam," Vanexa interrupted, straightening up and slinging her violin case over her shoulders. "I gotta go."

"Go?" Spam repeated, flustered by the sudden interruption. "Go where?"

"I—it's..." Vanexa stopped and exhaled through her nose. "Family stuff," she said at last. "You know what I'm talking about."

"Oh! Right. Of course." Spam backed away from the stage, holding up his hands. "Sorry to bother you, then. I'll just be on my—"

All of sudden, the entire theatre began to shake, cutting off Spam's words and making him stumble. Vanexa staggered forward from the force of the vibrations, falling off the stage with a startled yowl.

Acting quickly, Spam sprung forward on all fours before extending his forepaws, making a spectacular diving catch. Wrapping his arms around Vanexa, he spun in midair and landed on his back with a grunt, cushioning her fall.

The shaking stopped moments later, giving way to a deathly silence.

Then, unexpectedly, applause filled the theatre.

Spam sat up groggily as Vanexa got to her feet, a paw on her head. They looked around and realized that the other students who'd been present had witnessed the catch.

"D---, Spam!" an Avian senior named Taylor exclaimed. "What a catch!"

"Way to go, Spam!" a girl named MacKenzie called.