The Mystery of Life (Reynie Muldoon x reader)

Dream Team

(Reynie's POV)

We were waiting and Althea was playing with some pencils and screws. I walked over to her and took a seat.

"What are you doing?" I asked. She looked up, her eyes piercing into mine.

"I don't know. I'm just making something.... AHA! DONE!" she exclaimed, holding up the finished product. It was a weird, lumpy thing.

"If you don't mind me asking... what is it?" I asked.

"It can listen to conversations from a 20 mile radius when plugged into a flat surface. But it's gonna be jumble-y. I haven't really perfected it yet." she said. A door opened and a tall, skinny dark boy came in.

"Is this where we're supposed to wait?" he asked.

"Yeah." Althea muttered from behind me.

"It's where I'm supposed to wait, so I guess that might go for you too." I said. "I'm Reynie."

"Sticky Washington" he said. "And you are?" he asked looking at Althea. She was chewing gum now. Wait, how did she get gum? She blew a bubble and popped it.

"Althea Kingsley. Nice to meet ya." she said, hopping down the desk.

"Are you two here for the test?" he asked.

"Yep." "Yes" Althea and I said at the same time.

"I guess this means we're going to Boatwright." Althea said, speaking up.

"So, are you the only one who passed in your group?" I asked.

"I think so, which was weird because..." "Because there was a girl who cheated?" Althea said, cutting Sticky off.

"How did you know?" Sticky asked.

"The same thing happened to us." I explained.

"Rhonda, right? Did she lose her pencil outside?" Althea asked.

"Yes! I felt so bad for her... So it was a trick?" Sticky asked.

"A test." I said.

"Also a trick." Althea said. Sticky grunted when a girl with a green beanie cap ran in.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"What's the matter with you?" Sticky asked.

"What are you running from? Bad guys? Let's take them down!" Althea said.

"Not running from, I'm running to. Plus, if there were bad guys, that'd be cool. I like your energy! What's your name? I'm Kate Wetherall." she said. Althea hummed.

"I'm Althea Kingsley." Althea replied. "You can call me Thea if you want, I don't care."

"That's Sticky Washington." I said, pointing to Sticky.

"Why do they call you Sticky?" Kate asked.

"I tend to sort of remember everything I read or see. It all just... sticks!" he said.

"Sticky. Okay, cool. I always wanted a nickname. How about you guys call me "The Great Kate Weather Machine" Kate said. Althea giggled.

"Okay "The Great Kate Weather Machine" what's the bucket for? I don't suppose you have a few dohickeys I could build stuff with?" she asked.

"Carrying things. Like, flashlight, nylon rope, fishing wire, twine, superglue, bag of marbles, kaleidoscope, slingshot, magnet... swiss army knife. I'm a self-contained unit. Anything that comes up, I deal with myself. Gotta be ready." she said. "Like this morning, some crazy-looking girl dropped her pencil down the storm drain, and without this bucket, she'd have been up the creek without a paddle. A paddle might be nice to have. No, it's too bulky."