Everlance Academy

Chapter 14

Okay, so there are no seatbelts in the bus, however, I am asking you not to walk around while we're driving. If anyone dies, your body will be thrown to the side of the road. Just so you know. We'll reach the hotel in about six hours. Shut the hell up, and we won't have a problem," Sarah, my coach, ends her very encouraging speech.

"Oh, she's in a good mood today," Nora whispers sarcastically. She and Olivia are sitting on the two seats behind me, Ivy sits next to me, and in front of us are Noah and Nikolai.

The bus that will carry us to the town where the sports festival takes place is packed with students and six different coaches.

"Okay, so", Ivy begins as she opens the bag on her lap once the bus has started rolling, "I've got a whole snack buffet in here. So if anyone is hungry, I'm happy to share."

"You got maoams? The coke flavor?", Noah turns around to us at the mention of food.

"Why the hell would you pick Coca-Cola flavor? That's disgusting," I say.

Noah gasps. "Excuse me? Coke flavor is the best!"

I make a gagging sound, and he narrows his eyes at me. "What do you like, then?"

"All the red ones. Strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. Like a normal human being."

"That's... I feel sick to my stomach.", Noah clutches a hand to his chest dramatically.

"She's right," Nikolai next to him protests, not caring to turn around to us, "the red ones are the best."

"You guys are torture.", Noah huffs and takes the sweets he asked for from Ivy's hand. Sitting on his knees, he places his head on the back of his seat so he can talk to us.

"So what is everyone wearing to the ball, hm? I was thinking", he says, holding his hands up in the air and looking into the distance thoughtfully, "I'm wearing a velvet suit with one of those cool linen blouses underneath."

"The ball is a lifetime away, I don't think you need to start worrying about that now," Nikolai interjects.

Ivy, however, seems to have given the issue some thought already. She leans forward and says, "I looked at pictures that I found on Pinterest, and most of them wear gowns with huge skirts in all the colors of the rainbow. So I guess something like that."

"I think I'm going to go with a puffy blouse and like a vest over it. I would feel like a pirate!", Nora chimes in.

"The theme's not pirate, though," Olivia notes, but Nora makes an indifferent hand movement.

"There were pirates in the times of Queen Victoria, were there not? I'm sure some of them were from London. So I'm on theme."

"June, switch seats with me," Nikolai commands. "I want to talk with the fashionable part of this group. You and Nikolai can eat red fruit-flavored sweets together like the aliens you are."

I groan annoyedly. Since I am really tired, I tried to nap, and just a second ago, I had found the perfect, most comfortable position to sleep in. Also, I really don't want to give up my spot next to the snack bar. Nevertheless, I get up and plumb down next to Nikolai, who looks up from his book.

"What are you reading?", I ask, ignoring our friends talking in the back.

"Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen."

"Wow. So you're like, smart smart."

"Not really. I have about five cheesy rom-coms in my backpack that I am going to read on the trip. I just picked the only classic I have to read in public, so I appear well-read. Don't tell anyone, though."