Legends of Mirandis Academy

Chapter 12: The Diamond Heist, Part I

"So... Homecoming is tomorrow!" Backup Food swung his legs back and forth below the conference table. "Are you going with anyone, Miss Luna?"

They were sitting in the teacher's lounge. School had ended about an hour ago. Backup Food was sitting on the corner of the table, watching the weather report. Apparently a huge storm front was rolling in from the west, or something. Every now and then the radar picture would flash on the screen and they would point to an ominous gray object, but Luna couldn't care less.

Luna was bored. She was so bored that she was doing her math homework, which had to be done. Mrs. Harvill had told Luna that she wasn't going to round Luna's grade up to a C, even if it was at 69 percent. This was Luna's strategy with most classes: approach the teacher near the end of the year and point out that, if they didn't pass her, they were going to have to see her again next semester. It worked in almost every case. Not so with Mrs. Harvill who had loomed over her desk and, through clenched teeth, informed Luna that she didn't care if Luna had to take Algebra ten times.

So here Luna was, trying to find fucking x. Mrs. Harvill made Luna remove her hat for class, too. In a way, Luna respected her for it. She wore the hat on principle; Mrs. Harvill's principles were diametrically opposed. Luna was the giant squid, and Mrs. Harvill the sperm whale. One day, Luna knew, they would clash for the final time, their mutual hatred heating the benthic depths, their only witnesses the—

"Luna?" Backup Food peered back at her. "Oh, sorry. Are you busy?"

"I am always busy, Backup Food," lamented Luna. She touched the back of one hand to her forehead for emphasis.

"Oh. Good," said Backup Food. "I was just wondering if you had asked anyone to Homecoming."

"Of course not." Luna tapped her pencil on the table. "Because I was going to ask you, Backup Food!"

"Me!" The scrawny freshman flushed scarlet. His ears looked hot enough to fry sausages. "Miss Luna, I-I—"

"As friends. Obviously." Luna rolled her eyes, but then she realized that Backup Food seemed no less affected. In fact, he was fighting back tears.

"I never thought anybody would wanna go to Homecoming with me," he whispered.

"Ohh... come here." Luna held her arms open, and Backup Food dutifully went to accept the embrace. Luna ruffled his hair a little, but it left a weird texture on her fingers. She wiped it on her skirt. "Sit next to me. You're going to help me with this algebra."

Before they could get started, however, they heard the combination on the door being engaged. In a flash, Luna was under the table. Backup Food whipped his head around frantically, then joined her.

By the time the door opened, Luna was well concealed and in the process of removing her left earring. She frowned as she heard sniffling. Then a sob. She peeked through the forest of chair legs and saw a pair of stockings and familiar, quite fashionable shoes.

"Wait a minute," Luna murmured, and decided to throw caution to the winds. She stood up from the table. "Brielle?"

The girl screamed. It was sort of a wet scream, because Brielle had indeed been crying. Her eyes were vibrant blue within their red lids, and her cheeks were puffy. She stumbled back until she hit the kitchenette, then clutched the counter as if fearing an attack.

"Good afternoon!" said Backup Food, popping up next to Luna.

Brielle took a few seconds to recover. In that time, she cultivated plentiful rage. "What," she growled through her teeth, "are you doing here?"

Luna tapped the papers in front of her. "Algebra homework?"

"Bullshit." Brielle pushed off from the counter and advanced towards Luna. Luna's smile weakened somewhat. She had never heard Brielle properly swear before. It was always 'heavens' this and 'good grief' that. Brielle pointed a trembling arm towards the door. "This is the teacher's lounge. Get. Out."