Millennium Academy - The Fractured Shadow - Novel I

Chapter 5 - Razz Martiez

Razz was sizzling with anger. No, boiling. No, fuming. No, all three. Did Vera know? How much was her friend not telling her?

Vera burst into the room, red and panting. Razz stood up. Her face was too, red. From anger.

"Razz! Oh...OMG. I...I know you're mad at me, b..but just listen, ok?" She babbled. Razz turned away and glared at the wall.

"What have you been hiding from me?" she demanded.

"LEMME TALK!!!" Vera blew up. Once she was calm, she said, "Emila asked me to the dance. And I said yes."

Razz's eyes widened. Never mind, she was still mad.

"Okay, Miss Sulkface, what's up?" Vera flopped down onto her unmade, messy bed. Razz sat stiffly on her black beanbag, pulling off her best friend bracelet and throwing it on the floor.

Vera went and picked it up. She had wrapped the beaded bracelet around a thickly rolled scroll of parchment.

Not talking to u.

Write back.

Plz.

Why?

And, um

I miss u.

Razz took her sweet time replying.

You knew ur brother liked me.

You lied.

Kept a secret, sure. Lied?

Not so much.

Potato, potahto.

Oh. sorry, then.

She passed the note back to Razz, then held her hand out for a reply, but instead Razz crumpled it up and threw it into the trash can where it lay motionless among worthless scraps of homework. Then, to Vera's surprise, she replaced the friendship bracelet back onto her wrist.

"It's okay." she whispered. "It's all going to be okay."

Vera ran over and hugged her quickly before settling down on the other side of the room on her bed.

"So!" Razz exclaimed, rubbing her hands together, "You and Emila, huh?"

Vera mumbled indistinctly.

"I'm sorry, what?" Razz persisted.

"Yeah, sure, leave it alone, Razz." she replied hastily. "Besides, I can't find Veran. What did you do to him?"

This time Razz was the one who was talking unintelligibly.

"Enunciate." Vera ordered.

"He ran away. You were there."

"Yeah, but..."

"But what?"

"Um. That was a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"I guess..." Razz went red. She wasn't really ashamed. It was a bit harsh, but she really didn't want to go. And with Vera's brother?

Maybe Vera and Emila and Veran liked dances, but that stuff just didn't appeal to Razz. She'd rather read, or study. Or pick a fight. And with Vera's brother?

"Anyway.... Did you get the form for the trip to the HoneyDew Institute? I heard from Mr Thist that the honey there is to die for." Razz changed the subject quickly, so it would divert Vera's attention.

"Oh shoot." Vera bolted upright and pulled on her worn, brown leather coat that was a size too big for her.

"Vera, where are you going? It's almost dinner time."

"I've gotta go see Mr. Fleets. He gave us forms on Friday, but I was out sick. If I'm lucky, he'll let me in before dinner."

"But-"

"Gotta go, bye!!"