Grasp Heart

Chapter 20: Battle of the Maths

"All your evenings in the first two weeks of December should be free," Allie stated, plopping down into the currently empty seat beside me, "We'll be making decorations and setting up for the Winter Formal. You've also got the Car Wash, the Stellar Campground Bonfire, and the Talent Show on your calendar, right? Invite everyone you know. We need that revenue if we're going to make this dance the best this school has ever seen."

The calculus classroom had yet to populate even on such a chilly day, though the more studious students had come early to cram in a few extra studying minutes before the first exam of the semester. The room contained only stale vampire scent, but I knew Kira would be attending soon enough.

I chuckled, turning to face Allie, "You know I don't live my life without your express permission."

She took out a folio and threw it onto my desktop with a satisfying slap.

"The top sheet in there," she stated, business-like, "contains all the theme ideas that were submitted for the winter formal. Tell me which you think Kira Warde submitted."

Sliding my fingers along the edge, I lifted it open. The Edwardian Era suggestion caught my eye. Finger on the entry, I looked up at Alissa. She nodded mutely, pursing her lips.

"They were anonymous submissions - "

"You and I both know," Allie shut down that line of thought.

"Can you pick mine from the suggestions?" I asked expectantly, crossing my legs and handing her the folio.

She read through them again, brow furrowing, "Er... you're a very strange - "

"Hey!"

"-but charming person so I'm going to guess either 'Secret Crystal Cave' or 'Enchanted Supernatural Forest'.

"What is a Secret Crystal Cave?" I wondered, alarmed.

"Something about natural-growing crystals in clear-blue pools in caves," she waved impatiently, "So was I right?"

"I was the forest one," I divulged, leaning back in my chair to appraise her little victory jig, "You could do so much with it. Really pretty greens and plants that you could get from the horticulture club. Fairy lights and fountains too - it could be very cute. What were some of your favorites?"

Tim tossed an aggravated glance our way from over his textbook. Allie wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at him. I snorted.

"Hm," she scanned the list again, "Enchanted Forest is good if you leave out the Supernatural part and change it to something like 'Enchanted Wood-Haven' to make it more romantic. My other favorites were Starry Night, Masquerade, and Big City."

"All good ones."

She snapped the folder shut, setting her fingertips on the cover of her calculus textbook before decidedly smushing it back into her backpack.

"Confident, are you?"

"Just no point cramming," she shrugged, "You have an AP US History exam tomorrow morning too, right? Trevor was talking about it."

I nodded.

"You did miss morning-classes last Wednesday; will you still be alright for it?"

"Oh, I'll be fine... more or less. US History isn't my strongest subject but I'll make do."

I waved off her concerns. She kept her eyebrows raised interrogatively. I chewed my tongue.

"Bad cramps," I fibbed shortly.

"Ah," she said with a nod, lowering her voice too, "Don't you take Midol?"

"It doesn't work," I affixed a pursed grimace on my lips, "It's just best to wait it out."