You Only Live Twice

XXIX

OLIVIA TRUDGED HER FEET through the schools exquisite, exotic gardens. Yes, trudged. Because there was truly nothing content about the day's perfectly warm weather, or sunny, blue skies, or its soft occasional breeze, or even its flourishing flowers in full bloom.
No, today was an absolutely terribly, terrible day.

"Goddess, who died," Amos snarks under his breath, without much care if she could hear him or not (she could, and that was probably his intention, if she really thought about it), having taken walking beside her.

Olivia huffs, rolling her eyes and picking her feet up in an overly exaggerated and excessively aggressive manner. She was not in the mood for the boy's own moods and antics today.

"Oh, give her a break, Amos." Ezekiel says, coming up behind them, a picnic basket and blanket slung casually over his arm. "You know how she gets this time of year," He shrugged seemingly helplessly, "Women." Ezekiel chuckled, grinning cheekily as he glance at Amos.

Olivia brought her heel down hard and swiftly onto the prince's polished shoes. "How exactly do I get this time of year, Ezekiel."

"Ow—!" He cried, "It was a joke! Honestly, what really has gotten into you today. Sure, you've usually got a deprecating sense of humor, but never this, this—"

"This...what?" Olivia narrowed her eyes, her voice becoming low and accusing.

Ezekiel stumbled to find a word, Olivia's glare nothing less than a formidable challenge, as he clumsily hopped over himself trying to smooth his aching feet and keep up with his childhood friends' pace at the same time.

"—Cruel." He settled on, huffing himself and turning to face their front, dignifiedly.

Olivia sighed dropping the skirts she'd bundled up in her fists, smoothing them out. Perhaps her was a bit...uptight today; and for a reason she herself could not discern other than the fact she just did not like today.

She'd woken up as she would have any other day, ate her breakfast in the Hall, attended her morning classes, and then met up with Amos and Zeke for their pre-planned outing during their free periods. Everything was in order, everything was exactly as expected.
Yet, she could not shake the feeling of discontent and annoyance plaguing her since she'd been awake enough to fully function as a human being.

It is exam season and she knows herself enough to know she gets a bit uptight and competitive around then, studying and testing and homework took up nearly every hour of her days these upcoming weeks. So maybe it was that, or maybe just the that lingering pounding in the back of her head that she'd woken up with and hadn't entirely faded away since, and shakiness of her knees and weak feeling in her stomach. Perhaps she was catching a cold. Ugh.

Maybe she was just...'in one of her moods', as Lief often said.

No. She'd much faster jump off a moving train into a black, rocky abyss than ever say anything like that.

So she was a bit..prickly today. Oh well. They were the ones actively pursing quality time with her, so they would have to deal with it.

"...Sorry." She mumbled, not looking up from where her hands continuously pressed and smoothed her skirts into perfection.

Ezekiel smiled proudly, almost smug, "I accept your apology." He said resolutely.