Anarchy [ Watty's 2016 ]

XII: Jade

Now, of course I was delighted that Alex won homecoming queen-it was my plan, after all-but more happened at the dance than anyone was prepared for. After Damien had dragged off Alex, I went to get some punch and listen to the announcements when someone grabbed my shoulder. I spun around, ready to hit whoever it was; my fist stopped about an inch from Mordekai's face. With the exception of his dark red button-down shirt, he was dressed similarly to every other guy at the dance-black tie, belt, and black pants. His hair was messy in the styled sort of way. He was wearing rimless glasses, which didn't look too bad on him. In the back of my mind, I wondered if his clothes were tailored.

He smirked and pushed my arm down. "That's no way to treat a friend," he scolded.

I glared at him. "What are you doing here? Since when did you wear glasses?" I demanded, glancing around nervously; I also tried to keep my heart from racing. Why are the hot ones always the ones that get on your nerves?

"I don't. And don't worry, nobody's gonna suspect anything," he said, helping himself to some punch. "I'm a student here now, after all." At my skeptical look, he explained, "I enrolled officially yesterday afternoon. The Director wasn't very happy about it, but who cares about his opinion? Besides, he won't be upset after he hears what I've learned."

"You still haven't answered my question." I crossed my arms.

"Fair point. But I'm afraid right here isn't the best place. You look nice, by the way."

My cheeks burned. "Now is not the time to play games, jackass!" I hissed angrily. "Just tell me!"

"Okay, okay," he muttered, holding up his hands in a 'don't shoot' manner. "But calm down, first. We don't want to draw attention, right?"

I sighed. I had been a bit harsh. "I'm sorry. I'm just...on edge, y'know? I'm worried about...I'm just worried. Sorry."

He nodded understandingly. "It's all right," he said. Suddenly, he straightened up, gripping his cup so tightly I was afraid it'd break. "Since we were on the subject, are you taking any advanced classes? I'm being somewhat cautious about it, since my grades are being watched by colleges now."

I noted the words he'd emphasized. We are being watched. I nodded to show I understood. "Uh, yeah, I am taking some AP courses. From time to time, they can be more fun than regular classes. Where do you think you'll be going to college?" From where?

Mordekai looked relieved that I'd understood his message, but he was still tense. "I was thinking about Harvard, actually. But I want to make sure I make the right decision. I'm a bit behind on some of my lessons, but they are certainly the pillar of education if I were to choose law school. What about you?" To the right, behind the pillar.

I raised an eyebrow. Even though he had to hide a message in the statement, he sounded serious about wanting to go to law school. When I spotted a man to my right, partially obscured by the structural pillar, I decided to be honest as well. "Well, I have wanted to go to MIT for several years now. After all, anyone can see they're the best of the best when it comes to technology and software design. What classes are you taking now to prepare yourself for law school?" I see. What now?

Mordekai shrugged. "That's a good question. I'm not sure."

"That can't be very helpful," I replied. I glanced at the pillar again; the man I'd spotted earlier had moved.

"This isn't good," Mordekai said. "We should warn Alex. But first..." he handed me an earpiece like the one I'd worn a few days earlier.

I nodded and put it in, following him as he made his way in search of Alex. The slow song that had been playing had come to a stop, and just as we pushed through the crowd and spotted Alex, someone else shouted, "Just what do you think you're doing?"