Shards of Darkness

Chapter Five

  Irina Isis Ivy 

Humming to myself, I hopped around the tiles, stepping on the black ones and avoiding the white ones.  Twirling the root beer lollipop in my mouth, I turned around.

    "Neeee Niko," I whined.  "Hurry up!"  Niko was still at the end of the hall, slowly strolling like he has all the time in the world.  Niko merely shrugged his shoulders at me and continued his casual pace.  I growled before facing forward and started playing on the tiles again. 

"What are you, a toddler?"  Niko asked sarcastically as he watched me.

"Yeeeep!  And..."  I appeared in front of his face.  "I want you to feed me," I whispered slyly.  Niko yelped and stumbled backwards.

"Cut that out!"  Niko yelled.  I giggled and twirled around, skipping towards the cafeteria.

"Hey Irina," the Shards greeted me as I entered.

"Yo!"  I gave them a closed eye smile and a peace sign.  I sat down in my usual seat and the cook served me some curry.  Niko sat down next to me, like always.  "Niiiiiiks! (Pronounced 'Neeks')"  I turned to him with a smile.

"Whatever you want me to do, I'm not doing it," he grumbled.

"But you didn't even hear me out yeeeet!"  I complained.

"What?"  Niko asked harshly.

"You said you would feed me!"  I cooed.

"WHA-!"  Niko spluttered, choking on his curry.  "I SAID NO SUCH THING YOU BRAT!"

"No, you said, and I quote, 'Cut that out'," I corrected him.

"STILL!  I NEVER AGREED TO FUDGING FEED YOU!"  Niko yelled, standing up.  I cowered in my seat and pretended to cry to Conrad, who was sitting on the other side of me, looking amused.

"Cooooooon," I sobbed, gently yanking on his sleeve.  "Niks is being meeeeeean to me."

"Aw, don't cry," Conrad purred, playing along to my game.  "I'll feed you!"

"No!  I don't want a peasant like you to feed me.  I want Niko!"  I snapped, sitting upright and crossing my arms.  Conrad's face turned white and his eyes and mouth hung open as his horrified face cracked like a mirror.  Niko, Angus, Esmeralda, Thomas, and Dan all started laughing.  "Niiiiiiiiiikooooo!~"  I rubbed up against his side, giving him my best watery puppy-dog eyes.

He stopped laughing, regained his blank face, and said, "No," flatly.  I started howling with despair, spouting poems about how he broke my heart, rolling on the ground crying.

"Niko, just amuse her for a second," Angus sighed.

"No."

"Come on, I really don't want another moody Irina," Esmeralda pleaded.

"No."

"Please!"

"I SAID NO!"  Niko thundered.  I started bawling even harder, but making no sounds, just waterfalls of tears cascading down my face while I put on the cutest eyes I can muster.  Niko tried to look away from me but couldn't.  "Fine," he sighed, giving in to my childiness. 

"Yay!"  I cheered, my teary face instantly transforming into my ecstatic expression.  The others sweatdropped at my movements.  I climbed back into my seat, sitting sideways, and waited.  Niko looked like he seriously regretted his decisions but then picked up a spoonful of curry.  I leaned forward, my mouth slightly open as he put the spoon closer and closer to me.  Just when the spoon was about to enter my mouth, the right wall exploded, jolting me out of my seat.