Element

✯ Chapter 32

“Glad to be back in the swing of things? I am! Welcome back to classes everyone! Winter break’s over, and the new school year’s started. Today’s January 12, and-” I groggily reach over and turn off the alarm. 7:00 am my clock reads, and I grumble and roll out of bed.

    As I’m getting dressed a piece of paper is slipped under my door and slides behind the dresser. I grope around until I find it. It looks very similar to the Battle Team results letter… I open it up. It is from the battle team, but it’s my practice schedule. In italic letters at the top, “Please attend the team advisor meeting today after class if interested” is written. Yikes. I haven’t even thought about that. I read over the schedule. Practices Tuesday through Saturday, Tues-Fri 4:15 to 6:00, on Saturday, 10 to 11:30. That’s a lot of time spent practicing! And I have to juggle classes and projects and now homework because it’s the second semester? I think this advisor job is not going to happen. I finish getting dressed and slip the schedule into my coat pocket.

    As I walk out of the dorms, an icy wind pricks at my nose and cheeks. I pull up my scarf wrapped around my neck, but the cold seeps in everywhere. Why is it so cold? Yes, it snows every winter, but never starts as early as it did and never seems to be as cold as this. The Central City Reporter (the newspaper) even ran an article about the record-breaking temperatures I happened to read. Oh well. It's gotta be just some freak weather pattern.

I finally reach the dining room and step inside. Aaah. Heating. It's wonderful. I see Rhodes over at the serving tables. “Rhodes! Hey!” I say cheerfully, walking over to him.

“Hey Ram.” He grins.

“Where are the others?”

“Kaelie, Alanna, and Gavin aren’t here yet, but Brooke’s already eating over there.” He nods his head in Brooke’s direction. She’s sitting at a water table with Payson. She looks up, and sees me. I wave, and she returns it. Jumping out of her seat, she rushes over.

“Hey Ram!” She pulls me into a hug.

“Hey Brooke.”

“Did you just come in?”

“Yup, and I’m starving.” I turn towards the steaming plates of scones, and lick my lips. Brooke giggles in response.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it.”

“Okay, bye!”

“See you at lunch!” She turns on her heel, and dashes back to the water table.

I take a plate from the stacks, and start serving myself. I use tongs to pluck two sausages and three strips of bacon from the heated serving platter. I spot the potatoes, and shovel them onto my plate as well. I hear Rhodes chuckling behind me. I glance in his direction.

“What?”

“What if I told you that I’ve never seen a girl put that much on a plate with the intent of eating it?”

“Then those other girls are missing out. And, I’m not even done yet.” I say, rolling my eyes playfully. I grab two scones.

“Now I’m done!”

He shakes his head in disbelief. “Alright then, let’s go to our table.”

“Kay Kay.” We take a seat at our table, and start swallowing the food whole. No, not really, but we are eating pretty fast. Actually, it’s just me who's eating fast.

“Ramaya, you might want to slow down a bit.” Rhodes pipes up.

“Hmhph jshdf.” I say, or try to say with my mouth full.