What's a Dragon? - Chapter 2

New Friends

August 26, 2002

I think I’ve got the pattern down now: course summary, basic introduction to the course. I haven’t seen Jess yet, and thanks to the two lunch periods split by subject, I might not even get to see her now. My lunch bought, I head to the courtyard “outside”—it’s outdoors, but it’s surrounded by the school building—and scan for my friend.

Shades of yellow and blue are pretty common hair colors, but I can still pick out Jess’s ponytail, especially since I now know what color and style of dress she’s wearing today. (Ever the athlete, she wore a pastel green tee and matching shorts. Skirts are comfier for everyday wear in my opinion, so that’s what I wear on most days, and this was no exception. The first day of school warranted a simple outfit mostly in my favorite shade of red.) I pick my way around the other groups on the grass until I’m standing right behind her as she chats with two other girls—only one of which I know, and even then barely. I only recognize her because she has purple hair. “Can I take a seat?” I ask the group.

Jess whirls about, startled, though it’s not like it’s the first time I’ve done that. “Em! Where have you been?” Then she relaxes and scoots over for me.

I sit to her right and set down my lunch on the grass. Pizza is messy, but I have napkins. Huh. I didn’t really notice it from behind Jess, but the girl I don’t know at all has brown hair. She must be the only Wizard in our grade. The other girl… I think her name started with an A? Maybe? “I had technology, social studies and math,” I answer Jess’s question. “In that order,” I hastily clarify.

“Oh.” Jess’s smile droops. “We… could still share magic class, I guess.” She perks right back up. “Anyway! New friends! Emilie, this is Alex and Shannon. Alex and Shannon, Emilie.” Alex, right! The Asian girl gives a little wave while Shannon stares at her lunch. Come to think of it, she hadn’t been participating in the conversation even before I approached.

“C’mon, Shannon!” Alex pinches her arm. “I’m sure she’s fine!”

I briefly consider asking Jess before deciding that being direct should work better. It would with Al.

Pushing my lunch tray to the side, I half-crawl (keeping my knees off the ground) until I’m right next to Shannon, waving my hand between her face and her food. “Hey! Look up!” She brushes my hand away. More direct. I don’t think she’s fixated on her meal, so I just interpose my head instead. “Hey! You know, the group gets a lot brighter with you in it!” It sounds like something Mom would tell me. She tries to brush my head away, but I refuse to budge. She tries again and I just smile wider. “You have a pretty face. I bet it looks nicer with a smile.”

I keep my goofy grin up until I see her mouth twitch. “Aha! So you do have feelings!” I exclaim. She can’t take it anymore and stifles a giggle before Jess bursts out laughing. I glare at Jess, but Shannon joins in and I sit back on my heels. Alex isn’t laughing, but she’s covering her mouth and I can see tears in her eyes.

I know they’re all laughing at me, but I did it on purpose and their laughter is contagious. It doesn’t take long until we’re all falling over and I can barely see through my tears.

When we eventually calm down, Shannon finally speaks. “Emilie, right?” I nod. “Thanks. I really needed that.” I wait for her to say more, but she doesn’t elaborate. That’s fine. She has a nice voice, too. I bet she can sing beautifully. I can’t really tell whether I’m matching notes or not.

I return to my meal as Jess opens a real conversation. “Alex: you were saying that you thought of me for a potential friend?”

Alex smiles and nods. “I usually just spend time with my siblings, but Shannon moved in next door over the summer and she seemed lonely and I knew that you and Emilie always looked like you were having fun—” she takes a breath— “and I know you’re good people. And when I asked my oldest sister, she said that Wizards usually like to hang around with Mages.”

At that last comment, Shannon shoots Alex a dirty look. “Is that what this is about?” Her voice is dripping hostility. “You’d set me up just like my parents always do, so you picked out a pair of Mages to—”

“No,” I forcefully interrupt her just like my brother would. And Al says I don’t pay attention to him. “Jess and I are a pair, but I’m not a Mage.”

Alex moves in front of Shannon. “Yeah!” she adds. “Emilie’s Static!” she declares happily, loud enough for several nearby groups to hear.

I stare at her. Jess stares at her. She shouldn’t have known that. The results of our tests are private for a reason. People being Static is just a fact of life, but in school it marks you as a black sheep. You can’t take part in most of the fun stuff Dynamic people can enjoy, and you’re constantly an inconvenience to the people around you. Neither of my parents are Dynamic, so we can’t even have a family car, because cars are made for most people and most people are Dynamic and could actually use all the magic they need.

The people that heard Alex stare at her for a few seconds before looking at me. Everyone not in our group of four backs away a bit before going back to their lunches, while we’re frozen in place. Part of me wants to scream in anger and run away, and part of me wants to claw at her face, but I do realize she was only trying to help, though I have no idea why she thought that would help. It’s plausible that you might find out someone’s results by accident (such as the lost boy in my technology class) or from spending time with someone, but it’s still an unspoken rule that you only talk about your own results.

Alex’s face is a shade of red I didn’t think was possible for her skin tone as she stammers, “Uh-umm… I-I s-sat behind you l-last year, a-and…” And she saw when I looked at the contents of my envelope.

I take a deep breath. I’d told Jess, of course, so she’s not surprised to hear it, and I can count on her sticking by my side. Besides, we kind of guessed I was Static after I failed to use wands when Jess tried to teach me. All that remains is Shannon, I suppose. “Well,” I sigh, “what’s done is done.”

I notice that Shannon is looking Jess over. “You knew?” she eventually notes, and Jess nods slowly. Shannon looks away, then meets my and Jess’s eyes in turn. “In that case—would you let me be your friend?”

Um, wow. Today is just full of surprises. I understand what Alex’s sis said about Wizards spending time with Mages, because it’s easier for them to study and learn spells from watching folks use them all the time. But I’ve no idea why what Alex said made me more endearing to Shannon. Jess and I look at each other before replying in unison, “Of course!”

“A-and me?” Alex asks, leaning in.

Jess and Shannon look to me. I think about what my family would say. “Um…” I hesitate. “On the condition that you think before you speak, yes. Or else I won’t hold my brother back.” Al isn’t Dynamic either, but you don’t need magic to learn how to punch and look intimidating.

Alex nods energetically. “I can do that!” Jess glares at her, and she catches herself. “Oh, right.” Alex looks away, then meets my gaze. “I-I’m sorry. About what I said.”

I give her a small smile and nod. “I forgive you.”

“And if you do it again, I’ll peck your eyes out,” Jess threatens jokingly. Alex doesn’t laugh.