Black and White

Chapter Nine.

             I slid out of my SLK the next morning to gawking and whispers.  I ignored them easily; reintroduction to the Order was way more stressful than anything these teenagers could throw at me.  My heeled boots clacked against pavement as I followed the slow trickle of students into the building.  One step inside, and I fully got what Hannah had meant about the display case being hard to miss.  It took up an entire wall facing the doorway, forcing the students to split and go around it to other halls.  Dominating the middle of the case was a large trophy topped by a golden football, and a plaque that said ‘Division Five State Champions—2008, 2009, 2010’.  

                I scanned the groups milling in front of the glass, looking for Hannah.  A handful of guys in varsity jackets smirked at each other while a group of girls attempted to flirt with them.  It was a storm of fluttering eyelashes and suggestive glances.  I couldn’t help it.  I laughed.

                “Ellie!”  I turned to see a grinning Hannah weaving her way toward me, towing a tall, awkwardly skinny asian guy, who looked to still be half asleep behind his glasses.  His hair was sticking up all over the place like he hadn’t even bothered to comb it yet, and my fingers itched to fix it. 

                “Hannah!”  I said with equal enthusiasm. 

                She grinned.  “I thought you’d chicken out.  No offense.  This is George, by the way.  I call him Geo.  Say hi, Geo.”

                “Hi, Geo.”  The boy smiled, but it was cut off by a yawn so large I could see clear down to his tonsils.

                “Nice to meet you, Geo.  I’m Ellie.”

                He bobbed his head slowly.  “I know.”

                Hannah frowned at him.  “How long did you stay up last night?”

                “Just till three.”  He yawned again.  “My cousin in Korea was hosting a killer Call of Duty party.  I couldn’t just let my team members die, Banana.”

                I raised an eyebrow. “Banana?”

                “Nickname.”  She turned slightly pink, smacking Geo on the arm. “Never repeat it if you value your life.”

                “Whatever you say.”

                She smiled at me, and then glanced over my shoulder.  Her eyes went wide, and I started to turn before she grabbed my arm frantically.  “No!”

                “What is it?”

                “Eric Daniels.”  She said his name in a sort of half breath, half sigh way.  If it had been a couple of centuries sooner, I swear she would’ve full on swooned.  I craned my neck around just in time to see a blonde guy, about my height, passing us to high five a guy in a letterman’s jacket.  He grinned, green eyes crinkling at the corners, and fist bumped another guy in the circle.  I guess he was mildly attractive, in a stocky, line backer sort of way.  Not my type.  She sighed again, and I turned back to her.  She had this gooey ‘Omg, I’m so in love!’ look on her face.  I just shook my head.

                “Isn’t he gorgeous?”

                “No.”  Geo and I both answered in the same flat tone. Hannah frowned, her blue eyes narrowing. 

                “Be careful, Ellie.  That’s the father of my future children.”

                I laughed.  “You’re welcome to him.  He’s cute, I’ll give you that, but I’m not remotely interested.”