Robin's Song

Go Jump In A Lake

Robin

Since when is the dining room packed like this? I didn't even know this many royals went here. I try not to lose sight of Fox as I follow her through the crowd. Several times I have lost her, due to her ability to snake through the crowds, despite her leg slowing her down.

Arlo and Eden are nowhere to be found, assuming they're eating in here. Fox's head moves to scan the room and then back at me. She says something but I can't make out the words over the noise. I shout a few "What's" and "Huhs's" but she fights back through the crowd to reach me.

Fox motions me to bend down and I lean my head towards hers. "Eden and Arlo are in the corner to the left. We should get some food and offer to eat outside." I stare at her while she speaks, her attention focused on the people walking around us.

I agree to her plan and we go wait in the long line to order food. I chose a few breads and cheeses to eat along with a bottle of sparkling water to share with the others. I get a bag and hide it at the bottom so it'll be a surprise.

Following Fox once again, she leads me to the table where the other two are sitting. I finally see them, sharing a table with a few other students they clearly don't know. Arlo looks uncomfortable as one of the guys next to him reaches across Arlo's plate to grab the salt. Arlo performs one of those exaggerated lean-back positions to let him grab it, that's when he spots me. I watch as he shakes his head, his eyes widen in warning not to get myself into the mess. Little does he know, I'm here to rescue him.

Fox reaches their table first and I see her talking to them, probably asking about eating outside. Their heads nod eagerly and they quickly stand to grab their things. It takes a while to get all of us out the dining room door but we manage to find each other.

The overwhelming feeling that room had created inside of me washes off as I'm the first one to get to the empty hallway. The others are not far behind. Arlo lets out a deep breath and doubles over to put his hands on his knees.

"Never again," he breathes, "Am I going to try eating during rush hour again." Eden puts her hand on his back, closing her eyes and nodding slightly.

"So, shall we go eat in the gardens, near the lake, on the font balconies?" I question.

Eden perks up and answers, "The sunset will be visible by the lake in just an hour, we should go eat there so we can see it."

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Eden leads our group to a hidden area of picnic tables near the lake. They look old and weathered but I'll take it. We chose seats, Arlo and I across from Eden and Fox. I bring out the bottle of sparkling water I got right away. Joy on their faces when I set it down with the rest of the food.

The view of the lake is gorgeous and the weather is perfect considering it's November. I had to discard my layering shirt because of the warmth. The dock is a few feet from our table and I watch as a squirrel climbs up one of its posts to eat a walnut.

"This is a lot nicer from the last time I came here," Eden states. Fox nods her head, eating a piece of her fruit while Eden adds, "Oh wait, I don't believe I've told you guys about what happened."

Eden goes on to explain how the very first day she arrived here a few students had bothered her for no reason out on the dock. She exclaims how it still confuses her to this day because it is so unnecessary. Arlo asks if they have given her any other problems and a sly grin spreads across her face. I exchanged a worried look with Arlo before Eden explained that those royals had been kicked out of the school two weeks in.

I choke on my piece of bread by laughing. "Karmas a b-" I get cut off by Arlo digging his elbow into my side. "Sorry, I mean, I support that decision of them leaving."Much better," Arlo comments on my rephrased sentence.