Zelda tapped her finger against the table as she waited for class to start. She yawned; it was quarter to seven on a Friday morning. Classes, day after day, were starting to take their toll on her.
She glanced to the empty seat next to her, the girl who usually sat there, Lana, was sick that day. She figured it would stay empty... But she was quickly surprised when, at 6:50, a boy dropped into that seat, each hand holding a drink.
One was a monster, one was a tall cup of coffee.
Zelda raised an eyebrow. So many things to address... From his unexpected arrival, his messy hair, his geeky backpack, his striking good looks, to the drinks in front of him. She wasn't sure where to start, so she didn't.
He didn't even look at her as he opened the monster can with a click, and took a drink. He sighed, looked at the can for almost a minute, then he shrugged. He tipped the can over his coffee cup, and murmured, "I'm going to die." Then he took a huge drink of the undoubtedly disgusting cocktail.
Zelda stared at him. "Did you get any sleep last night?" she asked incredulously.
He glanced over. "None at all. Studying."
She shook her head. "And why didn't you study before last night?"
He scowled. "I did, just not enough."
She looked him up and down. It was obvious to her he was a scholarship student. He did not come from money. But instead of looking down on him, she smiled. He must have deserved to be there. "There are worse ways to die," she commented as when waved towards his monster coffee.
"I suppose there are."
"I haven't seen you before," she said, then held out her hand. "I'm Zelda."
He tilted his head and smiled, looking a little less dead inside. "I know, the teacher called you by name last week." He held out his hand. "I'm Link," he said. "I sit over there usually." He waved his other hand. "I heard that Lana was sick, so I decided to sit next to you. Maybe just as a way to soak up residual smarts in this area." He shrugged, and then he squinted a little. "I'm really too tired for thoughts, I just wanted to sit by you."
Zelda raised an eyebrow at all of the information as she took his hand and shook it. Despite how tired he looked and sounded, the handshake was firm. It also seemed like he had forgotten the polite thing to do after a handshake was finished.
His eyes looked a little glazed over.
"Uh, Link?"
He blinked. "Huh?"
"Will you let go?"
He looked down and his pale, exhausted face went red. "I'm so sorry," he said as he dropped her hand. "I didn't mean to-" He bit his lip and then turned back to the drink in front of him and downed three more large gulps.
She watched with mild concern. "Uhm... that drink worries me... You sure that's something you want to put in your body?"
He stared at the cup, then over at her. "It's this or just die outright, I'll take this."
She shook her head. "So... you wanted to sit by me?" she asked.
"Lana is always right night to you, and she brings everyone's attention with her blue hair. I don't think many people notice you next to her..." He shrugged. "But I see you. You're smart and you're pretty." He blinked a few times, then narrowed them at the monster coffee. "This thing isn't working."
Zelda smiled. "Good thing, or I doubt I'd hear such flattery from you."
"I-" He buried his face in his arms and didn't say another word.