Rising Shards

”I’m still waiting for you to say you’re kidding,” Maia said as Iris led her forward.

”And what is that supposed to mean?” Iris asked.

”You asking me to go to the library?” Maia said. ”When you can’t even read?”

”Excuse me?” Iris said. ”I read all the time! How many Haven fighter autobiographies I have practically consumed!”

”Those books are written at like a fifth grade level,” Maia said.

”Whatever, there’s a new one out that I gotta read!” Iris said. ”They better have it.”

Iris looked around at the new book shelf, a small display at the front of the library, about three times before grumbling.

”It said on the thing that they have it! And that it’s at this one and not one of the dinky little dorm libraries!” Iris said.

”Then I dunno, let’s ask a librarian?”

The only librarian nearby was Stella, who was at the front desk talking to Dr. Diast.

”I don’t know, I think you’re out of renewals,” Stella said.

”C’mon, can’t you give me just one more?” Dr. Diast asked, leaning one hand on the desk.

”I feel like we’re intruding on something,” Maia said. ”Let’s just find another—”

”Ugh, can you two quit flirting and search a book for me?” Iris asked.

Diast and Stella jolted back to reality.

”Um, sorry! I mean, greetings!” Stella said. ”We were just...talking about...” She coughed. ”Book renewals.”

”We established that it was flirting, it’s fine,” Iris said. ”The site says we have the new Jon Von Kablam book in, were they lying to me?”

”Uh, let me check,” Stella said, typing on her computer as Dr. Diast got out of a flirt pose and looked very embarrassed she was caught doing so.

”I’m, sorry too, if that needs to be said,” Diast said. ”We didn’t think anyone was around.”

”And we were just flirting,” Stella said.

”Good thing we didn’t catch you doing it in the back room like Kalei did,” Iris said.

”Excuse me?” Stella said. ”We weren’t...we were just flirting then, too!”

”Kalei said she wasn’t telling anyone about that,” Dr. Diast said.

”So you really were doing it in the back room? That should be like a fireable offense, probably.” Iris said.

”We weren’t!” Stella said. ”We were just flirting!”

”Iris is in a mood, I apologize for her because I know she won’t,” Maia said.

”I can apologize plenty!” Iris said. ”Now, do they have my book or not?”

”We have it, we just haven’t put the cover on yet,” Stella said. ”If you’ll give me five minutes, I can take care of it.”

Stella darted to the back.

”Why would the library buy books without covers?” Iris asked.

”It’s the plastic wrap around them,” Diast said. ”Stel showed me how they wrap em, they have this special plastic that protects the cover so it doesn’t get all worn out!”

”Hm,” Iris said. ”OK.”

”She won’t listen until she gets this book,” Maia said.

”Exactly!” Iris said.

* * *

”Hehehe,” Iris snickered to herself as they left for their room, proudly holding onto her newly plastic covered book.

There was a slight issue blocking their path. Caeda, Chickadee, and P.D. were talking together, blocking the hallway with the quickest path to Iris and Maia’s room.

”You wanna go around that?” Maia asked.

”Sure, why not?” Iris said.

”Really?”

”I’m not that scared of them,” Iris said. ”We both got in fights with Olive, she’s like probably as strong as them. So if they beat us up, it’d be like, equal amount of pain to that. Something we’ve already been through! And without all the emotional whatever of Olive being my ex.”

”I guess,” Maia said. ”You have a way with words, don’t you?”

Iris and Maia walked as casually as they could, moving past the devil group.

”Greetings,”

”Hey,” Maia said as they passed by. She muttered to Iris as soon as they were out of sight, ”The hell? They never talk to us.”

”Right?” Iris whispered back.

When they were out of earshot, Iris asked again.

”Seriously, that was weird! Which one said that?” Iris asked.

”I think it was Chickadee,” Maia said.

”It was not Chickadee, it had to have been that masked chick. Her voice was all muffled.”

”If you knew who it was, why’d you ask?” Maia said.

”Because it took my ears a minute to like process it or whatever!” Iris said. ”You should get your ears checked out if you couldn’t hear that it was P.D.”

”I heard just fine, it just didn’t sound as muffled?” Maia said. ”She did have her helmet on, cuz there was glare on it when she was right by us and it sucked to look at.”

”Huh,” Iris said. ”What does greetings even mean, anyways?”

Maia laughed. ”Dude, what? It means hello.”

”I mean, obviously! But like what’s the dictionary say about that bad girl? What’s the deeper meaning of greetings?” Iris said. ”Oh, don’t give me that look!”

”I’m just saying, you don’t know what greetings means and you were mad at me for saying you can’t read?” Maia said.

”Yeah!” Iris said. ”And I’d be mad at you now if I didn’t have an epic new book to read.”

Back in their room, Iris sat on her bed and read the first chapter, then set the book down. ”Kay, I’m taking a break.”

”You just started,” Maia said, not looking up from her phone as she kicked back on her own bed.

”Yeah, well, I need a break,” Iris said. She gave Maia a needy look.

”C’mere,” Maia said, putting her phone aside. Iris zipped over, finding the immediate embrace of Maia’s arms amazingly comforting. Equally amazing was how little time it took the two to kiss, the book almost forgotten about, the two lost in a B.F.S. session.

Maia wondered if the book would be forgotten about entirely that night, as the making out part of the B.F.S. session easily shifted to the biting part, then just as smoothly turning to the cuddling part. Iris nodded off as Maia held her in her arms, muttering something as she fell asleep.

Like P.D. talking to them, it took Maia a minute to process what Iris said. She clung to Iris harder, not wanting to let go when she realized she’d said, ”Every day with you is so great.”