Chapter Twenty-Nine
The whole D there’s no way we can play, eat, get enough time with Zoinks, and still catch up on the other things happening in each other’s lives. Although there are some topics I’d rather avoid.
“Ugh, I don’t want to talk about it,” I complain and bury my face in Zoinks’s thick fur.
Felix raises his hands in surrender. “Calm down, I was only curious about how you voted for the awards.”
Voting for the MVM awards started Friday.
Once student voting ends, Sire and the other directors will cast their votes and calculate the scores.
I feel a little sick imagining it. Each year it’s nerve-racking, but this year it feels impossible.
And god forbid Mom overhears us and wants to join in on the conversation.
“Well, I know we’re not supposed to say it aloud—” Nova starts but is cut off by our laughing. The whole band talks incessantly about who they voted for. “But I’m happy to say I voted for you for freshman member, Li. I think you really deserve it.”
Li’s eyes pop open wide behind her glasses. “You did not.”
“Of course I did,” Nova insists.
“I did too,” Max says.
“You know I did,” I tell her. “No competition—and not because you’re the only freshman in guard this year.”
“Without hesitation,” Felix adds. His expression is affectionate and brings me an extra surge of happiness. The only downside is that Max is never going to shut up about his matchmaking abilities.
“I…” She glances around the room with tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe you all did that. Did you get together and plan it?”
We all shake our heads. “No planning needed when it’s the objective truth,” I say.
She swallows and wipes at her eyes. It makes my heart so full to see her like this, though it’s only what she deserves. “Thank you all. I mean, I definitely won’t get it, but knowing I have your four votes means a lot to me.”
She’s being too humble. I know for a fact that she has more than our four votes.
The entire guard is voting for her, no questions asked, and I’d be shocked if Felix wasn’t lobbying some of the percussion section as well, though he hasn’t said anything.
But I’ve noticed Li talking to a few of the younger percussion players, Jamila in particular.
Maybe this next generation won’t carry on the animosity from our year. I think she has a real shot.
There’s an awkward pause. Usually, we might go on to announce who else we voted for, but it’s a lot harder when Nova, Max, and I are all up for senior member.
I’ve been struggling for the last week trying to decide who to vote for.
I feel guilty, and might take the secret to the grave, but ultimately I voted for Nova over Max.
It’s not that he doesn’t deserve it—I’d argue we each deserve it—but Nova has been a loyal, talented player for all four years, and she’s never won a thing.
She doesn’t bring it up, but I’m sure she wants it.
And Max will have (almost) the entire percussion section to give him votes, plus every girl in the band holding on to their crush on him.
“Actually, I have something for each of you,” Li says and lifts her bag.
She pulls out a handful of papers and glances at them shyly.
“I finished your character sketches.” She hands one to each of the players, and it’s comically adorable how their faces each light up with joy when they take a look.
Nova screams with excitement, which makes Zoinks bark, and then the whole table laughs.
“Li, these are incredible. Look at Stump and Zelda together!” Nova says and brandishes the paper so we can see it.
“Um, Nova?” I blink at her in shock. “Are you crying?” I’m not sure I’ve seen Nova cry once in all the years I’ve known her.
“No. I mean…not really.” She wipes her eyes. “I’ve just tried to imagine what Zelda would look like in the game, but I’m not very visual, and this is…It’s more perfect than I could have imagined.”
Li is also looking teary-eyed now, and if I’m not careful then they’re going to make me cry. Li gives her a hug and Nova squeezes her back so hard she might pop Li’s head off.
“Axolotl has never looked so cool,” Max says appreciatively. “Seriously, thank you for doing this.”
“You’re really talented. You should do more with your art,” Felix says seriously, his expression almost imploring, and Li glances down at her hands.
“Oh, well, it was nothing. Just something fun to do in the evenings between homework. Hazel”—she turns to me—“you don’t have a real character, but I thought you might enjoy this.”
She hands me a sheet of paper. On it is a girl who has my curly hair, but is wearing a billowing green robe, pointed green hat, and holding a flag pole rather than a wizard’s staff.
I remember the way Li described me as a wizard during our color guard sectional dinner here—she’s captured the idea perfectly.
“Ahhh, Li! I’m getting a frame for it and hanging it in my room.”
“Same,” Nova says. “I barely want to touch it, I’m scared of ruining it somehow.”
“And now we know how each of our characters look, so that’ll help with role-playing,” Max adds. “Speaking of…” He glances at me.
“Max and I got the idea that everyone should have a miniature of their character for the game,” I add. “They still need to be painted and we haven’t made much progress yet, but these portraits should help out immensely.”
“That’s awesome,” Nova says.
“And we’ll need to find a miniature Zelda—the shop didn’t have anything that gave off his floppy-tongued energy,” Max says.
“Or his floofy fur.”
“I’ll do some searching,” Nova replies.
“Well, we better start. You all need to get back to hunting down this wizard,” I say.
We gather around the table, and I’m almost giddy that I get to use some of what I came up with for our dungeon crawl.
“After your progress through the forest during the last session, you now find yourselves outside of an enormous cave. The entrance is as tall as the second floor of the citadel you just came from. You see tracks on the ground, some mounds that give off a stench like rotting meat, and not much else. It’s silent, almost eerie. ”
“What kind of tracks are they?” Max asks.
“Zelda sniffs around the cave as if he’s very suspicious. Can I roll a survival check to learn more about the tracks?” Nova asks.
“Definitely,” I reply and continue once her skill check is successful. “Stump, you discover that these are the same type of tracks as the giant opossum you fought at the music festival.”
“I guess we’re going into the dark creepy cave, then?” Felix asks.
“Aren’t elves supposed to be brave?” Nova asks.
“I don’t know, but I’m not. I like to play music and eat good food. It’s the main reason I was sad about the blight.”
“Not because you lost your home and family?” Li asks with a raised eyebrow.
“That’s where the good food was kept,” he tells her with a laugh.
“When we get this solved, remind me that I don’t want my family interacting with yours.”
“I will not. I’m hoping our families will be spending a lot of their time together once we’ve found a way to save our lands. I’d like to introduce you to my parents.”
Felix and Li smile at each other for a moment as if no one else is sitting there, and I can practically feel Li’s delight from here. Mental note for future sessions: Find ways to bring those two characters even closer into contact. There’s definitely going to be some in-game love happening.
My phone buzzes with a new text.
Max: I TOLD YOU
I laugh before I can help it and then bite my lip. Felix and Li sit back and resettle themselves.
“I’m thinking that Zelda and I will take the lead and go deeper into the cave tunnels to track for scents,” Nova announces.
“I’ll come with you,” Max says immediately, and he and Nova share a ghost of a smile across the table.
“Shouldn’t we all come?” Li asks.
“You two can hang back and guard the tunnel,” Nova advises.
I almost feel bad because I’d like to give their characters a little alone time rather than moving on to what I have planned next. But then, one of the fun things about being DM is that I get to mess with their plans and special moments, just the same as they get to mess with mine.
“As you begin your descent deeper into the caves, you hear the scrape of claws against stone.”
They all exchange glances.
“My time to shine,” Max says and mimes brandishing his huge axes.
Felix eyes me. “You aren’t going to let us get close to the wizard for a while, are you?”
I grin mischievously. “If I did that, the campaign would be over sooner. None of you want that, right?”
They shake their heads.
“Bring it on. I could use some more experience,” Felix says.
It turns out the claws are attached to an owlbear, one of my personal favorite monsters. The battle is a hard one and the owlbear is almost strong enough to overpower my group since they’re still a low level. Luckily both Li and Felix can heal because everyone is going to need it.
The rest of the session is excellent. I’m able to take them down a series of passageways, throw another encounter at them, and even include the classic “treasure chest that’s actually a mimic.” Maybe it’s been done a lot, but it’s never been done by me.
Unlike usual, Melanie and Max leave quickly at the end of the night because she has an early shift the next day. Li and Felix also leave together, so Nova and I get some rare time alone.
“Are they dating now?” Nova asks and sits down on our sofa in the living room. Zoinks follows and curls up on the ground next to her.
“Li and Felix? I don’t think so. Or, at least, Li hasn’t said anything official to me about it.”
“So, knowing this group, they’ve been dating for weeks and are keeping it a secret as well. You all are doing a great job of reminding me that I shouldn’t date until college. Or maybe grad school, I don’t know.”
I drop down on the other side of the sofa. “Don’t be dramatic, it’s not that bad.”
“Maybe, but it’s weird. I was expecting you and Max to come clean this evening.
I understand why you didn’t want to talk about it last week at the game—you two had barely been together for twenty-four hours.
You needed a minute to feel settled. But now it’s been over a week and you’re still keeping it a secret from everyone? ”
I mess with my hair rather than look her in the eye. “If we tell everyone, things will get so complicated. Our sections hate each other.”
“Who cares? They don’t get to decide what you do with your life.”
“I know, but it’s been such a struggle getting color guard to bond. Now that we’re finally coming together, I don’t want to be the one to splinter or distract us.”
She raises an eyebrow. “And I’m sure Max is more than fine keeping you a secret.”
My stomach churns at how easily she can predict the truth. Still, I don’t like her wording.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m not saying anything other than I’m worried about you. I know you’ve fallen for him already, no matter what you tell me, and this whole arrangement is making me nervous. I don’t like that he can kiss you in secret and then deny you’re together in public.”
“But it goes both ways,” I argue stubbornly. I feel the need to defend us even though I have the same reservations as her. “I’m doing the exact same thing.”
“But is it the same?” she asks quietly. She sits up straighter and looks me in the eye. “You really like him.”
I deflate. It’s clear what she’s implying—that Max might not feel as strongly about me as I feel about him.
I want to keep fighting her, but a small voice reminds me of our conversation yesterday.
Percussion is still his priority. I lean back and stare up at the ceiling, wishing I knew for sure whether he’s as serious about us as I am.
The obvious solution is to just ask, but that’s terrifying.
I lift my head to look at Nova. “I kinda hate this conversation, FYI. But thanks for caring anyway. Even if it is in your cynical and pessimistic way.” I roll my eyes good-naturedly.
“I hate it too. And you’re welcome.” She nudges my leg with her foot. “Now let’s go raid your kitchen for dessert before I have to go back home.”