“And your point being?” Diego asked, looking between us in confusion.
“Don't you have like…legal drinking ages in Solaria?” I asked with a frown.
“There's no laws against drinking here,” Diego said with a laugh, lifting a hand to tug on one side of his beanie. “You just have to have the gold to buy it. Which kids tend not to.”
“That's crazy,” I said as the waitress arrived with our drinks.
“My kind of crazy,” Tory said brightly, taking her cocktail.
I sipped my whiskey and coke and had the prickling feeling that I was being watched. My eyes snagged on Orion and I found he was looking right at me; it felt a lot like looking down the barrel of a gun. My throat constricted and I choked on my drink, placing it down as I tried to rein in my coughing. With a noise like a dying goat, I managed to gain my breath and Tory shook her head at me with an amused smile.
Well that's just great.
Diego patted my back. “Are you alright?”
“I'm fine,” I said airily, glancing over at Orion and finding he'd returned to talking with his date anyway. Hopefully that meant he hadn’t just witnessed my choke attack.
What had my horoscope said this morning? Oh yeah, the universe is out of sync with you today. Be prepared to ride out the storm.
I’d ridden the storm all week, so how much worse could it really get?
The waitress returned to take our food orders and I jumped on the opportunity of a distraction, ordering a pizza from the menu.
When she walked away, I took a slower sip of my drink and decided to pointedly ignore Professor Jerk-Face’s presence. But it was pretty difficult considering Tory and I were fairly convinced he wanted us dead.
A group of professors walked in the door and Diego scowled. “Is this the teachers' hang out or something, Sofia?”
“Er…maybe. I didn't realise,” she said, her cheeks lining with colour.
Our water Element teacher, Professor Washer was wearing a tight-fitting flowery shirt with way too many buttons undone and a roguish smile. He cast his eyes our way and shot us a wink. I would have guessed he was about forty and looked like he’d spent way too much time crisping himself up under the sun.
“Ew,” Tory hissed and I shuddered.
Our Tarot teacher, Professor Astrum, led him away by the arm firmly and his lips pinched tightly together in disappointment.
“Washer is a total perve,” Sofia whispered then giggled as if she shouldn't have said it.
“Is that why we have to wear bathing suits that barely cover our asses in his class?” I asked, my nose wrinkling.
“I'd bet on it, chica,” Diego laughed, nudging me in the ribs.
Our food soon arrived and we ate every last bite as we ordered more and more drinks. By the time the waitress cleared our plates, my head was a little swimmy and I'd forgotten all about Orion and hadn't at all noticed that his hand was currently placed on his date's knee.
“Shots!” Diego announced, rising from his seat.
“Yes!” Sofia hooted, her hair dancing around her shoulders as she swayed in her chair.
Tory and I laughed as Diego strode away to the bar.
“Oh no,” Tory said suddenly, sinking low in her seat.
“What is it?” I followed her line of sight to the window behind me.
Geraldine was crossing the street with a paper bag in her grip.
“Hide,” Tory begged, grabbing up a menu and burying her face in it.
I pulled my hair over my shoulders, knowing the blue ends were a giveaway but a loud knocking on the window said I'd reacted too late.
“Just ignore her,” Tory hissed as I fought the urge to turn around. Sofia raised a hand to wave and Tory took a swat at her with her menu.
“We can't,” I said, a pang of sympathy rolling through me.
I couldn't resist the urge to look and found Geraldine pressed up against the window, her hands cupped around her eyes so she could see in.
I looked away again and Tory stole a glance over her menu. “Shit.”
“What?” I whispered, staring resolutely forward.
“She's coming in,” Tory said through her teeth.
I fought a groan as Geraldine appeared, grinning from ear to ear as she pranced across the restaurant to our table. “Well bless my cream crackers! I thought you were staying at The Orb?” She looked between us, ignoring Sofia, her face plastered with confusion.
“We changed our minds,” I said innocently.
“Oh.” Her confusion melted into a bright smile. “Well why didn't you call me?” She dropped into Diego's chair, placing her paper bag on the table. “You're going to love these, I just got them made.”
She tipped the bag up and a pile of sparkly silver badges fell onto the table with the letters A.S.S inscribed on them in black. Holy…shit. Does she not realise what that spells? Is she actually going to walk around campus with one of them on!?
“They're for the Almighty Sovereign Society – aren't they just the gnat’s pyjamas?!” Geraldine leaned right across the table, pinning one on Sofia's dress before she could refuse. Sofia gazed at it in abject horror and I drowned my laughter by taking a sip of my drink.
“Wonderful,” Tory said dryly but if Geraldine noticed her sarcasm, she didn't let it show.
My gut sank as Geraldine pinned one onto her denim jacket and started dancing in her chair.
If the Heirs see those they're gonna rip her apart.
“Um Geraldine,” I said gently, feeling it was my duty to save her from a host of abuse at the Academy.
“Yes?” she asked brightly, shimmying her shoulders back and forth so the badge caught the light as she admired it.
“It’s just…that acronym, it kinda spells ass.”
Tory snorted into her drink.
Geraldine stared at me for a long moment and I wasn’t sure if she was about to flip out. Laughter erupted from her throat and she petted my arm. “Don’t be ridiculous! No one but you would have noticed that, Darcy.” She shook her head at me as if I was so amusing and my heart floated down to the base of my stomach.
Well I tried.
Diego returned with four bright green shots and frowned as he spotted Geraldine in his seat. She lifted a hand as if to take one of the shots and he moved them out of her reach.
“Isn't that your gang out there?” he asked, nodding to the window.
Geraldine wheeled around then gasped as she spotted a bunch of the royal supporters walking up the street.
“Oh sweet raisin bran!” She gathered the badges into her bag, practically panting as she leapt from her seat then curtsied at us. “Your majesties, forgive me but I must go.”
“You're forgiven,” Tory said brightly.
Geraldine checked her watch. “I can be back in one hour! Then we can all go dancing together.” Geraldine shot out of the restaurant before anyone could reply, waving her bag at the group in excitement. I watched for one gut-churning second as they all pinned the ass badges onto their chests.
“Asses,” I breathed in horror. “They’re a group of asses and they don’t seem to realise it.”
“Oh man I can’t wait for the Heirs see those.” Tory started laughing.
“Tory,” I snorted. “You can’t say that.”
“At least it will get the attention off of us for five minutes.” Her laughter descended into fits and I pressed a hand to my mouth as I tried to stifle my own.