21

21

It was finally Monday. Keevan had worked her Saturday shift and a shift on Sunday at the library while it was closed to reorganize and restock the shelves, so she was given a few days off during the week for her help. She was excited to be back at school so she could see Karkat again. She hadn’t seen him since he left her house a few nights ago.

“Keevan,” said a familiar voice from behind her. Keevan turned around and was pleased to see Karkat waving shyly at her. His eyes darted around and he hesitated to walk up to her, as if he was nervous that someone would make fun of them. Keevan giggled, knowing that it was only because he had never had a girlfriend before.

“Hi, Karkat,” Keevan greeted him, kissing his cheek. He blushed a deep red and flinched in surprise. He still wasn’t used at all to romantic gestures of any kind.

“Hi,” Karkat said back, his voice quiet. “How are you?”

Keevan was surprised at how soft-voiced he was at school. She had never really noticed it before, but he acted much different when there were lots of others around them. Keevan understood that.

“I’m wonderful,” she said happily, taking his hand. “I’m glad to see you again. We should go to the cafeteria before Homeroom. Did you finish your homework over the weekend?”

Karkat blushed again and nodded sheepishly, squeezing her hand. “Ah, speaking of that,” he stammered, “I have to get that from my locker. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Keevan said, smiling as he walked off to the locker bay. She leaned against the wall and said hello to a few familiars as they passed. Suddenly, she heard a not-so-pleasant voice directed at her.

“Keevan Khan,” said an irritated freshman girl as she stormed over to Keevan. She had light blonde hair tied up in a tight ponytail high on her head, angry blue eyes and a scowl on her lips. She was Jack’s younger sister, Danica. She was the spitting image of him, but with about thirty percent more anger issues and seventy percent more uptightness. She was known well by everyone in the school for being one of the most ferociously strict students in freshman history, and she despised Keevan more than anyone else.

“Um, yes?” Keevan asked, trying not to stammer. In all honesty, she was a bit frightened by Danica; however she tried to be as nice as possible to her even if Danica did hate her. “Do you need something, Danica?”

“I suppose you could say that,” Danica said tartly, crossing her arms. “I’m here on behalf of my dear brother, who has been sulking around and complaining about you for days.”

Keevan sighed. “Listen, Dani, I�"” she started. Danica cut her off with a blazing glare.

“Do not call me that,” she hissed. “I know what you’re going to say, about how ‘oh, dear, I just can’t take Jack back because I’m so in love with this new boy’ or ‘I’m sure little Jack will find someone better than me; I just wasn’t enough for him’, but�"”

“Actually,” Keevan interrupted, getting annoyed, “I broke up with Jack because he treated me like garbage! Not because I thought he deserved better!”

“Save it, Princess,” Danica growled. “Just know that Jack is pretty much heartbroken over you, no matter how chill he acts about it.”

Before Keevan could respond, Karkat returned from the lockers and took Keevan’s hand. She felt comforted by him suddenly being beside her, much more comforted than she ever had with Jack. Danica froze.

“Didn’t you say we should go to the cafeteria?” Karkat said quietly, squeezing her hand. Keevan smiled and nodded to him, then kissed his cheek. She looked back at the angry freshman, trying not to be smug about having a new boyfriend other than Danica’s brother, but finding it hard not to be.

“Anything else you need to tell me?” Keevan asked her, still holding Karkat’s hand. Danica’s face turned light pink and her scowl turned even more upset. She clenched her fists and looked away quickly from Karkat.

“N-no,” Danica said, stammering. She turned on her heels and sped away down the hall, pushing past other students angrily.

“God, what’s her problem?” Karkat muttered once Danica was gone. “Who was that?”

“That’s Jack’s younger sister,” Keevan said, sighing. “She doesn’t like me very much. Hates me, in fact. Especially now, considering that I dumped her brother.”

Karkat and Keevan walked together to the cafeteria and Keevan pointed out Cari sitting by herself at a lunch table. They walked over and sat down beside her. Cari awkwardly waved to them, feeling a little uncomfortable about Karkat, but trying to be friendly. Keevan had to go back and get something from her locker, so Cari and Karkat were alone at the table.

“So...you guys are officially dating, then?” Cari asked him. “Yes,” he replied quickly. Cari looked at Karkat and neither of them really knew what to say. Karkat was silent for a minute but then he spoke.

“I...saw what happened when Jack was being an a*****e to you,” he said. “I was sitting next to you and I should have said something but I didn’t. I should have stuck up for you and for Keevan.”

“Uh, th-that’s okay,” Cari sputtered, alarmed that he was talking about something like that. “It’s not that big of a deal anyway. I didn’t even know you were watching.”

“I just felt like I should apologize,” Karkat said. “I...want to at least be a decent person to Keevan’s friends.” His cheeks flushed a bit and he looked at the floor.

“I’m glad Keevan chose you,” Cari said, aware that she was being just as abrupt as Karkat was. He looked at her with wide eyes. She continued, “I trust that you’ll be good to her.”

Karkat gulped and nodded. “I’ll always be good to her.”

Keevan entered the cafeteria again and came quickly back to the table, smiling.

“Hey, did you two know there’s a new school play happening soon?” she asked excitedly.

“No, what is it?” Cari asked her. Karkat just looked at her and didn’t say anything. Cari guessed he wasn’t big into extracurricular activities, similar to her. Keevan grinned.

“Romeo and Juliet!” she said. “I’m going to try out. You two should try out with me! I think it’ll be good for the both of you to do something like this outside of school and home.”

Cari and Karkat shared an uneasy glance. Neither of them wanted anything to do with theater or the people involved. Cari had a feeling that Karkat wasn’t that different from her when it came to getting out of the house.

“I’m no good at acting,” Cari muttered. “I’ll do tech crew.”

“Me, too,” Karkat said. “I’m not getting on a stage in front of the whole school and making myself look like an idiot in the theater club’s stupid costumes.”

“You two need to try new things!” Keevan insisted. “Come on, you two!” Cari and Karkat both shook their heads. Keevan pouted. “Well, as long as you’re participating in some way, I’m happy. But you both have to promise to join tech crew, okay?”

Cari sighed, and then nodded just to make Keevan happy. Karkat hesitated to agree, but after Keevan coaxed him for a while he reluctantly agreed as well.

“Great!” Keevan exclaimed in victory. “Now you two can get out and do something besides sitting at home on your computers.”

Cari and Karkat shared another uneasy glance. They both had a bad feeling about this whole school play.

He’s not going to show, Cari thought to herself, leaning on the brick wall beside the front doors of the school. I really was just imagining it. Someone like him would never talk to me.

She sighed and looked quickly at her iPhone. It was five minutes after the dismissal bell, and nobody was there. Cari sighed and picked up her bag from the ground, giving up on meeting with Eridan. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Cari?” said a familiar voice. She turned around and was very relieved to see Eridan, smiling at her. He wore a sweater with his sleeves rolled up and a plaid matching scarf. Cari felt her cheeks get warm.

“H-hey, Eridan,” she greeted him, smiling back. “You’re here.”

“Sorry I was late getting here,” he said, running a hand through his hair, “I forgot a book in my history class and had to go back to get it.”

“What book?”

“The Fault in Our Stars.”

“That’s my favorite book!” Cari exclaimed, grinning. “I love John Green.”

“He’s my favorite author,” Eridan said proudly. “I assume he’s yours, too, if you came across his books the same way that I did. Read one book and got hooked, right?”

“Exactly,” Cari giggled. She fidgeted with her fingers and looked around them, seeing that the school was nearly empty besides a few students. She was about to say something else when she noticed Keevan and Karkat walking together to the doors. They looked over and noticed Cari and Eridan standing together.

“Hey, you two,” Keevan said happily, waving at them. Cari sheepishly waved back, a little embarrassed. Karkat suddenly scoffed.

“Ampora? You have a girlfriend? A decent girlfriend?” he said. Eridan crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, then looked back at Karkat and examined him up and down.

“You’re one to talk, Kar,” Eridan replied. “How did you get a girlfriend? A popular girlfriend?”

“Shove it, hipster,” Karkat hissed. Keevan quickly scolded him and he protested, “Hey, don’t be mad at me! Ampora and I are friends, anyway.”

Cari bit her lip. Karkat had called her Eridan’s girlfriend. Was that real? Would someone like him ever want her as a girlfriend?

“We’ve got to go,” Eridan said, suddenly stepping closer to Cari and brushing his shoulder against hers. “We’re on a date.”

Keevan caught Cari’s eye and grinned at her. Cari blushed and smiled back.

“Have fun, you two!” Keevan said as Cari and Eridan walked off together in the opposite direction she was walking with Karkat. Cari anxiously walked beside Eridan, tugging at her turtleneck collar and adjusting her bag. She looked at him.

“Is this really a date?” she asked, her voice jumping a bit. Eridan looked back at her and gave a small smile, his cheeks burning light red.

“Do you...want it to be a date?” he asked her. Cari felt herself blush as well. She smiled and nodded. “Then it’s a date,” Eridan said, taking Cari’s hand.

Oh my God, Cari thought, her heartbeat going wild. I’m on a DATE. This really is real, I wasn’t imagining it; someone actually wants to go on a date with me. And Eridan is so...

Cari looked at him again and he smiled at her, squeezing her hand. Cari couldn’t hold back her smile to him.

...perfect.