“Mind if I join you?” Shaye asks, smiling brightly.
She knows me well enough at this point to know that I enjoy my self-imposed isolation and normally sit by myself in the dining hall. A quick scan of the raucous room reveals that there are plenty of open seats, many with more desirable company than myself. But, as it is, I still owe her one for the invasion of her privacy, so I can’t very well say no.
“Suit yourself,” I reply, sipping from the mug in front of me. She’s definitely feeling better if her clothes are any indication of her mood and overall well-being. Shaye’s clothes are generally unconventional, but I have never seen such a tribute to 80’s punk. Not in person anyway. I can’t help myself but stare. She’s wearing a red plaid skirt with black fishnet leggings and a t-shirt that’s so faded you can just barely make out the name of the band: The Ramones. If it weren’t for her vampire strength it would be easy to imagine her tiny body weighted down by the abundance of chunky bracelets clattering noisily on her arms.
“Awesomesauce, right? I can do yours too.” She laughs pointing at her hair. She’s added bright pink streaks which I would never in a million years copy. It works for her, but it’s a little too loud for my personal taste. I look down at my own outfit which is comprised of skinny jeans and a cropped sweater. As usual my clothes pale in comparison to Shaye’s.
“Where do you even find clothes like that?” I ask, wondering what’s inspired such an attention grabbing look today.
“The internet, where else?” she asks seriously, dropping into the chair across from me. “I had a lot of time to surf the web last week. I could only watch so many reruns of Jersey Seaside before losing brain cells.”
“Oh.” What do I say to that? I’d probably lose my mind if I was confined to my room for more than a day, and she’s been in bed for more than a week. I just hope she’s joking about watching that trashy reality show. One episode would be sufficient to drop her IQ fifteen points. “Well, you look great,” I tell her.
“Did I miss anything good?” she asks, sipping delicately from a straw. I watch as the red liquid makes its way up from the glass and into her mouth. She drains the glass while I contemplate.
“Not really. It’s been quiet.”
“Too bad. I was hoping for some good scoop. There hasn’t been much excitement in my life since Halloween,” she replies longingly. “I wish I could have been there to see the look on Jade’s face after you dunked her in the spring. Maybe next time.” She looks at me with a hopeful expression.
“There won’t be a next time.”
“Oh well, I can dream, can’t I? Besides, she had it coming.”
Maybe Anya’s right. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have someone to talk to once in a while, and it’s clear Shaye has decided a friendship between us is a worthy pursuit. What the heck.
“I was thinking about catching a movie at The Palace this weekend if you’re interested?”
“I’m down. It’s been a while since I’ve been into Rutland. It’ll be fun. Just promise me you aren’t going to invite Jade and Lexie too,” she teases. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that much excitement yet.”