Rising Shards

“Just to be clear,” Maia sad. “We don’t have to help them directly, right?” Maia asked.

“Well, they’re not here,” Iris said. “They’re just gonna be in line while we do this.”

“We’re already going to have to spend club time with them and I’m really trying to space out the time I need to be directly in their presence.”

“I can handle talking to them,” I said.

“Zeta and I don’t have your intense aversion to the love trio,” Iris said. “Even if they can be a lot.”

I heard someone nearby drinking something through a straw, but none of us had drinks. I looked backwards at the big table and saw Roux sitting on it.

This was already more work than I was hoping for, I didn’t think anyone would actually bother to try and take the stupid table.

“Hey, Roux, that’s for KJ, Amara, and Rain,” I said. “So can you…not be there, please?”

Roux took a big sip of her drink.

“You guys are guarding big table, then?” Roux asked.

“Apparently,” Maia said. “Roux, just get the hell out of here.”

“I’m not here to take big table,” Roux said. 

I couldn't help but wonder out loud. "Does anyone here call it...'the' big tab—"

“If the love trio got it for today, they got it.” Roux said.

“Cool, then get the hell out of here,” Iris said.

Roux took another big sip as Iris and Maia continued making almost synchronized calls for Roux to leave. “I just wanted to warn you that they also want big table today.”

“…they?” I asked.

“We don’t caaare,” Iris said. “Just leave. Is there a garbage bin around so we can chuck stuff at her?”

“As a trash child, you know garbage would have no effect on me, not even a like status effect.” Roux said.

“I can’t tell if you think being a trash child is a good thing or not,” I said.

Roux’s yellow eyes glinted as her ears twitched excitedly. “Don’t you want to know what you’re up against?”

“Just shut uuuuup,” Maia said.

“Yeah we don’t care!” Iris said.

“She’s not gonna leave until she tells us,” I said. “Fine, Roux, who are they?”

Roux chuckled and got up. She tried to do a trick where she tossed her drink behind her back to catch it with the other hand still in the front. The drink opened up on her head, spilling all over her as she biffed the front hand catch. She moved on like she didn’t just do that.

“They are Ema Kari and Snake Riley,” Roux said.

“Aren’t they the ones that got in trouble fighting…over this table?” I gulped.

“The very same,” Roux said.

“…so?” Iris said.

“So I hear through my various means that they decided they want big table again.” Roux said.

“So they can just rent it out like the rest of us." Iris said.

“They don’t care about rules imposed on them,” Roux said. “I hear they hang out on the streets of Sky Clay and beat up anyone who gets in their way. They like to skateboard, but only in places where skateboarding isn’t allowed. Their grades are nonexistent here, but they’ve intimidated their advisor into fudging their grades so they don’t even get in trouble or anything!”

“This all sounds pretty farfetched.” Maia said.

“I hear they beat up fourth graders.” Roux said.

“Wouldn’t they be arrested for beating up like actual children?” I said.

“And we’re actual teenagers, Faleur!” Roux said. “And they beat us up too! I hear they beat lots of people up! They made a local businessman cry once when they got mustard on him right before his important business meeting! And then they beat him up!”

“Alright, we get it already,” Maia said. “Can you just leave then?”

“Oh, I was planning on it,” Roux said. “But I won’t fully leave little garden. I’m going to watch from the distance as Snake and Ema beat you up, then take big table for myself!”

“Thanks for telling us your plan,” I said. “Now we can…prepare for you, too! And…do something about…what you’re gonna do!”

“Nailed it,” Iris said.

“Ta ta!” Roux said and crawled off into the bushes.

“Well, this sucks,” I said.

“I’d normally say this is stupid and give up here,” Maia said. “But Roux’s so annoying that I’d rather the love trio get the table than her.”

“Or Snake and Ema.” I said.

“Have either of you even seen them in person?” Iris asked. “I’ve heard the name but I’ve literally never seen them in class.”

“They feel like urban legends,” I said.

“Maybe they are, and Roux just wants to scare us away from the table,” Iris said. “Why do I suddenly care so much about this stupid table? It’s a table!”

Maia’s ears went back. “Wait…what is that?” She asked.

“What’s what?” Iris asked. “We don’t have your cat ears, you know.”

“Then shut up and let me listen!” Maia said.

Maia shut her eyes as her ears twitched around.

“It sounds like…skateboards?” Maia asked.

I could hear it then too. It was the sound of the little skateboard wheels on the stone floor. Whoever it was, they were moving slowly. I couldn’t tell if they were far away or close by.

“I hear two sets of them,” Maia said.

We all froze, trying to figure out where they were. The sounds were distorted by all the plant life around us.

“This is like a horror movie,” Iris said. “Maia, this is like that one you made me watch with the jungle and the like cyborg raptor men! This is just like that!”

“Hopefully it doesn’t have the same ending,” Maia said.

“H-how did it end?” I asked.

“Lots of disembowelment,” Iris said.

“I think I’m hitting the point where I want to say this is stupid and give up here.” I said, feeling some shakes in my legs. “But then we might…run into them.”

“We just need to stand firm, then,” Iris said. “Maia, you stand in front and get your claws out.”

“Screw you, you stand in front!” Maia said.

Iris thought for a moment.

“…Zeta, do you want to stand in front?” Iris asked.

“Let’s all just stand side by side.” I said. “Like, make a triangle so we can look all around.”

Maia’s ears shot back again. The skateboard wheels sounded close now. Way, way too close.

“They’re here.”