“Can Love Bloom on a Coach Bus?” (75.8) (Anastasia)

With just a simple introduction delivered with cool, smooth confidence, Esther had somehow changed the game from whatever the hell it was before to us being stunned by her. So much so that Charmaine was struggling to get much out of Lillia or Tay.

"What's with everyone?" Charmaine asked. "I thought we were playing a flirting game. Don't tell me I missed this one, too."

"You walked into the middle of Esther charming everyone into some kind of stunned state," Zeta said.

"She is charming, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Charmaine said. "Still, you two could like, acknowledge my presence."

"Er, my apologies," Lillia said.

"Yeah...my bad," Tay said.

"I was really worried you were going to use that 'you may be charming, but I'm Charmaine' line," Esther said.

"Don't give away my line!" Charmaine said.

"She was practicing it before I came over," Esther said. "I told her it was terrible. You don't pronounce your name like char-main, so it doesn't even sound that good."

"Well, my chances are dead in the water already," Charmaine said, sitting down with a huff next to Tay. "Thanks, Esther."

"I think without that line you'll come up with something a lot better," Esther said. "Just to be clear, this is like. Just for funsies flirting right?"

"Yeah, I think?" I said.

"I mean, I'm sure all our candidates here are lovely, but I'd need a bit more time before anything serious," Esther said. "Just wanted to make that clear before we go any further!"

Tay coughed. "Ahem, yes, quite."

"Did I say something strange?" Esther asked.

"No, you're just more overt than anyone in the nearby vicinity is used to," I said. "Well, I'm pretty used to it, but..." I trailed off, stuck between trying to brag and not wanting to talk about Nikki. "I have experience, is all."

"Well, we've all been asked to this dance so many times it's more fun this way, the pressure's off a bit if it's just a game," Esther said. "You did tell them we're all going as friends, right?"

"Yeah, like twelve times," I said.

"Iris and Maia are very stubborn," Sai said. "Well, mostly Iris."

"Maia can be pretty damn stubborn when she wants to be," Iris said.

"Yeah, but not about this, I'm only in this because you're so hyped for it," Maia said.

"Can I try again?" Charmaine asked. "I won't do the charm line, I can do better."

"I'd like to see your efforts!" Tay said. "I may have obtained one and a half dates to this dance, but a few more couldn't hurt."

"Chumbler gave her a yes, Z.O.K. only a maybe," Iris shook her head.

"Alright, well let's see if...hold on, are we trying to win people over or are they trying to win us over? Because Esther is winning, but Tay also...?" Charmaine said.

"The entire thing is incredibly, idiotically unclear," I said. "Don't bother trying to understand it."

"So I miss the dating show thing, and now this dating thing is like...completely idiotic," Charmaine said.

"Yep," I said.

"That feels...unfair," Charmaine said. "But I guess that's what we get for rejecting like everyone who asked us to the dance already."

Ever since Esther, Charmaine, Myles, Ash, and Sai arrived in this world, and after making our debut of sorts, they'd gotten asked to the dance many times by enough students they couldn't keep track of them all.

"You're not regretting turning people you don't even know at all down, are you?" Esther asked.

"I mean...I am a bit now," Charmaine said.

"It's better to get to know someone first," I said. "And yes, that's me also saying this game is stupid."

"But this game is helping you get to know people better," Sai said. "So really..."

"Alright, let me try again for real," Charmaine said. "Ana, I'm putting you back on the list."

"What list?" I asked, knowing full well what she meant, I just wanted to be an ass about it.

"Ugh, never mind," Charmaine said. "Sai, how about you? Can I try my moves on you?"

"I'm on the wingman side, so I don't think I'm supposed to," Sai said.

"You all don't make this easy, do you?" Charmaine asked.

Tay raised her hand. "Still eagerly waiting your attempt."

"Oops, sorry," Charmaine said, she brushed her hands through her hair a few times and shook her head. "Hey there, uh...glasses...girl."

"Do you mean me or Lillia?" Tay asked.

"You, obviously, I'm looking right at you!" Charmaine said.

I noticed Lillia had some small wireless earbuds, she kept getting the case of them out when things got too annoying, but she kept deciding against it. I wished I brought one of my pairs of headphones to this.

"Hey, I heard there was like, flirting going on or something?" Myles asked, stopping in the aisle.

"Aw, come on, you ruined my shot! I haven't even gone yet!" Charmaine said.

"You had two chances and you blew them," I said.

"No I didn't, I barely got to say anything!" Charmaine said.

"Just saying, when it was my turn, I made the most of a short window of time," Esther said. "Got fifteen whole points."

"Now where the freak are you getting fifteen points from?" Iris asked.

"Well, five points from each dance partner?" Esther said.

"I guess that makes sense," Iris said. "So...you there..." She coughed.

"Can't remember which sister I am?" Myles asked.

"Whoa, how'd you know?" Iris asked.

"I've seen that look before," Myles said.

"Well, are you gonna tell me which one you are or am I just gonna have to stew in embarrassment over here?" Iris asked.

"I'll let you stew in it," Myles said. "So what's going on here?"

"Um, excuse me!" Mrs. Junea called from the front of the bus. "Either take your seat or go to the potty in the back, no standing in the center lane there!"

"Tch, potty, the hell..." Myles said. "I guess that's my cue to go." She left, heading back to her seat.

"Disqualified, no points for Myles," Sai said. "Unfortunate for her, but that's the nature of the game."

"I was thinking negative points if a teacher makes you sit back down, but a DQ works too," Iris yawned. "Honestly, I'm starting to get bored of this whole thing."

"You can't be bored of it already," Maia said.

"I just feel fulfilled as a wingman after getting Tay and Chumbler together," Iris said.

"I wouldn't...say I'm together with Chumbler," Tay said.

"It's honestly kind of hard with this setup," Oka said. "I keep looking over at Junea to make sure she's not paying attention."

Iris stretched. "Maybe we can pick this up at the shopping spree."

I scoffed. "Are you seriously giving up already?"

"Not giving up, just pausing," Iris said. "Or giving up, maybe, I dunno."

I almost asked the others how they put up with this girl, but as the words almost formed in my mouth, Zeta looked my way, and I could tell she knew what I was going to ask. My mouth contorted like I just sucked on a lemon.

"Fine. Whatever. We'll pick it up. Or not. Whatever." I said. I slouched in my chair.

"Well, if it helps, I feel a bit better about going to this dance as a group," Esther said.

"From...this?" I asked, dumbfounded that anyone got anything out of this stupid bus ride.

"Well, yeah, we're having fun," Esther said. "And since we're going to the dance just as a friend thing, if anyone else wants to come with, I wouldn't be opposed."

"Even me?" Tay asked.

"Well..." Esther said.

"That's fair, I get it," Tay said.

"I was joking..." Esther said. "Was my joking tone not clear?"

As grumpy as I was, it was nice to see Esther get to make a good impression. It was unfortunate that some of that good impression was for Zeta Faleur, but I begrudgingly accepted that. From what I'd seen, Esther hadn't had much of a chance to socialize outside of the devil group, whether it was from a busy schedule or lingering sadness about leaving her old world behind. Out of everyone in her group, she definitely seemed to have been hit the hardest by the departure from her home.

As she and Charmaine chatted with the others around us, I felt Sai's elbow at my side.

"See? Not so bad." Sai said.

"I guess so," I said. "I'd ask if I was too much, but everyone here should be grateful I didn't fall into a pit of burning rage like I wanted to with Faleur feet away from me."

"Grateful about that is subjective, I guess," Sai said. "But thanks for not diving into that smoldering rage pit."

"I can't guarantee I won't when we get to this game," I said, delighting myself with the mental image of ramming a shopping cart into Zeta's, sending her and her cart tumbling down five aisles.

"Well at least that'll have some more structure than this," Sai said.

"You really think something organized by this school system would have any kind of structure?" I asked.

"Like, compared to this, I mean," Sai said, gesturing toward Iris.

"Fair," I said.

I had to assume we were almost there, and I wondered if Iris and the others wore themselves out before even getting to the event. That'd just make them easier pickings for me, allowing me to easily win this game. I vaguely remembered seeing something in the agenda for this event that Mother gave me that there would be tiers of prizes, so I hoped I'd get the best dress to really rub it in their faces.

"Hey, so what's with you saying you'd go with me out of all the devils?" Sai asked.

"Hm?" I said. I couldn't quite read Sai's expression. "What about it?"

"I'm just curious on your thought process there," Sai said.

I hadn't really thought much about it when I said it, so I had to find a reason. "Just like logically speaking, we get along the most."

"Wow, logically speaking, real winning stuff Ana," Sai said.

"What? It is logical!" I said. "Though I wouldn't want to get in the way of..."

"Get in the way of what?" Sai elbowed me again.

"You know," I said smugly. "I wouldn't want to interfere." I flicked the chair in front of me.

"No idea what you're talking about," Sai said.

"I think you might have an inkling," I said. "Want me to call over to her again? Well, last time that led to us all getting sucked into the void, so maybe not."

"You can be such an ass sometimes," Sai said, but they were still laughing, the light from the afternoon sun flickering through the window.