“How Do You Ask a Slime Girl to Prom?” (62.6) (Kalei)

I barely knew what was going on at any given day at Rising Shards, but we all knew some consistent going ons that tended to repeat themselves that one could pick out in the middle of a bunch of random crap thrown our way.

For example, while I was having trouble processing this whole Dose 8 deal, its effect on my body, that fight with the devils...here Ovie was being her usual self. A beacon of normalcy in a storm of chaos. I knew how to handle her.

"Well? Is anyone going to talk about that slime ball or do you want me to?" Ovie asked. "I made sure she's staying far away from our tents, way, way in the forest."

Roux's ears went back. I thought they were gonna start growling, or whatever they were gearing up to say to Ovie would really wreck her. Roux was getting all the zingers on Ovie as of late, maybe they needed a break from it.

"You're so boring, Ovie," I said.

"I—what did you just say?" Ovie said.

"Hey, that's..." 09 started, then realized she was defending Ovie on this and faltered.

"See? Even your girlie agrees," I said.

"She's not my girlie," Ovie said, not prepared for me to say it at just about the same time as her.

09's face remained stoic, but Chellsi and Mikeila-Keila looked concerned. Risa I couldn't read as well. Her eyes sparkled a bit as I remembered how she'd been since we rekindled our friendship. She was the type now who lived for this kind of encounter, so this was probably a treat for her.

"How predictable," I said.

"I wanna hear Kalei out on this," Risa said.

"I'm not..." Ovie was the type who wanted to push everyone's buttons then got in their faces when her opponents got flustered. I found that if I caught her off guard enough right from the jump, she got off her game and didn't know what to do next. "My girl is..."

"Are you actually gonna bring up Jeans again after I said you're too predictable?" I asked.

Ovie's expression darkened.

"Don't say her name to me ever again," Ovie said.

"I think I have the right to after you kidnapped me for a chance to talk to her that didn't even pan out," I said. "Was that the last time you talked to her? Right before you turned into a huge monster? I was in the middle of all that action, but I distinctly remember her voice on an intercom saying she was done with you. Is that something your girlie would say? And before you ask why I'm going so hard right now, you were the one who started this, we were literally just walking by."

We stood close enough now that I thought Ovie would punch me or try something. But she just stammered, giving me an opportunity to finish her off and keep going on this search for some person I'd never met to help Roux out.

"And we'd like to keep walking by, unless you want to keep up your boring, stagnant act," I said, putting emphasis on the last few words.

Ovie's eyes darted back and forth.

"I'm not stagnant," she said. "I'm not boring."

“Do something that isn’t stagnant then," I said. "Grow a bit.”

I stepped back. Ovie looked to her left, to 09, then to her right, where Risa now stood.

Ovie grabbed 09's wrist, pulling her close. A second later, the two were kissing, and Ovie really went for it. That was one way to prove me wrong. Chellsi and Mikeila-Keila screamed then pretended to faint. Risa's sparkling eyes for school drama somehow got even more sparkle to them.

“There. Happy?" Ovie said after she finally pulled away from 09's lips, wiping spit from her mouth.

"I...that's..." 09 stammered. "So, um..."

“That didn’t mean anything, by the way," Ovie said.

"What? 09 laughed. "Come on, that was not nothing."

“Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss, it doesn’t matter!” Ovie said. "Whatever, let's go, I can't stand another second by these slime lovers." She stomped off, with Chellsi and Mikeila-Keila scampering after her. She huffed, clenching her fists and tightening her shoulders. “Are you coming or not?”

09 paused for a second, then grabbed Risa and kissed her, possibly even deeper a kiss than Ovie just gave. Chellsi and Mikeila-Keila's scream was even louder this time. I really didn't need to see Ovie and 09 tongue kissing, nor did I need to see 09 and Risa do the same. Yet I didn't look away, which probably made me some kind of hypocrite.

“You said it didn’t mean anything, so,” 09 said. She held Risa's hand and brought her with to follow Ovie. Risa just shrugged at me as she walked by.

Go Risa, I guess.

It was embarrassing to even glance Marmalade and Roux's way after that. "Sorry. That kinda got out of hand, huh?"

"Ovie disrespected my new friend, and claimed to have exiled her," Roux said. "I would have obliterated her with my top secret Super Deluxe Ultra Mega Roux Cannon power, that I haven't used on anyone, so it's probably for the best you merely emotionally broke her."

"I'm more impressed than anything," Marmalade said.

"Yeah, well, in spite of everything, I would like to see an Ovie that isn't...her usual self," I said. "Anyways, did she give us any clue about Raytris?"

"She said she sent her 'way, way' into the forest," Marmalade said.

"Then it's imperative we don't waste any more time on Ovie Chirhart! Let's go!" Roux sprinted off, and I followed in spite of not knowing where they were headed or if it was even the right direction.