Elena
"Sorry, I'm late!" Noel apologized as he ran over to my side.
Ask him what he and Nori have been doing all morning, Eevie told me.
I relayed the message, and Noel replied, "I f-fought my first demon. W-well, I guess Nori fought it, b-but still." He looked proud. He was dealing with this whole ordeal a lot better than I was. I found myself questioning everything around me.
How did you know? I asked Eevie. I couldn't get over her ability to sense things like that. She seemed so tuned into everything around her. I wondered if I would learn to be able to do the thing. I certainly hoped so. I hated having to rely on her to point everything out to me.
I can sense it. she replied nonchalantly. Tell Nori I miss seeing his beautiful self.
I blushed, but looked up at Noel, "Eevie wanted me to tell Nori she misses him and that she thinks he's beautiful."
Wasn't quite how I had worded that, but I suppose the messages are the same.
Noel must be listening to what Nori was telling him, he got quiet. Weird how I was getting used to our conversations like this. It was a little tedious, but there wasn't much way to get around it.
"Nori says he misses her gorgeous self just the same," Noel was turning red in the face. It was slightly embarrassing to be the messenger to love messages, or what I thought were love messages. I made a mental note to ask Eevie about her and Nori's relationship later. "He also says you guys probably fought your first demon, too. What kind of demon was it?"
"Some sort of scavenger demon, I think," I replied as i started leading the two of us to the cafeteria. "Eevie's been teaching me about the demon hierarchy this morning. Seems like the two of us got lucky having a couple noble demons on our side. I'm sure Nori is just as knowledgeable as Eevie. It's all really interesting." I was more interested in the learning about the demons at this point than I was having to fight them.
You actually enjoyed me talking about all that this morning? Eevie asked incredulously. I just assumed you were humoring me. In one ear and out the other as they say. I know it's a lot to take in. Noel and I were at the cafeteria and had to split up to go to the different buffets and stock up our trays with food.
I really did! I assured her. I want to know more about this other world and the things in it. I'm more interested in that than doing any fighting. Getting in line for some hash browns, I waited patiently for the line to go down.
Really? My powers didn't interest you at all? She sounded skeptical. But she was just teasing me. Heading over to the fruit station, I piled on some strawberries and watermelons.
OF course I am, but I just mean I like to know what I'm getting involved in beforehand so I kind of know what to expect. I found Noel sitting down at a table in a corner. I hurriedly grabbed a glass of orange juice before joining him, sitting next to him rather than across from him so we could whisper about demons and not have to worry about maybe being overheard.
When I got settled, Noel said, "Nori says he wishes he was sitting here eating with Eevie... B-But you are a g-gorgeous companion, too." Noel had to look away at the last part.
Say something witty back. Ask him if it's only Nori that thinks so. Eevie prodded. And a part of me really did want to say that, but the other part of me really scared.
I started to say something, but I swallowed wrong and started choking on my own spit. Coughing, I finally got my lungs cleared. "Wow, that wasn't embarrassing at all," I muttered under my breath as I took a drink of my orange juice.
"Are you okay?" Noel asked gently.
I nodded. "Of course."
"Were you going to say something?" Noel asked hesitantly, almost hopefully.
I shook my head, "I don't even remember what I was going to say." I laughed nervously. God I was so awkward. I hoped Noel didn't think poorly of me now. I didn't usually struggle with words.
Why did you lie? Eevie asked. If you like him, you should just say so. None of this pussyfooting around.
This is hardly the time or place. Besides, what if he doesn't like me in that way? I didn't really want to talk to Eevie about this. It was mortifying as it was. I felt like I was back in high school.
Honey, if you think he doesn't like you, you are the blindest person I have ever met. She told me. If you let me take over your consciousness, I can find out for you.
A part of me wanted to let her do it. TO pretend to be me, and then Noel would think I was confident and sure of what I wanted. But I wasn't either of those things at the moment, and I didn't want him to think the one thing about me when I was the opposite. Besides, if he found out it wasn't really me, I'm sure that would upset him.
No, thanks. I muttered and kept working on my food.
Eevie
I sighed in exasperation. This was one of those moment that sucked that I couldn't change the channel persay. I was all for romance. But I wasn't for dancing around the subject. Noel and Elena clearly had little crushes going on, but neither one wanted to take the first move.
I wondered if Nori was having a similar conversation with Noel. Noel seemed too shy to ever make the first move, so unless I could get Elena to work up her courage, these fools would always be circling each other.
Elena seemed the type to want to figure out her feelings more thoroughly first. She didn't seem very impulsive, which could be a good and bad thing. Bad because sometimes the best memories she'll have are the ones she didn't plan. Elena was more of a control freak than I was, that was for sure.
Preferring to live on the edge, I relished impulse decisions. You could learn more about a person with their one the spot choices rather than their carefully laid out plans. My parents hated that about me, of course, because it made me too hard to reign in and keep track of. It was hard to trust how I'd act in front of visiting nobles.
A switch would be perfect now, and if Nori switched with Noel, we'd be able to have lunch together, too. But I couldn't ask that of Elena and Noel. Not yet. Sighing to myself, I wished Elena and Noel would go walk around campus. I wanted to see more of the human world. I wanted to go to Elena's classes. I wanted to learn. I wanted to experience college parties. I wondered if she'd let me take control of her body and go to a party or two. Probably not, but it was fun to think about.
When Noel and Elena were done eating, they headed outside, back into the beautiful sunshine. "So do you have any plans for the rest of the day?" Elena asked Noel.
"I was going to head to the activities fair and then hang out with Austin," Noel replied.
"That's kind of my plan, too. Except I'll be hanging out with Alexa. Not Austin," she giggled cutely, which made Noel smile.
"Want to head over to the fair together? I just have to text Austin to let him know I'm heading over there." Noel took out his phone and started texting.
This is it. Ask him for his number. Or tell him to text you so you have his number. I ordered. This, at least, she should be able to do. It'll be handy if either of you run into a demon and need back up.
She fidgeted with her hands, pulling out her own phone. "Do you want to give me your phone number, Noel? I figure it'd be good to have each other on speed dial if we ever run into trouble that would be too much for either one of us alone."
Noel glanced up. "Th-that's a good idea," he nodded and rattled off his phone number to her.
See? That wasn't so hard! I told her with a smile. I wondered if my confidence would rub off on Elena eventually. And I prayed it was so. The world better look out then. Confident Elena would be capable of just about anything.
