Chapter 603 Nervous?
Alina looked at her list of registered participants. From Class A, three girls had signed up. Twins with matching pigtails and a tall girl with long braids. From Class B, four girls, all giggling together. From Class C, two girls who were already stretching like professional athletes.
And from Class D—
Drake and Vlad Jr.
Vlad Jr. stood near the starting line, his posture perfect as always, his red uniform neat and unwrinkled. But his cheeks were pink. Very pink. He kept glancing at the other participants, then looking away quickly, then glancing again.
Drake noticed.
"Why is your face red?" Drake asked loudly.
Vlad Jr. stiffened. "It is not red."
"It is very red." Drake pointed at his face.
"The sun is bright," Vlad Jr. said, blaming the sky.
"The sun is behind a cloud," Drake said, looking up.
"Then... the sun is reflecting off something," Vlad Jr. tried.
"Off your face?" Drake grinned.
Vlad Jr. did not answer.
Drake looked at the other participants. The girls from Class A giggling together. The girls from Class B whispering and pointing. The girls from Class C stretching and laughing.
Then Drake understood.
"Oh," Drake said, his grin widening. "You are embarrassed because there are girls."
"I am not embarrassed," Vlad Jr. said, his voice slightly higher than usual. "I am simply... aware of the demographic composition."
"You are blushing."
"I am not blushing."
"Your ears are red too."
Vlad Jr. touched his ear. Then he put his hand down quickly.
Drake laughed. "It’s okay. I am here too. We are two boys against many girls."
"That is not reassuring."
"It is a little reassuring."
"It is not."
Luna sat on a bench near the station, her bandaged knee stretched out in front of her, a cup of juice in her hand. She had been banned from participating by Madame Thistle, which had made her grumpy for approximately three minutes. Then Alina had given her the job of "official observer," and Luna had decided that watching others struggle was almost as good as competing.
Almost.
She watched Vlad Jr.’s red ears and smiled.
"Vlad Jr. is nervous," Luna called out.
Vlad Jr. turned. "I am not nervous."
"You are sweating."
"It is warm."
"It is not warm. There is a breeze."
"The breeze is warm."
Luna snorted.
A girl from Class A with twin pigtails bounced over to Vlad Jr. She was shorter than him by at least a head, and her smile was very bright.
"Hi!" she said. "I’m Lily. You’re from Class D, right?"
Vlad Jr. nodded stiffly. "Yes. I am Vlad Jr."
"I like your uniform. Red is a good color."
"Thank you. Your uniform is also... a color."
Lily tilted her head. "It’s blue."
"Yes. Blue is a color."
Luna covered her mouth to hide her laugh.
Drake stepped in. "He means your uniform looks nice. He is bad at compliments."
"I am not bad at compliments," Vlad Jr. protested.
"Give her a compliment right now."
Vlad Jr. looked at Lily. His face turned even redder.
"Your... pigtails are... symmetrical," he managed.
Lily blinked. "Thank you?"
"Very symmetrical. Perfectly aligned."
Luna snorted so hard juice came out of her nose.
Drake patted Vlad Jr.’s shoulder. "We will work on this."
Alina clapped her hands. "Alright, everyone! Line up at the starting lily pad! Remember, you must hop from pad to pad without touching the blue tarp. If you fall into the ’water,’ you have to start over. Fastest time wins!"
The children lined up.
Drake bounced on his feet, his new tail swishing. "I am ready! I have been practicing jumping!"
"You have been practicing?" Vlad Jr. asked.
"In my mind."
"That is not practice."
"It is mental preparation."
"That is the same thing Boo says."
"Boo is wise."
Vlad Jr. did not argue.
Lily stood beside Drake, bouncing on her toes. "I hope I don’t fall," she said. "My sister fell during practice and got grass in her hair."
"Which sister?" Drake asked.
"The one with pigtails."
"They both have pigtails."
"The one with the pink ribbons."
Drake looked at the other twin, who had blue ribbons. "Ah. Pink ribbons. Got it."
Lily smiled. "You’re observant."
"I am a dragon. Dragons notice details."
"Like what?"
"Like... your pigtails are also symmetrical."
Lily laughed. "You sound like Vlad Jr."
Drake grinned. "We are best friends."
---
The first round began.
A girl from Class B went first. She was tall and confident, with long braids that swung behind her as she jumped. She landed on the first lily pad easily, then the second, then the third. But on the fourth, a volunteer shifted the pad at the last moment, and she overcorrected. Her foot slipped off the edge, and she landed on the blue tarp with a soft thud.
"WATER!" Alina called cheerfully. "Start over!"
The girl groaned but laughed and went back to the start.
The twins from Class A went next. They tried to go at the same time, which was not allowed, and ended up colliding mid-air. They landed in a heap on the tarp, giggling uncontrollably.
"WATER! Both of you! Start over!"
They ran back to the start, still laughing.
Luna watched from her bench, sipping her juice. "This is the best game," she said to no one in particular.
---
Then it was Drake’s turn.
He stepped up to the starting lily pad, his eyes focused, his tail still. He crouched slightly, like a frog preparing to launch.
"GO!" Alina called.
Drake jumped.
He sailed through the air, his red uniform bright against the blue sky, and landed perfectly on the first pad. Then the second. Then the third.
But on the fourth pad, a volunteer shifted it just as he was mid-jump. Drake’s eyes widened. He twisted in the air, his tail flailing for balance, and somehow, miraculously, landed with one foot on the edge of the pad and the other hovering over the tarp.
He wobbled.
He waved his arms.
He made a sound like "WAAAHHH!"
And then he fell. Not onto the tarp. Not into the "water." He fell forward onto the next lily pad, his whole body sprawled across it like a pancake.
"THAT COUNTS!" Alina announced. "Feet touched the pad!"
Drake pushed himself up, grinning. "I AM THE FROG KING!"
"You fell," Lily said.
"I fell strategically!"
"That is not a thing."
"It is a dragon thing!"
---
Vlad Jr. was next.
He walked to the starting pad with measured steps, his posture perfect, his expression composed. He adjusted his collar. He smoothed his uniform. He looked like he was about to attend a royal banquet rather than hop on foam pads.
"GO!" Alina called.
Vlad Jr. jumped.
His form was flawless. His arms were straight, his legs tucked, his landing soft and controlled. He moved from pad to pad with the grace of a dancer.
Luna leaned forward. "Wow."
Drake’s mouth fell open. "How is he doing that?"
Lily watched with wide eyes. "He’s so... elegant."