Chapter 12 Stupidity

The following days grew more uneasy, after class, Will kept losing track of her. Even with the students in hallways could be an easy counter to Ranger tracking. She wouldn't even talk to him in class. Their friends felt this rift, same too, what wondering what was causing it. Both sides tried asking them both, Alyss answers to ask Will, which Will claims to have no idea what is up with her.

"This is going nowhere..." Louise sighs exasperated.

Steve leans on the wall, "I don't see why I should be here."

"You are my boyfriend, and you'll help us figure out to see what is the problem between Will and Alyss." Jennifer chucks a rock in this direction which unflinchingly let it whizz by his head.

"You do know that could have at least hit me you know?" Steve gave her a glare.

She gives him a smile, "You have my one hundred and twenty percent word, that it was intended to."

Steve sinks down to the grass, "You don't need to tell me that twice, even one percent would do."

"So? What do you think it maybe?" Jennifer turns her attention to Louise who was in deep thought. As much Louise would hate to admit, she doesn't have the slightest clue.

"Well those two appeared at the same time, peas in a pod." Steve says plucking grass from the ground, the stood up waving his fist at the boys who tossed a ball wildly in their direction, nearly missing him in the process.

"That is true, so what would have caused this? Also they weren't sort of engaged or something..?" Louise said remembering a detail.

Jennifer nodded quickly, "That's right! So what..."

In silence, Shayna enters the group. "Hey...you know me right? I'm Shayna, one of Will's classmates."

"Oh hey." Recognized by Louise.

"It's simple, but I might be wrong." She said uncertainly, which caught the three's attention.

Jennifer snapped, "What are you getting all interested for Steve?"

Steve looked around, "Oh..nothing.. I mean, just thinking how Shayna might be better than you."

Shayna blushed slightly at the comment, while Jennifer did the same...in anger.

"Jealousy."

That caught everyone's breath, "Jealously?" Louise spoke slowly.

Jennifer began to nod in agreement, "You know...she's brighter than she looks. Jealousy fits perfectly, I can't believe that is under our noses."

Steve mildly imputs, "So you admit she's better than you?"

"Hell no, get outta here." Jennifer began throwing more rocks at him which he skedaddled off laughing.

Louise shook her head, "And we thought we knew much about them, but even then we didn't consider THAT possibility."

Shayna shrugged, slightly flustered she was still talking to one of the most popular girls in the school, "Well...this is Alyss we're talking about. Possibly we couldn't place the fact of her being jealous at all."

"I second that." The captain of the girl's archery team bobs her head up and down.

Louise then posed the second question, "What is she jealous about then? Will...so.."

"I also... think that Alyss really doesn't realize she is jealous." Shayna added.

"Wait what?" they looked confused at her.

"Well think of it, that simplest, most common thought never occurred to you about Alyss. I don't think she realizes she is jealous." Shayna spoke as if she was some philosophical professor.

"You are a genius!" Jennifer exclaims, "Wait you are a friend of Will?"

"Now what do you mean by that!" Shayna eyed the girl closely who waved her hand in a different meaning, "Nothing, just nothing....anyhow...let's ask...."

Ooo

"...her?" Jennifer looked at Alyss.

Louise nodded, "You are jealous aren't you?"

"Jealous? Adjective, feeling resentment against someone because of that person's rivalry, success, or advantages, characterized by or proceeding from suspicious fears or envious resentment." Alyss recited from the dictionary.

Baffled, Louise pats Alyss's shoulders, "You are really clueless. How much TIME do you even have?"

Alyss looks questioningly at Louise, "What?"

Jennifer asked something, "Hey Alyss, what do you think about Will?"

At the moment of mentioning Will's name, she got really defensive. Snapping right and left, Louise said with the corner of her mouth, "She's really jealous."

"I wonder who that could be..." Jennifer replied, too, with the corner of her mouth.

Sighing, the plainly asked, "Do you hate him?" Which paused her little silent rant.

"H-hate? Him? No! Why would you even ask that?" Alyss said mollified.

Jennifer, spreading her arms, "They why are you being that terrible to Will? What has he ever done to you?"

"Well he-" she stops mid-sentence, realizing what Jennifer just asked.

Shaking her head, "There's the point. Where we all don't get..."

Alyss turns around, "Why are you butting into our business?" walking away from the two suddenly.

Jennifer nearly exploded, until Louise held her down, "We done our part, I'm sure she has that on her mind..."

Jennifer glared daggers after Alyss, "She better, or else she's going to be sorry for dissing us like that!"

Suddenly worry went all over her face, "Oh I nearly forgot! I had an appointment today. Laters Louise!"

"Lat...ers...." Louise saw a piece of paper with Alyss's elegant writing. Eyes widened as she read it, a smile was born on Louise's face. "So that was it."

Ooo

"Will!" Louise calls out as she runs up to catch to him. He turns around, "Oh hey Louise, what is it?"

Breathing hard from running, she gasps between breaths, "Will....I think I found out why Alyss has been acting weird."

Will snaps to attention, "Wait what? What is it?"

"From what I can tell, she thinks you and Daniela are hitting it up." Louise laughs weakly, taking her water bottle out and having a sip.

Will looked confused, able to guess the context he slightly blushed, "What? No..if that's what that means. No we aren't! We're trying to figure out a way to make her cheer up a bit.."

Louise smiles, "Ironic isn't? Either way, to her eyes it isn't what it seems to be. Especially the ice-cream scheme you guys pulled."

That really got Will wondering, "Hmm...oh right...wait...how did you know?"

Louise grins and stuck a paper under Will's nose who grabbed it and started reading it.

"Oh."

Louise began walking away giving a small wave, "Come on you two, you guys AREN'T that terrible."

Will stood under the sun, knowing exactly what he needed to do.

Ooo

Will found Alyss at the facility, Will smiled. Just as I thought... the place that reminds us the most of...our past.

Will thanked the driver and stepped out onto the middle of the road. Which he hastily walked towards where Alyss was standing with the wind blowing, she sees him and then began to turn away.

Will thought, Oh no, not this time.

"Alyss! I have to talk to you!" Will calls out, slicing through the wind.

Alyss stops, "What?"

Will pauses detecting slightly a bit of anger in her voice. "I want to tell you something."

"Oh really? Tell me something I don't know." She said, carefully hiding her other emotions in her tone.

"Yes, something you don't know."

Alyss turns around, shocking Will, who had tears streaming down her face. Miraculously, I could have the storm brewing up, droplets of rain began showering down. Will's first concern crossed his mind and began removing his cloak to put cover Alyss.

"Don't come to me!" Alyss said, evident her voice is breaking up.

Will sighed, This is unexpected. I just need to tell her me and Daniela are just friends...

"You know, I can't believe this Will. Do you remember what you said that night? What you asked? I was happy. Really happy. Now we come to this world, you completely changed. Nothing but an utter useless Ranger." She spits.

Alyss was going to a dangerous territory.

Will looks at her with shock, surmounted with mostly surprise.

"You don't understand, just like back at Whitby Fief, Edwina isn't it? Her daughter Delia." Alyss said in a quieter tone.

Will laughed softly, which her eyes flickered to him, "What is so funny?"

Will apologizes, "Well, didn't you know? She got married, to the ferryman's son."

Alyss looked at him, partially some kind of recognition. The diplomatic courier right on then remembered that letter she sent to Will and how quickly he departed...just for her.

Did I make some kind of mistake?

Taking the hesitation, Will took a few strides and drapes the cloak around her reflecting off the rain. Will leaned really close and whispered three words into her ear. Which Alyss widened her eyes in surprise, then overcame with small sense of relief.

Pretty sure anyone could guess what they are.

ooo

"Well lookie here everyone! Seems like they are back on good terms!" Chris announces as Will and Alyss enters the practice stadium.

Everyone looks at the two and smiles. Most of the guys congratulating Will and the girls surrounding Alyss with questions as usual.

"You know, we were worried." Amanda said to her.

"Yeah, I mean. You were cold to him, I probably get why. But Will was almost tore up by that." Nicole flashing a smile in Will's direction who was carefully listening and fuming.

Alyss gasps with mock surprise, "Oh really? Serves him right!"

Whispering, one of the nodded, "I feel the burns for Will."

"I agree."

Buck steps in, "Hey now. Our buddy here is sensitive, now if you don't want your butts to get kicked... you should know very well what can avoid that."

Daniela's low voice made everyone turn to look at her who entered the rear door, "Yippee....congrats you two. Good idea Buck, we should settle this with our teams..."

Everyone eyed her suspiciously, Will looked at her with interest. I wonder... is she taking this not well?

Alyss saw the gaze, which slightly worried her a bit, this is just me. We are all friends, care for each other... this is just like me and the princess.

Seeing this opportunity, she walks up to Daniela and asks, "Are you okay?"

She tiredly looks up to Alyss giving a weak smile. "Something like that. Glad you and Will are not having the threatening aura. It was making us feel awkward."

Alyss smiles warmly at her, "Sorry. Hold on...wait you ARE fine right?" asking again giving more meaning to it. Which Daniela nodded, "Of course."

"Then..."

Will asks bluntly, "Why do you seem like you just got hit by those metal transportation things... or trampled by one of Horace's battlehorses."

Everyone looked at Will questioningly. Only Will, Alyss and Daniela knew.

Alyss held back the laughter forming, which turned into an unladylike snort. Daniela too, points at Will. "You know, you aren't too far off from that. I DID get hit by a car."

"Hold the Artemis's phone! What do you mean?" Jennifer gasps patting all over her checking if she was alright.

Daniela laughs, "It's fine."

"How is it fine? You just got hit by a car! Was it intentional?" Alisha stammers.

Will, who sensed there was a misunderstanding of what Daniela was saying simply shrugs.

"Make sure you get some ice on that." And turns away, doubling the amount of surprise with everyone.

Jerry starts, "Woah now Will... that's a bit too careless are you?"

"Yeah!" Natalie spits her gum out, shooting right by Will's head.

Realizing what she just did, she looks right at the door to see their Multi-cultural class teacher staring right at them.

"Natalie, 我刚刚看到妳...? " (Did I just see you...?)

(Sorry!) "Désolé! It just slipped out, I got it!" Recovering her mistake, gum rules were terribly strict in the school. The only exceptions, specifically three places it can be, the mouth, original package or the garbage can.

Everyone hated the consequence. All 58 bathrooms of the 4 leveled school building have to be cleaned up-during their free hours.

Satisfied, the teacher continued her way. The rest of the team silently laughed at the close call she had.

"Sh-shut up!" She shouted at them also silently glad she missed that one, trying to change the topic. "That doesn't make it right Will!"

Will sighed, "Come on Daniela, you know you can't fool me."

Daniela smiles through her pain, "Right..."

"What does he mean by that!?" Fred boomed.

Daniela laughs, "I DID get hit by a car..." which a couple glares went to Will who felt a shiver down his spine.

"...but it was a TOY car. Those little kid ones where a kid can sit in them...electrically charged ones." She finishes.

Taking a few moments to settle that into their minds, they blew up on her, "You should tell us that BEFORE hand!"

Will began whistling, taking out his mock bow. "What's that word...you guys are so gullible." He suddenly remembers the days with Gilan and Halt, trying to pull each other's legs, smiling at the memory.

"So I heard we were going to have a challenge?"

Ooo

"Hmm..." shifting the pencil to the corner of the page, "I see..."

"..." Toby angrily hissed, "If you 'hmm' once more, I will rip that sheet up myself!"

Will looks at him and smiles, "Please do!"

Alyss groans and began drawing with her pencil, "You know, Sir Rodney and his fellow knights always complained how much paper work they get. They even once said they might as well throw the papers at the enemy instead."

Will stabs the end with the eraser of the pencil at the paper, "You know, they should throw a ton of these instead to the enemy, this will really kill them."

"What will kill who?" walks up to them, he looks at the paper. "What have you two been doing? This is a SIMPLE word search! How HARD can this be? You haven't found a single word yet!"

Will then shook his head, "That's where your wrong...I did find a word."

Several of the classmates began to giggle, they too saw what it was. It was that awkward three lettered word that you would find which has nothing to do with the word bank.

"Bow. See?"

Alyss gasps and quickly circles that. The teacher groans which only made the class laugh even harder.

"That ISN'T the word! You should know how these word by now, it's only a game." looks at them, while jabbing his thumb on a random point on Will's sheet.

Will's eyes lights up, "Thanks Mr. Lamwell, I found a word." Staring where the thumb, it landed directly at the word everyone was stumped on the whole time.

Alyss, synchronized circled the word which the teacher sighs and turns away shaking his head.

Shayna turns her head around, "Really you two, are you serious about this?"

Alyss nodded, "You know, if we could. This could be a GREAT test for George at the scribe school...and the scribe master"

Will laughs, "Well, I'd introduce one of these to the Ranger Corps gathering. Leaving the apprentices baffled."

Sighing, knowing that is a great idea. It would probably not come true.

"Alright class, pack it up. Bell's going to ring anytime now. We're going to have an assembly." The teacher said.

There was a hustle of papers and books closing, everyone readied themselves to leave the class.

"You know, who knew half the class was just doing that word search and writing definitions down." One of them said to another.

"Well... we are saved by the assembly today." A tall one replied.

Will sighed, "Probably one of the worst classes and work I've ever done!"

Alyss nods agreeing.

Toby gives a friendly pat on Will's shoulder, "Good luck, it may not look like it, but this particular one...each year... assembly are the realm of boredom."

Will raised an eyebrow at that, "Oh really."

True to his words as they all walked down to the large assembly area, which Will went straight and sat on the nearest seat he could find. It was a while from the time when there was the fire, they didn't have a school wide gathering either since then.

"Hello, Good afternoon on this fine summer day!" a speaker at the front spoke once they settled. Every fan above was whirling and air conditioners were heard but from the moment you stepped into the room, you knew it was going to be a tough time.

"It is a pleasure to see you all again, I see some familiar faces!" he said, not hearing and responses but a sneeze.

Will mutters, "Gives me some pleasure to get out of here." Which Shayna and Toby heard him, stifling their laugh. Which earned Will a sharp kick from Alyss.

"Anyway, as you probably know. I am the benefactor of this school...well one of the many. I am also a large branch of corporations that is found across the globe...Lancaster, Stephen Lancaster is my name. I am one of the most kindest and generous person you'll ever meet.....unlike the Telstion....erm anyway."

Will bent over giving a super loud cough, everyone around him looked at him in surprise.

Will wheezed, "Oh man, when Toby said this was going to be boring. I was ready to agree....but this guy is hilarious."

"Not that I'll mumble on about the business gossip. I am very sure, you are all great students of Redmount High. Unfortunately, my great son, Ergol Lancaster couldn't attend this wonderful and prestigious school." He continues.

Will again, mumbles loudly between the muttering of everyone else, "Great son my foot! Ergol might as well be able to have been named Orlog instead."

Daniela heard the comment, there was a piercing hoot of laughter emitted from the dark, cold, demeanor face. Principal Cynthia Terrance turned around and coughed a bit, which surprised Will. Thinking she would be the most interested one...turns out he was wrong.

Ignoring the interruption, Stephen Lancaster continues on, "Ah...very well I see this is a great and lively place. Would have been perfect for him to come here, at any costs, I am partially happy to visit this school once again. I'm glad my investment...money put into this school is a well thought out one."

Someone in a black tuxedo suit started clapping, soon slowly a deflated applause was heard from the audience. Strongest clappers of them all was...his own people.

Will glared at him, "Is he trying to win some sympathy here or something. No way in Skandian territory will that ever happen. Heck, I don't even think Arrida gives a two headed tail about that. Speaking of which...I need some coffee...."

Alyss couldn't hold her diplomatic skills anymore longer, she leaned back and began giggling, failing to stop the laughter, it turned into muffled snorts. Everyone looked at her in surprise, practically one of the most highly ranked status of admiration was laughing as if she wasn't even from any nobility, which was close to the truth, they too, began to burst out chuckling.

Will shrinks down in his chair, "Well this is just great... now even my closest friend is laughing about something here."

Mr. Corwell leaned close to the principal, "I don't understand, this is usually a serious. He can seriously put a stone to sleep."

The principal watched the students laughing; she saw a familiar cloaked figure sitting not moving at all.

"Must be him."

"Now now... I never really thought of myself as a comedian. But this is just great! Hey you, write this down. Get this on the newspaper. Something like...I made a school's students laugh... no make that a prestigious school's students laugh." He snaps at the guy beside him who quickly wrote something down.

Will heard him, recalling from reading something when he was learning about this world, Will wildly commented, "What an imbecile." Everyone heard that, which Will made sure of.

The school was in hysterical laughter, some people began falling of chairs creating a pandemonium of new origin of humor. Some of the teacher supported themselves on the walls.

Stephen Lancaster looked at the class, preparing to continue on his speech was interrupted by a phone call which he simply just walks off the stage and through the backdoor to a waiting car.

Will thought, If he had a pleasure to come here and meet us all. He would at least of said bye first.

Toby slaps Will's back, "I take that back, we need you when we have meetings like these. When your around, things do get interesting."

He gave a cool glare at Toby, "Right, in exchange for this non-amusing assembly, you mind helping me out with my word search?"

Toby stared at him, and then fell to the floor laughing, "I can't believe you're still going on about that!"

Ooo

"Really Will, you shouldn't make me laugh...in front of the whole school. It's embarrassing!" Alyss said to Will afterschool.

Will shrugs, holding back a grin, "Not my fault... eavesdropping."

"I was not, you were saying it out loud. Possibly a deaf person could have heard you." Alyss defended herself.

Will started laughing, Alyss glared daggers after him. "So you WERE doing it on purpose!"

"Well...after the second line I couldn't help it. Even I know you can't hold what Lady Pauline's exact skills in place."

Alyss flushed with anger, "Now what do you mean by that? I wasn't a successful apprentice?"

Will turns around which stopped Alyss's in her tracks, "Coming from a person who can make Halt smile easily?"

That put her on the spot, very few people could live to hear Halt cheer on someone, let alone smile unwillingly.

"You got me there..."

Which Will took the initiative, "Good! Let's go!"

"To where?" As Will dragged Alyss down the street.

Will shyly replies in front of her, "Well... I thought you might enjoy the ice cream I had with Daniela. It is probably just as good as Jenny's cooking!"

Alyss remembered ,"Oh right..."

Will opened the ice cream shop's door, which gave the usual little ring.

The old man was at the counter, who recognized Will...from some kind of amazing memory, "Oh hey it's you-and my did your other girlfriend dump ya?"

Will could feel a glare from behind, "No, we weren't even a couple!"

The old man swayed along and leaned while elbowing him a couple sharp hits, "Don't worry, secrets with me young one!"

Will looks at him doubtfully, Even if it was a secret, you just blurted out the secret already!

"What can I get ya today?"

Alyss looked as she saw the variety of flavors she could choose from.

Will asked, "Special?"

"Specials? My boy, good thinkin' we got some good old Orange-Mango mix with some hint of chocolate mint shavings on them. Glazed with some raspberry dressing, might I saw organic too! Not too sweet for my old tooth so shouldn't be that sweet." He said, while beginning to scoop the order before Will and Alyss could agree to it.

"Ooops! I poured too much of the chocolate shavings and raspberry dressing! Now it's going to be really sweet...." The old man looked around quickly and saw the big cups. An idea comes into mind.

"Alrighty boy, special treat on the house. You're lucky, I'll be giving what normally costs a lot more than what you wanted for the same price!" he declares.

Will looked at Alyss which she looked back confused.

"Um..okay."

After getting what they wanted, they came out of the shop. Narrowly missing Daniela who was on her daily trip to the ice cream shop herself, she sees Will holding a large cup of ice cream with two spoons walking with Alyss who stared intently as if she was going to murder the cup of ice cream within a few seconds.

Nodding to herself, "Right...it's for the best of those two."