(Blog 20) A Time for Heroes
…Lena, Wix, and Kylee have spent the last few weeks prepping Team Dragon’s campaign for Homecoming Queen. Their main rivalry, Sienna and Team Snake made the day competitive and chaotic enough but Wix and Kylee casually mention the possibility of Lena’s boyfriend Robert proposing marriage in the near future after she reveals his plans to join the Queen’s war. More than she had considered, it throws Lena for a loop and she is unsure of what to do with that information.
At Scalesville High, the Homecoming Queen vote looms, but while the morning after the competition should be full of anticipation and excitement, the energy is eerily different, leading Lena to believe that something bigger than the race for the crown might be going on…
(Continued from our last post…)
Reptiles were moving in dissociated movements. Some reptiles moved through the halls on autopilot – locker, cafeteria, class – going through the motions like nothing had changed. Others stood frozen, their expressions ranging from disbelief to quiet awe. Small groups huddled in exclusive clusters, speaking in hushed, urgent tones, as if afraid that saying the words too loudly would make them less real.
“I can’t believe it. That nerd kid...”
“It’s been weeks. They actually go to school here.”
“She’s alive?! Is the monster dead?”
“They found her... that crazy blue dragon.”
Lena and her friends couldn’t make sense of the bits of information they were catching. They kept quiet hoping to hear something that made sense as they grabbed their books from their lockers to rush on to the cafeteria. Sienna had beat her to the hot bar in the breakfast line and was standing in line just in front of Lena.
Facing her back, Lena spoke loud enough to call her attention, “Sienna, something is going on. I don’t know if we’re going to get the vote results this morning.”
Sienna turned around with a deadpan expression. “They found that girl dragon that’s been missing for weeks.” She paused, gauging Lena’s reaction before adding, “Apparently, she’s alive. A couple of sophomores found her in the woods.”
Lena’s breath muttered. “Alive?”
Sienna shrugged, turning back to grab her food. “I guess her family’s happy. Doesn’t matter to me. Just another dragon who’ll grow up and look down on my kind. Awesome.”
“Oh.” Lena responded.
As she grabbed a rabbit, egg, and cheese burrito, she heard the faint squeak and clatter of wheels lurching into the cafeteria. Students were being called in to assemble around the tables as a teacher pushed a television on a rolling cart and turned on the local news.
“This is Hecubum Horns with the Scalesville Community Council reporting on the latest update in the case of the missing child dragon.
The cafeteria fell silent.
“At 8PM last night, we received confirmation that Baby Belle has been found alive and is recovering well. She has been examined by medical professionals at Scalesville Clinic and has been cleared to return to her family.”
A ripple of gasps swept through the room.
“The young dragon was found by two of our own students, Pip Azure and Spyder Locke, who bravely followed a trail of blood into a cave to rescue her. Because of their heroic efforts, plans will be made to celebrate Belle’s safe return and recognize these two young boys.”
Lena’s heart dropped and her face felt flush. The cafeteria around her felt surreal. Emotions swelled in the eyes of every reptile who had spent the last few weeks assuming the worst. The crowd erupted in a deafening cheer of half laughter and half tears as relief and joy flooded the room.
Belle was alive.
And Pip and Spyder… were heroes.
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To be continued… New posts each Friday. Subscribe below to follow the dragons. Read the beginning of it all at Blog 1: New Adventure Awaits.
