Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Folken Teaches the First Grade ❯ Lunch time part 1 ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

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Folken looked at the students working hard on their math problems then down at his timepiece again.

These next fifteen minutes can't go by soon enough, he thought.

Luckily for Folken, the churning of his stomach made minimal noise. But he had a feeling that wouldn't last for long.

****

While Folken was stressing over whether his stomach would rumble or not, his catgirls were walking outside of the gymnasium. They finished their training exercises moments earlier. The young women definitely had pep in their step. They completed the exercises early and...

"Today is going to be a great day, sister," Eriya said.

"I know! We haven't had a chance to speak to Lord Folken in a long time. Well at least not when it's about regular stuff." Naria was all smiles.

The girls usually ate lunch in the cafeteria and that's where they were headed now.

Once they reached the cafeteria, a sign indicated that today's special was salmon, the girls' favorite. Also the lunch line was not long at all because they were there early.

When they approached the counter they saw that their favorite cafeteria worker was there. His name was Roosevelt but all of his friends called him Rosie. He had on his white uniform and apron and his curly black hair was covered with the regulation hairnet.

"Hi, girls," he drawled.

"Hi, Rosie!" Naria and Eriya said in unison.

"What would you girls like?" he asked even as he moved towards the warming plate with the salmon. "The usual?"

Eriya laughed. "Actually we just came for some half and half."

Rosie raised both his eyebrows in surprise.

Naria couldn't help but laugh.

Rosie looked from the blonde to the aquamarine head. They were usually friendly but today they were downright... giddy.

"So why do you two look like 'the cat that ate the canary'... if you'll excuse the expression."

The girls smiled. "Oh. We'll be eating with Lord Folken today," Naria replied happily.

"Tall, pale, and handsome, Lord Folken?" Rosie inquired.

Both of the girls blushed and lowered their heads. "The very same," Eriya said with a smile.

"The girls' good humor was rubbing off on Rosie and he smiled his friendly gap-toothed smile. "Well you girls enjoy your day!"

"Thank you, Rosie," the young catwomen said.

Naria reached in the cooler and got a pint sized half and half for herself and her sister and walked to the exit leading to the large lunchroom. There were long tables that seated up to eight, tables for four, two, and even counters with stools for those that preferred to be by themselves.Since the girls arrived so early they were able to get their pick of seats, but that wasn't important, because they sat at their usual table in the upper right corner of the room. One reason was because they liked being near the exit, another reason was so they wouldn't have to look on a life sized portrait of Emperor Dornkirk in all his wrinkly glory (well not all, he did have on a scarlet colored robe). Naria and Eriya didn't understand why it was in there, weren't people supposed to be eating in the lunchroom? The girls sat in a table that sat four because sometimes they would have a third person.

"Wow, I didn't realize how much earlier we finished," Naria commented after looking around the nearly vacant lunchroom.

"I know. We should enjoy the calm before you know who comes. Geez, what loudmouth," Eriya said.

Naria nodded in agreement. She opened up her carton of half and half, and then took a sip. She grimaced.

"What's wrong?"

"It's ice frozen," Naria said.

Eriya scrunched her face in sympathy. "Yuck!"

"I'll be right back." Naria stood up and walked back to the canteen.

"You decided you wanted that salmon after all?" Rosie asked.

Naria shook her head and raised the carton that contained the vile-tasting liquid. "No, this was ice frozen."

"Sorry about that, honey. Go get another one."

Naria reached and got another carton and threw the nasty one away. She decided she didn't want to take chances and opened the new carton and took a small sip. It tasted great. She smiled and circled her thumb and forefinger. "This one is fine, Rosie."

Naria returned to her seat. She started thinking about Folken and sighed.

"Sister, penny for your thoughts," Eriya said.

"I was just wondering if we ever did get Folken, how would we work that out? I mean I'm willing to share, but how?" Naria asked.

"Well," Eriya started, after giving the matter minimal thought, "I could have him on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday."

Naria frowned. "That would mean I only have him on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. That's only three days compared to your four. That's not fair!" She banged her fist on the table. She realized that she was getting loud and calmed down.

"Okay, you're right. Well I guess it's only fair that he should have a day to recover himself, so Lord Folken can have Sunday off," Eriya said.

Naria grinned. "Yeah, that's only fair." She started laughing. "I can't believe we're talking about this."

As the two girls were talking, a handsome man wearing a midnight blue uniform walked pass them heading for the stools. He was tall, broad shouldered, with brown hair and green eyes.

Naria and Eriya caught a familiar smell and looked to the man putting his food tray on the counter. The smell wasn't bad-not at all-just very distinctive.

"Zongi! Why are you sitting over there?" Eriya asked.

The man turned around slowly. "If you girls are going to prattle about your schemes on getting Lord Folken, I think I rather eat by myself."

Naria scoffed. "We're finished with that... for now. So it's safe to sit here."

Zongi looked dubious, but he moved to the table. He sat across from the girls.

Naria looked at Zongi and smiled. She felt sad that Zongi felt uncomfortable in his own form when he was among other people. If it was just her, Eriya, and Folken, Zongi would be at ease. But she had to admit that this current form was a looker.

"So what have you been up to lately, Zongi?" Eriya asked.

"I've been preparing for a mission in Freid," he replied.

Eriya looked down at Zongi's plate. "What is that?" she asked, referring to a brown lump covered with brown sauce.

"Oh it's meatloaf. It looks nasty, but it's really good. Would you like to try some?" he offered.

"No thank you. It looks a little too heavy for my taste."

"Your loss." Zongi started to slice his meatloaf. While doing that he looked across at Naria and what he saw made him sigh. She had the goofiest grin on her face.

"You guys are so pitiful," he said.

"I can't help it," Naria said, "he's just so wonderful."

Zongi couldn't really say anything to that, because he had great respect for the Strategos of Zaibach. If Folken hadn't taken him in, Zongi knew that his life would've been taken on some battlefield, or more than likely by his own hand. Yeah, he could relate to the two young women that sat before him. Folken had saved their lives, also. He smiled because the girls were still pitiful, love struck fools.

He was about to say something smartass anyway, but a ruckus coming from the canteen cut him short.

"So I say to him, 'Don't get to much play-dough in your hair or too much snot on you cloak!' You should have seen the look on his face!"

Zongi, Naria, and Eriya groaned.

"It couldn't last forever," Naria said, while patting her sister on the back.

Dilandau and his cronies were moving to their usual table that was square in the middle of the lunchroom. This ensured that they would be the center of attention.

"I wonder who that jerk is making fun of now," Eriya mused aloud.

"If he keeps talking so damn loud we'll find out soon enough," Zongi commented, in his now gravelly voice.

*****

TBC

A/N: We know who Dilly's talking about, but what's going to happen when Naria, Eriya, and Zongi find out? And what the heck are Folken and those crazy kids doing?