Link yawned loudly as Aryll skipped ahead of him and Mipha. Walking her to school meant he had to get up earlier than usual since her school was in the opposite direction of the high school. Fortunately for him, Mipha was always up early and eager to accompany them, which made the morning a little more tolerable.
“Catch up, lazy bones,” Aryll called to him. “I'm gonna be late!”
“No, you won't,” Link muttered. In fact, she would be one of the first kids at the school, considering they started later than the high schoolers. Aryll never seemed to mind, though.
“You're going to be there before the other kids,” Mipha said. “What are you going to do with all that extra time?”
“The janitors let me help clean the boards,” she said cheerfully.
Link snorted. “Free child labor.”
“And sometimes I get a snack in the cafeteria,” Aryll continued. “The lunch ladies are so nice!”
“That's because they feel bad for you,” Link said.
Aryll stopped skipping and turned to him. “Why?”
“Because you look like a little homeless girl.”
Mipha smiled and used her thumb to wipe dirt off her cheek. “How did you manage to get dirty already?”
Aryll scrunched her nose and wiped her hand across her cheek, then shrugged. “I dunno.” She turned and skipped around the corner, cutting across the grass towards the school building. She waved a hand over her shoulder, shouting her goodbyes to her brother and Mipha. Once she was inside, Link and Mipha turned back around to make their way towards their own school.
“Did she tell you we have a date planned?” Mipha asked.
“Huh? What?” He turned to her, hesitant.
“A date,” Mipha said slowly. “To the park?”
“Me?”
“Us.”
“Us?”
Mipha narrowed her gaze on him. “Aryll, you, and me.” She smiled and shrugged. “Clearly she didn't tell you.”
“Oh.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Wait. When?”
“Saturday.”
Link's brows furrowed together. “And when did you guys plan that?”
Mipha rolled her eyes. “I called you last night, Link. You were sleeping, as usual, so I talked to Aryll.”
Link nodded. “Right. Yeah. I heard her talking.”
“You did?” Mipha glanced at him quickly.
“Yeah. Something about sandwiches and cooties.” He shrugged, feigning disinterest.
“Oh. Yeah.” Mipha looked ahead as they walked. “You know, if you keep making peanut butter and banana sandwiches for her, someone's gonna call child services on you.”
Link grinned. “Sorry, I slept through Home Ec.”
“But there was food in that class!”
“Oh, I ate all the food,” Link said with a nod. “Just don't ask me to cook anything.”
Mipha rolled her eyes. “How are you such an incapable person?”
“It's a gift.”
“You'll never survive after high school.”
Link shrugged. “I figured I could find myself a woman who cooks and cleans and takes care of me.”
“You're sexist.”
“I prefer lazy.”
“You're going to be single forever.”
Link considered this with a thoughtful nod. “That's probably for the best.”
“Oh, poor Link,” Mipha said. “Life must be so terrible for you.” She shook her head and crossed her arms. “You're not getting any pity from me.” She stole a glance at him when he did not offer a rebuttal, but he was not paying attention to her, his eyes on his phone. Mipha dared a glance at his screen, craning her neck slightly and spying the text that came in from Zelda.
Dont bother coming tonight. You get the next few days off. See you next week.
Mipha's brows furrowed as he locked the screen and slipped the phone into his pocket. She looked away quickly, pretending she wasn't snooping, but she couldn't help but to wonder what he and Zelda were doing together.
“You say something?”
Mipha did not meet his gaze. “You were ignoring me.”
Link grinned. “Yeah, I tried.”
Mipha huffed. “Sure.”
They walked in silence for a few moments. She stole another glance when she heard his phone vibrate. She watched as he checked the message, then smiled to himself.
“What's up with you?” she dared to ask.
“Huh?”
“You're boyfriend Revali texting you or something?”
“Oh.” He slipped the phone in his pocket. “Jealous?”
Mipha hesitated, quite literally stopping in her tracks for a moment. Link paused, looking over his shoulder. “What?”
Mipha cleared her throat and rolled her eyes. She quickened her pace as she walked ahead of him. “I dunno. Nothing.”
Link raised a brow. “You're weird.”
“You're weird!”
Link grinned and jogged to her side. “So, date on Saturday.”
“Mhm.”
“I guess I can make some time for you and Aryll.”
“Because you're so busy these days,” Mipha said. She meant it sarcastically, but there seemed to be some truth to it. What the hell had he been doing with Zelda? Is that where he was sneaking off to every day after school?
Link shrugged. “I'm a popular guy.”
“Leading some double life, are we?”
“If I tell ya, I'd have to kill ya.”
“Oh, I'm so scared.”
Link glanced at her, but she was avoiding his gaze. He draped his arm around her shoulders, and she stiffened slightly. He leaned in. “You should be,” he said with a teasing grin. He straightened and let his arm fall away from her. “But don't worry – I'll take care of everything.”
“Thanks,” Mipha muttered. She rolled her eyes. “You're such a hero, Link.”
An engine revved behind them, and they turned as Revali and Teba pulled up to the curb beside them.
“Hey, losers,” Revali said, regarding them over his sunglasses.
“Hey, douche bag,” Link said.
Revali ignored him. “When are you going to ditch this guy?” he said to Mipha.
“Blink twice if he's holding you against your will,” Teba said.
“You know he's helpless, Revali,” Mipha said. “He can't do anything for himself.”
“I take it back,” Link said. “I'll let you suffer.”
Mipha shrugged. “Good thing I can take care of myself, huh?” Without another word to either of them, she made her way across the parking lot and toward the school.
“Smell ya later,” Revali said, revving the engine to his sports car before pulling away from the curb.
Link stood for a moment, racking his brain for a good comeback, but nothing came to him, and he was too tired to put any effort into it. He followed in Mipha's wake, but she had already disappeared inside the building. And unfortunately for Link, he had no time to goof off outside before his first period. He could already hear the first bell ringing.
