Today I feel more awake and content than I have all week. Possibly because it is Friday and I am looking forward to seeing Impa tonight. If Link had his own apartment I would visit him afterward but he lives in a house full of intoxicated minors. That reminds me, we still haven't made any plans for the weekend.

I minimize my notes and open iMessage on my laptop to text Link. I will see him in a few minutes in PE but we won't be able to talk face to face.

*Ideas for tomorrow?* I text him.

"We're already out of time, this lecture always feels too short," the professor says sweetly. I like her class but I can't wait to get out of here and watch Link play field hockey.

I raise my hand while a few students begin to close their laptops and notebooks.

"Yes, Miss Hyrule?" the professor smiles and gestures at me from the podium.

A good amount of students in the room turn their eyes on me and chatter begins in the back. Clearly there were still a handful of people who weren't aware that they are sharing a course with the youngest member of the founding family. I shrink in my chair and my shoulders tense. I hate the attention. Fortunately I am sitting in the front and won't have to talk very loud for the professor to hear me.

"I was just wondering when we will receive our grades for the research essay," I say, ignoring the many people staring.

"Yes, thank you for reminding me," she gives me another one of her sweet smiles and speaks loudly to the class. "Grades have been uploaded online, just log into your school account. You can find all your grades and feedback on there. Have a great weekend everyone!"

The lecture hall begins to quiet down as more and more students leave. I stay for another minute to check my grade. Just as I click on Economics to view my evaluation, the professor appears before me.

"I was very pleased with your essay, your work ethic is remarkable," she remarks and I can't help but rudely look away from her eyes and down at my screen. A 100, I sigh in relief.

"Don't mind me asking, but why did you write twenty thousand words when the minimum was just five thousand?"

"I enjoy extra credit work."

"But there was no extra credit," she says.

"I know. I'm saying I like the work. I don't do it for a reward," I half-lie. I do hope to leave a good impression by going over and beyond expectations.

"Well, I did give you a few extra points for it," she winks at me and turns away to dismiss me. But I grab my laptop and bookbag and follow her confused.

"What do you mean you gave me extra points?" I ask as she turns off the smartboard.

"I don't usually give extra credit work but I was impressed by your research and decided to give you a perfect score."

"What would my score have been without the extra points?"

"A 97, there was a grammatical error. You left out a comma, I believe, and forgot a citation."

"3 points? I lost 3 points for a missing comma?" I shriek.

"And a missing citation," she kindly reminds me.

I really am failing. Everything I do just isn't enough.

"What is it? You look a bit wan."

"No, it's just... I expected a 100."

"And you received a 100."

"I should have gotten a 100 without extra points." It's okay, I try to remain calm. Next time I will take the essay to an English tutor and make sure there is not a single grammar error on the paper. Right now I have to focus on getting to PE on time.

I excuse myself and head to the locker room. My heart always skips a beat before I enter the room, anxious to find Malice on the other side. She isn't, but her bag is. When I've changed into my sneakers, sweatpants, and t-shirt, I enter the gym. Malice is talking to Link, who is trying to put up the goals in peace. Poor Link, too polite to tell her to leave him alone. I roll my eyes at her along with a smile. She wants to provoke me by being all over him, but she doesn't know how close we truly are. I know Link has no interest in her and to see her try so hard is just amusing to me.

When class starts Malice walks over to me to bother me now.

"Haven't seen you talk or... ahem... yell at Link in a while. Trouble in paradise?" she gloats.

"Like I need relationship advice from you of all people," I fire back.

Zelda one, Malice zero, I think to myself as her smile turns into a frown. The class splits into two teams and we compete against each other in field hockey. Link is in Malice's team, he's the goalkeeper, she's an attacker, go figure. When Paya passes me the ball, I surprise myself and my team when I manage to score a goal.

"Yess!" I cheer along with my team. Who would have thought I could enjoy sports? Today is just a good day. I may have freaked out about that 97 earlier but I got a 100 after all so it's everything is alright.

"Nice shot," Paya applauds me in a low volume.

I make eye contact with Link who is giving me a shy smile. He's blushing, making my stomach flutter! Great, now I'm going to blush too.

"That doesn't count!" Malice complaints to the coach. "He missed it on purpose!" She accuses Link.

2:0 for me. I don't even try to hide my complacent smirk.

"It's just a game," the coach says amused by Malice's reaction. I may not have liked him very much in the beginning but I'm growing more and more fond of him. At least in this class I will get a 100 just by being here.

"If you're going to play favorites you should swap teams!" Malice snaps at Link.

I wonder if he really did let me score. He's usually better than that. And it wouldn't be very wise of us to favour each other during PE, not when Malice is here to call us out every time. I still very much enjoy provoking her by doing absolutely nothing. This is all her. If she gets mad, that's on her. I'm just here for attendance.

After PE the girls and I go back to the locker room to change. I smile at my phone when I read Link's reply to my question about what we should do tomorrow.

*Date #2.5?* it reads.

*Suggestions?* I ask back.

While I ponder over ideas myself, Malice walks by and snatches my phone right out of my hands.

"Whatcha smiling at?" she scrolls through my messages.

"Why so nosy? Is your life really that dull that you have to find entertainment in mine?" I use Pik's lines against her.

She just glares at me and tries to scroll up further but I deleted our chat history last night so she won't find much.

"Who is this?" she asks.

"Give it back, Malice," I order.

"Or else what? Huh? What are you gonna do? Beat me up?" She laughs as her chin raises up.

"No, not me. But Impa will; at the MMA tournament."

"Oh you mean the one I won last week?" Her smile intensifies.

My heart drops. There is no way I missed the tournament! I told Impa I'd watch her fight. Guilt grips around my racing heart, how can I make this up to her? I can't believe I forgot about her tournament! It was the day of one of Link's games and I had promised him to watch it. If I tell her that she will feel so much more anger toward Link when it really isn't his fault. My eyes are wide when Malice hands me my phone with a smug face.

"I'd change his name. It's obvious who #11 is," she says in a sarcastic tone and leaves the room.

My lips part to speak but words are not quicker than her exit. I should have made an argument, invented a lie that would convince her that I was not texting with Link.
The first thing I do is change Link's contact name to Wild. Saving him as his line up number was stupid, I'll admit that much. I'm surprised Malice let it go so fast. She didn't even take a photo of the chat or threaten me to tell people. Is that her way of saying thank you for standing up to Ganon?

I'm the last to leave the locker room. I wish I could go home and shower but I have to meet Pik at the library. I applied some deodorant and brushed my hair to make myself at least a little more sociable.

I step out of the sports building and walk across campus toward the library when I come across Father. I turn my head away and instinctively begin walking the other way but he has spotted me already.

"Zelda," he calls and I stop. I turn around slowly, tense and uncomfortable, and force a smile.

"Father."

He is carrying his briefcase, is he going home? So early? Or is he going on another unannounced business trip?

"Where are you going?" he asks me.

"Library." I don't bother asking him back.

"We're having dinner together tonight. Let's go." He continues his walk but I don't follow.

"I can't, I have to study."

He halts and turns around.

"You will study at home."

"I have plans with Impa afterward," I add to my argument.

"Postpone them."

Like you postpone your business trips on Christmas? I think to myself.

"I can't just move them," I decide to go easy on the sass.

He shakes his head in disapproval. "Last time we dined together we agreed that we should do it more often."

"Yes, but that was weeks ago and we haven't done it once since." So why bother at all.

"I have a busy schedule."

"So do I," I retort without making eye contact. "Excuse me," I add as a dash of respect to our conversation before I turn my back to him.

With every step I take away from him I expect him to call after me and lecture me, but he doesn't. He doesn't say a word about my rude remark. Likely because he doesn't want to cause a scene on campus, I do expect to face the consequences for my behavior once I'm home. I should apologize to him before he tells me what a horrible daughter I am...

I take a deep breath. Perhaps I'm being too hard on him. He neglects me, he doesn't pay attention to me unless it involves school but now that he tries to spend time with me I turn him down because I'm hurt. Hurt that he is not spending time with me. My head is spinning.

Pik is the first person I spot upon entering the great library. Among the many refined students in their cardigans and glasses he is quite the eye catcher with his blue highlights, piercings, and inked skin. The rows of students at the desks just look like somebody hit copy and paste over and over until they came to Pik and accidentally dropped ink on the paper. He dresses and acts the way he wants to. While it can come across as rude, he seems happy in a way that draws your attention to him and him only. I like that he doesn't care about other people's opinions. He is similar to Link in that regard, only that Link still believes in having to serve the public and performing for their happiness, not his own. I don't think Pik performs on stage for anyone but himself.

When he sees me from across the library his smile turns into an even brighter one. He removes his backpack from the seat next to him and his papers from the desk to make room for my books.

"Welcome to Piktronomy 101," he says when I sit down.

"Thanks for doing this," I open my books.

"My pleasure."

"What is this?" I pick up a loose paper he dropped when shoving the rest into his backpack.

"Oh, it's some music I'm transcribing."

"Right, you mentioned that you sing and compose. Do you play any instruments?"

"You bet. I play the piano, the guitare, the accordion, the flute, and a couple others. What about you?"

"Me?"

"No, the pretty girl that lives in your mirror."

I roll my eyes and he chuckles.

"What? Am I not allowed to compliment you anymore?" He raises an eyebrow. "Can I not tell you how drop dead gorgeous you are?"

"Easy now," I try not to blush. He shouldn't say these things knowing I'm with Link.

"I'd say I'm kidding but I'm not. You are prettier than Brontë's poetry and I don't say that lightly."

"Pik..."

"I know, I know. Just friends," he shrugs and presses his lips into a thin line. He doesn't look downhearted or disappointed at all. I don't think he is hiding his feelings either. This is not a bluff. Metaphorically speaking he drew a bad hand but is convinced he can win the jackpot anyways.

"To answer your question, I play the piano and a few other instruments," I say.

"The piano? We should totally play a piece together. Do you sing? I bet you have an angelic voice. Sorry, too flirty? I mean, I'm sure you're okay," he jokes.

"We should probably focus on astronomy, I only have two hours."

"Sure," he nods in agreement but I can tell he is just saving that question for another time.

....

"This is the last one," Pik says, holding up a flashcard.

"Zenith," I read the front and don't need to ponder long. "The point in the sky or celestial sphere directly above an observer."

"Correct," he beams. "You didn't make a single mistake this time. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," I smile. This was only the first unit but I am relieved to know that I can define each of the terms we need to know for the exam.

"Would you like to go again or move on to the next unit?"

"We can--" I begin but when I spot Link and Mipha walking past the window in the courtyard just outside the library my words melt away and I lose my train of thought.

"Zelda?"  Pik tilts his head.

"I have to get going," I collect my notes. Why are they together? I thought they didn't really hang out. Is Mipha going to confess her feelings to Link? More thoughts start flooding my head while I grab my bag and get up.

"Everything okay?" Pik asks me.

"Sure, yes," I nod.

Mipha and Link have disappeared from the window view and all I can think about is storming out there to see where they're going and what they're talking about. If Link tells Mipha that he's seeing me she might quit our friendship.
He wouldn't tell her, he knows he can't tell anyone, I try to calm myself. But then again, they're like best friends, so he might tell her about it just like I told Impa. I should have just been honest with Mipha when I had the chance, now she's going to think I kept this from her to steal her crush or something. That was never my intention.

"Do you want to study again on Monday?" Pik asks, getting up as well. "Or we could even study a bit tomorrow, I'll be on campus during the afternoon."

I don't know if it's a good idea to meet Pik on a Saturday. I have plans with Link anyway. I mean... I do, don't I? He hasn't responded to my text so it's still not clear what we're doing tomorrow. Did he not reply because he was with Mipha? Maybe he just didn't see the text. Either way, I think Pik and I should keep our study sessions to weekdays only.

"I think I'll be fine. I'll study at home and we can go over it again on Monday after class," I tell him.

"Whatever works for you. Same time though?"

"Yes. Thank you Pik. I really appreciate you helping me."

"It's not a problem at all," he smiles.

I return the smile and leave the library to see if I can catch up with Link and Mipha. Even though I know I really shouldn't follow them my feet take me out the building where my eyes search for my friend and my boyfr--the boy she loves.