Best Day Ever

Leon Alexander Gates

-----

As he strolled across campus, Alexander searched for someplace quiet.

He passed by a nauseating amount of people hanging out and vomiting enough chatter to drown his ass, and the uniforms might as well be torture devices. Why would anyone wear them outside of class?

Whatever.

What mattered was where he could find a place, other than the dormitory, to be alone.

His stomach rumbled.

A vending machine by the training hall caught his eye. He went over and examined the plethora of snacks locked in behind the glass.

Off to the side, a camera flashed in his direction.

A brunette with rabbit ears spammed an itchy trigger finger at anyone who crossed her sights.

Toasty brown pants and a matching cropped jacket, a shirt and chaps as black as fudge, and spaulders, vambraces, and a belt that glistened like caramel, coated her like a walking dessert.

With the camera glued to her face, the photographer slid sideways for a better angle at a group of people chatting by the dining hall. A flight of stairs crept on her. Alexander intercepted. She bumped into his chest and spun, snapping the camera and setting his pupils ablaze.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said with an accent similar yet different to Cooper's. "I didn't mean to do that."

After blinking a few times to clear the vanilla veil from his vision, a pair of elongated ears greeted him.

"Are you okay?" she said and stared up in concern.

He nodded and glanced at the camera.

"You wanna look?" She pressed a few buttons and showed him the screen. "I'm just practicing my photography. It's harmless, really."

The image was of him standing next to the vending machine, but the main focus was on his backpack shield-sword combo, Tereo and Tharros, which made him no better than the other blobs in the background.

Since it was a bad shot, he let it go.

The photographer glanced to the side and pursed her lips. "Um, you're awfully quiet."

Alexander grunted and returned to the vendor.

"Okay. . . Well, it was nice meeting you, I guess." She tucked the camera into a box on her back. "I have a friend waiting for me, so I'm gonna go."

"Velvet!" A woman with a beret, sunglasses, a bandolier slung over her shoulder, and the most stylized coffee coloured fashion ever, waved in their direction. "We're going to miss the sale!"

"Oh, perfect timing. Bye." She took a few steps and screeched to a halt. "By the way, if you're hungry, try the muffins out in the dining hall. They should be giving them out free at this time."

Alexander blinked and watched her leave before facing the building in question.

Muffins, huh.

The moment he entered the dining hall, the aromatic fists of freshly baked goods and fried foods hit him hard, and once it was his turn in line to order, he was kicked in the nuts by bad luck.

"Sorry, kid," said the woman behind the counter. "We're pretty much all out of muffins except for these." She reached over to the rack behind her and slid him a muffin covered in plastic wrap. "Hope you like bran."

Alexander sighed.

Bran muffin in hand, he continued on his stroll, grimacing as each bite scraped his tongue like cardboard. Why couldn't it be chocolate instead?

When he passed by the courtyard, a familiar face popped up.

It was Jaune Arc.

Like an idiot, the knock-off knight stood in front of the Beacon Statue, muttering to himself while looking to his scroll.

Alexander went to check on him, but someone from the initiation ceremony beat him to it; tall guy, burnt orange hair, heavy plated armour, and a cocky ass grin begging to get clocked.

The leader of Team CRDL: Cardin Winchester.

"What'cha looking at, Jauney Boy?" said Cardin. He swiped the scroll and held it over Jaune. "Think you can reach it?"

"Give it back, Cardin!" Jaune growled and hopped. "I'm lost. I need the map."

Cardin chuckled and purposely raised it higher whenever Jaune nearly got it.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" He slung an arm over his shoulder. "If you stick with me, I'll give you the grand tour. I got this place memorized."

Jaune squirmed to no avail.

"So, what do you say, Jauney—"

Alexander hurled his muffin and bounced it off the side of Cardin's head.

Several onlookers gasped. Nobody moved a muscle, and the tension in the air went so taught, it could slice a cake in half.

Cardin's feral gaze scanned the area. "Who threw that?!"

Alexander stepped up, and the leader of Team CRDL stiffened.

Typical. If all it takes for a jerk like him to wimp out when someone bigger and badder shows up, then this shouldn't take long.

Alexander got closer and pressed a razor sharp glare against his throat.

"W-what's your problem?" Cardin shuffled back slightly, but he rooted his feet and tried to hold his ground. "Got any idea who you're messing with?"

"A coward on two legs." Alexander held out his hand. "Now give me the scroll before I make you just a coward."

He gritted his teeth and slapped the scroll into his palm. "Relax. I was just playing. Right, Jauney Boy?"

"Uh, y-yeah," said Jaune. "No problems here."

"See? And since I got other things to do," Cardin smirked and retreated, "see you later, buddy."

Alexander returned the scroll to its rightful owner.

"Thanks." Jaune awkwardly scratched his cheek. "You didn't have to do that for me, you know."

"Where you going, Arc?" he said.

His head tilted. "Huh?"

"You said you were lost."

"Oh, right. Just wanted to try out the training hall." Jaune flexed his arms. "Gotta stay sharp and stuff, you know?"

Alexander pointed the way he came. "Follow that path and you should run into it, and if you get lost again, let the tower guide you."

Jaune broke out a toothy grin and ran off. "Gee, thanks. I owe you one."

A notification beeped Alexander's scroll: it was a message from Roderick.

Hey, man, you free?

Me and the team are gonna spar for a bit after we're done in the library.

Was wondering if you wanted to come with?

The amphitheater doors suddenly flew open, and Goodwitch stomped out. From behind her glasses, that spotlight of a glare searched the courtyard, head shifting side to side until it latched onto Alexander.

Crap.

"Hold it right there, Mister Gates," said Goodwitch. She carved a straight line towards him. "I just want to have a word with you."

Just a word, huh? If anything, it looked like she was ready to pick a fight.

"I saw something quite interesting from my office hardly a second ago." She stopped in front of him and crossed her arms. "You wouldn't happen to know of any big, scary men who wear beanies and throw muffins at people now, do you?"

A glass pane of realization shattered, and Alexander sighed.

"You have some serious explaining to do, and I know the perfect place to do it." Goodwitch adjusted her glasses. "Detention."

-----

In the Plants Science room of the lecture hall, Alexander served time.

"Mister Gates," Goodwitch said and gestured to a tiny, orange haired woman in a lab coat and jeans beside her, "this is Professor Peach. You will be assisting her today and tomorrow."

Peach beamed and waved. "It's nice to meet you!"

"While you're with her," said Goodwitch, "I expect full cooperation and productivity out of you. Is that understood?"

Alexander nodded.

"Relax, Glynda," Peach said. "You're gonna scare the poor boy."

She frowned. "What did I say about formality?"

"Pfft. You and all the other professors are too uptight. Now shoo," she pushed her towards the main door, "I can handle this from here."

The combat professor could barely utter a word before she was ushered out the room.

"Alright." Peach huffed and clapped her hands clean. "So, you're Leon, right?"

"Alexander."

She tossed her lab coat and did up her hair into a bun, exposing surprisingly muscular arms and tan lines underneath the sleeves of her red shirt which was an odd sight.

Tans were commonplace in Vacuo, but in Vale, almost everyone he came across looked as if they haven't been outside in months. However, it was nothing compared to Atlesians like Stiofan and Weiss; they were basically ghosts.

"Okay, then, Alexander, let me ask you a question." Peach smirked and crossed her arms. "How much do you like dirt?"

Several minutes later, Alexander was in the Beacon gardens, dumping soil into a box.

"Welcome to my pride and joy." Peach picked a berry off a branch and tossed it in her mouth. "The garden is where we, the Plant Science professors, do most of our studies and experiments on medicinal and toxic herbs. We even provide the dining hall staff with fresh ingredients during harvest, and since we had the garden renovated and expanded over the break, you can expect more food from us. We even have a chicken coop now."

To think of all the things Alexander could be doing right now, it had to be this. He left that flower shop of a home to become a Huntsman, yet here he was, still taking care of flowers again.

How ironic.

"It sure is great to have an extra hand." Peach stretched her muscles and moaned. "These brand new beds were built just before the semester started, so I barely had a chance to fill them. But with your help, it should be done in no time."

Alexander paused mid-pour. "There's nobody else?"

"So," she laughed a bit, "you can talk."

He huffed.

"I'm only teasing you." Peach grabbed a shovel and spread the soil around the bed. "The other professors are kinda too old to do this sort of thing anymore, leaving yours truly to do most of the heavy lifting." She smirked and flexed her arms. "It's tough, but at least it keeps me in shape."

Tending the garden by herself and combining it with her duties as a professor must've been backbreaking.

No problem. Things like that were easy to solve.

"Don't worry, though," said Peach. "This part here, from the lecture hall to the library, is reserved for the professors. The rest of it is public use. The gardeners take care of that."

"Are students allowed to tend the garden?" said Alexander.

She blinked. "Only with a Plant Science professor's permission. Why?"

"If you don't mind." He went to the pool of forget-me-nots and picked one out. "I'll be sticking around."

A club of shock bumped her skull, and the gears grinding inside her skull could probably be heard from the top of Beacon Tower.

"Alexander, you might be a bit weird," Peach nodded in approval and wiped a stray tear, "but you're actually a pretty nice guy, aren't you?"

He rolled his eyes.

After they finished filling the bed, behind some shrubs, a certain accent latched his ear, and Alexander groaned at his teammates sauntering into view from the walkway.

Great.

"Ugh," said Cooper, "you two seriously want to train now after all that studying? I'm exhausted."

"It would benefit us greatly," Stiofan said and clasped his hands behind him as he walked. "Not only will we be able to practice honing our skills, we may also learn more about each other's abilities. That is something to look forward to, my friend."

"Yeah," Roderick grinned and bounced on his toes, "and it's our first time training together, so aren't you excited? I only wish Alex was with us."

Cooper deflated, grumbling away his miseries until he spotted Alexander.

"Xander, mate," his eyes widened, "is that you?"

Roderick and Stiofan twisted, gawked, and they scrambled over.

"So, this is what you've been up, too," said Roderick.

Cooper laughed. "Didn't think you liked this sort of thing."

"Indeed." Stiofan examined a family of nightshades caged behind a metal mesh fence. "It's an endearing hobby."

Alexander grunted and got back to work.

Peach skipped towards them. "Hi, there. Are you Alexander's friends?"

"You bet." The leader grinned and bumped his chest. "We're Team RTLS."

"That's great!" Fireworks erupted in her eyes. "Then you wouldn't mind giving us a hand, would you?"

Cooper wrinkled his nose. "Seems like a bit much. . ."

"I'm sure it's not that bad," said Roderick. "What do you need us to do?"

"See those four, empty wooden rectangles—about waist high and big enough for a few people to fit in? Those are raised beds." The professor smiled. "We're gonna fill them up."

The team went slack jawed.

"My word," Stiofan said. "That will take quite a while."

"Wait, look." Roderick counted the beds. "There are four of those and four of us. If we each take one for ourselves, it shouldn't take long."

A devilish twinkle danced on Cooper's lips. "Say, why don't we make this a race while we're at it? Fifty lien to whoever wins. Yeah?"

Roderick and Stiofan looked at each other and shrugged.

"And what about you, Xander? Cooper grinned and held out his hand. "Deal?"

Alexander met their expectant eyes, sighed, and clasped his partner's forearm. "Deal."

"Now, that's what I'm talking about!" The archer whooped and grabbed a shovel. "Let's get to work!"

After Peach gave a short and quick explanation of what to do and how to do, they each took their positions next to the four empty beds and held up a bag of soil for dear life.

"Make sure none of you forget to mix the soil with the compost or else I'll get really mad. Oh, and remember to do your best!" Peach said and raised her fingers. "Three. . . two. . . one, begin!"

His teammates tilted their bags, flooding the beds in rich black nutrients.

Alexander scoffed. What dumbasses.

He chucked the bag in, ripped it wide open, ran to the rest of the bags piled to the side, and did it again.

Everyone stared at him like a madman.

Cooper was the first to snap out of it. "Prof, isn't that cheating?"

"Um, I can't really say." A bead of sweat dripped down her cheek. "Besides, I don't think anyone else cares."

"What do you mean?"

She pointed behind him, and he yelped at Roderick and Stiofan tossing and ripping bags apart.

Once he filled his bed enough to make a small hill, Alexander shoveled the soil and compost together, folding it on top of each other the same way a baker kneaded dough. The others tried copying his movement, only to stumble and falter between scoops, and by the time their mix was blended, Alexander already raked his smooth.

Roderick ran to the bags, passing Cooper as he hauled one back.

"You see the same thing I'm seeing," said the leader.

"Yeah." The archer jerked his thumb. "Xander's way too good at this—Wah!" He tripped and the bag belly flopped onto his chest. "Someone. . . help me. . ."

Alexander lifted it off him. . .

"Ugh, thanks, mate."

. . . and took it over to his side to use.

"You thief!" Cooper jumped to his feet. "That's stealing!"

Stiofan chuckled and ran a forearm across his brow. "That was rather rude, Alexander."

"His fault." Alexander tossed the empty bag. "He shouldn't have dropped it."

"No mercy." He gave a polite yet unsure smile. "I wouldn't expect any less, I suppose."

Roderick returned and took a moment to catch his breath. "Hey, Alex. In case you didn't get my message, I was hoping you wanted to train with us later."

Oh, right. Forgot about that.

"Come on," he said in a sing-song voice, "it'll be fun."

He snorted. "Don't regret it when I kick your asses."

Glee split Roderick's face cheek to cheek, and he continued working with an extra pep in his step.

The rest of the contest flew by after that.

Not only did they finish filling in the raised beds, he served his two day detention sentence within the span of an hour, got Peach's permission to drop by whenever he liked, and as they left the garden, Alexander collected the easiest one hundred and fifty lien he's ever made in his life, much to Cooper's chagrin.

All he needed now was a chocolate muffin, and this would easily be the best day ever.