Valentine nodded as Dayyan gave him his words of thanks.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(84, 172, 210)">"Thank you, sir, it's an honor to go. I'm excited."</span><br/>Standing up, he went over to Annie and the person she had started talking to.<br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(84, 172, 210)">"Heya, I don't think we've met. I'm Val,"</span>he took a seat beside Annie, swinging the chair around to sit in it incorrectly. Val rested his head on his arms, laying them across the back. The girl looked interesting, a bit awkward, but seemed nice enough. He didn't want to make her nervous.  She and Annie were already looking at each other like there was a sheet of glass between them.<br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(84, 172, 210)">"That light show you did was really cool, it even broke the gauge! It must be some advanced stuff, right Annie? I'd be lucky to fix a hole in someone's shoe, let alone do what you did," </span>Val told her.<br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(84, 172, 210)">"Dad's gonna be back tonight if you want to say hi, An. He's looking forward to you telling him about the horses,"</span>Val told his friend. Annie was pretty much his<i>only</i>friend, and his dad liked her. Said she had good sense.