The Realm Protectors

Chapter 56 - Ciana

The end of the school year is always surreal. It doesn't quite feel like an entire year has passed, that your brain has been packed full of knowledge about various subjects. I don't feel like I've been living in the Realm for a whole year, but it's the truth.

"I'm telling you, Ci," Avani says after we turn in our Life Skills textbooks. The bell rings and we're dismissed, free to spend the afternoon however we want until the graduation ceremony that night. "We've gotta make sure that we go to Rockin' Rosie's after the graduation ceremony. I need my chicken strips!"

"I want a milkshake," Nikolina pipes in.

"Fine," I laugh. "But you two are telling Enya that you'd rather go to Rosie's than the official banquet."

"Nobody goes to the banquet anyways," Faris says, sliding up beside us. I mean, literally sliding. He skids over the icy sidewalk and keeps walking over the dry patches like it's nothing. "I vote Rosie's."

"Fine, fine, fine," I shake my head. "We'll go to Rosie's. But again, you guys can tell Enya."

"Tell me what?" Enya asks, sidling up to us with Nile beside her. Carter and Lyra walk side-by-side behind them.

"They want to go to Rockin' Rosie's after the ceremony tonight," I tell her.

"Ooh, that's a great idea," Nile grins. "We should go to Rosie's."

"I'm down," Enya shrugs. "Nobody goes to the graduation banquet anyways. It always ends up being a bunch of first through third sects talking to alumni."

"Told you," Faris says, bumping my shoulder. I grin, butterflies bursting in my stomach at the contact.

"Well after all that talk about food, I'm hungry," Nile says. Enya rolls her eyes, laughing.

"Nile, you're always hungry,"

"So what?" Nile asks. "Let's stop someplace on the way to the Residence."

"We don't have time to stop," Carter pipes in. "We need to fill Ciana in on what she needs to do tonight."

My stomach clenches with nerves. "Oh... right,"

Enya pats me on the shoulder. "You'll be fine, Ci. The teachers simplified it for you. You just have to do all the traditional stuff. Besides, it's just this one time. It'll be back to being my job from then on."

"Who would've thought that a Right Arch would have to preside over the Asavanra graduation ceremony because the Grand Arch was graduating?" Carter chuckles.

"Nobody," Nile sighs with an eye roll. "That's why we're in this mess in the first place."

"Someone's cranky," Faris pokes Nile in the arm, earning himself a sneer.

"He's hungry," Enya laughs, covering Nile's ears as if it were a secret.

"Let's get sandwiches delivered to the Arch Residence," Avani suggests. "I'm cravin' some Sammy's Subs."

"Ooh, Sammy's cookies are the best," Faris agrees.

"Sammy's Subs it is," Enya nods. Students stream out of the gates of Asavanra Academy, heading towards the many restaurants on Academy Avenue. The sound of conversations fills the air as the eight of us walk through the crowds, heading towards Arch Hall up on the hill. Music streams out of cracked windows of record stores and the lone instrument store, and the scent of food and baked goods wafts from the bakeries and restaurants, making my stomach grumble.

Enya hears it and laughs. "Nile and I will go pop in Sammy's and order our food. Meet you back home."

Faris watches them go with a wicked smirk. "They're so sneaking off to go make out."