The Diaries Of Liz Davids: Secrets Uncovered (Book One : Complete)

Chapter 8

December 23, 2010

Dear Diary,

I haven’t really had time to write. The detentions were as bad as ever. Professor Darthorion had made me take off anything that may protect my wrists. At least I finished my last detention last night. I really mean that, that was my LAST detention as in, ever.

I just woke up, actually, we’re going into some town in an hour. I think it’s called the Town of Dryas. It’s supposed to be the most interesting place ever to do shopping (I don’t really have any money to spend, but I do have a camera). Well, that’s what Nicholas says, anyway.

I’ve been spending a lot of time with Nicholas. We’ve kind of become really good friends. He’s the only one that knows about my detentions, and he’s flat out furious. He vowed he wasn’t going to talk to Professor Darthorion until he’d apologized. I don’t know if he was kidding.

He’s so strange. His eyes are so intimidating, but at the same time so hypnotically beautiful, like the rest of his face. But his eyes look so out of place against his pale skin and bronze hair.

I seem to be a lot more at ease when I’m with him. I kind of forget everything else. I even forget about Jess, until I’m away from him.

I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH HIM.

H’s just a really good friend, and he understands what I’m going through. His best friend had been killed right before his eyes a few years back.

Anyway, Johnny and I are on speaking terms again. Not really like I had a choice. He wrote me a letter in which he apologized at least a hundred times for his rudeness and reckless assumptions. I decided to relieve him of his suffering.

I gotta go, I wanna eat something before leaving.

I closed my journal and shoved it under my mattress, dressed in my usual black and made my way to the Main Hall. When I entered, I spotted Nicholas instantly. He smiled in greeting, which I returned, and I took my usual seat at the front of the Hall, where I took some cereal and orange juice.

"Now, before we leave, I want you all to realize that these visits to the Town of Dryas are privileges, and you will all do well to remember that, should you behave poorly, that privilege will be taken from you."

That’s what Professor Rakoner, the plumpest professor (the one who had told Johnny to take off his hood all those weeks ago), said before everyone got into the black carriages that were going to take to the village. I shared a carriage with Nicholas, Johnny and Mekisha, whom I’d not spoken to since the day I’d first woken up in the hospital wing. The carriages were a wee bit small, and I was a little squashed against Nicholas.

Black blinds appeared over the windows, blocking all view of the outside world. I was outraged by this.

"It’s so we won’t know the way to town," Nicholas said, as though reading her thoughts, "That way they won’t have to worry about kids skipping school. It’s pretty clever, actually."

"It’s annoying, that’s what it is," I mumbled.

We didn’t speak most of the time, until Mekisha broke the silence.

"Are you still mad at me?" she’d asked in a high, innocent voice.

"Yes," I said shortly, looking at the blank, black window.

"What happened between you two?" Nicholas asked curiously.

"Well, I honestly don’t –"

"Oh, you know perfectly well what happened," I snapped, glowering at her, "If it wasn’t for Mekisha Skeleton-Eyes Johnson, Jess would still be alive."