Kyle

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Decisions

"Whoa! You got them all correct, Red!" Ivan smiled at me through my crystal. Since I'd returned to my flat, we'd been studying with one another and reviewing chapters. He filled me in on a pop quiz they'd had earlier in the day and went over it with me so I could keep up with the curriculum. I was better at alchemy than I realized.

"We're nearly finished with the chapter already!" I grinned. "I'm relieved."

"How you finding it?"

"Surprisingly easier than I imagined. Though, I could use a little extra practice at a cauldron."

"Same here, believe me." Ivan sighed. "The cauldron is a killer this term. I'm actually starting to resent it when I thought I'd love it." Closing his textbook, Ivan smirked at me. "Are you excited about coming back?"

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves."

"You kidding? You're gonna pass your exams for sure at this rate. Stop being humble."

"I-I'm not...I just don't want to get my hopes up, is all."

"Since when?" Ivan questioned me, his brow raising in confusion. "It's all you talk about! Coming back to Milkweed, passing the exams, getting out of that town you're stuck in."

I felt my shoulders droop as my mind went back to the thoughts I had earlier in the day. What Ivan was saying was indeed the truth, but I also came to realize the fact that I hadn't been as depressed in this town as I initially thought. Yes, Galaxy Hills was nothing in comparison to New York or the sanctity of the realm, but I had friends here. Only recently had I made friends at Milkweed through Nicolai and Ivan, but that hadn't been the case when I first arrived in America. I'd been totally alone.

The friends I made here had pushed aside their bias when they saw me in trouble. They took my side without a second thought and I didn't take those actions for granted. They helped me get through my evaluation and did the very best they could to make that nightmarish dinner something special. They went out of their way for me, again and again, even if they were loud and a tad obnoxious in the process. They were my friends and I'd be leaving them. Probably forever.

I didn't see why there would be a reason for me to return here, no matter how hard I tried to make an excuse to do so. Galaxy Hills was nowhere close to New York, so even if I came back into the states for the holiday, I'd never be back here. And I'm sorry, but there was no way they could come to the realm to visit me either. Not because of me not wanting them around, but because of the realm and how conservative and relatively tame people were in comparison to this town. I'd seen a lot being accepted in Galaxy Hills' public school that would never be allowed at Milkweed. Never. It just wouldn't work. They didn't care to conform and I didn't want them to conform. That's why I liked them.

"You're thinking..." Ivan spoke suddenly, catching my attention. His expression was one of concern. "What's up, Red? And don't say some dumb shit as an answer."

"I was actually planning to be truthful with you."

"Oh."

"I'm not sure if I'm ready to leave just yet."

"Huh?!"

I felt the same way. Even saying my thoughts aloud had caught me off guard. My subconscious was dumbfounded by the statement. I shrugged.

"Don't get me wrong, please don't, I'm not a fan of this town."

"Okay, so...?"

"It's just, I've made friends here...and I never really had friends just kind of, organically sprout up like this for me. I really do enjoy them. It's been decent here."