Monte Montgomery Academy

1: I Wouldn't Mind Going Out That Way

Monte Montgomery Academy

Chapter 1: I Wouldn't Mind Going Out That Way

Fiery locks cascaded in loose waves down Calysta's back as she sauntered through the hallway, eyes unfocused as she neared her locker. It sat at the end of a long corridor, stationed away from the general public, its door cracked and paint chipped in comparison to the pristine condition of the other containers along the wall. With an exhale, Calysta rested slender fingers on the combination lock, spinning its code until it popped open. She tugged at the door, a familiar squeal of protest emanating from the rusty metal. Her arm reached inside, fingers grasping the spine of her well-worn herbal medicine textbook. Cradling it in one arm, she extended the other back inside, searching for her notebook as footsteps sounded to her right. She didn't have to glance away from the task at hand to know who had approached her – despite her sociable demeanor and willingness to assist, Calysta had only acquired one friend during the four years she'd been attending Monte Montgomery Academy.

"Hey, girl," said friend greeted, slowing to a stop beside Calysta.

"Hey, Piper," the redhead returned, gently closing her locker in hopes of minimizing the screech of the old compartment. Turning to face her friend, the corner of her lips lifted in a soft smirk. "Have you made any progress with You Know Who?"

"You know I'd tell you if I had," she pouted adorably. She'd been crushing on a rather handsome werewolf for some months now, but due to her being a fairy, he wouldn't give her the time of day. Piper had yet to give up despite Calysta's warnings that he was too lost in his own ego to ever date anyone who wasn't a fellow canine, even if there hadn't been a decades-old feud between the two species.

Calysta nodded in understanding, shifting her weight between her booted feet and lifting her gaze to linger somewhere behind her winged friend. She caught her lower lip between her teeth, gnawing on the soft skin as she watched two of the most attractive boys she'd ever seen glare at each other down the hall. Piper noticed her friend's sudden distraction and smirked, spinning on her heel to follow the redhead's gaze.

On the right side of the corridor stood Jace Dawn, a tall vampire whose features were chiseled like that of a Greek statue. Unkempt black curls framed his pale face, and his eyes resembled an amethyst crystal. He stood only slightly slouched, leaning back against the wall, his muscular arms crossed over his chest.

Across the hall, standing nearly perfectly straight, with his hands stuffed nonchalantly into the pocket of his uniform pants, was angelic heartthrob Aidan Grayson. His features were less chiseled than Jace's, giving him the appearance of a watercolor painting, with sandy blond locks dangling in front of eyes that resembled the ash leftover from a campfire.

No one in Shadow Valley understood the rivalry between them. There was no historic quarrel between vampires and angels. They'd had to endure centuries of one another's presence due to them being the only immortal creatures in the Netherworld, and as a result they had learned to coexist peacefully.

"What reason would the two hottest men in Montgomery Academy have to hate each other so intensely?" Piper wondered aloud, watching as the two continued to glare at one another, neither shifting from his assertive position.

"No idea," Calysta murmured absent-mindedly.

The fairy turned her head back to her friend. "Still stuck on which one you like more?"

The redhead exhaled forlornly. "I don't have a chance with either, so it doesn't matter who I'm more attracted to."

Piper shrugged, and Calysta took a moment to admire her appearance. Her bubblegum pink locks contrasted deliciously against her sun-kissed skin, and her electric blue eyes sparkled in any given lighting. Several students at the academy didn't take her seriously upon taking in her petite figure and thin, shimmering wings. Given their ability to shift sizes in order to flee from danger, fairies were often ignored by more powerful Otherworlders, including werewolves.

Calysta had never been self-conscious of her own appearance. She knew how to recognize the beauty in herself; the crimson tone to her wavy hair, her eyes that shone like emeralds, the delicate black horns protruding from her forehead, the black runes that decorated her pale pink skin. She'd been aware from a young age that the world's aversion to her existence had little to nothing to do with her physical features. It was her demonic heritage that drove away everyone but Piper and branded her an outcast.

"Calysta," her friend's voice pulled her from her thoughts. The half-demon lifted her head to meet Piper's eyes, catching the mischievous twinkle in her cobalt orbs. The fairy nodded her head towards the open hallway, urging the redhead to follow suit. Her gemstone eyes widened upon discovering the source of Piper's interest. Jace and Aidan had taken a break from staring one another down to turn their attention in tandem towards the redhead standing at the end of the hall.

"Why are they staring at me?" Calysta whispered to the fairy, unable to tear her gaze away from the two boys.

"Maybe they're plotting your death," Piper teased. "They'll have to stop glaring daggers at each other in order to kill you, though."

The half-demon exhaled a breath. "I wouldn't mind going out that way."

The pink-haired fairy laughed loudly, shocking the two immortals into turning their attention back to one another.

A low horn sounded throughout the building, alerting the students to the beginning of first period. Calysta grumbled under her breath as she stepped around Piper, making her way down the now bustling hallway.

"Hey, at least first period is your specialty," Piper reminded in an attempt to raise her friend's spirits.

"That doesn't mean Calliwell has to call me up to assist with every single lesson," the redhead groaned, slowing to a halt at the classroom door.

The fairy offered her a sympathetic smile. "I'll meet up with you at lunch, like always," she promised.

Calysta offered her a nod of agreement, watching her shuffle away before turning to reach for the doorknob. Just as her fingertips brushed against the brass, a much larger, paler hand enveloped hers on its way to taking hold of the knob. Calysta snapped her head up in surprise, large eyes greeting the stony gaze of Jace, who simply looked down at her as though this was a common occurrence.

"Allow me," he offered in a low voice.

All Calysta could manage was a nod in response, not daring to retract her hand as the knob was turned and the door was pulled open. Much too soon, Jace released her fingers, his hand lifting to gesture into the room.

"After you."

The redhead stood dumbfounded for a moment before scurrying into the room, hastily making her way to her preferred seat along the righthand side. Her ears latched onto the sound of Jace's combat boots thumping across the room, sitting several desks away from her.