Everlance Academy

Chapter 29

"You've got your passport?"

"Yup."

"Ticket? Clothes? Toothbrush? Pepper spray?"

"What on earth would I need pepper spray for?"

"You never know! It's a dangerous world we live in."

Addie takes a tiny tube out of the backpack in the corner of her side of the room and throws it at me. "Here. Take mine. I have plenty."

I catch it with my left hand, the right one holding on to the handle of my suitcase.
"I highly doubt that I will be allowed to take that onto the plane with me."

My friend shrugs my concerns off and grabs her keys to our dorm instead. "Come on. I'll bring you to the taxi."

I smile a silent thank you at her and step out of our room. Addie has been my rock for the past hour, and while I've been stressed out of my mind, she remained calm and made sure I packed correctly.

Without her, I would be a crippling ball of anxiety. I'm scared shitless as it is. Of seeing my parents again. Of seeing my parents new families.

Of seeing a certain someone that might be invited, a certain someone that could rot in hell.

After having closed the door, she takes one of the two bags from me and carries it down the stairs.

You'd think that two giant bags would be a bit over the top for a four-day trip, but it's necessary. Family gatherings are more of a fashion show than a nice gathering with your beloved.

Hence the fact that no one really likes the other. It's more like a dynasty. We're not really a big family, but rather plenty of small groups that plot against one another, hoping that they'll be the richest, most successful, and highest in ranking.

It's wild, really.

I know damn well that everybody at that wedding will be watching my father, my mother, and Samuel to know how they're dealing with the situation.

My parents are probably the first people in our family to ever get divorced. They are most certainly the first ones to remarry and invite everybody to the wedding.

But most of all, they'll be watching me. I'm not being narcissistic; I'm simply being realistic. By going to this school, I made a statement: visibly separating myself from my family. Something that hasn't been done before.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that the rest of the cult I was born into is watching us like hungry vultures, only waiting for a crack in the illusion of a picture-perfect family that they can use to their advantage.

So the least I can do is look the part.

Which is why I have a whole bag simply dedicated to make-up, hair products, skin care, et cetera, et cetera.

"Hey!", Addie snaps her fingers in front of my face. "Earth to June. Are you there?"

"What? Yeah. Sorry. I zoned out. What were you saying?"

"I was saying", she repeats herself, stopping at the top of the stairs by the entrance of the Academy, "that you seem to have a good-bye committee."

I turn my head to look at where my taxi is waiting and then do a double take. My face lights up with a big smile.

There, before the yellow car, my friends have gathered, all looking equally tired. I can't blame them, though. It's only 4.30 a.m. The only reason I am already up is because my and Nikolais flight to the US boards at 6.15 a.m.

Ivy's gaze wanders in Addies and my direction, and when she spots us, she taps someone on the shoulder, says something, and then points enthusiastically at me.

All six heads turn simultaneously, and multiple pairs of hands wave me over to them. I laugh and hurry down the stairs, taking two at a time. When I reach them, I say, Well, hello? What are you guys doing here?", and beam at each and every single one of them.

Noah pulls me into a tight hug. "Saying good-bye to you, obviously. You're leaving. I can't believe you're leaving!"

"I'll be gone for four days."

"That's exactly four days too many!"

I laugh while I breathe in his scent and close my eyes. Noah smells like something sweet, something I can't put my finger on. It's really pleasant, actually.

And he gives great hugs. I don't think I'll ever want to let go.

"Group hug!", Nora exclaims, and another set of arms are being wrapped around me from behind.

Others join, cheeks being rubbed against one another, faces being hidden in necks. The only ones who don't make an effort to join are Olivia and Thalia.

"Yeah", Thalia mumbles, "I'll miss you too, June, but I think I'll pass on this one."

"Same," Olivia agrees, "no offense, but that looks like a very sweaty, very smelly-"

Before Olivia can finish her sentence, she and Thalia are being grabbed by their shirts and pulled into the ball of people. Ivy has her arms draped around both of their shoulders, grinning widely.

"I'm sorry, guys, but you can't escape it," she says happily.

Slowly, Liv and Thalia relax, accepting their fate.
"I am pleased to say that none of you stink," Olivia mumbles.

"I noticed. We're a good-smelling bunch.", I agree.

"My thoughts exactly. Whoever is wearing that Lavendel cologne, you have great taste in perfumes," Noah hums.

"Thanks.", It's the first thing I hear from Cal today, and when I look at him, I see that his head rests on Noah's, eyes closed. "I can give you the name later if you'd like."

"Thanks bro."

"I don't like to be called bro."

"What would you like to be called, then? Treasured companion?"

"That's more like it."

I laugh for no apparent reason. "I'll miss you guys too. But I'll be home before you even notice I'm gone, I promise. I can't wait until I come back."

The words escape my mouth before I think too much about them, and with a start, I realize that I just referred to Everlance Academy as my home.

I smile. It feels right.

Oh, don't say that. At least you get to see your family," Addie argues.

"You are my family. I couldn't ask for a better one," I say. I mean it. I truly do. Over the past months, these people have become the most important things in my life.

"No, June, don't. You'll make me cry.", Nora hides her face in my back.

"I already am," Ivy whispers.

Noah just sniffs.

"We're a sad mass," Olivia says quietly, "but I agree with June. I know I don't say it nearly as often as I should, but you all mean a lot to me. Truly."

Okay, seriously, you need to stop.", Noah rubs his eyes and says, "I haven't even had breakfast yet. No crying before breakfast."

A throat is being cleared behind us, and we all turn our heads simultaneously to look at the source. The source being my boyfriend.

"Nikolai? You're interrupting a very emotional and intimate moment with the friend group," Noah says in an accusing voice.

Nikolai rubs the back of his neck. "Sorry. But also not. I feel left out. Am I not part of the friend group?"

He tries to sound pissed, but we all know it's just pretend. Noah opens his arms anyway.

"Come along, friend. Participate in the group hug."

Nikolai visibly cringes. "Yeah, no thanks. I'm not the biggest fan of physical touch. I also just wanted to say that the taxi driver is getting impatient, so we should probably get going."

"We?", I ask, "are you going to the airport as well?"
Which strikes me as funny because I know damn well where he's going. I'm just keeping an act up for my friends.

The corners of his lips tug upwards, just slightly. Indeed, I am. I'm visiting my grandfather in Spain. His birthday is coming up. Since my flight leaves only minutes after yours, we're taking the same taxi to the airport.", He lifts an eyebrow. "That won't be a problem for you, will it?"

"No. Of course not," I say under supposedly gritted teeth. Then I throw a pained look over my shoulder at my friends, receiving compassionate glances. I sigh dramatically in their direction before hopping into the taxi.

Someone should get me an Oscar for this.

Nikolai climbs in behind me and closes the door. While the car drives off, I wave my hand at my friends, my second family, my home until I can no longer see them. Then I want to turn to Nikolai, but he reacts before I do.

One of his hands grab my chin, ripping my head in his direction and pressing his lips on mine. A surprised sound escapes my lips, and my eyes flutter shut while my hands fly up to cup his face.

Suddenly, his hands are on my waist, his nails digging into my skin through the thin fabric of my shirt, and for a moment, I feel sorry for the poor taxi driver who has to be a witness to our public affections.

"Nikolai," I whisper against his lips, and he hums dazzlingly as an answer, his eyes still closed.

"I think we should maybe... do that... later," I say, having trouble concentrating on forming a proper sentence when his lips are planting soft, feather-like kisses on my jaw.

"Easier said than done, love," he mumbles in response, still seemingly not being able to distance himself from me, "you're irresistible. Like a magnet. The world is better when you're in my arms."

"Bold words for someone who is not the biggest fan of physical touch."

"From random People? Hate it. From you? I crave it."

I huff. "They're not random people. They're our friends."

Sighing, Nikolai draws back but drags me with him, so now my head is resting against his shoulder. At least we're not groping each other in front of the poor, innocent woman who is just trying to do her job.

"They're your friends, June. Besides Noah and Addie, none of these people would call me their friend, and that goes the other way around."

"You just called yourself part of the friend group," I protest.

"Being in a friend group and being friends are two entirely different things."

For some reason, that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Nikolai seems to notice my mood shift, and he kisses the top of my head softly. "I don't have anything against any of them. Really, I don't, they're all really nice people. But with some of them, I exchanged maybe two sentences in all the time that we've gone to the same school together."

"I get that. That makes perfect sense. But it's not like you're putting in an effort into getting to know them either."
The moment the words leave my mouth, I regret them. They sound like I'm blaming him for something, which I'm really not trying to do.

Nikolai stiffens beside me. "I didn't know you wanted me to."

I sigh. "That came out wrong. I didn't mean to sound so accusing. I'm just saying that I want my boyfriend to get along well with my friends."

"You're not befriending my friends either, are you? So don't act like this is just me."

"I don't even know who your friends are, besides Addie and Noah. I've never been introduced."

"You haven't introduced me to yours either. As your boyfriend, I mean."

We both fall silent. He just addressed the elephant in the room, one that had been there for longer than I wanted to admit.

A lot quieter, I say, "I didn't know that—is that something that you would want? You have to be the one to tell me when you're ready. When you feel safe enough, with everything."

I don't clarify what everything means. He knows I'm talking about his father.

He rests his head on mine, taking my hand in his and drawing circles on my palm with his index finger. "I don't know, love. I mean... we should come clear at some point, right? We're not going to keep us a secret forever?"

I shake my head. "No. No, of course not. I just didn't know how you felt about the subject." And then, after a while, I ask, "What do you want me to tell my parents? My family?"

"Well, what do they know already?"

"Not much. Just that you're my plus one. I didn't specify our relationship to one another. Should I have?"

He shakes his head. "I'm glad you didn't, really. Thank you for talking to me before making those kinds of decisions. I really appreciate it."

I smile softly. "Of course. We're a team, right? No flying solo."

"We are," he says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. "I am one lucky fucker to call you my teammate."

"Teammate is definitely not what I had in mind when thinking about terms you could use to describe me."

"What did you have in mind then?", he asks teasingly, "partner? Special friend? Love of my life?"

Whoa, what?

He chuckles right after having said that, so I brush it off as a joke. Still, my voice is serious again when I say:

"To the previous topic... I just want you to know... I'm ready. I don't mean to push you or anything, it's fine if you are not. You don't have to give me an answer now. I just wanted you to know. If you're okay with me introducing you as my boyfriend to my family... so am I."

He doesn't say anything in return. Just nods his head and buries his face in my hairline.