Human Wings of Fire

Drake taunts a small child

(This chapter will be Kaida's point of view of the same incident in the previous one.)

Kaida was SITTING AT A LUNCH TABLE with SOMEONE WHO KNEW HER SECRET.

The more she thought about it, the more she couldn't believe it.

Someone who KNEW she could LITERALLY BURN THE WHOLE FLIPPING SCHOOL DOWN if she got too emotional, wasn't fireproof in the slightest, (unlike Clayton, who, no, she DEFINITELY WASN'T CRUSHING ON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH,) and honestly seemed pretty afraid of her own shadow was STILL okay with at least ATTEMPTING to talk to her? CRAZY.

But there sat Maya Griffith, fifth-grade psychic, not even caring that she was sitting across from apparently the most intimidating person at Jade Mountain Academy, excepting (maybe) Suspira. And that was according to people who DIDN'T know that Kaida was Fireborne.

I probably shouldn't read into this, Kaida thought. She's probably just being nice.

Kaida took out her sandwich, smirked mischievously, and whispered, "Grilled cheese."

Maya looked confused, so Kaida decided to just show her. She put her hands on the sandwich as if to squish it, and, for lack of a better way of explaining it, called fire into her palms to cook the sandwich.

Maya understood and began to chuckle.

"Lucky. Did you put butter on the insides and everything?"

Kaida nodded. "Yeah."

At that moment, the majority of the school walked into the cafeteria and Maya began to look profoundly uncomfortable.

"I'm so sorry... do you mind if I put my headset back in? Everyone's coming in, and I'm getting a MASSIVE headache. I can't block them out, if you get me."

Kaida nodded. "Oh, yeah. Sure. People don't generally talk to me at all if they don't have to, so I'm used to sitting in relative silence."

Maya gave what Kaida was pretty sure was supposed to be a smile, but looked more like a grimace. "Thanks."

Kaida gave a small smile back, then turned her attention to her grilled cheese just as the Wilson boy grabbed Maya's headset and took it off her.

"Well, well, well. It seems we have a new student. Tell me, what's your name?" he drawled.

Maya turned around, replying, "Wh-what?" with an oddly pained voice that Kaida could guess she didn't want this random older boy to hear.

Drake Wilson gave one of those charmingly fake smiles he was so good at. "Your name, new girl."

Kaida wasn't very good with emotions on other people, but Maya seemed genuinely scared now. "My name? Maya," she whispered.

"Good flippin' grief, Wilson, give the kid her headphones back." Kaida put a hand on Maya's shoulder.

Drake drew his hands back quickly, like a man held at gunpoint.

"Sheesh, alright! I just wanted to get to know the new kid!" he said as he gave Maya her headset back. He looked at her for what seemed a little bit longer than necessary and she gave a small nod, probably a nod that she was hoping Kaida couldn't see, before he walked away.

That was strange. He's never taken an interest in new kids before this. Especially not new kids below their freshman year, Kaida thought to herself. Something's definitely up.

Kaida: I've only had Maya for half a day, but if anything happened to her, I'd kill everyone in this room and then myself.