Untamed Spirits - KOTLC - (DISCONTINUED)

Seventeen

Noreh couldn't stand being in CandleShade any longer. So she went to Atlantis instead, hailing Calista beforehand saying she needed her best friend to help her think straight.

Calista was eager to see Noreh and caught her up on all the gossip at Foxfire and told her about her crush—a boy named Maverick who had pale blonde hair and "gorgeous" blue eyes. Noreh couldn't help but smile as Calista explained her crush in every detail.

But the smile quickly vanished when she remembered Forkle leaving Sophie and Dex drugged in an alley and what Grace said about them being failed experiments. Was Forkle really the reason she and Sophie had been separated?

"Do you have any crushes?" Calista asked.

Noreh blushed but was glad Calista was being normal like she'd asked her to. "There's one guy. . ."

"Who?" Calista demanded, leaning across the table and staring into Noreh's soul. "I must know who the poor guy is."

Noreh rolled her eyes. "I only saw him once, but he was. . . amazing. His eyes are. . . and his face. . . and his voice. . . his hair. . ."

Calista laughed. "Sounds like someone's love-sick!"

Noreh shook her head. She wasn't love-sick for Shang. She was pretty sure he didn't even remember the day he walked over and bought her a cheeseburger—not that she actually got the chance to eat it.

Plates of blue and orange glops, butter blasts, and mallowmet appeared on the glass table and Noreh dug in. She had let Calista order, and Calista knew exactly what to get—though Noreh didn't know what the glop things were. The blue one tasted like juicy cheeseburgers, and the orange like the most delicious, most creamy mac n' cheese.

"So," Calista said, watching as Noreh popped a butter blast into her mouth. "How are you, really?"

Noreh sighed, staring at the mallowmet. "I honestly don't know, Cal."

Calista nodded, stirring a bowl of the orange glop while tossing a butter blast into the air. "That's a good start, I guess. At least you're not crying or wanting to murder anyone?"

Noreh eyed the butter blast Calista kept tossing in the air. "Yeah, I guess. I'm still not sure what to do about the Vackers. You know, with Stina saying they were only being friends because Alden told them to."

Calista tossed the butter blast into her mouth and Noreh frowned. "Look, I'm not saying this only because Fitz is dreamy, but this is my honest thought: I think it started like that, but I also think after time they actually were your guys' friends. I mean, if you saw how Biana looked when Stina told Sophie. . . and how desperate Fitz was. . . I think you'd understand."

Noreh thought about it. Biana was a little stiff at first, but then she started acting naturally. Maybe Calista was right. But what if it wasn't? What if Biana and Fitz were just really good actors?

The only one Noreh was sure of was Keefe. She just knew he wasn't faking. He called her his sister, which she didn't think he would do if he was acting.

"It's just my opinion," Calista said when Noreh remained silent.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Alden and Della, who seemed to be shopping or something, maybe visiting Quintus. Calista followed her gaze and quickly finished her glop/soup and mallowmet, tossing a few butter blasts into her mouth before standing.

"I better get back to the store," she told Noreh. "Hail me if you need anything."

Noreh watched her go, taking a deep breath before she looked back at Alden and Della. Alden was obviously in a hurry, his face more saddened than usual, as was Della's. He spotted her and hesitated a second before walking over.