Everything Starts

CH: 23, PERCY

Our conversation only stopped when Alec came back into the room wondering why my heart rate spiked and wasn't going back down.

In his words, "I wanted her heart rate to increase but not that much," he also came in to yell at us for yelling too much. Ironic.

After he left we started talking again and my heart rate went right back up. I laid my hand in Adrian's while Garrett and Nora, along with the other collective members argued with each other.

"I'm going with them," Adrian yelled. Well, that shut everyone up. I didn't know his voice could get that loud.

He was still sitting on my bed and holding my hand so I squeezed him and looked at him confused.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Garrett replied, finally using his inside voice again.

"Alora will need someone there to protect her and that's still my job. It'll be much easier to keep her safe if I can actually interact with her this time."

"Son, you know nothing about the human world," Nora replied.

I raised my hand. "I could teach and protect him from our world while he protects me from people from your world," I suggested.

Garrett and Nora looked at each other and Garrett kept answering questions under his breath that I didn't hear Nora asking. Mind-reader. Garrett must've been looking at what her questions were and answering them before she voiced them. I wondered how I'd never noticed them doing this before. A few minutes later they looked up.

"Okay."

"Yay!!" a couple of my friends said and rushed to hug him.

I raised my arms, "Where's my hug?"

"Sorry!" Zena half-shouted.

Instead of rearranging the hug they just pushed Adrian until he fell onto me and I was included in the dog pile.

Alec stuck his head in the door again, "Heart Rate!"

That was all he said before he left again. My friends hurried off of me but we continued laughing.

I spent a few more days in the infirmary on doctor's orders. My heart rate was still slow but by now it had been that way for almost two weeks and everything else about me was fine so he let me go back to Rosemore.

I was packing up my stuff when I heard a knock on the door.

"Hey."

"Hi, Adrian. What's up?"

"I just wanted to see how you're doing?"

"I'm good. You? Nervous yet?"

"Yeah, but I know I'll be fine. I guess I shouldn't have sprung that on you like that but I had been thinking about it anyway. Plus my dad says that they can get me all the same classes as you and I can room with George."

"I think it's a good idea. Hopefully, with you being with us I'll stop feeling like someone's watching me all of the time."

"Ha, yeah. So you're cool with it?"

"Yeah of course. I'm excited to show you what human life is like."

"And I'm excited to learn. Though I do know the basics because I've been watching you for so long. Wow, there really is no way to make that not sound creepy," he laughed.

I laughed along with him.

"I was wondering what college is like because I haven't sat in with any of your classes."

"Well you are much smarter than most students there so the classes will probably be easy for you, but when it comes to history try not to laugh because if there's one thing I've learned about elves here is that our version of history is complete crap," I laughed. "And if you're rooming with George then Ethan and Wesley's dorm is right across the hall so if you need anything then they'll be right there."

"Thank you. Oh, Wesley smiled at me this morning. He's never done that before."

"Wow. That's good. He must be warming up to you after our talk."

"Hopefully."

"I just thought of something else to tell you. You're not allowed to drive."

"What, why?"

"Because I had to practice for two years before I finally got my license and there are no cars in the Elvin world. Before we came here you called a car a 'motor vehicle' which I suppose is correct but I'm still not letting you behind the wheel."

"Oh, fine. Is there anything else I should know about?"

"Oh yeah, one more thing," I started reaching for Adrian's hand, "I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" he asked confusedly, turning to face me and taking my other hand.

"For us. I realized when we were at Poseidon's Gate that there won't ever be a perfect time for anything and I don't want to waste another second without you."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Does this answer your question?" I replied leaning into him. I gently pressed my lips to his and wrapped my arms around his neck and he did the same to my waist.

A few moments passed and we settled into each other. I loved how familiar Adrian felt. His smell. The softness of his skin. I wanted to stay there forever, but the moment ended when there was a knock at the door.

"Food's ready."

"Thanks, Z."

We all made our way to Moonmore for dinner.

"You'll leave in two days," Garrett said, taking a bite of butter-covered potato.

"Only two days," I asked.

"We think it's best to get you back during the weekend instead of in the middle of the week."

"Okay. Promise to tell me everything you find out? Even if it doesn't seem important?"

"We promise, Alora," Nora responded.

The next day we tried to relax which is why we all ended up reading in the library, including the few Collective members we had gotten to know over these past months. Granted they were doing research and I was forcing Adrian to read a romance book with me. I knew he was enjoying it because he kept wanting to hold the book.

We had just finished the third-act break-up when there was a loud pounding on the library door which startled us all. We each stood and glanced back and forth to each other. Did we go see who it was? Did we wait for whoever they are to inevitably break down the door? The door finally gave way and in came a middle-aged man who looked as though he had been attacked by a mischief of rats and hadn't slept in days. Through the grime, I could see his chestnut brown hair and piercing blue eyes. They reminded me of my own.

"Alora I need your help!" the man said, breathing heavily. It took me a minute to recognize who the man in front of me was and even when I realized I could only manage one word.

"Percy!?"