Amity

Chapter 26: Day One

The final bell rung as students filed out of the classrooms. Aside from most of the students giving him an evil glare and the football team making threats about what they'd do to him after school, Dré figured it was a relatively short and easy day without Peewee and Doug there to pester him. As he walked towards his locker, he saw Kim standing at her locker through the multitude of students pushing and shoving their way out of the school. He snuck up behind her and tapped her on her shoulder. "Hiya, Kimmy." She flinched at his voice.

"Oh. Ke'Undré," she gasped. "Hi. Are you feeling better?"

"Are you kidding? You received the worst of it protecting me."

"It's nothing, really. I don't really remember much after I heard that you had blacked out. I just remember that I wanted to protect you." She stared into his eyes as she spoke, her face turning slightly red. She nervously turned away. "I-I'm glad to see that you are alright now."

"Same here. Thanks for looking after me," he said as he held his hand out, smiling. "Not many people would do that for me. I really owe you one."

She took his hand. It was slightly trembling as her thin lips curved into a shy smile. "I'd better get going, otherwise I'll miss the bus. Don't forget to go to the academy, okay?"

"Okay." He let go of Kim's hand and picked up his backpack. "I'll see you there."

Dré walked further down the hall. To keep himself from looking at the hallway full of angry fans of the football team, he flipped open his cell phone, pretending to text someone until he made it to locker #254. Surprisingly, it had no threatening notes taped to it or jeers written on it. He unlatched the lock and opened the door, fearing that there would be a flood of death threats ready to spill over the floor. Nothing. Besides his biology, algebra, and literature books, the locker appeared untouched, except for a single sheet of paper draped over the top of the books, as if someone had slipped it in through the slits on the door. It was a short note in neatly-written cursive.

Once you get to the academy, you will be escorted to the Wayward Marketplace. Be sure to pick up your fighting uniform as well as your practice sword once you get to the First Steps. Your type of sword will reflect on how you performed in the entrance exams. I hope you took it seriously.

:)

Demetrius McManus

Oh great. Considering that I passed out on the battlefield, I'd be lucky to even get a sword, Dré thought to himself as he walked out the exit door towards the parking lot. The cars were leaving the school campus in a disorganized clutter. He was looking for Samantha's car among the cluster of students' cars. Considering that he was looking for a fluorescent white Jaguar, it was an easy enough job.

And there she was, parked in the row closest to the school. Samantha was leaning against the hood of the car, her blond hair swaying in the wind and her thin, delicate arms folded. "Oh boy, she's mad," Dré sighed as he made his way to her car. He could just hear her yelling in his ear. "What took you so long? Are you going to live your whole life late?"

"I wasn't too late, was I?"

"No. You're not." Her voice was neutral, almost cold and empty, which terrified him worse than the yelling. She unfolded her arms and got inside of the car. "We have to talk on the way there."

Dré's heart sunk as he heard her speak those evil words. If there was anything that he had gained from the teenage drama series he always had the misfortune to tune in to, if a girl said, "We need to talk," it often meant something bad.