Ashurie and Katie walked down the street to Katie's place. Katie planned to introduce Ashurie to her father. She wanted Ashurie to make a good impression with her father before she asked if Ashurie could move in with them. For the past few weeks, he had been living at their school, Lion.
The two Shadow Magic majors had just reached her house, "Alright, Ashurie, you gotta act good. If it goes well, there's no reason for him to say no. I don't want you living at the school any longer, got that?"
"Yeah," Ashurie replied. Katie got her keys out and unlocked the door. She took a few steps in until she said anything.
"Hey, Papa! I'm home!" Katie exclaimed. She hung her bag on a chair and told Ashurie to do the same.
"Hi, Sweetie. Welcome home," her father replied.
Ashurie hadn't taken but just a couple steps into the house, still leaving the door open. "Papa, this is the friend I told you about, Ashurie. Ashurie, this is my papa, his name is Alex Meric."
"Hello, Mr. Meric," Ashurie said nervously.
Suddenly, something clicked in Alex's mind. Is this Johnathan's son, Ashurie? It's gotta be. Katie's father walked forwards, towards Ashurie. He grabbed him by the shirt collar and pushed him backwards, through the doorway, "Why are you here? What do you want, Ashurie?!"
"Wh-what?" Ashurie was completely confused. "What are you taking about?"
"Papa!" Katie exclaimed.
"What is your father planning, damn it? Just . . . Get out of here, and stay away from my daughter!" Alex tore Ashurie's band off his forehead to reveal his dragon insignia. "And I won't let you imprint that insanity mark on here!"
Katie watched in horror as she saw her father push her best friend out the door and slam the door in his face. "Papa! Why the hell did you do that?" Katie yelled. "Ashurie's my friend, and let me stop you right there! He is nothing like his father!" Katie stormed off to her room, not sure what to do next.
"Katie! Sweetie, your Papa's sorry! I just don't want you friends with that boy!" Katie's father explained through the door. He tried to open the door but it was locked. "Katie? Come on, you know what his father did!"
"I don't care what a person's parent did, even if he killed Mama!" she yelled back. "I only care about that person's personality!" Alex said a few more things but Katie didn't answer.
She turned her head towards the window. Katie opened it and jumped out. The young girl started to head back to the school with her iPod in her pocket.
Katie plugged in her earplugs and turned on the song 'Hymn of the Missing'. Suddenly, she began to cry while trying to find her friend, Ashurie.
Katie continued walking in the school's directions. Then, out of the music, she heard someone crying. Katie looked down an alley and saw a shadowed figure. "Could that be . . . " she stopped her words. Katie ran down the alley, "Ashurie! You all right?"
Ashurie took his head out of his hands. "You came for me?" he asked.
"Of course. I am so, so sorry about my papa," Katie apologized.
Katie was pulled closer to Ashurie, "Katie, ever since my mother was killed, my life sucked. But somehow, you've been able to reach me without hatred." Suddenly, Katie felt something touch her lips.
