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Twenty Five

I rushed to the phone to pick it up, my brain going into overdrive. "What?" My mother scolded me through the receiver for answering like that but I ignored her, too busy thinking of all the things I needed, and asked her what she wanted, she knew how important today was.

"Happy birthday, sweetie, but I actually wanted to speak to your land lady," I shoved the phone ino Liesma's hands before pouring a bowl of dry cereal and basically pouring it down my throat, causing me to choke.

"Hi Mrs Canini. A party? Good, i'm glad otherwise I would've given it all away. And my mum. I'm sorry, but unfourtunately my mum is away on a buisness trip. I am free to attend if you wish but if not then I do not mind." Her voice had taken on a buisness-like quality, her emotions pushed through it, her words became rounded, clipped in a way that made them sound posher than usual.

"I would be delighted to attend," She smiled at whatever my mum had said and continued to listen, making agreeing noises every now and then. Meanwhile I continued to scramble aroudn the house, shoving stuff into a small messenger bag. It couldn't hold much but it could hold the books I needed as well as any stationary. Today was the day.

The fact that it was my 18th birthday didn't phase me. The distant promise of a boring adulthood ball, also known as 'The Rose Ball' (since it had been created as a ritual by natures who called it by their word for adulthood, which meant blooming in latin and some moron thought meant Rose. Long story short, it appeals more to girls than guys) or the new set of rights which I didn't bother to notice since I had been doing most of them when I was 14 anyway. It all seemed so far away, so blurred and faded. My brain hadn't even registered it.

The only thing on my mind was the exam, my stomach kept turning as if it was on a rollercoaster, my nerves making me nauseous. All I wanted to do was do the exam and get it over with but I couldn't go in with that attitude.

I had spent the last week pratically living in Liesma's library inbetween school and boredom had lead me to wander the seemingly endless aisles, whioch in turn lead me to find books about how to achieve anything. which basically meant going in with a good attitude. I also found an entire bookcase dedicated to recipie books. Another five were dedicated to fantasy books. However during my wandering I had never found the section where she was getting the books on the cultures of pretty much every power heritage ever in the exsistence of the world.

Pulling my mind back from my fatigue-induced daydream I finished packing and stood up, Liesma was watching me with one eyebrow raised, the phone back in it's holder."What?"

She shrugged and ran a hand through her hair, causing a single curl to sit awkwardly on the top of her head, which was irritating to say the least. "Are you ok? You were kinda just standing there," I nodded, watching any signs of worry fade from her face.

"I have to go call Maye and i'm guessing you'll be leaving soon," I looked at the Rolex on my left wrist and shrugged. "Probably," She walked up to me and gently hooked her arms around my waist and rested her head on my chest.

I  returned the hug although I was unsure why she was giving me one. Her skin was it's usual temperature, which was feverish, and it warmed everywhere her body was in contact with mine until it became to uncomfortable to bear. "Good Luck," Her voice was fulled slightly by my shirt and eventually the hug became awkward.

I pulled away and thanked her before adjusting the strap of my bag, the books inside it weighed alot and although I wasn't weak it was still hurting. She walked slowly over to the phone and picked it up, staring at it for a few seconds. "You're not gonna fail this test, just..." She trailed off, lifting her eyes from the phone towards me. "Be careful, something feels off."