Raynestorm

Adam

Adam

3 Years Later...

"Dude, you're totally crushing on the princess!" It was Mike, busting through my thoughts again, and, as usual, he was reading my thoughts completely wrong. Sure, I had been watching princess Rayne all day, and sure, I couldn't stop, but I didn't have a crush on her. She was weird!

"No way! Girls are totally gross!" I said, lying.

"True, but you like her! You like her!" he chants, in a sing-song voice.

"I. Do. Not."

"Yeah ya do. You just don't want to admit it 'cause you're such a chicken!"

"I'm not a chicken! I just don't like her."

"Then why are you watching her like that?"

"Because, um-"

"Because you like her!" He says, interrupting me, but I did not like her. She was nice, yeah, but I did not have a crush on her. Besides, she was a little kid, and I was almost three years older than her. It would be weird, a fifth grader dating a third grader. I was pretty sure she still believed in cooties too. Besides, we were friends, and I saw in all the TV shows that when friends got together, it ended badly.

"Hey, Adam!" speak of the devil.

"Hey Rayne," I say, "What's up?"

"We were headed to lunch and wanted to know if you'd sit with us?" She gestured to Mathew and Emma on either side of her. She was adorable when she rocked back and forth with a huge grin that lit up her eyes; okay maybe I like her a little.

"Yeah!" I say, probably sounding a little too eager, when I look at Mike he has one eyebrow raised. I stick my tongue out at him.

"Come on then," Emma says, and we all walk down to the cafeteria, Emma and Mat chatting non-stop the whole way, oblivious to the fact that Rayne is hanging back just a little behind them. I couldn't help noticing everything she did, even when I couldn't focus on anything. I was too excited, my parents were taking Liam and Melanie around to visit all the kingdoms as future king and queen of Dalerin, so I got to stay with Rayne and her family for two whole weeks.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"C'mon Rayne, we have to get back before your mum realizes we are missing!" I shout into the tree, where, on a branch really high up is Rayne.

"Nope! You have to climb up, and no cheating this time!" she shouts down at me. Knowing that there is no way to get out of it, I run and vault off the ground, grabbing the lowest branch and pull myself up. Thank the skies for Dr Fleming's military training class. I start to climb, up and up and up, until finally I am right next to her, sitting on a branch across from the one she is on.

"So good to see you manned up."

"C'mon, we have to go back."

"No we don't, mum knows where we are, and dad can see me from the tower if he looks," I should have known, she always did this. Told me something just to get me to do something insane.

"So, why did you want me up here?"

"To ask you a question."

"What?"

"You know how Fleming is always telling us that we have to have a person that we can trust about everything?"

"Yeah, they've been saying that for years, so what?"

"Well, I know a secret," she knew just how to grab my attention, and I knew just how to get her to talk.

"Oh really?" I ask.

"Really," I stay silent waiting for her to say something. She could never stand silences, ever. I just stared at her, watching her fidget.

"Okay! Okay! I'll tell you! Just stop looking at my soul!" I laughed and she jabbed me in the chest. It was always funny to hear her yell at me in that adorable accent she had, "So, the other day, your mum and dad were in the castle, right?" I nod, wanting her to go on, "Well, I heard them talking, not on purpose of course, but you know me." I smile, and nod again, knowing exactly what she means, "Any way, they were talking about Liam and Melanie, and I heard your mum say something along the lines of; but honey, if Liam doesn't want to do it, he shouldn't have to, I mean, Adam is just as capable if not more, and besides, he has Mike and Rayne to help him," now I was interested. My parents were talking about me? I was pretty sure the heir to the throne was the only one they talked about in other kingdoms, "Yeah, well, I wasn't finished," I had said that aloud, woops. She smiles, "your dad said, after, you know, he said yes, but Adam is so young, and, besides, Liam could change his mind, now, I'm not sure, because I wasn't watching, just listening, but I think your mum shook her head there. And your dad said, Okay, so Liam wants to go to Nacost with Melanie, and there is nothing we can do to change his mind? Then your mum said, No, Adam is the heir to the throne now, and Liam is the king of Nacost with Melanie his queen and I suppose, bride to be." I was stunned, why hadn't they told me, I was going to be king, I mean, I had always wanted to be king, but now that I was going to be, I was terrified.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Yeah," she nods, "I probably shouldn't have told you, I mean, I know I'm not excited about being queen, why would anyone else be? I'm so stupid!"

"No, Rayne, you're not, I, thanks for telling me," did this change anything? I was taking all the same classes that Liam did, so I was already prepared, I mean, right?

"Adam, this is what you've always wanted, isn't it? I mean, the way you always look longingly at your brother, I just assumed..."

"No! Of course, that's not what I mean, I do want this, It's just that, I'm scared Rayne."

"I am too, I don't know what I am doing, none of us do, I mean we are all prepared for almost any problem that could come up, but I mean, how do you hold yourself, how are we supposed to dress, how do we be someone that everyone can look up to?"

"Exactly." I say, and she gets this look on her face and stares right into my eyes and she says,

"Let's make a promise. You and I, we've been friends for so long, let's make a promise, that, whatever happens, you and I will always be there for each other, and if a war breaks out, we help each other, we fight together, back to back, no matter what."

"Okay, let's do it." I reach out my hand, pinkie extended, and we lock little fingers, a little burst of magic traces our interlocking pinkies and binds them together, just for a few seconds, so that we can't pull apart. The most binding promise two faeries can make.