Star Crossed [Sample Only]

6] Royal Assistance

Royal Assistance

It's Monday and lunch time at school. I'm hanging out with my friends, which are all the members of my team, but luckily we get time to just be friends as well rather than always focusing on the DFS, which could be stressing at times. We sit in a cool grassy spot near the chain link fence that separates the school grounds from the street just beyond. I sit next to Sophie and talk to her while the boys have one of their own separate conversations.

"So," I say as I swallow some of my chicken salad sandwich, "How are you coping with the fact that your best friend is practically an alien?" I smile and she rolls her eyes.

"Well, it's fun to imagine what life would be like for a Gem," Sophie taps a finger to her chin as she thinks, "I wonder how different there culture is compared with the culture we have in this world?" I take another bite of my sandwich and chew as I think about that. When I swallow I come to a funny conclusion.

"What if," I suggest, "it's all backwards? Like medieval times? They have royalty after all and it seems to be a big thing," I lower my voice to a whisper, "Can you imagine Alex wearing prince-like medieval attire? In a cloak and stuff?"

We both giggle.

"Hey Jazz!" I look up to the voice of Flick, she's walking towards us.

"Uh, Hi!" I welcome, smiling, we don't usually hang out at school, we aren't close friends. When she approaches me she stops and shuffles on both her feet, nervously.

"I heard you know about Gems," she states timidly.

"Yeah, it's pretty damn interesting," I reply, "but we don't know much."

"Oh, okay..." she looks awkward like she doesn't know what to say. It reminds me how unsuitable she is for being an emergency member, "I was just going to ask if any of you knew anything more."

Yeah, like I'd know more when I wasn't even invited to meet Fabien in the first place, genius.

"Nope, sorry, you know all that we do," I stand up off the ground and leave my sandwich with Sophie, "Can I talk to you alone for a moment?" I ask and Flick nods. Sophie looks quizzical.

"I'll be back," I explain to Sophie but don't offer a further explanation of why. I walk with Flick a few feet away out of hearing range of the others.

"Look," I say, my tone serious, "We've got training this afternoon right? And I've been wondering, why do you like to be an emergency member? No offence, but you don't seem like the kind of girl that wants to be a part of a team in the DFS," her face pales, and I see her clench her fists.

"It's s-something different," she stutters, "I like to challenge myself."

She was lying.

She was timid and shy, yet she liked to challenge herself by competing in the DFS? I didn't think so. I think I'd slowly squeeze the truth from her, but I'd take my time. There was something she wasn't telling me, probably something important. It wasn't on my top list of priorities at the moment, so I'd let her go for now.

"Ok, fine, you like to challenge yourself," I conclude our conversation, "I'll see you at training then. See you later," I realise this is the rudest I've ever been to Flick. Strangely, I don't regret doing it. I look over my shoulder to my friends. Sophie and Alex are the ones who are attentively looking at me.

"Um, ok, bye," Flick whispers and leaves, looking flustered. I walk back to sit with my friends.

"What was that about?" Sophie addresses me.

"I was just talking to her about training. It was nothing important."

"So un-important you had to talk to her privately?" She points out annoyingly.