The Galway School of Dragons book 1: The Death Dragon

Chapter 16

"What's do you... how did you get this?" I ask. "I've... been in your dorm, Albany." He says, ducking his eyes down to his hands that rest in his lap. "But how... how did you find it?" I ask. My hands shake. "It was easy. When you where away over Christmas break they leave the dorms unlocked. Ima didn't bring anything home with her.

"I snuck in and took pictures of all her notebooks. There was a lot about how much she hates you. About how you stole her fame." I wrinkle my brows. "What fame?" He shrugs. "Even some newspaper snippets of demon dogs, and a couple books about evil things like that." He pauses, taking a deep breath. "Ima is a onda följare." He says.

"But... how?" I ask. Tom shrugs. "I honestly don't know. All I know is that she is hell bent on destroying you." He says breathlessly. "And you crush on me isn't helping anything." He adds. I gasp in shock and horror. "H-how do you know!?" I shout. "Oh, Albany. It's easy. The way you look at me and blush around me." He says. "And I would... hate you for it... if I didn't feel that way back." He whispers.

Pressure builds up. Tom's eyes glare into mine and my face feels like it's physically burning off. In one quick move to Tom presses his lips tenderly to mine. I gasp and jerk backwards, hitting my head on the head board. I rub my head as I spring up. Tom stares at me. "Ouch." I saw. "Albany, I--"  I interrupt him. "No, Tom. It's too soon." And with those words I run to the latter and climb down the steps as quickly as possible. He doesn't follow. 

My shoulders shake as I will the tears to not fall. I sprint grind own the halls and burst into my room. I lay on the bed and sob over Tom, over everything that has happened since I got that damned letter. And suddenly, I find myself regretting replying to that letter. At one point, I remember dully hearing the end-of-school bell.

A loud knock rips at my door and I sit up. My head spins and tears leak from my eyes. After about five minutes of me trying to pull myself together my door swings open to reveal Luce and Rebby. There face sink into concern as they walk towards me. "Oh, Albany. What happened?" Luce asks. "N-nothing." I stutter. "That's not true." Rebby says, sinking onto the bed next to me.

"Everything." I sob. "No, that's not true." Luce says calmly. "Tom, and the dragon and this stress, and the fact that the person who wants to kill me was my best friend for a long time." I sob. A fresh wave of tears falls over me. Rebby purses her lips. "What did Tom do?" She asks. "H-he kissed me and I freaked out." I explain.

"Oh." Luce says. "But you... like him.... don't you?" Rebby asks, her face falling. "Yeah, I do but... it's going to fast." I exclaim. "It's okay, Al. You are fine. It's just a minor.... uh, insecurity." She says slowly. "What do I do next time I see him?" I ask seconds later. "Say hi. Act normal, he knows we went wrong and he might try to fix it." Luce says quietly a few seconds after my question.

"But..." Rebby gives me a disproving look. "But what? Al, you have got to suck it up, everybody has had boy issues!" She says. "Have you..?" I murmur. She roles her eyes. "Yes, yes I have. Last summer some guy tried to hit on me. Little did I know he was just trying to make me jealous. He actually turned out to be a real a--" I interrupt her.

"Don't swear." I say, giving her a slightly rude glance. She roles her eyes and sit quietly on an armchair in the corner. "Huh." Luce says, raising her brows at me. "Pull yourself together and let's go have an early supper, then we can curl up and watch a movie." Rebby says quietly from the corner, sending a glance over to the large flat screen and the stack of awaiting movies.

"Sure." I Whisper, standing up and running quickly to my private bathroom. I wash my face and cover my splotchy skin and rose eyes and nose up with a little concealer and brush my curly red hair. I walk out and grab my small sand from my beside table. "You're a witch..?" Rebby asks, glaring at the wand.

"Oh. Well. Kinda." I say quickly, slipping it into my pocket. "I can teach you some stuff, if you want." She says, pulling her wand from her back pocket. Hers is definitely more finally crafted than mine, and probably more expensive than mine too. It's a white birch looking thing, with darker wood twisted around it and dragon looking scales carved into it for the handle.

"My mom got it for me when we found out I was a witch and a dragon trainer." She explains shortly, before we walk into the cold castle halls. We walk through a couple different corridors and skinny halls, and up a couple grand staircases before coming to the dining halls door. We walk into the almost empty hall. I immediately notice the lean square jawed guy.

I immediately stop and let Luce and Rebby walk I front. They stop about two feet in front of me and pause to look back. They both looks at Tom then sigh. "You have to go sit." Rebby says, giving me another disproving look. "Come on, you don't even have to look at him!" Luce exclaims, coming back and physically dragging me towards the end of the table.

When we finally get there I grudgingly sit down, Tom across the table and sideways to the left a little. He stops talking quietly to Johnny and stares at me. I blush and pile potatoes and ham onto my plate. Beside me Johnny elbows me lightly in the side. I stop chewing and turn my head towards him. "What?" I mouth snappily. "Still meet Tom at midnight." He mouths back then turns to the person on the other side of him.