Twilit Mage

Chapter 14: The Droplet

How Mercury managed to get through the rest of the class she didn't remember. For once she didn't space out in class, but her body and mind were so tense, so anxious that she couldn't take in a single word Ms. Solstice said, and what she had written down in her notes one minute she couldn't remember the next. Raoul had been awake for a change; he had even paid attention, but only to throw in stupid remarks and silly questions until Ms. Solstice threatened to throw him out.

"That was fun," he said, stretching as they finally, finally left that accursed classroom. "I hope this class gets canceled for the whole year."

Mercury sighed. "And the next."

"I know, right? Not much fun learning with Ms. Soulless."

Mercury burst out laughing. She couldn't have thought of a more accurate nickname if she tried. "Ms. Soulless!" she repeated, the stress and exhaustion falling off her shoulders in a fit of giggles. "Let's call her that, it's great!"

Raoul pulled his face into a comically scary grimace as if he was telling a mock-horror story. "The demon teacher, Ms. Soulless. She eats your soul 'cause she doesn't got one herself..."

They both made their way down the hallway, laughing and clutching their sides. Mercury felt much lighter already, lighter and a little wistful. How long had it been since she had walked down a school hallway with someone like that, laughing and talking and not hiding from the crowd, feeling comfortable and at ease and not just like the helpless tag-along? It must have been ages.

Something must have shown on her face, because Raoul's laugh faded into a curious half-smile, brown eyes peering down at her with mild concern. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing!" Mercury felt her face heat up and cursed her nerves for freaking out like this. "No, really. I'm just...happy."

Raoul tilted his head. "Happy?"

"Yeah. This...probably sounds a bit weird, but..." Mercury wondered if she should stop, if she would sound like a weirdo if she kept talking, but Raoul was still looking at her with those eyes, so she kept going. "I've never really had this. This, this walking down the hallway with somebody, talking, making jokes, you know, that thing...I'm not really good with people, so nobody ever wanted me around before..."

Raoul continued to look at her, and Mercury dropped her eyes. She was probably oversharing, she realized. She was making this sound like a sob story, pitying herself when she didn't even have the right... "I mean...Forget what I just said. It's just..." What was she trying to say? "You're so funny and cool and confident, I'm sure you're popular and you still hang around with me and..."

"Mercy..."

Mercury blinked and looked up, right into Raoul's widened eyes. His expression was surprised, a little sad, somehow...almost...moved?

"I had no clue," he said softly, and for a second Mercury was reminded of the look on his face when she had come out of the Otherworld and collapsed in his arms. Then he smiled, reaching down to ruffle her hair with an affectionate grin. "I guess I figured you were kinda shy, but you're still really nice! Can't see why people wouldn't want you around." He shrugged and grinned. "Guess that means more Mercy for me, huh?"

Mercury looked up at him and resisted the urge to tackle him with a hug on the spot. Looking at Raoul's smile, she wanted to believe it. She wanted to believe that she really had a chance to be liked by people, people who wouldn't get fed up with her awkwardness after a day or two. People who chose her, not just as a last resort, but because they genuinely enjoyed being with her as a person.

"I guess," she said softly. "Thank you."

Raoul looked at her like he'd rather be thanking her instead.