The Crystal Guardians

The Party

When Leura and I walked in, we were deafened by the noise. Music blared out speakers and people were screaming and talking. Vini's living room was turned upside down with furniture turned over, food scattered across the floor and streamers strewn across the room. The party hadn't even been on for an hour and it was chaotic.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you want me," Vini told the pair of us. "Unless you both want to come...?"

"We'll pass thank you," Leura said as we backed off. We knew she would be chugging down her parent's alcohol with a bunch of random people. We made our way through the crowd, desperate for a clearing among the party-goers. Eventually, we found the library, the only empty room.

Vini's father ensured their library was soundproof to benefit the family as they studied or read. It was quiet place in there with the only sound being the muffled ruckus outside. The carpet was a lush red with towering bookshelves which contained books of all kinds. Unlike the rest of the modern house, the past seemed to have been preserved in there. Oil lamps lit the room of French provincial furniture.

"Aha! Peace at last my dear friend," Leura plopped onto one of the armchairs.

I went to join her on one next to it. "Then why did we come here to only hide in the library?"

"Did you really want to spend a Friday night alone?" I hesitated. Leura then leant over and took my hands in hers. They were soft and warm, calming me. "Are you okay? You seem a little... off."

"Well duh I'm okay."

"Ever," Leura whispered. "Maybe I should say is Lyra okay?" She paused for a moment. "I just wanted to know. You've been coming to school early and just isolate yourself in the school library. And you didn't come to the cafe this morning so something was obviously wrong!"

"Really? You're determining my home life by me coming to your parent's café?"

"Why else would you ditch Vini and I for your Friday morning tea?!" Laura exclaimed. I laughed in return.

"Okay maybe something is wrong,"

"Aha! I am such a good friend,"

I flashed Laura the look, telling her that it was serious. She then looked at me apologetically as I started. "I messed her up, she's going to go through it all over again, I could just see it in her eyes."

The colour drained from her face and Laura's smile turned into a frown. "What do you mean? I thought she had stopped after what happened with your dad. She's okay now right?"

"She was," I replied. "But I think I did something to her this morning..."

She shuffled closer, "What do you mean? Was it bad?"

I didn't want to talk about mum's issues. Not here at a party on a Friday night. "Look it doesn't really matter, honestly she's fine and she has always been. But we were fighting over something this morning and I got angry and I brought up dad and it all just came back to her. I realised what I had done when it was already to late, but we need a sense of closure."

Laura raised her eyebrow curiously and urged me to continue. I was desperate to change the topic and seized the chance. "I'm enrolling for the Elite Guardian Association of Defence."

I didn't think Laura's face could go paler but it did. "Excuse me?"

"I have to try out now or something since he's... well since he can't do it."

A sly smile tweaked at the edge of her mouth. "What?!" I asked her.

"This may cheer you up but... well I enrolled for a position too!"