Call of the Water (COMPLETE)

18. ONE SECRET LESS

The school building seemed to be growing in front of us as our car was approaching it. My father drove slowly, claiming that the car simply refuses to go any faster now that it knows that I won't be going back when it turns around.

The iron gates, as beautiful as they were with the tendrils and the metal leaves, seemed like a scene from a fairytale. Touched by the fingers of winter, they seemed to be sparkling. Three weeks after I left, I found myself in front of them once again. My parents pulled me into a family hug, we said goodbye and they left. My eyes followed their car as they were driving away, and when I lost sight of it, I entered.

Frost painted the lawn, taking away what was left of its colour. The ivy surrounding the front entrance glimmered besprinkled by a thin coat of crystalized water drops. I opened the door and walked into the warm embrace of the school.

Familiar Opal's face brought smile on my lips instantly. She was standing at the foot of the staircase, on the second step, talking to a boy with crutches. A new student, maybe? I could not tell, I only saw his back.

"Are you saying that you will be able to walk around like everyone else?" Opal's voice filled the foyer, her head tilted slightly backwards to look him in the face.

"That was the plan all along," the boy answered.

I thought I recognized his voice. It sounded like Harper. While my mind was still wrapped around the fact that he was standing on his own, Opal spotted me.

"Look, Azora!" she exclaimed. She didn't even bother to greet me, as if we hadn't been apart for weeks. So typical.

"Did you see Harper?" she asked, pointing her finger at him. "He can walk!"

"I noticed. But how?" I was still confused.

"I've reached the critical point in my physical therapy. Walking is the next step," he answered, without really answering anything.

"But I always thought you were in a wheelchair because something went wrong with your surgeries," I said, feeling my forehead wrinkling as a result of the astonishment brought by the unexpected scene before me.

"Nothing went wrong. My body just needed time to develop new bonds after the leg transplant surgery."

"Leg transplant surgery?" I had no idea anything could surprise me more than the fact that Harper walked into the next semester, but I guess I was wrong.

"You of all people should not be so surprised," he said and he wasn't wrong. If anybody knew what it was like to have new organs transplanted, it was me. After all, I wasn't born with these lungs.

"Did they transplant both of your legs?" I asked encouraged by the fact that I wasn't the only one in this school with extensive surgical changes.

"Yes," Harper replied. "But only from the knees down."

"Why?" this time Opal asked the question.

"My original legs would give away my race," he said and winked at us.

"And what is your race?" Opal wanted to know. Finally, the issue was brought up.

"You'll find out on Friday," he answered with a playful smile, obviously enjoying the fact that both Opal and I were simmering slowly in suspense.

"Why? What's on Friday?" I felt like I missed something.

"Professor Cyan's class. I'm reading my legend," he explained.

"I'm reading my legend, too," Opal said.

Suddenly, I realized that I had yet to write the legend of my race. It completely slipped my mind. "What if I'll have to read my legend?" I muttered, fighting off the need to bite my nails.