The Brave

The Braves Deal

"Do you understand? If you don't listen to me I will make your life a living hell." He growled.
He uncovers my mouth.
"It's already hell." I say.
I saw his eyes glow, I blinked and it was gone. Was my mind playing tricks on me?
"Trust me," he said, "Your life can be a lot worse."
"What do you want from me?"
I expected him to ask me for money. Why else would he risk attacking me?
He lets me go.
"That girl that asked to sit with you at lunch, Zoe. She likes you, a lot. Her happiness means everything to me and I know she will be crushed if you don't sit with her today. You have to sit with her."
I shove the guy out of my way and grab my bag.
"That's what this is all about!? You are being ridiculous. Wouldn't it hurt her feelings more for me to fake being her friend!? What's your name anyways."
The guy starts to leave the bathrooms.
"You don't need to know my name. Just do as I said or you will pay."
With those words, he left the bathrooms.
——
At lunch I walked outside to the bleachers.
I can't believe I am doing this.
I see the guy sitting with Zoe. When Zoe saw me she jumped up from her seat.
"Alec! You came! You can sit next to me."
I made eye contact with the guy. I felt sick. I was being used, and even worse, I was playing with a girls feelings.
"Of course I came." I forced the words out.
"I told you he would." The guy said.
The girl smiled at me.
"Thank you so much Alec, I know you have a lot of other friends to sit with.."
I shake my head.
"Not really.." I say.
Zoe looked confused.
"But, I always see your table full at lunch.."
"They aren't my friends.." I say.
It felt so hard to explain. Those people only liked me for my money. I could feel the guys hostile glare.
"Are they not good enough for the rich and popular Alec?" He spat.
Zoe elbowed him.
"Leon! Don't say stuff like that! There is more to Alec than that."
So that's his name..
Zoe apologized to me and we all started eating, except Leon who didn't have any food. Tomorrow morning I would tell the principal what Leon had done to me in the bathroom. Then I won't have to deal with this again...

- Later that day-
•Cordelia•

I set the bag full of underwater trinkets down on the dock and sigh. Bubbles neighs.
"It's okay Cordelia. You can go look for Tim and Swish tomorrow."
I sit with my back against the wooden mast of my ship. After collecting underwater trinkets, I wanted to give them to the twins ahead of time, but after looking for hours in the immense forest called Gytrash. I couldn't find them, I couldn't even find Burn, which I was okay with. Bubbles voice reaches my ear.
"You know, I must say you seemed awfully distracted today. You couldn't focus on your magic, you couldn't find trinkets that were right in front of you... Were you perhaps thinking of that boy you saved."
I remember the scene clearly. When he got dragged off the ship he got his foot stuck. The kelpies were tearing at his skin, making the water turn red. I used a rock to break his foot free while my coin put the Kelpies asleep, than I helped him to the surface and dragged him onboard. After knocking him out Bubbles healed him.
"That human we saved. I can't tell whether he be a kin or not. Me can sense magic around 'em but, it's so faint."
"Is that what you've been thinking about?" Bubbles asked.
I remembered seeing the boys eyes look into mine.
"Aye. That's all." I lie.
I grab my spyglass and look around the cove. Then I see something that makes me put the spyglass down.
"Bubbles... me found somethin' in the spyglass." I say.
Bubbles swims in circles.
"What is it."
I look back through the spyglass at what was in the cove.
"It's..."

"That boy I saved... He be in his boat again..." I say.

Bubbles splashes in the salty water.

"That makes no sense. Why would he come back out here after he was attacked by those Kelpies. Shouldn't he be scared!"

I narrow my eyes at the boy as I look through the telescope. I see his brown hair get moved by the wind. He wore a plain blue tank top and wore shorts. He stood in his small boat, holding the mast with his hand over his eyes, shading them from the sun. Was he looking for something... Did he lose something when he fell. Bubbles continues talking.