Cloud Association: Pretty Boy Psycho

Clique

Having free time is empowering. We raid the refectory at lunch time; grab as much food as we can carry and have a long picnic by the pond. When done eating I lay on my stomach in the grass, sketching the pond, while my two friends sit back to back chatting about random things. Their main topic is Hotaru and other griffons they hope will show up at the choosing.

Done for the day sketching the pond I place my picture into my portfolio. As soon as it's safe inside the folder, Geordie snatches the whole thing up.

"Hey!"

"What?" Geordie flicks through my silly pictures. Flicking merges to slow turns. "Where did ya learn to draw and paint like this?"

"Nowhere. I have always sketched."

"What for?"

"To entertain myself."

"Is this us?"

My cheeks flare up. He's found that sketch I did in weapons practise. "Sorry I was just making an observation."

"Look at how skilled you've gotten with your defence stances." Geordie holds the sketch in front of Danny's face. "If you get more muscle, you'd end up knocking me over."

"You may keep that sketch, Geordie." I take up my folder. Find the painting of the pond. Place it on Danny's knee. "Something to brighten up your room," I say remembering how he gets scared of developing the affliction because of his family history. There's nothing grey about my happy pond.

I tilt my head as I have a flick through the portfolio myself. Fiddle with my scarf. Clothes don't last forever. My waistcoats and shirts are on borrowed time especially if I start growing. "Do you really think my pictures are of an adequate quality?"

"Ya talented. Quit being modest." Geordie carries on staring at the piccy I gave him.

"Cools." I jump up, with my portfolio under my arm.

"Where are you going?" asks Danny.

"To sell some pictures in that village close to here."

"Err Corey mate that's out of bounds."

I tilt my head to the side confused. "I thought we had free time. I go where I please in my free time. Come with me if you like."

"Don't you understand? Me and you could get booted out of Cloud High if we openly break the rules."

"Free time, Danny."

Geordie joins me walking over the bridge. "He never bunks off with me."

"Ever thought I need to be here?"

I turn from making my way to the village. Watch Danny fiddling about with blades of grass; that faraway look reappears in his eyes. His mum got the affliction then disappeared, and I haven't heard him speak of any other family members. Without Cloud High he's got nowhere to retreat to.

He sees me watching him so gets up trying to play it cool. "Sure, let's have some fun in Guildford."

Geordie laughs. "Fun in Guildford ya hopeful heh. I'm only going to make sure Stylish here don't get his teeth knocked out."

"Oh, is it rough?"

"You get some tough nuts yeah."

Tough nuts. I hold my portfolio tight and smile. "I bet they're lovely."

Lovely they were. We had a wonderful afternoon showing off my portfolio to civilians and passing traders. I spoke with lots of colourful personalities, none of which wanted to knock my teeth out. Now we're sat on Danny's bed counting out the coins we managed to make while eating sausage rolls I bought for us to say thanks for the hard work. We've only got six silver coins left over. It's not much but a start. I put the coins into three piles.

"For me?" Geordie pushes away my hand as I try to give him his share. "They're your pictures. You did all the work," protests Danny.

"You helped me make sales. I'd have been too scared to approach those tough nuts without you two at my back."

Geordie swipes his coins off me then Danny takes his too.

I stretch myself out on Danny's bed as we talk and laugh about the look on Clover's face when she saw we'd won her pointless team building exercise. Listen to trainees walking the corridors to their rooms, complaining about our laughter which only makes us louder.

Our laughter spills into Clover's classes as I try to behave, but every time Geordie makes a snarky comment or shouts out ridiculous answers, he always sets me off giggling and my giggles get Danny laughing, which infuriates the front table and Clover.

Plus, I'm hardly ever alone anymore. Most mornings I get a knock on my door and the three of us will go to breakfast then continue onto our classes, being on time or late together. Whenever we get a spare moment we hang out at our spot by the pond. Of course, we can't be together twenty four seven; sometimes Danny and Geordie go off on their own to have practice duels or I'll feel like taking a walk to find new things to sketch. It's on these occasions Max manages to seek me out with Collette at his back to personally attack my weak points. There are an awful lot of them. Sometimes I get shoved about. Hurts and makes me panicky. I usually retreat to my room and breathe away the tightness like Danny's been teaching me. Look at his letter tacked to my wall, and I'm able to carry on with my day, without bugging them with my bully problem.

This is my life for the next couple of months and I like most of it. I'm super grateful Geordie and Danny have let me into their clique.