Delusion

Chapter 2

The new guy was getting on my nerves because my friends were drooling over him.

He sat alone at a table near the windows. The cafeteria was huge, but he chose to sit near the window. That's what I did when I couldn't sleep sometimes. He stared down at the table with his elbows on the table. He looked distant. And my friends were acting stupid.

"He doesn't seem so bad," I mumbled.

"He isn't," Tanya said. "He's...so hot."

"His eyes are blue," Kayla said. "And his mouth looks yummy." She smacked her lips. I studied the guy. Black, straight hair, blue oceans like Kayla said, and the kind of rosy red lips every girl wanted. Except me, my lips were already naturally red like his. He seemed familiar, until I noticed the halo around him. That's when it clicked together.

He was a Guardian.

They protected people practicing sorcery while we protected those who needed protection. When we were dealing with the bizarre forces of the paranormal, the Guardians were there to make sure we stayed safe. So if he was here, was there another Socerer around here? I thought it was just me.

"Yo, snap out of it. You're gonna fall off your seat," Kayla told me as I turned my gaze away from the guy. This was going to be weird. I did not want a Guardian here. Especially a guy. This meant he was going to protect his damn sorcerer like it was his mission-which it is-and his ass was going to get whooped if he didn't take care of them-which was also true. I was already taking care of the school, starting with the ghoul in the janitor's closet.

Freshman year, first weak of school I got suspended for throwing a desk out the window. That's because I trapped the ghoul into the desk drawer and needed to get it into the circle of herbs that I had prepared just outside the window. Desk was heavy and the principle was going around making sure nobody was ditching. I didn't bother to go to class, so I used the empty classroom to trap the ghoul. If it weren't for me, it'd still be alive. But at least I got rid of it.

Nous devoveo, nous protego. We sacrifice, we protect.

The code of honor had been passed down from generation to generation. It all started with the first few Socerers. It was my family code. Other families carried different codes. Nobody really knows where our ancestors came from, but it was obvious they came to Earth for something. Earth was the home of the supernatural, and it was our duty to destroy anything that threatened the lives of innocents and humans.

Now that a Guardian was around, it made me suspect something crazy was about to happen. Guardians rarely made themselves known to Socerers. If they did, it was because of something weird. I put on my thinking cap and tried figuring out why this Guaridan was in school. That's when it hit me.

He was probably going to be my Guardian. Hell. I didn't need a protector. I could handle myself quite well actually. If someone sent him to protect me for whatever reason, I was going to beat the crap out of them. If it were my parents, they just got themselves stuck with the silent treatment. I looked at the Guardian again. He looked up and met my gaze. To let him know it was me he had to protect, I flipped him my colorful finger. He shook his head and flipped me his middle finger as well.

Well then.

I returned to eating before throwing my food and leaving the cafeteria. Tanya and Kayla were still babbling about the Guardian and I wanted none of it. Instead, I found myself in the empty hallway. There was some kid from the chess club getting his books for the next class. I walked over to my locker and put in the combination.

"It's interesting to see you like to be rude to people," he said behind me. I grabbed my books and stuffed them into my backpack before slamming my locker door shut. I spun around and looked at him.

"I'm not being mean to anyone. I'm just saying I don't need your protection. I have my protection." I wiggled my fingers at him. He smirked and shook his head.

"If you knew the real danger outside magic, you wouldn't sound so sure of yourself."

"If you saw just how good I am at protecting myself for these past eight years, you wouldn't sound so sure that I need your protection."

"How do you know it's you I have to protect?"

"I'm the only Socerer in this school, you're talking to me, and because I just know."

"If you just know, then you'll also know Vincent can't protect you on his own anymore."

"He's the family protector. Practically a guard dog. Of course he can't protect only me."

"I didn't mean that. I mean he'll need to protect himself for what's about to come."

"What is about to come?"

He looked at me with those blue eyes. "Chaos in the human world. Starting with death."

"It usually does," I replied. "But just how bad is it that I need a Guardian?"

"It's going to put Socerers at a risk. If that helps you understand what I'm saying."

"I understand," I said. "Whatever your name is."

"I'm Kendor," he said. "You're Kimberly."

"Kim for short," I replied and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I shifted on both feet. "It's nice talking to you but I've got stuff to do."

"You obviously know I have to follow you," he said.

"Of course," I muttered and strode down the hall. I passed the chess club boy and pushed the doors open.

***
"You're allowed to leave?"

"A majority of the time," I replied. "But I usually leave on my own."

"Interesting," Kendor said. "But stupid."

"That's me. Stupid Kimberly."

He looked at me but didn't bother to agree with me. He simply pressed down on the gas and sped forward. I fell back against my seat as he drove like a mad man. If he was going to cackle, I was going to jump out of the car.