The Battle of Our Minds: Flesh and Blood

Being Human

Everly had sat in her classes for about two weeks now, hardly listening to a word her professors had been saying. How was she supposed to learn about statistics when, in an hour, she'd be learning about how to fight demons? She couldn't train with the other Nephilim – not yet anyway – because she hadn't made her vow. That didn't stop her from watching and learning though. She'd been in the Five Minds for two weeks now, getting to know all the Nephilim and the people within her own cohort. She'd also been learning about the Light...what it meant to be a servant of the Light. Although it'd sounded cultish to begin with, it was clear that you were going to be a servant of one or the other, not picking, like Leo had said, was the same thing as choosing the Darkness. She might as well pick the one that wouldn't change her into someone she hated.

In each of her dreams, Everly had tasted the Darkness enough to know that she wanted no part of it. In the club that first, fateful night, she'd had a close and personal encounter with it. No movements from the Darkness had been made since then, but Everly wanted to be ready when it did. She still wasn't on speaking terms with Brianna, yet, but Isaac had been filling her in on the seriousness of their situation. He never revealed full details, but she knew he'd been revealing more than he should have for someone that hadn't made a vow yet. She also knew how desperate he was to have her on his side. It was a strange thing to feel needed. Her life was characterized by feeling like her parents' extra extremity. Being her own person was new. Being needed by others was unprecedented.

Everly sat in a painfully cramped wooden desk. She wasn't accustomed to learning in a classroom. Most of her lessons were held outside in her mother's garden or at her kitchen table. Sitting in a desk felt unnatural and forced, but it was a necessary component of her education now, as well as learning alongside a motley group of students – most of whom had no desire to be there so early in the morning. Everly was one of the unfortunate students who received a dreaded 8am class. As she watched a pudgy upperclassman wearing a fraternity t-shirt nodding off, she envied the students who got to leisure and start class at 11am.

"Ruth Hill?"

"Here!"

Everly glanced sideways and noticed the girl sitting next to her. Upon hearing her name get called, her arm snapped upright in the air as if she'd been eagerly awaiting her opportunity to make her presence known. She was clearly a type-A scholar, dressed in professional attire and adorned with a shining, silver pen. She wore tortoise shell rimmed glasses that framed her amber eyes. Her auburn hair was piled on top of her head in an expertly mussed messy bun. To top off her look, she sported a gray button-down, khaki pants, and nude ballet flats.

She looked like she belonged in a corporate office, not a college classroom.

I guess that's what I get for going to an elite university, Everly thought to herself.

She looked back to the sleepy frat dude, and then decided that this girl was probably an anomaly and most students weren't expected to look like this. Once again, Everly was dressed in Nike shorts and a t-shirt, but thankfully that was sort of an expectation for college kids.

But really...she was doing pretty good to not be wearing pajama paints like the long-haired boy in the back of the room.

Everly's mom always told her that God loves you as you are, and she fully embraced that the fact that "come as you are" mentality. It was how she got out of wearing dresses to church. Apparently, college professors students that mentality as well.

As the girl next to Everly leaned over to say something, Everly tensed. She hadn't really tried to talk to anyone besides the Nephilim in Newman Hall. The idea of making outside friends made Everly uncomfortably self-conscious. Somehow, socialization counted more when it was with strangers. The Nephilim were easy – they had to talk to her and she had to talk to them. There no guesswork...no wondering about whether or not somebody actually wanted to be your friend because those relationships weren't necessarily about friendship. There was no vulnerability involved, just working together for the good of the world.