New friends and old friends
Warm wind blew as Aurelia chatted with Elynd, his blue eyes and black hair shining in the sunlight.
“Ugh! I really don’t understand why my parents make me go to school in summer! Can't I just enjoy it for once?” Aurelia complained as they walked through the school gates.
Elynd didn’t hear her; instead, he watched the birds fly in perfect formation.
She frowned. “Did you hear anything I just said?”
“Wait, what?”
Aurelia giggled, rolling her brown eyes. A sense of happiness filled her. She had been friends with Elynd for as long as she could remember and yet he still hadn't changed. She closed her eyes, letting her tan skin soak in the sunlight while her red hair swayed.
Elynd opened the door and bowed. “Lady’s first.”
She rolled her eyes. “Haha, very funny.”
The inside of the school buzzed with activity kids chatting and bumping into each other at the lockers, pushing past to get to class, while teachers called out for them to lower their voices.
They entered science class and sat at their usual table near the windows, chatting until the teacher rang a small metal bowl with a stick to get everyone’s attention.
“Class, meet our new student. Please introduce yourself,” Mr. Agatsuma said. He had black hair and brown eyes.
Next to him, a boy stood. He had brown hair and grey eyes. “Hello, my name is Rhyven, and I work for the CA,” he said with a smile, winking at her.
Aurelia looked around, her heart fluttering. The boy sat next to her.
“Today you’ll all be in groups of three to make a slideshow about monsters. Your group will decide which one you pick,” Agatsuma explained.
They formed a group.
“Who should we do?” Aurelia asked, glancing at both of them.
“From my father’s experience, I think we should do Mirellan since she is royal,” Rhyven answered.
Elynd nodded, his purple, blue, and green earring catching the sunlight. “Why not?”
They started working
.
“Blue fits better!” Elynd declared.
“No, yellow!” Aurelia argued.
“What about green? That way you both get what you want,” Rhyven exclaimed.
“That works too,” she said.
They kept working until the bell rang and the next period began.
Rhyven was there again, and Aurelia smiled, inviting him to their table. Language arts, math, and gym passed the same way.
By the end of school, Aurelia and Rhyven were friends.
Aurelia and Elynd walked home through the castle gates and were about to open the doors when a maid burst out, her face grave.
She hesitated, then took a deep breath. “I must speak with you… about your parents. It’s urgent.”
