Better Together

Of course the girl he instantly fell for hated him.

Of course that same girl was ‘off limits’- at least, according to her.

That was the way the world was.

Unfair.

Cruel.

Kai Anderson was not used to being rejected. He was one of those boys who were ‘popular’ but not in a show-off way. He was the boy all the girls liked, the boy some people envied, the boy who was known everywhere.

So why did the only girl that had not fallen for him start loathing him?

Especially since he had fallen for her- hopefully, she didn’t know.

This didn’t work.

That wasn’t how it was meant to play out.

Kai leant back in his chair, ignoring the teacher’s boring lecture on the history of Lasteria, the world he had lived and learnt in for 15 years. The Intellectual Studies building was made fully of glass- luckily it was strong glass, double glazed. Though of course the toilets were the only parts of the building that were made from black glass. Duh.

That was why he could see the students and teachers moving around everywhere. A rather good way to zone out and study the other kids in the school- his school, Asynnefa Academy, where the motto was ‘Do the Impossible’.

Riiiiiight. If everything was possible, then why did Liluthia hate every single fibre of his being?

“As we all hopefully know, the planet Earth is the sister planet to Lasteria. There are only three portals to Earth, none of which as accessible, so please don’t try them...” The teacher’s voice wove in and out of his focus.

Liluthia.

Liluthia Nightstar.

That girl.

The girl that he loved. Or was it just a crush?

No, it ran deeper. Deeper than the roots of Lasteria, he was sure.

So why did she hate him?

“Leave me alone, Kai. No one likes someone else making fun of them. I can do my homework perfectly fine on my own, thanks.”

Kai winced inwardly at the words that fluttered over his mind. Liluthia’s latest words to him.

Less than a week ago, Kai had offered his help for her homework. She had been sitting in the library, alone, without any friends, but she had instantly rejected him fiercely, making him feel extremely unwelcome.

More confusing memories hit Kai, harder and harder, until he felt he might explode. And then the hardest one.

It had been a bright, beautiful day when Asynnefa Academy recommenced for the new term, what, seven years ago?.

He had been eight, striding confidently through the arching gates, reading the motto with a smiling glance as he did each term: Do the Impossible.

Oh yes, he was ready for school.

He had joked with his friends, flirted with some of the girls who actually didn’t take his jokes seriously (even at eight he had been a relentless charmer to boot), when suddenly he was drawn to the gates once again.

Suddenly nothing mattered.

Suddenly it was like there was no one in Lasteria but him.

And the new girl.

Liluthia Nightstar.

Beautiful, silent, mysterious.

She was the one he hadn’t known he was looking for.

They were made for each other.

Weren’t they?

She had walked gracefully towards the Phoenix Stables to drop off the phoenix- Flame, he thought it was called- that each student had to ride on in order to get to the academy, the unofficial transport of the school.

He’d followed her, plucking up the courage to say hello.

She’d turned around, and he’d gasped.

She had silver eyes, with black eyeliner. Her hair was a waist-length glossy midnight black, streaked with purple. She was so pale, too.

Kai had never seen someone this beautiful.

Never seen a girl that he was actually attracted to.

“Kai Anderson,” She’d breathed, hair brushing her face.

She’d took a step closer, the phoenix forgotten, almost dropping her book in the process.

Kai had found himself reaching for her, brushing her hair off her breathtaking features. “How do you know my name?”

That was all he could get out.

And then she’d turned and stalked away, like probably the best moment in Kai’s entire action-packed life had never happened.

“Wait!” he’d cried. “What’s your name?”

She hadn’t answered.

Kai tried to focus on the lesson- he really did. But the teacher was so boring and history sucked. At least this was the last class for today. He wished the fifteen year olds didn’t have to do the stupid history test tomorrow.

Liluthia was sixteen, only one year older than him, and she was tall.

Wait, he was still thinking about her?

“Shut up, Kai.” He muttered. “It doesn’t matter, okay? Get that through your head.”

But it did matter.

It mattered a lot.

Why did Liluthia hate him?

Nothing made sense.

Nothing.