~
Cassie walked next to Elora through the drab, crowded halls of their high school. Rows and rows of lockers lined the halls, crowding the students as they stopped to retrieve their personal belongings. To any new student, the school might seem interesting, with all the inspirational posters hung on the walls. The posters contained such stirring proverbs as “There is no I in team,” and Cassie’s personal favorite, “Change is inevitable and life changes as swiftly as the wind blows. It’s which direction that you let the wind blow you that matters.” Some student, bound to be indispensable to society, had crossed out the word ‘the’ and then added a ‘Y’ to the end of ‘wind.’ Cassie might not get a quality education at Northpointe High, but she would certainly learn the important lessons in life, like how to smut up an inspirational poster.
As they walked, Cassie kept looking over her shoulder to ensure that Trik was still behind her. He leaned casually against a row of lockers, arms crossed over his chest, looking way too edible for his own good. She was the only one who could see him, and that was a good thing since he was in his Elfin form. He had started out the day in his human guise but she had asked him not to use his glamour around her. She didn’t know how but she had felt a wave of pleasure emanate from Trik when she had made this request.
“Is he still there?” Elora asked as she bit into the bran muffin Cassie’s mom had shoved into Cassie’s hand on the way out the door. Cassie didn’t have the heart to tell her mom that she hated bran, so she continued to accept them and pass them on to Elora.
“Yep,” Cassie answered.
“And he’s just going to follow you around all day?”
“So he says.”
Elora shrugged. “If you need me to remind you not to pick your nose or dig out a wedgie just let me know.”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “Good to know you have my back.”
Elora raised a single brow. “Somebody has too. I leave you alone for one night and you go and get yourself tied to a dark elf assassin.” She shook her head as she continued to eat her muffin. “Only you, Cassandra. Only you would wind up with the bad boy when really you should be with Mr. All American.”
Both girls jumped when Trik appeared next to them back in his human guise, apparently having decided to allow Elora to see him as well.
“Who is Mr. All American?”
Cassie tried not to look at Trik as she answered. “What?”
“You’re dark friend here seems to think you would be better off with him.” Trik’s indignation and possessiveness at her statement were apparent in both his voice and his glower.
Elora made her famous give me a freaking break face. “Get a grip man, aren’t you some bad ass killer?”
“Yes, please pass that on to this, this All American you are talking about.”
Cassie laughed and quickly covered her mouth.
Trik leveled her with a piercing stare.
“It’s not a real person Trik. It’s a type of guy, you know, like a ‘knight in shining armor’ type.”
“You picked a real winner here, Cass,” said Elora. “I think this guy is one arrow short of a full quiver.”
Trik's head snapped around to Elora. “How did you know I had a quiver?”
This time Cassie couldn’t catch her laughter.
“What are you two laughing at?” Trik growled. “I always keep my quiver full.”
The girls roared, Elora losing her usual stoic composure. “That just sounds so wrong,” she said when she finally caught her breath.
Trik just shook his head, looking back and forth between the two girls.
“Yep,” Elora said as they arrived to their class. “Another day in the life of a typical American teenage girl, walking to class with her dark elf boyfriend, discussing the size of his quiver. What more could a girl want?”
Trik stood looking at them in confusion as Cassie smothered her laughter and Elora glanced back at him with a dismissing wave.
“What the hell just happened,” he said to the now empty hall.
Cassie took her seat, trying, but miserably failing to keep her laughter under control. Elora simply had a mildly amused look on her face.
“Quiver?” Cassie murmured from where she sat behind Elora.
Elora turned slightly so that she could see Cassie and the front of the classroom.
“I was taking a guess, but everyone knows that elves use bows and arrows. I thought about the whole wielding a sword thing but really that would have been much worse.”
Cassie snorted. “Leave it to you to toss out some sexual innuendos to the dark elf assassin.”
“My brother must be wearing off on me,” Elora murmured just as Mrs. Davis walked in.
History was one of Cassie’s favorite subjects, but even today’s lecture about Native Americans couldn’t keep her mind from continually drifting back to Trik and the unsettling awareness that she could feel his closeness. She knew that he was just outside the door, waiting on her. She didn’t know how to explain it, but that same something that kept drawing her to him, simply knew that he was close. And if she were going to be really honest with herself, she would have to admit that it was comforting knowing he was there.
The class seemed to drag as she fidgeted restlessly. Cassie was beginning to feel anxious as the class wore on. She needed to see Trik. She needed him to tell her that what she was feeling was normal. Just as the bell rang to indicate class was dismissed, she felt a gasp pulled from her chest and an ache take its place. She wasn’t in pain exactly; it was more of a feeling of emptiness, as if something essential was missing. She knew then, on the tail end of that thought, that Trik was gone. She snatched up her things and rushed out of the room, not bothering to explain to Elora. She needed to see it for herself.
She stumbled over her feet as she reached the door and caught herself just as she rushed into the hallway. She turned in a circle slowly searching through the throng of students, her eyes moved over every face and every corner, hoping to see him leaning there, but knowing she wouldn’t.
“Cassie, could you please explain why you nearly took out three of our classmates in an effort to get into the hall?” Elora asked her, stopping by her side and looking in the same direction she was.
Finally, Cassie made eye contact with Elora. “He’s gone,” she told her and her face fell as the words left her mouth.
“And how exactly did you know that while we were sitting in History class?”
Cassie shook her head. “I just knew. Somehow, I don’t know how to explain it, but I just know when he is close by.”
Elora stared at her questioningly. “Are you in pain this time?”
“No, I just feel like something is missing.”
“Duh, it’s your ass, I mean assassin.”
Cassie grinned weakly at her friend’s purposely slip of the tongue. “That was weak.”
“I’ll work on my material. So what are we going to do?”
Cassie shrugged. “What can I do? It’s not like I have a cell phone number for him.”
“Have you said his name? Isn’t that what brought him back the last time?” Elora reminded her.
“Trik?” Cassie said his name and it came out as a question. They both waited, their breaths seemed to freeze in their lungs as the anticipation for a response grew. The halls were beginning to empty as people made their way into their respective classrooms. Cassie hardly noticed. After several minutes, still nothing.
“O-o-okay,” Elora said drawing out the word. “So apparently you have to be in unbearable pain for that little trick to work. No pun intended, although that was a pretty good one.”
Cassie heard the bell ring and still she didn’t move. She knew she needed to get to her next class but she couldn’t get her feet to obey her.
“Cassie, you are going to have to suck it up and deal. We need to get to class. Your life does not stop simply because you find yourself painfully and ridiculously attached to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Delicious,?
?? Elora said firmly as she took Cassie by the arm and tugged.
Cassie let out a deep breath and looked at her friend. With a single nod of her head, she finally began moving. “You’re right, this is silly.”
“I didn’t say silly. Bizarre, freaky, and quite possibly turning into an unhealthy attachment? Yes, but not silly.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Cassie growled.
“I don’t sugarcoat things Cass, not for anyone, especially you.”
“I know and I usually appreciate it. But could you maybe soften it a little this time?”
“No.”
“It was worth a try,” Cassie muttered.