Daeva: Black Diamond Chrysalis - Danielle Bolger (essential reading txt) 📗

hesitate with reading that book in your hands just the same way that you don't really want to know what I'm involved in - because neither will appear as glamorous as your mind conjures."

I was trembling, I couldn't believe she actually had me trembling. But why? Because it was true? Yes, because it was entirely true.

And the image of all that red on her school uniform yesterday evening flashed back into my mind. Really I had been dismissing it all day as if I imagined the whole scenario and since the memories were not so accurate today I thought that I could have very possibly confused what I dreamed with reality. And that point seemed affirmed as she sat next me healthy, her uniform flawless. But maybe she was right, I was just reading over an area I didn't really like, one that didn't fit in with how I wanted things to go and if she were to explain things for how they really were I might have come to wish that I never started reading that story.

"Again, I am sorry." She whispered, her face gazing far into the pages of her copy. "I didn't want to sound as harsh as I did just now, but in the long run I think it is better. This place that I'm in is nowhere for a girl as sweet as you."

"Maybe, you are right." I responded as my eyes stared at that Chapter 1 heading. "But you're in it and even though you're doing it to protect people you keep them away. Doesn't that make you feel lonely?"

From the corner of my gaze I saw her mouth prick up grimly. "I'm not alone, there are others like me and we fight together, but then we also fight against one-another too."

After a pause I whispered. "That place... sounds very sad."

A small murmur was her agreement.

As we sat there in silence, me pretending to read my book, I wondered what drove Ariel and people like her to fight against one-another, just like I wondered why she was fighting a girl named Vanessa. I didn't voice these questions however, because Ariel had made her point strike at the core. I didn't really want to think they had experienced all that pain yesterday and that Vanessa's pool of blood still coloured the sports oval near my house. So I said nothing at all right up until the final school bell rang.

After Ariel placed her things in her school backpack so turned to me and cried happily. "Thanks, I really enjoyed sitting next to you!" It was as if she never said those empty words, but instead had a mindless giggle about nothing at all important. Then she rose and exited the class along with the rest of my classmates.

I remained there half a minute longer as I continued to ponder over her words. I knew she didn't mean it that way but I couldn't help receiving the sense that she thought of me as weak. But even if she did think that, I wouldn't have disagreed with her.

The bell had marked the end of the school day and as I followed the stream of students I realised that there was something I was meant to do at this time, or rather, someone I was meant to see.

Whipping out my mobile phone I was about to text Bethanie to explain that I would have to meet up with her late until I remembered how she said that she was going to make her own way home today. This was the first thing my friend had said all lunch, and that wasn't even until I pressed and pressed her that she finally responded. I only had one subject with the girl and then saw her briefly at lunch so couldn't really get a gauge on what was going on with her. She was just spaced out, looking into the sky with what seemed both wonder and despair.

I had asked her if it had something to do with her mother's passing remembering that it had been about two years ago now. To this Bethanie nodded and replied vacantly that she was going to the cemetery to see her so she wanted to be alone. She asked that I understood, right?

Eventually my feet travelled me to the slope that led down the front of our school and towards the fleet of cars and buses picking up children. And there he was, ten or so meters set in from the chaos below him, with his bag resting by our tree and his eyes locked onto mine. He had been watching for my arrival, I realised.

I waved from the distance and he waved back smiling, but it was short and soon his eyes wandered to the tree, then to the far off football field, then to the ground by his feet. There it seemed like there was something troubling him quite a bit.

"Hey, mister!" I sung as I reached him. "Those ants giving you a scare?"

He looked up from the dirt and but since he was a good foot taller he still looked down on me and here he wore a cheeky smirk. "Just one ant. It's bigger than usual, I think it means to hurt me. But it's still just a tiny thing, I reckon I can defend myself against it."

"Is that right? And where exactly is this bigger than usual tiny thing?"

He raised both his eyebrows as he stared at me.

"Oh, you tease! I'm not as small as an ant!" I pushed him as he broke into laughter.

He staggered back slightly but barely lost his balance. "I did say it was bigger than usual, and I was right - it does want to hurt me!"

"Oh, you're just a nasty thing!" I crossed my arms. "I thought you wanted to meet to be all nice and gallant - not remind me of my height."

He laughed some more. "Hey, you were the who kept me waiting, so who's really the nasty one."

"It was hardly long, my English class is at the far side of the school." I defended before assuming a leer. "Oh, I see. So you teasing me is payback!"

"Maybe." He shrugged lightly. "The suspense you put me in has been killing me. I was kinda actually starting to think that you weren't going to show." He finished as he looked back down to the energetic ants on the ground with that same concern.

"Of course I'd come!" I corrected. "But why were you so worried? What' wrong, Eric?"

"Nothing's wrong!" He insisted hastily. "I'm just glad that you're here."

The boy fell quiet so I prodded him. "Eric, what's wrong. You can tell me, anything."

Nervously he nodded. "Well, I... um... You know how Amy made that comment after science..." Then Eric's phone began to call from inside his trouser pocket, however he continued and attempted to speak over the top of it. "You know, the weird one about... about that we should..." But then the theme song to a hit television program just became too distracting for the boy so he tore into his pocket and groaning smashed into the reject call button.

Breathing deeply he tried again, his cheeks incredibly rosy. "Well I... You know. I wanted to say that you're a really amazing person, Abigail. You're so kind and always think the best in others and you're so positive. Smart too, except I know that you don't see it yourself but you are. You can tell when you look at your paintings, they're so deep with emotion and thought, you construct every element of your works so carefully. You're smart because you understand the world the way it should be, the way people aspire and don't judge others for their weaknesses. You're really incredible. So great that I feel lucky just to be around you!"

"Oh, Eric..." I responded meekly as he took a short intermission during his rant.

"Abigail, I... I..."

"I love you, Abigail!" Eric's brother ran into the scene, arms outstretched before they smothered me in his embrace. Upon the impact I gasped as all the air was suddenly squeezed from my lungs.

"Hey, Jordan, careful!" Eric cried out in alarm. "You have to be gentle with Abigail, she's only little!"

"Oh?" Jordan, who, despite being five years younger was as tall as me, looked at me curiously, then when he noticed my pained expression heightened his tone. "Oh!" Finally he loosened his grip but did not release. "Sorry, Abby! I don't mean to hurt you - I love you!"

After I learned how to breathe again I managed a weak smile. "That's okay, Jordy, I love you too."

"There you have it, Jordan." Eric muttered sulkily. "Abigail loves you, now you can just go get married."

Jordan's eyes glistened like it was the most amazing thing he had ever been offered. "I could be Mr. Jordan Darling!"

"Usually it's the girl that takes the guy's name."

"Abigail Darling is my darling!"

I had soon recovered the use of my lungs and so was giggling with mirth during this interplay.

"Oh." A woman with the same dark hair and medium skin tone as Eric stated thoughtfully as she entered the scene. "So that's the friend you messaged me about. Your name is Abigail, am I right there, sweetie?"

I nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Deverall. Eric and I share art and science together."

"I see." Her eyes were filled with amusement. "Looks like Jordan has stolen your thunder, Eric and quite literally whisked the girl off her feet."

Eric shot his brother a frustrated look. "You can let go of her now. You know if you hold a girl for too long it's just creepy."

"Aw." Jordan pouted as he reluctantly pulled his arms away. "Okay then."

"So, Mum, what are you doing here? I told you not to pick me up until quarter to." Eric asked with an expression that didn't fit the gentle tone of his voice.

"Well, I did see that but if I waited you would have been late for your martial arts class."

"We went on a Eric hunt!" Jordan explained so joyfully that my giggles resumed.

"Oh!" Eric replied with alarm. "Damn, I totally forgot I had it today!"

"Yes, son and I'm afraid that if we delay any longer then your instructor will become quite cross. He seems somewhat strict..."

"Yeah, he is." Eric sighed. "Damn."

"Hey, Eric," I moved to the tree, past the cluster of ants and retrieved my friend's bag. Handing it to him I continued, "We can always continue this discussion later. There's always tomorrow and tomorrow is just a day away!"

He smirked as he took his backpack from me. "See, you gotta be smart with how much of a geek you act."

"Hey!" I frowned. "This is no act!"

He laughed. "Yeah, okay, Abigail, I believe you. I'll see you tomorrow then."

I nodded. "Now get to your class already or you'll be stuck doing laps for the first half hour!"

"Yeah, but hey, it's too late for you to catch the bus, will you be alright walking?"

I rolled my eyes. "There's hours of sunlight left in the sky and even though I am only ant size..."

"Bigger than usual." He corrected.

"I think as a tenth grader I can make the thirty minute walk home alone safely."

"Cool, then I'll see you later!"

"See you Mrs. Darling!" Jordan called as he followed his brother and mother down the slope.

"You know," Eric commented to his brother, "that doesn't mean she's your wife, she could be anyone's then, even mine!"

"No, don't steal my wife, big brother!"

I soon lost earshot but continued to giggle even after I ceased to see them.

Then, as I made my own way from school down streets that were already swiftly emptying of children, I thought back to that sketch Eric had drawn in art yesterday, of the ten-year old boy playing with the building blocks. Eric was embarrassed to show me, afraid that the world would laugh at the sight of someone so old displaying the mental acuity of someone far younger, but the image only caused me to smile. That was how he found it,