Find Your Fire - The Angulus Chronicles #1

Chapter Two

A squealing noise came from my bed. A voice I knew very well.

I threw my bag in the corner of my room and somersaulted onto my bed to give my best friend Orin a bone-crushing hug. She wrapped her arms around me just as tight.

"I missed you so much." I muffled in her afro.

When she let me go, I swept away the tear that had escaped me when I saw her lounging on my bed, two cups of steaming coffee waiting for us. Orin was my best friend since the moment I was here and it always felt a little weird when we were separated. This world of myth and legend made me feel a little out of place as the only human, but Orin had a gift of making me feel welcome and normal.

The girl sitting in front of me was a force to be reckoned with. Her colorful beaded bracelet was a contrast against her dark, almost black, skin. Her brown eyes lit up her whole face as she smiled, but once you were on her bad side, it was smart to sleep with one eye open. She may seem like an innocent person, but not for nothing was she the second best Angulus to walk around this school. She was a loyal friend and I knew she'd have my back when she needed to.

I grabbed one of the two cups and downed my coffee within seconds. Orin crossed her legs as she grabbed hers.

"So, tell me everything that happened." Two rows of white teeth appeared as she smiled. Her long fingers were holding the little spoon as she stirred her coffee.

I shook my head slightly. "Nothing happened."

"Nothing romantically, no." She grinned. "I want to know how many times you kicked him in the balls."

I laughed but stopped as soon I recalled the weekend. Orin raised an eyebrow.

"None, actually. It was a little weird, Lorem wasn't exactly himself. He- ... he actually seemed quite relaxed."

Orins face lit up with a wicked grin. "Oh my- you cracked him." She snapped her fingers. "You finally cracked him."

I shook my head as I was trying not to grin. "Oh, shut up. I did no such thing."

Orin clapped her hands as she bounced up and down on my bed. "Yes, you did." She grabbed my hands and squeezed them hard in her excitement. "Cat, I don't think you actually realize what a fun person you are to hang out with. Your positive outlook on life and your humor is very contagious. Yes, your actions may sometimes be a bit random and stupid, but it's fun." I faked a dirty look. "Oh, you know what I mean, C." She let go of my hands to play with her beaded bracelet. "Last I checked, you knocked Lor out the first time you met and that's not very good for his pride. And no offense, but being an ordinary human is making it even worse. So of course it is easier for him to dislike you than act all friendly with the girl who beat him, especially when you two only meet two hours a day to wipe the floor with each other. But you've never spent so much time together until now." I fingered the soft, white blanket. "I think he, being around you for every second of the day, finally realized you're not the person he wants you to be."

I looked out of my window. The sun was sinking down the horizon and it lit up the whole school in an orange light. It had felt quite nice to be around him without arguing all the time. And Orin was right, we hadn't had the best start. But was that a reason for him to dislike me so much as he had? Oh, Cat, stop being a hypocrite. You annoyed him just as much as he annoyed you.

As Orins words sank down, I felt a big fat grin on my lips. "Heh," I hummed. "I cracked him."

The door opened. "You cracked who?"

I turned around to see a guy with brown uptilted eyes, black hair and a warm smile leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed.

"Oahn!" I jumped off the bed.