Dragon Boy

14: Reconciliation

Sean and Nixie began arguing again. It seemed that Sean would find any tiny thing he could and blow it into something huge. He brought up her hair, the way she dressed, little patterns in her speech, but none of that bothered her. Then he brought up her absent mother, and how, "If even she didn't want you, what makes you so sure anyone else will?" This resulted in another fight that resulted in Nixie breaking several bones in her hand, and Sean getting a broken nose. Their friends were confident that, had Vince and Mr. Tian not been standing nearby, the two would have killed each other. They were also certain that, had Vince and Mx. Leichenbestatter not persuaded Mr. Connolly, the two would have been expelled. Instead, the two were let off with their final warning and their schedules were completely changed to keep the two as far apart as possible. Kyle was once again acting as the mediator, and someone to whom the two complained.

Kyle kept staring at Nixie's empty seat in Monster Studies as Sean went on about how she had "overreacted" and "things would be better if she would just chill out". Before Kyle could even open his mouth to argue that, quite frankly, Sean was the one acting out of line, Mr. Reaper had an announcement.

"Missions, we have decided, are ready to resume. You'll all be going in groups, with at least one upperclassman and one member of staff." He took a long list from his desk and looked down at it. "Now, of course, we're going to assign groups according to school." He peered over his paper. "It will be enforced this time." Though he did not specify, several students, including Akora, looked from the group of people with whom they came to the school, and the group with whom they had come to know and love. "Pay attention, I'll be assigning staff members and upperclassmen now."

As Mr. Reaper droned on, Kyle looked back to Nixie's seat. Then he turned his attention to Akora, who, every now and then, glanced his way. Though she was a handful, and often got him in trouble, he could not imagine going on a mission without her. And Nixie was like a rock, he did not know how he would get through this without her, either. He started paying attention again when he heard his name. "Kyle Akfernen and Sean Byrne, you two will accomplish this mission with Zach Hunter, and, for whatever reason, Vincent has made it clear he would like to accompany you."

Sean groaned a bit. He did not seem to like Vince, either. Kyle suspected he did not care much for Zach, either.

At the end of class, everyone received their assignments. For their assignment, Kyle and Sean would be clearing large, insect-like creatures from an overgrown temple. They would be going to a rainforest, but not one on Earth; they were going to yet another new planet.

Kyle was nervous about leaving again, but there was also a feeling of excitement. He had never seen a rainforest before, and here he was preparing to go visit an alien rainforest. The following day at breakfast, he decided to tell Aoife and Asim all about it.

"We're going to clear some bugs out of a temple," he told them. "I'm nervous, but I'm kind of excited at the same time."

Aoife and Asim shook at the memory of their last mission. "I'd be too nervous," Aoife said. "I'm still too nervous to do anything alone."

"I feel the same way," Asim shuddered. He picked nervously at the sleeve of his sweater. "I've half a mind to request alternate assignments. I don't want to go anywhere anymore."

Kyle remembered the old man's icy blue eyes. He shivered at the memory. He became much less excited. He put a lot of thought into the next few words he would be speaking, looking for a way to lighten up the conversation without changing it. "When Akora and I fell through the door," he began, "I expected the old man to be waiting. He wasn't there though."

"That's just one place though," Asim argued. "He could be anywhere!"

Kyle shook his head, and responded with, "But he can't be everywhere." He looked at them, and took a deep breath. "I'm still going to try it out. You two can take all the time you need, but I think I'm ready to try again."