Avia Academy

🌊Chapter Four: Arrival and A Rival

Claire had a plan.

Years and years ago, when they were children (more so than now,) Claire and Kayah had been nearly inseparable. They were live-in best friends, giggling over their nightly sleepovers while other children were lucky to do so once a month.

Somewhere along the way that closeness dwindled, replaced by an ever growing need to one-up each other, to be seen by their family. Interactions grew shorter, colder, more hostile by the year, until it was unreasonable for Claire to call them interactions at all. They were just fights.

But, she had a plan. As much as she hated to admit it, she was lonely and she missed Kayah's company. Once they arrived at Avia, they'd no longer be competing for their family's praise. It would just be them Maybe they'd even be roommates. And no matter what, Claire was going to make Kayah her friend again.

And so, the plan.

Step one, find a comfy section of seats by a window inside the ship.

Step two, casually reminisce over childhood memories. Make Kayah nostalgic too.

Step three, reveal the still-warm butter naan made specially for the trip.

Step four, humbly accept complements on baking skills, friendship is repaired and all is well.

Yes. Claire had a plan. It was stupid Kayah who messed it all up.

"Kay," Claire began, smiling at her cousin as Komore faded to a cloudy speck in the distance. Ship attendants roamed the deck, ushering children to the ship's interior. "Do you want to find a seat together?" Of course she did, who else would she sit with?

Kayah shook her head. "My friend Alison is waiting for me."

Claire blinked. Friend? How had Kayah made a friend? When had she had time to interact with children outside the family farmstead? Her smile wavered, but she did her best to keep it in place. "Oh. Shall I come with you then?"

"It's kind of rude to invite yourself along, don't you think?" Kayah sighed, looking Claire over with a practiced disapproval perfectly identical to Amma's.

Claire swallowed.

"I'll find you once we get to the school to get my bag back." Kayah grinned, and waved, and then she was gone.

Claire shuffled awkwardly in place, holding her coat against the wind and formulating plan B.

"That was cold."

Claire whirled around.

The other girl leaned against the ship rail, a cigarette burning in one hand, a neon blue lighter in the other. Her brilliant red hair billowed in a cloud of chaos around her face. Claire noticed the hair first, the cigarette next, the eyes last. The girl's eyes were two different colors-one the shining golden red of a fire Elemei, the other a deep Mortal brown. It was a striking contrast, and the oddest thing Claire had ever seen, but she recognized the girl.

"You're Hadyn Trousta," she blurted.

"You're a stranger." Hadyn mimicked Claire's inflection perfectly. She took a puff from her cigarette.

Claire followed the motion with her eyes. "You're too young to buy cigarettes."

"Not in Helion, if you know the right person," Hadyn said through the haze of smoke. "Still a stranger."

"Oh, right, of course." Claire, still transfixed, straightened up and shot a stiff hand out to shake. "Clarity Sable."

She wasn't sure why she used her full first name. She only did that when she really wanted to make a good impression and... did she? Claire had no reason to worry what Hadyn Trousta might think of her.