13

994 101 17
                                    

I woke up, buzzing. I was certain that I'd summoned the lightning in my sleep when I noticed little tendrils of electricity snaking their way over my hands. But, I hadn't dreamt about the dragon. At least, not that I could remember.

I got up, certain that I needed to go for a run to burn off this extra energy that I'd accumulated, and set off.

I wasn't surprised when I saw Adam running ahead of me when I got to the edge of the Thames, and so I picked up my pace to catch up.

"Hey, Adam!" I called when I was a few metres behind him.

He turned, and smiled. "Hey, Millie." He said, and slowed until we were running side by side. "How's it going?" He asked.

"Oh, you know." I said. "Same old. How about you?"

"Yeah, not too bad, thanks." He said. "Another spontaneous run, I see?"

I chuckled. "Yeah. Having too much energy in a lecture is never a good thing, let me tell you."

"Nothing about a lecture sounds like a good thing." He laughed.

I laughed as well. "You're not wrong."

We ran in silence for a bit, and it was then that I noticed something. That familiar smell from the dragon, it was here. I took a look around, expecting to see the smokey beast, although I didn't.

"Everything okay?" Adam asked, wondering what I was looking for.

I looked at him, and then chuckled. "Yeah, all good." I said, but from then on I kept an eye out. The fresh smell was definitely following me- it never went further away, or never seemed to get closer. It just lingered. I wondered whether it could remain invisible if it wanted to.

That is, if it was even real.

When I reached my turning, I said goodbye to Adam and made my way home.

__________

I noticed that the smell of the dragon had gone when I got home- perhaps it didn't want to follow me into my house, or it just realised that there was nothing to see. I was almost certain that it was only here to spy on me. To watch me. But why? Was it reporting back to someone? If that were the case, then I'd have to be careful. Who knows how long it'd been watching me. It probably already knew that I had strange elemental powers, and that I would often hang out with a guy who could teleport, a woman that could manipulate air and another guy who could shoot lightning out of his hands.

My phone buzzed, and I looked at the screen to see a message from a random number. 

I opened it:

Hey Millie, it's Adam. I was thinking we could all meet up again later- my uncle wants to meet you all properly.

I'd almost forgotten that I'd given Adam my phone number, so quickly added him to my contacts before replying.

Sounds good, I'll tell Kate and Ryan- I'm seeing them later.

Two moments later, and there was a response.

Awesome. 7pm at my uncle's restaurant?

We'll be there. I replied, and that was the end of the conversation.

I decided to make soup for lunch, before heading into uni.

"Hey, guys." I said, meeting Ryan and Kate outside the classroom.

"What's up, Mills." Ryan said.

"Well, Adam has invited us to his uncle's restaurant again. He asked me to tell you."

Ryan and Kate exchanged a knowing look. Ryan managed to keep a straight face at whatever humour he'd mustered from my statement, but Kate couldn't. She had her lips pressed tightly together, trying not to smile.

"What?" I asked, wondering whether I'd missed something.

"Oh, uh, I can't make tonight." Ryan said, and then coughed.

I blinked, and then narrowed my eyes. "I never said anything about it being tonight."

Ryan looked at Kate for support. I raised my eyebrows at them both.

"I, uh-" Kate stammered.

"What is going on?" I stressed, looking between the both of them.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Adam asked us to say we couldn't make it." Kate said very quickly, as if she couldn't quite keep the secret in any longer but hoped that if she said it quick enough, I might not quite catch it.

My mouth hung open a little.

Ryan smacked Kate on the arm. "Kate, you weren't supposed to say anything." He scolded, but laughed. He then looked at me. "But yeah, Adam did ask us to say that."

"He wants to go on a date with you!" Kate exclaimed, clapping her hands quickly.

My eyebrows were raised, surprised but also terrified at the thought of going on a date. A date. I'd never even been on a date before. "I'm cancelling." I said straight up, and pulled my phone out my pocket.

Kate snatched the device straight out of my hands. "You will do no such thing!" She exclaimed, holding the phone out of my reach- she was taller than I was. I could easily grab it with the metal, but Ryan was here. Instead, I had to reach helplessly.

"Hey!" I exclaimed.

"What's going on here?" Irina asked, amused as she went to walk past us into the classroom.

"Millie has been asked on a date and won't go." Kate said before I even had chance to think of an excuse.

My cheeks flushed red.

Irina raised her eyebrows a little. "Why won't you go?" She asked.

I didn't know what to say. I won't go because I'm too scared? Just can't be bothered? I shrugged.

"She is going." Kate said firmly.

I pursed my lips.

Irina shrugged. "Well, your decision." She said, before going into the classroom.

I shot Kate a glare. "Gimme my phone back."

"Only if you go on this date tonight." She said.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to.

"Come on, Mills." Ryan said, knocking me on the shoulder. "It's one date- if you don't wanna go out with him again, then fine. But I think you should at least give him a shot."

I thought for a moment, and then sighed. "Fine." I stressed, my hands flopping by my side.

"You promise?" Kate asked.

"Promise." I sighed after a moments hesitation, and held my hand out. Kate placed the phone in my hand, satisfied, and then turned to walk into the classroom.

I followed her.

___________

Argent Eye IIIWhere stories live. Discover now