Changeling: The Daughter of Fire (GxBxNB)

Changeling 30

Monday came about without issue, Jesse had made sure I was nice and pampered through the weekend. School went on without issue, Kieran was still being distant, in the second period's art class, he sat away from me.

I guess he still needed time... I just hoped we could go back to normal soon...

However, before art-classes started someone walked through the door...

A familiar bush of carrot-colored hair coming into sight, along with his milky freckles dotted skin... Our eyes crossed.

"Liam?"

"Nadia?"

We ran at each other and hugged the crap out of one another, holding each other a little too tight to breathe.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Me? I'm the one who should be asking!"

"I got an art scholarship, I'm boarding here full ride and all." That was true, just less for my art and more for my powers.

"That is so cool!"

"What about you?"

"Dad got a promotion, but it meant moving up here."

"That is so nice."

"I am so happy to see you!" He flapped his hand in excitement, he was always so cute when he stimmed. "It's been so long."

"I thought you were angry with me... You never answered my texts and messages..."

"Nadia..." He looked at me with a weird look.

"What?"

"I lost my phone in the fire. And that was my mom's account, I'm on my dad's plan now."

"Oh..."

Well, now I felt like an idiot. He patted my head to add insult to injury. He took out his new phone and we exchanged numbers again.

The teacher cleared her throat, asking us to sit down, and we apologized. The class started, with us trying hard to ignore one another and focus on the lesson. I saw Kieran staring at us... What was he thinking?

Lunch came about and Liam stuck to me like a puppy and their owner.

"It's been a month... What happened to you all this time?" I asked.

"I spent some time at the mental hospital, after the fire I felt so damn guilty... I'd wished for it to happen and it had. It took me a while to calm down, and understand it wasn't my fault, it was just a cruel twist of fate..."

His words felt like a knife in my guts...

He was wrong... so so wrong... But how could I tell him the truth? That his mother had died because he'd wished for it... For that matter, how could I explain that I was a Jinni, that I'd set the fire...

As glad as I was to have Liam back, his appearance complicated things... I'd wished for him back, but had that been the right move?

We went to lunch together and I introduced him to the usual gang of Erika, Cassie, and Kaitlyn, sometimes Amber would join us, sometimes she was with her mostly male friends.

"A boy among us!" Cassie gasped.

"Sorry to ruin our girl power," I said. "This is Liam, my best friend from my hometown."

"Pleased to meet you," Erika said with a grin, "I'm Nadia's roomie and hopefully her Washington bestie." She winked at me.

"You are."