Chapter Twenty-Eight

We reach the dance floor as they start to play a slow song for the couples in the building. I smile at Addam as he looks around the dance, “you alright?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’m just getting a really strong smell of something sweet, like a mix of milk chocolate brownies and strawberry crème.” He looks around as Dafne Faulkner, one of our classmates approaches us.

She smiles at Addam shyly. “Hi.”

He smiles at her warmly “Hi.”

“I’m Dafne, nice to meet you.” She says as she looks up at him, fully taking him in.

He smiles at her taking her delicate hand in his “I’m Addam.”

Her giggles fill the air with a sweet melodic sound as she takes a small step towards him.”

I start to feel as if I’m the third wheel so I quietly back away into the crowd to find a table to sit at, I look around at the rest of my classmates who are dancing and chatting with one another when I hear the chair next to me scrape across the floor, I look towards the newcomer and notice it’s Anderson who’s decided to darken my space. “What do you want?”

He sits down next to me “You may have everyone else around you fooled, but I know the truth.”

I look at him in confusion “I have to ask, have you missed your daily dose of mental medication? You honestly sound completely insane.” I shake my head and start to get up from my seat to find the rest of my group.

“I am NOT insane!” Anderson demands as he grabs my wrist and holds tightly making me wince slightly.

“Alright, fine, but you are definitely delusional.” I say as I wrench my wrist away from his grasp.

His eyes narrow in a glare at me as Ryker comes up to us. “What’s going on here?”

“This oaf was spewing a bunch of bullshit.” I reply.

“I’m not an oaf.” Anderson says dumbly.

Ryker and I bust out into laughter “No comment.” I say as Ryker and I walk away from the table and back into the dancing crowd.

“What the hell was that about?” Ryker asks as we navigate our way through the sea of bodies that are swaying to the music.

I sigh, “Honestly, he’s stating that he knows who and what I am.” I say loud enough to where only Ryker will hear.

“Are you serious?” He exclaims a little too loudly, attracting some unwanted attention our way, before we walk away from the small group “We have to leave as soon as possible if he truly knows your secret.” He continues in a whisper.

“Take a chill pill! He only thinks he knows my secret.” I reply.

“Are you sure?” He asks.

“Trust me, if we were to leave right now, that would only tip them off that they’re right, as of the current moment, it’s best we act ignorant to what they are talking about and don’t attract any unwanted attention to ourselves, and if we were to pack up and leave right now, they’d know that something was amiss.” I explain.

He looks at me as if I am completely crazy “I don’t understand why you’re not freaking out right now.”

“Trust me, I am freaking out, but I’m really good at masking my feelings, especially in front of people. I don’t like showing my emotions to others who I’m not friendly with. I don’t like showing any sort of weakness.” I say as we reach the refreshments table.

“How’d you get so good at masking your emotions?” He asks.

“Years and years of practice, plus all of the martial arts classes I’ve taken over the years.” I reply with a shrug, grabbing a small cucumber finger sandwich and a small cup of punch.

“What are your plans?” He asks.

I think about the answer I plan on giving him before I actually tell him, I decide on the truth but make it seem like we’re not leaving until after graduation. “After graduation, I’m going on a cross-country road trip with Thelma, Freyja, Berik & Cherie, then after that I don’t know what my plans are.”

“I’m not talking about your life plans, I’m talking your plans for your heritage.” He says low enough to where only I hear his inquiry.

I roll my eyes “Ryker, you need to chill, if you continue asking me questions expecting answers and someone hears you, things are going to go really bad for me. You say that you’re here to help me, to keep me safe from the threats that I am up against but yet you seem very intent on getting me to talk about shit outside of a protected place.”

He looks at me and nods “I completely understand, I apologize, I was raised to have a plan and know what to expect.”

“That may be how you were raised, but here in the real world, plans don’t always go according to plan.” I say lowly as Freyja and Justin come up to us.

“Hey guys, everything ok?” Freyja asks.

I nod “Yeah, everything is good, I’m just explaining to Ryker how things are done here in the U.S. compared to Europe.”

Justin laughs “yeah, I’m sure many things are done differently between the two countries.”

The rest of our group including Addam and Dafne joins up with us around the refreshment table "How’s everyone enjoying their evening?” Addam asks as he wraps his arm around Dafne’s waist pulling her tightly into him, pressing his lips against her temple.

“It’s going pretty good!” Justin says wraps his arms around Freyja’s waist from behind her, I look around at my group noticing that the only one not paired is myself, and again start feeling like the odd man out.

“It’s about what I expected it to be.” I reply nonchalantly.

Everyone looks at me “You’re not having a good time?” Freyja asks.

“To be completely honest, not really, don’t get me wrong, it’s beautifully decorated and the music is nice, but there’s just nothing here for me, I’m gonna go ahead and head back home for the night, you guys stay and enjoy your time!” I say.

“I don’t want you going home by yourself.” Freyja replies. “I’ll come with you.”

“No!” I say firmly “You’re here with your man, this is your last school dance and you’re enjoying yourself, I will text you when I get home to show that I am capable of taking care of myself.” I tell her chuckling.

“It’s not that I don’t think you can’t take care of yourself, it’s just that I don’t want there to be a possibility of anything happening to you.” She explains.

I smile at her comfortingly “I will be ok, we don’t live too far away from the school and plus, if anyone tries anything, you know for a fact that I can handle myself.”

She sighs and nods “You’re not going to let me win on this in any sort of way, are you?”

I shake my head “Nope, you stay and have a good time, I’ll see you when you get home.”