Immortal Souls

Is Love stronger than Death?
A Modern Romance by Negora1
----
Evana is a quiet, contemplative NightWing. Lucas is a compassionate, simplistic SandWing. One of their lives has been filled with nothing but darkness and death. The other is searching for the light of their life. Can they find each other in the dark, before blades bleed out their hearts?
<tabber>|-|Part One=
Evana
----
Death and I have a good relationship.
Though I guess we kind of started off on the wrong foot, like all strange friendships.
We first met when I was two; it came over to visit when my two-week-old baby brother was very sick. He was born with a disabled wing, so Death took him to its home. I hated it for that and never wanted to see it again.
It came back for my big sister when I was five. She got caught in a mountain rock slide and Death freed her. I cried for days and tried to push it away. It scared me, but it kept coming back. Death wanted me to like it, which was strange, but I decided to give it a chance.
After I turned eight, I was scared Death would take me away next. A SandWing with a mask and knife cornered me in my home, but I was surprised to see that Death took the robber instead. He stabbed himself in the chest before he stabbed me, something I will never understand. I secretly thanked Death for saving me and tried accepting its friendship.
We have gotten into fights a lot. My best friend was visiting the desert when she got bit by a dragonbite viper. Death took her back to its home, just like it did for my siblings. I was 11. I eventually forgave it, because it didn’t want to take my friend and the snake was the one to blame.
But I truly hated it when it took both my parents away after I turned 12. A gang of drugees and killers called the Blades found them alone in a valley and sliced their throats. Death told me it took them quickly before they experienced excruciating pain. It tried so hard to make me feel better, but it had taken everyone I loved away from me.
Before I could officially break our friendship it reassured me. I shall tell you its exact words: Don't worry, Evana. I’ve taken them to a really nice place. They are in peace after everything, very happy. When I take you to my home, you will see all of them again. You will all be happy.
Now, I am 15 years old. I have waited for Death to take me to its home ever since I can remember. Every time I ask if it can take me to its home, it always tells me: Not yet.
I try to pass my patience off without getting bored. I play the violin and write poetry. Of course, my strings create a far different song from normal instruments. And I seek to dive deep into my unspoken words. I would like to leave something behind that dragons might like before Death takes me.
I may sound crazy, but I really don’t got anything to live for. My whole family is gone and I don't really have a lot friends. Death has been with me longer than anyone. It’s all I got now, even if at times I fear its very presence. I don’t care how long it takes, but I promised I would wait for Death, and it promised it would wait for me. No one has ever been with me as long as Death has.
Lucas
----
I’ve never been able to find the right girl.
I’m not saying that I ain’t good at finding girls in general. I’ve always been considered pretty handsome, which of course attracts the lady dragons. I have been dating girls since I was nine and yet I still haven’t found the girl for me.
It’s not that I’m girl obsessed, well not completely. I’m almost finished with school, so right after that I want to try and settle down with someone, or go on some adventures with that someone. The girls I’ve dated so far haven’t been very good options.
I remember a few of the girls I dated. My first date was a peppy RainWing, which I decided to not date any peppy girls after that. I tried dating a MudWing, but she seemed a little too tomboyish for me. My first actual girlfriend, an IceWing named Chila: probably the hottest girl in Pyrrhia. And also the rudest. She insulted every girl she thought wasn’t pretty, which to her was everyone else. I broke up with her after she insulted my sister. But I congratulate her for becoming a young model. A few dates later, I got serious with Loran, a really cute SkyWing. But I found out she cheated on me several times and broke up with her with a broken heart myself.
So I’ve been laying low on the dating game lately. I observe the optional girls to make sure they are good enough for me. Not that I consider myself too good for anyone. But you know: every dragon has a soul mate.
It sucks that I’ve dated almost every girl in school and none have been fit for me. But I’ll keep trying if I don’t find her in this cute little town. I’m sure she’s out there somewhere.
Evana
----
Devanlee, the city of ghosts. That is what dragons from out of town like to call my home. It is barricaded by the Blades gang, the ones who forced Death to take my parents. They are comprised mostly of NightWings based on witness reports but no dragon is free from them; the dark is their domain, they’ve said. But the day is the peaceful domain of the regular dragons. This is a regular town, with its homes, schools, restaurants, and our famous hospital. The City Council raised funds to give better treatment to the victims of The Blades. We treat everyone well, or we try to. A small population of 900 at most can lead you to awareness of how small the world is.
Me, I don’t know many, but I know everyone knows me. “The girl who sings to no one,” she said. “That unlucky dragon whose whole family is dead,” he said. All the same empty words. They all pity me, but no one comes close to me.
They are afraid of me, Death said. They fear what you have endured. When it is said like that, I’m glad they stay away. No one could possibly understand what it is like to have Death on your shoulder.
Which is why I know I will die alone, with no one but Death.
Even though I feel cold around the dragons of Devanlee, I still must go to school: the [cute] College of Devanlee. The girls are pretty, the teachers are kind and good at their jobs, and the boys are not less than wing length from the girls. Always going the extra mile just for a chance to be noticed by the opposite gender. Fortunately, they all do variety and group dating; everyone has dated someone from another tribe at least once.
Well...all except me; I haven’t dated anyone ever. I am familiar with it thanks to my best friend, Jita, who brought me to a group date with her boyfriend, Dotterel. I am happy for her, as she is still with him, she a RainWing and he a MudWing. Their chemistry makes sense to me: Jita is a dancer and Dotterel is a jock. She tries to find dragons for me, but I have told her no one would want to have any kind of chemistry with me. Especially because of my relationship with Death, but I haven’t even told Jita that.
“There’s a dragon for everyone,” Jita told me once, “you just have to go out and find him.”
I’ve always been confused on how me and Jita, total opposite dragons, became friends. She was always kind to me, and was usually right about worldly things such as dating. My usual response is either, “I don’t have time” or “There’s no one I’d like to try to date.” But my most recent response was, “I have to focus on my music.”
The school’s talent show is today and I am entering with my violin and my own music piece: Shadows in Flight.” It may not sound so important to any normal dragon, but since I am no normal dragon and I enjoy showing my talents, it is a big deal. Plus, Death had whispered to my conscious before signing up and convinced me. Go on, do it. It may change your life for the better.
Confused, I signed up nonetheless. Jita signed up as well to do her own dance routine. This may be the most excited and the most nervous I’ve ever been for any event. In an hour, I would be showcasing my music for the first time, ever.
Lucas
----
The College of Devanlee was in a lively buzz. The decorated banner waved in the wind as even Mother Nature highly anticipated this day. The “daily gossip” subject from the dragoness doll group was an infinite chatter. Of course, their jock and wrestler boyfriends weren’t far behind, so they help spread the news. The talent show was today, and the whole school was pumped with excitement. Whether you are in it or not, those who are watching will have a friend or two to cheer for. One great quality that every student shared was the importance of great friendships/relationships.
As one of the members of the Tailball team, I had some connections with a lot of the top notch players in the school. A few of them I knew were simply bystanders for the single cheerleaders doing a small routine. My best friend, Dotterel, prepared to cheer for his girlfriend who I had hardly ever met, but I was willing to support him for the sake of being his friend.
At the moment of the hour, me and Dotterel were in Draconic Arts waiting for the announcement to come on for the classes to be dismissed. I could only shoot a small glance at Dotterel and notice instantly his angst to get out. A soft chuckle blew through my nose as he shrugged at me, as if to say, “what are you gonna do? I’ve got a great girl to wait for.”
Truly, I was happy for my pal, but at times I felt a smidge of jealousy. He managed to find someone he could click with. And even though I had great experience in finding girls, I could never seem to keep them long enough to know what to look for. My smile slipped off slowly as my thoughts pondered to the negative side of my brain.
A loud bang of the school bell alerted everyone’s senses as the intercom turned on in the halls and classrooms. “Alright, students,” the principal’s voice said, “it is time for everyone to come down to the auditorium for the talent show. Professors, please lead your classes down.” The intercom turned off and everyone in class stood up. By instinct, I quickly walked over next to Dotterel and began exiting the classroom.
“This’ll be fun,” Dotterel said. “Not only do we get to see my girl dance, but we also get to watch The Bopsteady Boys make everyone else’s music talent look childish.” He referred to the school band that came from out of nowhere with wicked instrument skills.
“Well that’s a little mean coming from you, Dotty,” I said with surprise and tease. No one should rub their abilities in dragons’ faces, no matter how good they are.
“Yeah, I know, but you gotta admit their drummer would scorch the next band alone,” Dotterel said with passion. I was about to say something about their guitarist, but the logic of it made sense. My face shrugged with thoughtfulness and I nodded. Dotterel chuckled and took pride in beating me with one sentence.
“I forget Dotty, what is your girlfriend’s name again? She’s the RainWing dancer, right?” I tried to clarify to make sure he was still with the same dragon he saw from their last group date.
“Yeah, she’s the dancer. Her name is Jita-” I lifted my head while remembering the graceful little RainWing. “-and she also told me her friend will be doing a music piece right after her.”
“Will you pick on her if her music isn’t as great as The Bopsteady Boys?” I teased. I knew he wouldn’t; he was never mean to girls, unless they truly deserved it (like Chila for example.)
“Aw no, I would never,” Dotty replied. “Jita tells me she’s really good on a violin.” He almost twitched at the strange remark by his girlfriend. “I’m not quite sure how a violin could possibly match up the likes of best band in Devanlee. Let’s just hope I don’t snooze off.”
Even though it sounded rude, Dotterel did have a small point. A violin? Put up against The Bopsteady Boys? It didn’t sound like a fair fight if it was put up for contest. Granted, it was a pretty sounding instrument, but I’d pick listening to the electric guitar over a violin. Of course, I didn’t want to be rude so I’ll try not to snooze off like Dotty said he might. Who knows? Maybe Jita’s friend was pretty good.
We began approaching the doors to the auditorium, the pace was slowing as all the dragons crowded through the entrance. The volume of voices grew louder and louder as we slowly walked in and sat close to the front of the stage. A couple of my fellow Tailball teammates met up with us. Another one of my good friends was Bighorn, the captain of the team who had the quickest tail on the field and the smartest head in the game.
“Are you guys psyched for The Bopsteady Boys?” Bighorn said as he sat down next to me.
“I totally am!” Dotterel replied. Though I knew he was not just excited for them.
A bit of a sigh crossed my mind, but I simply replied: “Who isn’t?” Bighorn and Dotterel looked at me and nodded along with their laughter.
The fires lighting the auditorium dimmed as the principal, a calm SeaWing, came out on stage. “Hello, students!” He shouted into the microphone to grab everyone’s attention before he toned it down in the feedback-filled area. “Welcome to this year’s talent show! We are very excited to see you guys perform and wow us with your talents.” His voice became over enthusiastic as he continued. “For those who have come to simply watch your fellow students, make sure you be a good audience and give them all a big round of applause at the end.
“Now to kick us off, here is our first performer: Dama,” the principal finally finished while us in the audience clapped. Bighorn, Dotterel, and I simply waited for the show to get real with the band and my friend’s lady.
Evana
----
Seven of the performances had passed by. Me, Jita, and the school band, The Bopsteady Boys, were the last performances of the show. I knew they would want to save the best for last. The whole school was crazy for the group of extreme rock-out dragons. There was four dragons: the lead singing SkyWing, the electric guitar SeaWing and bass guitar NightWing, and the MudWing on the drums. Their music was good, but it was so loud I couldn’t understand what the singer was supposedly “singing.” And their instruments were always hooked up to the big speakers, making every room within 100 yards of them vibrate like an earthquake.
I could swear that they were playing one of their songs in my chest. The drummer had somehow gotten into my heart and sped up the beat of my pulse. A SeaWing trying to show off his talent on cup stacking was currently on the stage and Jita was next. Me and her were waiting behind the curtains of the stage. She was pacing back and forth next to me in her sparkling silk outfit wrapping around her body, radiating bright purple and yellow. I quietly walked over to her to try and calm her down.
“You’ll wear out the floor if you keep worrying,” I whispered as positively as I could.
Jita looked up at me with her cheerful eyes now full of anxiety; she breathed slowly. “Worrying? No, no... oh, how are you not nervous?” she said, her voice shaky.
“Oh, I am nervous, but you’ve done this before and you are fantastic. I’ve never done this before and I don’t have anyone to impress, so I know you will truly shine out there.” The words that came out of my mouth seemed ludicrous to Death, but a good friend has to be there with support and kindness.
My best friend’s face beamed and the anxiety almost completely vanished from her eyes. She smiled brightly and immediately wrapped her wings around me. A little surprised at her reaction, I softly wrapped my wings around her as well. A warm feeling in my chest that I hardly ever felt rose up and unplugged the band’s speakers in my stomach.
“Thanks, Evana,” Jita said happily. “You are the best and the coolest friend any dragon would be lucky to have.” The principal was starting to announce Jita and she quickly ran up to the curtain. She turned her face to me with a big smile. “You’ll do better than anyone, even that boy band,” she said. A smile lifted up my cheeks; she truly gave me confidence.
“And now for our next performance, we’ll have a dance number. Here’s Jita,” the principal said.
Jita waited for the lights to dim to walk out onto the stage. She then proceeded to dance along to the upbeat music surrounding the audience. Every part of her body outstretched with her silk colors swiftly flying around her. Not only was her body into the dance, but also her face. She genuinely enjoyed her time in the spotlight, painting a picture with her fluorescent body. At times, I caught her eyes sticking to the same spot after a twirl, most likely to focus on Dotterel.
I smiled my tiny smile, trying to focus on something other than my fear of being next.
Lucas
----
Once Jita had completed her dance, Dotterel erupted with whistles. We cheered at her dance and she bowed joyfully, winking down at Dotty. He proceeded to clap a little louder. I laughed at him and nudged his shoulder to basically pat him on the back for his good job at finding her. It was an impressive dance and a very good talent compared to the other strange things being showcased. I had almost reached the point of impatience on waiting for The Bopsteady Boys.
The RainWing dancer and the principal traded places as he came to announce the last performance before the band. One more to watch, Jita’s friend with a violin. Hopefully it wasn’t long and I wouldn’t be too rude in my judgement.
“Alright, we are almost done, students,” the principal stated with almost a hint of relief. A couple of dragons in the back whooped for they knew the Boys were next. “Our next performance is a musical number. With her violin, now presenting Evana.”
The audience clapped like routine. It took me a moment to register that we were clapping for I was focused on the dragoness’ name: unique and strangely lovely. The lights had dimmed while I watched a silhouette walk across the stage and sit.
The spotlight appeared and shone upon a Nightwing beauty.
Never have I ever seen a more beautiful dragon in my life. Sure, Chila was hot, but not beautiful. Her scales were a soft black-blue, much like the midnight sky. Her wings captured the night sky against her dark violet background. As I focused on her sleek, perfect face, her eyes lit up with a light blue that would put an IceWing’s scales to shame. Every part of her seemed too magical to be real, I almost clawed myself to be sure I wasn’t dreaming.
I was stricken with fascination; how have I never seen her before?
In her ebony claws, she had a pure white violin and bow with blue spiral designs. She set it up against her neck, lifted the bow and began to play. Once she started, I was a little shocked. She played considerably fast, not slow and boring like most violin music. Every note she strung blended with a sweet, smooth melody. At no point did the dead wood screech against her talons. The song began to speed up, the strings were hit sharply but naturally and with grace. Her eyes were closed peacefully, like she could do this in her sleep. As she stroked the notes, her body swayed along, much like Jita’s dancing before. This music truly mesmerized me, not the way that the Bopsteady Boys did, but in a way that made me never want to cheer and simply listen.
The siren song was complete and the audience laid silent for a moment, but soon erupted into applause. I did not hesitate to clap, and I so badly wanted to whistle and cheer. But I shifted my eyes to Dotterel and Bighorn. They didn’t look as starstruck as I did, but I didn’t want to give away my sudden interest in this mystery dragoness.
I looked back up to her, she blushed, bowed her head, and walked off stage. My gaze followed her movement as I watched her face switch from a peaceful gaze to amazement. While everything was prepping for the band, my mind had trailed off with her.
Evana... How can I meet this intriguing girl?
Evana
----
When I went past the curtain, I let out a huge breath and my face turned to fire as I smiled massively. I lifted up my claw, and it shook as if it were freezing but my entire body flushed with heat. All those dragons, they cheered for me, not for the shadow I hid behind every day. There was no darkening whispers from Death during any of it, and it felt amazing. Out of the corner of my ear, I heard a squeal of joy. I set my violin down in the case as Jita came running up to me and grabbed my talons.
“Sweet moons, Evana!” she whispered with excitement. “That was amazing! Spectacular...fantastic-”
“You’ll run out of adjectives if you don’t stop being so nice,” I teased her with a giggle.
“But you so deserve it!” Jita replied. “You have some serious skills on that violin, girl.”
“Yes, she does,” an unfamiliar voice spoke in the shadows of back stage. We both turned our heads to see a tall rich red SkyWing with black and yellow paint on his face. It was the lead singer of the Bopsteady Boys, and behind him was the rest of the band setting up for their performance. They shot glances over at me that was very uncomfortable.
“I don’t think it could match us, though. We’ll make sure to wake them up,” he said, sharply as a knife. He then shoved past me as he walked onstage.
He stabbed me right in the stomach with his words. What a rude thing to say, especially coming from such a popular dragon. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, with lots of fame comes lots of pride and shallowness. Still, there was no need to put lemon juice in my eyes. My face gloomed as my head fell to the ground. But I quickly lifted my head to see Jita’s scales shifting from orange to dark green: irritation to disgust.
Jita scoffed out loud. “What a jerk! I always thought they were cool, but now…” Her wings turned to a violent shade of red, “...now they think they’re cooler than everyone! No one talks to my friend like that!” she tried to quietly shout to the band, but they had gone off to perform.
“I-It’s okay, Jita,” I tried to calm her down before she spat her venom out. “There’s no use trying to fight them.” It felt defeating to tell her to stop, even though I appreciated it, but I knew we could do nothing. They were the most popular students in school, and if anyone even tried to spit fire at them (literally or figuratively) the whole school would defend them.
Her red scales toned down to a sea foam green. “But Evana...you can’t just let dragons hurt you like that,” she waved her claw out toward the band, who began to play their loud music.
I slowly walked over to my violin and closed it into the case. Even though she was right, I didn’t know how to defend myself even though I was a dragon like everyone else. “We better go now,” I sadly spoke.
“Come on, Eva,” Jita persisted, putting her wing around my shoulder. A shiver of guilt went down my spine. “How come you won’t defend yourself? I mean, I can do that since I’m your friend, but I won’t always be around the corner to fight for you. What gives?”
An fourth moon began to form at the top of my throat. I flinched at her words, all which made me feel very ashamed for what a coward I was. So cowardly, I couldn’t even face my only friend in the world.
Suddenly, a dark presence arrived and I could hear the insufferable voice of Death. Why don’t you defend yourself, Evana? it asked.
I flinched again at the question. Sometimes I didn’t know, but now at this moment I did. Wiping a single tear from my cheek, I turned to face Jita, her scales a blue mixed with gray, and I couldn’t blame her for those feelings.
I spoke gently in the vibrating atmosphere. “Because I have nothing to defend. I am nothing... just a string in the dark.”
Now, Jita was a full shade of cobalt blue and purple: both sad and guilty. She remained silent, even though I knew she wanted to say something. I didn’t want her to be upset, so I lightly touched her shoulder and did my best to form a smile. “I’ll see you later, Jita. Thank you for everything you’ve done.” Picking up my case, I walked out the stage doors feeling more and more like a ghost by the minute.
My school day goes accordingly: Pyrrhian History, Science, Music, Lunch, Math, Draconic Arts, and Writing. I enjoy most that occurs, but I usually remain silent. Mainly because Jita isn’t in most of my classes. Never once did I have the courage to talk to other students, considering they had someone to talk to already. But she was with me in History and Draconic Arts, luckily I’m never bored with her.
The talent show had taken up the morning classes, so afterwards all the students started walking to lunch. I put my violin in my locker before heading to the cafeteria. Even though I usually met up with Jita, I was timid considering our conversation earlier, so I was afraid of facing her and what she thought of me. But I had no one else to sit with, so I had to talk to her no matter how afraid I was.
Entering the cafeteria was a nightmare no matter what kind of day I began with. Anyone with claustrophobia would never get in line for food. A fair amount of students would often go out hunt if the lines were too long for them to wait. At times I would contemplate if the Bopsteady Boy band of bozos played louder than the dragons that cheered for them in the cafeteria. Thankfully, small sheepish me can find shortcuts in between the crowds. I managed to meet up with Jita in line for wild boar, and she seemed to uphold her cheery disposition.
“Hey,” she said softly to me. “How are you doing? Are you good?” Her voice had never sounded so quiet before.
For a moment, I actually thought about it. Sure, the most popular dragon insulted me and my talent, but it didn’t seem to graze as much when I thought on it. I had been bullied before in the past with far harsher exaggerations. But I showed my talent, I had fun playing the music, and it was so fulfilling to hear a whole school full of dragons clap for me.
“Yeah, I’m good. Better now, anyway,” I reassured.
Jita’s hazel eyes seemed to pass a sigh of relief. “Good, I’m glad you are.” She replied with another smile. “You want to sit with me and Dotterel today? I’m sure he won’t shut up about our awesomeness today.”
I giggled and said “sure” while we slowly moved up the line.
Lucas
----
Bighorn and Dotterel kept splurring out facts and comments on the Boy’s song from earlier. I remained unusually quiet. As we walked to the cafeteria, I kept turning my head at the sight of dark scales in the hallways. Nope...not her...definitely not her. Maybe it was silly of me to be head over tail for this stranger so suddenly. I had a similar experience of meeting Loran, my last cheating girlfriend. I learned the hard way that appearances could be deceiving. Dotty and Bighorn seemed to have forgotten I was there until they caught me glancing behind me.
“So Luke, what did you think of the talent show?” Dotty asked while nudging my shoulder.
I jerked my head quickly and nervously thought of a response. “Oh uh...I thought Jita did a good job. And the Bopsteady Boys were fantastic of course…” I paused for a second before deciding to mention Evana. “And Jita’s friend: Evana...I thought she was pretty good too.” I looked down on the hall floor quickly before they caught my blush.
Dotterel replied first, “Yeah, I was kind of surprised how fast she was playing. Violins are usually boring, but I wasn’t bored, surprisingly.”
Bighorn shrugged a little. “Eh, it was cool, I guess. But she was just an opener for the Bop Boys!” He put his fist into the air while Dotty reached to fist bump. Dotty put his fist up next to me while I repeated the fist bump with a forced smile.
We finally entered the cafeteria. Me and Bighorn went into the roast lizard/hawk line. He brought up a topic I actually wanted to talk about without stress: Tailball. A game as awesome as that was stress-free, at least when you are having a good time (which is always for me.)
“Coach told me we’re getting our new uniforms for the tournament next week,” Bighorn informed me.
“Will they come with new tail stabilizers?” I asked. In the game of Tailball, our tails and heads are the main features we use in the game. Being a SandWing, I require a tail stabilizer to cover my barb while any IceWings that join in need to have it overboard (which is why many of them don’t.) Bighorn nodded to confirm the stabilizers. We were approaching the end of the line, ready to get our food soon.
My keen eyes shifted ever so slightly to the next line, where I caught sight of black-blue scales.
There she was: The mystery dragoness, Evana.
She was standing with Dotterel’s girlfriend, chatting and giggling like a pair of lilies. They had gotten their food and were going to sit down.
“Lucas, come on!” Bighorn said. I snapped back into focus and walked up behind him to get my lizards. “What were you staring at?” he asked me.
I could feel the suckerpunch of fear coming on. “Nothing…” I started, but then looked back over to see the girls sitting down with Dotty. “I just saw Dotty over there, could we go over by them?” I asked, almost sheepishly.
“You can if you want, I’m gonna head over with the rest of the team,” Bighorn said. I let out a sigh of relief in my mind.
“Alright then, I’ll see you later,” I replied. Bighorn nodded at me with his charming smile that could win over anyone and headed over to the team table. I took my tray of lizards and slowly walked over to Dotty, collecting myself together before entering the bubble.
“Hey Dotty, what’s up?” I casually said as I approached him. All their eyes– Dotty’s, Jita’s, and Evana’s silver blue eyes –shot to me.
“Luke, my guy! You come to join the party?” Dotterel said with cool excitement.
“Is that cool with you? Don’t mean to crash the party…”
“Nah, come on, sit down,” Dotty set his claw on the seat next to him to confirm his spot. “You remember Lucas, right Jita?” he said to the RainWing across from him.
“Of course I remember!” Jita answered, welcoming me with a bright smile. “But I don’t believe you’ve met Evana, have you?” She spread her talons out at her NightWing friend next to her, who was intently staring at me with her glowing eyes.
“No, I haven’t,” I said. I kept trying to pound my head mentally while I sat down.
Come on, Lucas, get your head in the game. Talking to girls isn’t as difficult as it used to be. Just say something.
“So hi, I’m Lucas,” I started out well. “Pleasure to meet you...Evana, right?” I knew it was right, but I didn’t want to sound like her name was burned into my brain already.
Evana nodded with an adorable smile, possibly trying not to make it awkward. “Yes, that’s right,” she replied. Her voice was as shy as an angel’s. I had to blink and make a slight adjustment to my head before I looked too creepy while looking at her. She seemed to have done the same thing, and at that moment I wondered what she thought of me.
Evana
----
I don’t usually notice the boys at school. One time, when I was a freshman I had a little crush on a IceWing drummer (not the Bopsteady Boys drummer of course.) It ended quickly after I realized he had a girlfriend. Other than that time, I’ve merely accepted that they were there in the school with me as my classmates. Death had never taunted me about it, but I have a feeling that it will now.
We walked over and sat across from Dotterel who waved us down. And he immediately blurted out the pet names. “Hey babe! You did awesome today, loved watching every second of it,” Dotterel said happily while reaching for Jita’s talons.
“Aww, thanks Dotty,” Jita said, her face turning pink. She squeezed his talons too.
Then Dotterel turned his face to me. “And so were you, Evana. That violin playing was legit,” he said.
I slightly blushed; he was the first to actually comment on my playing, not including Jita and that toad of a SkyWing. “Thanks... you two are the first to think so,” I said. But I was late to realize that wasn’t the right thing to say.
Jita looked down for a moment before looking back to Dotterel. I could see the sigh of disappointment in her eyes. Dotterel spoke quickly before the awkward silence arrived. “Really? A bunch of my pals agreed that you did really good. Did you write that music yourself?” he responded.
Based on the kind tone in his voice, I could tell he connected the lines and I appreciated Dotterel’s gentle-dragon nature. “Yeah I did. I never said, but it’s called ‘Shadows in Flight.’”
Before anyone could reply, a Sandwing came up from behind Dotterel. “Hey Dotty, what’s up?” he said. Dotterel turned around to see who it was and smiled.
Right when my eyes were focused on him, I was a little stunned. SandWing boys were normally handsome, but this one... this one was hot. The desert sun must’ve sent a ray to his egg before he hatched. His scales were such a bright yellow, he was almost white. The sails on his back was a dusky brown edged with a darker brown. Everything about him shouted “I’m a handsome dragon and I know it.” But his eyes– gracious, the eyes –they were the most vibrant of aqua blue, almost as if the ocean wave stained them.
I blinked and shifted my head to Jita. I had to grab ahold of myself before any kind of affection formed. There were lots of dragons in this school that had as much handsomeness as this one. Better to get to know them before you head down the path of “crush.” Take the Bopsteady Boys singer for example. Almost every girl in school would die to be with that painted face. Of course, he turned out to be a bragging jerk.
“Is that cool with you? Don’t mean to crash the party…” the SandWing said. I think Dotterel said his name was Luke...
“Nah, come on, sit down,” Dotterel replied. This Luke seemed to have requested to sit down with us. “You remember Lucas, right Jita?” he said to Jita, whose head was in her claws watching with interest. So his name was Lucas. A strange name for a SandWing, but interesting.
“Of course I remember!” Jita said.“But I don’t believe you’ve met Evana, have you?” She glanced at me with her smile bright and the color gold lining around her eyes. My eyes widened, trying to hide my emotions better.
“No, I haven’t,” Lucas said. Although I couldn’t find his appearance in my memory, I had heard that name before somewhere... He finally sat down with a small bowl of green lizards and introduced himself. “So hi, I’m Lucas. Pleasure to meet you, Evana right?” he asked, pointing his talon at me.
The way he smiled at me made my head spin. “Yes, that’s right,” I nodded and tried smiling like he did to me: friendly and (hopefully) not awkward.
Lucas’ smile grew, which I thought was unusual. “I have to say, your violin playing was amazing earlier, I really enjoyed it,” he said.
My shadowed slouch that only Jita could fix up straightened. Yes, Jita and Dotterel said the same kind things. But the way he said it was more meaningful; it was genuineness from a stranger, and the very opposite of the singing SkyWing’s words.
I blushed and said, “Th-Thanks, I’m glad you liked it.” I smiled a little lighter and he smiled back.
Lucas quickly tossed a lizard into his mouth, which gave me a reason to take a bite from my boar. It also gave me a chance to see Jita and Dotterel exchanging specific glances at each other, talking through their eyes and Jita’s scales. She was now gold and pink all over. I realized the situation was getting awkward and slightly embarrassing, so I tried to think of something to say.
“Um, are you sure we haven’t met before?” I thought of what I was thinking earlier and tried to clear it up. “I feel like I’ve heard your name before... what classes do you have?” I asked, a little more curious now.
Lucas tossed another lizard into his mouth before he responded. “Well... I got Draconic Arts, Science, Art, and then here, lunch-” he added a chuckle, “-then Math, History, and then Field.”
Caged birds started flying inside my stomach. “Wait, do you have Miss Lillova for Science?” I asked, acting a little hopeful.
Lucas’ eyes widened, with a fairly hopeful expression as well. “Yes,” he said and left it hanging like he knew I was going to keep investigating.
“And do you have Math with Problemsolver?” I asked again.
“Yes, I do!” Lucas said with toned down excitement. I didn’t quite understand it, but I was with it. “Huh, then how come I’ve never seen you?” he asked a little confused.
I shrugged my shoulders; I wouldn’t forget seeing a SandWing like him. “Well I do sit in the back of those two classes, and I don’t really look around at anyone else,” I tried explaining without sounding weird or antisocial (even though I pretty much was.)
He reached to scratch his head while he took another lizard and I took another bite out of my boar. “Ha, I guess I never look around either,” he chuckled. “I don’t think I’d forget seeing you…” Lucas quickly turned to scratch his nose with his wing, but I thought I saw some pink powder his cheek.
This observation confused as I took the last bite out of my boar. The awkward silence began approaching; now was the time to talk to the fully pink Jita and hopefully get an explanation. Dotterel started doing the same with Lucas.
“Alright, why the long silence?” I solidly asked to Jita.
She lifted her head from her claw and giggled. “Is it really not obvious?” she said under her breath to me. I shook my head, flexing my brow to emphasize my confusion. She giggled even more, “Nevermind, you’ll figure it out.”
The school bell went off, marking the end of lunch. But math was next, and I had it with Lucas.
Lucas
----
Wings started spreading in my chest every time Evana smiled at me. Right after I said I wouldn’t forget seeing her, I felt a little embarrassed when Dotterel waved his talon to come talk to him.
“Dude, are you... flirting? With her?” he asked. The way he said “her” made me twinge, as if he was not impressed with Evana or me.
“Why?” I asked sharply. “What’s wrong with her? And I wasn’t flirting.” I said it under my breath so the girls couldn’t hear me.
Dotty simply chuckled; he knew I was lying. “Sure... well, there’s nothing really wrong with her, as far as I know. It’s just that…” Dotterel looked to Evana and then to me, letting out a small sigh. “You know what? Nevermind. But where did this sudden interest come from?”
Before I could even think about what to say, the bell went off. I had to say something, though. “Th-There is no interest,” I lied. “I’m just trying to be nice.” Dotty simply nodded his head with his eyes raised, as if to say “yeah right.”
Well, maybe I should still be nice. Evana had Math next, with me. Maybe I should go to class with her...
Evana began getting up, slinging her school bag over her neck. “Alright, I’ll see you later Jita,” she said without looking at me. She began walking out of the cafeteria. “See ya girl,” Jita replied.
I slowly stood up, unsure of what to do. Should I follow her? What will she think of me if I do? Even if I did go with her, I still had to make it look casual. Dotterel was still there with Jita, lovingly embracing before they parted.
“Uh...Bye Dotty,” I said while rolling my eyes at them. My exit was timed perfectly, for Evana had just made the turn down the hall, her head slightly turning to me. I made no effort to catch up for her pacing was slow and I didn’t want to risk any suspicious movement in front of Dotty, or anyone for that matter.
Finally out of the cafeteria, I started down the hall a couple dragon lengths behind Evana. My eyes were glued to her movement, slow and steady like she was not in any rush to win the race. Her head was centered in the distance to the locker wall, possibly heading to her locker before heading to class.
A wave of gasps and feminine giggles rushed to my ears. Behind me, someone popular paraded with a crowd of fangirls. I turned around to see the lead singer of the Bopsteady Boys, no painted face but the same charming smile. He had a large group of girls from all tribes surrounding him, so I quickly stepped out of the way while I watched them pass.
The group’s path diverted its course toward the lockers. No, not to the lockers... to Evana. She opened her locker and grabbed a notebook. When she realized who was behind her, she swiftly pivoted with fear filling her eyes.
My eyes squinted in confusion. What was going on between those two?
Evana
----
Just when I thought I could have a better day without them, the sharp blade of bullies decided to cut me once again.
All I did was open my locker to get my math notebook. I turn around to head to class when I saw the charmed red face of the SkyWing singer raising his eyes at me, his girlfriends giggling.
“Well hello there, fiddle,” his snake-like voice slid. Cruel laughter rang in my ears from the simple-minded girls. I clenched my notebook tightly.
“So have you finished forming that geek band yet?” his voice stung. More laughter followed. Heat swelled up in my chest and I swallowed nervously. My heart tried even harder to break out of me.
This was Death, taunting me in real life with real words.
I attempted to escape, walking backwards. “I-I really should get going.”
The SkyWing blocked me with his orange wing. “Oh, do you have somewhere to be? What’s your next class?” Suddenly, a scarlet tail whacked my notebook out of my claws and onto the floor, making me gasp. Jita was right again. I needed to learn how to defend myself before I really got hurt.
“Ooh math,” he said with forced interest as he flipped through my notebook. “I bet that’s your favorite subject,” he said while closing my notebook. Once again the girls giggled like a rehearsal.
I had to try my best to get out of this. My voice shaky, I spoke: “G-Give that back...please...SkyWing.” I tried to be forceful while still remaining a shadow. Plus I didn’t know his name, so possibly in the wake of all this, he would say.
He looked up at me with an abrupt expression. His eyes squeezed with either anger or confusion. Gracious, I wish other dragon’s emotions were as easy to read as RainWings. But from what I could see, he had no intention of giving it back. The girls around him whispered familiar things. Words that rang every time I heard them.
The SkyWing scoffed. “How do you not know my name?! Have you been living under a rock?” he said, his pride sounding damaged.
I understood the insult, but I decided not to take it that way. “No, I’ve been living in a small house less than a mile from the Ditch.” I nervously pointed to the west while everyone’s eyes followed my talon. They all seemed confused, their faces unable to collect the pieces.
“Hey, is there a problem here?” From the midst of the loud silence, a voice from the side came in between me and the populars. I looked over to see Lucas with a defiant expression directed at my torturers.
The SkyWing showed no sign of panic, but I could feel it. “No...no problem at all.” Some of the girls started to leave with awkward movement.
“Then you don’t mind giving that back to her?” Lucas calmly asked, pointing at my notebook.
“Of course not! We were just bonding,” he charmed. He quickly stuck it in front of me and started to walk off. “For your information,” he stated. “My name’s Ajax.” He retreated into the empty wings of his side-chicks.
Lucas glared at the group as they left, and then approached me with his warmth. “Are you alright?” he asked in concern.
My eyes fluttered nervously, but my heart began to slow back to a normal pace. “Y-Yeah I’m alright,” I managed to say.
“Well, the bell is about to ring. Let’s get to class before we’re late,” he said. He slowly started off to Problemsolver’s math class, waiting for me to follow. I had forgotten that we had the same class, which gave me both relief and fear. There would finally be someone that “knew” me in a lonely class... but that scared me. I grabbed my notebook, closed my locker, and followed behind him, too unsure and afraid to look into his eyes.
|-|Part Two=
|-|Part Three=
</tabber> 
Category:Content (Negora1)
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Genre (Romance)
Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon)