SURVIVE (THRIVE: Book Two)

Chapter 27- Words

Coming into class today is awkward. Pearl and Aria seem completely on edge, and everything that was going on is swirling through my mind like a twister. I have no idea how I am supposed to focus, not that it really matters anyway. As we all sit down, Magnus rushes in, nearly late for class. As Miss Ashley gets ready and stands before us all, he turns around and waves at me. I force a smile and wave back, but even an act as simple as that has me feeling stressed and guilty.

"Has anyone seen Jewel?" Miss Ashley asks as she looks over all of us. Gregory suddenly raises his hand.

"Her parents told me she was going to be out today. I think she's sick," he mentions. Miss Ashley nods as she looks over the rest of us.

"Alright then, let's get started. Today, we are going to be talking about the modern world beyond the sea. As you all know, our ancestors were washed ashore here after a cruise ship was wrecked in 2038. As our people began to settle into our community, they left behind the technological advancements that they had once known. Furthermore..." Class feels like it is going to stretch on forever. When Miss Ashley finally dismisses us, I felt like I'm getting a migraine.

"You know, normally I would be excited learning about this stuff, but I don't think I heard half of what she said." Pearl sighs as she slumps over her desk.

"I don't even know what to do now. Do we just go home?" Aria asks anxiously.

"I honestly have no clue." I state exhaustedly "I don't know if I can sit around with nothing but my thoughts for the rest of the day." I sigh. As I look up, I see Magnus coming up to us.

"Ladies." he says kindly and Pearl and Aria both grumble "Is everything okay?" he asks, concerned.

"Tired again," I state as I sit up. Suddenly, I notice that everyone around the class seems excited talking about something.

"What's going on?" Aria asks curiously.

"Oh, Martin told me that there's a rumor going around about another Eternal in town," Magnus states. Suddenly, my heart begins pounding.

"What? That's crazy." I state defensively.

"I don't know, it might just be something stupid that someone made up." he explains "Apparently, a group of guys in a bar were going on and on about some girl who had powers fighting them out of nowhere. It seems really weird." As I hear this, I think about how I had defended myself against those guys the other day. I shouldn't have used my ability on them, but I didn't have a choice considering what they could have done.

"Maybe they were just a bunch of idiot drunks," Pearl states as she rolls her head to the side. I can tell she's trying to deflect the story to protect me.

"Yea, it sounds bogus," Aria adds as she stands up, reaching her arms above her head and stretching.

"Maybe, but that would be pretty cool if it was true," Magnus says, seeming intrigued by the idea.

"Oh yeah?" I ask curiously.

"Hell yea, it's been a long time since one has shown up without being born into the family. It's really cool to think that someone like us could be one of them, you know?" he explains excitedly.

"Well, I guess you're right about that," Aria states as she turns around to look at Alex, who at this point is asleep, drooling on his desk. "On another note, should we wake him up?" she asks as she turns to look at him.

"Nah," I state as I stand up.

"So, are you up to anything tonight?" Magnus asks hopefully. I know that he wants to hang out, but I'm far too anxious to talk to him today. As I think for a moment, I look nervously at Pearl and Aria, then back to Magnus.

"Um, I think I'm getting a migraine. I should probably just go home and sleep it off." I sigh.

"Oh, okay." he sighs disappointedly "Can I walk you home?" he asks. How could I say no? We walk home quietly, holding hands the whole way. I feel sad that I'm not going to be seeing him tonight, but at the same time, I'm just not ready to tell him yet. I need another day to think and clearly plan out what I am going to say. Once he hears the truth, he'll hopefully understand why I didn't tell him sooner. It's not exactly easy news to just blurt out.

When we make it to my front door, Aria and Pearl go inside to give us a moment alone. Magnus gives me a hug and gently kisses me, making me feel warm and calm for the first time today. After he waves goodbye, I lean against the door, feeling a perfect mix of happiness and guilt all at the same time. Suddenly, the door opens behind me, making me fall backward onto the ground.

"What the hell?" I ask angrily as I rub the back of my head.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you were still out here." Nanea states as she looks down at me, holding her hand out to help me up.

"Yeah, I was just... I don't even know." I sigh "Where are you going?"

"Roxie wanted to talk to me about what you told me yesterday." she says nervously "Hopefully it's good news."

"Oh, okay." I sigh "Do you want me to come with you?" I ask worriedly.

"No, that's okay. If there are any updates, I'll make sure you know as soon as possible, alright?" she explains kindly. I nod in agreement as she goes "I'll see you later tonight."

When I walk into my room, Pearl and Aria are both laying on their beds with their arms over their eyes. It seems like they aren't feeling too well either.

"Well, you two look like shit," I state as I drop my things, slowly laying down in bed.

"Thank you for noticing." Aria states sarcastically "Can we just be done with everything for a while? I feel like I need to sleep for a day or two."

"I wish it was that easy." I sigh as I cover my face with my pillow "I can't believe there are rumors floating around about me. That was the last thing I needed to hear today."

"About that," Pearl says as she rolls onto her side "Why'd you decide not to see Magnus tonight? I thought you said that you were going to talk to him soon," she asks curiously.

"Don't start." I state bluntly "I need to think over what I'm going to say first. If I hung out with him, I might say something stupid." I explain nervously.

"Well, you're probably not wrong about that." Aria states as she rolls onto her stomach "Do you want some help figuring it out?" she asks.

"Please."