Untouched

Chapter Fourteen

•Strawberries•

Kit was quite interesting.

Not even in a mean way.

She was the most interesting person Acadia had met in a while. Enthusiastic, passionate, Kit was genuinely nice person.

"So, I have a proposition," Wade called out, silencing any other conversation.

   "I think..." He stood up. "... That it would be a great idea if me, Kit, and Dai joined you."

   Acadia could only stare at him.

   But then her gaze turned to the others in the room. Her group had the exact same expression as her, except for Greyson, who looked a little bit exited with his surprise. Kit looked a bit taken aback too, like she didn't know what was going on, and a little bit betrayed.

"Excuh-USE me?"

Jess' sassy voice came through the crowd.

"We should join forces." He practically beamed, oblivious to the shock around him.

"Uhm, yeah, no thank you," Acadia stepped in.

"Come on, you have to at least think about it!" He was growing desperate.

But why is this so important to him?

She glanced at Noel, who shot a look at Jess, who looked at Greyson, who's gaze returned to Acadia.

   Noel furrowed his brow.

   "Well, I guess we could think about it," he suggested.

   "Great! Then we'll join up!" In reality, Wade was quite a persistent person.

   Jess put a palm to her forehead.

   "No that's not what we- I didn't mean- nevermind."

   An awkward silence ensued.

  "Now let's eat!" Kit called out, slicing through the tension in the room like the knife for cutting strawberries.

•••

   The coffee that they brought was amazing. It was from Victorillion, which produces some of the best beans you can get now of days.

   Everyone was helping to prepare breakfast, but Jess and Acadia were drinking their coffee and talking with Dai.

   "So, anyways, I wanna know the gossip from Victorillion," Acadia gushed, and Jess rolled her eyes. Some people never change, she fondly thought.

   It turned out that she was from the south side of Victorillion, the same city that the four of them were from before they were shipped off to finishing school. That only happens when there are students that are exceptional at their primary schools, and, everyone but The three of them were. Apparently Kit was close, though, but a unexpected death in the family kept her. That's the kind of thing you don't hear about anymore, even hundreds of years ago when the Union was not even established.

   "Well, was Crescent Darnell and Carswell Thorne there when you were?" Dai continued.

   "Yeah, they were totally all over each other and would not admit it!" Acadia was totally into this conversation.

   "Well, he gave her a promise ring! It's the one item that she's keeping before she moves to third stage."

   "Wait so like, she already found a partner? In the first half of the second stage?"