It's Just Magic

Coming Clean

All the next morning Edendir was in a bad mood. Dylan didn't arrive until lunchtime, Roxie was going around the class amazing everyone with her deductive skills and Olly was reviewing some film footage he had. Everybody else milled around in their respective friendship groups whilst Edendir sat alone, bored out of his mind. Even magic had lost its appeal.

At lunch Edendir decided not to eat. He sat out of the sunlight, hidden out of sight behind a tree. He was burning symbols into the dust, ancient language that enabled him to be in two places at once. Anywhere those symbols were carved he could be and anywhere he was stood before he could be. Say, for example, he were inside the school building but wanted to get outside. He could stay sat down in his chair but at the same time be running around the school field, swinging from tree branches and walking across the pond again.

"Hey," a voice said. Edendir didn't need to look up to know who it was.

"Boyd," Edendir said coolly. The American sat down beside the elf and glanced across at him, smiling amiably. When Edendir didn't respond the smile dropped.

"Look," he said. "I know you're mad at me because of Dylan..."

"I'm not mad at you," Edendir frowned, looking up at last. "Why would you assume that?"

"Because you've been treating me weirdly and you were all frosty yesterday," Boyd said, mirroring the frown. 

"I'm not mad at you, no," Edendir continued. "Dylan, yes."

"Why? What did he do?"

Edendir fell silent again and continued to swirl patterns in the dirt. Boyd coughed and when that didn't work he nudged Edendir with his shoulder.

"What did he do?" he repeated.

"I don't have many friends here," Edendir said in a rush of hurt rage, "and Dylan was the first person to show me any kindness. Roxie was the second and now they're both leaving me behind. Moving on with their lives. Dylan has you and Roxie has other friends." The elf sighed and sank further down the tree until his head was resting on a thick, sturdy root. "I just want to keep people I can trust close to me, that's all."

"If Dyl's being distant then I'll get him to speak to you," Boyd offered. Edendir shook his head quickly.

"No," the elf said firmly. "Then it'll seem like I'm afraid to confront him. I may be an elf with little knowledge of human tradition but I know common decency."

The second the words were out of his mouth Edendir wished they were back in again. He clapped a hand over his mouth and looked up at Boyd in horror. To his surprise Boyd seemed unfazed.

"Dyl talks a lot," he shrugged. "I already know all about you. That's why I was nice to you." A sudden smile lit up his face. "You're also quite a sassy guy. So am I. I think we'll get along nicely."

Edendir smiled slightly and held out his hand, arm awkwardly across his face due to the angle. "Edendir Jones," he said. 

"Boyd Miller," the American replied, flashing that white smile again. "Jones ain't your real surname, is it?"

"No," Edendir replied, lowering his arm. "I was never given one, but if it were to be anything it would probably be Cinna. My mother's name."

"Edendir Cinna," Boyd echoed, rolling the name around his mouth. He smiled, but not as brightly. "That sounds good. Now all you need to do is hack the school system and change it."

"I couldn't do that," Edendir said. "I'm in enough trouble as it is. I'll stick with being sarcastic, thanks."

"Sarcasm?" Boyd guessed.