Forevermore ~Gaara~

Chapter 8

The group sat as normal in the library. Kaita munched on her lunch while flipping through a book and pushing Paku away from her. In all honesty, no one really knew if he actually had feelings for her or not, but it was entertaining to watch anyway. "If you make me get anything on this tome, your head is going in a jar." Kaita threatened straight faced.

"Accept my love and there will be more than mustard to worry about staining your tome, dearest Kaita!"

"I need an adult..." Honiji let out in a small voice. Gaara had covered is mouth and looked away, but still patted her on the back in small comfort.

"Come on, man, don't corrupt the kid." Kenchi shoved a tomato in his mouth.

"I'm not a kid." Honiji whinned in responce.

Gaara watched them shoot back and forth with a small smile. Although they were picking on her, Honiji seemed to enjoy the time she spent with her new found friends. When had he began to think about her like this? Yesterday he was worried about her all day. He knew it would be hard being in a new place, but she seemed to have made a new way in this school. Her smile was beautiful as she laughed at Kaita, straight faced, tossing Paku to the other end of the library.

However, Kenchi saw the young leaders soft expression aimed at the blonde doll like girl and saw red. There is a hatred that runs deep in his heart. Someone once said that his casting abilities truly formed after he first started to recognize his ture feelings. The ice he conjures comes from the heart. Oh how he wishes he could send his ice out right now and cover him in the sharp cold pain of his heart.

A bright gust of wind interupted his thougts of hate, which he now realized were making frost form on his tightly clentched fists. From the side, he could see Kaita glaring at him from the corner of her eye. "What's with you frosty?" Paku asked, noticing the frost on his friends hands. He put his hand over his for a moment to melt it and then took it away. Even though Kenchi is a walking freezer, even he feels pain when ice is on his skin.

"None of your business, Jack Daniels."

"..... Okay, I'll bite. Why?" Kaita asked from over top her tome.

"They just came out with a fire brand."

Both raised their heads a little as they showed their understanding.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me Honi." Paku cuts in to change the subject. "What kind of caster are you?"

Honiji stiffened immeadiatly and her face grew pale. Gaara noticed her reaction and furrowed his brow. It seemed like a very natural question. The only students allowed into Desert Sun Academy were casters, and smart ones at that. He knew Honiji was smart, he was the one that handled her transcripts. But he had never heard what her specialty magic was. She sat with her head down and eyes shifting back and forth. "Umm... It's ah... it's not really important, is it?" She stammered out.

Kenchi and Paku glanced at each other quickly and Kaita cocked an eye brow at. They had never met someone who didn't feel comfortable sharing their magic. "Honiji, we're just curious." Paku says. "I mean, you know all of our magic. I'm a fire caster, Kenchi is a walking snowman, Kaita makes the east wind blow, and if Gaara wasn't a ninja he'd be the best damn sand caster I've ever seen."

Kaita thumbed through her book like this was an everyday conversation. "The property of ones magic often says something about what kind of person they are. It would be interesting to see what aspect of your personality the magic has latched onto."

Honiji fisted her skirt and looed at her knees. "I'm... a light caster."

"Whoa! A real light caster?!" Paku jumpped at tis revelation. "You have to demonstrate! I've never seen a light casters magic up close!"

But Honiji quickly shook her head. Gaara was starting to get concerned about the face she was making and the pain that flashed in her eyes. "I... I have a real bad headache today, the light would just make it worse."

"Just a small demonstration, come on." Paku was not letting up.

Finally, Honiji let out a breath and turned to look at a lamp on the corner of the counter. She closed her eyes and the light began to flicker and dim. When she opened her eyes the light returned to normal.

Paku seemed over the moon after the minimal magic she produced. Kaita, however, was a little more aware at this point that she was hiding something. There was a reason she was keeping her magic at a minimum. Usually, she doesn't poke her nose into affairs that don't involve her. This was a special case though.

While Honiji was distracted with Paku and Kenchi, Kaita leaned over to talk with Gaara. "Did you catch that?"

"She's mystery on her own. That only adds to it."

"You want to marry this girl?" He gave her a look. "Then solve the case. That's a wall she's built. It needs to come down."