The Fairest Stars

Chapter Eighteen: 'This love I feel.'

Kael had probably been glaring, to be fair. Some other guy hugging Isis wasn’t a sight he liked to see.

‘Oh, yes.’ Isis looked at Kael. ‘Harry, this is Kael, Kael, this is Harry.’ She glanced at Harry. ‘Kael’s playing Mercutio in the school play.’

‘Is he?’ Harry frowned as he looked at him. ‘You’re the one who got kicked out of private school, aren’t you?’ he asked.

Kael raised an eyebrow. ‘Yeah. Why?’

‘My mum’s friend works at that school,’ he said. ‘Apparently you were drunk and trying to impress some girl.’

Kael shrugged. ‘That’s pretty much true. Only I don’t really know why I was trying to impress that girl.’

‘Was it Rochelle?’ inquired Isis, remembering remarkably well. ‘I remember you mentioning her.’

‘It was,’ he said. ‘She was snogging her boyfriend in full view of us all. I was pissed off, as well as being drunk. It wasn’t a good mix.’

Isis laughed. ‘Oh dear, Kael. What did you do to impress her?’

Kael actually flushed. ‘Well...’

Isis raised an eyebrow expectantly.

‘I danced  topless on the roof, waving a Grecian bust around above my head,’ Kael admitted, quietly.

Isis burst out laughing. ‘A Grecian bust?! What the hell, Kael?!’ She started laughing again, holding her ribs and complaining that they hurt from all of the laughter. ‘Who was it a bust of?’

‘Emperor Augustus, I think,’ he said, smiling at her laughter. ‘He slipped from my grasp and got smashed.’

‘And was she impressed?’ inquired Isis.

‘I don’t know,’ Kael replied, with a grin. ‘I passed out.’

Isis laughed again. ‘I do wish I could have seen that,’ she told him, her eyes sparkling with laughter. Kael gazed at her, unable to look away from the display of utter beauty presented before him. Suddenly, he realised that Harry was looking pissed off, and frowned. Looked like he wasn’t wanted.

‘I’d better go,’ he said, reaching his arms around her waist to give her a hug. This hug was much longer than the quick one Harry had given her, and he was pretty sure Isis hadn’t sighed contentedly into Harry’s chest, either.

‘See you later,’ Isis said, when she eventually pulled back. ‘Thanks for the lift.’

‘Don’t mention it,’ he told her. ‘Bye.’ He glanced at Harry. ‘Bye. Nice meeting you.’

Harry gave a noncommittal nod.

When Kael was out of earshot, Harry turned to her. ‘One of your new friends, then?’ he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Isis nodded. ‘He’s giving me lifts to and from school now,’ she explained. ‘He didn’t like the thought of me walking all the way in the dark.’

Harry frowned. ‘Why?’

‘Well, one day he came to my house (long story, don’t ask) and we met some gang members who beat him up when he defended me.’’ She frowned. ‘Bless him. He didn’t need to defend me and get so wounded.’

Harry folded his arms. ‘He looks like a bit of a player, Is.’

‘Oh, I think he used to be,’ she said. ‘He was off making out with girls at the age of twelve. I doubt he waited much longer to take the next step.’