Half-Faye

Chapter 11

I felt very strange. Florence had left without saying goodbye. It was very unlike her. Why should I believe something that excuse of a human told me?

 However hard I would have like to have denied that it was the truth in the pit of my stomach I knew, deep down, that it was probably was. This only made me feel so much more alone.

I made my way to class trying not to get buffeted around by the mass of moving students.

***

School is so much more boring when you are alone. Usually you can make the days bearable when you can crack a few jokes. But you just look silly if you try to talk to yourself.

I ended up spending most of the lessons just staring out the window at the auburn leaves that were fluttering from the trees.

It was at some point during lunch that I regretted not having ever had a larger friend group. Flo and I had always liked to be loners together. Some of the girls who I was an acquaintance with would occasionally talk to us at break but not today. They left me alone. I guess out of Flo and me, I was the real weirdo.

When school finished I packed up all of my textbooks by myself sadly. I guess I would be walking home alone. It was going to be the first time in years that I had not walked with Flo. We had walked together since 5th grade.

I walked through the school gate slowly. What was the point of going home early? I would have nothing to do there anyway and there would be no chance of going to the park with Florence.

I was just getting onto the cracked pavement when I heard someone running up behind me. I didn’t think much of it; it was probably just a year 7 or some other idiot.

What freaked me out was when the voice came up beside me, “hey, can I walk with you?”

I must admit my initial reaction was pretty stupid.

I immediately thought stalker and swung around, my hands curled into fists. But then, as colour rose in my cheeks, I found myself face to face with a kid from my class.

“Wo!” he said eyeing my fists, raising his hands up innocently and taking a step backwards.

Relaxing my hands quickly I rose one to my mouth, “Sorry, I thought you were a stalker or something.”

He looked down at the ground, “I guess I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that.”

“Yeah,” I replied, slightly embarrassed, slightly angry, “you’re Derick aren’t you?”

“That’s my name,” he said, “So can I walk with you?”

I couldn’t of anything better to say then, “I guess so.”

I fixed my eyes on the pavement and kept going, trying to ignore him. Why the hell was he talking to me of all people?

I stuck my hands in the pockets of my navy school shorts so that they would swing around. I remained silent as I traced the all too familiar path home.

I felt so weird with Derick tagging along. I usually avoided guys at all costs. I guess I couldn’t have stopped him coming anyway; he had to get home too.

When I snuck a glance at him a saw him walking contentedly, hands in pockets and his bag was hung over one shoulder. His silence made me wonder why he had wanted to walk with me. Surely he wanted to talk?

I was only five minutes from home when he spoke, “So Florence wasn’t at school today.”

He said it matter-of-factly and I raised my eyebrows, “and?”

“I was wondering if you knew why.”

“What’s it to you?” I said far too quickly, making him raise his eyebrows.

He remained silent for a few seconds, “I don’t think she has told you the full truth.”

His comment confused me. How could she not have told me the full truth? I didn’t even see her before she left. I didn’t talk to her. Most importantly why would she lie to me? I was her best friend. What was so big that she wouldn’t be able to tell me?

“What do you mean?” I asked Derick.

He grinned, “You’ve heard about the half-faye haven’t you?”

I was more confused than ever, “Who hasn’t?”

He didn’t meet my gaze.

“What does it have to do with Florence?” I asked, stopping in the middle of the footpath.

My house was only metres away.

“This may be a shock to you but I’m a government agent tracking down aliens.” He said pushing the strap of his bag further up his shoulder.

“Get real,” I said without even considering the possibilities. I was almost laughable.

“I’m not lying,” Derick said. He placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me such a look which told me he was telling the truth.

However I was still as confused as ever, “What has this got to do with my friend?”

“Faeries come from another world, they are aliens,” he said calmly and smoothly, “And I believe Florence to be a half-faye.”