Inexorable

04: Fortunes and Unfortunates

Kaela stared at Vera curiously, before tilting her head up and letting out a soft laugh. Her laughter skidded to a halt once she saw Vera's puzzled expression. "You remind me of a lost puppy," She said breathless. "That's absolutely adorable. Are you from around here?"

She nodded in response. Her fingers fiddled with a loose thread of string that hung from the sleeve of her sweater. Vera counted five holes on the sleeve of Kaela's jacket. Her arm was still outstretched. "I've never been to a real school before."

"Oh? So you were a private schooler?"

"No, I don't think I was."

"An online learner?"

"I don't think I was that either."

Huffing, Kaela moved her head to the side and gave up on guessing. "Where did you learn then?"

"At home."

"Who was your teacher then?"

"I have too many to remember." Vera sighed, eyes lingering on the many threads that dangled from the girl's hoodie. The bottom stitch of the fabric bore hundreds of fraying strands and small, little tears. "They all leave after a month or so. They all leave."

Kaela's hand slowly fell to her side. Her blue eyes bore into Vera's brown ones, imploring and serious and kind all at the same time. "Do you ever get lonely?" That day, the sun beamed brighter than she had ever remembered just as the sky was bluer than any other morning.

Vera supposed that it was because it felt like it was the day something new was going to happen. Something possibly great. "Not really. I have a little cousin, who's more of a brother to me. But he has outside school. And I have tutors. They all come and go but in the moment they're still there." She found her rambling.

"Hey, I'll be there for you whenever you need me." Kaela admitted with a bright, unwavering smile. "Even though I don't know you yet, I think we're going to be good friends. And good friends will always be there for each other."

"You really think so? Will you really be my friend?"

The girl's eyes twinkled. "I really think so. I will really be your friend." Kaela's brilliant brilliant blue eyes widened a fraction as Vera unexpectedly reached out for her hand. Vera's fingers gently wove into the girl's slender ones as an appreciative gesture.

"Okay then." Vera said, a hint of a smile curving on her small lips. "So, do you know the way to classroom 240S?" She asked as the two began to walk down the empty corridor.

"Nope." Kaela shrugged. "I don't even know where we're going."

Vera blinks before moving away from her old memories. Her friend tugs on her hand gently in the opposite direction, towards the exit of the building. "I know you never wanted to go and I'm okay with it. Don't feel bad that I didn't get to go, it doesn't matter. We can always have fun at some other place."

A part of Vera has a feeling that Kaela saved all her money from many months of work enable for her to get front row tickets to a rather elite magic show. "Kae, I don't mind a little magic." The other part of Vera replays the memory of the woman's frightened eyes and quavering, pleading voice. Flashes of bright colors and echoes of the boy's warm breath on her neck blossom as the back of her mind.

Her friend holds her gaze for a moment longer before shifting away to the gold embroidered doors. "Only...only if you really want to."

"I really want to," she insists. I really want to make you happy for once.

"Okay then."

Vera's fingers are placed onto the door handle. The ice-cold metal brings tingles of coldness through her palm and spreads like licks of frozen fire. She grips the handle tighter and swallows down the unquestionable sense of dread and unease that grew from the pit of her stomach. The taste of trepidation, bitter and unforgiving, burns her tongue and scratches the back of her throat, as she pulls the door open. Dread and ice-cold fire swallows her whole the moment she enters the room.

Hello there, all my lovely readers. This chapter was intended to be short, because it is only the first part of the chapter. I felt that this had to be included with the story and that each specific part should be separated from another. The next chapter will be 04.5: Magic and Make-Believe. I seriously can't wait for it, because (spoiler alert kind of not really) all of the action begins there(*does some cartwheels and barrels into a wall*).

I can't thank you guys enough for all of your heartwarming support. Every time I go on wattpad and see that someone has bothered to read my book or leave a thought on my story, it really makes my day. So once again, thank you all of you. To continue supporting the story, please leave a comment(only if you think this story deserves it!) below leaving your thoughts on what you think is going to happen next.

(next update : friday)