Frenemies

2

Dax

I quickly padded down the hallway, my feet making slapping sounds as I made my way to my father's library.

"...Auden, you can't expect me to tell that story again!"

Laughter tumbled from the slightly opened door along with the golden candle light that danced across the floor boards.

"Bartram, it's such a wonderful story to tell though!"

My father's hearty voice greeted my ears. A smile crept across my face and I quickly pushed the door open to speak with him.

My father sat in his favorite armchair that looked out onto the lush meadows of Madeo with a smile on his face. That was the best thing about him. He always smiled.

"Dax, my son, come here and let me introduce you to my dear friend." My father motioned for me to approach the pair of them and I obediently followed.

His hand clapped my shoulder once I stood next to him and he proudly introduced me to his friend.

"Bartram, this is my son, Dax."

I smiled at the man that sat across from my father. He looked tall and intimidating, nothing like the way my father smiled and laughed. How were they good friends?

"He is about the same age as your boy, is he not?" My father asked the other man.

Bartram glanced to the far corner of the room where I had not noticed another boy that did, in fact, look to be around my age.

"Kai, my most agitated son, has just turned 13. Maybe Dax could help to straighten him out, no?" Bartram suggested.

My father gave another hearty laugh. "That, or he would turn him wild. I swear the maids have such a difficult time trying to dress Dax every morning. All he ever wants to do is stay up all night and look at the stars, and then he refuses to even get up in the mornings." My dad looked off to the side with a small smile. "Moira always said she knew he would be the brightest child. Look at him now."

Bartram seemed to sympathize with my father as he spoke. "She would be proud, Auden."

Their conversation started to bore me, so I wondered to the boy in the corner. He was reading at the moment and I assumed that he did not notice that I was walking his direction.

As I came closer to him, the freckles across his cheeks became more and more evident until I dropped to my knees on the floor in front of him to examine them.

He gave me an odd look as I gazed at his cheeks.

"Wh-"

He began to talk, but I interrupted him.

"They look alot like stars."

He seemed taken aback by my outburst.

"W-What?" He asked, confused.

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Your freckles. They look alot like the stars." I clarified, but he still wore the same look of confusion. "The stars. The things in the sky at night."

"I know what stars are." He grumbled and looked away from me.

"Well you sure didn't act like you knew."

He ignored my statement as he continued to read the book he held in his lap.

We sat in silence for a few moments before I started to become antsy.