Xylia ~Twilight War~

Chapter 10

"Danielle? Could you help wake Hanna up?" Izzie asked the girl at the table, her head buried in her book.

"Yes?" Danielle placed her book down, obviously she didn't heard Izzie the first time.

"Could you go see if Hanna is-"

"Sup."

I waltz into the room just as Izzie was about to finish her sentence.

"Mission accomplished." Danielle exclaimed shortly before continuing reading her book. Izzue sighs.

"You're up early." Izzie poured a cup of tea before handing it to me.

"Yeah, well, I can't sleep." I reply and took a sip of the tea without blowing on it. I didn't mind the heat from the tea. In fact, I liked it.

"Probably because of the excitement from yesterday?"

"Maybe." I bite into a piece of toast.

"Or maybe it was because of the albino?" I almost spit out my tea when she said that. I looked up at her, she wiggling her eyebrows up and down.

"It's not nice to call him that." I tried to cover up my sudden pause.

"Well, that's the truth~" She said in a sing-song tone. "Nice hat, by the way." She added before leaving the room.

I reached for my head and felt for the hat. I forgot about the hat, the hat that I refused to return to the owner until the next day. For some reason I felt safe with it. As if the owner himself was standing near me, ready to defend me from those shadow beings. Yes, I'm being stubbord but that's just one of my special features.

Oh what am I kidding! That was too sappy even for Shakespeares. I'm just  making sure he wouldn't disappear the next day. I mean come on! That dude can summon weapons out of thin air. Who knows, maybe he can even teleport and wipe out peoples memory! Who knows right?!

Okay, I was being a bit to paranoid. I get it.

"You seem happy." Danielle glanced away from her book.

I stare at the girl just across from me. Danille is a seven year-old girl. She had long light brown hair that was braided down her back. Her fringe split to the right. A round thin rimed spectacles perched on her nose, covering her emerald green eyes. She's a bookworm, as you could already tell.

"Am I?"I tilted my to the side before letting out a laugh. "Maybe I am."

"Are you in love?" Danielle asked recognizing the curiosity in her.

I felt my face heat you.

"What! No! Of course not. You're funny, Danielle. Don't be ridiculous. Pshh…" I sputtered out, trying to hide the embarrassment. When I was suddenly reminded of the kiss. No, Hanna! That was no kiss, it was just some stupid trick of his.

"Uh, huh." She eyed my weirdly before returning to her book.

I then spotted Quinn in the hallways walking the front door. "Quinn!" I called out.

Quinn is one of the House's caretakers, since he's age is already eligible to take care of himself. He used to be an orphan here too.

Quinn's hair had a darker shade of brown than Danielle, with eyes black like an endless pit. He's not that masculine but he does have that strong appearance on him -in my opinion that is.

"Yes?" He turned around just as his hand got hold of the doorknob.

"Can you give me a ride to school?" I asked, nearing him.

Quinn seemed to hesitate for a moment before agreeing. "Sure. Why not." He twisted the doorknob open and walked to the car and I followed after.

We got in the car and buckled our seatbelts on. Quinn inserted the car keys in and twisted. The engine roared to life.

"Hey, Quinn." I said as the car stared to move onto the driveway.

"Hmm." He replied, not taking his eyes of the road.

"Aren't you curious?"

"About what?"

"About asking you for a ride." I don't often ask for a ride before, unless there are certain emergencies.

Quinn glanced at me for a moment before turning back to the road. "Not really. I think it's nice that you want to ride with good Ol' Quinny here, once in a while." He gave a cheeky grin.

"Yeah~" I looked away before rolling my eyes. We had known each other for almost nine years -when Madams Layla suddenly came home with him. But, he had always intrigued me. Where did Madame Layla found him? It had been a mystery to everyone in the House, really -even more mysterious than Mayala, one of the orphans.

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Five minutes later, we arrived in front of the school. I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car.

"Have fun." Quinn said.

"I'm not a child anymore." I replied before shutting the door. "Oh. Where are you headed, anyway?" I asked him through the window, forgetting to ask him.

"That my dear Hanna, is a secret." He smiled and stepped on the gas.

I stood by the sidewalk as I watched the car speed off, until it was finally out of sight. I sigh and whispered to myself; "Weirdo." before I turned on my heels and strode to the main entrance.