The Initials | Nanowrimo 2023

35| Silver Oak Academy

Cloud leans his back against the mirror, blindly holding onto the railing behind him as he watches the Edenborn and Outworlders do things completely out of this world.

It should excite him but he can't shake the feeling of anxious dread sweating out of his pores. Every which way he looks he finds eyes on him, gaslighting himself into thinking it's just his imagination working overtime to fuel his paranoia but soon it becomes pretty obvious that his suspicions are correct.

"Looks like you have a fan club." Casey teases, sliding his way next to his best friend with a light up Yoyo tied to his finger.

Cloud follows his line of sight, catching the eye of a guy with dark eyebrows and bleached hair trimmed and kept short in tight curls that look as soft as cotton.

His sharp eyes, plump lips and defined jawline paired with his tall athletic physique give him a modelesque appearance but none of that matters when he seems so standoffish, never taking his eyes off Cloud as he leans down to whisper something to the girl standing with her back facing Cloud.

She too has short hair, letting it grow out slightly so that it creates a naturally forming wavy pattern on her head. She turns her large round eyes on him, setting the tone of their exchange as she raises a brow before looking away and laughing.

Cloud stops Tony as he walks by, nodding his head towards the group of seven across the room who've taken it upon themselves to gossip about him to his face. "Who's the guy who keeps mean-mugging me?"

"You mean Jason Aranborn?"

Cloud frowns, wondering if he's supposed to know who that is. "Who?"

"He's Royalty, the second son of the late Queen Neyja of the Air Faction. If his half brother, Eagan Aranborn, dies tomorrow then he'd be the one taking the throne." Tony wipes the chalk off his hands with a cloth, tilting his head as his next words leave his mouth. "The guy is a bit of an ass but harmless."

"I doubt that," Cloud mutters, folding his arms across his body. "He's looking at me like I just spoiled his favourite anime."

Tony laughs, dropping his head as he throws a towel over his hair. "Well you're the boy on fire baby, you're on his and everyone else's radar now."

Cloud grimaces, squeezing his eyes shut tightly until he can only see the back of his eyelids. "For the love of god, please stop calling me that."

"What, you don't like it?" Tony teases, playfully flicking Cloud in the chin before sauntering off.

"If it makes you feel better, about forty percent of the laughs are probably about me." Casey voices, letting his Yoyo dangle around his thigh before zipping it back up to his hand.

Cloud opens his eyes, momentarily forgetting about the terrible nickname he seems to have picked up. "What do you mean? Do you guys know each other?"

"No but I hear my parents and the Royals have a very long history." Casey replies, nonchalantly dropping lore on top of Cloud's head as if sharing a packet of bubble-gum. "The Greysons are responsible for like every technological advancement the Initials have ever made in the last three decades, give or take."

"Are you being serious?"

"Bro you've met my parents, okay, they put the mad in scientist."

"So what, they do all these amazing things, have a falling out with the Royals and decide to flee to Earth to live out the rest of their lives?"

Casey sways his head from side to side before shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah, that's about right I guess. I mean, they weren't exiled by force, they can come back whenever they want, they just refuse to."