Auridium High

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 3

"See, I told you we'll get lucky," Thaila gloated as she munched on a thick hamburger.

"We didn't get lucky," Coraline corrected. "We got lost for half an hour until I went into a building and asked for directions."

"I thought you said you came here," Coraline asked picking up a cupcake.

"I was just passing by with my phone glued to my face. I only glanced at the sign 'Pastries & Pastels' when I was on my way back." Thaila said in a surrender-like manner.

"I think you may have stretched it out back at the dorm," Coraline pointed out.

"Yeah, I might have," Thaila admitted. "But then again, you haven't even told me what you can do; who knows if you're fit to judge the skills of others?"

"Shh," Coraline hushed her quickly. "Is it safe to talk about it out the school grounds?"

"Oh please," Thaila said, taking another bite of her burger then guzzling down soda. "We're at one of the only five high schools in the nation that offers certification for becoming warriors to become the government-approved responders. I'm sure, like, everyone here has an ability or so since we're all lights... well, except for you though,"

"Is it different in your world? Do people rarely have an ability?" Thaila said with peaked interest.

"Nah, it's pretty much the same. There isn't much difference between here and there, except for this drink. It's awesome." Coraline said, taking a sip from her bluish-purple coloured drink.

Thaila busted out in laughter. "That's a blueberry milkshake. You guys don't have those?"

Coraline shook her head slurping her milkshake.

"Remind me to take you to a fruit shop," Coraline took note of it.

"But it's okay, don't worry about the 'do'," Thaila told her. "I didn't think it meant anything major and I already knew you had some sort of power when we met. Of course, I still don't know what the damn thing is... But hey, that's what friendships are built around right? Secrets and Mysteries,"

-Damn, nosy much?- Coraline thought.

"You're sort of a drama queen aren't you?" Coraline asked.

"Gasp! A dagger, straight into my heart," Thaila said grasping her chest and leaning back in her chair. Her breathing became labored and her hands slumped to her sides. She was dead, her life ended before its prime by harsh words of someone she had thought of a fast-growing friend.

But ha! One of her hands lifted oh so slowly making its way to the table and grappling the hamburger, then raising it triumphantly to her opened and pending mouth.

"You had to do that didn't you?" Coraline asked then took a bite of her cupcake.

"Yep," Thaila said, popping the 'p' and she shook her head.

Thaila was loud, indiscrete as could be, and showy every chance she got. But she was also the only person to try to be Coraline's friend in years, and she knew what it had been like to be left out before. Those two qualities alone made her someone Coraline knew she'd need to keep around.

"Do you have a lighter or a taser?" Coraline told Thaila. Her words seemed to bring back some life into Thaila's hamburger-munching corpse.

"You know you're not supposed to go smoking till the midterms," Thaila chided her.

"I don't wanna smoke. Heck, I don't do smoking." She smacked Thaila's hand which she rubbed in pain mockingly. "I just... look; you said you wanted to know what I can do, right?" Coraline asked her.

"Why yes, yes I do," Thaila said with a series of enthusiastic nods.

"Then get a lighter or a taser and meet me in the dorm," Coraline repeated pulling up the remainder of her food.

"Oh, I have a taser back at my room but I don't have a lighter," Thaila said, then went deep in thought. An idea popped into her head. "Would a laser also work instead of a lighter?"

"I guess we can use that," Coraline said. Because of this setback, she has put something on fire.

-How safe this is going to be-

"Well, that settles it, let's go," Thaila said also pulling the remainder of her burger and her empty soda bottle. Both of them dumped their refuse in the bin then made their way to the exit.

Coraline knew that if she was going to try and do something with her power then she needed to prepare and focus. And just to be on the safe side, pray.