Final warning for those who missed the latest news: Pacing of plot has significantly changed. I would advise reading from the beginning, so you are not confused. 

Liz nods, shutting her eyes and lifting her wand. Finley notices the nervousness in her system, and she is not at all focused. She is fidgety and cannot seem to stay still. "Calm yourself, Liz. You won't be able to concentrate if you're distracted," the mentor tells her, and the young girl forces herself to stop fidgeting.

She bites her lip, opening one eye to look straight at Cailin, before it closes again and a flame pops at the tip of her wand. Claps from other students go around. "There you go. Easy, isn’t it? Good job, Liz. Next, William."

Finley does not notice he is glaring at Liz as she makes her way back in line. She dares to give Cailin a sweet and innocent smile, which the brunette swiftly ignores. Julian bumps into Finley's hip, who quickly snaps out of it. "I would stop glaring if you don't want any more attention on you than there already is," he mumbles, and the blonde’s cheeks pink. He looks at the ground, silently waiting for his name to be called.

The flame spell is one of the easiest to do, yet some scholars just could not get it right. Some flames popped up in corners, almost lighting the entire classroom on fire, and the Universe Dragon had to put it out. Some flames appeared at the bottom of their wands, and some flames even appeared on the teachers’ and students’ clothing. The entire class is filled with laughter and embarrassment.

"Next, Finley."

Finley hesitates, glancing at Cailin who smiles encouragingly. "You got this," he whispers with a wink, which makes the blonde swallow. 

He nods, walking over to Ms. Green who smiles at him excitedly. He glances over to the Universe Dragon, whose mouth curves into a small smile, finally looking interested in what is going on. 

Confident now, Finley turns back to Ms. Green who dips her head. "Wand up, close your eyes."

Finley shuts his eyes, lifting his wand and pays no mind to the whispers and emotions going around the classroom. He has learned to ignore the gossiping. He quickly imagines the flame, and feels the same flame popping up immediately afterward. 

"My, my! That was fast! Good job, Finley!" Ms. Green congratulates. The blonde opens his eyes, the flame going out. He smiles at her shyly before making his way back in line. 

The Universe Dragon’s eyes follow him like a hawk as Ms. Green then calls up Cailin. The scholar walks up to his mentor, not feeling the least bit nervous. This shows by the way he immediately raises his wand up, shutting his eyes without the need to be told to.

He knows Ms. Green is shaking her head, and he can feel the eyes of the Universe Dragon boring into his back as he imagines the flame. Or tries too. He finds himself struggling to concentrate, because his head keeps getting distracted by gray eyes. He shuffles, irritated, as he tries to focus on the flame. But now his brain imagines pretty blonde hair.

"Relax, Cailin. Clear your mind to only think about the task at hand," he hears Ms. Green's voice say and the brunette clears his throat. His cheeks turn pink as Finley's face suddenly, and without warning, pops into his head. It is starting to confuse him.

"I.... I can't," he whispers, so only his mentor can hear, and probably the dragon.

He feels Ms. Green come closer. "Are you alright?"

"I keep picturing... someone."

Ms. Green is silent for a second. "What do you mean?"

“I mean, I can't picture the flame because... because the face keeps coming up. I can't not see it.”

Ms. Green again is silent, and Finley is confused from the audience, for the emotions emitting from Ms. Green are ones of excitement and happiness. “Well, here's what I want you to do. Imagine the person, but with the flame. The connection to your wand is still there, and it will understand what you want it to do.”

The younger boy nods his head, cooling down his cheeks, and focusing hard as he imagines the Finley he saw just a couple of seconds ago. He remembers the way the blonde held his wand up in front of the class, the flame popping up on his command. Luckily, Cailin feels the same flame pop on his wand after a couple seconds of tension.

Ms. Green coolly steps away. "Good job, Cailin. It took a bit of hard work, but what matters is you did it!" The scholar opens his eyes, looking towards Ms. Green shyly as the flame sputters out. "Congrats on your first spell," she tells him, winking. She then turns to the line of scholars. "Next, Julian."

Cailin stiffly walks back in line, eyes glancing to the dragon that has some sort of teasing smile on his face. It is like he knows something that Cailin does not. This results in the brunette’s cheeks turning pink yet again, but not understanding why. He feels as though his privacy has been invaded somehow.

He stands back in line as Finley glances up at him with an amused look on his face. "You okay? You look a little perplexed." He pokes at Cailin's cheek. "And you look faint."

The older boy smiles shakily at his best friend, unnerved by his thoughts of only his best friend, but nods. "I'm perfect."

***

"Slow down, you'll get the hiccups," Penelope lightly chastises with an amused smile. Cailin is currently entertaining the entire dinner table as he scarfs down spaghetti like second nature.

The brunette chokes when he tries to talk, earning a bright and heavenly laugh from Finley sitting next to him. Cailin turns to Penelope with his bright blue eyes as he swallows his food down. "Lady Penelope, I’m a growing teenage boy." 

Finley snorts and Christine rolls her eyes, slapping her daughter’s wrist when she tries to copy her idol sitting in front of her. "He's right," Christine mumbles, earning a bright smile from her son and the nanny grins evilly. "Let him choke and realize his mistakes later."

"Mom!"

The entire table erupts in laughter, Christine reaching over to playfully ruffle her son’s hair. After everybody calms down, Finley turns to look at his mother with a light smile. "Mother, don't you ever think about your soulmate?"

Penelope's eyes widen and her cheeks turn pink as she coughs a couple of awkward laughs. "What makes you ask such a thing? What a change in topic."

Finley shrugs, and Cailin goes oddly quiet. "I mean, the older I grow, the more likely I am to find mine. But what about you? Have you ever tried looking?"

Penelope sets down her fork with a small sigh, smiling at her son. "I never needed one, nor wanted one, I guess."

"Yeah! Fin, she's an independent woman!" Sarah states with a nod of her head, Christine shaking her own in wonder on how she ever agreed on adopting two.

Penelope grins at Cailin's sister. "Independent, you're right. But why would I want to share yet another part of my soul with someone else, when I already share it with you all? Who needs someone to love when I love all of you, and all of you love me back? Some may say it is a lonely life to live, but I don’t think my life can get any more exciting. I feel whole with just my family being with me. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Finley does not say anything for a couple of seconds. "So... you'll love me no matter what happens right?” He asks and the nanny blinks, shocked over such a question.

“Of course I will, Fin…. What makes you question it?”

Cailin's eyes suddenly widen, and he straightens in his seat. His spaghetti and hunger are forgotten as he turns his head to look at the blonde who meets his eyes. Finley gives a shy shrug. "I don't know…."

Christine's eyes squint as she looks between her son and Penelope's. "Is there something you want to tell us?" Christine asks, and Finley's cheeks heat as he shakes his head rapidly.

"No!"  He then suddenly gets up, and dashes into Cailin's room, trying to hide from the embarrassment.

The brunette glances to his mother, who looks a little perplexed, and to Penelope, who looks worried. "He hasn't done anything bad has he?" She whispers to Cailin, who shakes his head.

"No, it's just Fin overthinking like he always does. I’ll check on him." He gets up, patting his sister's head to tell her he will go alone, and heads to his room.

The KSDL is an incredibly supportive large group of people, for they are more open minded and rational than Gillian. They only preach love, but for some reason, Finley's nerves get the best of him, even when he knows everything will be alright.

The sudden nerves he is now going through, seem to be so ridiculous in Finley’s mind. He knows in his heart that Penelope would love him no matter who he loves or turns out to be. He can still remember the time he told Cailin like it happened yesterday, though in reality, it was only a couple of months ago. While Cailin did not react negatively, his nerves about the situation only got worse.