After running out of the bathroom I attempted to seclude myself back in the classroom until the bell rang. I wasn't alone, as my bodyguards refused to leave my side. Casimir and Azar attempted to give me space by hanging out in the hallway but Maayan was glued to my side, trying to distract me by teaching me Terrarish. Hanging out in the classroom where I was brutally attacked by my homeroom teacher probably wasn't the smartest move, but I didn't want to be around any other students. Soon I was sitting on the floor under the window next to my usual seat, munching quietly on the sandwich Casimir had procured from the cafeteria. I was staring off into space when Maayan asked me something.

"I'm sorry, what?" I replied, looking over at them.

"Do you just wanna go home?" they repeated.

"No," I said with a shake of my head. "I'm gonna stick it out. I'm just... worried."

"About the spell or your friends?"

"Both," I admitted.

"Zola and Sunita really love you, I can tell," Maayan gushed. They were playing with the end of their braid as they spoke, twirling the tail around their finger. "They're just confused."

"I don't blame them, they know how much I hate, er, hated Zachary," I reasoned. "I just don't want this misunderstanding to ruin our friendship."

"Sometimes people grow apart," Maayan sighed.

"Ugh, don't say that," I groaned. I pulled my knees closer to my chest as a way to comfort myself, wrapping my arms around my legs.

"It might be for the best," they remarked. "What with the whole Dark King thing."

I groaned louder as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. We cleaned up, trying to erase any evidence of our snacking; which was not allowed in the classroom. The class filled up quickly, everyone eager to finish the day. Most of the students had settled in their seats when Zola entered, making her way to her desk in sullen silence. She wouldn't even look at me, which hurt, but I had already decided to give her space, so I didn't say anything.

The rest of the day was a blur, the only thing I really noticed was the quiet indignation coming off of Zola as she sat in front of me. As the bell tolled to signal the end of our day she quickly gathered her things, exchanging only a fleeting glance before she walked out the door. I let out a sigh, my feelings a muddled mess. At one point Casimir attempted to comfort me, reaching out his hand to touch mine. I felt my heart flutter, but at the last second, he pulled back. My cheeks flushed red as I stared at his fingers next to mine, remembering the first day he came to school. It seemed like so long ago.

I decided I didn't feel like going to Art Club, choosing to head straight to the station instead. As I walked through the main hall towards the front door of the school I almost bumped into Zachary and his group of friends. I was so focused on myself that I wasn't paying attention to his conversation, but the hostility coming off of Will and Scott when they spied me was palpable. It all happened in an instant.

"Bitch!" Will snapped, his dark eyes glowering at me. My bodyguards and I all stopped, reacting to the hostile shout. Several groups of students all turned to stare. I was still in shock when Will tossed his drink cup in my direction, flinching as I waited for the icy splash. Zachary was quick to react, knocking the cup sideways so the drink splashed onto Azar and a few other students nearby. There were some audible gasps and shrieks of surprise from the crowd as we stood there, stunned by Will's actions.

"Are you serious?" Azar muttered. He looked down at his shirt, which was now wet and sticky with soda. My eyes flew back to Will, who was being shoved to the side by Zachary.

"What did I tell you about that shit?!" he bellowed. Zachary had grabbed the front of Will's shirt and people around them scattered, not wanting to be caught up in the fight.

"She deserves it!" Will retorted, reaching up to grab Zachary's hands. The two struggled for a moment before Casimir rushed forward, separating them.

"Hey, chill out!" Casimir said.

"Don't touch me!" Will snapped, slapping Casimir's hand away. I cried out as Will turned his ire on the young warrior, shoving him roughly out of the way. I was impressed that Casimir took the abuse when I knew he could easily overpower any human. There were a few shouts from the crowd, yelling for them to stop fighting and 'let it go'. Another voice rose over the rabble, causing all others to die down.

"What is going on here?" Ms. Clayton demanded. The students parted ways and our vice principal entered the scene, glaring at both Will and Casimir. With the help of a few other teachers, Ms. Clayton got the chaos under control, sending the crowd away until just Will, Zachary, Casimir, Azar, Maayan, and myself were left. Multiple witnesses told her that it was Will who was the instigator, so Ms. Clayton focused her attention on the young Korean boy. This left the rest of us standing awkwardly to the side while she grilled him. When he refused to explain why he threw the soda Ms. Clayton marched him to her office, excusing the rest of us for the time being. I had a feeling that we would be pulled aside later in the week if she didn't get the answers she wanted from Will. Azar excused himself to use the bathroom wanting to wash out his shirt before heading home. I locked eyes with Zachary briefly as he passed but he quickly looked away, mumbling an apology before skulking out the door.

"What do you think that was all about?" Maayan asked, looking over at Casimir. He was thinking to himself, silent for the most part.

Casimir shrugged, sighing deeply. "Zachary didn't go to jail so I'm not sure."

I was watching the front door, leaning lazily against the wall as I thought about it. "Maybe they are mad he's changed?"

"Changed?" Maayan queried. "You mean because of the..."

The fairy trailed off, not wanting to mention wraiths in a public place. A few students passed by us, glancing curiously in our direction. Azar reappeared, his sweater in hand, shirt opened to reveal his tank top underneath. The stain was mostly gone, but his top was soaking wet.

I chuckled when I saw him. "Boy, you are going to get in trouble or catch a cold!"

"Whatever... school's over and I've got an excuse. And I don't get sick."

"You know we have to remain in proper uniform until we get home right?" Casimir lectured, shaking his head. "It's one of the rules."

"I need a smoke," he grumbled.

"Oh yes, say that louder!" I scoffed.

The group took off, Azar pausing only briefly to say goodbye to some of his fans waiting at the shuttle stop. They were admiring his open-shirt look and I decided to step away to avoid the overflow of teenage hormones. We parted ways with Maayan and Azar at the station, knowing we would see them soon back at the farmhouse. Tonight we had planned on performing a ritual to infuse the talismans guarding the house with the six powers. I was nervously reading the spell on the train, Casimir helping me memorize my phrasing.

"It's important what emphasis or feelings you put into the words," he explained, peering over at my sheet.

"Makes sense," I replied, nodding. I didn't want to tell him, but I loved listening to him speak in Terrarish, as I found his accent adorable. I quickly realized I was staring at him so I turned to look away. Agh, don't do this to yourself, Diana, I grumbled as I tried to focus on my cheat sheet.

Grandpa met us at the station and I gave him a hug before buckling myself into the truck. We drove off, back to the farm as we relayed what had happened in school that day. When I got to the part about my fight with Zola he grew solum.

"I wish I could properly explain," I lamented as we entered the house, throwing off our coats and scarves.

"I'm sorry you have to keep these things secret," Grandpa replied, glancing sadly at me. "At the rate, things are going with the attacks and your powers, you might be better off distancing yourself from them."

"What?" I protested. "Not you too Grandpa!"

He raised his eyebrows at me, not sure what I meant.

"Maya basically said the same thing," I explained, following him into the kitchen. "They thought it might be for the best if we drift apart."

"It is your choice dear, but please consider all the facts," he warned.

A crushing sadness overtook me at that moment. Is it selfish for me to remain their friend? I wondered. The idea of the Dark King using them to get to me was terrifying. I turned to look at Casimir, who was listening in on our conversation. "What do you think?"

"Me? Oh well, it's up to you so..."

"Be honest!"

Casimir hesitated, his brow furrowed as he thought. "I agree with the others. You only put your friends in danger the longer you associate with them. It's amazing they haven't been used yet."

"So no friends? Ever again?" I replied, throwing my hands up over my head. "That is just too depressing."

"It's not an easy life," Casimir admitted. I looked over at the young warrior, examining his features closely. Azar had teased him for being a loner but now I was wondering if he did that in an attempt to keep people around him safe.

"Think about it," Grandpa insisted, pressing his hand on my shoulder. "I'll be outside. I have a few more things to take care of for tonight."

"Okay," I said glumly. As he left Azar and Maayan appeared, entering through the front door. They were both dressed in more casual clothes so I decided to change as well. I slipped into a pair of jeans, a striped t-shirt, and a zip-up hoodie before also deciding to put on some extra warm socks. To complete the outfit I dug out my work boots, ready for whenever we had to go outside. I was attempting to re-do my bangs when Maayan snuck into the bathroom, chattering at me about spells while I primped. They had been told about my night vision success and were very excited, adamant that I could repeat the spell tonight to help channel my powers. We moved into my bedroom, Maayan allowing me to brush their long golden blond hair as I practiced.

I was admiring the length and texture of their hair in my hand as I spoke. "Ngil tip kisu muchep ipuwiyoch wach."

"Say wach again. With a more of a hard ch sound," Maayan requested.

"Wach, wach, wach, wach!" I said.

"What about you?" Azar said, chuckling as he entered my room.

"Watch yourself," I replied, sticking my tongue out at him. 'Wach' translated to 'me' in Terrarish so I was betting he thought he was being funny. Maayan did laugh at his joke snickering loudly into their hands.

"You're silly Az," Maayan commented. I stopped brushing when they said this, a sense of Deja Vu hitting me as I listened.

"Maya," I began, not sure how to ask. "Do you have a relative or something? Someone named Reuel?"

(to be continued in Part 2)