Chapter 17 - something different

“ Huh?”
“You seem off today”
“ Distracted.” Melexa said, looking his pupil over closely. They were currently in the training hall; James was practicing his wall walking. Getting himself to attach to walls and walk up them (especially while wearing shoes) was not his forte and today he was particularly bad at it. Moon shadow (who had a habit of appearing out of nowhere.) stepped over and did a full circle around him; analyzing. “ You’re right there is something different about him.” She pondered.
“ It’s a girl isn’t it?” There was an awkward pause. “ …Guy?” James knew she was only joking but oh if she really knew. James couldn’t suppress the blush. “ Aha! I knew it!” She said pointing at him.
“ It’s about damn time. You seem rather slow lately.” Melexa stated. “ Moon shadow threw him a glare. “ Sooooo?” She said glomping James. He knew what was coming next. “W-what?” He stuttered.
“ Who is it?” James kept his mouth shut. “ God… Please kill me.” He thought. “ I-I still doesn’t know.” He blurted. Melexa looked at him curiously. Their eyes locked. “Crap.” He knew James was lying. “ A cave in? Lightning? Anything! At least make me pass out!” “ Still? Well then how did you- oh, wait never mind. I don’t want to know.” With that Moon shadow let him go and left the room. “… Should I ask?” Melexa echoed. James walked over to the nearest wall and slammed his head agents it.


* * *

That night was cold and dark. Venda was standing alone in the woods at the other edge of town; neutral territory, watching the snow melt before it touched her skin. She had been standing there so long that it was probably morning. A big shadowy figure appeared behind a tree. Venda watched as it circled around her behind the trees and stopped were it had started, shifting into the form of a skinny man.
“ Excuse my lack of attire.” The deep voice echoed. “What do you want? ” Venda said with a cold expression. “ What I had originally come hear for ages ago.” Venda crossed her arms. There was a short pause. “The Halfling.” The Man said.
Vendas’ eyes widened for a second. She gave him a cold Stair. “ We have many halflings in our midst.” Venda replied. “ The one I want is fledgling to one of the rose Seven. This one is…special.” Venda nearly froze.
She knew of only one fledgling in the rose seven. “ You can’t have her. Whatever you offer in return I decline.” Venda turned around and walked away. “ Oh I’ll get it eventually.” The voice echoed. “ One way or another.”

* * *

“ I’m glad you and Steven patched things up.” “ So am I.” James replied. He was currently sitting at the kitchen table waiting for his friend to show up. It had snowed so much the other night that schooled had been cancelled that Friday and both boys found it boring to be cooped up alone. July was currently helping her mother with the dishes.
“He’s a nice kid.” Jane had said handing July a dish to dry. There was a nock on the door and James answered it. “ Hi.” Steven smiled at him. “ Steve!” July squealed, dropping her plate and crashing into him. “ July!” Her mother complained.
James shrugged as his little sister wandered over to the broken plate and stared confused. “ It’s alright. Lets pick up the glass” “ I’m leaving with Steven.” James phrased to July as she picked up pieces with her mother. “ I’m leaving with Steve.” She repeated as the boys left.
The two continued down the street, talking. Talking to Steven was easy. He felt like he could tell him anything, well almost anything. The two always did this, as it was the only thing that didn’t cost money. As the two wandered they ended up in the town square. The square was a large circle in the center of town. It was currently covered in snow and the water fountain in the center had been shut off. But that’s not what drew their attention. Rent was sting by the fountain listening to his MP3 player. Steven tried to turn them in a different direction but Rent had already seen them.
He pulled his headphones off and stomped up to them looking furious. “ Steven what the hell! Why are you still hanging out with him?” Rent shouted when he got in earshot. Steven didn’t answer. “ You know what that thing is! How can you betray us like that!” he continued to yell wile following them. “ Betray you!?!” Steven stopped and whirled around.
“ The pack.”
“ James isn’t our enemy.”
“Yes it is! It’s one of them!”
“Rent, you know he’s not like that!”
“Yes it is! All of them are! God why can’t you see it?” Rent argued.
“Because unlike you my eyes aren’t clouded with hate!”
“ You know what they do!”
“I don’t care! James is different!” Steven shouted.
“ No it’s not!”
“ He’s a person dammnit! Not an object!”
“ His kinds don’t deserve the respect!”
“ Not all of them are the same rent! And it happened a long time ago. Let it go!”
“ Yeah easy for you to say! You don’t have to watch my little sister grow up without someone to relate to!”
“ Well maybe if you did your job as a brother she wouldn’t have to!”
“ You know what I mean Steve! And I am doing my job! I’m protecting her from scum like him!” Rent shouted.
“ Seriously James, do you have any idea how hut she was when you rejected her? What? My sister isn’t good enough for you!?! She’ firkin amazing, and that just proves that you’re kind really are scum! You may be remotely human now but you won’t be forever!” Rent shouted at James. “ Hey! Don’t walk away from a fight with me!” Steven interrupted. “ And don’t talk to him like that. That was a long time ago and it was none of our business!” “ What? I’m just doing my job like you told me to! And F.Y.I. both of us are pack, it is our business.” Rent yelled.
“ We’re not pack Rent! The two of us aren’t even related by blood.” Rent was shocked. “Oh really?” “ Yes really! If we were pack you wouldn’t be forcing me to choose between our pack and my best friend! If we really were pack you’d be there for me like I am for you! And if we really were pack you’d drop your damn racism!” Steven shouted. He was shaking with rage now. James could tell that Steven was going to snap any minute and that they both would probably do something they’d regret for the rest of there lives.
“ My “damn racism” is the only thing protecting you and my family from being manipulated by murderers like him! And if you really think creature like him deserve our respect then you haven’t been there for me at all!” Rent shouted. What happened next almost scared the crap out of Steven. James slammed his fist into Rents face, a crack echoed in the town square as he was knocked backwards. “What the HELL is”- Rent was interrupted when James grabbed him by the collar of his coat and yanked him up into his face.
“ I’ve never hurt you before! I’ve never even yelled at you before! I’ve never done anything to hurt you before! What the hell did someone do to you to make you hate me so much!?!” James yelled. The two boys were a seeping mass of rage as Steven stared. He was almost sure that they would attack each other at any second. “ They took my mother.” Rent growled out. James dropped him in shock.
If he had known he never would have punched him. He wanted to say something, anything, but Rent nose was already bleeding and his heart was pounding. His hands were shaking as he turned and sprinted out of the square faster then Steven had ever seen. He almost called out to him but stopped himself. “ You see what I mean, he hit me without hesitation!” Rent yelled.
“ Rent if James was the “scum” you claimed him to be then he would have ripped you apart by now! …But he ran away; that should stand for something.” Steven ran after James, he knew he needed him. James was sitting in an ally, back agents the wall, head in between his knees, breathing heavily. He was almost hyperventilating. Steven took one look at him, sat down next to him, back agents the wall, and pulled James close.
“Are you gonna be okay?” James uncurled and nodded. The two sat there for a few minutes. James let Stevens scent drown out the smell of blood that had been stuck, he had almost started to fall asleep when Steven shook him. “ Lets go some were else.” He said.

Pretty soon the two ended up outside of Stevens house. James was climbing over a snow bank when suddenly he sunk, he yelped as snow filled his boots. “ You alright?” Steven said whirling around. “ I think I’ll live.” James said with a smile. Steven pulled James out of the bank.
As Steven led James back to the house James couldn’t help but notice the grin on his face. “ What?” “Nothing.” He giggled. “ What?” James asked. “ …When you yelped you sounded like a girl.”
James froze. “ No, no I did not sound like a girl.” Steven couldn’t hold back the giggles. “S-shut up!” James stuttered, grabbing the nearest chunk of snow and throwing it at him. Steven froze when it hit him in the face.
Then he grinned. James yelped and within seconds he was being chased into the woods. “Stop! Stop! I was kidding! Ah!” James fell through the snow. Steven tackled him. The two wrestled around trying to shove snow in each other’s faces, and laughing hysterically.
Steven pinned him to the ground. Both of them were panting and laughing and covered in snow. The laughter quieted as they caught their breath and stared into each other eyes. Steven closed the gap between them with a rough yet gentle kiss. James Grabbed onto Steven back and pulled him closer.
He captured Stevens’s mouth as they both explored each other caverns. It was warm and intense and better then any dream James had had and it was driving him crazy. A shiver ran down his spine as a small moan escaped. Steven pulled back and they stared into each other’s eyes. Steven knew that there was something deep between them, something that couldn’t be measured.
Steven rolled off of James and pulled him close. James nuzzled into his chest. He felt, safe, warm, and loved in Stevens’s arms. “ I never want to let you go.” Steven whispered. “ …Nether do I” James said.
They lay there in the cold snow, in a warm embrace.

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment