Page 56 of Cerulean Truth
I took in a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows into the light of the Grand Hall, with no idea where to go. Despite my presence, no one seemed to take notice of me, their attention still absorbed in their own activities. I put on my big girl pants and reasoned I could as easily consult the wisdom of the clock, just as those before me had done.
With a hesitant touch, I gently placed a finger on the polished wood.
I thought I heard the wiring hum, and I stepped back to observe the movement of the clock's hands. Without warning, as if a spotlight had been directed at me, I watched as every eye inthe room gradually turned to me. Like I was the new gorilla in the zoo, with everyone waiting to see what tricks I'd pull off.
They didn’t even try to hide their stares and I actually considered for a second breaking the ice by impersonating a monkey. Thank the gods, I didn’t.
Nobody spoke to me, nobody came near me. Everyone kept their distance, and simply continued staring.
I swallowed, not knowing what to do. Awkward. As. Hell. I tried to smile at no one in particular. Which probably looked even more awkward.
All of a sudden, as if they had walked through walls, three guys and two girls appeared, elegantly but mostly imposing, all five of them walking around like they owned the building.
In a matter of moments, the fifty-something curious eyes that had been fixed on me shifted to them. And it was glaringly obvious why: Not only did each of them exude an undeniable aura of leadership, but they were also ridiculously good looking. If we’d been back in high school, they would’ve been the obvious popular click, closed off to all outsiders.
Among them stood a tall, dark figure with severe green eyes that seemed capable of solving the entire ice caps melting problem with just a stare.
James.
He was dressed entirely in black, from his T-shirt—a fitted one—to his jeans and combat boots.
Holy hotness.
His striking features eclipsed even the two girls gorgeous girls beside him. The unexpected sight of him made my heart leap, causing me to hold my breath. A slight tremor ran through my knees, and I fervently hoped I wouldn't do anything (more) embarrassing.
He came to an abrupt stop, his cutting gaze locking onto me. A flicker of surprise flashed across his face, quickly replaced bya subtle raise of his eyebrow. Like he were silently demanding an explanation for my presence on his turf, his arms crossing in a gesture of expectation. The others gathered around him mirrored his stance, their postures radiating anticipation, as if awaiting his cue before making any move. It was undeniably intimidating.
I found myself at a loss, not knowing what to say or do. Out of sheer desperation, I attempted a wave, but my arm felt oddly numb, causing my elbow to lift first. It dawned on me how lame a wave could be, so I aborted it midway—making matters even worse. Now, I was stuck with a half-wave, almost punching myself in the face.
Was this really to be my grand introduction to the world of magi?Seriously?
Hoping for some indication of his intentions, I remained rooted to the spot, but he made no effort to approach me. Instead, his nostrils flared and he looked rather angry at me.Why?I frowned in confusion. Surrounded by so many strangers, I must have appeared utterly lost and out of place. Seemed like he could’ve helped me out a little, maybe strike up a conversation.
As I contemplated whether to go up to him and greet him myself, uncertainty gnawed at me. He just stood there, angrily, staring at me as if I had unforgivably trespassed into his domain. I couldn't help but feel like a timid ten-year-old back in middle school, hesitant to approach the popular kids.
I don’t knowwhat happened during summer, I didn’t do anything different, I just went sunbathing and swimming with Mommy and Daddy for a few weeks in a fancy hotel. It wasreally nice. But somehow it made my boobs grow. And now I have to go to school with a bra and real boobs. But no one else in my class has boobs yet. I’m so nervous, how is everyone going to treat me? Maybe no one will notice… I try to convince myself of it, entering the school on the first day back. But staying invisible is clearly not in the cards for me. Everyone starts whispering and pointing at me, I feel my face going red but can’t help it. “Yo, how much were those boobs you bought?” a small kid yells at me, as he and his little friends start laughing. I feel even smaller and want to go home and cry. But before I can react, this huge beautiful African American boy, who is like almost twelve, steps forward and punches the guy who had called me out. “No one will talk shit about her,” I hear him growl.
I’m stunned, why is he defending me? He’s almost twelve and I’m only nine years old! That was so sweet. I walk up to him smiling. “Hi, I’m Emma, you’re Martin, right?” He nods. “Thank you for doing that, you really didn’t have to…but thank you” I add.
He doesn’t quite know what to say, laughs a little sheepishly and holds out a basketball. “You wanna play?” he asks shyly. I nod enthusiastically. Then I play hoops with him every week at least once for years. I’m always protected and no one ever called me names again.
The memory faded.Where was my Martin now?
"Emma Thompson," a rather harsh voice called behind me. Turning around, I faced a petite blond-haired girl with a slender body, covered in numerous tattoos. Though she seemed to bearound my age, James’s earlier warning about magi not aging physically after twenty-five, left me uncertain about her true age.
As she reached me, I noticed her commanding presence, which made the whispering crowd around me disperse. Even James nodded his friends away. While I had no clue who this girl was, one thing was clear: people respected her, and from their body language, some might even fear her.
Fantastic. Between the cold but hot looking guy, the intimidating girl, and myself—the new monkey in town—we made quite the interesting trio.
"I'm Enya, second cycler, Human Expert," she greeted me with a firm handshake.
"Emma," I replied with a smile, “no expert at all.”
"I'm your tour guide for the day," she announced with just the right amount of enthusiasm, ignoring my attempt to joke.
"Let's get started; I don't have much time to spare." I nodded hastily and promptly tripped over my own feet trying to keep up. She looked at me indifferently, shaking her head as I stumbled across the hall.
In the distance, I could have sworn I heard James's laughter.Asshole.
