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It started when Lumine received a phone from Aiden.
Kody didn’t know why it started and what the situation wanted from him, but he didn’t like it. It got worse when Lumine officially began attending school with him and it came into the summer that followed. Lumine wasn’t popular in school, per se, but it wasn’t everyday you ran into someone like him. Obviously he got attention.
It was times like these that Kody wondered how Calla didn’t instantly strike down everything that was happening. It was already out of hand now. Just as school got out and summer began, a familiar face threw an arm around Lumine.
“Are you coming over to the park?” Elijah asked. Lumine tilted his head, “the park? For what?”
“Some kids are gathering to play some games! Someone mentioned that they wanted you to come to play with them.”
“Oh, really? Well, I can’t deny an invitation like that..”
“So..you’re coming?”
“I am!”
“Cool! Meet me at the park by four!” Elijah exclaimed, heading off. “I’ll see you there, Lumine!”
Kody stared at Lumine as the werewolf waved to Elijah, who waved back and sprinted away. The witch asked, “what was that? I didn’t know you were friends with everyone in the school,” he didn’t mean to sound as cold as he did, but he didn’t like how Elijah acted so close to Lumine.
“Do you want to come, Kody? I’m sure they wouldn’t mind you being there!” Lumine offered and Kody shook his head, “no thanks. You can go on your own.”
“Eh? Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
Lumine took Kody’s aloofness as something more, but he didn’t question it and the two made their way home together. When it was time for Lumine to go, he took his things and went to the door. He glanced at Kody, “are you sure you don’t want to come?”
“Stop asking me and go already. They’re all waiting for you.”
“If you say so! Bye!”
He sped out the door.
Honestly, Kody didn’t want Lumine to go, but who was he to stop the boy from leaving and doing what he wanted? Ever since he received the phone, it had been buzzing nonstop and Lumine was talking to other people everyday that were not him. He was grateful for the peace now, but he wasn’t taking this new situation easily.
The oven of the kitchen was turned on.
Was this considered a stress coping mechanism? Kody wondered that as he pulled trays out of the cabinets. He didn’t know. He just needed something to do while Lumine was away.
Meanwhile, Lumine, Elijah, and a couple of other kids were gathered at the park. They sat at a large bench and table, talking amongst themselves. Elijah leaned towards Lumine, “hey, did you hear about what happened before school let out?”
“What happened?”
“Do you really wanna know?”
Lumine’s ears flicked forward in interest. “I do!”
“Do you really wanna know what happened?”
“I do, spit it out, Elijah!”
“Okay, okay, so I heard that someone totally set fire to one of the classrooms..and that somebody was Calla!”
“Calla?! Why would she set it on fire?” Lumine was suddenly very interested, even leaning forward to hear more of the story. The other kids turned their heads to listen to Elijah as he began to describe the rumor. Apparently, it was a science classroom and it was an accident, but people are assuming it was Calla.
Elijah said, “someone told me that she did it as an accident, but she might end up with a huge fine because she destroyed school property.”
“The hell you say, Elijah?” One kid’s eyes widened. He nodded his head, “you heard me! I totally thought I was dreaming when I got told that. I tried asking her, but she didn’t even say anything and moved on from the conversation. I was also told it might’ve been someone else, but everyone’s thinking it’s Calla who did it.”
“Wouldn’t she get detention for it?” Lumine asked. Elijah shrugged. “You’re asking the wrong person, that was all I heard.”
Lumine didn’t know how he got here. He was hanging out with a bunch of kids and Elijah and he was..gossiping with them. Sharing and swapping stories and maybe exaggerating one or two of them, this was something he thought he would have never done before!
He wished Kody was here though. Maybe he could also enjoy this kind of thing!
The kids talked and messed with each other until the sun was beginning to set. Elijah and Lumine were walking home together after seeing everyone else off.
“Is it true that Calla set fire to the science classroom..?”
“I wouldn’t say I know everything, but that was what I heard. I might go back into the school to see if it’s really true that the classroom was lit on fire.”
“You’re going to go back to the school?!” Lumine had worry etched all over his face. “What if you get caught?”
“I don’t think I will.” Elijah was confident. “But I might not go. We have all summer to talk and hang out, that’s the best part, right? You better text me later.”
“Of course I will! Maybe we can..hang out tomorrow?”
“Got anything in mind?”
“The park again?”
“Sure! Oh, this is where we split off..”
They stopped and Lumine waved to Elijah, who waved back like he did at the school and the two parted ways, promising that they’d meet tomorrow. Lumine stepped foot into the house and noticed the smell of..macarons. He set his things down and headed to the kitchen.
Kody was wiping down the counters and he noticed Lumine. He didn’t say anything but huff and turned away to keep cleaning.
“Did..you bake these?”
“Mhm.”
“Can I have one?”
No reply, but Kody didn’t seem to be stopping him, so Lumine took one. In the middle of eating the macaron, Lumine was caught off guard when Kody asked, “do you like Elijah more than me?”
He effectively choked on the macaron!
“W - excuse me?"
“Answer the question.” Kody looked at Lumine. “You’re always hanging out with him and whenever we’re hanging out, you’re texting him. You could have just told me if - “
“You think I like Elijah more than you?” The wolf had to repeat that part, his mind still reeling from his near-murder from a macaron and the question. He quickly replied after seeing Kody’s face, “I don’t! He’s my friend, yeah, but..oh, goodness, why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
Kody made a face and kept cleaning. Lumine took that as Kody being too anxious to even bring it up. Continuing, he said, “I’m really sorry if I made you feel that way! I’ll stay with you tomorrow if that’ll make you feel better!”
“..are you sure?”
“Yep! I don’t want to make you feel lonely after all..”
“Thanks.”
Kody was hiding the slight tint of pink on his face. Lumine sat at the counter with the plate of macarons and asked, “can I have a couple more?”
“Eat as much as you want.”
“Yay! You’re the best!”
Later, Lumine had to explain to Elijah over the phone that he was going to hang out with Kody tomorrow instead of meeting at the park. Elijah took it easily and said that they could hang out the day after and talk more about the science classroom and Calla.
The sun set and it was replaced by the moon.