Ever since I was engrossed in reading, I had always believed that those magical beings written in myths or books--werewolves, elves, vampires, mermaids and all--existed in this human world called Earth, where most of the population would laugh at the sound of my idea because it was...stupid, as they had always said.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡto2HdIpZLc
But for me, it was different. Even after their laughter when I pronounced my belief, I never stopped believing. They were just somewhere--hiding for centuries, waiting for someone to discover them and free them.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbUNh6nulA
I couldn't shake off the feeling when I thought of them, together with me. Warm. Close. Relaxing. Comfortable. It was as though they were indeed real.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIxTTy2HFu
Or maybe those feelings were caused because I wanted them to be real.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCPqecwBeM
Regardless, when I started believing that, I kept on taking adventures I could take to find them, wherever they were. And I was still now. Having parents that made you move counties almost every year wasn't at all that bad--at least not for the "adventures" I was seeking. It came a little bit handy.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwZVWkqmxO
Because right now, in my 17th year of living filled with moving places, I was introducing myself in a class of Crea Academy, where there sat a boy with odd red eyes sitting at the back of the room alone, no one beside him or in front of him. And he was staring at me, and I reciprocated.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5blqOChwBD
I believed he was one of my magical beings.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWNP4nOZ1y
"My name," I began, "is Valerie Starks. I came from far away. I love reading fantasy books. I am 17." I paused. "And that's all you need to know about me."
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6O9WMS5jcf
Everyone greeted me various types of "hi."
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAszrFj1Y3
"All right. Thank you for that lovely introduction, Ms Starks. You may sit in any vacant seat there is," Ms Jeanne ushered me.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZaGZccHz4
Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief. Without thinking twice, I walked through one of the small aisles.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXB3WwkKut
"Hey. Come sit here," a girl offered when I wanted to go past her, patting the empty seat beside her. Her friends around her helped encouraging me.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGbHjeKWOw
The girl wore a huge smile. Her blonde hair fell in waves and reached just above her waists and her eyes were gray with hints of blue. Her pink tank top showed off her fair skin and perfect curves, and a little of her cleavage. 598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURRhkbXP3m
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhupwrjeELV
While she did look beautiful, she wasn't the type who I would hang out with, because this type of a girl wasn't a good influence. I knew why she offered, though. Certainly, these girls always invited pretty girls to be part of them, right? Well, I wouldn't be fitting.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4V2LnRAaj
I just smiled at her and gave her a small thanks and apology, before continuing through the aisle to the back of the room, sitting beside the red-eyed boy once I reached.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rGrJacEYG
I felt everyone shifted their gazes toward me and the boy before they conversed in hushed whispers. I saw the girl from before, who was sitting four seats after me, giving me a knowing smile.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NtcO47qFX
I didn't hide the urge to roll my eyes. They were seriously misunderstanding. Sitting beside a--as what everyone would call it--hot boy (who was alone too) didn't mean that I was one of the girls who flirt and cling onto guys. In fact, I was the total opposite.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6r8yKAei6
I looked beside me to catch the boy in time staring at me before looking out the window. With a smile, I grabbed a small paper from my bag and wrote, They are leeches. I hope you are not?598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyVJcosbWk
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YwaLndfKl
I placed it on his table without folding it through the small gap between us, and then I turned my attention to Ms Jeanne, who was starting the first lesson of English.598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkr1AYmpoW
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCStfxbJ2N
It wasn't long when I felt a slight wind nudged my elbow that was resting on the desk. He had given the paper back to me.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHazidqEvIc
Below my handwriting, he wrote, I could ask the same about you. Underneath it, Certainly, I'm not.598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4FAf8mTpj
I glanced at him, only to see him still looking out the window, savoring the view of the bright sky overhead while birds went dancing around. I smiled nonetheless.598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5v932GwbjA
No, I'm not.598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJw8TcJYgKx
I wasn't sure if he was the magical being I thought he was, but it didn't seem to hurt to be friends with him since he looked to have no friends.
598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaE683lNqS
So this was where I started my real adventure.
ns216.73.216.176da2 
