The Shadow Within Me

Chapter Forty Four - Pre-examinations

Crystal Raine Meadows

A week has passed since I found myself in that room together with Calyx, I was worried about how we both got there.

Strangely, I couldn't remember things about what happened back there, but Calyx isn't in the right state of mind to talk about it either.

After I found him in that familiar position in my dreams, I immediately got worried. He looks like he's desperately trying to remove something from his mind. I wonder if something happened back there inside that strange room?

He didn't even show up many times during our training, but he's leaving the routines on a paper that I could practice on.

Shouldn't he be there when I'm practicing sword skills? I don't even know if I'm doing the right thing.

Aside from those things about him, my friends and I aren't talking that much as we're all busy studying for our pre-examinations.

Though I could feel that they're always staring at me from the side, Liam still looks nervous around me like he wanted to say something, but doesn't know how and where to start.

We'll have our exams tomorrow so I took a day off in training because I want to study harder at home. After the last bell rang, I immediately fixed my things and looked at my behind.

His chair was vacant. Calyx has not been attending classes either, I even asked the student council about it and they told me that they don't have any idea. I have this feeling that he's trying to avoid me.

I just sighed and left the room with my mind on my study table at home. There's no time to waste, tomorrow is a big day even if it's just the pre-examinations.

I was stopped when someone grabbed my wrists and my eyes widened after seeing that it was Jenny, "U-Um? Is there something wrong?" I curiously asked. I don't know what to say, it's been a while since we talked to each other and I feel so very upset about it.

She just looked at me intently before sighing, "C-Can I come home with you? I wanted to ask something about our topics," she mumbled while biting her lower lip.

I smiled before nodding at her, "Of course, Jenny, let's go?" I invited her, so she gave me a small smile before walking side by side with me. This feels right, I missed my best friend so much, why do we have to avoid each other?

Shaking my head, I looked for Flash on the main gates and saw him looking at me on the far corner while waving his wings.

"Wow, that dragon must be really close with you," Jenny commented, so I just beamed before nodding at her.

"Yes, his name is Flash, let's go, he'll take us home," I grabbed her wrists and pulled her near Flash who immediately greeted me after I got closer.

"Hello to you too, Flash, this is my friend Jenny," I pointed at Jenny who was standing on my side, "She'll be joining us today on our way home," I patted Flash's head, so he just nodded at me.

It didn't take us a while until we both mounted Flash, I felt my hand turn cold as I closed my hands when Flash flew up into the sky.

"Crys, I'm sorry," I heard Jenny whisper behind my back, "It was wrong of me to push you to Liam," she added, my eyes still closed up in the air.

"I just thought that it would be better for you to be with Liam because he treated you nicely than Calyx," she claimed, "And that was wrong of me, I'm sorry," 

"You know Calyx more than I do, I was just concerned as your friend, I didn't mean to step way much further on the line," she explained and felt that Flash landed on the flat ground, so I opened my eyes before looking at her intently.

She looked like she was about to cry, so I pulled her into a tight hug, "I'm sorry too for making you worry, and please, approach me much earlier, I have missed you," I bit my lower lip, so she just cried on my back as I teared up.

We stayed outside until we both calmed down and so much for having a lot of time studying, but it was worth it to be on good terms with my best friend.

"You're not telling me a lot of things now, so, do you like Calyx now?" my eyes widened at her sudden question, so I slowly shook my head at her.

"N-No, it's nothing like that," I could feel my cheeks heating up because I didn't know what I would say to her, so she just raised her eyebrows.

"Crys come on, don't play dumb, it's pretty obvious that you like him," she teased while pointing at my cheeks, "Just look at how those cheeks turn red like a tomato," she pointed out, so I just complained.

"I-It's nothing like that, we're just, um, I think friends?" I was unsure if we're both considered friends, but he's helped me a lot for me not to consider him as one. Plus, I think he also thinks of me as a friend.

"Friends psh, you both clearly don't see each other as friends but something else," she claimed, so I wondered for a moment.

"W-What do you mean about that?" I confusedly asked, so she just stared at me intently before pinching my cheeks.

"O-Ouch! Hey! That hurts!" I complained while caressing my cheeks that she almost murdered. I almost forgot about her brutality.

"Please realize what you really feel, you'll just fool yourself in the end and it would be much more painful," she scolded, so I just lowered my head at her.

"Let's just go inside of your house and review, okay? I might be screwed at physics and you have to save me," she begged, so I just chuckled because I missed her naughtiness.

After we entered the Woods residence, Ate Kathy greeted us as she hugged Jenny like they haven't seen each other in ages.

She ordered us to clean up ourselves first and eat before we start to study. We did as we were told as we immediately finished all of the things we had to do before studying.

Jenny was right, she really needs to be saved at Physics, her quizzes are much worse than our first quiz.

That night was full of our overwhelming minds as we both focused on reviewing each other, tomorrow is a big day and we both have to be ready for it.

"Ugh! I'm dead," Jenny surrendered herself in my bed as I continued reading some notes, "Crys, can we rest now?" she pleaded, but I shook my head at her.

"You haven't solved this one yet, I'm not going to let you sleep until you solve this," I scolded while writing some of the notes I needed.

She groaned and even if I didn't look, I could feel her rolling herself on my bed. She plans on having a sleepover here and she was already prepared for it.

I sighed before looking at her, "Jenny, you have to solve this, I thought you wanted to be saved at physics? You wouldn't survive if you keep moping like that," I pointed at the paper beside me, but she just shook her head.

"Please let me rest for a moment, please," she pleaded with her hands clasped against each other, so I just shook my head at her.

"Fine, just for an hour okay? It's still early for us to sleep," I gave up, so she cheered before burying herself on my pillows. I just smiled because she's really hopeless, but I'm glad she chose me to tutor her here because Rowen probably knows his way at these subjects.

It took me a while to get finished solving my practice equations. I almost gasped when I forgot to wake her up. She looks soundly asleep so maybe I'll just wake her up early tomorrow.

I slowly stood up and cleaned up our things without making a sound before brushing my teeth. What she said a while ago lingered on my mind despite what I'm trying to learn and remember.

She's wrong about me and Calyx, well it's not like that I don't really like him as a human dragon, it's just...not in a way deeper at what she claims what we have.

I bit my lower lip before gurgling some water and spit it out. I rested my palms on the sink before looking at myself in the mirror.

"Let's be honest with yourself Crystal, do you like that guy, not just a person but someone deeper than that?" I stared at myself like an i***t and sighed before drenching myself with water.

"This is freaking ridiculous," I whispered before grabbing some clean towel on my side to dry off my face.

Shaking my head, I just decided to focus on my exams tomorrow before I'll think about those again.

***

Dawn came and my alarm went off, so I woke up Jenny who immediately got up at my harsh waking up methods.

"Wake up, you still have to solve that problem before I let you go back to sleep again," I threatened, so Jenny yawned before nodding as she started studying.

I laid on the bed to rest my eyes for a moment before I decided to stand up and make our freshly brewed coffee.

Today is a big day and after this is all over, I have to reflect on what I really feel about Calyx, and since when did I get so comfortable mentioning his name?

I just shook my head and turned my back to give Jenny her coffee. I was almost surprised after seeing Ate Kathy was up, "Good morning Crystal, I'll make you two breakfast," she beamed, so my eyes widened.

She never wakes up early unless there's an event! "You don't have to Ate Kathy, we can make our own, I feel bad that you woke up so early for us," I mumbled, so she shook her head.

"Nonsense, go study and I'll handle the breakfast," she pushed me away, so I just smiled before thanking her.

Jenny and I studied for the remaining hours before we decided to go down when Ate Kathy called us to eat first.

We talked about a lot of things with Ate Kathy until we both decided to get ready for school. Luckily, we were so early that we had more time to review once we arrived at our university.

"Good luck on your exams you two!" Ate Kathy bid us goodbye, so I waved my hands at her while Jenny was yawning.

"How can you still be sleepy after drinking some coffee?" I amusingly asked, but Jenny didn't mind me.

"Just shut up while I try to sleepwalk here," she mumbled, so I just chuckled and glanced at the main gate.

I smiled after seeing Flash sleeping over there, "Hey you," Flash immediately stood up after hearing my voice.

"Why are you here this early?" I caressed his head towards its cheeks, so Flash just purred on my hands. Is he always here that early? It's like 6 AM.

"Alright, here's your breakfast then let's go to school alright?" I happily said, so he just nodded before munching on the meals I gave to him.

After he ate his heavenly breakfast, Jenny and I mounted him as I closed my eyes when he flew up in the sky.

I also tried to open my eyes to practice myself from above on heights, but I can't even last for one minute. I gave up when Flash landed at the university, we thanked him before leaving to enter the main gates.

We arrived at our room quietly since there are not many students around because it's still early. After closing the door of our room, I was astounded upon seeing that Calyx was already there studying.

He's so early today, is he also that serious at these pre-examinations? I haven't seen him ever since that incident in that strange room.

"W-Woah, I didn't know that Blizzard guy is fond of studying either," Jenny yawned before proceeding towards her chair casually.

I gulped before clutching to my chest as I decided to proceed to my chair. I wanted to ask him a lot of questions, but I'm afraid that he'll leave without saying goodbye.

"Um, hey, good morning," I greeted after sitting in my chair. He slowly raised his head before nodding at me as he continued studying.

I tilted my head for a moment because he looks like he's been weighing a huge problem on his shoulders, though he looks calm about it.

"A-Are you alright? Have you eaten breakfast?" I don't know why I asked that, I was just really worried about him.

He slowly raised his head before glaring at me, "I don't see why is that your business," he coldly stated, I don't know why I smiled at his reply. Plus, my heart tells me that I missed him badly, which is so weird.

"I'm glad to see that you haven't changed since you have been not attending classes and training ever since that incident," I beamed before turning my back on him as I have decided to study.

"I have other things to do and yes, I don't forget to eat breakfast," he replied on my back, so I bit my lower lip before nodding at him.

My hands reached out to my chest and clutched it. I can't fool myself any longer, maybe I really like this blizzard human dragon.

To be continued…