The Shadow Within Me

Chapter Thirty - Friends

Crystal Raine Meadows

I used to like reading books a lot ever since I was a kid, it always brings me to another world where nobody can provide for me in reality. 

My parents, we're proud of me because of that, especially when it's about educational books. Whenever they ask me about something I answer it very well and confidently.

They even boast me for that kind of skill, they even let me participate in many quiz bees they could find and I always win the grand prizes. I never lose, people that shared the same interest with my parents we're proud, envied them, and happy with how I became.

Reading and knowledge were my power, but when the time came that they had to test my physical skills, they loathed me.

They let me feel that I wasn't their daughter, they forgot about the things that they liked about me, they even regretted having me just because they're afraid of people seeing my weakness.

"It's a shame that you are our daughter, lock her up until she learns her lesson!" My mom ordered her servants to our house. My servants were hesitating to lock me up, but they were being forced to.

"M-Mom please, I don't want to be locked up, please," I cried and begged while running to the door they're about to close, but I tripped over nothing and felt my face facing the floor.

"Madame, I don't think your daughter wants to be inside this place, it's too cold, dim, and tight," my servants bowed their heads at her, but she just slapped them.

"I'm the one who's paying you, lock her up or you'll be fired!" she threatened, so those nice poor ladies just looked at me with pity.

They were the only ones who cared for me inside that house, "Weakness doesn't belong to this family, why did I give birth to that girl!" her screams together with my father's harsh treatment continued ringing in my ears.

My senses pulled me back to reality, I didn't realize that I blacked out. I don't know what happened after I panicked and almost lost my breath after what happened to me a while ago.

I blinked my eyes and slowly realized that I wasn't there anymore inside that tight, cold, empty place. I was so scared that I thought I was back in that horrendous nightmare of mine. I don't want to be back where my parents locked me in.

I was greeted by the white room again with many people around me. The nurses here must be wondering why I always end up in the infirmary.

There was this familiar thing placed in my mouth as I was slowly regaining the air that I had lost. I don't have asthma, but what happened to me reminded me of how horrible my parents were to me.

"C-Crystal, a-are you alright?" I was startled after hearing Jenny's voice, why is she here? Shouldn't they be training?

"U-Ugh, why am I always asking you if you're alright? Of course, you're not," she sounded pissed at herself before holding my hand.

"J-Jenny, I-I was locked in and I-I remembered how my parents were treating me," I sniffed when she hugged me intently and cried with me.

Jenny was the only one who knew what happened to me aside from the Woods family, "I-I know, I know, the people who did this to you were horrible," she comforted me and caressed my back.

I didn't notice that a lot we're watching us a lot when someone coughed and avoided their gazes on us. My eyes peered from around our surroundings and noticed my friends together with the student council and Calyx.

He looks like he's not with himself, "I-I'm sorry, did I all bothered you?" I sounded apologetic, so they shook their heads at me.

"You shouldn't think that way, you didn't bother us, you were the one who was bothered," Jenny bit her lower lip before sighing.

"We found the culprit and they're being interrogated by the Leaders of the District," Peter Hughes explained, so my eyes widened. Culprits?

So someone really locked me there on purpose? I clutched my chest before lowering my head. What did I do wrong to them?

"D-Don't tell Ate Kathy please," I raised my head and looked at each one of them, they looked like they're highly against it.

Jenny avoided her gaze at me, she's the one who looks highly against what I want, "I'm sorry, Crys, but if I have a chance, I'll tell Ate Kathy," Jenny firmly informed me, so I bit my lower lip.

"And I don't know if the Leaders will keep quiet about this, we couldn't handle it anymore so we approached them," David Ronin informed.

"I'm really sorry that this is happening to you," David Ronin apologized, so I just shook my head at them.

"N-No, she'll worry about me and will always interrogate me from now on, I don't want to bother her, she's a busy woman," I mumbled while gripping the bed sheets around me.

"Do you think she'll be happy not hearing this from you?" I almost flinched after hearing Calyx's cold tone.

"Do you think she'll be thrilled not hearing it from you, but to others?" he added, so I bit my lower lip before lowering my head.

"She has the right to worry about you, you're being too harsh on keeping this from her, she has the right to know about what's going on with the woman she decided to take care of," he scolded me and everyone inside of that room looked like they're agreeing with him.

"N-No, I-I just...really don't want to trouble her, having to take care of me was trouble enough," I shakingly mumbled, he didn't understand. 

Ate Kathy was stressed out when she found out about my state at my parent's home, so she took me and argued with them.

"Taking you wasn't trouble, Crystal, it was one of the best decisions I made in my life," I flinched as my eyes widened when I heard her voice.

I slowly raised my head and she was there, looking at me with the eyes that bear with worry, anger, and sadness.

"The Leaders called me here, they informed me about what happened," she started walking towards me and sat at the edge of the bed.

"Why did you keep this from me?" she calmly asked, she's just restraining herself because there are so many people around.

"U-Um should we leave?" Peter Hughes asked, but no one answered him as he glanced at Ate Kathy, "Hello again megaphone," he greeted, so Ate Kathy glared at him.

Right, I remember that they were schoolmates before, they still call Ate Kathy a megaphone huh? I can't blame them.

"Well hello there, three idiots, Calyx, and I presume you're Crystal best friends?" she looked at Jenny, Liam, and Rowen so they just nodded at her and bowed.

"Hello Mrs. Woods, we've heard so much about you," they greeted, her eyes widened before glancing at me as she shook her head.

"Good things I hope," she raised her eyebrows at me, so my friends chuckled. She just smiled and talked about some other stuff with them.

They talked about what happened to me a while ago. I was busy thinking about a lot of things until I heard Ate Kathy say something.

"According to the Leaders, I heard it was Calyx who broke down that door, thank you for that, thank you for looking out for her," Ate Kathy glanced at Calyx, but he just nodded at her and avoided his gaze.

My eyes were slightly widened at what she said, Calyx saved me again from that? My heart thumped like it wanted to get out of my chest.

He did that multiple times already when I should be the one who's looking after him, I promised our legendary people to do that! This is so freaking embarrassing.

I glanced at Calyx and he's not looking at me, he's busy looking at the door like he was waiting for someone to arrive.

"Now you," Ate Kathy pulled me on a tight hug, "We're going to have a long talk after this mess is over, little Trevy and Drave are outside," she informed me.

It wasn't a while until little Trevy entered the room as he ran across the bed, "R-Raine! Raine! Why are you here?" he asked, he sounded worried as his mother carried him to me.

"Now, now, let your Ate Raine recover before you make her dizzy," Kuya Drave scolded his son as he entered the room and numerous eyes were on him.

"Draven Woods!" The three idiots ran to hug him, so Kuya Drave just laughed while shaking his head.

"I'm not Ash dummies, he's the only one who wants to be greeted that way," Kuya Draven replied as they bonded with each other.

After that, Kuya Draven came to check up on me, which is really sweet. I'm really lucky to have a chance of being part of this warm family.

A lot of things happened inside of that room and if there's one thing I noticed is that Calyx wasn't interacting with everyone, he's just surrounded by many people.

He silently watched everyone around him as his face remained expressionless, but his eyes were filled with many emotions I couldn't count.

I never got the chance to approach and thanked him. My legs were still shaking although I'm not there anymore.

Ate Kathy checked me out of that place, the people left one by one. The student council always kept on apologizing to me until they left.

They don't know how much they've helped me, it's not their fault that some students here have shitty attitudes.

All of them left aside from Jenny and Calyx, I told her to come with Rowen, but she insisted on staying with me.

"Jenny, I'm alright, I have the Woods family here to take me home," I nagged one last time, but she stubbornly shook her head.

"No, I'm escorting you out here and that's final and how come you're not questioning his presence here?" she pointed at Calyx, so I flinched before glancing at that expressionless guy.

"Oh don't worry dears, Calyx is going to fetch some fresh chocolate chip cookies I baked for Nyx, he's coming with us to our house," Ate Kathy chimed in, so I just sighed.

Here I thought it was for other reasons. I just shook my head because of my absurd thoughts, this is freaking ridiculous.

After making myself look decent, we paced towards the main gates and that's where Jenny hugged me.

"Message me if you want something to talk about okay? I'm one dove away," she mumbled behind my back, so I smiled and nodded at her.

"See you and take care, Mr. and Mrs. Woods," Jenny bowed her head as she messed with little Trevy's hair and glanced at Calyx.

"You too, Calyx," she firmly said as she turned her back on us, Calyx didn't reply as he went towards Flash that's waiting in the middle.

"Oh Crystal, would you ride with Calyx? We're already full in one ferry dragon, plus your Kuya Draven can't shift here," she suggested, so my eyes widened.

"A-Ate Kathy, I could ride with another dragon right? I might cause him trouble," I mumbled while biting my lower lip, so she glanced at Calyx.

"Calyx, you don't mind Crystal riding with you right?" she asked that surprised me for a moment and Calyx just nodded at her.

Ate Kathy smirked at me, "See it's no trouble, go on so that we can go home quickly," she ordered, so I have no other choice but to pace towards Flash and Calyx. She's doing this on purpose!

"H-Hey um, thank you, for a while ago," I started a conversation, he didn't look at me as he nodded. I glanced at Flash and its fierce-looking eyes looked like it's whining about something or something about Calyx.

"Are you sure you don't mind riding with me? I caused you too much trouble, so it's safe to say that you might want to stay away," I reassured, but he stopped rummaging in his bags before glancing at me.

"I wouldn't say yes if you were troubling me," he coldly replied. I felt like a blizzard of snow hit me.

"And I don't mind saving you from those troubles, I can't just stand and watch even if I want to stay away," he added, so I tilted my head at him.

What does he mean about that? Before I could even ask, he mounted Flash and patted the seat behind his back.

"Sit, we're leaving," he ordered, so I flinched before nodding as I immediately mounted the saddle from behind.

To be continued…