It’s a tiny beige kitten. It has dazzling blue almond-shaped eyes and a triangular-shaped head. It has an almost unnoticeable light brown face and paws. Its beige fur sticks up in clumps, dirty and tangled. A small, not overly threatening, squeak comes out of its mouth, and it backs off, hackles raised, as Aqueous approaches. The black dragon sniffs the tiny creature, who sniffs him back, but does not drop its attack stance.
“Where the fuck is it?” Sadie shouts.
“Why do you want it so badly?” someone asks.
There’s a tense silence before a ‘smack’ noise and a collective gasp from the crowd.
“Shut up! I didn’t give you permission to speak to me!” Sadie screeches, before huffing loudly: “The stupid little shit stole some chicken off Exquisite! That scumbag had no right to steal it and take a bite! It’s fucking expensive!”
The little kitten flinches with each word, its ears flattened against its tiny head. Aqueous makes a few soft noises, which catches the kitten’s attention, who meows back to him. The two then start making noises to each other, almost like they’re talking.
“Ugh!” Sadie stomps her feet on the floor repeatedly. “If you see the little shit, you will inform me straight away, got it?”
There are a few murmurs of agreement before footsteps signify people leaving, including Sadie, who can be heard by the clipping of her high heels.
“Mew.”
The sound of the kitten redirects my attention towards my companion, who is now licking the kitten, trying to untangle its fur.
“Are you two friends?” I wonder out loud.
The black dragon turns to me, turquoise eyes shining. He nods vigorously, while the beige kitten seems unsure.
Slowly I reach out to the kitten, but it backs away. Aqueous nudges it towards me again, seemingly offering words of encouragement. The kitten flinches as I touch it, but quickly relaxes as I scratch its tiny chin. It even lets its guard down and starts purring, rubbing its head into my hand.
I can’t just turn it away... Sadie will hurt it.
I cringe as I think about her baring my body to the entire cabin, and my face quickly heats up in embarrassment.
Yes, I’m embarrassed, but I’m also furious with her.
She kicked Aqueous.
No hesitation, no remorse. She even looked smug about it.
How dare she? Any ill feelings she has should be directed at me, not Aqueous; he’s only trying to protect me.
Then, the details of my predicament come racing back. No clothes, no towels and most people are probably still in the cabin.
I’m going to have to wander out there naked.
“Mew?” The kitten nuzzles my hand, trying to get my attention back.
“What the hell am I supposed to do?” I wonder aloud, stroking the kitten once more. “I have nothing to cover myself with... I’m going to have to go out there, and embarrass myself. Again.”
Aqueous paws my leg, and the kitten stops purring, instead widening its blue eyes. I would find it more adorable if I weren’t so torn up inside.
“Hazel?” Someone knocks on the door lightly, but I that voice.
“Wes, I can’t come out right now,” I sigh.
“I know... I saw... You know...”
With that comment, I can’t stop the tears.
“No, don’t cry!” Wes says desperately. “Let me in, I’m sorry!”
“I can’t!” I sob, wiping tears off my cheek. “My clothes are on the bed.”
“Oh, wait here.”
“Where am I going to go, exactly?”
“Oh, yeah, right. Two seconds.”
The kitten mews timidly, its large blue eyes wide with fear. It climbs onto my leg and taps my face gently, meowing constantly. Aqueous makes a series of chirping noises, which makes the kitten relax a little.
Wes soon returns, knocking on the door lightly again. “I’m here. I won’t look, promise.”
With a deep breath I unlock the door and snatch my clothes off him, which he holds behind his back while he faces the other direction. During this, Asteroid squeezes herself through the crack in the door and joins Aqueous and his new friend.
I’m thankful to be able to drain the bath and put my clothes on, even though I’m still damp, while the three new friends play, batting each other lightly on the head and tackling each other. Now that they’ve bonded with the kitten, what am I supposed to do?
Wes moves away as I open the door, concern on his face. To my surprise, he hugs me awkwardly; it’s nice to know he’s trying to be supportive.
“It’ll blow over soon,” he whispers in my ear. “You’ll see.”
“Sadie won’t let it.”
“So? Some of the people around here haven’t got the longest attention spans, Hazel. They’ll find something else to talk about soon.”
“Mew!”
Wes jerks away and stares at the kitten, who is now rubbing itself against his legs and purring like a lawnmower.
“It must have slipped in while Sadie was preoccupied,” I shrug innocently.
Wes sighs and bends down to stroke the kitten, who bats at his glasses playfully. “It’s cute! Are you keeping it?”
I shrug again. “And give Sadie more ammunition?”
“But it’s getting on with Aqueous and Asteroid so well...” he whines, smiling as Asteroid licks the kitten on the top of the head.
“Wes...”
The kitten bats at his glasses again, pausing its loud purrs to meow loudly.
“Come on...”
With a final sigh, and against my better judgement, I give in. “Fine. But we’re sharing it. Responsibilities and all.”
“Yes!” Wes punches the air, and Aqueous bounces excitedly.
8
Chapter Eight
When I enter the bedroom, I am met with crude comments from the people gathered in the cabin. They pause in looking under beds and in drawers to hurl abuse at me and laugh. Wes snaps at them and holds the kitten close, boasting that Sadie can’t have it now because we’re looking after it.
I know he’s only trying to help, but I’ve got to stand up for myself.
I’ve noticed that, since the ‘incident’, Wes has been looking at me weirdly. Whenever I turn around he’s always... staring. It’s unnerving.
No-one has made any stupid comments about the kitten, but I’m sure that’s yet to come. Wes and I have arranged to take it to the vet tomorrow, but it specializes in dragon care; we’ll have to see if they know anything about cats.
I only slept for a few hours; I couldn’t stop cringing about the ‘incident’. I was also worrying about school, because news is sure to travel fast.
As soon as I got to school, my prediction came true.
I squirm uncomfortably in my seat as Mr Gilmore gives out the morning announcements. I barely listen because the boys in the back are talking about me, pointing and snickering amongst themselves. I’d already heard a couple of people whispering about me when I was rushing to the classroom, some making fun of the way I look.
The bell rings, making everyone jump out of their seats and grab their bags. Some kids have even rushed out the door before Mr Gilmore can dismiss them.
“I’ll see you all tomorrow,” he says, but many people ignore him. “Hazel, come back after school and see me, please.”
Oh crap.
Oh crap.
Some kids snigger and start muttering amongst themselves once more, so I rush out the door before I can hear anything.
What if he knows?
Have I done something wrong?
* * *
It became clear that I would find it hard to concentrate in class. In English, the ‘popular’ kids threw scrunched-up pieces of paper at my head every time the teacher turned towards the board. Either he didn’t notice their behaviour or just ignored it.
People shoved crude notes in my locker. One guy even took a naked picture of himself, which I quickly threw away in disgust.
Aqueous scampers a
head of me, eager to see Mr Gilmore so we can get home sooner. He’s had to dodge kicks all day; no-one pays attention to my empty threats.
The classroom is empty as I enter, but I decide to wait a few minutes to give him a chance to get here. My mind has been spinning all day trying to work out what he wants to talk to me about: grades, behaviour, attendance or the ‘incident’.
“Ah, Hazel.” He taps me on the shoulder, making me jump. “Pull a chair up to my desk and sit.”
Reluctantly, I pull up a chair and sit in front of his desk, which is covered in a mountain of paper and a plugged-in laptop. Aqueous jumps on my lap, interested in a half-eaten sandwich that Mr Gilmore puts down on the table.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” he says, settling down in his seat.
Wordlessly I nod. Aqueous whines on my lap, seemingly thinking the same thing as me.
“There’s a school trip coming up.”
Oh, thank goodness.
“But, uh...” he squirms uncomfortably. “Students with common dragons aren’t allowed to go.”
“Why? Am I too poor?” I hiss bluntly.
He takes a deep breath before continuing. “It’s a trip to a museum about a mile away from here. They don’t allow commoners to enter.”
“So, I am too poor? It’s a museum! It must only cost a fiver!”
“It’s not that; it’s a free trip,” he explains. “There will be other trips! Camping, visiting an elite dragon training school, skiing-”
“So, the trips that I can go on I can’t afford,” I conclude.
He doesn’t answer for a few seconds. “I’m sorry. On that day, you’ll just have a private dragon training session with your mentor.”
Aqueous growls, lashing his spiked tail, leaving a small scratch on the side of the desk.
“Fine.” I grit my teeth.
“Who is your mentor, out of interest?”
“Marco White.”
“Oh.” He pauses for a few seconds. “No wonder Mr Knight’s wound up.”
I narrow my eyes. “Excuse me?”
“Nothing. You can go,” he smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Again, I’m sorry.”
* * *
“That’s not fair!” Wes protests. “Who am I going to talk to all day?”
“I don’t care anyway. All the trips that cost money will be too expensive for me to go on, so you’ll have to get used to it.”
The kitten wriggles in my arms, clinging to my shirt as another large dragon passes. Asteroid chirps at it, offering encouragement. Wes opens the door to the vets, which is just a plain white building with a small wooden sign saying: ‘Veterinarians’. Inside it is just as plain: a small white room with a desk and computer. A few wooden chairs are scattered around, and colourful pictures of dragons decorate the walls. A woman at the front desk turns to smile at us as we walk in.
“How can I help?” she says, showing off her pearly white teeth.
“I booked an appointment: Abbot.”
She types on the computer, then smiles. “Dr Zhào will see you in a minute.”
We settle on the seats, Wes swinging his legs back and forth.
“You booked?” The kitten settles on my lap as it figures out we’ve stopped moving.
“Yeah, I rang last night,” he shrugs sheepishly. “My parents gave me a mobile phone as a late birthday present.”
“Cool.”
“It’s one of the older ones, though; they say I’m not old enough for a touch screen.”
The wait is only a few minutes, but Asteroid and Aqueous entertain themselves by playing with colourful blocks that are sprawled across the floor.
“Abbot?” A petite Chinese woman with short black hair ushers us into a room next door.
A metal bench is in the middle of the room, surrounded by cupboards and a weighing scale in the corner. The woman smiles at us once more.
“Which one of you has a sick dragon, huh?”
“Uh, it’s not a dragon.” Wes carefully takes the kitten from me and places it on the table.
The woman stares at the kitten for a few seconds. “Okay...”
“We were wondering if you knew anything about cats.”
“Luckily for you two, I specialize in the care of household pets.” She starts examining the kitten, pulling back its ears and checking its eyes. “Where’d you find it?”
“It was hiding in my bathroom.” I smile sheepishly.
“His fur is a mess,” she mutters.
“'His’? It’s a boy?” Wes looks at the kitten excitedly.
“Yes. About three months old. He’s obviously been abandoned, seeing as he’s comfortable around people,” she answers. She picks the kitten up gently, but he squeaks anyway. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Wes bounces on the spot excitedly, his eyes shining. “What should we call him?”
I’ve been so preoccupied that I haven’t been thinking of names. With everything that’s been going on, I guess I pushed the kitten to the back of my mind. “I dunno. You name him; you seem to have all the ideas.”
“Really?” He stops bouncing and pauses for a second. “Normie. Normie Abbot-Adams.”
“I like it,” I elbow his arm playfully. “You had to think hard about that one, huh?”
My friend’s face heats up and he shrugs. “It suits him.”
After a few minutes, the vet returns with Normie scooped up in a towel. His fur is sopping wet, and his little face is contorted into what I can only describe as a cat’s version of a scowl. “All clean now,” Dr Zhào smiles.
Normie wriggles in the towel, growling loudly.
“Nothing wrong?” Wes presses.
“Nope. He’s perfectly fine, just a bit under-fed.” She places Normie on the table, and he quickly jumps out of the towel and shakes himself, before licking his fur vigorously. “Are you planning on keeping him? It’s a lot of responsibility.”
“We’re aware,” I reply, not liking her condescending tone.
“Okay. What’s his name?” She tries to dry Normie with the towel, ignoring his screams of protest and anger.
“Normie Abbot-Adams,” Wes says proudly.
“I’ll add him to my register of patients,” she smiles. “I’ll also give you two a list of what you need to buy for him.”
Great.
Looks like I’m not eating for a week.
* * *
Normie pounces on his purple toy mouse once more, batting at it with his back legs.
“See? I told you he needed a toy!” Wes points out.
“Just wait until a piece of thread falls off our clothes; he’ll forget all about that mouse in two seconds flat.”
Wes snorts in reply. Two days ago, we went out and bought all the things Normie would need, as well as toys. We also have to pay insurance to the vet every month to cover him for any future injuries, as animals other than dragons don’t get free service.
The mouse shoots out of his grip when he kicks it too hard, so I bend down to fetch it for him. As soon as I bend down, I feel Wes’ stare burning into my back. With a loud sigh, I throw the mouse back to Normie and cross my arms like a sulking toddler.
“Something wrong?” Wes stands up, putting a hand on my shoulder.
“Yes,” I mutter bitterly. “Stop staring at my bum!”
His face immediately goes bright red. “I wasn’t-”
“Ever since the ‘incident’ every time I turn around you stare!”
“N-no!” He smoothes his hair down anxiously. “I didn’t know you had a tattoo, that’s all.”
“Don’t give me- Wait, what are you talking about?”
He starts to play with his fingers in embarrassment. “That blue swirly tattoo on your, uh, lower back. I’ve been trying to work out whether it’s real.”
“What?” I storm into my stall in the bathroom and yank my shirt up above my belly button. “Where?”
“On your back!” Wes spins me around until I notice a small blue mark on my back.<
br />
The marking starts off like a slim tree trunk, before branching off to the left into a small, perfectly shaped bright blue swirl.
“What is that?” I demand, my mouth hanging open from shock.
“You don’t... know?” He tilts his head to one side in confusion.
“It’d better be fake!”
“I don’t think so,” he unhelpfully chips in. “It looks too...vibrant.”
Aqueous and Asteroid come in at this point, wondering what all the excitement is about. My eyes snap to Aqueous’ markings, and how similar they look to mine.
“Wes, pull your shirt up.”
“What? Why...?”
“Just do it.”
With a sigh, Wes turns around and lifts his shirt, his mouth instantly dropping open. “Is this a joke?”
Dark grey patches cover his lower back. As I expected, they look almost identical to Asteroid’s: grey, cloud-like markings.
“They’re Elemental markings!” I exclaim, pointing to Asteroid.
“Only dragons get those!” he protests.
“Obviously not!” I chew my fingernail in thought. “Is there a library around here?”
“Yeah, the one in school, why?”
“There’s got to be some information about this! It might be some sort of disease!”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions!” my friend hisses. “Let’s go there now and try to find out about this.”
* * *
We allowed ourselves time to calm down, then headed over to school. The library is huge; the room is lined with shelves upon shelves of colourful books. Tables and computers are set up in a circle around the middle, covered in books and paper. There’s an inaccessible balcony above, lined with empty shelves and tall stained glass windows.
The only people in here are a large group sat at a table at the back. My heart sinks upon recognising Marco, Maya, Mason, Ciara, Naomi and Rocky looking through books and laughing amongst each other. However, my heart stops as Sadie joins them, sliding onto Mason’s lap.
Why now?
How the hell am I supposed to hide this from them?
My heart starts pumping at the thought of my friends finding out what she did to me. They’ll be ashamed of me.
“Plan of action?” I enquire.
“You distract them; I’ll try to find some books on it. I’ll be back in a minute.” With that, Wes disappears into one of the aisles, eyes darting from shelf to shelf for useful books.
Elemental Dragons Book 1: Blood and Water Page 7
