Britt made his way through the Marketplace, looking around for the group. He sighed and pulled out his PMA.

Britt: Where are you, troublemaker?

Dyani: Excuse you, I'm a saint. Turn around.

He snorted at her message and turned around to find she was standing directly behind him.

"For someone that is supposed to be well versed in magic, you're not very sensitive to it. Anyone else would have felt me coming."

"More like they would have heard you," one of the boys snickered at her. She whipped around and pointed a finger at the three, not knowing which one had spoken. Britt took a moment to put away his PMA and take her by the arm.

"We should get an early dinner since someone decided to lose the contents of her breakfast this morning."

"Hey! That's not my fault that I reacted badly to the Dysc."

They all shook their heads at the girl and continued to walk down one of the side alleys. Dyani continued to stare at all the different shops and people that walked by. Britt asked the others about their dining choice, and most agreed with the same place.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Because it's New York style pizza that tastes like you walked in off the street. Why would we not want to go there," Mari responded.

"I still think we should go somewhere with some of our foods so Dyani can experience it. Elvish food is amazing," Jorge muttered in dejection.

Dyani stopped and stared at them with her mouth agape. The group continued walking, only stopping when they realized she was not following along.

"Wait. Wait. Are you shitting me?"

"What did I say?" Jorge looked confused, as did the others.

"Wait a minute, I can't think. Are you telling me that Elves exist? Like Lord of the Rings style pointy-eared, beautiful than life, Elves?"

Britt choked at the description while Noemi burst into laughter. The others gave her a questioning glance, which made Dyani even more confused. How could anyone not know what Lord of the Rings was?

"Yes, Dyani. And I can tell you that they all look just as yummy as Orlando Bloom."

Dyani's eyes widened and Noemi giggled as she pulled the stunned girl along.

"No shit," Dyani was able to respond after a moment of laughter. The confused bunch behind them were whispering questions about the pop culture reference. Dyani shook her head, wondering if all of the magical people in this new world were ignorant or if it was just these four.

Her eyes slid over to the man who walked beside her, though she flushed when she caught his emerald gaze. His eyes sparkled in amusement before they flickered ahead to watch where they were walking. Dyani turned her head to speak to Noemi but found herself faced with an arched blonde eyebrow. A sheepish smile was given before it turned into a conversation about elves.

When they arrived at the pizza shop, Dyani's stomach rumbled loudly. Everyone took amusement at her embarrassment, sending teasing jabs at her while standing in line. They gathered their number so the pizzas could be delivered once they were ready and hunted down a table to sit at. The largest one was a round booth in the back corner of the room.

Dyani grinned, "If elves exist, then zombies probably do as well. Sorry all, I love you but self-preservation comes first and you'll be the first to go so I can escape."

She slid into the booth while they looked at her with bizarre looks. Jorge let out a bark of laughter since he understood what she spoke of.

"Oh, I know what you speak of. Nonmagical call them zombies. It's because of their TV shows and books. You're familiar with a Thrall. From what I know, they are relatively close to the same, except that a zombie is a rogue Thrall."

The others whipped their heads to the boy and then back to Dyani in horror. Caleb gaped and then slid in next to Dyani, "Why would you even mention that? Dude, you know the scariest of things for someone who doesn't know our world."

Britt scowled lightly as the others filled in beside Caleb. Noemi stood to the side of the roundtable, allowing Britt to slide in on the other side of Dyani. The teacher gave her a slight nod, knowing that she had done it on purpose. It took a little while for their pizzas to arrive, where they covered every inch of the table.

Dyani gaped when people began to snap pieces off from the pies and ate them straight. She was used to eating from a plate and stared at the piece in her hand.

"Oh? Is that the pepperoni or the Hawai'ian one?"

Dyani turned her head to see Britt eyeing the piece. She smiled, though it was slightly forced.

"It's the Hawai'ian. I love pineapple on pizza."

"Ah, so you like the sweetness?"

"Well, I'm already a salty bitch, so I've got to get some sugar somehow."

Britt choked on his piece of pizza as Dyani casually took a bite of hers. Hunger won out over propriety. However, she held it lightly so the grease would not drop onto her hands. Dyani watched in shock as she raised the pizza to take another bite, which was stolen from her. Britt smirked as he bit off a piece, humming in satisfaction at the taste. Noemi was gaping, her slice hanging limp.

Dyani punched him in the shoulder, "You jackass."

Caleb snorted while using the moment to take a bite to annoy her.

"Hey! This is really good."

Dyani's head whipped over to Caleb before punching him in the shoulder as well.

"Does anyone else want a bite? Since it's free reign on Dyani's Pizza?" She held the piece out so someone could grab it, and Jorge took the opportunity to do so.

Dyani huffed and plucked Britt's piece from his hand and scarfed it down. The rest of the dinner was uneventful, though the occasional hand would reach for Dyani's pizza to tease her. Her propriety went all the way out the front door and she hoarded the large pie close. Somehow, though Dyani swore he used magic, she would find that Britt snuck bites of hers when she wasn't looking.

"Dyani?" The table looked over to Britt as he spoke, though it was quiet enough that just their table could hear. Curious, she set down her last slice and titled her head. "It has been bothering me since Etara brought it up. Why exactly did I need to come along with you?"

Dyani's slice dropped to the table and her expression darkened. Noemi recognized the signs from the previous evening and motioned for them to pull away. The group moved away to avoid the surge in magic that was sure to occur. Britt did the opposite and leaned closer. He placed a hand on her shoulder and took one of her hands.

"I'm sorry if it has brought up issues. Take a deep breath and ground yourself."

Dyani gave a sharp nod and closed her eyes. The magic that had slipped out, cracking the walls and table slightly, was pulled back. Her breathing deepened and she gripped his hand tightly.

"Bring it back in, Dyani. That's it. You've got this."

The teacher stroked a hand over her black hair, tucking the silver strand behind her ear. The others exchanged looks, knowing this was more intimate than should be witnessed. It was one thing for them to tease her about liking him but his comforting touch spoke of something more. It was unsaid but the group agreed that this would be left alone. Teasing could happen where others couldn't hear but the depth of the developing relationship between the two should be left under wraps.

Dyani took a shuddering breath before letting it out with a whoosh. "My family thinks I'm dead."

Forks and cups were dropped to the table, though the latter was slammed down in shock. Britt reeled back at the comment, not expecting it to start with a heavy topic.

"They believe that I am dead because the Headmistress says that returning to the nonmagical world will be dangerous. I'm dangerous, she told me. I could lose control. I can never go back."

"Why, then, do you have to have a chaperone?"

"Because she doesn't trust me after I've repeatedly asked her to take me to them."

Britt's eyebrows raised to his hairline, unaware she had asked to return to them. He wondered why she had not mentioned them but figured that it was due to being in contact with them. To hear that she was isolated from the world she had lived in up until the past two months caused his heart to wrench. He had been far from his own family and world, but at least he held contact with them on rare occasions. Britt frowned and placed a hand on her back to support her.

"I'm sorry, Dyani. I didn't know."

She shook her head, "No one knew. She swore me to secrecy about it unless someone asked. Your indirect way of asking allowed me to answer. I didn't know what I did until afterward."

There were multiple frowns as she admitted that she had been tricked into swearing a vow of secrecy. Britt felt a well of anger pool in his stomach at the thought. He knew that the woman had ulterior motives for things, but taking advantage of someone without knowledge was another. Taking a breath, Britt steeled himself with a promise never to let Dyani go without the knowledge that he could provide. None would take advantage of her again if he could help it. Britt leaned over and whispered in Noemi's ear for a moment. The girl pulled away with a smile and pushed Mari from the booth so that he could be let out.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Dyani stared at him with a tinge of fear, worried that he would be leaving her. Noemi slid back in and slung an arm over her shoulder. The girl leaned on the support while staring at Britt. The teacher sat forward with his hands on the table, long blonde hair swinging over his shoulder.

"Don't worry. I have to run and grab something really quick. I will be back in just a short time. Sit with your friends and enjoy the time, okay?"

Dyani nodded before picking up her pizza, eyes following the man as he walked from the shop. The conversation picked up around her and she was absorbed into it. The topics ranged from classes to studying to coming to the Marketplace every few weekends to get away. Dyani felt her body relax as the tension bled away. The bell of the shop dinged. No one commented when her head would whip around to see if Master Briggens returned. Noemi patted the girl on the shoulder when the fifth time was a disappointment.

"Are you okay, Dyani? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you are being incredibly clingy. Why is that?"

Mari had moved over to the other side of Jorge and the seating rotated slightly at the change in position. Dyani's shoulder slumped and the girl curled in on herself.

"You have to understand that a lot of what I do and say is actually who I am. I've always had a smart mouth. Landed me in more trouble than I can count."

"Then why...?" The question was left unasked, but Dyani knew exactly what she was getting at. Why was Dyani clinging to Britt as if he would leave her and never return?

"He's been the only thing that has been consistent in my life since this entire madness began. I've been left with no one except for the tutors. Britt would swing by just to check in on me or bring me a meal."

Noemi nodded, finally understanding why their dynamic was strong despite being student and teacher. It wouldn't be an incredibly horrible scandal since Dyani was of age, but it was highly frowned upon.

"So you think that it's more of a security blanket than something happening between you two?"

"I'm not sure. He's older than me, my teacher, and so many other things. That's hard to even think of. I just want to have someone, you know? My family was everything. I could lean on them no matter what I did. They supported me through thick and thin, and now I don't have that anymore. I miss them terribly, so it's unsurprising that I latched onto Britt when he came along."

Noemi smiled sadly at the girl, "I get you. I know exactly what you mean. I'm sorry that you aren't able to reach out to them. I would offer to do so but I wouldn't know how to go about it."

Dyani gave her a small smile, her thoughts still rampant.

"It's the thought that counts. Thank you."

"Of course. We're friends, aren't we?"

Dyani giggled and the dark emotions flooded away from her. The door pinged, and she continued speaking with the others when the seat beside her shifted. Her head turned to speak with Noemi but found herself facing Britt instead. He had a smug grin on his face and he handed her a package. She tilted her head to the side in curiosity, wondering what exactly it was that he had bought.

"Go on," his voice softened as she took the package. The packaging crinkled as she picked out the slim rectangular box from the bag. Dyani could hear one of the boys suck in a breath, causing her to look over at them curiously. Kavan nodded his head at the package, telling her to open it. She looked down to see a logo with the same tower Caleb had pointed out to her earlier. There was a large M behind it that looked more whispy than the normal text companies use.

Dyani lifted the top of the case away from the brand-new PMA that sat on silk bedding. Dyani's hand shook, and she dropped the box in shock at the gift. Britt's hand darted out and caught it before the device could be damaged.

"And?" His voice was confident, but a slight inflection at the end had Dyani staring at him. He was worried that she would not like it.

"Britt, you didn't need to get me anything like this. The one I have worked just as nicely. You've already spent so much on me."

The man's shoulders dipped slightly and Dyani backpedaled, knowing she had made him feel worse.

"No, don't take it like that. I love it a lot. You really didn't have to spend so much on me. I can't repay you."

"Is that what you're worried about?"

Dyani nodded, running her fingers carefully over the new screen. It was all too much. The books, the supplies, the luggage, and now this. All of the gifts were too much. He had to have spent thousands of dollars.

"It's too much," Dyani swayed as her mind went into overdrive.

Caleb placed a hand on the back of her neck, "I think she's going into shock."

"You think, dumbass? You would be shocked at the sheer amount of culture she is taking in if you were in her place. It's not helping that Master Briggens has been buying all of her supplies instead of using the allotted funds."

The teacher scowled at Kavan, who shrugged. The boy was very intelligent and definitely was paying too much attention to his movements. This group of friends would be the perfect match for someone like Dyani.

She took in a few deep breaths to calm her anxiety. Britt wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in closer so that she was pressed against his side. Her breathing slowed down and she let out a small laugh. It lacked the humor, but it was enough that everyone relaxed. She was calming down.

"I don't want you to ever worry about paying me back. You need supplies and things. It's unfair that you are trapped in a world without support. I'm happy to help."

Dyani flushed and watched as the screen flickered on. There was a pleasant ding as the screen turned a light blue before a round spot appeared. Everyone watched with rapt attention.

"This is the newer model. I figured that you would appreciate having all the new things that come with it. It's not just the PMA; it can act like a phone. We need to set it up, but there is an option for you to reach nonmagical numbers. I spoke with a person there, and they said it's a new feature they want to test. I got a discount too since it's so new. Yours will be occasionally sending background information on its performance."

Dyani's brows furrowed at that, but Britt addressed her concern, "It's only information that is relevant to their studies. Runes and maths. He swore that you would not be tracked and that nothing of your information would be made known to them."

There was a breath of relief that swept through the group at that.

"Why get me the newest model, though?"

"It's harder to track."

Dyani's eyebrows rose as Caleb was the one to respond. She turned to him because she knew that he would elaborate.

"People were finding ways to track each other's movements and things that were said. With the new models, there is less of a risk. Most people gifted PMAs to each other, and those who bought them would set them up with parental tracking. It's quite annoying."

Britt held out a case that was solid silver in color with black swirls. She took it and snapped it over the back and front. The device shimmered for a second before fading back to normal.

"Thank you," she whispered, staring at the device.

Britt slipped a hand over hers before taking the device from her grip. He typed on the screen momentarily before passing the phone around the table. Britt's arm wove around behind Dyani to rest on the seat behind her. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered.

"I gave you my private address. The one you have on the school’s PMA is my professional address, which most people know. Please keep it to yourself. You'll have both of those numbers in there now."

Dyani nodded and flashed him a small smile. He leaned back, but the arm that he had placed behind her stayed put. The PMA made its way back around to her, with the group grinning.

"So now that you're officially off the grid, what will you do with your bad self?"

Noemi threw a piece of crust at Kavan as he teased Dyani. She rolled her eyes and leaned back against the booth seat. The back of her head brushed up against the teacher's forearm, and she felt tingles shoot straight down her spine. It was a pleasant warmth that she was unsure how it made her feel. Pushing away the thoughts, she turned to answer Kavan's question.

"I'm not sure. I think I'll stick with using the school’s PMA but use this one on the sly. I want to use it publically, but that's really hard to justify having two phones."

Britt hummed in thought while Caleb smirked, "Why don't you use that one publically anyway? The Headmistress cannot take your personal property. We'll make up some excuse so you can keep the old one?"

"Keep to the truth. She went into the PMA shop, curious about how to work her device to receive calls on it. The people there recognized that she had an older device and offered to have her test out the newest model in exchange for having them keep tabs on its functioning. This way, the Headmistress or anyone else cannot tamper with it in fear of dealing with an angry company."

Caleb cheered, "That's brilliant. Utterly brilliant."

Dyani patted Britt's knee in gratitude before turning her full attention to the new device. Her fingers flew over the screen as she explored all the different features. She sucked in a sharp breath and she turned to Britt with wide eyes. He glanced at the PMA to see what had caught her attention and smirked. Why was he not surprised that she would have found this immediately?

"Does this really—?" She trailed off, the device cradled in her hands like a fragile glass sculpture.

"Yes, though you'll have to program it with each one. It should be easy since it is hooked into an archive. You must only have a physical copy of the book to gain that access."

"So it's permanent once the book is registered?"

"Smart as a whip, aren't you? Yes, that's correct. It's quite handy, isn't it? Some of the newer books that are coming out have special codes that allow you digital access. This is part of the testing that you are doing."

The group chattered away at that. It was something completely new to the magical world. Although it was an older concept that the nonmagical world had devised many years prior. She had used it for her program when she needed to work on her research projects.

Britt's mouth curled into a sly smile, "I imagine if you ask your fellow schoolmates, they'd be happy to lend you books from their personal libraries or their old school books. I believe the program comes with a generator to identify them; if it cannot, you can add to their database by scanning into it."

Caleb whistled low at that. It was brand new tech. "I am a bit jealous, Dyani. You get to have the top-of-the-line products and things to work with."

"You can always work with it and show me some of the things that make it run. I definitely do not know how to run the old one, let alone work with this brand-new hunk of metal."

"Hunk of metal?" Jorge squawked indignantly.

Caleb punched him in the shoulder, causing the boy to growl in return. The other shared looks of exasperation, though Dyani was flicking through the PMA in interest. Her fingers danced over the screen and flicked through the current contacts, seeing that the group was already set to their own PMA addresses. The only difference was that Britt's was set up separately. The first entry was for Master Briggens, with the address that she quickly learned was for the professor PMA. In another entry, she could see the name Britt with a small symbol beside it. Dyani clicked on the profile and was surprised to see that there was a decent amount of information on it. Her eyes raised to find green ones staring at her intensely. She held up the device and shook it with a raised brow.

Britt chuckled, "It is much easier if you were to have that than not to have it. I'd rather you be able to reach me should you need anything, whether that is my address for the PMA or home. I kindly ask that you keep that profile to yourself, though. I do not want it getting out that you have it, let alone that I encourage you to use it outside of school."

Britt's green eyes sharpened as he glanced around the table. The other students were busy talking in low tones with one another, but he knew that they were listening. Some shifted slightly but their body language told him that he would not have to worry about loose lips. Dyani nodded and returned to looking at the different features of her device.

"Could I text my family on these or will it work with their emails? Or if I would have only to call them. Can I leave video messages or is it limited to audio?"

Dyani rambled the questions under her breath, thinking aloud at the thoughts in her head. Jorge and Caleb looked as if Yule had come early and were jotting down notes and conferring about the context of her questions. Dyani ignored them. Britt chuckled, drawing the attention of the others.

"I know this is all exciting but it would be a good idea for us to continue shopping. There are things that Dyani still needs and I am sure that you want to introduce her to more aspects of our world?"

The others cheered and gathered their things, paying for the food before getting it. Dyani looked longingly at her PMA. Britt covered her hand and the device with one of his own.

"You'll have plenty of time this evening to look over it. I've already informed the irritating Headmistress that we must stay the night. Just you and I, though. The others have to return this evening."

There were groans of disappointment while Britt chuckled. The group picked up the pace and their excitement was palpable. Mari and Noemi were arguing with the other three about where they should introduce Dyani next. Britt's hand was a soft comfort on her lower back as they wandered out into the Marketplace, the afternoon crowd swallowing them in their swarm.