It was 4 p.m. when Van finished his last class and headed to the faculty to talk to Mr. Spotsman. He was invited before by Mr. Spotsman to join sports and school clubs. Finally, he set his mind on a specific track where he had a natural talent and was comfortable with it.

“Hey, Van, how can I help you today?” Mr. Spotsman asked as Van entered his office.

“I knew I had been avoiding deciding on the presented options, but now I know what I want,” Van replied, taking a seat.

“What is it?” Mr. Spotsman asked, leaning forward in his chair.

“I want to be a sprinter,” Van said confidently.

Mr. Spotsman frowned slightly, “I see. I have you down for basketball, but if that’s what you want, we can certainly give it a try. Come here to school tomorrow, and we’ll have a trial.”

“Thanks, Mr. Spotsman,” Van said, feeling relieved that he had finally made a decision.

As Van left the office, he saw the sun starting to set, casting a golden glow over the campus. He couldn’t wait to start training and see where this new path would take him.

The next day, Van arrived at the track early, eager to prove himself. Mr. Spotsman greeted him and took him through some warm-up exercises before getting him to run a short distance.

“How did that feel?” Mr. Spotsman asked as Van caught his breath.

“Great. I feel like I could go even faster,” Van replied, feeling exhilarated.

Mr. Spotsman nodded, “I think you could be a real asset to our team. We have a regional competition coming up, and I think you have the potential to help us win.”

Van felt a surge of pride at the thought of representing his school in a competition. As he walked outside, Van saw his Aunt Dally waiting for him outside the faculty building.

“Van, how did it go?” she asked, smiling.

“Really well. Mr. Spotsman thinks I have potential,” Van replied, feeling pleased with himself.

“I knew you could do it,” Dally said, giving him a hug.

Van smiled, feeling grateful for his aunt’s support.

Later that evening, Dally went to see Mr. Spotsman to thank him for encouraging Van to join the sports track.

“I appreciate what you’ve done for Van,” Dally said, smiling warmly.

“It was my pleasure. I think he has real talent,” Mr. Spotsman replied, feeling pleased that he was able to make a difference.

As Dally left, Mr. Spotsman couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Helping young people find their way in life was what made his job so rewarding.

“Well, what can I say? I’m great with kids,” Waldon boasted.

Dally replied, “At first, I didn’t think he would make any progress, but after hearing that he willingly joined. I’m happy to see he’s taking a step towards becoming much better. I’m very thankful that you gave him a thought. Thank you for being such a good friend, Waldon.”

“Anything for you, Dally.”

***

Van finally made it to the school gate. He staggered as he pushed his way through the crowd and turned around. Across the street, he saw Kate leaning her back against the wall in the side lane. She waved her hand, beckoning him to come.

“I want to talk about what happened last night. I know you have a lot of questions.”

“Yeah, about that. Your friends, they’re not going to show up at your house, would they?”

“No, no. They have some business to take care of.”

“Alright. You lead the way,” Van said.

They stopped in front of her house. Van observed it for a little while. Their house was simple, yet beautiful. The outside was made of a white picket fence, and primroses were planted in the garden.

“Wow. Your house is so pretty,” Van complimented.

“You think?” Kate asked.

“Yes. It feels like home—homey,” Van replied.

She chuckled. “Come on in.”

As they entered, Kate asked Van to remove his shoes inside the house. He almost forgot that he was a visitor and there were certain house rules that must be followed.

The living room was cozy and inviting with warm beige walls and plush, deep-brown carpeting. A large, comfortable L-shaped couch dominated the space, facing a wall-mounted TV.

Two leather armchairs with matching ottomans sat in the corners, with a wooden coffee table between them. The room was filled with soft lighting from the numerous table lamps placed strategically around the room.

A large bay window covered in white, gauzy curtains let in a generous amount of natural light and provided a beautiful view of the garden outside.

The walls were decorated with tasteful art pieces and family photos in matching frames, giving the room a personal touch. A bookshelf stood against one wall, packed full of books of every genre and size.

The air was scented with the sweet aroma of vanilla candles burning on the mantle above the fireplace, which was currently unlit. Overall, the living room exuded an atmosphere of comfort, relaxation, and hominess. “Coffee or juice?” she asked.

“Water will do fine,” Van replied.

Kate left for a brief moment and then came back with a glass of water.

“About this unexpected meeting, what’s this all about?”

“You said that you don’t know what you are, but we both know you’re also supernatural, which we don’t know yet. So, maybe we can do some digging if we look at your past.”

“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Van said.

Kate quickly took his hand and attached it to the orb. “Don’t worry, this will be quick.”

Suddenly, their vision changed. Van’s memories flooded back as he shared them with Kate. His memories took him back to the moment when his parents died. He immediately pulled his hand off the orb. Van stared blankly.

There were no words that expressed how Van felt. She could see the way he looked at her with judging and strict eyes. She knew she was on his bad side now. Her heart pounded hard as if it were going to explode.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Van’s eyes were under the spell of a void as he took off without saying a word. She should have seen it. Her only goal was to help him understand who he was. She scowled for a moment before coming after him. As he was about to close the door, Kate held his hand.

“Look, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“I know you want to help, but please respect the boundary line. I thought being with you would make me feel better, not alone. Turns out it was another disappointment.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep. I just wanted to be there for you,” she replied, looking apologetic.

He let out a sigh, “I know, I appreciate it. It’s just been a tough day.”

“Is there anything I can do?” she asked, reaching out to touch his hand.

He pulled his hand back, “No, it’s fine. I just need some space right now,” he said to her.

She nodded, “Okay, I understand. Just know that I’m here for you whenever you’re ready to talk.”

Van made his way straight to his room, ignoring his brother who was watching basketball on television. Timothy knew something was up. Knowing Van’s uncanny mood, he waited for a minute before knocking on Van’s door.

“You can’t come in,” Van’s voice was steely, but Timothy already opened the door, cutting off the protest of the young man. Van was in bed in a fetal position with his back against the wall. The moment he saw his brother get inside, he turned his back on Timothy.

“Did something happen again?” Timothy asked, concerned.

“Nothing,” Van coldly replied.

“C’mon, you can always tell me everything. Except for anything related to puberty. That’s beyond me,” Timothy joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Van let out a small laugh, “No, it’s nothing like that. We just had a fight, but not like a big fight.”

“Oh, you and her?” Timothy asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yeah, I know she’s just trying to help me, but she got on my bad side,” Van explained.

“Well, if you think she’s no good for you, then maybe you should leave her. But let’s be honest, no one is perfect. If there is, name one,” Timothy replied, trying to give some brotherly advice.

“Truthfully, it was just an honest mistake. I don’t know why I’m being so overdramatic,” Van admitted.

“Why don’t you give her another chance?” Timothy suggested. “I mean, she didn’t rat you out when you destroyed my Millennium Falcon. So, why couldn’t you give her a chance too?”

Van thought about it for a moment before nodding, “You’re right. I’ll talk to her.”

As Van quickly got up from his bed, his mood seemed to lighten up, at least for now. He looked down the staircase outside, and visual details of the stairs with some carpet on it and family pictures on the wall were visible.

“Before I go, do I look like a nerd or a doofus in this outfit?” Van asked, showing off his black and white polo shirt tucked into his pants.

Timothy’s eyes narrowed as he examined his brother’s outfit, “Both. You are definitely both.”

Van rolled his eyes, “I’m heading out.”

Timothy’s face turned sour when he saw how their talk led to Van’s decision, “You can do it tomorrow, you know.”

“This is an emergency. I don’t even know if she will talk to me after the awkward things she’s done,” Van replied.

“You can’t skip dinner. I finally figured out how to make one of those ridiculous marinated burgers,” Timothy’s voice grew irritated.

“Really, well, just put it in the fridge,” Van said.

“You can’t enjoy delicate food that has been frozen,” Timothy argued.

Before he could do anything to stop Van, he already made his way outside the window. As Van jumped off the window sill, the visual of their front yard and the busy street with a few people walking on the sidewalk were noticeable.

Timothy shouted after him, “You’re forgetting one thing. We don’t have a microwave!”

Timothy retired to the kitchen and put his ramblings into cooking.

***

10 o’clock was already considered late for a girl like her. Although she might get detained for not following the curfew. Luckily, she knew the sheriff. She granted her an exception. Sheriff Bella always looked out for her at night. She kept checking if any pervert was lurking around the corner and preying on innocent girls. She was glad about the concern, even though she might do more harm to anybody.

Kate made it clear to herself that she would never talk about Van’s past. One mistake was enough.

Her colleague made sure that everything in the kitchen was in order. While Kate prepped the tables before going to the dressing room. She picked up the two coffees wrapped in the package before leaving the café.

The sky was clear but the breeze was not gone. She shuddered as the gentle wind blew over her. If she expected that it would come to this, she might have brought her sweater. She won’t have to endure the biting coldness of the evening. Yet, she found this confounding, Kate never felt so much coldness before, not physically, but she hasn’t felt elated by the raw emotions, because all this time, all she felt was the seeming burst of feeling. It was good that there was a part of her humanity left.

She endured the cold and embraced herself as she walked out of the alley. Kate lifted her palm, conjuring flame, and leaned it closer to feel the warmth. Her hair fluttered and her eyes trembled as the chilly wind blasted over her face. At that moment, she glimpsed at his eyes. The last person she was expecting to meet tonight, after the mistake she had made to him.

Kate released the fire magic.

Shuddering over the biting cold wind, Kate sneezed. Van noticed, then took his jacket off and coated it on Kate. She stared at him.

“I was wondering if we can talk.” Van’s voice was shushed, unclear to hear, but she was able to form the words with the movement of his mouth.

The awkwardness hasn’t gone away yet, but he was willing to open up.

“Yeah, yeah, sure.”

“I’ve brought some doughnuts in case you’re hungry.”

“I actually have a regimen to follow. So, it’s a no.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Shit. Bad move Kate.

She realized she’d said the wrong words yet again. Her wide blue eyes lifted to see his semi-disappointed face. His confidence that he’d mastered waned and he couldn’t seem to put a sense of how he would be able to react to her.

Unable to come up, Van was about to put it away when Kate held his hand out of reflex. She stole the package of doughnuts away from his hands. The sudden approach startled Van.

“But a grumpy tummy must not be left ignored.” She beamed. “I’ve been starving this whole night. I had to work a five hour shift. And honestly, I’ve been craving sweets nowadays.” She then asked. “Well, how about we go over to the park? There’s a bench over there where we can share these doughnuts. Oh, and look, I have coffee here. Isn’t that a nice pair?”

Seeing how she reacted, all those worries dissolved in his mind.

“Yes, that’s nice. How convenient.”

Van’s pace decelerated to just keep up with Kate’s pace of walking, savoring the moment of the silent night as the long road stretched before them. The truth was, Van was tired. He ran across the road opposite Kate’s café where she was working and had to rest, eat, and wait for her shift to end. He had to endure all that to ask her out.

Maybe it’s a bad decision to go out early.

He spent most of the rest of the hours playing video games in a net shop. The last hour before the end of her shift, he mastered his courage, even though he was not the one who was wronged.

They sat on the bench with the doughnuts and coffee in between them. The noise of crickets filled the silence between them as they drank the coffee. Kate needs to say something. It took her four doughnuts to master the courage to begin.

“Look, about earlier, I’m very sorry if I am so insistent. I didn’t even give any thought about what you feel.”

“Don’t sweat. I get it. We all make mistakes sometimes.”

“So, you forgive me?”

“Yes. We paid our debts now.”

“Honestly, I’ve screwed up my entire life also. My parents were killed during a wildfire five years ago.”

“That’s gruesome.”

“So, I spent nearly the entire five years numbing my feelings and have to live in distrust. Maybe, that part of me is also the reason why I am so determined to know about you and had to use that object to confirm. But I learned my lesson.”

“I can see that. It seems that we have something in common.”

“I hope that’s not sensual.”

He chuckled. “No, no.”

“What is it?”

“We’re chaotically proportional.”

“Is that so?” Kate lifted her eyes.

“Yeah, I mean. We have a screwed-up childhood. We don’t have many friends. And we have a thing.”

“Speak for yourself, I have friends.”

“Ok, does one include as many? And I don’t think those supposed to be associates of yours are your friends.”

“All right, I get your point.”

“You’re also forgetting me. I can also be your friend.”

“Am I being friend zone here?”

“I assure you; you are not.” She chuckled.

Her creamy skin reminded him of the cumulus clouds. Although she never wears make-up, the blush on her cheeks flushed. Her eyes were like the sky when she smiled and bluer than the ocean whenever the sunlight touched her.

Gazing at her fixed smile, he looked down, and a realization snapped. She resembled the girl he saw the first morning he woke up in the apartment he lived in. It seems that fate was kind to him, another reason why he must treasure his new profound relationship.

She was glad that it worked out in the end, even though she didn’t do anything to make up for him. She glanced at him. He tried his best to hide the smile on his face.

He kept telling himself to stop, but it wasn’t as if a spirit took his reasoning.

“So,” Kate broke off the silence, “it is past 11, I think we should go.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll walk you home.”

They walked together back to her home. They didn’t rush to get home but enjoyed the moment in silence as they held each other’s hands.

They made it home. Kate held his hands, making sure that he wouldn’t turn his back on her.

“Thank you, for giving me a chance.” She softly said, “I didn’t even do anything to make it up for what I’ve done to you. I promise I will trust you. I won’t use magic just to make sure you’re not a monster.”

“Don’t sweat it. I said that we’re fine now. This is also my way of making it up to you.” Van whispered, “I stole a peek, remember?”

“Yeah, I kinda do.”

“Good night.”

“Good night, be safe.”

Kate kept her gaze on him as he carried on.