The Afterlife Academy Saga

Chapter 21

21

Morning came far too soon and the sunlight tickled my face until I couldn't sleep any more. With aching muscles and protesting limbs, I sat up from my bed and looked at the other side of the room.

No Ryoko. Her bed was made, just like every morning. She'd slept here, she just left before I woke up. From the smell hanging in the room, she even cooked breakfast.

Maybe she hadn't tried to avoid me then? I just slept way too long.

Still... I really wanted to talk to her. Clear the air now my head was feeling lighter. But that would have to wait until she was back.

Disappointed, I swung my legs onto the floor and took the first steps since I crashed. My legs ached, but they carried me to the table.

Guilt swirled through me as I found a covered plate with a note.

"Ylva, you need to regain your strength," I read, staring at the neat handwriting. "Eat it while it's hot. Ryoko."

Wow... She'd taken the time to prepare some extra breakfast for me, even after I made things so awkward and humiliating.

Was it untactful to eat what she made me? Or was it rude to leave it? Both seemed like the wrong choice.

Why was this so difficult? How was I to decide what was right and wro—

My stomach grumbled loudly, making the decision for me. Between two wrong choices, I'd rather take the one that ended with a full stomach. And I knew it was going to be delicious. She was a great cook, which she had proved on multiple occasions over the week.

"Mmmmm," I inhaled the aromatic scent of the fresh rice and steamed vegetables. The Dragon cuisine was very different to my own, but I was quickly getting used to it. It beat the crackers and spreads or the overly accessorised small banquets.

Happily, I dug into the breakfast. With every bite, I felt my strength return. The leafy greens, the chewy mushrooms, the delectable broth at the bottom. Gods, I could get used to this.

Except that I shouldn't. Ryoko wasn't going to keep doing this now I'd rejected her without even meaning to. I just hadn't really thought about it. Love. Romance. Relationships... Who had time for that?

I supposed I did now that I was in the Academy. I had plenty of time between the classes and in the weekends... But that was beside the point.

I didn't even know if I liked men or women. I'd assumed I'd meet a guy and that would be it, but I just hadn't really met anyone I was interested in. Male or female.

But now there was Ryoko, someone I liked, someone I cared about. And she was interested in me. Or at least, I assumed so? If she thought we were flirting and she flirted back, that implied she was into me... Right?

"Ugggh."

This was why I didn't do romance. It was way too complicated. Where was the line between friendship and relationship even? Did anyone know? Was it just guess work? Was this how people got together? One of them just confessed and hoped the other felt the same?

No wonder there were so many songs and poems about unrequited love. It was way too hard to navigate. People should have flags they could wave when they moved from one into the other.

With my stomach full of hot food, it was a lot harder to be pouty and disgruntled. The happy lull of being satisfied lured me into a drowsy state, inviting me to crawl back under my blankets and take a post-morning nap.

Yes, that sounded nice. I could deal with the missing wolves and my roommate after I'd recovered from the gruelling Veil trip.

"Nice," I muttered to myself, stacking the dirty bowl and moving them to the bathroom. I'd wash them up later so at least she didn't have to take care of that.

Just as I was about to curl back in bed, something rattled under Ryoko's bed. A disgruntled hum reminded me of Pickles residence and despite myself, I crouched on my knees and looked at the dust bunny.

"Hello." I took a little cotton ball from her snack container and fed it through the cage. "You hungry?"

Pickles huffed softly as she nibbled on the cotton, but she didn't look satisfied.

"What's wrong? You want some cardboard or paper?" I asked, putting a strip of each in her feeding tray. "How about that? Tasty?"

Clearly dissatisfied, she hopped back and forth, scratching at her house. Hop, scratch, hop, scratch.

Ryoko was right. Dust bunnies were cute. Pickles was quickly earning my affection, only fuelled more by the absence of Hyde. If only I had my wolf here, then everything would be fine. Almost...

The door cracked open and I jerked up, suddenly face to face with the Dragon. She paused as she entered the room, almost as if she hadn't expected me to be crouched next to her bed.

In hindsight, that did look weird.

"Ummm... Pickles looked hungry," I said, hoping that was enough of an explanation. Worry curled in my chest, clenching it together like an iron fist. Would she be mad at me? Ignore me? Pretend it was all fine?

"Thank you for feeding her." The Dragon made a little bow and shot me a polite, but cold smile. The same type as when we first met. Before we became friends.

My heart fell on my stomach, sucking the air out of me. As if someone punched me in the gut.

I stood up from her bed and walked over to my side of the room. "I'm sorry, Ryoko."

A flash of emotion passed on her face, but it quickly disappeared. "It's okay. I don't want to force you into anything."

"I like you. But I'm not in love with you."

She nodded. "I understand."

"I just... I don't want to lose you as my friend."

The Dragon scoffed softly, uncharacteristically so. "At least I got that right."

"What?"

"That we became friends."

I shot her a smile, but it didn't translate well. A weight hung on my lips, keeping me from experiencing any joy. The same heaviness resided in my stomach, adding to the guilt of hurting my roommate. My friend.

"So... where does that leave us?" I asked, gesturing awkwardly to the circle of space between us.

"I don't know," she sighed. "I guess... I don't know."

"I'm sorry."

"You've said." Her voice held no emotion and somehow, it had never been clearer that she was hurt.

I did that... I'd been too blind and self-absorbed to realise it. If only I'd known, then maybe... Maybe I could've softened the blow? Stopped the alleged flirting? Or maybe... No. I wasn't going to let myself think that.

"So..." The silence hanging between us was even more uncomfortable than in the beginning. I couldn't let this happen, not after I made all this effort in becoming more tolerant. "Did I tell you about yesterday?"

"Why you showed up looking like... How you were looking?" Ryoko asked, not once looking at me.

"Yes. I, uumm... I had my first Resurrection class and we went to the Veil."

"Oh?"

"You know about the Veil, yes?"

"Yes."

"Right... So, when I was in there with the twine around my wrists, I heard Hyde calling for me. I sensed it."

Ryoko nodded, still refusing to look at me. "That's good. Did you find him?"

"Yes and no. I broke the connection with our professor and searched for him. I saw him, all the other dusks, and the thief." I paused, surprised I was telling her all this so easily. I hadn't trusted Rada, but I didn't even think twice about sharing the information with the Dragon.

Interesting...

"So you found the missing wolves?" she asked, concern furrowed between her brows.

"No. I didn't know how to move around in the Veil. I blacked out and woke up in the classroom. I don't remember how I got back or how to find the thief again... But I have to."

"Naturally."

The Dragon's one word answers were annoying me, but I didn't know how to tell her to quit. She was upset with me and I couldn't tell her to just shrug it off. That was an inconsiderate d**k move. But the distance, the coldness? It stung more than I wanted to admit.

"Ryoko?"

For the first time, she looked at me. "Yes?"

"I have to go back in the Veil to find the thief. Are you... we... Are you still coming along on this adventure with me?"

"Ummm..." She cast her eyes down, nervously picking at her sweater while avoiding eye contact. Her silence spoke volumes.

"I see," I said, trying to keep the sadness out of my voice. I had to do this on my own, without my Dragon. How was I going to learn to navigate the Veil without a partner in crime? Without someone to tether me to this life?

"I'm going to shower," Ryoko announced, turning her back and shuffling to the bathroom. The door slammed shut as she disappeared, leaving me with the loaded tension.

I really f****d this up.

Defeated, I sank down on my bed and buried my face in my hands. If only I knew how to deal with my issues. If only it was simple...

"What do you think I should do?" I asked Pickles, exchanging a glance with the dust bunny under Ryoko's bed.

She wiggled her nose and flicked her ear, neither of which were answers to this matter.

"Ah, what do you know. You're just a bunny. You get food every day and you're happy." With a grim face, I turned away from her, hoping to ban her from my mind. Not an easy task when I could hear her shuffling around in the bathroom, with the shower running and steam coming through the door.

Did she really think we were flirting? Me and her? It was already extremely unconventional that we were becoming friends, but we had. But... flirting? With a Dragon? That was one step too far.

I turned to Pickles. "Your owner is a piece of work, Pickles. I'm telling you."

The bunny wiggled her nose and twitched her ear, looking at me confused.

"Yeah, you're no help." I fell back on my pillow, staring at the steam from the bathroom curling and folding against the ceiling. It must be scalding hot in there, especially with her special dragon skin.

The water cascading down her body, heating up when it fell down her scales. Oh, how beautiful the drops of water would look on her skin. Highlighted by the sun, rippled by the muscles and metallic plates.

Wait. What was I thinking? Why was I picturing these kind of things?

Confused, I shook the image out of my mind, befuddled with my newest thoughts. Ryoko in the shower? Really? What was going on? What did—

No, I didn't like it. I had to go.

Freaked out, I veered off my bed and stormed out the door. These weren't my thoughts. I never looked at her like that, not until she asked whether we had something going one.

Yes, that was it. She put those images there by insinuating something was going on. That was what it was. That was all it was.

I was not falling for a Dragon. NOT.