Beyond a Reflection

Chapter 4: The Secret

Apparently, it is my first time getting myself woke up late. It seems like Isaiah's words really bothered me alot. I'm just going to fool myself if I say that I am not worrying about Kia's condition. She's my mother after all. But, right now, I have more things to be concerned about. Like, getting late to school if I don't hurry up.

I seized a piece of toasted bread with butter and hold it between my teeth, and hurriedly wore my backpack in one shoulder as I slammed the front door because of too much rush.

"Eat breakfast first!" Grandma shouted from our house when I rushed towards the cornfield that I used every day as my transportation to school. I took my wand from the pocket of my skirt, panting, and made sure that there are no people around. I started waving it in the air.

"Teleportatia!" I chanted the incantation and in a snap, I'm already at the back of a cafeteria where the restricted area is.

In the forest, to be specific.

I'm just experimenting with some spells the other day when I have discovered this route and is pretty convenient in times like this.

I didn't expect that the cornfield and this forest has an exact 10-kilometer distance.

Teleportatia is a spell for teleportation, you can get teleported everywhere as long as you think about it when you chanted the spell, but Teleportatia can't be used if your body lacks nutrients or energy that's why I'm eating healthy foods all the time. Spells had tolls on your body too.

I got out of the woods while fixing myself when I suddenly froze from where I am right now and stopped combing my hair using my fingers midway when I saw something unbelievable right in front of me. He is looking at me too with widened eyes also as if he was not expecting me to be here too.

What the...

"Kenny..." he muttered my nickname and started to panic.

I slowly lifted my trembling index finger and pointed at him while my other hand was covering my partly opened mouth as I look at his lush black wings spread at his back.

What in the world...

"Vaughn," I called his name back and in an instant, the wings from his back vanished and black feathers started to scatter around the area.

Beads of sweat can be seen from his forehead and he started walking back and forth while constantly playing with his fingers. He is muttering inaudible words while keeps glancing at me with worried looks. His lips were trembling as if he don't know what to do anymore, now that I discovered his dark secret. He is completely losing the cool of being the campus heartthrob.

Now, I get it. That's why there are too many feathers around because Vaughn lands here every day.

"You're — " I didn't get a chance to finish my sentence when he suddenly interrupted me with his frightened face.

"No! It's not what you think! I can... I can explain! Don't tell anyone, please!" he overreacted while looking at me tensely and started biting his lips.

My forehead creased and started walking away, planning to head to the classroom, completely ignoring him. Well, it is really a surprise since I didn't even think that Vaughn is a supernatural being too— like me. If I'm a normal person and I saw him in that state, maybe I immediately run away because of too much shock, and maybe I would tell the other students too about what I saw.

I understand what he is feeling right now. Anxiety. He is anxious that I might spread his secret and definitely his image will get ruined.

"Hey!" he called out to me making me stop walking but I didn't look back at him.

"You won't... You won't tell anyone, right?" he sounded so worried which was completely normal also.

I will be the one who will freak out if he is not anxious whatsoever.

I looked back halfway and looked at him with my sharp eyes. I could feel how my green eyes glow, making his bold black eyes widen and his face is more surprised as his lips slightly parted. He even took a step back!

Oh, that was a wrong move.

I smirked at him who was still stunned about what he just witnessed.

"Don't worry, volant. These lips are sealed," I assured as zipped my lips and I even pretended to throw the key somewhere leaving him dumbfounded.

I tried my best to walk faster since the bells were about to ring and some part of me regretted that if I haven't overused my magic these past few years, I should've just used it to make the time freeze and let myself walk towards our room but it's futile right now since I don't possess it anymore.

Those years I have spent learning about that charm is completely useless.

The bell finally rang and I assume that classes are already starting. I just sighed and continued walking, back at my normal pace. I know it is no use right now. I'm already late so I guess I'll just take my time. I don't really care about studying but my old woman always said that I shouldn't follow her footsteps, accomplishing only elementary and didn't get a stable job when she had my father— Isaac Grueli.

I got to the classroom and I was 30 minutes late. Of course, all of the attention was on me as I walked on the back door, without saying good morning to our first subject teacher. Suddenly, the classroom was filled with murmurs the moment I sat in my seat. I unconsciously looked back and there I saw the heartthrob Vaughn.

"Why are they together?"

"They are both late!"

"Are they dating?"

Do these people didn't even know the word "coincidence"? I just rolled my eyes and lean on my seat and let my thoughts wander from nowhere. Seems the teacher doesn't care why the two of us are late for her class. She just proceeded to her discussion as if she was not interrupted earlier.

I'm busy looking outside when I felt something lightweight hit my head. I looked around to see who is it from but I saw no one looking in my direction. I looked below and there I saw the crumpled paper that hit me a while ago. I slowly picked it up and opened it since I have the feeling that it was some sort of letter.

"Meet up me up at the back of the cafeteria during lunch. -V"

I sighed heavily and crumpled the paper again and simply throw it on the open glass window. From my peripheral vision, I saw how Vaughn's jaw dropped as if he is expecting me for a reply.

I didn't know how on Earth they saw Vaughn as the campus heartthrob well in fact there's nothing more special about him except for his looks and from what I have observed from these days, he doesn't even want the title he is been holding and obviously, he is an introvert who is forced to be an extrovert. His hair was a slicked back undercut and he got a piercing on his left ear, trying to hide his facade.

His looks totally oppose his personality.

The classes went smoothly and naturally, I won't care about others but this time is weird. My so-called rival is absent and if I need to throw a party for that, I will. I wondered what happened to her. While staring at her empty seat, it makes my feelings clap because of happiness. Finally, a peaceful day.

Lunch finally came and before Vaughn could even reach me out, I excused myself already so that he won't get a chance to catch me. He's popular and he attracts people and I don't want people. If someone will see us together, definitely it will be a new hot issue and I don't want that also since I just wanted to have a peaceful high school year.

On my way to the cafeteria to buy my lunch since my stomach is already roaring cause of hunger, given that I haven't eaten any food from home. My eyes widened when I saw a swarm of people as if a needle can't even fall into the ground because of how stampede the cafeteria was. I sneered and turned back to find some places where I could buy food when I saw a small dog walking on its own.

It has white fur and it doesn't look like it's a puppy. It's just really small for its breed. When the dog saw me, its eyes widened and moved its face to the other side as if it is irritated.

For Pete's sake, what I have done to a dog for him to hold a grudge towards me?

I just look at the dog and watched it enter the cafeteria but some part of my vision can see the dog entering a war. I just shrugged and I was about to continue walking when the girls started to shriek and I could feel someone's hand on my wrist. I lifted my gaze and I saw Vaughn's tired face making my eyes widen. He is drenched in his own sweat and he is barely conscious while panting heavily.

I completely forgot about him!

"I told y-you to meet me there," he said while panting, trying to grasp some air.

Girls are looking at me with their murderous intent. It seems like their eyes suddenly turned red while looking at me. I sighed and just compassed my left hand to the air, signaling to follow me, making Vaughn's eyes brighten. He turned his gaze to the girls.

"C-Could you give us some space?" he sounded so natural while saying those.

The murder intent of those girls suddenly vanished and replaced it with their blushing cheeks and immediately agreed on what Vaughn have said. Girls here on the campus are like patronizing the saint, that is one of the reasons why boys are getting irritated since Vaughn only caught the girls' attention, and that's also the reason why the boys are head-over-heels to me since I'm the only one who is not reacting when Vaughn's around.

Like, bro. What am I supposed to do?

I started to walk towards behind the cafeteria and of course, I made sure that no one sees us since I don't want to be sent to the guidance office. The surroundings here are peaceful and you can hear the birds chirping. This is the best place to waste your time.

"Make it fast," I said and leaned on the wall as I crossed my arms when I felt Vaughn's presence.

He walked faster and looked at me while having his nervous face.

"Y-You are not surprised?" he unbelievably asked me the second our eyes met.

My eyebrows raised and kept thinking about what he had said. "Surprised?"

"Surprised," he ended it up with a period.

"About what?" I asked again since I can't get what he is trying to say.

Should I be surprised since he is talking to me? Is that it?

His forehead creased and averted his gaze as if he is thinking deeply. "What's this? Did she forget about me? Or she is just pretending and blackmail me if I won't go on a date with her?" He shook his head. "No, no, no. She is Kenny and I haven't seen any interest in me from her, but maybe she is faking it? Possibly," he mumbled.

I just looked at him as my jaw dropped, unbelievably hearing those words that he have said.

Is this the way he thinks? No offense but this is creepy.

"What are you pertaining about me surprised? About you being a volant?" I asked so casually making his eyes widen and rush towards me as he covered my mouth as if he is that paranoid someone might overhear our conversation.

"You are really weird. You didn't freak out earlier, and you even know about us... about volants," he said as he let go of my mouth.

I just shrugged off what he said and just remained my mouth shut. Volants are very extinct creatures, like us witches. They are the supernaturals that have the ability to turn themselves into a bird. Volants also have very keen eyesight that they can see their prey in the maximum distance of two miles. It is a shame that Vaughn didn't see me in the forest earlier. I can assume that he is not trained and he doesn't have any caution to danger. They can understand bird language too and are well known to capture their prey easily. But as time passed by, already know that volants don't exist anymore and they believed that the legendary witch, my great grandmother, completely sealed them in the Encantum, the world that lies beyond the mirror that my brother possesses as of the moment.

"And you..." he muttered and pointed at me, making me stand up straight and looked at him with confusion.

"What about me?"

"You emerged earlier in the forest. We all know that there is no entrance here except the route here inside the school," he completed his statement.

I thought he didn't see me. I guess I am wrong. I underestimated him.

"Oh, okay," is the only thing that I have said.

Instead of being anxious, I just continued acting innocent. I turned my back against him, getting ready to go back to the classroom because I wanted to talk with my brother about some matters too. Even though I know that Grandma will be mad about my decision I will surely know that she understands.

"Wait!" I closed my eyes when I felt annoyance creeping inside me. I opened my eyes before answering.

"What?!" traces of irritation in my voice.

"Y-You are a supernatural too, aren't you?" he dropped a bomb, making me stunned where am I standing right now. Finally taking me aback.

When I get recovered. I answered him using the safest words, "I won't deny it."

"Whoa! Really?! What— " I suddenly cut his words to avoid any unnecessary sentences.

"I won't confirm it either," I continued and walked away, leaving him behind.

Learning his secret doesn't mean he needs to learn mine too.