Ever since I was engrossed in reading, I had always believed that those magical beings written in myths or books--werewolves, elves, vampires, mermaids and all--existed in this human world called Earth, where most of the population would laugh at the sound of my idea because it was...stupid, as they had always said.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TJSCjaamr
But for me, it was different. Even after their laughter when I pronounced my belief, I never stopped believing. They were just somewhere--hiding for centuries, waiting for someone to discover them and free them.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo07GveFbsh
I couldn't shake off the feeling when I thought of them, together with me. Warm. Close. Relaxing. Comfortable. It was as though they were indeed real.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYo1jGUIYJ4
Or maybe those feelings were caused because I wanted them to be real.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9PZx8LrMu
Regardless, when I started believing that, I kept on taking adventures I could take to find them, wherever they were. And I was still now. Having parents that made you move counties almost every year wasn't at all that bad--at least not for the "adventures" I was seeking. It came a little bit handy.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHeJP0icCN
Because right now, in my 17th year of living filled with moving places, I was introducing myself in a class of Crea Academy, where there sat a boy with odd red eyes sitting at the back of the room alone, no one beside him or in front of him. And he was staring at me, and I reciprocated.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY45ZB1yzqk
I believed he was one of my magical beings.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81qekhJxdW
"My name," I began, "is Valerie Starks. I came from far away. I love reading fantasy books. I am 17." I paused. "And that's all you need to know about me."
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVbXi6Qjru
Everyone greeted me various types of "hi."
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FqxRqvneC
"All right. Thank you for that lovely introduction, Ms Starks. You may sit in any vacant seat there is," Ms Jeanne ushered me.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgBP5ZDgRw
Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief. Without thinking twice, I walked through one of the small aisles.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCt0INxgRVW
"Hey. Come sit here," a girl offered when I wanted to go past her, patting the empty seat beside her. Her friends around her helped encouraging me.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUFdxDm43d
The girl wore a huge smile. Her blonde hair fell in waves and reached just above her waists and her eyes were gray with hints of blue. Her pink tank top showed off her fair skin and perfect curves, and a little of her cleavage. 451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpWPlTUpH3
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKpNZkqdhA
While she did look beautiful, she wasn't the type who I would hang out with, because this type of a girl wasn't a good influence. I knew why she offered, though. Certainly, these girls always invited pretty girls to be part of them, right? Well, I wouldn't be fitting.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqmXQ5W4qx
I just smiled at her and gave her a small thanks and apology, before continuing through the aisle to the back of the room, sitting beside the red-eyed boy once I reached.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJWT9Kxf3f
I felt everyone shifted their gazes toward me and the boy before they conversed in hushed whispers. I saw the girl from before, who was sitting four seats after me, giving me a knowing smile.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmcRYNoz0k
I didn't hide the urge to roll my eyes. They were seriously misunderstanding. Sitting beside a--as what everyone would call it--hot boy (who was alone too) didn't mean that I was one of the girls who flirt and cling onto guys. In fact, I was the total opposite.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgciG3PjVpO
I looked beside me to catch the boy in time staring at me before looking out the window. With a smile, I grabbed a small paper from my bag and wrote, They are leeches. I hope you are not?451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5vBn18Djy
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDXbjaR62e
I placed it on his table without folding it through the small gap between us, and then I turned my attention to Ms Jeanne, who was starting the first lesson of English.451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2BbEpFWS2
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtpq5lB3WI
It wasn't long when I felt a slight wind nudged my elbow that was resting on the desk. He had given the paper back to me.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqM7ms3BD1
Below my handwriting, he wrote, I could ask the same about you. Underneath it, Certainly, I'm not.451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35hll3iib3
I glanced at him, only to see him still looking out the window, savoring the view of the bright sky overhead while birds went dancing around. I smiled nonetheless.451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMAg0MXoGo
No, I'm not.451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYS5LxklSa
I wasn't sure if he was the magical being I thought he was, but it didn't seem to hurt to be friends with him since he looked to have no friends.
451Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffaLplDhFy
So this was where I started my real adventure.
ns 15.158.61.48da2 
