Page 33 of Forging Bonds: Part One

Realization dawns on her expression, and she says, "Oh, I didn't get that far. Hang on."

Neith

The guy's chuckle while I glance back down at my phone and start typing a message out to Navy, but before I can finish it and press send I get another message through from her.

I grin, "That is so fucking cool."

"What is?" Griff asks.

"Before I even finished typing the message she messaged and said, we would love to meet Neera, and we can get to the town where she works. Now that we're graduating, we don't have as many restrictions as we did," I explain, reading the message that I have just received from her.

"That is so fucking cool," River agrees.

"I'd message her back pretty quickly. She's probably worrying that you think it's freaky," Doc says, and brief shadows flash through his eyes.

I don't like that he seems to have experience with that. I can relate to people thinking that you're a freak and I really don't want Navy to think that's how I think of her. I mean, I got called all sorts of shit growing up, by the human kids at school, by the supe kids at the compound where I lived with Evander and his family, and then later as an adult too. I have always been the odd one out, the weird one, and the one that can never really relate to anyone else.

I had Sully and the others, but they weren't a constant. The same for Coen and Dimitri, they felt like mine, like I could really be myself around them, but Coen was inconsistent and then disappeared, and Dimitri, well, that just went to shit. There was also Karhu. He was like a big brother to me and fucking awesome, but he stayed with Dimitri. I asked him to come with me. He knew what I was doing when I was gathering evidence, but he still refused to come, he made a good point when he said that I was telling HID and they wouldn't protect a supernatural as well as they would a human.

But he also said that he had to stick around for Dimitri, and that I didn't understand, Dimitri was treating him as bad as he was treating me. I think he was holding onto what Dimitri used to be even more than I was, am, he grew up with him after all.

Other than those few, which in retrospect I am incredibly grateful for and lucky to have, I've always sort of felt like the weird one, and even in those groups, I was on the edge of the group, always not quite a part of it becauseI'm human. Although no one ever pushed me out or anything like that, the differences were obvious, and despite the fact that I could keep up better than most humans, it wasn't enough when it came to the people that I hung out with because they weren’t your average supernaturals, they're all incredibly strong.

Now though, I don't feel like that, and it's a strange feeling to get used to, but not one that I dislike.

"Oh shit, I don't want her thinking that I think that," I reply and quickly type out a message back to Navy that pretty much just says that I think she's really awesome.

Navy: Ha! I'm glad you think so. I'm adding you to a group chat with Joey, feel free to add Neera in, too!

Me: Oh, shit, Neera. I should probably mention it to her.

Navy just sends loads of laughing faces, and I switch from our chat to a new one with Neera.

Me:Hey, I hope you remember who I am, the weird human from the coffee shop, I came in with Raiden.

Neera:Hey! Of course I do, I accidentally asked you out with my rambling, when what I really wanted was to be friends. I'm really surprised that you messaged me actually.

Me:Yep, that's me! Of course, I did. It's not often that I meet someone who can ramble as well as I can. I've got some stuff coming up soon, which means that it's going to be impossible for me to meet up for a while. I was wondering if you wanted to meet up this Friday and if you would mind if my friends, Navy and Joey came too? They're just about to graduate from the Training Academy, and Joey can ramble like us!

Neera:Absolutely, do you still want to meet in the town or somewhere closer to the Training Academy?

Me:Hang on, I think this is going to get super confusing going back and forth. Can I add you to the group chat?

Neera:Definitely!

I smile and take longer than I would like to admit, trying to work out how to add Neera to the chat that Navy has already added me to. I'm vaguely aware of Ransom moving me out of the way of something, his arm still around my shoulders, and the guys chuckling quietly, but I'm too absorbed in what I'm doing to figure out why.

Me:Hey guys, I think I've added Neera in, but I don't know what I'm doing. I figured that it would be easier to arrange everything in here rather than in two separate conversations.

Neera: I'm here.

Navy:Hey!

Joey:So, what's the plan then?

Me:I have no idea. I'm good with whatever. Just let me know when and where I need to meet you and if I need to bring anything like my gun.

Joey:What kind of shit do you get up to with friends? I'm not judging. It sounds like my kind of fun. I'm just curious!

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