Page 55 of Shattered Heir
“That’s right! Oh, man, I didn’t even get to talk to you about what happened at Homecoming, not that it even matters much because I think I am a goner for Aiden.”
“What happened? How was it?” I asked with a fake excitement as we reached my locker. The hall was mostly empty, and my locker was on the end. I spun the dial as she talked to me about the dance.
“Sam was the perfect gentleman, but then Glass showed up.” She leaned against the locker and puffed out air into her bangs, which I assumed were new because I had never noticed them before.
“Glass? I have been meaning to ask you, why do you call him that?” I questioned.
“It makes him so mad. He is a prince, so he likes to use hisfullname, but honestly, he reminds me of a shard of glass in myshoe, always poking me and ruining everything.” She scrunched her nose in annoyance.
I put my books in my backpack, trying not to cringe at the visual she planted in my mind of a shard of glass. She went on talking. I looked at her; she was so animated about Glasson, more than I had ever seen her before. If I didn’t know any better, I would say that she liked him. There was so much emotion, so much feeling when she talked about him.
“Are you listening, Emma?”
“Yes, he is a pain. I’m sorry.”
She looked at me with a smile.
“Sorry, I have only ever been friends with like two people, well and Shad,” I gulped, pushing him from my thoughts. “And Ryker is my knight, so you can see how little practice I have had.” She pulled me away from my locker and locked arms with me.
“I’ll take you as you are. Please don’t worry about being anything but you. Plus, us Terrans must stick together, and I like you,” she shrugged with a wide smile.
I laughed. “Thanks, Ash, I’m glad we’re friends. But I am sorry Glasson ruined homecoming for you. I actually can relate. It's one memory that I still have from when my soul was shielded. I had a date at a dance in middle school, and Ryker came and stood in the corner and scared him away.”
“Ah! These Knights are the worst! I hope he doesn’t find out about Aiden and ruin that, too.” She closed her eyes and leaned into me. “Thanks, Emma, and yes, Glass is such a punk. He showed up and told Sam to get lost! Sam was so upset that he actually punched Glass!”
I stopped walking, my mouth open. I pictured that fight in my head, and there was no way Sam would win. And Sam was a big guy. It was just that Glasson was bigger, like, so much bigger than anyone I had ever seen, and he was all muscle.
“Are you serious? Sam isn’t dead from that?”
“Seriously! Girl, it was crazy. I didn’t know Sam would stand up for me like that. It was like the sweetest thing I had ever seen. But I think it scared him, because he hasn't talked to me since.”
If she had been one of her cartoon characters that she drew all over her backpack, she would have had hearts in her eyes just then. She was impressed. Personally, I did not see the appeal of Sam. I understood the appeal of Aiden, though. Sam, he was a nice guy and popular; sure, he was good-looking, too, but he was so—so very vanilla, or okay, maybe he was the basic milk chocolate; I’ll give him that much. But Ash? Ash was like bright purple raspberry ice cream with sprinkles, chocolate chunks, with a salty caramel center. She was unique, different, and bold.But Emma, you were a weird shell of a person just a half a year ago, so really, should you judge?It was only that Ash was so full of fire and life. It seemed like she would go really well with Aiden, who was laid back, and he seemed to care a lot about Ash. He paid her plenty of attention.
You are making me incredibly hungry.
I cringed, hearing Cade in my soul. I pushed him away.
Shut up.I was getting tired, and my soul was more exposed.
What flavor of ice cream am I, I wonder?His voice asked inside my melody.
I tried to ignore him, to push him away for good. My melody latched onto his thought, and it was hard to let him go. Half of me loved the feeling of the melody dancing with mine. If only my melody knew that it wasn’t Shad.
Strawberry?He paused.Rocky Road? No—Cookies and Cream?
I tried so hard to drown out Cade’s ice cream flavors.
“So what did Glasson do after that?” I asked Ash.
“He stayed and watched me from the corner. Creeper, I swear he needs to leave me alone. I spent twenty minutes helping Sam in the bathroom with his black eye.”
“Did your family from Sorra ask him to, like, watch out for you and stuff? Is that why he is your knight?”
“He says so. He usually only checks up on me occasionally. Like, when I got to my new home, he made sure that I was doing well. Now, for obvious reasons, here in Roseville, he thinks I am in more danger, and he’sall protector—so annoying.”
“I am sorry; it’s so my fault. It’s this thing with Cade—He’s worried about you.”
“No, Emma, it isn’t your fault. If anyone is to blame, it’s Cade. We can both hate him together.”
