Halfblood

On Tuesday, I was well enough to go back to classes. I was in archery now. I still keep missing the target and it was really irritating me. My hand was cramping from holding the bow and I was sure that my fingers were going to have blisters if they didn’t already. I gave a frustrated sigh as the arrow completely missed the target again.
“Would you like some help?” asked a voice behind me. I turned around to see it was Umbriel-kane. I bowed.
“I-I wouldn’t want to trouble you, Umbriel-kane.” I say nervously. My cheeks felt hot with embarrassment.
“It wouldn’t be trouble at all.” he says kindly.
His gray eyes were so beautiful. I could stare at them forever. I snap myself out of my thoughts remembering I’m expected to answer.
“Alright.” I say, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
“You place this hand here. Good, now place the other hand here.” he says as he places my hands on the bow. “Now put your index and middle finger on either side of the end of the bow.” I did as he said. “Now pull the string back. Now release.” When I released the arrow, it hit the bull’s eye on the target.
“I got it!” I said, not really believing it.
“It’s all in the placement. It helps with the aiming.” he says, smiling at me.
“Thank you for helping me.” I say, smiling back.
“No problem.” As he said that, the bell rang.
I mentally cursed the end of class. I know he doesn’t like me but it was nice to pretend he does for a few minutes. I bowed to him before I left for my next class, jittery with excitement from him touching my hands.

“Oh. My. God!” Gwen says, excitedly.
“I know! I still can’t believe it!” I say with a huge smile on my face. After classes, I rushed back to the dorm to tell Gwen what happened in archery. “But don’t tell the others. They over exaggerate things way to much.”
“Honestly, I’m starting to think Umbriel-kane does like you.” she says. I give her a not-you-too look. “Lyra, it’s obvious he likes you. Okay, I admit you haven’t been here long enough and you’ve only said, like, a few words to him.” I start to say something but she cuts me off. “But what if he does end up asking you out?”
“He’s not going to ask me out.”
“But what would you say to him if he does?”
I didn’t have an answer to that. What would I say if he asked me out? Would I accept because I wanted to, or because he was a Pureblood and I had no choice but to say yes?
“I don’t know.” I answer finally.
“I say that you accept if he asks you. I know you like him even if you think he doesn’t feel the same for you.”
“I think every girl in this school likes him.” I say matter-of-factly.
“True, but you’re the one he notices.” she says smiling. I sigh and lay down on my bed.
“Why is everything so difficult?” I ask myself out loud.
“’Cause if it weren’t, it would be boring as hell!” she says jokingly and we both laugh.

“So, I heard you were flirting with Umbriel-kane in archery yesterday.” I hear someone say. I’m in history and class hasn’t started yet. I look up and see it’s Jessica and a group of her friends. She’s sitting on the desk next to me on the left.
“I wasn’t flirting with him.” I say nervously.
“That’s not what everyone else is saying.” she says with a smirk. “Listen, Halfling, you may be fooling everyone else with you’re little act, but you’re not fooling me.”
“I don’t know what you talking about.” I say. She either ignores me or doesn’t believe me.
“You’re nothing but a freak Halfling who will always be a nothing.” She looked at me with disgust. I felt like crawling away and crying.
“That’s enough, Jessica.” says a voice at the front of the room. We all turn to see Umbriel-kane who just walked in. He walks over to stand before us.
“Umbriel-kane.” Jessica says as she stands and bows to him. She gives me a look of disgust and walks away with her friends.
“Thank you.” I say to Umbriel-kane.
“No problem. Would you mind if I sit with you?” he says to me.
The seat next to me was empty. Why was he asking me? He could do what ever he wanted yet he was asking me if he could have the seat next to mine.
“Uh, sure, if you want. I mean, no one sits there so it wouldn’t be a problem.” Oh no, I was starting to babble. I always hated when I do that. He sat in the seat next to me and the teacher walked in. I could feel every muscle in my body was tense and my heart was pounding. Why does he make me feel this way?
“Are you alright?” he asked me.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Today’s kind of crazy I guess.” I say. “Not one of my days.” I shrug. He smiled and gave a short laugh.
The rest of class was quiet between us but it wasn’t awkward. It gave me time to think. Why is it that every time I look at him he makes my heart flutter? I know I have a crush on him but it feels more than that, or it will end up being more than that. The bell rings, signaling the end of class.
“Perhaps we can walk to music together?” he asks as we walk out of class.
“Um, okay.” I say.
As we walk, I see Gwen waiting for me. When she notices me and Umbriel-kane walking together, she gives me a thumbs up and mouths to me to tell her about it later. As we walked down the hall, I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. It was like I was on stage and all of the audience was waiting for me to mess up. I looked at the floor.
“Don’t worry about what they think.” Umbriel-kane says to me.
“That’s easy for you to say.” I say but then totally regret it. What if he takes it the wrong way and I offended him? “I mean, everyone looks up to you. I’m not really anyone special.”
“Don’t listen to what Jessica says. She tends to say hurtful things to almost everyone.”
“So I’ve heard.” I recall Gwen saying something like that.
When we get to class, he sits next to me again. And in archery, he helps me again with my aim, since I still have trouble with that. In equestrian studies, we weren’t able to talk but I was able to clear my head.
I realized that if Umbriel-kane were to ask me on a date, I would say yes. But not because I had to. Because I wanted to. I really did like him though I wasn’t sure how he felt about me. I wish I wasn’t a freak. Maybe then I would have a chance with him.