Alchemist and the Vampire

Chapter Fourteen
True Friends

“Are you out of your god damn pink haired mind?”
Avery roared so loud the whole dining hall heard her. I sighed hanging my head as I stood next to Harlyn looking at the girls. Amanda frowned at me looking hurt.
“Why would you suggest making her part of our coven Krissi? You have a sister already”.
Aria narrowed her eyes to slits at us.
“Yeah, what the fuck Kristen”.
I winced as she called me Kristen. Elle hung her head closing her eyes but it was obvious she was with the other girls too. Harlyn rolled her eyes at them crossing her arms.
“Wow! Seriously I thought I was the biggest bitch in this school”.

Aria turned her narrowed gaze to Harlyn.
“You are!”
Harlyen returned Aria’s narrowed gaze.
“Oh right, says the girl who is being a bigger bitch then me to someone who is supposed to be her friend! So Krissi offered me kindness and invited me to join your damn coven. And how do you all respond her “Best friends” like a bunch of hateful hags!”
Amanda narrowed her eyes now.
“We didn’t mean it like that”.
“How much do you know about Krissi? Really? Or did you all just accept her because of Jimmy”.

The girls said nothing. Harlyen narrowed her eyes at them.
“That’s what I thought! Hateful hags! This girl you’re all being massive bitches too took me in because my parents were abusing me! After all the shit and guy stealing I pulled on her! She took me in anyway and we found out we have more in common then we realized so yeah we’re friends now. And I’m gunna join your damned coven because my friend invited me! You don’t like it, sit on a fucking pointed stick and rotate for all I fucking care. Hags!”
Harlyn said then she took my hand and led me away from the girls. I wiped at my eyes following after her.
“They don’t deserve you like I said”.
She shook her head.
“I don’t blame them for reacting that way, but they would have been that way with me not you, you did nothing but offer me kindness and a place when I didn’t have one. I kind of almost told them you were protecting them from some huge evil thing that nearly choked the life from you”.

I frowned at her.
“I’m glad you didn’t tell them that”.
Harlyn sighed shaking her head she gave me a tissue and dabbed at my eyes like an older sister would. I half laughed, Harlyn raised an eyebrow at me.
“What? Do you have that syndrome where you laugh and cry for no reason?”
I shook my head laughing softly.
“If you told me last week we’d end up good friends. I would have had you committed”.
Harlyn laughed too.
“I know right, I would have too. Hell I would have had myself committed”.
We walked towards where the classes were being held. Stopping as Night and the other guys came towards us.
“So we headed you invited Harlyn to join us”.
Matt said raising an eyebrow at me. As if to ask if I was sure about this. I looked at Harlyn then turned back to Matt giving a nod.
“Yes, I understand it wasn’t my place to but”.

Matt held up his hand.
“It’s ok. Your compassion is a rarity we shouldn’t waste it. If you’ve seen goodness in her I won’t question it”.
Harlyn smirked to herself.
“Well, you reacted better than your bitchy girlfriend did. They gave her such a hard time over shit I did. Shit that has nothing to do with her. And treated her like total crap! Then turns out they only “accepted” her because of Jimmy!”

The other girls approached from behind us and Harlyn narrowed her eyes at them. I looked between them.
“Where do you get off calling us hateful when you treated Krissi crap?”
Elle said crossing her arms. Harlyn moved forwards.
“Ask yourself this. If I was being a total bitch to Krissi anymore would she have saved my ass from my awful parents? Would she had offered for me to join your little coven! Krissi and I talked and we worked through OUR problems well, more like my problems. But that is between her and me. And has nothing to do with you hateful hags”.

“Stop calling us that!”
Avery growled. Harlyn shot her a hard look.
“Then stop being that!”
Taking my arm Harlyn led me away from the group. I followed after her and was glad to get something to eat so there was a topic change. Harlyn sighed sitting across from me.
“I’m sorry about the whole “I’m going to make your life hell” speech”.

I looked at her frowning to myself.
“Hey, we’re practically sisters now”.
Harlyn looked down.
“I guess, I was taking my parents out on you. The way they treat me and I knew as soon as you arrived I’d be in serious trouble with them”.

We finished eating and then it was time for classes to start. I made my way into my first class. Avery, Amanda and Elle had given my seat to a new kid and were talking up a storm with her. This was something I expected. Maybe they weren’t all that close with me, or all that great of friends to have. I sat down in a desk to the far right of the room.
“That doesn’t look good”.

A girl said from behind me. I looked back at her then to the girls.
“It’s what I expected actually, I made peace with someone and they aren’t happy with me about it”.
“Hmm, so you made peace with someone who was giving you a hard time. And they are all pissy because they don’t like that someone?”

I nodded.
“Pretty much”.
The girl rolled her eyes.
“Wow, that’s friendship for you. I’m Alexus by the way. Alexus Artemis, We alchemists of the night need to stick together”.
I laughed to myself.
“Thanks”.
Alexus tapped her pen to her desk.
“Though, I have nothing to do with the moon or night. I guard animals, virtue and purity. So you know”.
I smiled at her.
“Nice to meet you”.
I noticed Amanda looking over at me and I turned away. If I didn’t know better I’d swear she wanted to talk with me. I got through my first few classes and Alexus oddly enough had the same class list I did. We walked to our classes together.

“Hey Krissi”.
Matt said as he cut me off when I was on my way to lunch. I looked at him slightly confused by his sudden appearance. The other guys didn’t really spend all that much time around me. Mostly I assumed was because they had their own alchemist to take care of.
“Can we talk?”
Matt asked, I nodded to him saying goodbye to Alexus and following Matt down the hall towards the dojo on the far side of the grounds. It was where combat training would be held after lunch which I was late for now. I walked into the dojo looking around. Amanda stood looking at me with tearful eyes. Matt clapped me on the back before leaving. Obviously Amanda sent him to find me.
“I wasn’t sure you’d come if I went to get you”.

Amanda confessed as she looked at me still having tears in her eyes.
“Ok, what did you want?”
I asked carefully. Amanda sighed sitting on a stack of mats.
“I’m sorry, Harlyn was always so awful to you and it caught me off guard when I saw you two like, like best friends and sisters. I’m your best friend and your sister. So I thought”.
“You thought I’d replaced you?”
Amanda sniffed giving a nod as she wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands.
“Oh honey”.
I walked over hugging her tight.
“No one on this planet or any other planet could ever replace you”.
Amanda looked at me blinking back tears as she pressed her lips together tightly.

“Really?”
I nodded to her smiling.
“Really, I love you, you’re my sister, my twin sister”.
Amanda smiled at me giving a nod.
“And don’t worry about the other girls. They’ll come around, they really will”.
Amanda froze noticing my neck now. She and the other girls had been so caught up in being pissed at me they hadn’t noticed the ring of black and blue around my neck.
“What happened”?
I frowned at her shaking my head.
“Please don’t ask questions. You can’t be involved none of you can”.
Amanda bit her lip.
“So that’s why you were avoiding everyone before break. You, something really bad is happening with you isn’t it? That’s why Night’s here too”.
I got up wrapping my arms around myself feeling uncomfortable. Amanda stood looking at me frowning a little.

“Ok, I won’t ask questions. But I can’t pretend that I don’t know somethings going on with you”.
“Here you are, for shit sake woman, tell me when you’re going to be late”.
Harlyn said as she walked into the dojo, Amanda turned to her and Harlyn froze.
“You ok Krissi?”
Her eyes narrowed. Amanda shot her a look crossing her arms.
“Of course she is! She’s my best friend I’d never hurt her”.
Harlyn opened her mouth to speak but I shot her a hard look and she stopped.
“Let’s go have lunch”.
I said walking out of the dojo with Amanda and Harlyn. Night was waiting nearby. He was always nearby. Harlyn looked back at him then at me.
“What is with him? I mean is he bound to you?”

I shrugged.
“I don’t think so, I’m just his charge”.
Harlyn looked back at Night again.
“So, if someone wanted to I don’t know date him or mess around with him”.
Amanda rolled her eyes while I laughed.
“It would have to be after hours. He’s pretty focused when it comes to taking care of me”.
Harlyn laughed to herself as we entered the dining hall together. We got our food. Avery started to wave Amanda over to the normal table when she stopped seeing she was with me and Harlyn her eyes narrowed a little.
“Over here!”
Alexus called waving to us. The three of us walked over and sat down with Alexus who smiled around at all of us.
“I’m glad you girls decided to sit with me. I’m Alexus, gifted by Artemis”.
Harlyn flipped her blond hair over her shoulder.

“Congratulations”.
She said in a sarcastic tone. Alexus rolled her eyes at Harlyn turning back to Amanda and I.
“I thought you two were better than that”.
Alexus smiled spooning some strawberry frozen yogurt into her mouth. Amanda looked down a bit.
“It wasn’t my finest hour.”
It wasn’t long before the guys joined us at the table too leaving Avery, Aria and Elle in shock. But I knew it was because of Matt. Where ever Matt went the group went. Jimmy kissed my lips lightly giving a smile.
“Hey Jail bate”.
He said keeping his arm around my waste.
“Hey”.
Harlyn snickered.
“Jail bate, that’s your way of calling her Hot huh?”
Jimmy looked at Harlyn and I knew he was a little wary of her but he relaxed keeping me close.
“Yup!”

Jimmy grinned. Amanda smiled watching us as we talked. Matt sitting on the other side of her his arm around her waist. It was then that I realized in this moment, like clarity watched over me. Or maybe it was like seeing things through my mother’s eyes. In this exact moment I was surrounded by true friends. But the thought remained that the door was still open for Avery and the others to join that group of true friendship. Some people just take more time adjusting to changes then others.