The girl dragged me a few steps away from the school. Unlike last night, she seemed friendly and less grumpy.
"The fuck do you want?" I asked, yanking my shoulder out of her grip. The audacity to just touch me so casually when I barely even knew her. "And don't touch me," I added.
She simply stopped and slipped her hands into the pockets of her trench coat.
"Again, you are being so mean," she said, like she was talking to a kid or something. Like she was looking down on me.
"Stop that." I frowned, yet her eyes were drifting toward my swollen cheek. She was so nosy.
"None of your business," I told her, pulling the hood of my hoodie back up and zipping it higher to hide my face.
"I didn't even ask," she breathed out, sounding entertained.
"You don't have to. I can see it in your eyes."
She simply started moving again, walking down the street with that same mean confidence.
And the fact that she was apparently famous or something didn't help.
I had looked her up.
She was the kind of person parents pointed at and told their kids to be more like.
"One of these days you'll have to tell me your name, you know," she said, slowing down so I could catch up.
Unlike her, I walked slowly, like I had all the time in the world.
"Daniel says I shouldn't even dream of it."
I must have made it obvious that I had questions, because she shifted slightly until our shoulders aligned. Now we were walking side by side.
Too close.
Still, there was a finger's width of space between us.
The side of my body closest to her felt heavy and jittery.
Like two magnets pulled together and pushed apart at the same time.
"You have questions."
"I don't."
I didn't want to know.
Daniel had made it clear this wasn't a game I wanted to play with my high school life.
"Daniel scared you off that badly?"
She bumped her shoulder lightly against mine. A strange coldness came from her through the coat that I could feel even through my hoodie.
"Yeah? Shouldn't I be?" I said hesitantly. "I just found out… that thing—and more—exist."
She didn't answer for a long moment.
Instead, like a jobless loser, I kept following her.
I really needed to get a life other than following a girl around my age.
I straightened my back, forcing my slouched shoulders upright, and sent her a quick glance.
For some reason, she had a small smile on her face.
Her head was held high as she walked straight through the street.
People were moving out of her way.
Meanwhile, I was usually the one who stepped aside before anyone even reached me.
"He didn't explain a lot," I finally said.
I regretted it immediately.
Her smile grew wider—like a smug cat twirling an invisible moustache.
Did she think she had me all figured out?
"It's not like I'm curious or anything… I just—"
I cut myself off.
Why was I explaining myself?
To her of all people?
She suddenly took an unexpected left turn.
I stopped to look around, trying to figure out what street we had ended up on. We had walked pretty far from the school by now.
"Yo, lady—"
I didn't even finish the sentence.
She spun around so fast her gold earrings jingled softly.
"Lady?" she repeated, looking completely flabbergasted.
"Yeah… aren't you a female?" I asked, stiffly.
She looked like she was about to clutch an imaginary pearl necklace.
"Okay, yes. But lady? Do I look old to you?"
"Hm… now that you ask," I said, fanning the flames.
I could already tell she was around my age.
Still, I pretended to study her from head to toe like I actually cared about her dramatic self-esteem.
"Yeah," I said finally. "You do."
"I will kill you myself," she replied with a smile that was anything but sweet.
But she didn't really mean it.
"But how will that keep me safe?" I asked, catching myself joking with her.
I didn't even know her long enough for that, yet it came out easily.
Confidently.
"Daniel will be disappointed," I added.
She just huffed and turned on her heel.
"I never really promised to do that. I said 'I'll do my best.' Learn the difference."
"That's just slightly different wording—"
She cut me off.
"A promise needs to be stated. Don't go around promising things, boy. Or you'll find yourself in unwanted hot water."
Her tone was serious, even if a hint of playfulness lingered underneath.
I thought for a moment.
About asking her why I couldn't tell her my name.
Why Daniel had been so adamant about it.
"Gee, just ask already," she said impatiently.
How easy was it for her to read me?
"Fine. Daniel told me—like a hundred times—not to tell you my name. Why?"
She blinked.
Like she expected something else.
"Oh. That."
She poked the inside of her cheek thoughtfully.
"Names are a window to the soul. You give it to someone, and they can do pretty much anything with it."
She said it like she was quoting a dictionary definition she'd memorised.
I nodded slowly, still following her like some loyal crow.
"Like…?" I pressed.
"Like selling your name to a demon. Slavery. Or—"
She suddenly turned toward me.
A wide grin spread across her face.
I stepped back when she leaned in too close.
"—having access to your entire being."
She was trying to scare me.
I raised my hand, palm out, putting a bit of space between us.
Only then did I notice the small fangs in her mouth.
Tiny. Delicate.
But blunt.
"Right. Right. I got it," I said quickly.
But she just blinked at me, not stepping away.
I could feel people staring at us.
From the outside, it probably looked like she was harassing some random school kid.
"I'm Mirabell del Nelson," she said suddenly.
Her voice was calm and sweet—sweet enough that I almost told her my own name right away.
"What?"
For a second, I forgot everything she had just explained.
She had just said her name.
Like it was nothing.
"My name. It's Mirabell del Nelson," she repeated with the same conviction as before.
"…"
My mouth opened, then closed again.
What was I supposed to say to that?
It could be fake.
"Promise?" I asked carefully.
Daniel had stressed it over and over again.
Non-humans couldn't make false promises.
They were incapable of it.
"I promise," she said.
She stepped back, returning the distance between us.
I didn't even know what to do with that.
She had just given me a promise.
Access to herself.
I didn't even fully understand what that meant.
But I knew it mattered.
I just stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the black-haired girl.
Her blue eyes were bright and clear against her deep golden-brown skin.
Just like last night.
"…What are you trying to do? Get me to tell you my name or something?"
She shook her head.
"Honestly, I don't know what I'm thinking. I just wanted to tell you."
For all I knew, she could be lying.
So far, I couldn't get a proper read on her.
And now I really wanted to.
"Tell me your name," she said again.
This time it sounded like she was asking, not demanding like she had been since we left the school.
"Why should I? For all I know, that's not even your real name."
We were having this conversation in MB alleyway of all places.
The shadiest part of the city.
"True… I guess you won't tell me your name. Shame," she said, turning to walk away again.
What was wrong with her?
I watched her go.
Unlike with Daniel, talking to her felt easy.
"…Randy Hayes," I said quietly before I could change my mind.
She had already heard me.
"Nice to know, Randy."
I swallowed.
It felt like a good mistake.
But I couldn't explain why.
I just nodded and kept walking beside her.
Toward the immigrant shopping market—the only street this alleyway led into.
I glanced at her one last time.
Her mood seemed light.
Almost happy.
I hoped I hadn't gotten myself into trouble.
Daniel would probably have a heart attack if he found out I'd done the one thing he told me not to do.
My head was filtering out all the things she said to me, all that I had learned in less then 20 minutes.
"....slavery?" I suddenly let it slip out and simply just nodding her lower lip peering out as she covered it with the top half.
" thats...." I said letting the word drag on. What could I say? To people withe magic at that. "....illegal?" Was all I could say. Illegal. To a non human being.
She just hummed. As if the matter was insignificant to her.
I didn't want to ask. Daniel maide it clear that this wasn't something I should want foe my hight school ass.
Sca
" Dandansute.
"sutedan Daniel