ch 5 - touch

Zara couldn’t concentrate.

Her constant looking around and her turning around in the direction of the door was making Melina annoyed.

“Hey,” Melina whispered. 

And when Zara turned to face her, Melina continued, “What’re you doing?”

Zara swallowed and just shrugged. “Nothing. Just bored.”

Rolling her eyes, her friend glanced at their professor again before responding, “It’s Fiction 121, one of your favorite classes. What’s up?”

Zara sighed. “I just want to get out of here. Can’t wait to be back at my parents’ house tomorrow. I have some questions.”

Melina looked more annoyed. “Okay, but for now can you at least pretend to focus?”

“Is everything okay, ladies?”

They quickly turned in the direction of their professor who had stopped speaking and was now staring at them, his arms folded in front of him. And the look he was giving them now somehow made Zara want to laugh. But she held back, glancing quickly at Melina again before nodding and replying, “Yes, sir. Everything's okay over here.”

The professor nodded and returned to his lecture. 

A few minutes later when the class was dismissed, Zara began gathering her things. And when Melina came and stood in front of her, she looked up, holding her backpack tightly behind her. 

“What?” Zara questioned as she looked at her best friend suspiciously. Melina folded her arms. 

“Wanna go get something to eat before your next class in a few hours?”

Zara looked at the time on her phone. “Uh, I wanna go do something first. Can we do that in like 30 minutes?”

Melina didn't look convinced. “And what is so important that you have to go do now?”

Zara lowered her voice, looking around discreetly, making Melina make a face at her.

“I want to practise my powers for a little bit. I just feel like I need to be prepared in case something bad erupts, you know?”

“Have you forgotten?”

“Forgotten what?” Zara questioned, her brows furrowed.

“No displaying of powers on campus. University rules, remember?”

“Oh,” Zara replied, slumping her shoulders. “I’ll be very discreet? Like this tiny little bit?” she added, raising two fingers to symbolize what she meant. And when Melina saw the look on her face, she bursted out laughing. A group of students that had begun filing into the classroom drew their attention and they both began to make their way out of the classroom.

“No, seriously, I need this.” Zara said as she bursted out laughing again.

They continued to walk down the hallway in the direction of the stairs that will take them to the first floor and outside in the direction of where the university cafeteria was located.

“So now that we are going to the cafeteria -” Melina began to say when Zara turned around to say something. But Melina’s eyes had gone wide, and it was too late because Zara was bumping into someone. Quickly, she turned back around just before they got to the stairs and was face-to-face with Kaiden.

“You -” Kaiden began to speak, pausing to hold her waist steadily before she took a few steps away from him. She looked around to find that he was with a woman. Not thinking about who she might be, Zara held her backpack straps closer to her shoulders and cleared her throat. 

“Yes, me, Zara, remember?”

At that moment, Kaiden narrowed his gaze and stared down at her, but Zara only stood her ground as her eyes caught those of the woman with him whose eyes had narrowed. When she turned her eyes back to Kaiden, she could hear Melina’s low voice behind her.

“Girl, let’s get out of here.”

But Zara wouldn’t budge. “Can’t stop yourself from staring, Kaiden?”

Kaiden gritted his teeth and met her gaze again, the anger he was feeling showing up on his face as he said to her, “Step aside.”

At that moment, Zara watched as the woman held Kaiden’s left hand.

Was she trying to make him calm down because she didn't see that happening anytime soon?

“Why are you so bitter? See? Look around you. There's a lot of light to spread here, come on. Loosen up.”

Her words had surprised everyone there because the woman’s jaw almost dropped to the floor. And Melina was pinching her now.

But Zara continued. Then she gasped when Kaiden, without a word, held her waist with both hands and lifted her effortlessly before placing her to the side.

Her mouth was still open as she watched him walk past her with the woman and blended into the crowd of students down the hallway.

She was brought out of her trance when she heard Melina’s voice again. 

“I told you that guy -”

“Let’s just go.” Zara cut her off as she turned towards the stairs again.

~~

Sunlight continued streaming in through the open window as Zara sat on her bed, a pen and notebook in her hand as she continued to scribble something down. And when she finally looked up to find Melina sitting on the chair across from her and staring at her with a waiting look on her face, Zara dropped the pen and sighed.

“Are you going to finally tell me what’s with you and that Kaiden guy?”

Zara moved the notebook aside and began shaking her head.

“Come on!”

“What do you want me to say, Mel? I guess he just makes me curious, that’s all.”

Melina stood up and walked to the bed. When she sat down, she asked with seriousness written all over her face. 

“Curious about what?”

Zara swallowed, and looked like she was about to say something when they both heard the sound of the front door being open.

With wide eyes, Zara jumped down from the bed and ran out of the room before Melina had a chance to say anything.

“Zara, what -” Melina stopped short when her eyes landed on Zara’s parents and brother entering the large living room.

“Oh…” her voice faded when Zayn’s eyes met hers.

Melina swallowed and focused on Zara who was now speaking.

“Did y’all just return from another council meeting?”

Luke sighed and sat on one of the couches, and his wife answered ‘yes’ before going to the back room.

Zayn sat down next to his father as he met his sister’s gaze.

“Will you guys say something or…” Zara began to speak as she sat down across from both men; and Melina, not sure what she should be doing now, sat down next to her best friend.

“Yes, sweetheart,” Luke said to his daughter, calling her by the name he did every time he was trying to get her to listen. And Zara, knowing this, adjusted her position on the couch.

“Anything I need to know?” she asked, making a face of uncertainty as she bit her lower lip. 

Luke shook his head and replied, “Well, you would know if you had come with us.”

Zara looked defeated and turned to her brother who only shrugged.

“I know that now, dad,” she said.

Luke nodded and waited. At that moment, Melina found her eyes going in the direction of Zayn again, but his eyes had turned to his dad.

“When do we start working with the police?” Zayn asked his dad. But before Luke could answer, Zara, with furrowed brows, asked, “The police? I thought we were not going to do that just yet?” She looked at Melina then who still had her eyes on Zayn. But when Zara nudged her lightly, Melina swallowed and nodded, not sure what she was nodding about.

Zara used that moment to ask, “Do they think it’s the Ures?”

Luke’s face looked serious then, and Zara thought his face couldn't get any more serious than it was now. She looked at her brother again, and the expression on his face made something in her heart shift.

Luke cleared his throat before speaking again. “It’s not impossible.”

“But they’ve always been pretty clear on where they stood.”

“And what's that?” Luke asked, and Zara looked surprised by this. Not sure how to answer it, she sighed. Then she said, “I don’t think Kaiden -”

“What? You are speaking with Kaiden now?” Luke asked, at the same time that his wife, Rachel, was making her way out of the kitchen.

“No, not really, dad.”

Zayn was staring at his sister again, his eyes holding questions. But Zara pressed on. “We just crossed paths a few times and barely had a conversation.”

Luke then stood up. “If you were present at the council meetings, then you would know that the Ures have been our sworn enemies. Stay away from Kaiden Brinns.”

{To be continued…}

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