I don't think a hug is supposed to feel this good...

As soon as the bell signaling the end of the lesson and the beginning of lunch time, I stood up and left the room. I dashed to the exterior of the school and looked at the view. The place looked good especially with no one polluting the grounds with their presence. Just then, I remembered that I had left my bag in the I. C. T class. I was about to go back when I spotted Dalia with a bag that held great resemblance to my own, in fact, I knew it was mine. Honestly I did not know what the girl wanted with me. I mean, I know I'm the god of desire but honestly I couldn't be driving the girl that insane.

Not knowing what else to do, I used my super speed and passed by her with my bag. I saw her turn and get shocked at the sudden disappearance of my bag from her hand. I returned to the class and then walked out of it as if I was the last one to leave. I went down the steps majestically. I could feel the stares on me and in that moment I was trying to fathom where my books had disappeared to. I remembered leaving them on the desk. My bag did not feel as heavy as I thought it would be with the books in it. And I did not want to go back to Barbara and inform her that I had lost my books. I did not want her getting disappointed in me on the first day, plus she would tell Ashley about it and I had already hear it from her.

I was walking back out to the school grounds when I saw a wide eyed Dalia. Before her friends could stop her she walked up to me and asked where I had gotten my bag. I decided to ignore and pass her by as if she did not even exist. Before she could confront me again, her friends stopped her. Just then, I spotted a familiar figure under the only tree in the school grounds. I remembered how I had wanted to go there earlier and decided there was no better time than the present.

I liked the position of the tree. It was far from all the people in the grounds which ensured that no one would eavesdrop. I got to the tree and found Manda seating there and enjoying a packet of biscuits.

"Hey there," I said getting her attention.

"Still stalking me I see." she said sarcastically.

"Trust me, stalking doesn't even begin to explain what I am doing." I said with a huge grin on my face. I mean I liked how she turned everything into a joke. I even got to the extent of thinking that maybe it was her coping mechanism. I sat next to her and leaned against the tree.

"You have a tendency of leaving your things behind whenever the bell rings." She said handing me my books. I instantly felt a weight get lifted off my shoulders. At least now I didn't have to explain how I had lost by books. I took them from her and stuffed them in my bag. We started talking and making fun of each other .seriously, Manda knew how to take sarcasm to a whole different level of fun and laughter. I had even forgotten the last time I had had a genuine laugh. It was quite fun.

"I like you," she said all of a sudden and catching me off guard. "You are funny… and truth be told, even though you might find this weird, you remind me of someone I thought I would get the chance to know even better."

"Are you talking about the guy who flew away without telling you his name?" I asked innocently, even though there was a twinge of guilt eating into me.

"How do you know that?" she asked wide eyed.

"You two met under this tree didn't you?" I said looking down.

"Right, she said with a sigh as if she had just realized something, "you're a sorcerer. It makes sense that you would know.

"I'm a magician." I was about to go into full explain mode on how I was a magician. I was even ready to tell her the difference between a sorcerer and a magician but I was stopped by a rumbling sound. I turned to look at her and then at her stomach.

"You are hungry" I said matter of factly. I grabbed my bag and took out my lunch box and passed it over to her, "here, eat"

"Aren't you going to eat with me?" she asked after opening the lunch box. I turned towards her and she placed the lunch box between us and we ate. After eating she took out two cans in her bag. She called it soda and popped open a can for me. I recognized the can from the commercials I had seen on the television back home. It had a funny taste on the tongue, like a very weak acid.  We continued talking and laughing while drinking the soda, we even went to the extent of making fun of each other.

There were two classes to be attended after lunch but in both the lecturers were not present which gave me and Manda more time to have fun and dwell in each other's company which was very much preferred at the time.

Finally, the bell signaling the end of classes for the day rang and everyone filed out of the class and we were the last to leave the class. I made sure to not leave my books and my bag behind this time. I walked Manda to her locker to pack her books there. It was a short distance away from my locker. After that we went to my locker and I put my books inside and then went to the exterior of the school and returned under the tree and continued talking and having a good time.

The time came for her to head home and I walked with her and we stood outside the school gate. I hated that the time came sooner than I liked. I wanted to spend more time with her, I mean, who knew if I would get the chance to spend time with her again.

"So you take a bus home?" I asked expecting a yes.

"No actually, I walk home."

That surprised me. I didn't think anyone walked anymore.

"Where do you live?" I asked again.

"The big mansion at 47th avenue." she replied, "Where do you live?"

"I don't know really, I'll have to ask my mom" I said with an innocent look on my face.

"You don't know where you live?" she said shocked.

"Yep" I said a little embarrassed.

As she was digesting that, "I could ask my mom to drop you off at your place." I suggested.

"It's okay, I'll walk" she said assuring me.

"I…goodbye then?" I said hesitantly. You know that awkwardness that gets created when two people are about to go their separate ways but then one of them does not want then to go their separate ways just yet? That is exactly what was happening just now. Plus, her intense stare was making my cheeks feel hot, which was weird. I didn't understand why my cheeks felt hot nor the sensation that was surging through my body. It was beyond my comfort and I did not like it.

"You will be here tomorrow right?" she asked in a low and sad tone, "because I still find it hard to believe that you are real."

"Come on, I am real!" I exclaimed, "and yes, I will definitely be here tomorrow." I said in a tone that would be sure to leave no doubt in her. Although when I looked at her face, she was not quite convinced. "Hey," I said holding her chin and turning her face towards me and while she tried not to meet my gaze, I wouldn't have it. When she finally looked into my eyes I said "I will be here tomorrow, I promise."

I found it ironic that the last time I had seen her I had promised to come back and see her soon, and making that promise resulted in me falling from the sky and being stuck in a human's laboratory for 5 years. In the midst of my thoughts, I felt hands wrap around me and squeeze me in a warm and desiring hug. She shrugged her shoulders a little while hugging me just for effect. I felt a surge of energy course through my veins causing my heart to beat really fast and really loud. The way it was beating, I was afraid it would burst.

"Your heart is beating really fast and by fast I mean inhumanly fast" she observed. "Is that normal?"

"What is abnormal is that you are actually able to hear it beating" I replied. Something vibrated which forced us to part. I quickly reached into my bag and looked for my phone, but, it was not the one ringing. I saw Manda reach into her pocket and pull out a phone and answer it. A very angry voice was on the other side of the phone and it was expressing its anger at the fact that she had not arrived home yet. I saw her shrink in embarrassment, especially after she realized that I could hear whoever was shouting. The call ended and she put her phone back in her pocket.

"I should really be on my way now" and she took off running, her feet padding on the pavement.

I stood there and watched her run for a couple of minutes until she was out of sight and all the while she would turn back to look at me as if she was still trying to determine whether or not I was real. I couldn't help but envy the speed of humans. I could have covered the distance in mere milliseconds.

The dead silence that followed after she was gone made me turn and look around only to find that I was the only one in the vicinity. I stretched my mental links and searched around. I could feel the consciousness of a few handful of people, even Manda who was running. I withdrew my links and raised my mental barriers as Ashley's car approached. I was eager to sit down and rest my feet.