The Unexplained

Chapter 6

I purse my lips before I nod slowly. Is it a touchy subject for them? I sigh.

Cas clears her throat and stands. "I'm going to make us some cocoa...Abby will probably want some when she wakes up." I guess they really don't like talking about it, or they just don't want to. She stands and walks into the kitchen, leaving me alone with Austin. Immediately I look down, as he is now staring at me.

"What the hell happened in the arena?..." He hisses, and I flinch. "Look at me."

I frown and I look up, staring him straight into the eyes. "That's none of your business now is it?..." I sneer.

He runs a hand through his hair, tousling it and I stare a bit longer than I should. He's obviously annoyed, and part of me takes pride in that. "I am your mentor. You will-"

"Ah ah ah....were...you were my mentor," I smirk. "And if I can recall correctly, you couldn't wait to hand me over to...Merlin was it?..." He frowns and I grin.

Eventually, Cas walks back in with four mugs, balancing them in her arms. She hands me one and I set it down on the ground as she hands Austin his mug, then sets Abby's on the table before sitting in her original spot.

"I think you two should stay here," Cas says, and before either of us can say anything, she holds up a finger. "It'd be the safest." She looks at me. "I don't know if you have a place to stay, but I've noticed you've been coming to school every day with the same clothes on...the same hoodie, the same pants, and shoes...Phe do you have a place to go home to?..." She looks worried for me.

My eyes widen slightly and I look down before I shake my head slowly in response. The street is my home...

I used to live in an apartment building, but when the manager found out I was a child and I hadn't paid rent because I had no money, she took me to the orphanage. It was horrible there, they didn't treat us right and I was always bullied because I looked different. I soon snuck away and ran to a new city, this one. I've been living on the streets ever since, or if I'm lucky, a rooftop. When I was younger, many were nice to give me food and money for clothes, but as I grew older, they started paying less attention, walking by instead of stopping. That's when I realize I would have to find another way to survive, stop relying on other people. I enrolled in school, and I've always slept on the top of the gym building, where nobody can find me. I would sneak food out of restaurant garbage cans, or buy something if I had enough.

I've never had enough since my life fell apart, and for a while, I went through a bit of depression. I constantly had to deal with bullying, and many nights I slept with an empty stomach.

Until I met Cas and Abby. They've done so much for me already in only a week or so. They've given me more in that amount of time than anyone has given to me for years.

Cas purses her lips and nods. "Alright then...maybe I shouldn't have asked," she says and smiles slightly, "but you are always welcome to stay here."

I hesitate before I nod slowly, not really up for arguing and she looks at Austin. "You have nowhere to go, so, for now, you can also stay...maybe until things die down if you want to leave." He nods.

Nobody says anything after that, and the silence is unnerving. I'm grateful for when Abby shoots up off the couch, her eyes popping open. "I'm awake!" She exclaims before she gasps when she sees the cocoa on the table and she spins as she takes it, continuing to spin until she is turned away and she walks around the couch. "Ooo, cocoa. Thanks Cas!"

I chuckle softly, taking a sip of my cocoa and I nearly spit it out when a portal appears on the wall and a young man, about Austin's age, with deeply tanned skin, chocolate brown hair, and forest green eyes, skips through. Abby turns and gasps, and even Cas looks a little happy, and a bit amused.