Cloud

“I spent all summer thinking about it, and I still don’t understand,” Daisy said. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and Zes hated he was the cause of them, but what was he supposed to do? They weren’t going to work. Not when he had so much magic and she didn’t even know magic existed.

He took in a slow breath. “I’m not sure there’s another way I can explain it. I just…don’t feel the same way about you that you do about me.” She opened her mouth, and he continued before she got a chance. “Having been on the receiving end of that, it’s not okay. It’s better to end it rather than lead you on. I’m sorry. I wish I was there, in that same spot, but I’m not.”

“I can wait for you.”


Not what he wanted to hear. “You deserve better.” He hated being the jerk. The whole break up, he’d tried his hardest to not be that guy who was inconsiderate and rude. To make the process as easy as possible, because he did know what it was like to be completely soul crushed. She just wasn’t having it.

“But I love you. You’re the nicest guy I’ve ever met. You’re practically perfect.”

She loved the novelty of him. The security. Not him. “I’m not at the same spot.” It sounded less harsh than “I don’t love you back”.

“I. Can. Wait!”

“Please,” he pleaded. He glanced at the time on his phone. “I’m going to be late for my fraternity meeting.”

“Ever since you joined that thing, you’ve been weird.”

They’re like me. They’re magic and they get it and they understood exactly what I was feeling. “This is who I’ve always been,” he mumbled. “So if you don’t like it, all the better we’re not a thing anymore.”

“I-I can learn!”

He groaned. “I gotta go.” Welcome to Sophomore year of college. His first year in the actual fraternity house. All last year he did his pledge duties and went through the initiation. Now, he was officially allowed to live with his new brothers. And they were all like him: various creatures of myth and magic. They all understood what it was like to try and mesh with the normal world, to branch out past their own social circle. At first, he thought he’d try it on his own. Having this new brotherhood was a lot better. Just because he wanted to be normal, didn’t change that he had magic, nor did it mean he had to forsake that part of him.

Then his phone rang. Anj, his twin. “Yeah?”

“I know you have a thing, but I was spying on you through the glass to make sure you got there okay. Saw the cling-on was hounding you, and thought I’d give you a convenient escape to help your poor blind brother.” Just like Anj, always wanting to help, but usually two seconds too late to do it.

“Not a problem anymore,” he said carefully. Daisy was still in earshot for a few more seconds. “I got here fine. No issues on the way over. Everyone sleeping, I take it?”

Anj sighed. “I wish. Jewl has Cory. He’s eating, again. Although, I don’t know how much of it is him actually eating and how much of it is him comforting himself. I’ve almost got Alain asleep. We were reading about ancient Egypt.”

“Fascinating I’m sure,” Zes said. He half meant it.

“Alain doesn’t seem to think so, but that’s okay. He’s still little. One thing at a time.”

Zes walked into the house and gave a wave to the president of the house. He held up a finger, hoping it really would be just one moment. “Tell me all about it tonight. Then I’ll have things to fill you in on too.” As much as he wanted to hear about his new nephews, Anj never shut up. He just kept going, and going, and going, like that rabbit on the battery commercials.

“Okay, have fun tonight. But not too much fun, and no illegal fun either.”

All Zes could do was roll his eyes. “Our parties aren’t that crazy.”

“The one I went to over the spring was pretty intense.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have invited you…”

“It was awesome! All I’m saying is pace yourself.”

“We don’t have that many parties anyway,” he said in a hushed voice. “Chill out.”

“I’m practically frigid.”

“Seriously, I need to go. Now I’m getting stared at.” Only half true. “Bye Anj.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too.” He sighed and hung up the phone. Thankfully, the other guys already knew about his twin and how fragile their whole family structure was. He’d broken down and told them all about his past. The demons who had tried to control him, his dying and resurrection, the works. It was natural for Anj to be over protective. Once school got moving again, things would even out.

He moved to the table to officially check in. Most of his things had been moved in already by the older guys as soon as he parked. He hadn’t intended on leaving them hanging, but Daisy, then Anj… “Sorry,” he mumbled, hoping they’d still give him a key.

“If your bro wanted to come tonight, you could have invited him. He’s an honorary member after all!” The president moved in for a welcome hug. “You’re up top in the attic. Only solo room for you youngin’s so feel special.”

“I do,” he said, honestly.

“Thought it might be easier given everything.” He pointed to the phone. “Thunderstorms are loud and epic. Also, there might be some leaks up there.”

Nothing he couldn’t handle.

“Mixer starts at nine.”

Zes forgot that the opening party for the season was a mixer. The girls from the counterpart magical sorority were coming over with some new potential pledges, just like there would be some freshman men looking to join up too. Given the secrecy of their group, most already knew they were joining before even arriving at school. He’d certainly had his mind made up as soon as he’d heard there was a club just for magical people like him. Then there would be plenty of parties for him to meet normal people too. The best of both worlds.

He stuck to casual dress for the party, wanting to make a good first impression, but not wanting to go over the top. Show his personality without showing too much too soon. Being on his own left the responsibility of making friends rest solely on his shoulders rather than relying on his more extroverted brother who could talk to anyone at any time and never make a fool of himself. Zes wasn’t that smooth. Improving, but still bumpy. Especially around girls.

And there were a lot of those around when he got to the main floor. He decided to be fashionably late by about twenty minutes. About half of the ladies there he knew, and the other half were a mystery. Right away he could tell the freshman from the upperclassmen. They were just as nervous looking on the outside as he felt on the inside.

He made his way over to the drink table. While his brother told him to not partake in any illegal fun, Zes never promised to listen. He might have gotten a taste for Jack and Cokes over the course of last year. Besides, he’d be twenty-one in May. What was the big deal? It’s not like he had ever gotten completely plastered. One drink had always been his limit. Mostly because Daisy had been around, and he knew she’d take advantage of him having more and that wasn’t a mess he wanted to deal with.

But she wasn’t at the party. She wasn’t allowed in the party. No, just one. Take the edge off. Anything more, though and I’ll just make an idiot of myself. Not like the bartender would pour him more than one drink anyway. They weren’t supposed to serve anyone underage. Zes always seemed to be an exception.

As he grabbed his one drink, Zes’s gaze caught sight of a freshman girl with short dark hair and cheeks splashed with freckles. Her smile was just so radiating, he couldn’t help but notice. Actually, all of her seemed to radiate a lot of light. When she caught him staring, she waved him over. The whole walk, he tried to come up with a good opening line: casual, but showing he was interested, but not too much interest because that would be creepy and he didn’t want a fling. Just “hey, I think you’re cute, and you’ve got my attention. What’s your personality like? Are you cool?”

“Um, hi,” he managed weakly. “Y-you need something?” Seemed like a logical question to ask since he was a full member of the frat now.

She laughed. “I was going to ask you that, because you were all…” And then she mimicked his staring face and he wanted to die of embarrassment on the spot. “Or do I have something stuck on my face again?”

“No,” he said and offered an awfully awkward feeling smile. “Just checking you out, I guess.” He paused. “Not like that. I mean, not that I wouldn’t check you out like that, but I mean, I was, um, people watching. It’s one of my hobbies.” I’m officially a creep. Only creeps people watch.

“Oh my gosh, mine too,” she said. “Back home, all I did was watch crazy tourists.”

“I just watched all the people at school, because most of them were crazy,” he said. “I went to a boarding school, so that’s probably why.”

“Now you’re out in the wild.”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Best way anyone has described it to him. He motioned at the party. “This is a whole new world. We didn’t party this hard at Vala. The teachers were always in everyone’s business.”

She leaned in close. “It’s new for me too. We didn’t party like this where I was from either.” She scrunched up her nose. “Actually, I think we did, but I was never invited. I’m a little too mainstream to be cool.”

“Mainstream? Isn’t that what defines cool?” he countered.

“Too human,” she said instead. “I’m a mermaid.” She exhaled. “So weird to be able to say that out here in the real world to someone not a mermaid.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Sheltered?”

“Most like me don’t mingle with outsiders.”

“Your parents must have been thrilled with your decision to come here then.” He laughed. “Mine practically kicked me out. They knew it’d be good to get away.” Even he hadn’t realized it at the time.

She shook his head. “My parents are open and accepting. They thought it better I leave too before I either got corrupted or forced to stay back because my psychotic ex-boyfriend did something crazy.” She took a slow drink from her glass of water. “Too much?”

“I’m relieved.”

“That I have a psychotic ex?”

“That you word vomit like I do!”

They both laughed. “I’m—”

Before he could introduce himself, Daisy called out to him from the doorway. “But I know him. Zes! Tell them I know you! This shouldn’t be a big deal.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why...seriously.”

The two guys playing bouncer at the door were calmly trying to explain that it was an exclusive party and she could come back when it was done. Magic would be coming into play later in the night as the pledges began their journey toward joining the fold. She couldn’t see that. Some of the guys had normal human girlfriends who knew the truth and handled it fine, sure. Daisy hadn’t passed that requirement, nor would she be.

Mystery girl leaned in. “Psycho ex of your own?”

“Just…clingy, but yes, ex.” He sighed and pulled out his phone, sending Daisy a text. “I’ll call you later. Promise.”

Daisy took a minute to check her phone. When she did, she glared across the entry at him then turned on her heel to march out the door. At least she was gone.

“Ouch,” mystery girl said. “What did you do? Are you trouble?”

Great first impression. “I told her the truth. When we broke up, I mean. That I didn’t feel as strongly for her as she did for me. She wants to keep trying anyway for some reason, probably hoping I’m going to change my mind. Part of why we broke up is because she was pushing for too much too fast. Since she’s the first…n-normal…girl I’ve dated, I didn’t feel comfortable with that. You know?” And he’d been there, done that in the past. He didn’t want to be there again. Ever.

“What did you text her?”

“That I’d call her later. She’s probably just pissed I didn’t go to actually tell her that myself.” He shook his head, taking a long drink from his cup. “If I’d done that, she’d never let me go. Sorry, um…” He frowned. “I don’t have your name.”

“Miranda.”

“Zes.”

They shook hands. “Well met, Zes. Despite this hiccup, it’s been pleasant. Totally made the night worth it. I almost didn’t come.”

“I’m glad you did,” he said.

“We need all the freshman over here!” the sorority president called out from the den. “We’re going to play a game!”

Miranda pouted. “I’ll find you again.”

“Looking forward to it.” Then he dared to channel Anj and brought her hand to his lips for a gentle kiss. She didn’t look disgusted as she walked away, so it couldn’t have been too awful.