Chapter 3 - Be Safe

" You know…there will be a lot of people who won't be happy seeing me pick you up." I tried to reason. Calling Aurora popular would be an understatement. Eyes are on her 24/7. While it is not uncommon to see her in a relationship, those usually never last long, but they still incite ludicrous amounts of jealousy among the student body. For he to be seen with me of all people, some scrawny, weak nobody will probably bring more attention and trouble to me.

However, she shook her head. She was not going to listen to a thing I said. She was always rooted in things doing things that she thought was right.

"Promise." She insisted sternly. I sighed, I knew there was no way to win when she had a her mind set on something. There was no alternative but to give in to her demands, lest I face the wrath of the ice witch`. I nodded reluctantly. Her bright smile returned to her face after getting the answer she wanted. She waved me goodbye, finally allowing me to leave. I smiled tightly, twisting the doorknob and leaving that frigid ice box.

As I walked home, I reflected on the conversation I just had with Aurora. That half an hour of interaction already caused our memories to come flooding back to me. We met each other at the age of 4. We were neighbours. We would always go to nearby parks to play and run around. That or we would go to her room or her backyard to mess around with each other. We would play with magic, toys and all sorts of artifacts her father brought home. I smiled reminiscing about it.

We only became closer as we grew up. We would always stand up for one another, always do things together. Until, high school started. At 15, I had to move. We saw each other much less than we did before. However, we always tried to stay in contact. Inevitably, due to her calm nature and breathtaking looks, she catapulted in popularity in high school, while I was left eating her dust. Eventually, seeing her with lots of other people broke me, most especially other guys. Guys who were better than me in every way. She had multiple relationships. Of course she would. However, she never found the one for her. I have never had one. But I was always there to comfort her.

However, I eventually realised that I was not worthy to be next to her. When we were 16, I truly started to distance myself from her. She was leagues above me. She does not need someone like me. I still believe that. When she said that she missed me, I can't help but think that she was just being nice.

I looked out at the lake that I always pass by when I walk home. There is a train rail over it. The train would be a quicker way to get home,however, I believed that walking helps me think. It's just better. I could not help but still feel bitter about Aurora. Was distancing the right move? It doesn't matter. The fact is that she is always adding to her list of accolades. Meanwhile mine is as dry as the dessert.

I eventually reached home, taking the elevator and ringing the doorbell on our apartment. "Ding. Dong." The bell sounded. It was quickly opened by my mother who had a slight look of concern. "Hey mom." I said casually, stepping inside and shutting the door behind me.

"Kaler dear, you are later than normal today. Are you alright?" She then examined my arm and leg and gasped at the bandages and bruises. "Kaler! What happened?"

"Don't worry Mom. I was late cause Aurora helped fix me up. I talked to her for awhile too," I said, unconsciously smiling as I did. My mom noticed and smiled back. I was confused as to why she would suddenly smile but didn't question it.

"Don't worry Honey, I'll help Kale unpack his stuff." I felt hands grip my shoulders as a deep voice sounded from behind me. I looked behind and saw my dad smiling. My mom simply nodded and walked back to the kitchen. Once she left, my dad looked at me excitedly. "Wow, you got really banged up buddy. Anyway, ready for your 18th birthday?" He asked eagerly.

I shrugged my shoulders and chuckled lightly. " Son." My dad said shortly afterwords. He must have been serious. He only calls me "Son" if it was urgent or serious. " I have been wanting to give this to you for a long time now. Now I can. This is the one tradition in our family that i do not intend to forgo." He said with sincerity in his eyes. Now he had my attention. He reached for his neck, unhooking the pendant that he always wore. My eyes widened at the Dragon signal engraved on it. He dropped it in my cupped hands and i took this opportunity to examine it.

"In our family, we always pass on this pendant to our eldest son when he comes of age. I have worn it for decades. Now, it is yours." He explained solemnly. I clutched it in my fist and put it on immediately. It had a good heft to it and the chain felt light and i was unbothered by its presence. I smiled at him. " It looks good on you." He said truthfully. However, I can detect a slight tinge of resentment. I never met my grandfather. Or my cousins, if i even had any.

"Promise me this my son." My dad was now on one knee, still gripping my shoulders firmly. I looked him dead The Eye. " Promise that if, god forbid, that you are the chosen one, be safe. Your safety is all your mom and I care about." He sounded like he was on the verge of tears. I have never seen my dad cry before. This was a first. " We want you to be happy, to be safe. I implore you, Kaler Dakrun, to always protect yourself, and to protect those around that you care about." By the end, I too was crying. I had no clue why he was telling me this, however, I knew it was important.

That night, I laid in bed, holding the pendant i just got to the sky. It was not light, nor was it heavy. The dragon on in was extremely detailed. But why a dragon? Why does this tradition exist? I tucked the pendant back into my shirt as i closed my eyes. Tomorrow is my birthday.. Just another ordinary day.