Ben’s reaction was pretty much exactly as Will had expected it. When Will had stepped through the front doors to the school, side-by-side with Charlisa, his friend had picked him out at once. Hard to miss him, really, Will thought. He was dressed in the strangest clothing he’d ever worn, and that included the robes that he’d worn for martial arts and Kendo. Ben gaped at him from across the packed entrance hall, his jaw down to his knees. Will rolled his eyes, already feeling horribly out of place. Maybe that was Edward’s goal all along, he thought.

“You look fine,” Charlisa said in his ear, guessing correctly what he was thinking about. “Just because you look different doesn’t mean you’re different.”

“But I feel different,” Will said. “And easy for you to say, you look like you were born to wear that.”

She did look a wonder, he thought. A soft dress of silver fabric fit her form perfectly, hugging her slim waist and hips, showing her shapely calves. She had white fur draped over her shoulders, held in place by a golden buckle. It was extremely high-quality work and lent her an air of mysterious beauty that he found very appealing. She noticed him studying her and smirked up at him. He quickly looked down at his own clothing, feeling suddenly less certain.

He was dressed almost exclusively in dark colors, save for the buckle of his belt, which was a bright blue. His only saving grace was that, outside of the half cape of black fur, the clothing was somewhat close to normal. A dark grey sleeveless tunic and pants that fit him snugly without restricting his movements. He did draw some confidence from the way it showed off his arms and stature. As long as he didn’t slouch, you could see the years of martial arts training he’d undergone. It seemed that Charlisa enjoyed it as well, he thought. At least, she seemed to take every opportunity to grab his upper arm, squeezing it firmly to steer him along.

“You weren’t joking!” Ben exclaimed, finally picking up his jaw and walking over. “How the hell did you join the Fire Nexus?”

Quite a few of the nearby people looked around at Ben’s raised voice and muttered to each other. Will tried to pretend he couldn’t see them judging him silently, and shook hands with Ben. “I met Edward Ambrose by accident, and he accepted me.”

“But you’re white,” Ben pointed out as if Will hadn’t ever noticed. “There’s never… has there?”

“He’s the first,” Charlisa put in. Ben jumped when she spoke, and she smiled coolly at him, extending one hand. “Charlisa.”

“I know who you are,” Ben said, sounding a little hurt that she didn’t remember him. “My boy’s had a crush on you for years.”

“Lucky me,” Charlisa replied, her smile wide and dazzling. Even Ben looked dazed for a moment, at least until Will kicked him not too subtly. “Will, don’t do that.”

Ben rubbed his shin and glared at Will, but then his impulsive mind found another thing to distract him with. “You’re burning up, Will. You coming down with something?”

“All members of the Fire Nexus run hotter than the average human,” Will said. “I’ve told you that before. Haven’t you ever met someone from the Nexus before?”

“Of course, I haven’t,” Ben frowned at him. “You’re the only one lucky enough to meet them that I know of. Plus, only you and Mr. Gustkey know stuff like that about the Nexus. I suppose he was the one who told you that.”

“Nope,” Will said, tugging Charlisa to the side. “Simple observation.”

They left Ben alone then, though Will continued to cast occasional glances in the direction of his friend. Ben continued to think quietly himself over the next few minutes, apparently considering something heavily until another friend came along and distracted him. Will shook his head sadly, letting out another sigh. This is what he’d meant. It had only been a few days, but he already felt as different from people like Ben as if he belonged to a different species. Maybe he technically did. The Nexian scholars hadn’t learned too much about what exactly made members of a Nexus different. They didn’t even know yet where the power came from.

“Let’s just go in the auditorium,” Charlisa suggested. “At least we can avoid the staring there.”

“I’d think you were used to the staring,” Will said. “Being the daughter of an Alpha and all.”

“Could you ever get used to it?” She asked him, sounding frustrated. He regretted his words at once. “Why do you think I never talked to anyone? I was tired of being treated so different.”

“Sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean it like that. You just always seemed…”

He couldn’t finish the sentence, but she was almost glaring at him now. “What? I just always seemed what?”

“Well,” he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. “You always seemed to hold yourself apart, like you didn’t want anyone to know you.”

Her face cleared at once, and she even looked a little surprised. “Well, that’s mostly true. I didn’t think anyone else would notice. It’s not like you were always honest either, though.”

“What do you mean by that?” Now it was his turn to look indignant. “I’m not a liar!”

“I’m not calling you a liar,” she assured him, though there was an amused smile on her face. By way of apology, she looped her arm through his and rested her head against his shoulder for a moment. “I just mean that despite being friendly with everyone, you always looked bored out of your mind.”

“Can you blame me?” He said, chuckling himself. “School gets boring quite a bit, in case you didn’t notice.”

“True,” she admitted. “But you were bored with more than school. I always felt like you were meant for bigger things, though. I just didn’t know quite what that meant until you asked my dad to join the Nexus.”

“Do you think I chose wrong? Or that your dad should have told me no?”

She shook her head at once but didn’t speak for a moment. They sidled along the chairs at the very back row of the auditorium. Will was pretty sure that their class had assigned seats closer to the front of the room, and was also sure that Charlisa knew that, but she still directed him to the back, and he went willingly. Once they’d finally settled in empty seats that she found acceptable, she reached out and grabbed a hold of his hand, winding her fingers in between his own.

“I think Dad made the right choice by accepting you,” She finally said, her voice so low that he was certain nobody would overhear. “But I don’t care what the others think about you. You’re one of us now, and they’re going to have to accept that.”

“Doesn’t put me at ease,” he muttered. “But thank you. I’m glad I have you to help me through it all. It’ll be nice to train with you.”

“I’m already done with my training,” Charlisa said. “I went through it all in middle school. I can control my flame almost as well as Dad now.”

Will looked admiringly at her, unable to look away from the way her skin reflected the pale florescent light of the lights at the front of the auditorium. When she glanced sideways to see him watching, she smiled at him expectantly. He couldn’t help leaning in for a kiss, a gesture that she replied to all too enthusiastically. He’d never quite get used to that rush of adrenaline when she touched him, he thought. It was enough to make him dizzy, and he loved it.

——————————

The auditorium filled quickly over the next twenty minutes until nearly all the students and their immediate family were seated. Will and Charlisa attracted a few looks for their choice of seating. Will supposed that those came from the people who should have been sitting there. Still, it paid off, because nobody dared to sit in the same row as them, which gave them a nice bit of privacy. Once the lights were dimmed and the conversations around them faded to silence, they were able to have the illusion that they were alone without anyone staring at them.

The principal stood at the front to give a speech about the ceremony. His words, which were about the importance of always looking forward and how proud he was in the graduating classes, went through Will’s ears without leaving much importance. He was lost in his thoughts, constantly distracted by the way Charlisa was rubbing the side of his hand with her thumb. He just had to survive an hour or two, and then he’d be free.

The principal called the students up class by class, to form a long line that wrapped around the school. There were enough graduates this year to make up three different classes, each led by a different homeroom teacher. Mr. Gustkey called his students up last, and greeted Will with a warm smile and a firm handshake when he appeared, along with Charlisa. His smile faded slightly, however, when he seemed to take in what Will was wearing.

“You’re warm,” Mr. Gustkey commented, speaking as if it should have been obvious. “You’re wearing furs… Wait. Are you-”

“Yep,” Will said. For some reason, he didn’t mind discussing the topic with Mr. Gustkey. He didn’t even seem to care that others were staring at him with undisguised interest. Maybe it was because Mr. Gustkey was a Nexian scholar, he thought. “I’m part of the Fire Nexus now.”

There was just long enough of a pause before Mr. Gustkey replied that Will knew he was taking a moment to mull it over. Did he approve? But finally, with another smile, Mr. Gustkey said, “A fine choice, Andrews. You’ll make a fine Nexian, I’m sure of it.”

Will returned the smile with a grin of his own. “Thanks, Mr. Gustkey.”

“Don’t mention it,” his teacher said. “I think Edward made a fine choice. And Charlisa! You look beautiful in your furs!”

Charlisa hugged Mr. Gustkey tightly, a happy smile on her face. “Hi, Robert. You should come to the hill sometime. Dad’s complaining that you never visit.”

Mr. Gustkey laughed. “True, it’s been a while since my last visit. I’ve been swamped with the finals. Tell him I’ll be sure to visit sometime next week.”

With that, Charlisa and Will took their place in the line. Will felt even more out of place now, as all the other students were wearing their graduation robes and caps. At least they all had the nerves in common, he thought. Nobody was talking much, mainly trying to keep breathing normally, waiting for the terror of the spotlight to come and go. After this, they would be done. They would go back to their families to celebrate, and Will would leave to start his new life.

In what felt like mere minutes, the principal blew through the first two classes. Will only realized how close it was to his turn when a huge wave of applause erupted for the second class. He swallowed nervously and squeezed Charlisa’s hand for support. She squeezed his hand back and gave him a reassuring smile. Then he heard his name and stepped onto the stage.

The spotlight shined down on him with almost blinding light as he moved to stand before the principal. The two of them had spoken on several occasions, of course, with how often he and his friends got into small amounts of trouble. But they didn’t know each other well. The principal seemed shocked to see Will standing there, dressed in Nexus furs, but hid his surprise well. He and Will shook hands, and the man passed him his diploma, rolled into a scroll with a ribbon.

“William Andrews,” the principal announced to the room. “We wish you well with your future endeavors. May your life be fulfilling, and may you be destined for great things.”

Even then, he felt like that was an ill omen, or at least a bit heavy on the foreshadowing. Little did he know how accurate the principal’s words would become.