Dragon Lover | B X B X B X B

9

Florence

After we got back we hopped on a bus. I said goodbye to Josh and Liza as we all got off on our respective destinations. Rian and Aubrey were the last to go as the hotel was right before my stop. I waved goodbye to his grandmother and smiled brightly at Rian who showed a hint of a smile. It quickly vanished as he turned away and headed off the bus.

I slumped further into my seat and toyed around on my phone until my stop came.

**

"Mom, I'm home!" I shouted as I closed the front door. Honey ran up to me and pounced around at my feet. "Hi, Flo. How was it?" She asked. I followed her voice into the kitchen where she was cooking something delicious-smelling.

"It was okay I guess.." I mumbled. She looked away from the stove and at me. Her hair was tied into a pony tail and she was wearing her aged black apron on. I sat down on at the table and watched her fuss around with spices. "What do you mean you guess?" She asked with a smirk. "It was great! I got to see Sal and Leo! Travis has changed so much and-"

"Flo, honey, I don't remember any of these people." She cut in with a sigh. I frowned. "Sally? Sally Feilds? Trevor Heller and Leo Sinclair?" I tried. She still looked confused, then her eyes brightened. "Sally Feilds! The girl who hated her hair! Oh, now I remember." She laughed, turning back to her food. I smiled and got out my phone. "I remember when she came to school with a bald spot. Poor thing," she tsk'd.

I recounted most of what happened but mainly left out the part where Rian decided to tag along. After that I decided to go and have a shower while mom prepped dinner. I walked up to my bedroom and found my night wear. I brought it down to the bathroom since I didn't feel like walking up the stairs wet.

As I was placing down my things on the bathroom counter my phone rang. I picked it up, noticing it was Josh. "Hey Josh, what's up?" I asked.

"Your man is the problem!" He exclaimed. What the hell was he on about? "What do you mean?" I asked. "Rian!"

I mouth formed an 'O'. "I kept my mouth shut for once but what he said was fucking rude!" He grumbled. There was a shifting noise over the phone. "He apologised. He said he didn't mean what he said!" I argued. "He should've apologized to you but-"

"But nothing, Flo!" He seethed. He had every right to be mad but for some reason I felt bad for Rian. He must've felt so overwhelmed in that city. In a place he had never been before with complete strangers. He did hurt Josh, though. "I'll get him to apologise." I sighed. There was a stunned silence from both of us. I had no idea how I would get him to apologise- let alone get him to talk to me again.

"What makes you think he'll want to talk to us again?" He asked incredulously. "I-I don't know!"

"But-"

"Okay bye, love you!" I quickly said before hanging up. I placed my phone down and looked in the mirror. I looked tired to say the least.

Would he really want to talk to me again? I doubted it. He had bigger priorities than talking to some boy.

I stripped off my clothed and hopped in the shower. The scalding hot water felt nice and if I wasn't worried about our water bill I probably would've stayed in there for hours. As the glass fogged up I spent some of my time in there doodling like a child. It was mainly scribbles. I even tried to draw a dragon but it looked more like a lizard.

I heard other muffled voices outside. They might've been coming from the tv so I brushed it off. I finished up and got out, drying myself off. There was a smash that sounded like broken glass and a yelp. I wrapped a towel around myself and rushed out to see of mom was okay. I swung open the door and noticed glass shards everywhere near the table, mom holding a bleeding finger and Eurus, leader of the Wyverns.

Wait, did I see that right?

There were two guards at the door, staring hard at me and Eurus who was chuckling and insisting it was 'fine'. It was not fine! What the hell was he doing in my house? Why was my mom bleeding? What was he doing in my house?!

He got up and spun around. He looked me up and down and a small pink formed on his cheek. I tugged the towel harder around my body. He went to talk but I rushed back into the bathroom. I shut the door and took a moment to slowly breathe in and out. This made it two encounters with dragon warlords. One was enough! It was more than enough!

I got into my comfy new wear and gradually left the bathroom. They were cleaning the glass shards and sweeping them into a dust pan. Once that was said and done he turned around and looked at me again. "Florence. I'm sure you know who this is," mom smiled. She was smiling one of those mom smiles. It meant I was in trouble. She probably thought I was in trouble.

"I'm sorry for- uhh... intruding at an inconvenient time," he stuttered. Stuttered. He looked me up and down again then regained his posture. The 'Look at me I'm rich and posh' posture. "No! We were just about to have dinner!" Mom insisted.

She motioned me over but I stayed rooted at the spot. "Oh great. I've come here to personally deliver the news." He stated. What news? Did Neil somehow die? That would be a nice change of pace. "W-What news?" I spoke up. He immediately looked at me. "I've invited you to an... event. Just a get-together with a few rich people with power," He smiled as he said it. I couldn't tell if it was kind or malicious. "You too," he turned to my mom who placed a hand over her chest. "That's very kind of you! I-I don't even have anything appropriate to wear- do we bring food? Are we carpooling?" Mom seemed a little flustered. Other than the special events held at the hotel I don't think we've ever been invited to such an occasion. It was daunting as shit.

Eurus let out a hearty laugh. "Bring food? Carpooling? Miss Baker you're quite the comedian." He joked. Mom's face darkened a little. "It's Misses Baker." She corrected. There was an awkward pause. Eurus bit his lip. "My apologies." He said.

"The party starts at eight in the afternoon so we'll get there at nine. Don't want to seem too eager do we?" His smiled brightened the room again. "We'll arrange a limo to come pick you guys up and we'll have clothes sent too. Now then, I'll be on my way." He quickly brushed off.

He headed for the door but then stopped. "You don't happen to have a pen, do you?" He asked. Mom turned her head in my direction and I reluctantly went to fetch one. Why hadn't I said anything? I must've looked like am idiot!

I grabbed one from my room and went back down to give it to him. He took it from my then took my arm. His grip was surprising gentle and I only felt fearful for a split second. He scribbled something on my forearm then let go and gave me the pen. "Just in case you need anything else." He smiled again and I felt my insides flutter.

He then proceeded to leave. I took a look at my arm and traced all the numbers he had written in black ink. A phone number.

Right after I just had a fucking shower.