Sword & Crown

Imagine you and your best friend at a party... No, imagine you and your best friend embark on a magical adventure. One believed in magic the other did not. Normally, best friends try to prove each other wrong by guessing when Taylor Swift's new album is about to drop or having a feeling the most popular girl in school is going to date a nerd or that DC is better than Marvel. This friendship is extraordinary. Their bond cannot be broken... Literally.

Some friendships weren't meant to last but this one could last for two hundred years, well that's if they're vampires.

Welcome to Lenfaria a magical place filled with supernatural creatures and magical kingdoms. You're free to go there as long as you don't say anything to your boring human friends. They'll never believe you anyway. But just note that once you get to Lenfaria do not trust a witch. Never do that, trusting a witch is like trusting Trump to protect LGBTQ kids from harm. No joy there is it?

A friend is someone you slay dragons with, someone who will stand by your side until the end.

All I'm saying is, keep your friends closer and make sure your enemies stay dead

I wait a few blocks away from the Gonzalez's house. They're tipping Nick for a job well done at getting their son Gerardo to behave. Everyone in our neighborhood loves Nick not just because he's a great babysitter but because he's "not like the other teenagers" which is true. It's hard to find someone like Nick anywhere else. Someone who loves to listen to your problems and finding out ways on how to fix them in just three seconds, someone who's not ashamed of saying. "Yes I loved Barbie when I was a kid, so what?"

I'm lucky to be his best friend, even though he can be annoying at times with his perpetual dry jokes and sudden outburst in a song like he was in high school musical or glee. He literally thought that was how high school would be like when we first started it. Boy was he disappointed.

Kids and animals also love him, he's a living Disney prince. Literally.

Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez are laughing at one of Nick's dry jokes. I've got to say the Gonzalez's look stunning tonight. Like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. But one wrong move and they'll wake that little devil up from his sleep. That guy hates me for reasons I don't understand.

Nick had always said it was an accident but I don't believe it. There was a time I left early from my workplace at Cheesy Cheesus. I know, a weird name for a pizza place. Nick had forced me to babysit Gerardo with him. I hesitated because Greta my crush is Gerardo's older sister. You'd think the Gonzalez's would tell their first child to look after Gerardo while they were gone but they don't they prefer Nick instead. Nick dare not ask why they can't tell Greta to look after him, at least he was getting paid.

Anyway back to that embarrassing story.

When I finally agreed to help Nick babysit that devil I went to his house. The boy jumped on Nick enthusiastic and energetic. Then he turned to me.

"Who's this?" The little rat asked looking at me as if I had already ruined his night.

"This is my best friend Alex. He can be your friend too if he acts like a child for once." Nick emphasized on the last part like I should act like a five-year-old for the night and he was serious.

The boy ignored me and pulled Nick into the living room to help him select toys for "the great battle." There were loads of action figures and stuffed animals on the floor. Winnie the pooh did not look like a fighter but Gerardo had the power to do anything he wanted so he did it. Poor Kermit the frog.

As soon as I sat down on the couch. Greta walked downstairs and she was on the phone. She only wanted to get some juice and God was she hot. She wore a pink tank top and black skinny jeans with sneakers. She looked like she was going somewhere. She turned to me. And I just blurted it out like the idiot I was.

"Hey!" She looked at me and smiled.

"Hey." She replies back and then continues to talk to the person at the other end of the line she's still standing there looking at us. Nick nudged my hand and I knew why.

"She's so hot," I muttered which made Nick giggle and I guess the evil devil heard me that was why he got up from the floor came closer to me, and puked all over me. The last thing he ate was cereal and a banana. I turned over to Greta who was grimacing.

"You know what, I wanted to stay home and have fun with my bro but I'll be at the party." She said too that person walking out of the house. She hadn't talked to me or looked at me since then. Like I forced Gerardo to puke on me in the first place. I think he just made that happen. How can you control when you puke or not? There was something weird about that kid but Nick doesn't want to listen to me.

He's too blinded by Gerardo's chubby cheeks and the adorable way he counts in Spanish to see he's actually a monster. That's why I stayed far away from the Gonzalez's household.

1. So Greta won't see me.

2. Gerardo won't kill me

Finally, Nick is done talking to those weird people.

"Goodnight Alex!" The Gonzalez's yell ecstatically waving at me.

"Goodnight!" I slightly wave and I put on a fake smile. Those people smile a lot. If you ask me, Greta is the only down-to-earth person in that family.

They all moved to Chicago in September last year and Greta became popular the minute she walked into Westlake high. I thought she was hot the minute she walked down the hall. Watching her I could have sworn she walked in slow motion and wind was blowing her hair.

Jesus, I'm such a dork.

The Gonzalez's get into their homes and they shut the door behind them now it's just me and my best friend. Finally, we can go home.

"That smile was so fake even I could see it," Nick says.

"Well, maybe it's because you know I don't like them."

"Hmm, I wonder why, is it because you think Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez are zombies and Gerardo is a demon and Greta is an angel. Yeah, how does that even work?" He does have a point, saying that is like saying two lions had given birth to a donkey and a gorilla but there's a possibility that Greta could be adopted. "You really should lay low on the comic books."

"Don't you ever say that to me." I say pointing a finger at Nick.

"Whatever." He says bringing my finger down.

While walking a black cat stops in front of us. Ugh, I hate cats but Nick loves them it's only a matter of time until...

"Aww, such a pretty kitty." He moves towards it and I expect it to run but it doesn't. I forgot animals love Nick. He picks the cat up and began to pet it.

"Please don't tell me you're taking it home you have two cats already."

"Why? Cause you think having another one will be a catastrophe, get it." He began to laugh at his joke and I roll my eyes trying to suppress a laugh.

"Oh my God!" Nick yelled flinging the cat.

"What happened?" I ask confused because Nick has never flung an animal before even if he had the opportunity to carry a horse he would never fling it the way he just did to that cat. I even feel bad for it.

"Nothing let's go home." He says walking ahead of me.

"Are you sure?" I ask following him and I look at the cat and I swear to God the cat is smiling at me right now showing me its teeth. I stop then I use my hands to wipe my eyes when I open them the cat is gone. Gosh, I need some sleep.

We're at our apartment. Nick and I live next to each other on the fourth floor. We've lived close to each other since we were five. He lives with his thirty-year-old uncle and I live with Julie, my adoptive mom. I never knew my parents. All I know was when I was a baby I was found in a car crash and I was still alive but my parents weren't. Julie decided to take me in because she had fallen in love with me and she wanted me to have a great life. And that I have, because without her I'd probably be in an Orphanage or an abusive foster home and I wouldn't have met Nick.

Nick never knew his dad, it was always him his mom, and uncle, his mom was everything I loved how we'd have Thanksgiving dinner together and open gifts together on Christmas but unfortunately, she died of breast cancer when Nick and I were eleven. I never really saw Nick cry but for months he was always sobbing and we barely hung out.

"Give him some time Al." My mom said and as a kid, I just wanted to play with my friend but my mom educated me on grief. She told me that even parents bury their kids which is the worse thing a parent can do.

I decided to give him his space. All of a sudden there was a knock on the door and when I opened it he was the one smiling and he was his happy self again. I hug him not because I missed him but because he needed it.

"Hello, Dolly," Nick said to the forty-something blonde woman who sat outside her house God knows why.

"Hey kids how many times do I have to tell you to stop walking alone at night, you shouldn't do that."

"You shouldn't drink all the time," Nick said.

"I quit."

"No, you didn't!" Nick and I say in unison. Then she giggled.

"You two know me so well."

"Goodnight Dolly," Nick said giggling a little.

"Goodnight kids."

We're on our floor and we both move to the door. We don't live in a Mansion but us living next to each other makes us feel wealthier than the next Mark Zuckerberg.

"Goodnight asshole." Nick

"Goodnight idiot." We got in and then I meet my mom in her nursing uniform sleeping on the couch probably watching those reality shows and God the worse is keeping up with the Kardashians. I hate that show and Nick hates it as well. He says he doesn't believe in fake people. He used to love it though it was back then when they didn't allow the media to control them but oh well all good things must come to an end.

I quietly put her pink blanket on her body and I turn off the tv then I peck her on her forehead. She moves but doesn't open her eyes. She must have had a long day. She's a nurse after all. I quietly turn off the lights and I head for my room I need to rest before I see birds helping us wash the dishes. I hope that cat was just in my head cause I'm not a huge fan of Chester the cat from Alice in wonderland. That cat gave me the creeps when I was a kid. But as always Nick loved it he even wished he had a cat like that. Typical Nick. But then what will I do without him though?

I walk towards Uncle Grayson's room and he's fast asleep snoring. But then I don't think he knows he snores I never tell him he snores what's the point of doing that when we're humans and not perfect? You don't see pigs laugh at each other for rolling in mud. Nope. I've never even seen a pig laugh but I've seen a cat wink.

I go to my room thinking of how stupid Asher was when he sent that cat. Alex could have seen that and he will never forgive me for keeping the whole supernatural world a secret. Asher is the only animal fairy I know, well he and his sister Ashley but Ashley would never be that ignorant and Ashley isn't the one I broke up with.

Typical of Asher to spy on me. He's still not over our break up, truth is, neither am I. It was never my intention to break up with a bad boy with nice dark hair, beautiful lips, and his undying love for animals. Yes, that's the ideal boyfriend alright. I never thought I'd date a gay guy who is also a breaker of rules, in fact, I never thought I'd date at all.

Alex doesn't know about my other life, he doesn't even know I dated Asher for four years. I hate keeping secrets from him but it's for his own good.

Okay, I know you're confused so I'm going to explain.

I was fourteen when my uncle had told me I was a descendant of angels, like real-life angels. Angels that live in heaven. I'm an angel but I'm a half-angel half-human. I don't have wings the only thing I can do is jump from tall buildings and land on my feet like a cat. Pretty cool huh?

Uncle Grayson thought I'd be mad once he told me that my mom was actually a badass monster hunter back in the day. I wasn't mad I was so fucking happy, it felt like I was in a movie and I a gay guy was the main character. I frowned when Uncle Grayson told me I couldn't tell a single soul not even Alex. I didn't want to risk putting him in danger so I agreed.

Ever since then I spent my summer going to this boarding school in another dimension for supernatural creatures. No, I did not go through a wall to get there. The only thing that happened was Uncle Gray was driving, driving, driving then zoom he began to speed and I legit thought he was going to murder me. But then I found myself in a whole new dimension. Pixies, mermaids, fae, unicorns. You name it. Creatures from the underworld were here as well. Like vampires, werewolves, zombies, and wizards. Wizards were the worst. They couldn't stop hexing people which was rude.

The place is called, Lenfaria.

It was on the first day of Magix academy that I met Asher. The same old bumping into someone by mistake and dropping all your books story arc. But that had never happened to me. Well, it had happened to me but with a straight guy. He just took his books stood up and left. When I turned to look at him he was hugging and kissing his girlfriend.

Disappointment.

Asher looked like a straight guy. And yes I didn't know not all gay guys were fem like me. I was fourteen back then cut me some slack.

Magix academy was a school for all supernatural creatures most especially fairies and the Nephilims and no Nephilims aren't giants if I were a giant I would sit in my house and cry because I wouldn't want to crush anyone with my large feet.

I go there every summer that school has just one semester a year and it weirdly covers everything in just three months. Normal high schools need two semesters to cover the school's curriculum or where are the fairies using magic on us to make us believe we were done with the curriculum? Hmm if that's the case then they should keep it up.

My best lesson is where the Nephilims train. I normally don't like fighting but I could do it all of a sudden and it felt good and especially when I'm beating my mortal enemy Noah Anderson. I don't know why he hates me so much. The first day we met I tried to be nice by introducing myself he just rolled his eyes and yelled. "Lame!" That hurt my feelings. I can't tell if he could already get gay vibes from me and he was homophobic or he was racist. That's the disadvantage of being black and gay you can't tell if someone is being racist or homophobic towards you. That much hate won't get anyone anywhere.

Btw I hate Noah's guts he's sexist as well always calling Nancy Baxter woman and Nancy is a fucking badass and she's a good friend we sit together at lunch and we train together by the enchanted lake which had mischievous mermaids. The funniest mermaid is Aqua. She cracks Nancy and I up every time. And she doesn't vibe well with the rest of the mermaids. At least unlike Nancy and Alex, she laughs at my ridiculous jokes.

When we're not in Magix some of us are living our own lives. Some live in Lenfaria some live on earth. Noah lives in Lenfaria and Nancy lives in California. Most Nephilims live on earth. I miss Nancy every time but thank God we keep in touch but as for Aqua. You can't use phones underwater so... But I swear sometimes I think she wants to be part of that world, I so did not sing that.

Oh, Nancy and I aren't the only ones that sit at a table. Ashley, Asher Pattinson (twins), Dexter Sherman (fire fairy), and Analyse Froyer (earth fairy) sit together. We formed our inner circle, but now that summer's almost here will Asher still sit with us? With me? I don't even want to think about it.

Ashley and Asher are twins and they're both animal fairies. That's why I love them so... I mean that's why I love Ashley so much. But I feel like I let Ashley down cause she shipped Asher and me.

"You're Asher's, first love." She said to me and back then I blushed but now I don't know I feel like I'm the villain. But he was the one that said all those mean things to me, although I also said mean things to him and I'm the one that said we should break up. I saw the surprise and hurt on his face then his face quickly changed.

"Fine!" He yelled then he stormed off. I sat on my bed sobbing like an idiot. Asher and I had never had a fight like that before and breaking up was never the idea was.

During dinner, Ashley told me he wasn't eating because he was crying. Asher crying? What have I done? I asked myself. We left school without saying goodbye we also hadn't spoken for nine months. We still follow each other on Instagram but I can't bring myself to like his posts. There was one time he posted a pic of himself shirtless. It was tempting and no I did not drool over the pic and I definetly don't miss his abs.

I also check his comments to see thirsty men or women but he doesn't reply to them. He replies to everyone else but not those thirsty comments.

Oh and yes Lenfaria has Instagram it's only mermaids that don't have phones. Again you can't use phones underwater. But yet again mermaids have more followers than anyone. Photographers just take pics of them and create accounts. They're beautiful after all so of course, they'd have more followers. Some of their tails were filled with diamonds some dazzled in the sunlight because it was golden.

Aqua's tail is blue and beautiful it blends well with the blue sea.

There was a time I got a notification of Asher liking a post of two years ago. And it's actually of me in shorts in the lake with Nancy and Aqua. It kinda made me blush but then I cleared my throat and went to Taylor Swift's IG account. I love that woman. But Asher doesn't I didn't care because my best friend doesn't listen to Taylor at all. The only songs he loves are shake it off and new romantics. Stupid jerk.

I didn't even realize I was looking out the window thinking of the things Asher and I did together. He was so romantic. When I finally get back to planet the present. I notice the same cat I flung from my hands earlier.

"You've got to be kidding me," I say and the cat grins. "Asher is that you?" I ask and the cat leaves. What if that cat isn't Asher and I'm just overacting. I roll my eyes and I change to my pajamas. And I jump on my bed. Taylor my cat jumps out of my bed to meet Swift and no I'm not that obsessed with Taylor Swift and I don't have all her posters in my room (*grins).

"Oh hey, guys." The two beautiful creatures look at me. "I forgot about you two." The cats ignore me and they lay down "I'm sorry?" I'm too tired to start petting them so I fall asleep tomorrow is the last day of high school wow *yawns, how time flies.