The first thing, the very first thing I felt when I came too was overwhelming comfort. I opened my eyes and felt the soft quilt of my bed conflicting with my bedraggled position. I stretched and moaned, clicking my shoulder.

“Sylvie?” It was Nurse Jousset, who had pulled a chair up to my bedside. “How’re you feeling?” she holds out the tablet.

“Okay, exhausted” I shrug, sitting up slightly. I look around and see Erina is there, slouched over a beanbag, asleep. “Is she okay?”

“She is fine, she flew you back here and sent me an emergency message. The moment I got here she looked so much more relaxed, like she looked like a cat with their hackles raised” We’re both watching her sleep now, her tiny wings twitching every so often.

“So what happened?” I don’t remember a lot, I barely remember what happened on the stage, let alone after.

“They’re keeping the girl who sabotaged the gantry under house arrest at the moment. You had a close call there Sylvie” she shakes her head exasperatedly. “I wonder what could drive someone to do that..”

I slouched down and tried to think it over, trying to remember what she said....

…’why can’t….dad’...

..dad…

I made a resolve to speak to her soon, I want to know why. I don’t want any grudges held against me any longer.

After a little bit and a few more questions Nurse Jousset packed up her stuff and said goodbye, leaving me and an asleep Erina alone together. I sat in bed for a few minutes, watching her snooze. I got out of bed, noting I had been dressed in my pajamas. I quickly looked around and saw that the dress had been folded and placed on the back of my desk chair. I breathe a sigh of relief.

I quietly walk over to Erina and crouch down beside her, giving her shoulder a little shake. She doesn’t rouse, so I poke her in the cheek with a pale green finger. She murmurs but still doesn’t wake up, rolling over onto her side and leaving her tail exposed. I decide to tickle her. I wanted to hear her laugh after today, she was scarily serious before. I go right for the armpits and start wiggling my fingers. She splutters awake at the sensation giggling. “Ah! Stop! Stop stop stop! Ahahaa!” she rolls further away and falls off the beanbag into a heap, her tail thrashing about. Out of my reach, she calms down. “Sylvie? Thank god you’re okay” I snort, God hadn’t exactly been willing to meet me when I had kicked the bucket. If he existed I certainly had a grudge with the bastard.

She jumps and grabs on, hugging me tightly. “I’m so glad you’re up” I blush, her bigger chest pressed tightly against mine. I slowly bring my arms around her, accepting the hug. I was tempted to kiss her but I hesitated, not knowing what the reaction would be.

She spies a clock behind me. “Its that late? Can I stay over?” I nod “Great! I’ll message my Dad” She lets go to move away but I stay clinging on tight, not wanting to let go. “Oh...yeah, I’m so sorry you had to go through that Sylvie, you must be traumatised” We sit there again for a few minutes, I just hold on as tight as possible.

Eventually, after a while, I let go.

I spent the evening setting up an extra sort of bed, made out of beanbags and blankets, just as I’m done, Erina’s Dad stops by with a set of pajamas. He was a lovely thin man with fading reddish hair and glasses, he looked at Erina like she was his world. I loved that. I shook hands with him, he smiled at me as if I was just another person. I guess when you marry a half dragon half human you come to understand and see a lot of different things.

He left shortly after, Erina turned to me and smiled. “My Dad is pretty great, I wonder why he married her” she shrugs. I nod, understanding completely.

“My parents are similar, mum used to parade me about like a doll, hated it. She knows I’m here but I blanked her completely”

“Well lets have a toast then, to shitty mothers” she winks, making her way towards the minifridge, there was inevitably no alcohol, but there was Squash. “Blackcurrant or Orange?” she asks, peering in.

“Blackcurrant please”

“Ooh, the less normal option” I grab some cups from a cupboard and set them down on the cabinet. She brings the cartons over and starts pouring hers. “Strong or weak?”

“Strong, enough to make me shiver” Her tail bumps against my leg. “Tell me, so you can breathe fire, fly and are super strong. Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Oh so you want to know my weaknesses?” she giggles.

“For want of a better word yes” I smirk.

“Well...and don’t laugh. I can’t ride a bike”

“I mean. I suppose that is understandable? You can fly after all”

“But like, its embarrassing, to be into sports but I can’t put my head around riding a bike” she blushes and rubs her cheek. He tail swishing back and forth.

“Its okay, I can’t do a lot of things now anyway. You’ve seen so much of my weaknesses”

“I suppose, In exchange for knowing my weaknesses” she huffs “I’ll just have to be your protector then. To keep you silent” she makes an cartoonishly evil face and I laugh, or moan rather. The lozenges had stopped the coughing and the roughness but my voice was still missing.

“Hey Erina can I do something?”

“Its your home, do whatever” I stand on my tip-toes and lean in and kiss her on the cheek. “Wha-?”

“Thank you, for everything”

“Um-um-um” she is blushing hard and her tail is slapping about more violently than before.

“I like you, you know that right?” I’m enjoying seeing her flustered, she is normally so composed.

“I-I did suspect so. I-um-have never met someone who I’ve felt feelings like this before you Sylvie”

It was my turn to blush, my green cheeks darkening in tone slightly. We stood there looking at each other, neither quite knowing what to say.

Knock Knock

Someone was at the door. Erina regains her composure and shouts: “Who is it?!”

“Principal Rockford, Erina, the Nurse told me Sylvie is awake” The familiar gruff tone rings from behind the door. I jog over to open it. “You’re looking spriteful for a girl who just nearly died for a second time” He looks exhausted. I gesture for him to come in.

“How is the Media Circus?” Erina asks, leaning against the cabinet, cheeks still flushed red.

“Camped right outside the gates in their vans now. I pawned off some truths and some excuses. The PTA are concerns but I gave them all the results from your consultant and the Nurse, so they should be fine. The Media won’t be happy until they’ve talked to you, but thats not going to happen. We’re at an impasse” He shrugs, wiping his brow. He’d clearly rushed over here.
“Well, I’m glad to see you’re up and feeling okay. We will deal with Cadence within the college. I don’t want to bring police into this as she is very clearly a troubled troubled girl”
He puts a hand on my shoulder reassuringly. “I’ll bid you girls adieu, do your parents know you’re here Erina?”

“Yup!” She holds up a set of pajamas. “They do”

“Good, good, night girls” He turns and leaves, shutting the door behind him.

“Well he clearly cares deeply for you” Erina comments.

“I was a right pain in his rear before. Guess he appreciates the new quiet me” I shrug, again reminded of how voiceless I am.

“Don’t worry Sylvie, we’ll find you your voice. I’m sure of it. Anyway, do you have any of those DVDs out of the library?”

“Damn right I do”

***

I woke up to some light prodding of my cheek. “Sylvie? Its 10am” I shot up and looked around. Erina was laying belly down on my bed, wiggling her legs in the air. “You’re adorable when you sleep”

“I overslept?”

“Not really, its a holiday week remember, although I’m not sure we’ll get permission for you to go anywhere at the moment. We’d certainly be spotted by the cameras outside”

“Well what do you want to do?”

“We can always go down to the common area, theres a pool table and a bunch of stuff there. Bound to be other people too”

“Sounds like a plan lets go” She shakes her head.

“I need to fly home and get changed and showered first, then I’ll be back here as quick as I can” she smiled. I had noticed she had already changed into her clothes from yesterday.

“Oh, okay” I was sad to see her go even for just a short while, I had grown even more attached to my saviour than before.

“I’ll be back quicker than you can say: Miss Erina the Dragon Lady” she winked, opening the window to windy sunshine, before closing it behind her with a wave. I watched her take off into the sky, bag in tow. Then closed the blinds so I can get changed in private, already missing her.