"That's the funniest thing that I've ever heard!" Kayla announced, laughing loudly, and thumping her hand against the table, her eyes filling up with amused tears.

I glanced at Hilary, who sighed, and shrugged. "See?" I said, my eyes flicking over to Kayla, "I told you that she'd be like this."

Hilary sighed again, and rested her head on her arms, her eyes closing. "You guys are a bunch of jerks," she muttered, a slight, but somewhat patient frown crossing her features.

"Hey!" I instantly leapt to the defense as Kayla wiped away tears of mirth. "What about me? I was on your side."

Hilary shook her head, and said with yet another sigh, "You laughed too, Karen. Remember?"

I did remember. "I didn't cry, though," I said, my eyes meeting Kayla's. Kayla giggled, and buried her face into her hands, screaming with laughter.

"Is she alright?" Jenny asked, sitting down with her lunch tray.

I rolled her eyes, Hilary sighed, and Kayla snorted.

"I told her who I liked," Hilary said, her eyes still closed.

"Oh. That's nice." Jenny didn't really care about crushes; she thought that boys weren't anything magical, and should be treated the same way as girls.

"It's so funny!" Kayla screamed, crying again.

I smacked Kayla gently. "Stop screaming," I said, "people are watching."

The four of us were sitting around our lunch table, keeping the two empty spots at the round table open for our two other best friends, Ted and Ellen. It was, as I unhappily reflected, like many of our lunches; Kayla was having a laughing fit, Hilary was sighing and being all self absorbed, Jenny was acting as if she didn't care, and I could just imagine what Ted's and Ellen's reactions would be.

Ted would sit down, pull out her homework, and snarl threats to her teachers under her breath as she caught up on work that she was unable to do last night, due to some activity. When she would finally hear Kayla laughing, she'd push her glasses up her nose and snap "Gawd, shut up for a second, please?"

Ellen on the other hand, would sit down with out a sound, and quietly pick at her food, never really becoming part of the conversation, but listening to every word that the other's said.

"Oh my gosh. Hilary that is TOO FUNNY! I can't believe you like him! He's such a jerk!" Kayla screeched, rocking back and forth in her seat.

"Wow. Kayla. Take in a few deep breaths," Jenny said, cautiously patting her on the back.

"She needs more than a few breaths," I muttered. "She needs a few tranquilizers."

"Aww Karen, come on, you laughed to!" Kayla said, seemingly calming down. "I mean, it's funny, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Real funny," Hilary looked up, and pursed her lips, beginning to open up her lunch box.

"Ok guys." Ted sat down quickly, and thumped her.I leaned over to see. math book on the table. "We've got a test in Geometry today and I totally didn't study at all!"

Somehow, I wasn't surprised.

"So Karen," Jenny poked me in the side. "How was science? What do we do?"

"Oh, not much," I said, shrugged. "Y'know, we studied and reviewed and stuff. Nothing exciting." Of course, nothing exciting ever happened to me.

I was, as I hated to admit, living a disgustingly normal life. I lived with my parents in a large Victorian which was only filled up during the holidays when my four older siblings visited from college or their homes. Every day I went through the same old routine: get up, eat, get ready for school, walk to school, attend school, walk back, do homework, lay around and do whatever, eat, shower, sleep. I yawned, just from thinking about it. On rare occasions, I would hang out with my friends, or do some athletic activity, but usually it was just the same, boring, everyday thing. Plus, I didn't have any amazing talents. I was alright at most everything I did, drawing, writing, soccer, volleyball, tennis, basketball, science, history. everything.

"Hey, Karen! Are you even listening?" Kayla asked, prodding my side with a finger.

"Huh?" I looked around, snapping myself out of my daydreams.

"I take that as a no," Jenny said, scratching the top of her nose.

"What was our homework in English?" Hilary asked, pushing hair out of her eyes.

"Um." I had a sudden sinking feeling that I had somehow forgotten about English. "Er."

"Never mind." Kayla rolled her eyes, and turned to Ellen, who in her usual silence, had arrived. "Ellen, what was our homework in English? Hilary and Karen are being stupid."

Ellen paused for a second. "We had to begin reading out of the Odyssey."

I yawned, and zoned out again.

English class surprisingly went much better than I had feared it would. They weren't quizzed on our reading (which I had conveniently forgotten to do), and my teacher, Mr. Leamon, didn't call on me during the class discussion. Hilary however, who must've been reading under her desk during the first half of class, managed to participate just as much as she usually did, which was, to my disbelieve, a lot.

"Take out your journals," Mr. Leamon finally said, his voice boring and plain, "and start writing for the last fifteen minutes of class."

I grinned despite myself. This was my favorite part of class, when I could just write away in my journal, and I didn't have to participate, or turn in anything. Plus, the journal's weren't graded- they were merely turned in every trimester to see what the students were thinking.

Hey journal, I wrote, twirling my pencil around in my fingers, today was pretty boring all in all. But then again, isn't everyday boring? I mean, since when has something interesting happened? Sure, Hilary and Ellen won that Excellent Awards thing in math, but that was them, and what about me? I mean, I really don't want to sound conceited or anything, but nothing fun ever happens to me. Prb the last amazing thing was when my parents got me Archer for Christmas. But that was two years ago. Wow. I must be in denial or something.

Don't worry, you aren't in denial

The words appeared on my sheet. I stared at them dumbly for a few seconds, my mind completely blank. What in the world.? The words faded away, and I shook her head quickly. I was imagining things, that's all.

Um. Guess I'm not in denial. I mean, how do you know when you're in denial? Wouldn't you deny everything? Maybe I am in denial. Or-

You AREN'T in denial! You have been Chosen, Karen O'Ralley. You're guardian will arrive today.

I decided that I was going insane, and quickly, I put her pencil down, and rubbed my temples. What the heck was going on? These words weren't normal. and they seemed to be able to read what I was writing, even though no on else was close enough to read them.

I scanned over the words. "My guardian," I whispered, peering at it until those sentences, like the one before it, faded away. "Chosen?" I groaned quietly, and shaking my head, continued writing.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

You can imagine my surprise when the door to my cell opened, and the Master stood there, breathing heavily and looking annoyed.

"Come on, get up." he glanced a his arm, where there were some letters written there with ink, "Aidan Zyrican Smith."

I glanced up at the mention of my name. Before, I had been lying on my back, looking up at the ceiling, which hadn't been cleaned in eons.

"Hm?" I glanced at him. "Are you talking to me?"

"Of course I'm talking to you, worm!" He snarled, making a move as if to strangle me. However, and strangely enough, he regained himself, and looking miffed, snarled, "Get up!"

I raised my eyebrows at his strange behavior, and slowly stood up, shifting my height as I did, so that I ended up a good foot taller than him. "Yes?" I drawled, looking down at him, trying to hide my amusement. Something good must've been in store for me- why else would the Master come here, and bother to know my name? Also, I enjoyed being taller than him. It was fun.

"Follow me," he grumbled, walking out.

I could hardly believe it. He was letting me walk out? I had been stuck in that cell for three months, ever since I had pinched the Mistresses' diamond necklace and sold it for good money on the black market. It had been a good joke, but the Master hadn't seemed to think so.

"Hurry up!" He snarled, glaring daggers at me.

I shrugged, and followed him up the many stairs to the main level, coughing along the way. "So," I said as we climbed, "what's going on?"

"None of your business!" The Master snarled, his voice a low growl.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course it's my business, Master!" I said cheerfully, being, in my usual, stupid way, ignorant of all the warning signs. "I mean, after all, you need me for something and-"

In one smooth movement, he rounded on me, his hand turning into a large, scaled claw, and he struck me across the face, causing me to stumble down a few steps until my back bumped against the wall.

I lifted my hand up to my face, and felt blood. I realized as he had struck me that I had returned to my true form from shock, and now, he was sneering down at me, his lips curled back, showing long, pointed teeth. "You've been a bad little slave, Jeraf. First, you come here ungratefully, whining for food and work and we give it to you, than you repay us by stealing my wife's necklace, and finally for talking back to your master!" His eyes grew crazy with rage and hate.. Wait. and fear? Did he fear me?

Sudden, I wanted to push him down the stairs, or maybe kick him down them, and laugh, but I realized that I'd never get out doing that. and anyway, I wanted to see what was happening up on the main level. So I lowered my eyes, and mumbled an apology, twisting my magic into it, forcing him to accept it, and continue walking up the steps.

I grinned behind my back. True, I was a Jeraf, a mix between a pure bred faerie and an elf, and I was generally considered a third class citizen, but what most people didn't know was that my mother had been the Elfish princess, and my father had been none other than the Faerie King, Viyarn. You would think, of course, that they'd want to keep me or something, but apparently their relationship had been an illegal one, so instead, my mother kept me in her palace until I was seven, where hence she abandoned me. To say the least, we didn't exactly have the best of relationships. However, I was full of magic, deep, earthy, natural magic, the kind that persuades those of weak minds, illusions, connection with animals, healing, shape shifting, and of course, my favorite, the power to disguise my self and others in any situation. I could easily overrule the Master, but my life, which I valued greatly, would be at stake.

I felt my face, and with a yawn, stopped the blood but kept the open wounds, as if to prove something.

Finally, we reached the top of the stairs, and the Master pushed the door open. "Well," he sneered, mocking me with his eyes, "go ahead."

Curiously, I stepped into the sunlight, and squinted at the fuzzy figures around me.

I blinked again, and the nearest one came into focus.

"Eh? What are you doing here?" I asked, peering up at the face of my father.

He pursed his lips, and said seriously, "you are needed for an important mission, Aidan Zyrican."

"Oh really?" I asked, not at all trusting him. After all, this was the faerie that cared so much about me as to take no interest what so ever in my personal life.

"See what I told you?" The Master asked, practically groveling at the feet of the other beings, all who appeared to be from the High Council. "He's a disobedient little son of a bastard who can't-"

"He's my youngest son," King Viyarn said, his voice cold.

I was greatly amused to see the Master stutter, turn red, and then collapse on the ground in the highest bow of respect and forgiveness.

"You are needed, Aidan," my father said, not even looking at the Master, "for a mission that only you can complete."

"Only me? Why?" I wondered, crossing my arms.

"We need the product of a noble elf and a noble faerie," another Council member said, stepping forward. "And you are the only one."

"Oh. That's exciting. What do I need to do?" I asked, my eyes not leaving my father's.

"We have picked the Chosen," my father replied, gravely, "and you are to be its Guardian."

I stared at him.

"Do you understand?" He asked.

I nodded, hardly able to believe it. The Chosen? Me, the Guardian? There was an ancient legend that at the time of Change, the High Council would choose the Chosen, a human with the ability to see and control the magical, but I had never believed it. It was said that the Chosen would require a Guardian, one who would teach them the ways of the Magical, until the Council was ready for the Chosen to enter their world.

I opened my mouth, but I didn't seem to be able to talk. This wasn't a gift. This was a horrible, horrible, bad, bad, BAD insult. They really must've wanted me gone. but the Guardian? I groaned, and said, "oh great. Thanks. A lot."

A grin flitted across my father's face. "I'd rather it wasn't you, but you're the only one who's got the right kind of magic to survive the journey from here to There."

I groaned again, and a Council member behind me, said, "Is everyone ready?"

"Wait!" I stared at my father. "How will I find the Chosen?"

"Her name is Karen O'Ralley. You will be placed in a family which we created. You must spend every hour of day within sight of the Chosen, and protect her from the forces which will soon be rising up against her," my father replied, turning away.

And in the blink of an eye, I was no longer there.