Pride x Familiar Read Online Free PDF

him.
    Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear.
    Not once did Caelum look my way.
    My vision swam, and I couldn’t prevent my
stomach from beginning to heave. I raised my hand, then mumbled
something as I staggered to my feet and then stumbled away from my
smart desk. I was aware our homeroom teacher, Ms. Clarisse
Fauntine, was speaking to me, but I couldn’t understand a word of
what she said.
    I ran to the girls toilets and fell into an
empty stall. With my head above the toilet bowl, my stomach heaved
and emptied its contents.
    It wasn’t over until I’d dry retched a few
times.
    I heard footsteps and the voice of a girl I
knew.
    “Haruka? Haruka—ah she’s in here.”
    Reaching up I pulled at the paper in the
dispenser, hurriedly wiped my mouth, then flushed the toilet.
    I looked up at Siobhan.
    The blonde girl returned my look before reaching
down. She picked me up easily enough and sat me down on the toilet
seat. Needless to say she lowered the seat cover first.
    “Haruka, look at me. How do you feel?”
    “Sick….”
    “Is it something you ate? Something you might
have drunk last night? Where does it hurt?”
    I shook my head, then pressed down on my
sizeable chest. “Here….”
    “What does she mean?” I recognized that voice as
Alistair’s. “Is it chest pains? She can’t possibly be having a
heart attack. She’s one of us.”
    Siobhan was studying me intently. “Haruka? Is
it…heartache?”
    The pain in my chest grew and I nodded
furtively.
    She sighed and asked, “He’s the Caelum you spoke
of…isn’t he?”
    I nodded fitfully.
    Alistair whispered softly, “Oh my gods. But—but
Haruka you said he couldn’t be an Aventis. You said all his tests
were negative.”
    Siobhan caught my gaze with hers. “You didn’t
know, did you?”
    I shook my head. My throat burned. “I didn’t
know…I didn’t know…he was a Familiar.”
    Siobhan sighed again. “Let’s get you cleaned up
and back into class. Or do you want to go to the nurse’s
office?”
    I looked down at the tiling and gave her
question serious thought. “Maybe I’ll…maybe I’ll lie down for a
little while.”
    Siobhan nodded. “Okay. I’ll walk with you.” She
turned and addressed Alistair. “Tell Ms. Fauntine I’m taking Haruka
to the nurse’s office.”
    As I washed my face at the hand basin, and
rinsed out my mouth, I realized what a fool I’d made of myself. No
doubt Caelum was thinking I’d rushed out dramatically just to grab
his attention.
    I felt ashamed, and I felt scared.
    Not once since attending the Academy on my first
day, had I ever felt so scared about walking into my classroom.
    I looked at Siobhan’s reflection in the
mirror.
    “I’ve changed my mind. I’ll go back to
class.”
    I would have to do so eventually.
    I would have to face him eventually.
    I dried my face, brushed out my hair with my
fingers, then steeled my back.
    I walked out of the girls’ toilets, down the
corridor and then back into my classroom.
    I forced myself not to ponder whether Caelum
paid any attention to me as I stepped into the room.
    But when I sat down, I used the small mirror in
my pocket makeup kit to peek his way.
    He was busy working on his smart desk with pen
stylus in hand.
    I snapped the kit shut with a soft click.
    #
    (Caelum)
    Lunch break came around quickly enough.
    There were fewer classes today since it was the
opening day of the school year.
    The opening ceremony had been held during the
period normally assigned to morning homeroom. After the one hour
ceremony all the new Familiars attending the academy were summoned
to the Principal’s office. That was the reason why I was late
introducing myself to my classmates.
    At the Principal’s office, I stood with a half
dozen other Familiars – two girls and four boys – and listened to
the Principal’s stern lecture.
    I didn’t have much of an opportunity to study my
companions who appeared to be first year high-schoolers.
    Instead, our Principal occupied almost all