Free Tales of Aradia The Last Witch Volume 1 by L.A. Jones

sitting down or what?"
    Realizing that just one
day prior she had been encouraging her dad not to worry what others
thought, Aradia decided to practice what she preached. With a
mental shrug, she took a seat next to Rhonda. Besides, Rhonda seems like a good, honest
person. Her friends are probably real friends to
her.
    “Everyone, this is
Aradia. She’s new. Aradia, meet everyone. This is Everett,” she
introduced, and gestured to a large, friendly-looking boy who
seemed a bit bashful. When Rhonda gestured toward him, he gave an
awkward grunt and fidgeted with his glasses.
    “This is Felix,” Rhonda
went on. Felix had wispy, blonde hair, which looked a bit like he’d
given himself a good static charge with a balloon just moments
earlier. Aradia suspected it always looked that way. He was short,
but not too short. She could tell his height because when Rhonda
introduced him, he stood and shook her hand. Aradia later learned
that his pointy nose and eyes were pretty much permanently glued to
a comic book, so she took it as quite a compliment that he greeted
her so politely.
    “And last but not
least, meet Calvin,” Rhonda finished up. Calvin wore his jet black
hair in spikes and had a white, rodent-like face. Aradia thought
his hair looked amazing, but that he wasn’t doing himself any
favors with his sneering attitude.
    Everybody was reading.
Everett had a gaming magazine with a picture of a Mechwarrior in
combat on the front cover. Felix was engrossed in a Green Lantern
comic. Calvin had a large pile of books on the table, and was
currently reading a particularly huge one.
    “Calvin’s family is one
of the richest in Salem,” Everett leaned over the table and loudly
whispered to Aradia.
    “Can it,” Calvin
replied. “I can hear you.”
    “That’s really neat,”
Aradia said to Calvin, as if she hadn’t heard his protest. “I hope
if my family were that rich I’d still wear normal clothes, not
pretentious silk shirts like… some people might.”
    Without looking up,
Felix said, “I think the name you were looking for was
Tristan.”
    Aradia blushed. She
realized there had been a lot of blushing, lately.
    “So what does your
family do?” Aradia asked.
    “Er…” Calvin grumbled,
mood seeming to turn even more foul at the question. “We uh, they…
sell plumbing equipment.”
    Without missing a beat,
Aradia replied, “Well, there’s always a market for it.”
    Aradia was thrilled by
how accepting this motley crew was of her, an outsider. As they
were all discussing their experiences on their first day and a half
of school, Aradia heard a warm, familiar voice from behind her.
"Hey speedy, 'sup?"
    Aradia grinned wide as
she turned to look at Roy and replied, "Hey there
yourself."
    “I’m sorry I missed you
for lunch yesterday,” he apologized. “My family had a
thing.”
    She waved it off.
“You’re here now.”
    With a glance around
the table, Roy asked, "Do you want to sit with me and my
crew?”
    Aradia didn’t quite
like the implication in Roy’s voice, and her enthusiasm at seeing
him again suddenly vanished, as did her big smile. Benefit of the doubt,
Rai , she reminded herself.
    In an edged tone, she
asked, "What’s that supposed to mean?"
    Roy shrugged, careful
not to spill his tray in the process. "I’m just saying..." he
began, but trailed off as if the rest of the thought were clear
enough that it did not need to be spoken aloud.
    Aradia scowled. Rhonda
interjected, "You know, we'd understand if you want to sit with
him, Aradia."
    Aradia glanced around
at the others with whom she had just been happily
chatting.
    Turning back to Roy,
she said, "No thanks, Roy. I am perfectly happy sitting
here."
    "Are you sure?" he
asked, obviously doubtful.
    “You’re welcome to join
us,” Aradia ignored his question.
    He seemed taken aback
by the suggestion. “Thanks, but I have people waiting for
me.”
    Aradia just nodded in
response.
    He seemed to search for
the right words. Apparently not