"Lilly!" Lillian’s best friend, Gwen whispered to her as she nudged her by a pencil to keep her awake when she started drifting off to sleep again in the class.

It was the fourth class for the day and keeping her eyes open seemed like an impossible task today. She was glad that her friend had picked the last seats to sit in the class instead of the first row like which she usually did. This way the probability of being caught by the teacher was less.

She knew she shouldn’t have stayed up last night and now she regretted it.

Instead of completing her assignments which she did in the morning anyway, she had been reading a book until late midnight. She knew she should have closed the book but the craving and curiosity lead to reading just another chapter more until the book’s end was met.

It always happened and there was no doubt that it would repeat all over again.

She yawned discreetly when the teacher looked at her. Finally, when the bell rang, she let her head drop down to the desk.

"Finally the agony of waiting has ended," Lillian sighed loudly making Gwen chuckle in her seat.

"You’re lucky that we don’t have any more classes for the day or else I would have jabbed you to death while poking you to keep you awake," her friend said leaning back on the chair.

"You want to stab me to death!" she accused her in a dramatic voice making Gwen roll her eyes.

"I won’t. Not until we finish our last year of high school," she saw her best friend picking up her books and putting it inside the bag.

Students began moving out of the class, few still sat there talking while others got up filling the room with voices and screeching of the chairs as they exited the class.

"Let’s go before they start locking the classrooms," Gwen said getting up.

"Where are Rick and the others?" Lillian asked as they walked out of the class.

"They have soccer practice today. Rick said not to wait for them, he said they’re going to have a match soon with the Bastion’s so they need to practice," Gwen said.

"Can we stop by to eat something on the way?" Lillian asked adjusting her sling bag on her shoulder.

"I’m hungry too," Gwen replied linking her arm with Lillian’s.

As they walked through the school corridors Gwen kept singing a song bringing up unwanted attention and students gave her weird looks but that didn’t stop her from singing.

"You need to tone it down, Gwen," Lillian whispered to her making Gwen laugh like a scary hyena.

"Ignore them, Lilly," she said before continuing to sing.

Lillian or better known as Lilly didn’t have a wide circle of friends but apart from Gwen, there were three more whom she knew since a very young age. Gwen was an inch taller to Lilly’s five-five frame with a sun-kissed complexion and black hair that bordered a pixie face.

Lilly always compared them to a yin and yang duo. Gwen was the bubbly, brighter person in nature while Lilly was the quieter one of the two.

It wasn’t until fourteen that her friends got to know that she was raised by a demon couple and they took it quite well especially after seeing a man with five horns on his head, four on top of his head while the fifth one on his forehead.

They had o keep their secret sealed because her father had glared and narrowed his eyes at them after learning from his daughter that they knew about their existence. The last thing Julius wanted was a bunch of scientists barging through their house.

Lilly was grateful towards her parents, they had adopted her and loved her like their own. Demons weren’t all bad as the humans though. Growing up in the demons household she had grown accustomed to their ways of living life.

It was hard to differentiate a demon from a human. Maybe it was because of the way they carried themselves, Lilly thought to herself.

"So did you get the dress for the evening?" Gwen asked her, leaving the school premises.

"Not yet but mom said she would get it ready by the time I came back home," Lillian replied to her.

"You’re no less than a privileged princess, only if I had such lifestyle with butler, maids, drivers," Gwen said with a faraway look with dreamy eyes and spoke seeing Lilly open her mouth, "Well. it’s a different deal that they don’t give you pocket money but you have a privileged life."

"I’m sure they wouldn’t mind adopting you."

"Excuse me but I’m already adopted," she huffed making Lillian laugh.

"Of course."

During mid school, Gwen had lost her parents leaving her with her paternal grandmother. It was partly true that her mother, Ellen had adopted her friend.

In the demon’s society, parties were normally held as a meet up for everyone but this time Lillian’s family, the Griffin’s were hosting it. Though today wasn’t just for gathering up, it was her father’s birthday.

"Is he coming too?" her best friend asked curiously after some time.

"He is," Lilly replied.

Gavin, she thought about the man she had harbored feelings for him even though he was way past her age. He often visited her parents once in a month regarding the demon world.

He was as tall as her father was, with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes. Age didn’t matter to her because she was brought up in the demon household. Most of the demons she had met were young and the phrase held true that looks were deceiving.

Gavin was sweet, polite and a gentleman. He had once flirted with her but after that had been distant when he spoke. She wondered if her father noticed it.

"So..." Gwen drawled.

"So what?" Lilly asked with her brows furrowed together.

"Are you going to tell him today?" she asked, "You know now is better than later."

historical

"Yes, I do know that but every time I see him my mind goes blank," Lilly confessed to her. It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried but she never found the right moment.

Stopping by the sandwich truck on the way home, Gwen thought of ideas on how to approach Gavin. She wanted to help by coming to the party but humans weren’t invited in demons place, except for me. Though most of the demons were like her parents, not all were nice and understanding.

"Didn’t you say he was old-fashioned? You could write up a letter to him," she suggested, "If there is a negative response you can avoid awkward situations."

"I think I’ll do that," Lilly replied taking a bite from her sandwich.

A human and a demon falling in love wasn’t a taboo but nor was it a common thing. A human could be turned into a demon just like a vampire though Lilly did not know how it worked. Vampires did exist but she hadn’t met any. Her parents had never thought of turning her into a demon, they felt a humans life was much more valuable than the demons.

Heading towards the gate, she saw Nick their guard opening it for her, bowing his head in the process.

"Good day, Nick," she greeted him.

"Good day, Miss Lilly," he greeted her with a smile, "Day good?"

"I survived," she grinned making him laugh.