Chapter 3: Kimber

One of the girls cried out in pain and walked off-her tiger daemon trailing proudly behind her. The other looked back to see that he friend was no longer there. She frowned and continued to make her way to Kimber. Kimber literally dug her nose in the book, breathing in the "old book smell" she loved.
-You could get high off of that.
You can get high off of anything, ya know?
-Sure.
The girl stuck out her hand and introduced herself as Quin. Kimber shook it and introduced herself hesitantly. "What book are you reading?" Quin asked after she set herself on th couch. Kimber showed her the cover. Quin looked at it and her face distorted in disgust. "Complete List of Insects and Bugs?" Kimber looked at the page she had smashed her face into in surprise. There was a large color photo of a long, thick caterpillar covered in loads of wrinkles and a most distasteful color scheme of teal, red, and black. Kimber swallowed her scream, slammed the book shut, and tossed it at the opposing shelf, strings of shivers caused by fear coursing through her body. She squinted her eyes shut, willing the image of the worm nightmare to disappear. Skaene' fur bristled. He, of course, felt it too. Kimber felt a tap on her knee. "Are you OK?"
-Uh oh. Quin's still here.
Ugh. Perfect.
"Sorry," she apologized out loud. Quin looked confused. Kimber sighed. "Scoleciphobia. We have scoleciphobia." She looked down at her feet. "Fear of worms."
"Oh." Quin said. Kimber waited for the "How can you be afraid of caterpillars? Weirdo." or the "But they're so CUTE! I don't understand." that she heard a few too many times. Instead, she heard "No need to apologize." She froze. Really? Did someone actually understand? "Everybody's scared of something, right?" continued Quin. "Like me for example. I cannot stand deep water. Like the open ocean." Her giraffe daemon-
-Wait. Giraffe daemon?
Uh...yeah.
-Hmm...at least I'm not the only abnormal one here. I haven't settled and he's an eight foot tall thing with twig legs and-
Be nice.
-Sorry.
-nudged with his nose comfortingly. Kimber looked at him in wonder. "Your daemon's the tallest I've ever seen." she said to Quin, still looking up and at the same time, trying to switch topics.