This is work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright© Avery Song, 2019

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Format: Yumoyori Wilson

CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

BLURB

Prologue

1.  Typical Evening

2.  The Life Of A Spell Traveler

3.  Acceptance

4.  Arrival And Boarding

5.  Notorious Four

6.  Break The Rules

7.  Not Too Bad For Jerks

8.  Weird Activity

9.  Weekend Spent Knowing You

10.  The Joy Of Having Friends

11.  Friends And It’s Over

12.  Death Threats?

13.  Passing And Family Dinner

14.  Night Is Still Young

COMING SOON

TRACKER HIVE- SNEAK PEEK

TRACKER HIVE BLURB

TRACKER HIVE PROLOGUE

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Also By Avery Song

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you for purchasing WITCHLING ACADEMY- SEMESTER ONE.

Thank you for giving Avery Song a chance! This was a spur of the moment decision, and I’m so glad I decided to create/write as Avery Song.

Thank you to my inner circle, Elle, Clarissa, and May for always writing with me and keeping me motivated.

Special thanks to my amazing Alpha Team. You continue to work marvellously together, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have you on my publishing team.

Special thanks to my amazing Mom for blessing me with the gift to write and supporting me in all aspects. I pray to continue making you proud as I strive towards success.

Finally, I thank God for giving me the strength to achieve my goals. Without Him, I would be nothing.

AVERY SONG

BLURB:

Having magic is a blessing from the gods, and they gave me an especially powerful gift when they made me a Spell Traveler. Now if only I could use it properly without randomly teleporting, falling, and inevitably crashing into important people!

As the youngest member of the renowned Harlow family, I, Brianne Marie Harlow, have some big shoes to fill. With amazing parents on the magic council and a sister who works for Witchling Star Agency, I’m determined to prove that I can meet the expectations of our family name.

I hope.

Getting accepted into Witchling Academy isn’t the problem, given my gift. But surviving in a school filled with witches and warlocks? That is a whole other dilemma. My game plan? Focus on learning, do my homework, and speak to no one — except for my best friend, Elijah, who I secretly have a crush on.

What could go wrong? Turns out, everything.

On the first day of classes, I managed to piss off the leader of the Notorious Four, a group of hot boys with their eyes all on me. As if that weren’t bad enough, now I’m getting death threats and random men are chasing me after school, trying to steal my power.

Now I only have two goals. One, survive long enough to graduate and make my family proud.

With craziness and danger coming at me left and right, it’s up to me and Elijah — with the help of N4 — to find a way to make it out alive.

Goal number two? Manage not to fall in love with all five boys in the process.

PROLOGUE

You know those movies where the beginning starts off with the main character stuck in an embarrassing situation in freeze frame? Yeah, I was currently experiencing one of those moments.

You want the story of how I, Brianne Harlow, landed on Jax Morgan’s bed, when moments earlier, I was being chased by shadow people, who wanted me for my spell traveler abilities?

You’d think in the year 3055 — at one of the best magic academies in history — that these dumbasses would know the difference between a Spell Traveler and a Time Traveler.

Their ignorance just demonstrates why they’re in year one for the fourth time in a row.

But back to me.

Here’s what you need to know: I’m a late bloomer compared to my kickass older sister, Starlight, who works at Witchling Star Agency, an organization that helps eliminate crimes committed by magic users.

In an effort to catch up, I’ve been attending Witchling Academy, the highest-ranking school for witchlings, and trying to enjoy the first semester like any other excited freshman.

What are witchlings, you might ask? It’s what we call witches and wizards until we turn twenty-one, the age of majority. Once that happens, your powers awaken, and you’re officially accepted into the magic world.

So, yeah, that’s my objective. To learn all about the powers inside me while getting the education I need to control them.

The plan was to attend and mind my own business. I was positive that the four years would go by and I’d be unnoticeable, just like always.

Then I ran into my locker and spell-traveled right into the President of Witchling Academy Junior Division.

Which pretty much brings us up to speed.

Oh, and did I mention he was in the bed when I landed on it?

Yup. Swell.

Keep calm, Brianne. You just have to explain all of this nice and slow. That gives you a fifty percent chance of not being burned to ash.

I stared into Jax’s — leading freshman of the Notorious Four — brilliant gold eyes. They were beyond mesmerizing and drew your attention right in. No wonder he had every girl, freshman to senior, going crazy over him. In fact, who was I kidding?

Everyone has a crush on him at some point.

You couldn’t ignore his long, flaming hot hair that ombré-d from red to orange and finally blond.

From the rumors at school, when he got super mad, it would ignite into flames and would not be extinguished until the source of his rage was dealt with.

Pretty hot, if you ask me.

His handsome facial structure and smooth lips looked amazing up close, and when I lowered my gaze, I got an eyeful of his yummy muscled chest. Because of course, he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

The longer I hovered over him, the redder my face became as I realized the catastrophic situation I was in.

All right, time to initiate Plan A. I have ten seconds to get off him and race to the wall. Do a simple spell-travel push and I’ll be at my house. Easy peasy.

I took one last glance at his delicious figure before staring into his eyes once more.

I wished he didn’t have a girlfriend, because I would die just to feel those tender lips against mine.

A girl who hasn’t experienced her first kiss can dream, right?

Mentally counting backwards, I’d just reached one when Jax suddenly lifted his head up, the movement causing those exquisite lips to land firmly on mine.

I had to be dreaming. I must have been dreaming, but I couldn’t pull away. This was like a dream come true, but the longer we kissed, the more my anxiety took over.

I have to go!

Pulling back, I blinked a few times, positive this really was a dream, but when Jax merely smirked and raised an eyebrow at me, I knew he’d never let me live this down.

“Should I even ask how you got here or did your time traveling magic kick in?”

“It’s spell traveling!” I snapped.

“My parents are home,” he revealed.

“What?! Uh…uh…I’m not here!” I shuffled off his bed and looked at the closest wall.

“Jax? Are you talking to yourself again?” a woman’s voice shouted.

I shot a glance at Jax, whose eyes were wide with shock. “Shoot! She’s coming up. Run!”

Please work, please work, PLEASE WORK!

Running toward the wall, I waited for the rush of magic and the spiraling sensation that always happened when my gift activated.

Unfortunately, all I felt was the shock of pain when I crashed right into the wall, the impact hard enough to make me see stars as I fell backward to the ground.

“Shoot! Bri? Brianne? Bri…anne?”

And there you have it.

That’s how I embarrassed myself in front of Jax — in his room — with my failure of a gift to spell travel.

Will I ever be able to get the knack of this thing and survive my four years at Witchling Academy? Who knows.

But I do know one thing: that was a horrible introduction.

Why don’t we start over? From the very beginning.

1

TYPICAL EVENING

“Don’t go teleporting anywhere tonight! Your father is working and can’t pick you up if you end up in Nebraska again!”

“Mom, you make it seem as though I love randomly teleporting to places. It’s not like I do it on purpose! Besides, Nebraska is pretty nice. As long as you’re indoors, watching television with hot chocolate, and not standing in the middle of a blizzard in underwear and a crop top! I thought I was going to die,” I whined, feeling sorry for myself.

“That wouldn’t have happened if you would just sleep in the bracelet we had made for you,” Mom lectured.

“Mom,” I groaned. “That thing is not a bracelet. It’s as big as those chunky house arrest monitors that criminals wear. I don’t know what they’re actually called, but I bet you the manufacturer is the one who made it. Not the scary witch in town, like you said.”

I poked my head over the rail to see my mom look up at me with an unimpressed face. “It’s called a tether, sweetheart, and it’s not that big.”

“It weighs a ton. You might as well handcuff me.”

“That didn’t work when you landed in Paris. At least you had pajamas on that time.” She shrugged. The memory had me shivering.

“Mom, don’t remind me of my flaws!” I shook my head, tossing my bright orange hair around with the side-to-side movement.

“If it wasn’t for Starlight coming home seconds later and noticing my bed was empty, I would have been all over the papers! Newsflash! Future prodigy Brianne Marie Harlow found with no clothes on the beach of California. She must have confused it with those ‘special’ beaches. The horror.”

“You are far too dramatic.” My mom had one of her ‘oh boy’ grins on. “You get it from your father.”

“Dad is nowhere close to being dramatic unless he gets hit with man flu.” I rolled my eyes. “Remember last time he got sick? He made it seem like he was on death row while the rest of us had to go to school and work, and Starlight had some crazy mission that day and kicked some criminal booty while sneezing and making cats fall from the sky.”

“That was pretty funny to watch on the news. At least those cats all got familiar homes,” Mom voiced. “It is true that your father is a little complicated when he’s sick.”

Her amusing tone had me sighing. “You love it.”

“I love your dad,” she winked. “Go freshen up and wear the chunky, manufactured bracelet to bed. Your sister will hopefully be back in the morning if all goes well on her end. I want us to have a family breakfast since it’s Saturday and your father is off from work.”

“All right. I’ll shower and read a bit. Then sleep!” I called down, already making my way to my room.

“And wear your bracelet!”

“I’ll think about it,” I replied with a smile, skipping the rest of the way to my room. Quickly grabbing a new pair of booty shorts, t-shirt, and pair of underwear, I headed to the bathroom, thinking about our quirky family. What made us so unique, given the average mom, dad, and two daughters combo?

Well, my mom and dad were both members of the high magic council, a group of mighty witches and wizards who were in charge of delegating the rest of our population in the heart of Lox City.

Think of the judges in the court of all magic. You did something wrong, illegal, or went on a power spree damaging every living thing in town, you got to feel their wrath.

Rarely did they both sit in one trial session, but when they did, it usually meant the situation was deadly serious and the defendant would have a lot of explaining to do if they didn’t want their magic revoked.

Yes, you could lose your magic forever. Or until your probation ends.

As for my big sister, Starlight Marie Harlow, she was currently one of the top agents for Witchling Star Agency.

Comparing the two of us was like trying to match black with white. I sometimes wondered where her dynamic personality, fearless execution, and no-nonsense attitude came from.

My parents were calm thinkers, always wanting to analyze a situation first before diving right in. I took only half of that, diving in when I felt it would change the outcome of a situation.

Which was usually a 50-50 chance.

My sister? She was all in. She didn’t debate about the dangers, the havoc her chase could cause through the city, or the potential risk of civilians getting hurt.

All she cared about was getting her prime target and bringing them in for the justice they deserved.

To be honest, it had only started two years ago. She used to be bubbly, especially during her school years, and had the perfect flawless team. She was even engaged.

Then Case QOT happened.

I never knew the details of the case, just like the rest of the public. All we knew was my sister was the only one who survived, and the rest of her team, including her fiancé and love of her life, died in the energy explosion.

I guess a part of my sister died with her love and team. After recovery, she became the work-driven, solo agent who soared through the ranks and was Witchling Star’s last-resort agent. If she was on a case, it was pretty serious.

With everything she’d been through, she still showed me love and tried to take time to talk to me whenever she did come home instead of staying at her highly exclusive penthouse that was close to her workplace.

Overall, I looked up to her.

She was powerful, smart, brave. Everything I wanted to be. I always wanted to learn from her, especially when it came to our spell traveler gift.

Our family was blessed with the skill of Spell Traveling. It was a rare magic trait imprinted in our genes, and thankfully Starlight and I both got it.

My sister’s wasn’t as strong as mine, but at least she could control it.

Think of it like teleportation, but with no limits.

In this world, the magic ability of teleportation had limits in terms of distance. One couldn’t go from Canada to Australia or the United States to Dubai.

To be honest, you’d be lucky to travel between towns.

The farther you needed to travel, the more magic required, to the point that it could risk your life. As Spell Travelers, we didn’t have that restriction. I could travel anywhere in this world, and on rare occasions, I could surpass that.

Yes, we weren’t the only planet with living specimens walking around. If magic was real, I was positive there were some intergalactic aliens on another planet.

There was only a “small” problem. In its current state, my gift was flawed. Whether it was because I was only sixteen and hadn’t reached the golden age of eighteen, or because I was having a snail-speed growth process was beyond me.

See, I was two years ahead of my age group, having skipped two grades and enrolling in the gifted program.

It was why I was now finished with regular high school and waiting to find out the statuses of my applications for academies involving magic.

I could use regular magic like other students, but my spell traveler gift was what got me in big trouble at least once a month.

I could walk into a room and suddenly be in a classroom in China.

Yes. It had happened.

With my last name being extremely well known, I simply had to apologize and say I was training and try to figure out how to get back.

Which, about 90% of the time, required me calling my parents or sister to come and get me.

People always assumed our gift was basically the same as time travel, but it really wasn’t. I termed it as fancy teleportation that would let me travel the world.

If only I could use it properly on my own command, then I could truly enjoy the benefits of such a gift.

Until then, I’d have to continue wearing that chunky bracelet to bed. I was hoping for my seventeenth birthday, I’d get something more suitable to wear during classes.

I wasn’t guaranteed entry to any academies yet, but I was praying to the gods I’d get into a specific school: Witchling Academy.

Witchling Academy was apparently founded by a god.

Or, well…gods.

Magic was a blessing from the gods above. Since magic had only existed for a few hundred years, most scientists were still doing their research to figure out how many gods there were.

No one knew if they hid among the human race or what a god even looked like. Their entire appearance was based on people’s imaginations and those with seer magic who saw visions of the magical holy beings in a place far up in the sky.

According to the school’s history, a woman and man descended onto the planet, realizing that the world they had blessed with magic was becoming chaotic.

No one knew how to properly use magic and all it was doing was causing destruction and havoc across the land.

They agreed that if things weren’t fixed, the world itself would be rid of life due to the greediness and imbalance of power. To prosper and learn how to harness such gifts, we needed guidance.

The two gods created Witchling Academy with the snap of their fingers, creating a grand castle, and land with multiple buildings and libraries full of knowledge.

When they approved of their creation, they moved onto appointing professors who would be able to teach the vast knowledge delivered to them.

Adults and young adults all across the world woke up with a large amount of new information in their minds, and the magic council of every country sought them out and brought them to Witchling Academy to share that knowledge.

Many assumed anyone could attend the newly founded school, but it was created specifically for Witchlings.

Witchlings were individuals who were younger than twenty-one. Most Witchlings attended right after high school, with the few exceptions of gifted students.

The academy did have separate classes for adults wanting to learn how to control their powers as well, but they were off the main campus and designed to help them keep their magic at a neutral level.

What many witches and wizards got from it all was that the prime age of harnessing your magic was between eighteen to twenty-one.

It was when you’d be able to absorb the most information regarding spells and unlock any hidden gifts still within your system.

Once you reached twenty-two, your magic would begin to settle. With continued training, you’d definitely be able to get stronger, but obtaining more spells would be difficult and harder on the body.

A few individuals got away with this because they had excessive amounts of magical energy, or mana. There were quite a few terms to label the flow of energy across the world, but mana was the most common.

I’d considered long and hard if I wanted to apply or was even suited for the school created by the gods.

I applied by chance on a dare with my best friend, but I didn’t put any hope into it. I simply wanted a school that would help me grow as an individual and a witch.

A bonus would be controlling this silly gift that loved to get me in trouble.

Stripping out of my clothes from this afternoon, I took a long hot shower and washed my ginger hair.

Puberty’s relentless pestering had finally taken a break, allowing two years’ worth of up-and-down acne breakouts to clear up.

I’d grown a bit taller, now standing at 5′3″, and my ginger locks were long, reaching down to the middle of my back, and were a fiery mix of shades of oranges.

If you took a closer look in the sunlight, there were tiny hints of gold, but those didn’t show up much unless I used magic.

My usual wardrobe was comfort over the top model, which in this part of town was actually frowned upon. You’d think if you minded your own business and wore a simple pair of black tights and a t-shirt, you’d be ignored.

Sometimes it bothered me, but I wasn’t going to change myself or what I loved to wear because a few people disapproved of my casual look.

Besides, if there was a zombie apocalypse, I’d be able to outrun them in running shoes, rather than heels that hurt your feet.

My eyes were pretty basic for a witch. Many had cool colors like gold, orange-red, or purple — basically, the color scale held no limits for witches and wizards.

Unfortunately, mine were black. Sometimes when I used magic, they apparently shifted color, but I’d never seen it.

My sister had mentioned it a few times, but whenever I tried to check, poof, they were back to normal.

Irritating. I know.

I had pale white skin during the colder months and usually tanned during the summer. I enjoyed having a tint of darker skin, because being pale always made people think that I was either dying or stayed indoors all day long, like a vampire.

Vampires weren’t even real! Insert eyeroll.

Since I was only sixteen, I’d yet to be assigned a familiar. It was something I’d learn about in whatever academy I got into, but to truly harness the skill, I’d have to be eighteen, which was a drag.

My sister’s familiar was so uniquely made, it could shift its appearance to anything. A dog, cat, bunny, unicorn. Anything she put her mind to.

It could even change into a human!

Starlight only used hers on special occasions because it was powerful and energy draining, but it was simply one of the many skills I wished to achieve.

Until then, I simply had to keep working hard, training my magic, studying the knowledge in spell books, and going about my life until my time to achieve my goals came.

I always went with one simple motto: Life is too short. Live it to the fullest.

That’s what I hoped to achieve and remember as I grew older.

Finishing up my shower, I worked on combing out my hair and drying it.

After slipping on my clothes and throwing my other ones in the hamper down the hall, I walked straight into my room, only realizing a second later that my best friend was chilling on my bed.

Again.

Clenching my chest out of reflex, I had to bite my tongue to hold back my shriek.

“I swear. I’ve done this for two years, and each time you freak out.”

If I got paid for every eye roll I gave my best friend, I’d be a billionaire by now.

Peeking out into the hallway, I made sure my mother wasn’t coming upstairs. She had a habit of checking in on me unannounced, and I didn’t want her catching my bestie in bed.

Closing the door, I turned and put my hands on my hips.

“Elijah Hamilton. Do you want me to die before I reach eighteen?” I hissed.

He gave me a sheepish smile, one that made him look extremely cute and melted my beating heart.

“Sorry, Bri.” There was not even a hint of remorse in his words as he leaned back against my mini tower of pillows with his hands behind his head.

The smirk on his lips made me groan in utter annoyance.

“Your apology is rejected.”

“Aw. That’s mean. How can you reject my charm? Plus, look at my awesome mustache.”

I walked over to my vanity and sat down, not caring about his remark as I focused on my skin care.

Though I wasn’t into makeup or dressing like the next top model every time I ventured outside, I’d developed a solid skin routine to tame my acne.

Now that it was gone, I could have stopped, but the habit was ingrained in me at this point. As I moisturized my face with a special serum, I heard the squeak of my bed and soft footsteps.

Elijah rested his chin on my shoulder. “Bri. Don’t ignore me.”

“You’re not supposed to be here,” I reminded. “It’s late.”

“You haven’t acknowledged my mustache yet.”

Taking two seconds to eye him in the mirror, I narrowed my eyes to see the almost nonexistent hairs that he claimed was a mustache.

“Elijah. Them micro hairs are not a mustache.”

“Yes, they are. This took six months and a glass of milk to obtain. You need to show more love, Brianne, or they won’t grow,” he defended, looking as though I called him ugly.

“Milk contains calcium, which helps your body grow. You’re 5′6″ and eighteen. You aren’t growing anymore. Dairy doesn’t help grow your mustache.”

“I’m seventeen-and-a-half, Bri! I still got time for one more growth spurt,” Elijah argued.

“We have the same birthday, which is November 15th, and in two and a half months. Unless you wake up one morning with an extra four inches to your height, you ain’t going nowhere, my best friend.” I delivered the truth like a hot plate of divine cuisine.

I knew Elijah hated how realistic I tried to be, but I preferred working with facts rather than being hopeful for no reason. Yes, you could have goals and dreams, but let them be realistic.

Telling yourself you’re going to fly without a hint of magic was one of those hopeful, unrealistic goals.

One that took Elijah until three months ago to realize.

I noticed his moping expression from the corner of my eye. Turning to look at him, I sighed.

“All right, all right. You have a chance of becoming your dream height of six feet so you can claim all the girls in the yard with your milk addiction. Happy?”

His beaming smile was back and he hugged me from behind. “See? When you sprinkle a little hope, everything sounds better.”

“You merely like it when I do it.”

“That’s true.” He shrugged and moved back to the bed, lying back onto it like it was the softest surface in all the lands.

Returning to my routine, I listened to him quietly hum, something he always did when he was lost in thought.

Elijah Richard Hamilton. My almost eighteen-year-old best friend who’d known me since I could crawl.

My mom was close to his mother, who worked under the council. Her role was to document all the cases and file them once they were complete.

During highly classified court sessions, she’d be the one in charge of typing the entire session out.

Her magic was very word-based. All she had to do was say what she wanted to happen and that was exactly what came to fruition. She still knew quick elemental spells, but her gift was considered deadly because she could wish anyone to die.

Obviously, there were limits. Like using her magic too much affected her vocal cords, and she couldn’t use the same magic on others with the same gift, which included Elijah.

It was one of the reasons why he got away with sneaking to my house all the time without getting punished. I personally think his mom didn’t mind too much. She’d rather he come over to my place, which was relatively safe, instead of being among the crowd of cool kids and drugs.

Needless to say, we’d been best friends since, having grown up together and aiming to get into the same school.

He was also my biggest secret crush.

I couldn’t remember exactly when I started to have a major crush on him, but I know I didn’t acknowledge it until I was twelve.

I had my blushing moments when he got too close to me or whispered in my ear during the nights he’d sleep over, but I was trying to calm down my restless hormones because I had absolutely no clue if he liked me back.

If he did, he sure hid it well.

Finishing up my night prep, I organized my vanity like I did every night and got up to stretch. Swirling around on one foot, I looked at Elijah, who was still humming away while his eyes were closed.

Elijah was very attractive. Irish mixed with Latin, giving him a lovely mix of creamy skin. He wasn’t as pale as me, but unless you asked him, you’d simply guess he was Caucasian. He had dark blue hair with hints of emerald green at the ends. It matched his emerald green eyes that looked like gemstones.

From his casual T-shirt and shorts, he looked like he was in the perfect sleepover attire, giving me a clue as to why he was here.

“Is your mom working tonight?”

“Yup,” he replied, his eyes still closed.

“Your dad drinking?” My voice was tenderly soft this time, knowing this was always a touchy topic.

“Yup,” he repeated himself.

Elijah’s dad was a deadbeat.

Apparently, his magic enabled him to see how long people had left to live. It was a scary gift to have, and he certainly couldn’t save everyone, but instead of using it to try and alter situations when he deemed it right, he resorted to alcohol and drugs.

I had no clue how Elijah’s mom had lasted so long with him and honestly was unsure why they were still together. Maybe it was out of pity, or maybe she still loved the man he once was before Elijah was born.

Either way, he stayed home while his wife worked to pay the bills.

Elijah and his dad didn’t get along. His mom always had to defuse the situation, or they would be at each other’s throats.

If Elijah’s mom worked, he either stayed here or booked a tiny cubicle hotel room. They were super cheap, averaging around ten or twenty bucks per night, but that added up and I felt it was a waste of money that he could save for clothes, food, and other necessities.

At least secretly staying here meant it was free and he wouldn’t be lonely.

“Okay,” I replied, walking over to dim the lights before moving to the free side of the bed. “Sleepover it is.”

Popping onto the bed, I lifted my side of the blanket and tucked my legs between the warm sheets.

Grabbing my book and adjusting the night lamp just a bit, I opened the spell book to the page I bookmarked with my wand.

He was silent for a full minute. “Thanks, Bri.”

“I don’t know why you’re thanking me, but you’re welcome,” I replied, not wanting him to dwell on the little things. We were best friends. I wanted him to rely on me.

He sat up and got comfortable. He always ran hot at night, which meant he enjoyed sleeping without a shirt.

I’d prepared my heart for its nightly skipping session because the mere thought of being in the same bed with his bare chested self-made me excited…to cuddle.

Obviously, we rarely did cuddle. In the winter, sometimes, but that was more of an unconscious effort.

When it’s winter and cold, it’s only natural to navigate yourself to the closest source of heat.

I’d been noticing that Elijah had been working out a lot lately. It could have been another thing guys did to instigate one last growth spurt, but regardless, it was doing some amazing magic on his upper body.

He may consider himself short, but he was taller than me. And who didn’t love tall guys?

I focused solely on my book, using it as the perfect distraction for my eyes to remain on the tiny print and not sneak a nice peek at Elijah as he relaxed.

The two of us were quiet for about fifteen minutes, my mind now immersed in the spell book I was reading.

“Bri?”

“Hmm?’

“Did you get any acceptance invitations yet?”

“Don’t think so. Our mail didn’t come in today, though. Something about some chase with a woman on a motorcycle taking down an international thug.”

“Meaning your sister,” he concluded.

I turned away from the page to give him a smirk. “My sister is crazy, but she wouldn’t go over the mile for a thug.”

“Your sister is one of the few agents that can drive those overflowing magic motorbikes that can go from one to one-hundred in a second. She also loves the adrenaline rush of car chases. Ask a criminal to the loop, and voila. There you have it. Golden case with STARLIGHT written in bold capital letters.”

“I hope you’re wr…” I trailed off, my ears picking up the quiet sounds of footsteps. Swiftly looking at Elijah in panic, he merely gave me a wink and pulled the blanket over him.

How is that even going to do anything?

Having known Elijah my whole life, I was aware he was the best con artist when it came to making an escape or hiding. I still hadn’t figured out how he did it without using his gift of words.

It was a mystery I was determined to figure out one way or another.

Three seconds later and my door opened. My eyes were glued to the book, using my wand as a guide through the pages.

Mom knew how immersed I could get when it came to reading books, especially with spells that could assist me in my personal growth.

I heard the door close once more, and I stayed still for an extra two minutes before I lifted my head to see that my mom was gone.

Listening closely, I heard her fading footsteps and the flick of the light switch, a sign that she’d be staying downstairs until super late.

She did that when my sister was expected to come home, loving to greet her in the wee hours of the morning when she’d arrive.

Returning my eyes to where Elijah once was, I noticed how flat the blanket was. “Elijah?”

Patting the blanket, I realized he really was gone from his place between the sheets. With a frown, I placed my wand between the pages I was on and put the book safely on the nightstand.

“Elijah?” I repeated, crawling over to his side and peering over the side to see if he was lying on the floor in hiding. When he wasn’t there, I looked around the room.

Where did he go this time?

His usual spot was the closet, but it was still open, and I didn’t see him amid my color-coded wardrobe.

Leaning over the side of the bed and using my stomach to support me, I lifted my sheets that draped down like a curtain and rapidly looked under the bed.

“There!” I exclaimed, only to be disappointed that there was no Elijah under my bed.

A frustrated groan left my lips. “Where did you go, Elijah?” I whined.

“Boo.”

I flinched at the feeling of a hot breeze brushing my ear and neck. I looked over my shoulder, freezing in place when Elijah’s face was centimeters from mine.

I fought not to blush, but my heart pounded against my chest like I’d been running a marathon and crossed the finish line.

I held my breath, wondering if this would be my moment to have my first kiss with my long-time crush.

A smirk formed on his lips. “With us this close, you can definitely see those fine mustache hairs.”

UGH!

I picked one of my pillows and slapped him in the face, the impact enough to push him off the other side of the bed.

I couldn’t care less about the loud thumping noise; my mom normally assumed I’d fallen asleep and dropped my book by accident.

“I’m going to sleep,” I announced, sliding back underneath the covers and turning my night lamp off.

“Bri. You’re no fun,” he mumbled but yawned. “Guess we should sleep.”

I didn’t answer, doing my best to control my rapid heartbeat and wait for the heat in my flushed cheeks to go down.

He could have kissed me! Yet he didn’t. Does that mean he doesn’t like me? Does he want to wait? Jeez, Brianne, get a grip.

Closing my eyes and getting comfortable on my left side, I remained lost in my thoughts. Just before I fell asleep, something brushed my cheek.

“Night, Brianne,” Elijah’s soft whisper made my consciousness begin to fade immediately, and the last thing I remembered was something soft pressing against my cheek.

Must have been a dream.

2

THE LIFE OF A SPELL TRAVELER

“I‘ll go home and change. Then we can go out or something,” Elijah offered.

“All right.” I yawned, trying to stay awake.

The one thing I loved about the weekends was the tranquility of sleeping in.

And cuddling with Elijah, even though he annoyed me last night.

I obviously couldn’t be mad at him for not making a move. I was still sixteen, he was eighteen, and he had no clue about my feelings, so why would he kiss me?

My mind was clearly playing tricks on me last night.

He wouldn’t have actually kissed me when I was asleep.

“Be careful when you walk into the house barefoot,” I reminded him.

When his dad got too drunk, it led to anger bursts and bottle throwing. I simply didn’t want Elijah walking on glass shards.

“Right, I forgot. You always remind me. Thanks, Brianne.” His sweet smile had me blushing.

“No problem. Better go. I think my whole family is home.” I wasn’t sure, but I sensed shuffling from downstairs.

Elijah fixed his shirt and then walked up to me. Ruffling my hair, he ended up pulling me into a hug. “See ya in a few.”

“Bye, Elijah.” My whisper was muffled by his shirt, but it was the perfect timing to take one long whiff of his scent. He always wore some light cologne that made me want to hug him longer.

Jeez, I’m really falling hard for him. It’s okay! I may find another guy at school. Whenever that may be. Or…I could confess to him. I’m hopeless…hmm. He smells far too good.

“Did you fall asleep?” Elijah questioned, beginning to stroke my head.

I mumbled something, taking advantage of the moment.

The sound of my door opening ruined the moment, sending a shock of panic through me, but when I opened my eyes to face who I assumed was my mom, I sighed in relief.

“I figured BunBun would be here. I could have been Mom, you know,” my older sister, Starlight, declared, closing the door behind her.

“Sis,” I whined. “You’re going to give me a heart attack one day.”

“If you would just be honest and say you want BunBun sleeping over, you wouldn’t be increasing the probability of having one.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?” Elijah had an annoyed look on his face, clearly displeased by the nickname ‘BunBun.’

My sister started calling him that when I put his hair into buns after watching a marathon of Sailor Moon. I forced him to be Serena and I was Tuxedo Mask.

Talk about gender swap child fun.

My sister watched the whole thing and never dropped it.

“Get going, Sailor Moon. Your Tuxedo Mask has to brush her teeth and spend lovely family bonding time downstairs before our mom comes up here herself,” Starlight revealed.

“I’m going.” Elijah gave me one more pat on the head and walked to my closet. “See you later, Brianne. Bye, Starlight.”

“Bye.” We both bade him goodbye, watching him walk into the closet and slide the door closed.

Starlight walked over to the closet door, sliding it back open to see if Elijah was truly gone.

“Do you have a door to Narnia back there or something? I thought he couldn’t teleport,” Starlight pondered, looking back at me as I stretched my arms lazily.

“Ah. He can simply say ‘take me home’ and get there. We’re only a few blocks away from one another. Not very draining for him, especially when he does it so often,” I explained.

My eyes noticed the clunky thing on my wrist, making me pout my lips in disgust. “I swear I didn’t put this on.”

“You didn’t. I did,” Starlight revealed.

“Huh? When?”

“Hmm.” She tapped her chin with her finger, looking deep in thought. “Three-fifteen AM is what I remember the digital clock displayed. Since you’re too lazy to change it back an hour, it was two-fifteen in the morning.”

“I didn’t hear you,”

“Of course not. You were too busy being cuddled up with BunBun on a cruise ship that was heading pretty close to the Bermuda Triangle for sightseeing.”

“What?!” I exclaimed, gawking at my sister, who grinned.

She walked over to stand at the end of my bed, flicking her short, curly orange hair with white highlights.

“Yup. I came home around two in the morning and talked to Mom a bit. I always check your room before going to bed because of all your unconscious spell traveling, and lo and behold, your bed was empty. “

Her intense sky-blue eyes showed just how amused she was.

“Thankfully, it’s easy for me to track you and the slight scent of BunBun’s cologne was on the other pillow, so I figured he was with you. Only took about two minutes to find you two on the dock sleeping like it was nobody’s business. Thankfully it was nighttime and the crew hadn’t made their rounds yet.”

“You’re lying.” I gasped in horror.

My sister laughed, something that was surprisingly rare.

Only with me and our family did she let her guard down and show the loving, funny side of her. With anyone else, she was fierce and untalkative.

It’s all business to her.

I noticed her attire: standard dark blue jeans, navy blue crop top, and orange leather jacket. Even her necklace was still on, which told me she’d definitely been out to do a few errands before coming back home again.

She stretched, letting the suspense thicken in the air, as I stared at her 6′0″ figure. I often wondered where she got her height. It simply made her both sexy and intimidating.

Pulling out her phone from the inner pocket of her jacket, she tapped it a few times and tossed it to me.

I caught it with ease and checked out the image, my face burning crimson as I stared at the picture of me and Elijah snuggled up on what looked to be a wooden floor.

Swiping, I stared at the multiple pictures after, including a few with Starlight posing and pointing to us.

I knew Elijah was a deep sleeper, but damn. He wasn’t even fazed with just wearing his pants in cold weather like that.

Not like I was one to talk with my shorts-and-crop-top-combo.

If my sister ever wanted to blackmail me, these were the pictures that would ruin me.

“Sorry for the trouble,” I apologized. There was no way I could deny this with this much evidence.

Starlight grinned and shrugged. “All good. Remember to wear your bracelet from now on.”

“But it’s chunky.” I blinked my eyes in sadness. “Also weighs a ton. Imagine me wearing that to school? They would think I escaped from Witchling Jail.”

“It’s Witchling Court Jail,” Starlight corrected. “And their bracelets are gold.”

“I don’t think people know that,” I groaned. “I better go brush my teeth.”

“Have you confessed to Elijah yet?”

“Never.” I gave her a dread-filled look. “He doesn’t see me as a girl!”

Lifting my arms for extra emphasis, my sister just looked me up and down. “You have boobs and a—”

“Lalalala.” I quickly placed my hands on my ears. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“You’re sixteen! What? They don’t teach sex ed anymore?”

“They do, but saying…those things is weird!”

“May the gods help my sister who can’t say pu—”

“LALALA.”

“Or coc—”

“LALALALA.”

“Jeez. Don’t tell me you two haven’t hooked up?”

“Hooked up?” I gave her a puzzled look. “Like hook our arms?”

She stared at me, blinking her stunning eyes. “Remind me to give you a lecture of what to avoid before you start magic school. My poor sister is going to get destroyed.”

“What?” I watched her make her way to the door. “What do you mean? Who’s going to destroy me?!”

“Go brush your teeth, you pure soul. I blame this on Mom.”

“Wait, your phone.”

“Bring it downstairs when you’re done changing. We’re having pancakes, so don’t take too long. You hate when they’re cold.” She left the door open, heading down the hall and downstairs, leaving me with a baffled look.

“Ugh,” I huffed. “What did she even mean? Hook up? Are I and Elijah supposed to hook up? I should Google that term later.”

Continuing my muttering spree of how confused I was, my eyes drifted to the phone, noticing the picture of my sister.

Clicking it, I stared at the picture of Starlight and her ex-fiancé.

They were kissing, while in the background was their team of friends. It was the night he proposed to her.

She looked so happy in the picture, and it only made me feel sorry for her. She did her best to be the older sister she was, but I bet she was hurting a lot.

Locking her phone, I placed it on the nightstand and removed the chunky bracelet. Gathering some loose pants and a tank top, I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and change my clothes.

After putting my hair in a bun, and grabbing my sister’s phone from the room, I headed downstairs, the smell of maple syrup teasing my nostrils before the strong aroma of pancakes drifted around me.

“Ah.” I loved weekend mornings.

Reaching the bottom step, I had to pause mid-stride to avoid stepping on Starlight’s familiar, who was currently in his black cat form and glaring at me.

“Ugh. Why are you staring at me as though I insulted you?” I asked him.

“Meow.” He continued to glare at me. With a hiss, he walked away.

“Hey, sis! Your familiar hissed at me for doing nothing,” I voiced, entering the kitchen to see she was sitting at the table with my dad, who was reading today’s Witchling Daily.

“He’s just annoyed. We’re being forced to work with a partner.” You could literally feel the horror in her words.

“You? A partner?” My dad lowered his paper to give Starlight an arched eyebrow. “You work horribly with people.”

Starlight gave him a death glare, and he returned to his paper and began to whistle.

Mother, on the other hand, began to laugh, bringing two plates of pancakes to the table.

Placing them on mine and Starlight’s placemats, she grinned. “No, dear. Starlight simply works better on her own. Didn’t you read the front page about the chase yesterday?”

“Don’t tell me the person on the motorcycle chasing some criminal was you?” I looked at my sister accusingly and she simply shrugged, pulling out her chair to sit down.

“How do you know that?” She had a devilish grin on her lips, raising an eyebrow at me. “You don’t read the news. I know Elijah does.”

I blushed and quickly thought of an excuse. “Elijah texted me. He said it sounded like you,” I lied, pulling my chair to sit down.

When my Mom turned around, I gave her a furious glare and stuck out my tongue, not that it would even faze Starlight, who was having the time of her life right now.

“Yes, it was me. The jerk deserved it. He’s been on our hit list for months and is a part of some organization kidnapping people with rare gifts. This case had been going on long enough.” Starlight began to cut into her pancakes. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Thank you, Mom.” I reached for the maple syrup while Dad spoke up. “What exactly are they doing with these kidnapped individuals?”

“If you’re allowed to speak of it, Starlight,” my mom warned, reminding us that Starlight couldn’t say everything that dealt with work. She was sworn under magical oath, and if she tried to reveal something she couldn’t, it was a hell of an experience.

Simply painful.

“It’s fine. The topic is being published tomorrow now that one of the culprits has been caught. As for your question, Dad, I’m honestly not sure. They can’t extract anyone’s gift, and it would be stupid to try and control them. Not all witches and wizards succumb to mind control, especially if their magic is wild. Until we catch more culprits, we can’t do much.”

I finished drowning my tower of pancakes with maple syrup, my sister giving me an up-and-down look.

“You really have to stop putting so much syrup on your pancakes. It’ll go to your thighs,” she lectured.

“Good. That’s the new trend. Maybe if I drink enough milk, I’ll have a nice chest like you,” I argued, passing the syrup to her.

She loved cutting her pancakes in a specific way and dipping each piece into a tiny bowl of syrup.

On cue, our mother arrived with a glass of milk for me and orange juice for Starlight. She then brought over Starlight’s usual maple syrup bowl.

“Your sister is only sixteen, Starlight. She still has time to grow,” Mother voiced.

“And a big chest and thighs isn’t a trend,” Dad pointed out.

“Dad, how would you know about trends?” I asked.

“There’s a section in the newspaper.”

Starlight laughed. “Dad. You’re going to listen to a section written by a fifty-year-old man? Sorry, but that stuff is NOWHERE near the trends going on. To answer your question, it’s totally in right now. Drink extra milk, Bri. You need a boyfriend.”

“Ugh,” I groaned.

Mother giggled. “Maybe you’ll find a nice young man at the academy you decide on?”

“Don’t encourage her, honey. I don’t want any strange men in our house. We already deal with Elijah coming over whenever he wants.”

“You love Elijah,” Mother countered.

“Truth!” Starlight added with an approving grin, digging into her pancakes. She paused for a second, her fork with a slice of dripping pancake an inch from her mouth. “Elijah’s at the door.”

“What?” I asked, stopping my attempt to eat my pancake.

“See? Always comes unannounced!” Dad huffed.

“I’ll make him a batch of pancakes.”

“Aon? Can you open the door, please?” Starlight called out to her familiar.

His reply was the eerie sudden sound of piano keys in the living room, followed by a thump.

Peeking over my shoulder, I saw his black furry body run past the kitchen doorway.

“How’s a cat going to open the door?” I wondered out loud, deciding to get a bite of my pancakes before Elijah walked into the kitchen.

He arrived in a minute, greeting my parents. “Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Harlow.”

“Hello, Elijah. I have some pancakes for you.”

“Hey, Elijah,” Dad greeted with a monotone voice.

I smiled at my parents and looked at Elijah, who smiled at me. He’d changed into grey pants, a navy-blue top, and white socks.

“Morning, Elijah,” I greeted.

“Hey, Brianne,” he replied with a wider grin that made my heart somersault.

“Didn’t you say you’d be here in the afternoon?” Starlight questioned.

“How would you know that?” Dad questioned.

“Text message,” we said together. I followed up with, “I read out the second part of Elijah’s text this morning when Starlight came to wake me up.”

“I love when you two are bonding,” Mother swooned, walking over to Dad and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Honey? Let’s go eat breakfast in the living room. We have to do a final recap of the case being presented today, remember?”

“Ah. You’re right. I forgot.” He closed his newspaper and intricately folded it back into its original form.

He stood up, just when my mom picked up both their plates to move it to the living room. “Here, dear. I’ll set it down.”

“Thank you, honey. I’ll bring the coffee.”

We watched him leave and then looked at my mom, who had a sly grin on her lips. “You three enjoy your breakfast. If you want more, simply let me know,” she sweetly declared, walking away with their mugs of coffee and half-and-half.

We were quiet, waiting for them to get deep into their conversation before we all sighed.

“Sometimes I wonder if Mom knows,” Starlight voiced, returning to her pancakes.

“About me?” Elijah asked, pointing to himself.

“No. Not about the sneaking BunBun who loves sleepovers.” The deep voice came from Aon, who walked into the kitchen.

Elijah and I had both seen his human form a few times. He was skinny and two inches taller than sis, with short black hair and white eyes. Essentially, he looked like an emo adult.

He’d also only listen to Starlight. He practically insulted everyone else — except our parents, of course.

We both rolled our eyes while Starlight smirked. “Stop being so grouchy. You’re worse than me.”

“I don’t want some dumb partner,” Aon argued.

“Do you want some of my pancakes?” Starlight offered, picking some up on her fork.

He stared at it with a pout. “Hmph.”

Starlight lifted the fork up and he rested his chin on her shoulder, allowing her to feed him some. He was quiet while he ate, the two of them in their own little world.

They must have been communicating in their minds, something only a familiar and their mistress could do.

I looked at Elijah, who was just as puzzled as me. We both shrugged and returned to our breakfast.

After we finished and washed the plates, my sister sighed. “I’m going to my room to nap. Was up way too early.” She stretched and yawned.

“Meow!” Aon was back in his cat form and ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

“Your familiar is so weird,” I mumbled.

“He’s kind, deep inside,” Starlight replied. “You two have fun doing whatever. I’ll bother you later, sis. Bye, BunBun.”

“Stop calling me that,” Elijah groaned.

“Never. Keep fighting evil by moonlight. I’m sure Brianne will swoop in with a rose and kiss you!”

“Starlight!” I snapped.

“Napping,” she sang, walking out of the room.

“You can’t nap and walk!” I argued, but she was already gone. I glanced at Elijah, who was wiping down the placemats, and noticed his cheeks were slightly red.

I quickly looked away, not wanting to be caught as my cheeks grew warm.

Ugh. Starlight always teases us. Silly sister.

We finished cleaning up and I looked at Elijah. “Why are you here so soon?” My voice was low to avoid the chances of my parents overhearing our conversation. “Did you go home?”

“I did, but I got a surprise for you.”

“Me?” I blinked.

Is he finally going to ask me out?! Wait…he doesn’t even know that I like him!

“Yes. Let’s go upstairs so we don’t disturb your parents.”

“All right!” I nodded.

“Oh,” Elijah said suddenly, pulling out his phone. He poked at the screen a few times. “Your sister really is cruel.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

He showed me his phone and I read the text message.

BRI’S EVIL SISTER:

“Hey, BunBun! I’m fine with you getting all lovey with my sister. Just wear a shirt next time if you forget to put her bracelet on. Don’t want you landing on a cruise ship or something. You got lucky, and will you two date already? Jeez! Anyways, carry on with your moon princess life.”

My whole face grew red as I gawked at the text, followed by the close-up picture of us together.

“Delete it!”

“Nah.”

“Nah? Elijah!”

He smirked and took a step back. “It’s kind of cute.”

“Do not use that as a screensaver,” I warned.

He winked. “What you going to do, Bri? Kiss me?” He winked and turned around, heading upstairs and leaving my stunned self in place.

I groaned and placed my hands on my face, lifting it up to the sky like I was about to pray.

This damn player!

Being a teenager was far too frustrating with a best friend crush who kept sending mixed messages.

I bet this is why people start drinking early. Ah. Can eighteen come faster, please?

With a long sigh, I began to make my way upstairs, knowing this was the typical life of mine.

The life of a spell traveler.

3

ACCEPTANCE

Closing the door to my room, I turned to watch Elijah sit on the bed.

He lifted his legs up and crossed them, rotating his body so his back faced the end of the bed and his front was facing my tower of pillows.

He patted the spot in front of him. “Come over here, Bri. This is important.”

“You don’t even sound serious right now,” I replied, but followed his request.

Climbing onto the bed and getting comfortable, I faced him while I braced my hands behind me for support. “What’s so important that you came back so soon?”

His playful smirk was back, leaving me to wonder if he simply wanted to chill for the rest of the morning. He loved to do that or pull out a deck of cards and challenge me to magic solitaire.

When he snapped his fingers, I assumed a deck of black playing cards would reveal themselves as always, but to my surprise, it was a golden envelope with a red seal.

It spun around like a breeze was aiding it, right above Elijah’s fingertip, a substitute for our usual usage of wands.

The envelope was super shiny, apparently made from the highest quality of paper I’d ever seen.

The seal was a rich red, one that was bright but still showed the WA symbol. It took me a second to realize what that was.

“No way!” A wide smile morphed on my lips as I reached out and placed my hands on his shoulders. “You got into Witchling?!”

His smile was radiant, and he rapidly nodded his head. “I think so. I mean, I haven’t opened it.” His cheeks flushed as he looked to his lap. “I didn’t want to open it alone. I felt like it would be more of an accomplishment with you around.”

My smile widened, my teeth glimmering at his words.

To see him succeed was one of my many wishes for him. He only had his mother to motivate him while his dad said harsh, demotivating words to him whenever he was drunk.

To be the person he wanted to be with while opening such an important document touched my heart.

“You have to open it!” I cheered. Releasing him from my grasp, I clapped my hands in encouragement. He gave me a sheepish smile, and with caution, unsealed the envelope.

He must have been nervous because his hand that retrieved the letter trembled slightly, and I was sure he was holding his breath.

Unfolding the letter, his emerald jewels moved side to side, scanning the words that appeared to be have written in fine ink.

“Elijah R. Hamilton. We are pleased to inform you that your application to WITCHLING ACADEMY has been reviewed. Congratulations on your acceptance!” he practically screamed.

“YES!” I squealed, uncrossing my legs to go on my knees and wrapping my arms around him. “Congrats, Elijah! You made it! This is grand. We have to celebrate. Oh! Cake. We need cake. We can go get some this afternoon. Actually, we should simply have a celebration party! Ah, I’m so happy for you.” I squeezed him tightly, laughing in joy.

Elijah was smart, but he was the type who had to study long and hard to keep the info memorized for the test.

The application was much more difficult for Witchling Academy than for other schools. In the application package, we had to answer specific questions, ones you needed magic to be able to obtain.

It would be challenging for those who lacked at least a medium magic level.

Since Elijah and I normally studied together, it was a breeze, but all applications tracked how long it took to complete the questions, therefore making it a lot more difficult.

Taking a long time gave the impression that the applicant was merely searching for answers and not using magic and knowledge to solve them.

It made me even more excited for Elijah. As Witchling was the academy created by the gods, graduates received awesome opportunities. Some were allowed to pursue professions with special delegations or roles.

Say, for example, you wanted to be a nurse witch. You’d be sought by the best agencies across the world, get a solid career with benefits, and be given rent-free residency housing while working.

Those were merely some of the vast benefits. With my gift and family connections, it wouldn’t be hard to find something, but I’d yet to figure out what exactly I wanted to do when I reached twenty-one.

Aside from randomly traveling to places around the world in my sleep, I wouldn’t be able to use this gift if I didn’t learn to control it.

My goal was to get into an academy that could aid me with that… and maybe get a chance at some fun activities.

After all, I was considered boring all throughout my school days. When you’re gifted, that suddenly means you’re too cool for school and all you do is study.

What did that result in? No invites to parties, clubs, dances. Nada. I was considered an outcast simply because I could memorize faster and had a decent magic score. And the cherry on top was me skipping two grades. It was impossible to appear mature in the eyes of my older peers.

I leaned back and looked directly into his eyes. “Congrats, Elijah.”

He stared into my eyes with admiration as pure happiness flooded his face. “Thank you, Brianne. I really appreciate it.” His voice was low but expressed his gratitude.

We stayed super close, our faces inches apart. I glanced at his lips, noticing how soft they looked. I’d never stayed this close to his face before, and the longer I remained still, the more I seemed to acknowledge Elijah’s attractive growth compared to our younger years.

I had to bite my bottom lip, hoping it would pull me out of whatever was buzzing between us. It was weird. A sensation that made me want to lean closer.

To actually lay my lips upon his and kiss him as he dared me to.

Yet, fear stalled my hazy actions. It wasn’t a strong spike of it. Just enough to remind me that if I made the first move, I could potentially lose my best friend.

I didn’t want that. Elijah was the one who had stuck by me for a very long time. He didn’t care about my knowledge or skill. He couldn’t care less that I was a Harlow or that I might randomly teleport him in my sleep by accident.

He was my friend because he liked me for being me. That was a bond I couldn’t ruin. It would tear a piece of me and leave me with a hollow space for a very long time.

The simple thought sent a cold shiver through me and was enough for me to blink and try to think of something to say.

“Why don’t we look over the rest of the requi—”

The door swung open, and the two of us looked to see Starlight. “Oops. Was I interrupting?”

We both stared at her in shock before we scrambled as far away from one another as we could in seconds, resulting in Elijah accidentally falling off the bed.

“Ow!”

“Are you okay, Elijah?” I crawled over to look over the end of the bed to see him lying on his back.

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

Starlight walked up to us, looking down at Elijah. “What a shame.” Her dramatic comment had Elijah mumbling under his breath.

I didn’t catch what he said, but Starlight laughed.

“What did you say?” I asked.

“Nothing.” Elijah brushed it off and sat up.

My sister looked at me, and I frowned but didn’t push it.

“Why you here, Sis? You said you were napping.”

“I was, but you got mail.”

“I did?” I asked, looking at her empty hands. “Where?”

Starlight clapped her hands and a black box appeared. It was about 9x6x12 and clearly had my name written on one of the sides.

I moved back to my spot on the bed, while Elijah got up.

“What’s in the box?” he questioned, eyeing it curiously.

“Letters.” Starlight shrugged and lowered the box between us. We leaned over at the same time, staring into the box filled with envelopes from top to bottom.

“Why are there so many of them?” I questioned, looking up at Starlight.

“You did the general application and the few specific ones that required extra information, correct?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“That’s the result. Looks like about sixty or seventy academies from across the world replied to your application.”

“Sixty to seventy?!” I shrieked.

“Holy. I didn’t know the general applications would receive this many. My neighbor was lucky to get one and he did the general process,” Elijah admitted.

“It’s the last name.” Starlight stretched and let out a yawn. “The same thing happened to me. They didn’t expect me to apply when I did, so those who caught onto my name worked fast to try and grab me. I’m sure they expected Bri to apply and were ready to make the most appealing deal.”

“Seriously? Just because we’re Harlows?”

“Mom and Dad are on the council. I’m with the Agency. I’m sure employers are waiting for you to receive your diploma so they can be the first to offer you the best position they can think of. Trust me, it’s a fierce competition for academies and then employers. All of them want rare, gifted students.”

With another yawn, she ran her fingers through her hair. “I’m going back to sleep. Good luck going through that.”

I looked at Elijah, who looked just as stunned as I. A thought trickled in my mind, wondering if he would feel hurt or get upset that I got all these letters.

It was short lived when he picked up the box and turned it over, spilling all the letters onto my bed with the biggest grin on his face.

“Why’d you do that?” I asked.

His teeth-shimmering smile left me wondering as he focused on spreading out the mass of envelopes. It wasn’t until he reached the very bottom and pulled out a shiny gold envelope with a red seal.

When his eyes met mine, my jaw went loose, and a bubble of glee burst inside me. “Open it!”

He laughed and offered it to me. “You have to open it, silly Bri.”

I giggled and took the offered envelope from him. Opening it with just as much caution as he had, I unfolded it and immediately went to the first paragraph that was identical to Elijah’s.

“I’m accepted!” I screamed.

“YES! We’re going to the same academy!” he cheered.

I shuffled off the bed and lifted the letter up to get a better look. “I can’t believe this! We’re both going.”

We’d both braced ourselves for the time school application season came. Though I was gifted, not every school would accept a sixteen-year-old. I thought Witchling Academy would be just as strict.

To officially be accepted and now be able to attend with Elijah was a dream come true.

A shriek left my lips as Elijah lifted me up and spun me around. “We did it! We’re going to school together.”

I laughed hysterically, the movement of Elijah whirling us around hiding the usual sensation I felt when I went from one place to another.

When he stopped, we realized we were no longer in my room, but a field of various flowers and wildlife.

Elijah looked up at me and I gave him a sheepish smile. “Oops?”

“Where are we today?” He sounded amused, making it not as bad that I’d once again randomly brought us somewhere on this large planet.

“Uh…” Glancing around, I took in the familiarity of the place, realizing I’d been here before. “We’re in the Netherlands.”

“Netherlands? You’ve been here before?”

“Yup. When I was four and my mom said I could start going to school to play with other kids. I ran around and then landed here. My sister somehow found me before my parents. It wasn’t like now where she always rescues me. When she arrived, we just played in the fields until our parents found us. Then we had a picnic or something.” I explained one of the many fond memories I had with my family when it came to my adventurous childhood.

Elijah lowered me to the grass, and we looked around.

“Guess we should have a celebration picnic?” he suggested.

“We have no food,” I countered. He winked and took a deep breath.

“A table for two with a four-course meal and our favorite bowl of green tea ice cream with nuts.”

Out of nowhere, a table appeared with a red tablecloth that draped over it. Two chairs were pulled out in waiting and the surface was covered with food.

“Words are definitely powerful,” I said in awe, feeling my stomach clench in hunger.

“I think with or without magic, words are powerful. It all depends on the message you want to deliver,” Elijah replied, and looked at me.

He offered me his hand, and I didn’t hesitate to take it.

“Congratulations, Brianne Harlow. Let us celebrate with food until someone finds us.”

“Let’s,” I agreed and squeezed his hand comfortingly.

This is enough. Being accepted to Witchling Academy and getting to attend with my best friend. Yes…best friend.

4

ARRIVAL AND BOARDING

“You have everything you need?” Starlight asked with a grin.

“Yup! Everything is packed,” I declared. Looking into the living room, I stared at Mom and Dad who gave me warm, encouraging smiles.

“Best of luck, Brianne,” Mother sweetly said.

“Don’t go teleporting to Antarctica,” Dad stated. I gave him a sad face, and Mother elbowed him in the arm. “Ow. Honey?”

“You’ll be perfectly fine, Brianne. Don’t listen to your father.” Mother smiled.

“Thanks, Mom,” I replied, turning to Starlight, who was kneeling and petting Aon.

The familiar looked up at me, giving me another one of those looks that meant he wanted to attack me. I braced myself when he moved close to my left leg, but he brushed his body against it and purred quietly.

Then he ran away.

“That’s his way of saying he’s going to miss annoying you,” Starlight giggled. “You’ll keep in touch?”

“Yes. I’ll try and text and call whenever I can,” I replied.

“You don’t want us to drive you there, Brianne?” Mother offered.

“Oh, no!” Starlight and I said together.

I looked at her and she shook her head in defiance. “Nope! Last time you two brought me to school, it caused a whole ruckus and people didn’t leave me alone about it until I almost burned the school down. No. Let Bri go with Elijah,” she concluded.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Dad mumbled.

Mother laughed nervously. “It was pretty bad, honey. It took you an hour to get the car out of the school parking lot, remember?” Mother reminded.

“Hmm. You know my memory isn’t the best darling,” Dad dismissed.

“But wait till you get a boyfriend,” Starlight whispered to me. “Dad’ll remember the time, date, and exactly what outfit and cologne the guy was wearing, just to ensure he can belittle him when he tries to ask Dad’s permission to date you.”

Mother laughed while Dad’s face turned red.

“T-that’s not true!” he argued.

“That’s SO true.” Mother was laughing hard, clutching her stomach as tears began to form in her eyes. “You did the same to Elijah and he’s just her best friend!”

“Truth.” Starlight nodded at Mother’s comment. “I got the evidence on video!”

“Brianne. You’re going to be late.” Dad shooed me away with his hand. I grinned, and the doorbell rang.

“That should be Elijah.” Starlight clapped her hands and moved to give me a big hug. “I’ll miss ya, little sis. Don’t get into trouble, though I have no hope for you.”

“That wasn’t motivating at all, but okay. I’ll miss you, too,” I laughed. “Please don’t do anything dangerous.”

“That’s my everyday job. I love the thrill of danger. Total addiction. You should try it,” she encouraged.

“Please don’t,” our parents said in unison. “We’d like to only worry about one child, thank you,” Mother finished.

“You guys don’t even worry about me,” Starlight argued. “Last time I fell off a building and y’all said you were in a meeting when I was in the hospital!”

“Yeah, but we did show up.” Dad shrugged.

“Twelve hours later,” Starlight groaned. “Brianne accidentally fell through the wall and made it to the hospital faster than the two of you who CAN teleport there. You were both late.”

“I’m gonna slowly walk away,” I announced, knowing that this was going to go into some long conversation about me being the youngest and getting pampered versus Starlight, who was basically thrown into the wild.

“Love you all!” I grabbed my suitcase and backpack, giving a final wave.

“Bye, Brianne!” They paused their debate to bid me farewell. By the time I opened the door, they were at it again.

Elijah gave me a look when he heard Starlight talking about the time I fell off my bike and my parents took me to the emergency room compared to her falling off her bike multiple times and being told to get a Hello Kitty band-aid.

“Is your family arguing about how much more pampered you are than Starlight?” he questioned with a knowledgeable grin.

“Yup. The usual.” I chuckled. “Ready to go?”

“Got all my things and brought extra pairs of underwear. I’m good,” he joked.

“Do boys really only wear one pair of underwear until it has holes in them?” I asked.

“Uh…kinda. Well…yeah.” He sheepishly grinned as we walked down my stairs and headed to the main street to call for a taxi. “If it’s still clean, why do you need to change it?”

“That’s horrible hygiene practice,” I pointed out.

“Don’t worry. My mom forced me to bring seven pairs of boxers, plus a spare,” Elijah voiced.

“Please don’t tell me she sewed in the numbers and your name like when we were kids?”

He was quiet. A snicker escaped me, but I covered my mouth with my hand to muffle it.

“Brianne,” he whined. “Don’t tell anyone that.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” I giggled, pulling out my wand.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling a magic taxi. There’s no way we’re going to get a normal one during rush hour,” I suggested, waving my wand expertly.

“Taxi No Lando Revelosha!”

A spark of magic formed at the tip of my wand, magic circles forming into an orange orb. It floated in the air and began to blink. I put my wand back into the inside pocket of my pink sweater.

“That should do it. Give it a minute,” I declared.

“Are you sure abo—” he questioned but didn’t finish; a dark blue taxi with Witchling Academy’s symbol on the sides turned onto my street. It stopped exactly where we stood, giving me the privilege of grinning in triumph.

“If you read the entrance book, you would have known that.” I winked.

“Who reads the entrance handbooks?! In fact, who reads manuals or guideline handbooks for anything?” he exclaimed in dread.

“This is why you suck at putting together IKEA furniture.” I giggled, offering my luggage to the driver, who bowed his head to us.

We moved to sit in the back seat of the luxury car, putting our seat belts on.

“I wonder what we’re supposed to expect when we get there,” I pondered.

“Isn’t there going to be some assembly where they talk about boring things and tell us where our dorms are?” Elijah commented.

“I think we get our dorms first. The guide said we head to the main office to get our assigned temporary dorms. We’re staying there for only one semester, and then in semester two, we move to the dorm homes,” I explained.

With a snap of my fingers, the guide popped into my hand, and I turned to the page that I had specifically marked, figuring it was important.

Elijah leaned in to get a closer look, his cologne wrapping around me while my heart began to increase in pace.

Not now, Bri. I bet he can hear my heart rate beating against my chest. Why does he have to smell so nice? I guess it’s better than him smelling horrible.

“You’re right,” he admitted. “We could be roomies.”

“I think it’s based on gender, Elijah,” I acknowledged. “Would have been nice if we were roomies, but knowing you, you’re planning to sneak in anyway.”

“Easier to sleep with you around,” he said with a shrug. “I’ll think of something.”

“If you get caught, you’ll be in trouble.”

“Worth a try.” He gave me a sly grin, leaning back into his seat. “Cuddles with Bri. Worth it.” He turned his attention to the window, and I stared at him, wondering how the hell was I going to tell him about my feelings.

One minute he’s leading me on, and the next he’s back to acting like his usual self. Am I being friend zoned or something? That’s the term, right? Why is life so complicated? I’m just sixteen but I feel old.

Rolling my eyes, I looked out the window, noticing we were getting closer to the massive school structure.

Glancing down to the guide, I looked at the front page, noticing the smiling students standing in front of the magnificent school.

Hopefully I can make a friend or two, but knowing me, I’ll be the one no one pays attention to.

“TEXT me when you’re heading to the assembly. My dorm is in the next building.” Elijah waved his phone for emphasis.

“All right! I’ll text you,” I confirmed, showing him my phone.

Watching him go down the hall and out the main doors, I took a steady breath and looked around the busy hallway.

Everyone was buzzing through the halls, many in casual clothes of various brands. You could immediately tell who the rich kids were, from their over-priced branded purses and attire. Then there were the kids who wore a specific style, like goth or preppy.

As for me, I wore a simple grey skirt, light pink stockings, white shoes, and a white top underneath my open button pink sweater.

My hair was left down today, but I was debating putting it up to get it out of my way if we had to do anything crazy for the entrance test.

Everyone passed by, not taking notice of me at all. Deep down, I wished I had a group of friends to chill with, but being unnoticed seemed like the better option.

With a last name like mine, it was better to be ignored. Better than everyone wanting to be your friend for some benefit.

It just didn’t get rid of that loneliness.

Securing my bag on my shoulder and wrapping my free hand on the handle of my luggage, I double-checked my dorm assignment. It listed me in a room on the top floor of the five-level building.

Making my way to the elevator, I squeezed in with six other students, watching as the elevator stopped at each level.

One thing I noticed was the difference in the atmosphere.

The second floor looked plain and boring from the tiny peek I got. When we reached the third, it looked a little bit better; the walls were painted a nice coral color and there was a small recreation area before the dorm rooms.

The fourth floor was painted a nice teal color with a few paintings hung up. The floor had basic carpet and there was a general commons area that led to a relaxation room before leading to the hall of dorm rooms.

I was the only one left in the elevator when it reached the top floor. When I walked out into the hall, I noticed the walls were painted in glittering gold and the carpet was red.

There were no rooms but a big door with a scanner lock pad.

Glancing at the instructions, I lowered my purse to retrieve my student ID, scanning the barcode as instructed.

The door clicked, automatically opening up. I slipped my ID securely in my wallet, grabbed my stuff, and made my way inside.

It was hard not to drop my jaw open, in shock at the luxurious environment.

The room I walked into was all tiled. The surface was marble with tiny hints of gold and silver sparkles. The main room had a huge flat screen TV on my left in a cozy lounge area.

On my right was a game area with a pool table, three pinball machines, and different vending machines.

Walking into the room, I entered the main kitchen that followed the marble theme; the kitchen island could seat eight people.

Leaving my luggage, I walked to the fridge and opened it up, noticing it was fully stocked with everything I could think of. Pop, water, juice, and basic fruits and vegetables.

Jeez, there were even cartons of different brands of milk.

Closing it, I moved back to get my luggage, deciding to find my room and put my bags away. This place looked more like a suite than a dorm.

I wonder if my family background is coming into play with this. Ugh, knowing my parents, I bet they made sure I got a good dorm room.

“Meow.”

I blinked and looked down to see a pink cat. It had gold eyes and its tail was wagging back and forth in excitement as it stared up at me. I wondered if it was a girl.

Kneeling down, I gently stroked her little head.

“Are you a boy?” I asked. It stared at me.

“Girl?” I asked again.

“Meow!” She hopped in place.

“Ah. Hello,” I greeted. She nudged my hand and purred. “Do you belong to someone?”

“Meow.” She began to walk around me, rubbing her body against my legs. She reminded me of Aon, except much nicer. She ran off to the hall, looking back at me before running to the left.

“She must be someone’s,” I whispered. Taking my luggage, I walked to the hall where the rooms were. They were only two down the left hall and two on the right.

Heading down the left, I noticed the cat was tapping one of the doors. Glancing at my paper and then at the door number, I realized it was my room.

Guess I’m sharing a room with this cat’s owner.

Checking to see if the door was locked, I was relieved when it opened. The pink cat darted into the room, and I slowly walked in, closing the door behind me.

Looking at my paper, I wondered if there were any further instructions while the cat continued to purr quietly.

“Do we just leave our stuff in our rooms and head to the assembly?” I questioned, turning the page to see if there was any mention of what was next.

“Do you just walk into rooms without checking who’s in them?”

I blinked and turned to see a person with long navy blue hair.

Her face alone was right out of the magazine, from the soft cream complexion to the stunning purple eyes. This girl was gorgeous and wore silver glasses that complimented her oval face.

Looking down, I noticed she was only in a towel and her hair still looked damp like she had just finished taking a shower.

“Uh…” I trailed off. “Was I supposed to knock?”

“Who are you?”

“Brianne?” I replied to the demand, feeling a little confused. I showed my paper that had the room number and dorm floor. “I was assigned here.”

Those purple eyes narrowed, giving me a good up and down look. “Surname?”

“Harlow,” I replied with a frown. “What? Am I not supposed to be here?”

“Cute girls wearing basic clothes don’t normally get into this dorm.”

“Cute girls? Basic clothes?” I looked at my attire once more. “Was I supposed to dress up? We’re going to have to wear uniforms anyway. Also, why are you wearing your towel beneath your waist if you’re worried about people randomly walking in?”

“Meow?” The pink cat darted over to me, running around my feet while the person rose up to her full height, standing at 5′9″ tall.

Damn…she’s tall…but I’ve never seen someone so flat chested.

“Oh! Are you like, um…how do I say it without being offensive.” I wondered how to ask if someone was a transgender.

“I’m a guy.”

I blinked, taking one long up and down look at this apparent guy.

“Since when?”

“Seriously?” the guy questioned, giving me an annoyed look. He flung open the towel and, my face grew hot red before I quickly turned around.

“I didn’t need to see that!!!” I screamed. “AH! I’m traumatized. Put your Willy Wonka away!”

“I’ve never heard anyone call this a Willy Wonka,” he muttered. “Serves you right for thinking I was a girl.”

“B-but! You have long hair!” I shouted, slowly turning around. He’d wrapped the towel back around his waist while his arms were now crossed.

“Guys can have long hair!” he argued.

“Yours is practically down to your butt!”

“Your point? My culture doesn’t mind guys having long hair,” he huffed.

“But your face is too pretty, and your skin. I don’t even have skin like that,” I argued.

“Something called skin care at the age of six. Your skin looks just fine to me. Are you done screaming? You’re freaking out the cat.”

“You were shouting too!” I looked to the cat. “Sorry, pink cat. It’s this one’s fault.” I pointed to the guy. “She…I mean he, confused me.”

“Meow.”

The cat looked unbothered, returning to running around my feet.

“I can’t believe this,” The guy sighed.

“Why are you in my dorm then if you’re a guy?” I questioned.

“Dorms are unisex up here. Not many students can even get into this floor, but there are only four rooms, and so far, five of us,” he explained.

“Oh,” I replied.

That makes sense…I think.

“Does that mean we’re sharing?” I asked.

“Hmph. Guess we are on paper,” he muttered. “I’ll figure something out.”

He turned around. “Next time, knock.”

“Next time don’t go showing your properties to random girls you don’t know,” I mumbled. “Didn’t even introduce yourself.”

He looked over his shoulder. “Kaito, and at least I’m being nice.”

“I could have kicked your balls. Now, who’s being nice to whom?” I taunted. Quickly stuffing my luggage and bags into my designated closet, I used a spell to lock it.

Kaito merely stared at me. “Weird.”

“I’m not weird,” I mumbled.

“If you’re going to the assembly, change that outfit.”

“What’s wrong with it?” I asked.

”You look like a weak nerd girl,” he replied.

“I’m nowhere near weak. How does my outfit suggest that?”

“You ask stupid questions,” he grumbled and began to walk toward the washroom. “Listen to my advice and be lucky I even warned you. I don’t waste my time on girls.”

With that, he closed the door, leaving me dumbfounded. The cat began inspecting my shoelaces.

Glancing down at the cat, I sighed. “I feel he doesn’t like pink.”

“Meow?” The cat looked at me with innocent eyes.

“Except for you.” I knelt down and gave her a little scratch behind her ear.

Looking back at the closet, I decided it would be a hassle to try and go through my wardrobe.

With a reluctant sigh, I took my wand out of my sweater pocket and closed my eyes, imagining a brand-new outfit. I hated dressing up, but the thought of looking like a weak nerd girl annoyed me.

“Reversando Fashiona Nesta!”

The flow of magic wrapped around me, replacing my current outfit with a new one. When I opened my eyes, I scanned the results.

I wore an orange t-shirt with gold, black, and orange sparkles on the branded logo from a famous fashion designer in Italy. I only knew about her because Starlight was obsessed with her and always bought me clothes from the line.

Matching it with black tights that had cuts in the upper thigh and limited-edition combat boots in neon orange, my outfit was already setting standards.

Adding a leather jacket to complete the look, I noticed the mirror next to the bed on the left, opposite the bathroom door. Walking over to it, I took in my appearance, noticing my hair was the only thing that didn’t match the look.

With a simple tap in the air with my wand, a warm breeze swirled around my head, lifting the orange strands and neatly bringing them together into a tight bun with a black bow.

Nodding to myself, I slipped my wand inside my leather jacket. Tapping my finger onto my mouth, I watched my light nude lips be cloaked in a nude gloss with tiny gold sparkles.

“There.” I gave myself an approving look in the mirror, hearing the door to the bathroom open. Turning back, I looked at Kaito, who now wore black distressed jeans, a navy blue top with ACE in gold lettering, and a black leather jacket.

His blue hair was up in a ponytail, the end of it still long enough to reach mid-back. He analyzed my look.

“For a new girl, you sure know how to clean up,” he mumbled.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I replied. “I’m leaving.”

“Cool.” He shrugged. “I don’t care,”

“If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t have replied,” I said, crouching down to say bye to the pink cat. “Bye, cute pink cat.”

“Meow,” she purred sweetly.

Rising up, I opened the door and took a quick glance back at Kaito, who knelt down as the cat walked up to him to get his undivided attention.

What a weird guy…why is he hot? Well…for a guy…girl…who knows.

Closing the door, I snapped my fingers and caught the lanyard that had my ID. Slipping it around my neck and tucking it beneath my shirt, I pulled out my phone.

“I wonder where Elijah is now?” I said out loud, taking a few steps as I began to text him. My fifth step crashed me right into someone.

“Ow.” I groaned.

“What the? Do girls just randomly appear and crash into people in this school?” a guy questioned.

I opened my eyes to see a pair of gold ones, reminding me of the cute cat.

“Wow. Your eyes are like the pink cat’s,” I voiced before I quickly shut my mouth.

“Pink cat?” the guy questioned. “Where did you see a pink cat?”

“Uh…don’t mind me!” I stepped back and quickly bowed my head in apology. “Sorry for bumping into you.” I rose up, realizing I was in the hall of a completely different building. “Um…where am I?”

“The student council building,” he replied. “It’s a block from the auditorium for the assembly.”

“Really?!” I looked back at the guy, noticing his long hair that started off red, then shifted to orange, and finally a light blond. “You’re not a girl.”

He stared at me.

“Yup. Definitely a guy.” I nodded more to myself. “What’s with guys and long hair? Is it a trend?”

“Do you just randomly teleport to places and talk to yourself?” he questioned.

“Ah, no. I was just…terribly sorry about that! I’m going to just run away. Yes, run away. Thanks for the directions!” I twirled on my feet and bolted for the door, running straight into another guy.

The impact was enough to make me lose my balance, but the person I bumped into caught me. “Gotcha, cutie.”

I looked up to see a guy with short, emerald green hair. He had blue eyes and slightly tanned skin. A stunning magic circle tattoo decorated the left side of his face, with swirls that moved along the top and bottom, as though his skin was a canvas to paint on.

“Wow…” I trailed off, stunned at what I could only assume was a magic marking. He helped me up and looked at me.

“Hey, Jax. Who’s the redheaded cutie? Is she one of your crazy fans?”

“Hey,” I interrupted, pouting my lips. “My hair is orange. Why does everyone call me a redhead?”

“Because that’s what people call gingers,” the guy replied.

“You call gingers, gingers. Not redheads. Look closely.” I inched closer. “Not a speck of red hair in sight. It’s orange with a bit of gold.”

“I feel as though I insulted you somehow,” the guy muttered. “Who are you?”

“Oh, I’m Brianne. Uh…I’m not supposed to be here. I’ll just run away.” I gave him a sheepish smile, taking a step back and bowing my head. “Thanks for catching me!” Running into the hall, I looked both ways, wondering which way to go.

“No problem, Red, and to your left.”

“Thanks,” I replied, taking in his words. “And it’s Brianne! Not Red!” I ran down the hall to the stairwell. Going down the stairs, I missed a step.

“Ah!” I gasped, but with one blink I was crashing into Elijah.

“Oof!” He caught me. “Bri?”

“Elijah!” I cheered, hugging him.

“Jeez. Where did you come from? Did you accidentally spell travel from your room?”

“Uh…something like that.“ I chuckled nervously. Pulling back, he took a good look up and down at my attire. “Why did you change?”

“My roommate said I looked like a weak nerd girl,” I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “So rude.”

“You looked fine,” he mumbled. “You do look extra hot like this though.”

I blushed, only now noticing a few people were checking me out.

“Thanks,” I quickly said. “Let’s get going.” I grabbed his hand and began walking to our right.

“Bri?” Elijah tugged at my hand. “The auditorium is this way.”

“Right.” I blushed. “I knew that!”

Ugh. It’s all those guys’ fault. Silly spell traveler gift. Why can’t I use you properly again?

Just thinking about what had happened with Kaito in the dorm room made my face go completely red.

“Why are you blushing, Bri?” Elijah questioned.

“Nothing!” I huffed, not wanting to remember the sight of Kaito’s Willy Wonka.

Are they even supposed to be…like that?

Last time I’d seen anything remotely close to that was when I was a kid with Elijah and we shared bath time. Now I was wondering if his was like that, too.

“Hey, Elijah?!”

“What?” he replied, sounding a little stunned at my demanding voice.

“Who’s your roommate?”

“Hmm? Oh, that neighbor. We’re bunking with two others in our room. Our dorm floor is pretty crowded. How about you?”

“Ugh,” I grumbled. “Let’s go.”

“You’re all over the place today,” he pointed out, but I didn’t comment.

At least he doesn’t have a girl roommate…this boarding is going to be crazy. Please let there be another girl on my dorm floor.

5

NOTORIOUS FOUR

“So crowded,” I commented, trying not to get lost in the field of students trying to squeeze into the auditorium.

“Here.” Elijah reached for my hand, wrapping his around mine. “There. You can’t get lost.” He looked back at me with a wide smile.

“Thanks,” I replied, looking at our joined hands. Brushing away the thought of us being a couple, I tried to distract myself by looking at the other students.

I was actually happy I’d followed Kaito’s advice. On our way here, I’d seen those with outfits similar to what I’d been wearing and they were already getting hate comments.

Who would have thought clothes determined your strength here? I didn’t think my switch in attire changed me that much, but it had clearly made a difference; the whispers about how cool and mysterious I looked reached my ears as we made our way down the hall.

Elijah had changed as well, wearing a pair of blue skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. It was simple, but it seemed to complement him just as much.

I had kept an eye out to see if I’d see Kaito or those two other guys I’d accidentally crashed into earlier, but they were nowhere in sight. They could have been older students or something, especially if they were in the student council room.

Just remembering how hot each of them was was making me flushed, which was totally bad.

Well…it’s not like I’m dating anyone or anything. I guess I can check out guys, right?

Elijah spotted two seats in the second row from the stage. He sat down first, leaving me to sit in the aisle seat. He let go of my hand, and I gave him a quick thank you, ignoring the bits of disappointment that tried to tug at my heart.

The two of us were silent, observing the auditorium fill up quickly as a stage crew was setting up the podium.

A few girls in the front row were gossiping while trying to fix their appearance. I focused on how they were helping one another fix their makeup, applying lipstick and checking their mirrors.

“I can’t wait! I hope they look this way!” a brunette girl squealed. The tone of her voice was obnoxiously high.

“I’ve been waiting all summer for this day. I’m so happy we got here at five in the morning. Front row seats!” a blonde exclaimed, fanning herself with a pamphlet.

“To get to see the Notorious Four up close! What a dream. I hope we can get pictures of them,” a third girl with red hair commented.

“Pictures of them? We need pictures WITH them,” the blonde emphasized.

“OMG, did you guys read this morning’s gossip corner?” the brunette questioned.

“What?” The other two turned their full attention to their friend, who sat a little taller.

“On the front page. Elisha and Jax apparently broke up!”

The other two gawked at her. “Shut up?!” the blonde girl squealed, her voice an octave higher. “You’re lying. This must be a prank.”

“You can’t be serious. Who broke up with who?” the redhead questioned.

“Jax broke up with Elisha. There weren’t any more details, but an inside source said he dumped her two days ago. I think her family isn’t impressed, but they had a screenshot of Elisha saying she’s single on all her social media platforms.”

“This is a miracle!” The blonde girl raised her hands in the sky.

“This is a sign from the gods! We have a chance this year,” the redhead squealed.

“Right! Imagine scoring a dorm with him?! Or the other members of the Notorious Four. That would be a dream,” the brunette sighed dramatically.

“I bet he dumped her because she’s not willing to share,” the blonde stated as she applied some blush to her cheeks.

“Share? Oh, I heard about that,” the redhead nodded in understanding.

“Spill! What do you mean by ‘share?’ As in he wants more than one girlfriend?”

“No, no.” The redhead shook her head. “As in one girl among the four of them.”

“Shut up! Since when is that a thing?”

“Uh, didn’t you hear one of the professors here is dating three of the other top instructors? They’re the strongest group of professors in all of Witchling.” The blonde leaned in closer to the other two. “And she enjoys them all in bed.”

I blushed at the conversation, feeling a little uncomfortable with it all. I took a peek at Elijah, noticing he was scrolling on Instagram on his phone, clearly zoning out of the conversation.

It was times like these where I remembered I was only sixteen, versus everyone else here, who were eighteen or even nineteen.

“So you’re saying that if you date Jax, you have to date the other three? That’s a dream!” The brunette was swooning at the idea.

“I’d be down for it. Four men in my bed. Sign me up. Plus, they’re super protective. You become untouchable. Imagine getting to stay in their dorm. All that testosterone will make a girl hot in the you-know-where.”

The other two giggled in response. I had no clue what they were referring to.

Make a girl hot where? Their armpits? I wish I had girlfriends to help me out with all these terms.

The chatter in the auditorium began to dim as a woman with silver hair walked onto the stage.

She was tall, about 6′2″ with her black heels, and she wore a tight dress that fit her small waist and wide hips while showing a glimpse of her chest. She was stunning, with red lipstick that stood out against her pale skin.

“That’s her!” the blonde whispered to her two friends.

That’s the professor they’re talking about?

Staring at the woman again, I definitely could see why she’d be wanted by every guy. She was stunningly gorgeous. She also carried a mysterious aura, especially in her silver eyes.

She stood at the podium, waiting for everyone to quiet down. Once the room was pin-drop silent, she finally spoke.

“Good afternoon, Witchlings. My name is Professor Phoenix. I will be one of the many professors you will meet and be taught by during your four years here…if you pass each semester.”

She eyed the room carefully before she continued.

“Witchling Academy is one of the best schools of this land and blessed by the gods themselves. Created by the utmost beings of our universe who granted us with the magic thrumming through us, it’s our duty as professors to assist you all in learning how precious your magic is in this society and how to properly use it.”

She paused, scanning the room once more. “The first semester will be child’s play to some of you. To others, it will be difficult and test both your knowledge and skill. As each semester comes and goes, things will get harder, your magic will be tested, and your ability to retain knowledge will work in your favor. The saying, ‘hard work pays off’ will definitely play a role at this academy.”

She gave us a slight smile. “It doesn’t mean that you should spend every day and night studying and preparing for the worst. We will challenge you, but we don’t want to rid you of your youth. Make friends, partnerships, and learn more about yourself. These are the years when you get to learn the most about yourself and the true gifts bestowed upon you by the gods. Some may be difficult to control, and at times, you may feel like it will be impossible to harness such strengths.”

I resonated with her words, wondering about my own Spell Traveler powers.

“This is why Witchling Academy was created. To guide you all and give you the opportunity to learn more about yourself and the magic within you, and to realize your potential. I will not stand here and say that the next eight semesters will be easy because they won’t be, but we hope that with our guidance and the goal of becoming the better you, all of you sitting before me will grow and graduate from this school.”

A few people began to clap, resulting in everyone else following suit. Professor Phoenix nodded in approval, giving us another smile.

Her beauty was just as mesmerizing as her aura. I wasn’t sure if the others saw it, but the sparkling silver with hints of pink that wrapped around her told me she was someone with great power and knowledge.

It made me wish to have her as a professor.

“This semester’s focus will be on getting used to Witchling Academy and easing you into the curriculum. There will be lots of assignments and tests, but your magic abilities won’t be the primary focus until Semester Two. It’s done this way to test your knowledge. To fit into the society of the magic world, a witch or wizard must have a general understanding of the way our world is run by knowledge. Magic comes with great responsibility and lacking the knowledge of how magic affects the universe can lead to dangerous practices. That is why we don’t focus on such until Semester Two.”

She took a breath and continued. “Please remember that just because we aren’t focusing on magic this semester, doesn’t mean you can chill and not try to learn more about your skills. Find a balance on bettering yourself in both aspects.”

She smiled a sly grin that held a bit of mischief to it. “I’ll also make one last thing clear. Remember that your years here will also depend on the friendships you make. The coming years will lead to fierce competition, and the same people you may be sitting with now can either be your friend or foe in the coming semesters.”

I looked at Elijah, who noticed my gaze. He winked and whispered, “We’ll always be friends.”

I smiled and nodded, hiding my concern over his words.

What if I don’t want to be just friends forever?

“Will bullying happen here? I’ll be honest, yes. Do we punish those who bully? To a certain extent.” Her eyes darkened as she continued.

“One thing I’ll set straight. We professors aren’t here to baby you. We won’t hold your hands or intervene in situations that can be easily handled. You may be teenagers entering adulthood, but you must learn to handle your own problems. If it becomes out of control, then you may confide in one of us, but if we don’t consider it a situation that is worthy of our time, we’ll dismiss it. However, do not take this to mean that I encourage bullying. If I see it and it pisses me off, be warned, I won’t take it lightly.”

Everyone was silent, feeling the intensity of her gaze upon the crowd.

“The same thing goes with relationships. I’ll be blunt and state it now since constant rumors love to appear every semester. Am I dating more than one individual? Yes, I am.”

The room was still silent, but I could feel everyone’s shock and curiosity.

“What I do with my love life is my business and it doesn’t affect my work ethic or status in society. Everyone is aware of my relationship and it doesn’t bother anyone. Therefore, I suggest that no one try to start unnecessary rumors and small talk to appease the gossip vine. Your growth at this school includes your sexuality. Whether you are straight, gay, lesbian, or bisexual does not determine if you do well here. Keep that in mind. To add, I will not tolerate bullying in regard to relationship or sexuality status. None of it will be tolerated from me and a few of the professors here. Remember that.”

“Damn. Didn’t think they would be so stern about that,” the redhead in front of us whispered to her friends.

“Right. That’s good. They’ll support our fantasy with the Notorious Four,” the blonde noted.

“Isn’t she so cool? She’s literally a no-nonsense type of professor. She’s strict, but I heard everyone loves her cool perspective. Especially the fact she’s dating three of the top professors,” the brunette whispered in glee.

A few people clapped, and Professor Phoenix waited until it was quiet again.

“Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let me introduce you to your student council for this year. There are two levels to the student council. Junior division, which is designated for semesters one through four, and senior division, which focuses on semesters five to eight. The reason for this is to allow your student council to generally be on the same page as many of you. It makes it more realistic and allows you guys to connect to these individuals. The junior council was voted in during the summer by most of you.”

A few students already began to squeal, as if they knew who had been chosen. Professor Phoenix grinned, looking amused by the early excitement.

“I’ll introduce your student council in the order of secretary, treasurer, vice president, and president.”

We were patient as she waited for people to calm down, which mostly seemed to be girls who were squealing in excitement.

“First up, the Secretary of Witchling Academy Junior Council. Kaito Mogami.”

I flinched at the loud cheers that came from our left; the front three rows were going crazy with flags and signs.

No way!

I gawked when the guy-girl I’d met in my room walked on stage. He was now in full uniform, wearing navy blue pants, a white dress shirt, dark blue blazer, and blue tie. His blazer had gold trimming, and his hair was up with a gold piece that reminded me of two swords crossing one another.

Based on my memory of his body from before, he really hid his muscle well.

Sure, I’d thought he was a girl, but girls could have six packs, too. Wasn’t my fault his feminine features threw me off.

His purple eyes were just as striking, and his gentle smile made him look strikingly hot while giving off that intelligent vibe. He had a microphone in his hand, raising it up to his mouth.

“Good afternoon, juniors of Witchling Academy. My name is Kaito Mogami. I was voted in as your secretary. It is an honor to be chosen by you. Please treat me well.” He gave us a half bow and the crowd went wild.

I swear a girl fainted in her seat in the section that was going above and beyond to make noise. From his slight accent, I wondered if Kaito was Korean. What I did know was he was now my roommate and was popular as hell.

Why do I already feel trouble heading my way?

Professor Phoenix nodded to Kaito, who bowed in her direction. She took a step forward to the podium once more, ready to introduce the next person.

“Next up, the Treasurer of Witchling Academy, Finnick Rosedale.”

Another round of chaotic cheers soared through the room, coming from a different section of the auditorium. My eyes went wide to see the 5′10″ guy I’d crashed into earlier when I’d attempted to make my way out of that apparent student council room.

His green hair was styled up in a spiky look, and his blue eyes sparkled from the stage light. He also wore the same uniform as Kaito, but he gave off a relaxed playboy type of look.

HIS HANDS WERE in his pockets, but he took one out to accept the microphone from Kaito. He smiled brightly before he spoke.

“Good Afternoon, Witchling Academy. Finnick Rosedale is my name. Very grateful to be nominated by many of you. Let’s have an eventful semester.” He winked at the end of his sentence, making the girls lose it.

“This feels like we’re meeting celebrities,” Elijah muttered. I looked over to him, noticing the slight irritation in his voice.

“They’re just popular? I don’t think it’s a big deal,” I whispered to him. “What’s wrong?”

He looked at me for a moment. “You’re not going crazy like the others.”

I shrugged. “Well, it’s not like I know them. Besides, I don’t judge a character based on looks alone. They could be assholes, for all I know.”

“But they’re hot.”

“Again, doesn’t matter if they’re assholes,” I repeated, wanting to stress the importance of personality.

That Kaito guy seemed like a jerk, but he did give me advice on my outfit. Now there was this Finnick guy who called me red. He definitely gives chill vibes. I wonder if he takes life seriously?

The crowd calmed down, giving Professor Phoenix the chance to introduce the next candidate.

I wonder if the guy I crashed into is the vice president or something.

“Next up, the Vice President of Witchling Academy Junior Council, Connor Giovanni.”

I was expecting the next round of cheers, but the volume seemed to double as a tall boy walked on stage. He had lavender hair.

Yes. Purple hair!

It was braided back with hints of black near the tips. He wore black studded earrings and clearly had tattoos on his neck.

He wore the same uniform as the others, but his tie was slightly looser, allowing his white dress shirt to open at the collar and reveal that his tattoos moved down to his chest.

His expression was cold and stern like he couldn’t care less that at least half of the auditorium was going crazy for him. His skin wasn’t as pale as Kaito’s, but I couldn’t tell what background he was from, guessing Italian solely due to his last name.

He appeared to be more fit than the others, but it could have been his mere posture. Finnick passed the mic to him, and he quickly introduced himself.

“Connor Giovanni. Vice President. Thanks.” He was so blunt with his intro, it took everyone by surprise.

For three seconds.

Everyone seemed to cheer in response, leaving me speechless. I could see from the corner of my eye that Elijah was getting annoyed.

These guys have to be celebrities to get such a reaction. Holy. I kind of wish I’d brought some earplugs.

It took a full minute for everyone to calm down, with Professor Phoenix stepping forward to introduce the final individual of the Junior Council.

“Finally, the President of Witchling Academy Junior Council. Please welcome, Jax Morg—” She didn’t even finish before the auditorium went wild, the front row of girls standing up and waving their arms wildly.

I had to stand up and lean over to see who the hell this guy was to deserve such a reaction. My eyes widened like saucers as the guy in question walked on stage.

I have the worst luck ever.

There he was, the guy I’d randomly spell traveled into. His 6′0″ height, that gorgeous ombré hair that reminded me of fire, and his striking gold eyes could illuminate the room.

He waved as a confident grin marked his lips, the girls in the front row shaking and crying when he looked their way. I then noticed the pink cat with gold eyes running to his feet as he stood next to Connor, who passed him the microphone.

“Welcome new students of Witchling Academy. My name is Jax Morgan. I’m honored to be nominated as your President this semester and I hope we have a thrilling year to come. Don’t hesitate to ask for my assistance,” he proudly declared.

He looked down to the pink cat who was on her back paws and patting his leg with her two front ones. He knelt down and scooped her up.

“Also, this is my familiar, Luna. She likes to do whatever she wants and can walk around the campus or the dorms without me. If you see her, be nice. She normally minds her own business, but feel free to pet her if she likes you.”

The cat is his?! A pink cat!

“We love you, Jax!” the three girls in the front row screamed.

“Thanks,” he replied, giving the girls a wink.

They screamed with the rest of the crowd, and I swear the three of them were going to have a united seizure.

The four council members looked at Professor Phoenix, who smiled at them in return.

“This is your junior council. They will be in charge of ensuring the student body feels safe while focusing on regular council duties. Witchling Academy is a big property and we can’t guarantee that individuals with malicious intentions will not sneak onto campus. If you see any suspicious activity or individuals, whether it be a student or an adult, feel free to inform a professor like myself or the junior council. They will handle the situation accordingly and provide protection if needed until the problem is solved.”

They’ll keep us safe? Interesting.

“That concludes the assembly for today. This is technically your first day of classes, but due to us starting a little later than usual, you will be given the rest of the day off to settle into your dorms and gather your schedule and books. There are plenty of activities happening since it’s freshman week. All classes will be shorter than usual to allow you all to enjoy the festivals. Work hard, Witchlings, but have fun in the process. This assembly is dismissed.”

Everyone clapped and cheered, happy to be encouraged to enjoy this week and have the rest of the day off.

Elijah and I stayed in our seats, not bothering to leave yet with how crowded the exits were. We watched the group of girls rush to the stage, many of them with pens and any type of signable item.

The council smiled and waved, Kaito and Finnick offering a few autographs, while Jax and Connor spoke with a smiling Professor Phoenix.

“Literally like celebrities,” Elijah concluded.

“There must be something about them that makes them popular,” I suggested. “I mean, they’re hot and smart, I guess? They could be from wealthy families, too,” I offered. “Do you want to do something tonight? Since we’re off.”

“Sure.” Elijah beamed. “I have to go see my Mom real quick, but I should be back before evening. We can check out some of the festivals or parties if you’re up for it?”

“Sure!” I replied, feeling a little excited. It would be kind of like a date. I hadn’t done many events with Elijah. School dances were always something I wanted to go to and have fun at, but Elijah wasn’t the dancing type, leaving me feeling awkward to dance alone. I loved to dance, even if many people thought I wouldn’t dare step onto the dance floor because of my “shy” persona.

Maybe that’s changed? It would be so cool to dance with him.

I may not be old enough to drink yet, but I did have my second I.D., one that Starlight made.

It was my ‘get past the law’ card, which allowed a teen between sixteen to eighteen to drink if someone who was eighteen was there to supervise and take responsibility for the individual.

Whoever agreed would have to use magic to confirm they would be held accountable if anything bad happened.

It basically ensured that if underage drinking did happen, there would be someone to take the individual safely home and lessen the risk of dangerous activities from happening when under the influence.

I looked at my phone, searching the academy’s website for events, when I felt something jump into my lap.

“Meow?”

I looked up to see the familiar pink cat, her gold eyes looking at me happily while she began to inspect my phone.

“Hey there, Luna,” I greeted, petting her like it was a common thing. She purred and sat down in my lap, completely content with my greeting.

“You act as though you know her,” Elijah commented.

“Uh…” I gave him a sheepish grin.

“Oh. It’s Red.”

I blinked, slowly turning to the voice that sounded right next to me; my eyes landed on Finnick, who was casually standing next to my chair.

“Nice to see you again.” He gave me an adorable smile that had me blushing. I could feel the burning gaze of a bunch of girls on me, but I ignored it.

“Hello, and it’s Brianne,” I corrected. “Sorry about earlier.”

He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. “That wasn’t a big deal. Glad you got here. Looks like Luna likes you,”

“Ah. Yeah,” I replied with a nervous giggle.

“She met her earlier, that’s why.” Kaito walked over to us. I noticed again how all the girls were staring at us.

Oh goodness. So much attention! I gotta figure out a way to run away.

“She did?” Finnick asked.

“Yeah,” Kaito replied, glancing at me. Our eyes met for a long moment. “I’ll explain later. Don’t feel like it right now.”

I internally sighed in relief, thankful he didn’t mention that we were roommates.

“Luna.”

I looked to see Jax hop down from the stage, the crowd of girls practically moving out of his way to make a path as he walked over to us.

“Meow!” Luna replied, but stayed right in my lap, rolling over onto her back.

This cat!

I couldn’t help but pet her, loving how comfortable she was in my lap even if she was causing a hellstorm of attention to rain on me.

“I think she likes the new girl,” Finnick chuckled.

“Hmm?” Jax replied, narrowing his eyes on me. “Oh. You’re the teleporting girl.”

“It’s not teleportation. It’s Spell Traveling, ” I groaned, annoyed with the constant mix up.

“Oh, she’s feisty,” Finnick cheered. “Can we keep her, Jax?”

Kaito groaned, fixing his glasses. “You act like she’s a pet, Finnick. You gotta stop wanting to claim people.”

“But she’s cute. She has red hair.”

“Orange,” Jax and I said together, causing the two of us to exchange a look before looking away.

“Do I see chemistry? Hmm,” Finnick teased.

“Go away, Finnick,” Jax huffed. “Let’s go, we got to check into our dorm. Luna?”

“Meow?”

“All right, you can stay with the girl. I’m leaving,” Jax brushed off, but looked at me with his golden eyes. “Don’t go seducing my cat into liking you.”

“Seducing? She’s a girl!” I exclaimed. “And I was minding my own business,” I pointed out.

“Sure,” Jax grumbled. “Teleporting girl.”

“Spell Traveling!” I argued back.

“Look at that tension,” Finnick voiced to Kaito. “We should hook them up,”

“No!” we both snapped back.

“You’re right. Hey, Connor. Come check this girl out,” Kaito called out.

I blushed, noticing that Connor was making his way over here.

No, no, no! I don’t want to be on their radar!

Connor reached the other three, and I swear I was getting death glares from the group of girls observing our interaction.

“Hmm. What’s your name?” he asked, his voice still cold as ever.

“Brianne,” I replied, nervously.

“Weird,” he replied and began to walk away. I blinked and slowly watched him make his way to the exit.

Did he just insult me?

“That means he likes her!” Finnick concluded.

“That didn’t sound like he liked me,” I mumbled.

“Don’t worry, Red. He likes you,” Finnick patted my shoulder. “I’m leaving. Hope to see you around, Red. Need anything, holla at me.” He winked and began to walk away.

“See you,” Kaito directed to me. “Make sure you knock next time.”

I swear my face was as red as a tomato due to his comment. I noticed his grin as he fixed his glasses and walked away.

Jax stared at me for a long moment.

“Come to the student council office in two hours,” he demanded.

I couldn’t even ask why as he walked away, leaving his familiar behind.

Luna sat up again and stretched, looking up at me. “Meow?”

“I feel like you orchestrated this,” I grumbled.

“Meow!” She nudged her head against my hand and with that, she was off my lap and racing to catch up to Jax, who was already at the door.

Before I could register everything that happened, Elijah was up and dragging me out of the auditorium.

“E-Elijah? What the hell?” I questioned, struggling to keep up.

He didn’t stop tugging me through the crowd until we were outside and in a different area completely opposite from the auditorium.

“Elijah?” I questioned. “Lighten up on the grip,”

He stopped and let go of my wrist. I immediately began to rub it, giving him a glare. “What was that for?”

“Did you FEEL the atmosphere in the room back there? I thought we’d die before those guys left the room. What the hell? When did you meet those guys for them to know your name?”

I sighed. “Why does it matter? I accidentally spell traveled right into the Jax guy and pissed him off. He must have told the others.” I quickly brushed off the topic, feeling an argument coming along. “I didn’t know they were actually the student council.”

“What was the knock on the door comment?”

“Uh…” I trailed off. “Don’t worry about it. Are you going to go see your mom so we can chill later or what?” I changed the subject.

He frowned but slowly nodded. “I’ll leave now so I’m back before you go meet that jerk.”

“You mean Jax?”

“Whatever,” Elijah grumbled.

I gave him a good stare. “Why are you angry?”

“What?”

“You’re acting as though those guys insulted your pride. They didn’t say anything to you,” I pointed out.

“That’s my problem!” he huffed. “I was sitting next to you.”

“So?” I questioned.

“They shouldn’t be hitting on you!”

Huh?

I stared at him for a full five seconds before a snicker escaped me. I covered my mouth, but I couldn’t muffle my laughter as I began to lose it.

“Say that again? Sorry, I think I misunderstood what you just said. Did you say those guys were hitting on me?” I laughed, clutching my stomach.

“Bri! I’m serious.”

“Haha! I’m sorry, give me a minute to compose myself.” I giggled. “THAT wasn’t flirting, Elijah. Not to me, anyway. You’re being silly.” I sighed and wiped away my newly formed tears from laughing so hard.

“You don’t think so at all?”

“Nope. Finnick’s playful. But I don’t consider that hitting on me. Sorry, buddy.” I sighed. “Go see your mom. Text me when you’re coming back. I’ll change my outfit for the night.”

“Fine,” he mumbled. “Go straight to the dorm.”

“Sure, sure,” I replied. Didn’t want him worrying about me getting mobbed by a group of girls. “See you in a bit.”

He nodded but didn’t move.

“What?” I asked.

“I want…a hug,” he whispered.

“Why are you being needy all of a sudden?” I wondered but took a step forward and hugged him. “There! A nice tight hug,” I declared.

He wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me in place as he hugged me back. I began to blush, feeling a little weird with how long our hug was.

“Elijah? You all right?” I asked.

“I’m fine,” he mumbled into my shoulder. He let me go and spun around. “I’ll text you when I’m back.”

He didn’t wait for me to reply as he walked away.

“Wonder what his problem is?” I asked myself.

With a shrug, I looked around and back to my phone.

“Guess I’ll go back to the dorms. Maybe I’ll find the map to where the student council room is.”

Or teleport there again. Man. This wasn’t how I thought my first day was going to be. Please, gods. Let the rest of the day go smoothly.

6

BREAK THE RULES

“Ican’t believe this,” I groaned, staring at the three familiar guys chilling in the lounge area of my dorm while Luna ran around my feet.

“Hey, Red!” Finnick beamed, waving a Twizzler. “You want a Twizzler?”

“No,” I replied with annoyance. “My hair is—”

“Yeah, we know. It’s not red,” Kaito replied. “But Finnick loves to tease people so get used to the name.”

I groaned, pinching my nose. “Please don’t tell me you three are staying here?”

“We are,” Connor bluntly stated.

“Red’s staying here with us? Whose room is she chilling in? Let’s trade,” Finnick said.

“You’re not trading with anyone. You snore.” Kaito rolled his eyes.

Finnick gasped. “I. Do. Not.”

“Keep telling yourself that. I’m with Ms. Never Knocks.”

“Please don’t give me that nickname,” I sighed, already feeling tired. Kneeling down, I began to pet Luna’s little head. “And you still look like a girl.”

Finnick laughed, while Kaito gave me a glare.

“See! I told you it’s because of your damn genes. You and your sister look identical!”

“I wish I was the swearing type, so I could insult you,” Kaito mumbled.

“You can say fudge or shoot,” I suggested.

“Don’t even bother.” Finnick chuckled. “If Kaito swears, that means you’ve pissed him off to the point of no return. I’ve been trying to get him to swear for years. Never works.”

“You make it seem like that’s an accomplishment.” Kaito sighed. “Did you come to relax, Red? You ain’t going to do much of that standing there the whole time.”

Finnick patted the seat next to him. “Come chill, Red. Impressed that you got into this dorm.”

Luna moved from my hand, running over to where Finnick had suggested I sit. With not much choice, I gave in, walking over to sit down next to Finnick.

“What’s your full name, Red?”

“Brianne Marie Harlow,” I replied, relaxing back into the sofa. Luna walked onto my lap, sitting down quietly.

“Harlow,” Connor mumbled. “Council.”

“Oh, right. Are your parents on the magic council?” Finnick asked.

I nodded. “Yup.”

“That means your sister is the top agent in Witchling Star Agency. The one who recently caught that guy on the motorcycle during rush hour ?” Kaito clarified.

“That’s her,” I replied. “Guess that was the reason I got this dorm?”

“No,” Connor replied.

I looked at him, but he didn’t say anything else. Glancing between Kaito and Finnick, I waited until Kaito explained.

“Your family name doesn’t play a huge role with dorm placement.”

“It doesn’t?” I asked.

Finnick shook his head. “Nah. It helps a tiny bit, but dorm placement depends on a number of factors. A heavy factor is if you possess a gift or not.”

“Wait. Not everyone possesses a gift?” I inquired.

“Nope,” Kaito shook his head. “Gifted abilities are exactly that. They are rare additional powers gifted by the gods that not everyone receives. Many students like to bluff and say a certain power is a gift, but that’s merely because that power is not as common as an elemental spell.”

“A gift is a trait that can’t be copied. Yes, someone can have the same skill, but the characteristics are different,” Finnick continued.

“Can I have an example?” I questioned.

“Hmm,” Finnick pondered for a moment. “For example, Jax. You saw that his hair looks like fire, right?”

“Yes. It goes from red to orange to blond,” I explained.

“Exactly. That’s one of his gifts,” Finnick disclosed.

“One?” I commented. “You can have more than one?”

“I don’t think you were supposed to tell her that, Finnick.” Kaito chuckled.

Finnick shrugged. “He can beat me up later.”

“You just like getting in trouble,” Kaito sighed.

“Back to the topic,” Finnick stated. “Yes, you can have more than one gift. You don’t learn them all at once. Some come to you after you master your first one. Rarely do people have two at a time. Anyway, Jax’s hair is the way it is because his gift is fire.”

“Isn’t that a common element?” I asked. “I mean, anyone can use fire.”

“Yes, anyone can use the element fire, but that’s either with a spell or a magical instrument which for most of us, like a wand,” Finnick elaborated. “Correct?”

“True,” I admitted. “Without a magic instrument, the cost of magic triples if it’s a high-caliber spell.”

“Exactly,” Finnick had a pleased smile on his lips. “Jax doesn’t need that.”

“His gift bypasses it?” I questioned.

“Not bypasses,” Connor chipped in. “Eliminates.”

“It’s nonexistent, Red,” Finnick’s grin widened. “He’s basically a walking lighter.”

“Wow,” I mumbled. “Isn’t that dangerous? Fire works with your emotions, right? Doesn’t that mean when he’s upset…the element reacts?”

“Bingo.” Finnick clapped his hands. “Exactly. Making him a lethal ticking time bomb.”

“Can he control it?” I asked.

“Better than when he was younger,” Kaito admitted. “He hasn’t burned a kitchen for a whole year.”

“A kitchen? He burned down the entire kitchen?” I questioned.

“Yup. That’s normal.” Finnick brushed it off like it wasn’t a big deal. “All the classrooms have magic extinguishers specifically made to fight Jax’s fire.”

“Jax’s fire? What makes his fire so different?”

“It’s got a mind of its own.” Kaito shrugged. “It’s even hard for Jax to tame it if it gets out of hand. That’s what makes Jax dangerous.”

“Don’t forget his fire has different types,” Finnick noted.

“Types?” I asked.

“Water, Wind, Ice, Darkness, Holy,” Connor stated.

“Wait. Water Fire? Holy Fire?” I blinked, never having heard about fire having types.

“It’s a skill tied specifically to Jax’s gift. His fire can be normal hot burning fire, or with extra magic can be manipulated to fit another element. Water fire is a bright ocean blue, almost like a mix of sky blue and teal. When it burns, it has a slight coolness to it, which makes it less likely to burn you, but if you get caught surrounded by it or engulfed by the flames, you’ll be trapped and drown to death if you can’t hold your breath,” Finnick explained.

I gawked at them, only imagining how deadly a power like that could be. “That means…with ice—”

“If Ice Fire engulfs your body, you’re frozen solid. Wind Fire can cut and tear your flesh at a rapid rate, and Holy Fire can heal any type of wound, and potentially reverse death itself. It hasn’t been proven yet for Holy Fire, but that’s the theory.”

“What about Dark Fire?” I questioned. “Does it like make you evil?”

Kaito and Finnick were quiet.

“Or not?” I commented.

Connor decided to reply. “Death. It can kill instantly. If you don’t die immediately, your soul will be tainted and eventually overtaken. We don’t know if it’s reversible.”

“Damn…” I whispered, shivering at the thought. “That’s a dangerous gift, but I guess once he’s mastered it, it could be really good if he’s on the right side,” I admitted.

“Exactly,” Finnick agreed. “But see why it’s something that can’t be replicated? Unless someone is blessed with the exact gift, it’s impossible,” he concluded.

“I see your point now,” I admitted.

“Meow!” Luna sat up and hopped off my lap, her pink body racing to the door. A second later there was a click, the doors opening up.

Jax walked in, noticing Luna sitting anxiously at the door. He smiled slightly, crouching down to pet her. “Hey, Luna. I thought you’d be running around the school.”

“Meow!” She purred and nudged his hand before running back over to us.

“Hey Jax,” Finnick greeted. “Look who’s living with us.”

Jax rose up and looked our way, his eyes landing on me. “Why’s she here?”

I rolled my eyes. “She didn’t have a choice to be here,” I replied in the same rude tone he used. I stood up to stretch.

Kaito snickered, while Finnick laughed. “I like her! See? She can combat your temper.”

Jax muttered something but walked our way. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

“Huh? My who?” I exclaimed.

“Boyfriend,” Jax repeated.

I stared at him, my expression showing how clueless I was.

Connor sighed. “The guy sitting next to you earlier.”

“Yeah! The puppy,” Kaito added.

“The…puppy?” I asked, tilting my head.

“Yeah, the guy who was sitting next to you that looked so annoyed, I thought he was going to pop a damn vein!” Finnick chuckled. “Isn’t he your boyfriend?”

“No.” I lifted my hands up and shook them in denial. “Not even close.”

“Damn,” all four of them said in unison.

“What?” I looked at all of them.

“Must suck to be in the friend zone,” Finnick sighed.

“Poor guy,” Connor mumbled.

“Times are hard.” Kaito nodded.

“No wonder he acts like a puppy,” Jax concluded.

“Hold on.” I lifted my hands again, making a time-out sign. “He’s not the one in the friend zone!”

“What?” Finnick asked. “Who is?”

“Me!” I declared.

The four of them stared at me, all of them with blank expressions.

“Meow?” Even Luna looked surprised.

I groaned. “This is so embarrassing,”

“Damn,” Kaito commented. “That’s messed.”

“Missing out,” Connor muttered.

“Are you sure?” Finnick asked. “Is he that clueless?”

“Not surprised,” Jax mumbled. “Looks like a lost puppy who can’t find his way home.”

Lowering my hands, I mumbled, “We’re not together. Can we move on, please?”

“Sure,” the others agreed.

“Hey, Jax?” Finnick questioned. “Why’d you want Red, anyway?”

I looked at Jax as he stared at me. “What’s your gift?”

“Nice to meet you too,” I huffed. “Can’t go asking people’s gifts without formally introducing yourself.”

“I introduced myself,” he countered.

“To the congregation of Witchling Academy Junior Division,” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. “You didn’t introduce yourself specifically to me.”

He stared at me like I was joking. When I continued to stand there with my arms crossed, he huffed.

“Jax Morgan,” he mumbled.

“Wah,” Finnick whispered to the others. “The end is coming.”

Jax gave him a look. “Stop being annoying and introduce yourselves.”

“Wait. Who said we had to introduce ourselves?” Finnick questioned.

“Connor Giovanni.” Connor got straight to the introductions, ignoring Finnick’s question.

Kaito smirked. “Kaito Mogami.”

“See, you are all traitors, ” he emphasized but looked my way. “Finnick Rosedale. I was going to introduce myself first,” he winked, making me snicker at his poor attempt to act cool.

“Brianne Marie Harlow. Nice to meet you guys,” I formally introduced to all of them. “My gift is Spell Traveling. It’s…complicated and I’m not good at it. It’s the reason why I accidentally landed in the student council room and crashed into you earlier,” I directed to Jax.

“That’s a family gift, isn’t it?” he clarified.

“Yes,” I replied.

“Hey, that’s right,” Finnick commented. “Doesn’t that mean she could have another?”

“Maybe,” Connor replied.

“Another one?” I asked. “Why?”

“Didn’t your parents teach you about family gifts and regular god-blessed gifts?” Jax asked.

“No. My gift didn’t fully manifest until two years ago. Sure, I could randomly travel to places, but it was completely uncontrollable. Now isn’t as bad, because it sometimes works,” I explained.

“Which means other times it completely fails?” Kaito assumed.

“Yeah….” I trailed off, feeling embarrassed.

Jax stared at me. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. That’s why you’re here.” He turned and began to walk away. “I was curious. Anyway, I’m going to change.” He waltzed off, not caring if we answered or not.

“I think he likes her,” Finnick whispered.

We all looked at him. “He hates me,” I voiced.

“You can see it in his eyes,” Kaito added.

“That’s not true!” Finnick exclaimed, looking at Connor. “Connor. What do you think?”

Connor looked up from what he was reading. “Tolerable.”

“Red is more than tolerable! She’s actually cool!” Finnick exclaimed.

I gave up in trying to figure out where this conversation would go.

“Are you guys going to be doing anything today?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Festivals are tonight,” Kaito declared. “We usually go partying.”

Finnick clapped his hands. “Now, we HAVE to go with Red!”

“Huh? You want me to come? But…I pissed Jax off. Wouldn’t he be annoyed if I came along?”

“Jax isn’t pissed off.” Kaito grinned. “He’s always like that. It’s his personality.”

“Yeah. Jax is hard to read. He bottles all this anger inside him for unnecessary stuff, and then it goes—” he lifted his hands up and spread them out wide. “—BOOM!”

Connor yawned and rose from his seat, walking up to me. “Jax hates everyone. Come along.” He walked away, but his approval made me a little happy inside.

I peered at the other two, who grinned. “If Connor agrees, we’re all good then.”

“What about Jax?”

“Three against one. He’ll live.” Finnick shrugged. “He needs a break after ending it with Elisha.”

“Who’s that?” I asked, trying to act like I hadn’t heard the gossip regarding him breaking up with her.

“Jax’s ex. Crazy B.I.T.C—” Finnick began but Kaito cut him off.

“No swearing.”

“I was fully spelling it out!” Finnick gasped in horror.

“It’s the same thing,” Kaito rose up. “Tag along, Red. Make sure you wear something nice like that. We’re going to be around seniors who love rich stuff.” He began to walk away.

“Go shirtless!” Finnick called out.

Kaito raised the middle finger, disappearing down the hall.

“I feel insulted!”

I snickered at Finnick’s comment, watching him mope. “He can’t swear but knows the middle finger. Ugh.”

“Did you guys all grow up together?” I questioned.

“Yup. It’s why I’m not surprised that we all got voted in,” he replied, rising up from his spot. “Tonight is going to be fun. Try to keep up, Red.”

He walked up to me and whispered, “You can bring the puppy along. We can get you out of the friend zone real quick.”

My cheeks grew hot, and I gave him a side glare. “I don’t need your help!”

“All right, Red.” He winked. “I’ll hook you and Jax up. Just you wait.” He began to hum as he skipped away.

Actually skipped away…

“Meow?” Luna walked up to my feet, sitting on top of them. I looked down to her as she began to groom herself, not caring that I couldn’t move with her on top of my feet.

I let out a heavy sigh. “Don’t stand out. Mind your own business. Be invisible. Why can’t I follow simple instructions?’

With a shake of my head, I looked back down at Luna, who looked up at me.

“Meow.”

“Why don’t we get ready?” I suggested to her.

She got off my legs, waiting for me to follow her.

“At least you’re cute,” I mumbled with a smile.

Time to break all the rules.

7

NOT TOO BAD FOR JERKS

“You can’t make it?” I said into the phone, biting my bottom lip. “I get that…I just…” I trailed off, looking at the guys who were waiting for me.

They were on their phones as the magic taxi was waiting for us.

“We were waiting for you,” I whispered in disappointment.

“I know, Bri. Sorry. My dad is wasted, and my mom can’t stay home to make sure he’s breathing,” he grumbled through the phone. “Who’s we?”

“Uh…my roommates. I’ll introduce you later,” I promised.

“Hey. Don’t sound so sad.” Elijah tried to cheer me up. “We can party tomorrow evening or something. We end classes early all week, remember?”

“I know,” I whispered. “I…well…the parties are mostly tonight and I wanted to go with you,” I admitted.

Elijah chuckled. “Bri, I hate dancing,” he commented.

I frowned, squeezing the fabric of my black skirt. “I know…I just thought…never mind.” I didn’t see the point of explaining. It wasn’t like he’d be able to change his mind and attend anyway. No matter what I said, the outcome would be the same.

“Brianne,” Elijah whispered.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I tried to sound as perky as possible.

“All right,” Elijah replied. I quickly said goodbye and hung up, my eyes locked on the wallpaper of me and him on my phone.

That went horribly wrong. Now what?

With a frown, I headed back to where the four guys stood waiting for me, all of them in fashionable attire.

We were all wearing black, with a pop of color here and there. I’d left my hair down, having quickly curled it with some magic. Matching it with a black bodysuit and twirly black skirt with studded rhinestones, I was loving my simple, night-vibe look. Adding the black platforms with rhinestones all over them and fishnet stockings, I was ready to party.

I’d gone the extra mile thinking Elijah was going to show up, trying to make myself more “appealing.” I disliked the reality I was in, that I was actually in this friend zone. I wanted out, but tonight wasn’t going to be the night.

Jax noticed me first, his eyebrow arching up when he noticed my expression.

“Puppy’s not coming?”

Finnick, Kaito, and Connor paused their conversation to look my way.

“He has to stay home due to a family emergency.” I couldn’t hide my disappointment. “It’s not that big of a deal. Elijah doesn’t like dancing. Parties aren’t his style.” I shrugged, but kept my eyes to the ground.

Lifting my head up, I gave them a tiny smile. “Why don’t you guys go ahead? I’ll just stay at home. I’m not really a party person.”

I was obviously lying, but there wasn’t any other reason for me to tag along. I was nowhere near their league, and I didn’t want to be a party pooper.

Don’t get me wrong. I was beyond excited to go with them and enjoy my first freshman party, but I felt like I’d slow them down or stop them from having fun.

If Elijah was here, I could be weird and not feel judged, or at least that’s how it felt in my mind. Mostly because I was so much more familiar with Elijah than these guys.

I did want to know more about them. To actually be their friend and have a good night out. Still, how would I do that if Elijah wasn’t here?

“You’re not going home, Red!” Finnick moved to stand right next to me. “Come with us. We can dance and drink.”

“I can’t,” I mumbled.

“Why not?” Kaito asked. I pulled out my I.D., presenting it to them. The four of them moved a little closer to inspect it.

“You’re sixteen?” Kaito gasped.

“Wow. Didn’t expect that,” Finnick admitted.

“What’s the problem?” Jax asked.

“Can’t drink.” Connor hit the point. “Need someone to magically approve that they’ll supervise, correct?”

“Yes.” I hung my head low. “I’ve been a fast learner since I was a kid. It gave me the chance to skip two grades. Elijah normally supervises since he’s not the party type. He’s not here…so I can just go ho—”

My card was tugged out of my hand, and I looked up in time to see Jax mumble something under his breath. The card began to glow, a sign that he’d just taken responsibility.

“W-what?! Why did you do that?” I exclaimed, tugging the card out from his grasp by the lanyard. Looking at it, I noticed the usual blank area where Elijah’s name would appear when he took responsibility was now filled with Jax’s full name.

“There. Can we go now?” Jax groaned, turning around and heading to the car.

“Yes! We can go,” Finnick cheered.

“Problem solved.” Kaito grinned. The two of them headed to the taxi, leaving me and Connor standing there. He glanced at my shocked expression.

“Might as well come.” He shrugged. “Home’s boring,” he said as he walked away.

These guys…

With a reluctant sigh, I caught up to them, entering the SUV taxi. We reached the block that was full of festivities and parties, leaving me wide-eyed as we got out of the taxi.

Finnick paid for the ride, scanning his phone over the card reader. “All right. Time to party!” he cheered. “Let’s go to the festival first!”

He grabbed my hand. “Onward!”

“Ah! Wait, Finnick!” I exclaimed, but he didn’t listen, already in his own world of fun. I heard Jax talking to the others.

“He acts like a child when it comes to festivals.”

“He hasn’t changed,” Kaito chuckled. “He loves festivals. Especially Ferris Wheels.”

“Hyper,” Connor noted.

I smiled slightly, a little glad that the others weren’t bothered by me joining in. We reached the lines, and that was when girls began to notice the guys.

“Ah! The Notorious Four!” a girl squealed.

“They’re actually at the festival,” another girl gasped.

“They didn’t attend any of the festivals in high school. This is amazing,” a third girl voiced.

“Hey, who’s the chick holding Finnick’s hand?”

“I don’t know! When did Finnick get a girlfriend?”

“Don’t think they’re dating.”

“I swear, isn’t she the one from the assembly?”

Ignoring the small talk, I pulled out my phone to pass the time, but Finnick kept holding my hand.

“Does the talk bother you?” he whispered, keeping his voice low so the others wouldn’t hear.

“A little?” I gave him a worried look. “Aren’t you guys worried they’ll get the wrong idea?”

“Maybe we want them to.” He gave me a wink. “They did the same with Jax’s ex. You get used to it.” We moved a little closer to the front of the line.

“Does it ever dim down?” I wondered. “The gossip?”

“Not really. We’re used to it, because it’s been happening since high school. I mean, it’s annoying, but what can you do?” Finnick shrugged. “You don’t know much about us, but we’re all from prestigious families. When the four of us started hanging out when we were kids, the whole Notorious Four thing just came to be. We just go along with it because it’s less hassle.”

“But…doesn’t that mean you guys don’t get much privacy?” I pondered.

“Not really,” he admitted. “It does suck when you really need that space.” He was silent for a few seconds, his demeanor dimming.

“Finnick?”

He quickly smiled, giving me a happy look. “Nonetheless, it doesn’t matter. You just gotta let it go and live. Even if you’re in the spotlight all the time.”

We reached the front of the line, the five of us able to fit in the spinning pod. We put our seat belts on, but I bit my lip nervously.

“What’s wrong, Red?” Finnick asked my left.

“I’ve never been on a ride before,” I admitted.

“What? Why?” Kaito inquired.

“My Spell Traveler gift was still new back when I was young. My emotions are a big trigger for my gift. My parents were worried that if I went on rides, I’d randomly teleport somewhere else.”

“What about high school?” Jax asked.

“Ah…I didn’t have many friends. I’m the smart, nerdy girl from the amazing Harlow family. No one invited me to festivals and stuff. Again, Elijah isn’t into that party or festival life and it’s not really fun going by yourself.” I shrugged. “That’s why I’m nervous. I don’t want to do anything weird.”

“You’re not doing anything weird, Red.” Finnick grinned, patting my knee. “Relax and have fun. You got Jax as the designated watcher. Live life!”

“Breathe and enjoy.” Connor nodded slightly.

“We don’t got time to judge. Unless it’s regarding Jax.” Kaito winked.

Jax muttered something under his breath. “Whatever. Don’t let puppy downer stop you from living. He can watch Netflix on his own.”

I smiled before the pod began to spin slowly.

“Hold on tight, Red! This is going to be epic,” Finnick shouted.

I held on tight, unsure what to expect as the ride went into full motion.

Once the pod sped up, we all screamed when it swirled in different directions while soaring through the air. I was frightened like never before, but the fear made me laugh and cheer at the exhilarating experience.

By the time the pod stopped spinning, my world was still going around and around, but I couldn’t stop giggling.

“That was so cool!” I laughed.

Finnick was laughing just as hard. “Isn’t the thrill of it all an awesome feeling?! We got to do that again.”

“Finnick is going to make her addicted to these things,” Kaito groaned.

“One time is good for me,” Connor voiced.

“Same,” Jax agreed. “We’ll wait for you guys.”

We boarded off and Kaito, Finnick, and I went on two more rounds of spinning pods while Jax and Connor waited for us.

After that, we went on a bunch of different rides, trying several none of us had been on before.

By the time we were done, the sun had gone down, and it was time to join the parties.

We decided to head to one of the VIP exclusive parties. It looked all fancy from the outside, the party happening inside a three-story mansion that was at the end of the street.

The girls in line went crazy the moment they spotted Jax, followed by the rest of the guys. I tried to hide at the back, but Finnick slipped his hand in mine and tugged me in between him and Connor.

We went straight past the line to the entrance, Jax pulling out his ID card. The security eyed all of us, specifically staring at me.

Before he could speak, Jax stepped in. “She’s with me. Check her ID if you want. My name is there.”

The security guard didn’t say a word, unhooking the red velvet rope entrance and ushering us to enter.

When we got inside, Finnick passed me over to Jax. “Try to stay near Jax. That way you’ll be able to drink and do whatever. There’s undercover security at these parties and they love to pick on those who are underage. You should be fine with us, but just in case.”

“All right,” I replied, shuffling close to Jax, who was staring at me.

“Connor and I are going to play pool,” Kaito announced, the two of them already making their way to the three pool tables to our left.

“I’ll get some drinks,” Finnick declared, leaving me alone with Jax.

“Let’s go to the bar. You can try the samples to see what you like,” he suggested.

“Jax?” I asked, moving really close to him. “Um…well…”

How do I ask him if I can hold his hand…or arm…or anything?

It was super crowded, which always left me a little bothered. I was used to holding onto Elijah’s hand or arm to not get lost in crowded places.

Jax offered his hand. “Let’s go.”

“Thanks.” I beamed at his offered hand, taking it like it was a lifeline. We shuffled through the dancing students, heading to the open bar.

Grabbing two stools, Jax showed his ID and told the bartender he wanted two rows of sample drinks.

“Why did you order two rows?’” I wondered.

“Drinking by yourself is boring,” he admitted. “Trying stuff together makes it less gruesome when it tastes disgusting.”

“Or when it tastes awesome?” I piped up. He smirked but looked around so I wouldn’t notice.

Even though I most certainly did.

“Thanks, Jax, for taking responsibility.” I spoke over the music, hoping he heard me.

“It’s fine,” he replied.

“Hmm.”

“What?” He glanced my way as our rows of sample drinks arrived.

“You’re actually not an asshole,” I admitted.

He grimaced. “You know how to piss people off.”

“Depends. Honesty can get you pretty far in life, even if it means everyone hates you for stating the obvious,” I replied, scanning the different colored drinks. “Let’s try this one!”

“Why?” he questioned, eyeing the orangish-yellow drink.

“It reminds me of orange juice,” I grinned innocently.

He stared at me. “It’s moments like these when I’m reminded you’re two years younger,” he mumbled, but picked the drink up.

“Hey. You just found out about that two hours ago,” I argued.

“Yes, but my point is still valid,” he acknowledged.

“Whatever.” I brushed it off, clinking my shot glass against his. “Cheers!”

He mumbled “cheers” back, the two of us taking in the shot of alcohol.

“Damn. So sweet,” he groaned.

“I like it!” I exclaimed over the music. “It does taste like orange juice. Just with a kick to it.”

“Don’t drink too much of that,” he grumbled.

“Why not?”

“It’ll hit you in a rush. Sweet drinks make it easy to get drunk because you don’t keep track,” he explained.

“Ah,” I replied, nodding my head. “That makes sense.”

“Let’s try the others,” he suggested, picking the rainbow drink. We chugged it down, the two of us making disgusted faces.

“Sour,” I gagged.

“Eww. That’s like having a cup full of sour worms.”

“Totally a no to tasting the rainbow,” I confirmed. Jax agreed with a nod.

We moved on to the rest, determining that I liked three drinks out of seven samples. All three chosen drinks were sweet, while Jax liked more of the burning, bitter ones.

I decided to go with a regular of the orange drink, promising not to go past two, while Jax ended up getting a beer.

Drinking with Jax was interesting. I didn’t feel the need to talk, but when we had bits of chitchat, it was comforting and not forced.

He commented about staying at his parents’ place during the weekends, seeing as he was the only son in the family. Passing by reassured his mom he was okay, though his dad was more chill.

I talked about my sister and how inspirational she was. Jax knew a bit about her from news articles and reports about her heroic efforts at work. I got to explain some of the cases that led to her going on a wild goose chase or had her doing crazy Spiderman moves along buildings.

After my second drink and Jax’s third beer, we both were more relaxed. He didn’t seem as uptight, and I wasn’t worrying about Elijah in the slightest.

“Do you dance?” I asked.

“A bit,” he replied, staring at the dance floor. “It’s not something I do normally.”

“Do you like to dance?” I questioned, staring at the dance floor. It was crowded enough that it would be hard to spot us, especially with the dim, flashing lights.

“I did.”

“Why did you stop?” I stared at the side of his face, noticing the longing in his eyes.

“Guess…I lost interest.”

“Was that your decision or someone else’s?”

He turned his head to meet my gaze. “What?”

I glanced at the crowd, deciding to give an example. “In my mind, I always imagined I’d get to dance at parties or even take classes. I’d dance quietly in my room, or the days where my parents and sister weren’t home, I’d blast the music and dance till my heart was content. My parents supported me in whatever I wanted to do, and I’m sure if I would have asked to take classes, I could have.”

Turning my attention back at him, I stared into his gold eyes. “The only problem was that I was scared to go alone. I was the “shy” girl. The one who only studied and memorized spells. People didn’t know I could read something once and memorize it. People didn’t know how bored and lonely I was.”

“Why didn’t you ask the puppy?” he questioned. “He’s your best friend, isn’t he?”

“Funny thing is, I did ask him. He said no.” I sighed with a smile. “I asked over and over. Even just one class to feel what it was like. I could get out of that stereotypical bubble everyone put me in, but he said no. Dancing wasn’t for him.” I shrugged.

“I was kind of mad at him, but when I think about it now, I should have braved up and gone myself…but doing stuff alone is scary.” My voice was so low, I wondered if he heard it over the music.

“Trying new things in the public eye isn’t like studying something. It’s not something where you’re confident in the answer and won’t make a fool of yourself. I was already the shy girl from the well-off family. I didn’t want to add another label to myself.” Looking down to my lap, I twiddled my thumbs. “I still regret not going. I’m still young, though. I have time…I just don’t want to run out of it.”

I began to blush, realizing I’d been rambling. “Ah. Sorry, I talked way too much,” I apologized, but noticed Jax was off his stool and standing in front of me, his hand out in offering.

“You dance to hip-hop?”

“All that consists of is shaking your hips,” I mumbled but began to smile. His face softened a bit, revealing a different side of him as he smiled ever so slightly.

“Then? What’s taking so long? Let’s go before I change my mind.”

I grinned and placed my hand in his, the two of us moving to the dance floor. The song changed to a high beat jam, the kind where everyone jumps up and down and bobs their heads like nothing matters.

With a giggle, I followed the crowd, Jax joining in as the two of us began to dance. We jumped, laughed, shook our waists, and danced for what could have been well over an hour.

A slow jam came on, and with my permission, Jax slid his arms around my waist while I rested my hands on his shoulders. It gave me a moment to take in his handsome features, acknowledging that he was as hot as the girls were saying.

Even with his hair sticking to his face from the sweat, he looked extra hot with the dim, flashing lights. His eyes were staring into mine, and I wondered what he was thinking about.

I hadn’t seen his ex-girlfriend, which gave me no image to compare myself to. She surely must have been prettier than me, with the latest trendy hairstyle and gorgeous fashion sense.

She wouldn’t be a nerd like me who would rather spend time in casual clothes with a good book to read.

Was it weird to bring myself down mentally? To automatically assume I wasn’t good enough for someone like Jax Morgan, the Notorious Four Leader and Witchling Academy’s Junior President?

It could have been my low self-esteem, which I tried my best not to acknowledge. Surely, anyone at sixteen had a few insecurities, right? I wondered if Jax or the others had experienced it, too.

The dance slowly came to a stop, the song switching to another pop type song, but I did have to admit, I was tired. From Jax’s look, he seemed uninterested to dance again.

“Want to go somewhere quiet?” he asked.

“Sure,” I replied.

We made our way through the crowd, moving to a corner in the next room. It was still extra crowded, but at least no one was really paying attention to us. I loved the soothing atmosphere; everyone seemed too concentrated on their conversations, drinks, and the music drifting into the room to care about the two of us.

The bonus with the low lights was no one was noticing my bright orange hair or picking up on Jax’s fire-themed tresses.

I leaned against the wall, noticing it was more air-conditioned here than in the steaming hot dance hall. The transition made me a little chilled, but I didn’t want to use magic right now to warm up.

“Here.” Jax offered his black leather jacket. I blushed but accepted it.

“Thanks,” I whispered, slipping it on. It was super warm and had a smoky scent to it. It wasn’t a bad smell. I wasn’t into cigarette scent, but that wasn’t what it was.

It reminded me of the smoky smell you got when you blew out a candle.

“You smell nice,” I mumbled, realizing too late that my comment may have sounded weird. I looked up and followed up with, “I mean, your jacket smells like that scent after you blow out candles. Yeah…that sounds stalkerish.”

He smirked. “It’s my gift.”

“Your gift?” I repeated, not wanting to let on that I knew.

“My common element is fire, but with my gift, I can manipulate into any element. That scent is what comes with it. I can hide it with cologne, but it usually overpowers it.” He glanced away. “Sorry if it smells bad.”

“It doesn’t smell bad,” I pointed out. “Why would you think that?”

“My ex didn’t like it,” he admitted, looking back at me.

“Then I guess she hates blowing out candles.” I shrugged and took a long inhale. “I love that scent. Kind of like when you go to a gas station and smell the gasoline.”

“That’s weird,” Jax pointed out, but leaned in closer. “I like that scent, too. Shh.”

I laughed, and he ended up joining in, the two of us beginning to talk about weird scents we liked that would be frowned upon by others.

“Want to head home?” he asked. “The others know to leave when they’re tired. Knowing Connor and Kaito, they’ll be here for a while. They love pool.”

“Sure. What about Finnick?”

“He’s a party lover. Also a big flirt. He likes to lead the ladies on and see what kind of reaction he’ll get.”

“Doesn’t that make him a playboy?” I asked.

“Pretty much. He doesn’t care.” Jax shrugged. “I’m not sure what he’s into, honestly,”

“What he’s into? As in…” I wasn’t following.

“Ah,” Jax commented. “You may not be old enough to know about this stuff,” he teased.

“Hey,” I pouted my lips.

He smirked. “I’m not sure if Finnick is into girls…if you know what I mean.”

“He’s not? You mean he may like guys?” I asked.

“Maybe.” He shrugged again. “I don’t think he knows what he wants right now.” Jax observed me for a moment. “Do you think that’s weird?”

“No.” I gave him a puzzled look. “Is…it supposed to be?”

“No,” Jax mumbled. “Not everyone approves of it, that’s all.”

“Why?” I questioned. “My sister dated a girl for a year before she found her fiancé,” I confessed.

Jax raised an eyebrow at me. “What?”

“My sister, Starlight. She dated a girl for a year. My parents thought she was having a rebellious moment, but realized soon enough that my sister was bi…uh…”

“Bisexual,” Jax replied.

“Yes. I think they only broke up because she went abroad for her training. My sister then met the love of her life…uh…well.” I frowned. “He and the rest of her team was killed during an incident. She’s the only one who survived.”

Jax’s eyes darkened. “Is that so,” he replied. “Sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay. She’s a lot better but doesn’t like partners anymore. Apparently, she’s being forced to partner up with someone. I don’t see it going well.” I shook my head.

“She doesn’t want someone else getting hurt,” he whispered. “I can understand that.”

The way he said it threw me off, like I was missing something.

“Jax? Do you have siblings?” I asked.

“Nope,” he replied. From his facial expression, that was all I was getting out of him. I smiled and gave him a little nod. “Well, I think Finnick is pretty fun and can find happiness, too.”

“What do you think about dating more than one person?” Jax asked suddenly.

“Uh.” I needed a second to think about it. “Don’t see it as a bad thing! If everyone is okay with it. I mean, everyone who is a part of that…agreement? Professor Phoenix is dating more than one person.”

“What did you think when she announced it?”

“Honestly,” I looked at the ceiling, wanting to answer truthfully and needing to break his gaze. “I wish I could be confident like her.”

“Confident?” Jax asked.

“She’s a professor. Her job is on the line, yet she told the student body that she’s in an open relationship with three individuals. I’ve been afraid of doing things that would make me happy. Imagine having to be open about that to students who judge and gossip? I’ve always been afraid of what people thought about me. Even when I try to act like it doesn’t affect me. I feel if she’s able to do something as courageous as that, then maybe I can do the same. I’m not sure if I’m like my sister, though. I like guys,” I admitted.

“Do you like Puppy?”

Lowering my gaze to meet his gold eyes, I didn’t answer.

“You like him, don’t you? I mean not in a joking matter, but really do like him.”

“It doesn’t matter if I do or don’t.” I got defensive. “If someone ignores a chance to make a move…maybe they’re just not into you.”

“You’re assuming he’s not into you.”

“Do you see it differently?” I asked. “You only just met him.”

“He’s an idiot,” Jax insulted.

“I think that’s judging his intelligence,” I countered. Jax arched an eyebrow at me, taking a step closer. I gave him a look, pressing my back against the wall as he leaned forward.

“I wasn’t referring to his intelligence,” he whispered. “I’m referring to him being an idiot for not reciprocating your feelings.”

My face burned hot, and I noticed how close his face was to mine.

How close his lips were to mine.

“Hey, isn’t that Jax?” A high-pitched whisper reached us.

“Who he talking to?” another girl asked. Jax looked to his left, the two girls quickly turning around. I bit my lip nervously but reached out to hold Jax’s hand for a moment.

“Let’s go somewhere else.”

“Yeah. May be a little tricky,” he mumbled.

“Why?”

“Those are my ex’s friends.”

“What’s the big deal with that?”

“They’re going to be trouble. I don’t want that for you,” he admitted. “They may take a picture.”

“They can’t see me from this angle. Not my face,” I pointed out.

“I’m aware.” He moved a little closer, placing his hand against the wall, a clear move to block my face if those girls did try and take a picture.

“Hey, Jax?” I caught his attention. “Do…you wanna do something daring?”

His lips parted to say something, but I continued. “I can try and get us out of here with my gift, but I need a minute. Or a distraction,” I admitted, trying to think of where to go.

Jax analyzed my face, a small smirk forming on his lips.

“Distraction, huh?” He leaned forward and I almost forgot to breathe. When his lips were inches from mine, I lifted my hand to cover my mouth.

I’ve never kissed before!

My hand didn’t stop him from closing the distance, my eyes locking onto his as he kissed the back of my hand.

I could hear a gasp, but there was no way I could move my eyes from those golden beauties. I never realized how amazing Jax’s eyes could be up close like this. My heart was hammering against my chest, and for a second, I wished Elijah had been this bold.

That he’d taken a chance to even attempt to kiss me.

With a blink of my eyes, I noticed our atmosphere had completely changed, and we were no longer in the club.

“What are you guys doing here?”

I saw a glint of amusement in Jax’s eyes while he moved back. I lowered my hand, looking to my left to see Elijah sitting on his bed.

We’re in his room? Ah man…talk about awkward. Did he see what I think he saw? Ah!

“Hey, Red. Is this the puppy’s house?”

“Puppy?!” Elijah exclaimed. “Who are you calling a puppy?”

“You. Duh.” Jax slid his hands in his pockets. “Sucks you have to stay home enjoying Netflix while we got to enjoy all the good parties. Missing out, party pooper.”

“Jax,” I groaned, moving from the side wall of Elijah’s room. “Uh. Sorry, Elijah. My gift activated. Didn’t think it would land us right here,” I confessed.

He looked unamused, but didn’t say anything else regarding it.

“How was the party?” he asked instead.

“Awesome.” I smiled brightly. “You really should have come,” I commented, forgetting about his situation.

“You should have.” Jax stretched. “Better than sulking around at home.”

“I’m not sulking,” Elijah muttered. “Can you get out of my house?”

“I actually didn’t ask to be here.” Jax put his hands up with a smug smile. “Ask your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Elijah said defensively.

I had to act like my heart didn’t shatter in little pieces. I didn’t do a good job hiding my emotions, noticing Elijah’s angry expression soften.

“Bria-”

“So sorry for intruding,” I apologized with a smile. “I was wondering how you were doing since you were missing out. Didn’t think it would cause me to Spell Travel both of us. Jax had to take responsibility for me to drink. You know, since you weren’t there.” I turned around. “We’ll head out. Don’t worry, I can lock the door from the outside.”

Opening his door, I walked out into the hall, waiting for Jax to follow.

“Brianne,” Elijah called out, but I heard Jax’s response.

“You really are a fool.”

“Excuse me?” Elijah snapped.

“If I had a girl who was even ten percent of what Red is…man. I’d hold her tight and never let her go.”

I blushed, putting my hand onto my mouth to stop myself from gasping.

Did Jax…just say that?

“You don’t know her,” Elijah grumbled. “She’d never be into you.”

“You’re right.” Jax chuckled. “I don’t know her, but this makes me want to. She’s a good dancer.”

I heard his footsteps, and I moved farther down the hall so as not get caught eavesdropping. Heading down the stairs, I flinched at the crushing of glass, feeling something poke my foot.

Noticing the shards of broken glass on the ground, I frowned.

Elijah didn’t sweep? This is dangerous.

I felt Jax’s presence behind me.

“What?”

“Just…um, be careful. There’s glass on the floor,” I warned. Moving over the best I could, I reached the door and opened it up, noticing the occupied couch out of the corner of my eye.

Elijah’s dad was currently wasted on the couch, a beer bottle still in his hand while the other hung over the side. He was snoring loudly, and the bottom floor smelled of alcohol.

I wanted to feel bad for Elijah, but his words stung.

She’s not my girlfriend…

Was I not worthy of him? Was I missing some quality he liked?

I felt something pat my shoulder.

“Brianne?” Jax’s tone was softer than usual, catching me off guard as I looked over my shoulder at him.

“Let’s go,” he suggested.

“Right. Sorry,” I apologized, quickly walking out and holding the door for Jax. Reaching for the first door, I noticed Elijah was at the top of the stairs.

“I’ll text you in the morning, Elijah,” I called out, doing my best to sound cheerful. “Get some rest. Be careful of the glass,” I warned.

I ignored the hurt in his expression, not wanting to sympathize with him. If I was hurting, maybe he should feel the same way.

Closing the door, I locked it with a hint of magic. I’d done it plenty of times over the years. It was nothing to me. Moving down the stairs, Jax pulled out his phone.

“I think we’d have a better chance walking back.”

“All the way to school?” I asked. “I can try again.”

“Will that land us in Antarctica or something?” he questioned.

I gave him a nervous smile, scratching my head. “Maybe not a good idea.”

“Walking isn’t too far from this area. Should only take us forty-five minutes.” He put his phone away. “I’d call a magic taxi, but the wait time is ridiculous. It’s hard at night, especially with the festivals going on. They’re all back at campus.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” I tried to walk up to him but began to limp, feeling a pinching pain in my left foot.

Jax lowered his gaze to my foot. “What’s wrong?”

“Uh. Nothing.” I tried to brush it off. “My left foot just hurts all of a sudden.”

“Take your shoe off,” Jax said with a stern voice. I wasn’t going to argue with that tone of his, immediately following his instructions and removing my shoe.

I noticed the drops of blood that fell to the sidewalk. Jax was on his knee in seconds, his hands holding my foot as he inspected it.

“Jeez. The glass must have gone through your shoe. Hold still for a second. This may hurt,” he admitted.

I flinched when he pulled out a large shard from my foot, more blood beginning to drip down my heel.

Ugh. I hate blood.

I tried not to squirm, but once again, Jax noticed. “You don’t like the sight of blood?”

“I don’t think anyone likes the sight of blood,” I countered but looked away. “I deal with it once a month. No more.” It may have been a little TMI, but I couldn’t care less.

“I can’t heal it fully right now but stay still. You’ll feel something warm for a few seconds,” Jax instructed.

I remained still, but my curiosity got the better of me as I looked slightly, noticing the tiny flame that formed in his hand.

It was like a normal fire color at first, but then it began to burn brighter, the color shifting from an amber to light gold, almost close to white.

He was right about the warmth, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was really soothing, and a sigh escaped my lips as I closed my eyes for a second.

The aching pain receded, and when the warmth disappeared, I opened my eyes to see him lower his hand and inspect my foot.

“It’s not fully healed, but I can check on it when we get back to the dorm. You shouldn’t walk on it, though.” He lowered my foot and grabbed my shoe.

“What do we do?” I questioned with a frown. “Sorry…I’m causing trouble,” I mumbled.

I always seem to cause trouble for people with my gift.

“It’s not a big deal,” Jax mumbled. “Don’t look all depressed. Not like you wanted to walk onto glass.”

He moved closer to where I stood and turned his back to me. Lowering to the ground on one knee, he patted his shoulder.

“Let’s go. I can carry you back.”

“What?” I gasped. “You can’t carry me for forty-five minutes.”

“You barely know me. I have pretty good stamina. Now hurry up before I change my mind.”

“Why are you being nice to me?” I was blunt.

He looked over his shoulder, noticing my guarded expression.

“I randomly crashed into you this morning. I must have caused trouble for you. Those girls were all staring at us after the assembly. I accidentally took you to my best friend’s house, and now you have to carry me all the way back to school? All I can see is being a problem. Why are you helping when anyone else would have ditched?” I questioned. “I have nothing to give you.”

“I never expected anything to begin with,” Jax mumbled. “You’re perceived as the shy, nerdy girl who’d never be seen at parties or dances. I’m perceived as the guy who’s always angry and doesn’t have a kind bone in him.” His gold eyes darkened before he looked forward.

“Everyone likes to judge a book by its cover. No one wants to open it up and read what it’s truly about. What mysteries it holds. I’m not helping you in hopes of benefiting from it. I’m doing it because I feel like it. Stop questioning and hop on. My knees hurt.”

I bit my lip but decided he had a point. I was judging him based more on his appearance than on who he truly was. I’d just met him, leaving me with no time to assess who he could really be, but he was in the same boat.

He’d just met me but was willing to take responsibility throughout the festival so I could have fun. Not everyone would do such a thing.

Following his request, I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he lifted me up with ease. Securing me on his back, he began to walk down the main street, leaving Elijah’s home behind.

I couldn’t help but look back, wondering if he was now mad at me.

We’ll work it out tomorrow.

Resting my head on Jax’s shoulder, I whispered. “Jax?”

“What?”

“Thanks for today.”

He was quiet for a few steps. “Did you have fun?”

“Yes.” A smile morphed on my lips, thinking about all the fun we’d had. “Can…I mean, when there’s another chance to party or go on rides again, can I come?”

“Sure,” he replied. “We get invited to most parties and events. Feel free to join. Even the useless puppy can come.”

“You’ll never call him by his name, huh?”

“When he grows a pair, I will.”

“Grows…a pair?” I questioned, unsure what that term meant.

“You’re really innocent,” Jax commented.

“Is that bad?” I questioned. “My sister says the same.”

“Yes…and no,” he replied hesitantly. “Just…watch out for other guys. They’ll take advantage of you.”

“But you guys won’t?”

“We’re not at this school for girls. We want to learn and achieve stuff.” He paused. “I’m not saying we’re not interested, but we aren’t playboys like half the guys here. Finnick teases and flirts, but he’d never corner a girl and take advantage of her. That’s never been our style, and we’d never do that to you.”

“What if someone tries to?” I asked.

“I’ll beat them up myself,” he vowed. His tone told me he wasn’t joking.

“Why?”

“I’m your Junior President, remember? Anything troubling you, let me know. Same with the others. We don’t play around with bullying of any sort.”

Holding his neck a little tighter, I whispered, “The Notorious Four contradicts how you guys really are.”

“I agree,” he whispered. “But it shows us who is willing to look at our cover, and who is willing to open our book and to read who we truly are,”

“Smart,” I mumbled. “Didn’t think you were smart.”

“I feel insulted,” he grumbled.

“Kaito looks smart.”

“That’s an assumption because he wears glasses.”

“True,” I admitted. “Connor looks scary,”

“He’s a teddy bear. Offer him sweets. He loves sugary stuff.”

“What do you like?” I asked.

“Reading. Dancing. Sleeping. Playing with Luna,” he mumbled. “You?”

“I like reading, too. Dancing as well. Sleeping…uh. Sometimes. I wish I had a familiar, but I’m too young,”

“You’ll probably get it early. Your magic is at the right level for one.”

“Really? I thought I had to be eighteen?”

“Magic doesn’t go by age,” Jax voiced. “It’s based on when it deems you ready. I got Luna when I was twelve.”

“Twelve?” I gasped.

“Yeah.” I caught the kindness in his voice. “I needed her back then. She arrived at a good time.”

“I’m glad,” I confessed. “She’s pink.”

“That…I don’t know why she’s pink,” he admitted.

“Are you embarrassed?” Lifting my head, I leaned over to see his cheeks were red. “You’re blushing.”

“I’m not.”

“But your cheeks are red.”

“You’re seeing things.”

“Sure,” I replied. “Red cheeks. Hey, your ears are turning red.”

“Stop picking on me or I’ll drop you.”

“I think threatening is against the duty of a Junior President.”

“You talk too much!” he snapped.

I giggled. “I can hum instead.”

“Don’t.”

“Lalalalala.”

“That’s not humming,” he complained.

I began to giggle, taunting him with my melody. He gave up trying to stop me, but I could see his cheeks move up slightly.

Jax Morgan. Maybe the Notorious Four aren’t jerks after all?

8

WEIRD ACTIVITY

“That’s all for today’s lesson. This may be your second week at class, but the pressure will start to build. There are only six weeks left and this semester will be done just like that. Don’t play around. Reading and studying is easy, but the final written exam will be challenging.” Professor Phoenix looked around our classroom.

With a nod, she clapped her hands. “Class dismissed. Have a good weekend and get home safely,” she encouraged.

Everyone began to pack their stuff, rushing to get out of the classroom to start their weekend off with the events and parties happening this evening.

It was just past six in the evening, and my plans were to sleep.

I’d spent the last three days studying with Kaito. Sharing a room with him made me realize how often he studied. I could have just gone to bed like any other person, but I knew when I studied with someone else, it was a little easier and less stressful. After the first time I asked to join, he started waiting for me to finish my nightly shower so we could study together.

Last night, Finnick had joined in, needing help with one of the magic topics we were learning about. It was interesting watching him in a more serious light.

Connor was more of a last-minute studier, similar to me. I didn’t have to study every night, but with the added company, I didn’t mind. I’d never seen Jax studying, and he usually went to bed super early so he could work out every morning before class.

Spending two weeks with the guys had taught me little bits about each of them. Since the night of the festival, we’d concentrated on getting an advantage with the curriculum.

We’d been given our outlines on the second day of class, which provided an overview of what was to come for this semester.

So far, I had classes with each of the guys, except for last period. It was an extra course I’d wanted to take, focused on gifts that involve traveling. It wasn’t specific to my gift, but I recalled Starlight taking the same thing and she said it benefited her.

I didn’t like how late the course was, ending at six at night when regular classes finished at three in the afternoon, but this past week, the guys had all stayed behind, giving us an hour of study time before my two-hour class that started at four.

Normally one of the guys would have been waiting for me outside, but Kaito was giving Finnick a tutoring lesson and Connor was trying out for the Witchling Magic Football Team. Jax was willing, too, but his parents were home this weekend and expected him to come to stay for the night.

I didn’t want to hold him back and I could handle being by myself just fine. I’d planned to text Elijah and ask him if we could chill since we hadn’t gotten a chance all last week, but he was hanging out with his group mates for some project in his class.

Things between us had been all right, but I was starting to wonder if he didn’t like me hanging with the Notorious Four.

After I’d accidentally Spell Traveled with Jax to his house, he’d seemed to be back to his normal self, but last weekend I invited him to our dorm, and that’s when things kind of went south.

“Y-YOU’RE STAYING HERE?!” Elijah exclaimed in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“Yeah? That was the dorm I was assigned to.”

“Who’s your roommate?”

“Kaito,” I announced, walking over to check the fridge for some blueberry yogurt.

Connor always ate the other flavors, but apparently didn’t like blueberry. It worked out because it was my favorite flavor.

“What?”

I paused in reaching for the mini yogurt container, looking back to Elijah. His tone went from shocked to deadpan, leaving me completely confused.

“What?” I repeated back.

“You’re sleeping in the same room as a guy?”

“The rooms are unisex.” I shrugged, returning to my yogurt quest. “I was assigned to that room, but I could always move to the other guys’ rooms if I wanted. It’s just easier with Kaito because he’s a deep sleeper and I don’t wake him up when I dry my hair in the morning,” I explained.

“Y-you can’t be staying with a guy!” Elijah fumed. “He’s…a guy.”

“Your point? You sleep in my room all the time. In the same bed, no less,” I calmly replied.

“That’s completely different!” he argued.

“Why?” I gave him a conflicted look. “They’re my friends, too.”

“They’re the Notorious Four. You know the rumors the girls will start when they find out you’re staying here?” he confronted.

I shrugged. “They talk about my hair already. I guess it’ll be a pain if they do find out, but it’s not going to change the fact they gossip about me anyway.”

Closing the fridge, I got a spoon and pulled the stool back, sitting at the island and opening my yogurt. “What’s the big deal again?”

“How many guys are here?” he questioned, looking unconvinced.

“Four.”

I noticed Luna out of the corner of my eye, her pink body sitting next to the leg of my stool as she looked up at me. I shuffled back slightly, patting my lap. She jumped right into it, sitting comfortably as she began to purr.

I hadn’t even taken a scoop of my yogurt before Elijah exploded.

“FOUR?!” He shouted. I blinked while Luna hissed. “Four guys! Males like me. Guys with coc—”

“Who’s talking so loud?”

I looked to my left to see Finnick shuffling towards the island. He was in his usual Joker boxers and bunny slippers.

I’d gotten used to the guys basically wearing next to nothing. Everyone did pretty good with wearing boxers, aside from Kaito’s usual walking-around-the-dorm-in-a-towel routine.

He reached where I stood, yawning widely before he shuffled behind me and deliberately rested his chin on my shoulder, his lazy eyes focused on my yogurt.

“Can I have some?” he questioned.

“Were you taking a nap?” I asked, taking a spoonful of the creamy yogurt and offering it to him. “And yes, you can.”

“I was,” he replied. “Thanks.”

He graciously took the spoonful into his mouth. I readied another spoonful for myself.

“Brianne!”

I flinched again, completely forgetting that Elijah was there watching us.

“What?” I just wanted to eat my yogurt in peace.

“Hey, it’s the puppy,” Finnick mumbled. “Why are you yelling? We’re indoors.”

“Why is Brianne sharing a dorm with four guys?! What the hell are you doing here naked?”

“I’m naked?” Finnick sounded half asleep, another yawn escaping him. He moved from my shoulder to get a better look of himself.

“I’m wearing boxers,” he acknowledged.

“And his bunny slippers,” I added.

“Meow.” Luna joined in the commentary, jumping off my lap to start tapping on Finnick’s slippers.

“You’re serious right now?” Elijah growled.

“Who the hell is screaming?”

Jax was the next to come out from the hall into the living room. He noticed the three of us at the kitchen island, his gaze diverting from me and Finnick to Elijah.

“What’s Puppy doing here? I get to enjoy my weekend off at school and he’s here ruining it,” Jax complained, looking just as tired as Finnick.

He was in red boxers and cat slippers.

“You were napping, too?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Jax mumbled. “Naps on the weekends are nice.”

“Aren’t they?” Finnick nodded. “I think Connor and Kaito are still asleep.”

“They won’t be if this guy keeps yelling.” Jax glared at Elijah. “What are you blowing a fuse for?”

“She,” Elijah pointed at me, “can’t be staying here with you four guys! Wait. Did you just say Kaito and Connor? You mean my best friend is bunking with the Notorious Four?!”

“I could have told you that,” I mumbled, deciding to eat my yogurt. “And I swear you knew that already,”

“Brianne!”

“Stop yelling!” Jax shouted. “If you can’t keep your voice down, get out.”

“Ah. It’s probably too late.” Finnick began to stretch. “Hey, Connor.”

We all looked back to see Connor approaching.

He was in similar attire as the other two, the only difference being his unicorn slippers. All he did was give Elijah a dark glare.

“Get out.”

“Wha—” Elijah began but Connor narrowed his eyes, silencing him.

I sighed, lowering my yogurt to the island.

“Elijah, why don’t I walk you out? We can talk outside. If Kaito wakes up, he’s going to slice you with his katana or something.”

Yes. Kaito slept with a katana. I’d yet to ask why.

Moving out to the hall where the elevators were, I sighed. “Elijah? What’s wrong?”

“This whole time the Notorious Four were your roommates and you didn’t tell me.”

“I brought you here to see them yourself. Plus, you never asked me who my roommates were.”

“You said it was a girl!”

“Uh…Kaito looks like a girl. You know, the long hair, his soft skin. You wouldn’t be able to tell if you saw him from behind,” I suggested.

“Brianne! What if your parents found out about this?” he questioned, crossing his arms.

“Oh. They know.”

“What?” Elijah blinked.

“They’re aware. The dorm is based on family relations or something. That’s what the guys said. My parents had to have known I’d be placed with four guys. I did call my sister and it turns out our parents told her after you and I left for Witchling. They’re cool.” I shrugged. “You know my parents aren’t very strict with me. As long as I get good grades,” I explained.

When he had nothing to say, I sighed. “I’m really hungry, so I’m going to go eat. Why don’t I finish breakfast and come over to see your dorm?” I suggested with a smile.

“Ah…no. It’s okay. The students are awake and they’re probably partying or something. I have to go see my mom anyway.”

“Oh. Um…want me to come?”

“Nah. It’s okay. Go eat. I’ll text you later.” He turned around and pressed the elevator button, the doors immediately opening.

“All right. I’ll text you,” I waved goodbye, watching the doors close.

AFTER THAT, he’d been a little distant , but classes just started and with him needing more time to study and learn, I figured he was putting his attention in keeping up.

I’d try to make time this weekend to chill with him. That way, we’d be able to clear the tension if there was any. I wasn’t very good at spotting if something was wrong, but if there was, I’d want him to at least inform me.

“Something on your mind, Brianne?”

I snapped out of my thoughts, looking up to see Professor Phoenix staring down at me with an intrigued expression.

Looking around, I realized I was the only one left in the room. “Sorry, Professor Phoenix. I was just thinking,” I apologized, nodding my head slightly.

“No need to apologize. If anything is troubling you, feel free to share if you need a second opinion.” Her smile still carried that level of mystery from day one, but it had a bit more of a comforting touch to it.

Now that I knew she was pretty relaxed when you didn’t piss her off, I wasn’t as intimidated by her.

“Thank you, Professor Phoenix.” I rose up and gathered my things. “I hope you have a good weekend.”

“You too, Brianne. Make sure you head straight to your dorms,” she warned. “It’s late.”

“Yes, I will.. Thanks for the warning.” I gave her a wide smile and waved farewell, making my way into the hallway. Turning left, I was ready to go home but remembered one of the books I needed was in my locker.

I need that spell book if I want to prepare for next week’s test. I’ll be quick.

Turning around, I headed the other direction, making my way to my locker. It took me three minutes to get there, and I noticed the last pair of students leave the main hall.

Opening my locker, I began to swap what I didn’t need for the books I did. After making sure I had all the books and materials for the weekend, I closed my locker and snapped my fingers, shrinking my bag into a keychain.

Attaching it to my lanyard with my ID, I checked to make sure my locker was locked, only then noticing the presence at the end of the hall.

A tall man in black stood there, and his face seemed to be covered by a shadow. It made no sense because the hall was well lit, but his whole body appeared to be cloaked in darkness.

With a frown, I tried not to focus on him. Checking my lock once more, I side glanced to the same place. Only then did I notice the two new arrivals who stood next to the tall man.

One was plump while the other was super skinny, and all three were cast in shadows.

My heart began to beat fast, my senses picking up a weird vibe from them. I took a step backward, only to watch them take a step forward in unison.

Another step backward away from my locker, again, brought them a step closer. Biting my lip, I looked at my locker; fear was beginning to settle into my veins as my heart banged so hard against my chest, I wondered if I’d have a heart attack.

Looking back at the trio, I realized they had taken three more steps, the distance between us was only ten steps away.

I need to get out of here!

Panicking, I looked across the corridor, only now noticing the tiny flicker of white light.

A barrier…oh no! I’m trapped. How did I just notice this now? Was Professor Phoenix trying to warn me?

Now my anxiety was going into overdrive, adrenaline pumping through me as my ears picked up on a buzzing noise. That was one of the few notifications I got that my gift was ready to activate at any second.

The spinning sensation started to take effect, but I didn’t want to demonstrate that my power was Spell Travelling versus the common misconception of teleportation.

I gave one last glance to the shadow trio and they jolted forward, giving me the push I needed to dart forward, running straight into my locker.

The world around me shifted, spinning and spinning until I was falling downward.

I held back a shriek as my body fell through a wall and straight onto a bed.

Or a person?

Trying to overcome the dizziness, I slowly got on my hands and knees, shaking my head to try and get rid of the spinning. Opening my eyes, I froze in place; golden orbs that sparkled like gems stared into mine.

Familiar, sexy gold eyes that held a level of confusion and shock that was actually really hot…in a weird…Bri way?

It took my mind some delayed seconds to realize I was now hovering over Jax in an unfamiliar room that must have been his, in an unfamiliar place that was definitely NOT his bedroom at the dorms.

I teleported to Jax’s house?!

Now that everything was settling in, it was clearly the least of my concerns as I greedily checked out the bare chest of Jax Morgan up close.

How could I ignore his handsome appeal? His facial structure, those smooth lips, and oh, wow. No wonder he worked out every morning. His chest was eye candy. I’d seen him shirtless all the time in the dorms, but up close did some weird things to me that I wasn’t sure how to explain.

And I secretly wanted to touch his abs. Was that normal?

The longer I remained in place to check him out, the warmer my cheeks felt as I grew more and more flustered.

Alright, Brianne Marie Harlow. It’s time to redeem yourself and initiate Plan A. All I have to do is get off him, race to the wall, and poof. I’ll end up at my house or something. Piece of cake.

The thought of leaving Jax after the close inspection had me wishing for one more glance.

Greedy, I know.

The thought didn’t stop me from taking in his delicious figure one more time before I lifted my gaze to lock with his. For a second, I wished he didn’t have a girlfriend. Then my mind corrected my silly thought because he didn’t have a girlfriend.

Elisha or whatever her name was. She was now out of the picture.

With how close our faces were, I recalled when we were at the party, that weird, palpitating feeling thrumming between us like back then.

Only this was different. This…was stronger.

I’d never kissed a guy before. I’d always imagined that Elijah would be my first. The chance of that was almost non-existent at this point. I felt as though I had a better chance of kissing one of the guy’s pillows than Elijah.

What did a first kiss even feel like?

Tugging my mind out of the gutter, I began to count backward.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, o-

I didn’t finish, my eyes growing wide as Jax suddenly lifted his head, and smoothly pressed his exquisitely soft lips against mine.

My heart stopped. My breathing paused. I swear I must have died at that moment and risen to heaven because this couldn’t have been real. This must have been an illusion of some kind.

His lips moved slowly against mine, and I had to admit, it felt…nice.

Too bad my anxiety wasn’t having any of it.

Realizing I had to go, I pulled back, blinking my eyes a few times to see if I’d wake up. Peering at Jax, I noticed his proud smirk while he arched an eyebrow at me.

“Should I even ask how you got here or did your time traveling magic kick in?”

“It’s spell traveling!” I snapped, feeling a little dazed.

“My parents are home,” he revealed.

“What?! Uh…uh…I’m not here!” I shuffled off his bed and looked at the closest wall.

What if his parents come up? That would be so bad. Brianne Harlow found in Jax Morgan’s room. Caught red-handed by his parents. My life would flash before my eyes!

“Jax? Are you talking to yourself again?” a woman’s voice shouted.

I shot a glance at Jax, whose eyes were wide with shock. “Shoot! She’s coming up. Run!”

Please work, please work, PLEASE WORK!

Running toward the wall, I waited for the rush of magic and the spiraling sensation that always happened when my gift activated.

Unfortunately, all I felt was the shock of pain when I crashed right into the wall, the impact hard enough to make me see stars as I fell backward to the ground.

“Shoot! Bri? Brianne? Bri…anne?” My hearing began to fade, just like my consciousness.

All it took was seconds before I was completely knocked out.

9

WEEKEND SPENT KNOWING YOU

The sound of purring stirred me awake. I’d been falling in and out of consciousness, but with the consistent flow of humming that moved up to my ear, I couldn’t ignore the sound any longer.

Lifting my right eyelid up, I noticed the pink tail that was brushing my nose.

Luna?

As if hearing my inner thought, the pink cat moved from my ear to right in my face, her tongue beginning to lick my cheek. I inhaled deeply, letting my breath out slowly as I debated whether to fall back asleep or not.

I ended up lifting my hand to pet her soft fur, her purrs growing louder with my attention. Glancing at the ceiling, I noticed it didn’t match the dorm’s ceiling. It didn’t even match my own bedroom ceiling.

What happened before I went to sleep?

Luna moved to lick my forehead, but I noticed there was something on top of it. Touching my forehead, I noticed there was a bandage there.

Did I hit my forehead? Actually, maybe I should figure out where I am. Luna is here. That should mean I’m safe, right?

Luna moved away from the side of my face, walking down to sit on my stomach. I didn’t mind too much, turning my attention to the left.

I held my breath, my eyes growing wide.

Jax?

There was Jax Morgan, sleeping on the other side of the bed. He slept on his right side, giving me a full view of his peaceful face and perfectly sculpted chest.

The hint of moonlight that shone from the window made him look stunning and innocent.

Sitting up slowly, I looked down to see I was in my school uniform, leaving me to wonder how I ended up at Jax’s place to begin with.

Wait. Class finished. Professor Phoenix told me to go straight to the dorms. I needed a spell book for the weekend…wait. The shadow people. I guess that’s what I’ll call them. They put up a barrier and I ran into the locker and somehow landed…O.M.G!

The memory rushed back to me, specifically the moment where Jax kissed me. My hand went to my lips, my fingertips trailing along my bottom lip as I recalled how smooth and gentle Jax’s kiss was.

He…kissed me. My first kiss.

Looking back at him, I wondered what could have been running through his mind to possibly want to kiss me.

We’d known each other for two weeks. No way did he like me.

Right?

“Meow.” Luna was staring at me, her tail moving slowly from side to side. Glancing at the nightstand to my right, I noticed a cat toy with a fluffy mouse at the end. Picking it up, I began to quietly play with Luna, lost in my own thoughts.

Why would he kiss me? Elijah never kissed me before. What’s the difference? Why is Jax willing to kiss me and not Elijah?

The squeak of the bed dragged me out of my thoughts, my attention diverting to Jax, whose eyes were half open. He looked at Luna for a long moment, before moving his dazzling gaze to meet mine.

We both remained still, but I had the urge to bop his nose with the cat toy.

Scratch urge.

Before I registered in my mind what I was doing, I lightly tapped his nose with the fuzzy mouse. “Bop,” I mumbled.

He blinked, looking completely confused. He mumbled something along the lines of “Bri dream” and turned over. Pulling up the sheets, he snuggled into his spot.

“Jax?” I asked.

I put the toy down on the other side of me and reached out to pat his shoulder. “Jax?” He stirred, turning over to face me once more. He looked really disorientated.

I wonder if he’s always like this when he’s half asleep?

His hand reached out to stroke my cheek, leaving me frozen in place once more. His golden eyes stared into mine, and I wondered if he was going to kiss me again.

“Ja-EEP!” My body was pulled forward, pressing right against Jax’s. Five slow seconds went by before I realized he was hugging me.

“Bri…anne,” he sleepily muttered. I thought he’d pull away, but he remained still, his breathing slowing down.

He did not just fall asleep on me.

“Jax?” He didn’t even stir.

I groaned. “Oh, no.”

Luna walked over to sit behind Jax, her eyes looking into mine.

“Luna? Can’t you wake Jax up?” I suggested.

“Meow.” She walked around in a circle and sat in place, beginning to do her grooming routine which told me she couldn’t care less.

Great…

Giving up on trying to figure a way out of this, I tried to relax. It felt different being in Jax’s arms. When Elijah held me in his sleep, it was almost like a protective type of hug.

The way Jax held me now was making my heart race. Was it because I viewed Jax differently? He wasn’t my best friend, but…someone I could potentially like?

No. No. No. That wouldn’t make sense. I can’t possibly be crushing on Jax. We just met. It’s been two weeks. He broke up with his girlfriend two weeks ago. Is there a rule as to when he can date again? I really need some girlfriends to ask about this. Maybe Starlight? No…she’ll tell me to date him. Not helpful.

Closing my eyes, I took a long inhale, letting it out slowly.

Goodness…Jax smells nice…

The longer I remained still, the calmer I became. The weird sense of relaxation I received from the simple action left me bewildered, but it wasn’t at a level where I pondered on it for too long.

I had no idea when I dozed off, but when I woke up, I noticed my head was resting on Jax’s chest, while my arms were around his waist.

Blinking a few times, I lifted my head up to see he was awake and staring down at me.

I also noticed the white petals in his hair.

“Why do you have petals in your hair?” I mumbled, my voice still thick with sleep.

“Why are you hugging me?” he questioned back.

We both just stared at one another, as if someone else would answer our questions. “Give me five more minutes,” I mumbled, not yet ready to think properly right now.

He didn’t say anything, but it wasn’t like he pushed me off of him either. Again, I tried to mentally compare this to Elijah, but it wasn’t making any sense to me.

Was this normal? What do I even say right now?

I’m sure more than five minutes passed, but I wasn’t sure how to confront this problem. It surely had to be ranked as a problem.

Random girl falls from the ceiling, crashes into Jax Morgan’s bed, humiliates herself by running into a wall, passes out and wakes up in Jax’s bed, somehow gets trapped in his arms, and now is resting on his chest like she’s his girlfriend.

“You teleport a lot in your sleep,” he mumbled.

“What?” I asked, lifting my head to rest my chin on his chest. “And I don—”

“Yes, you don’t teleport. You Spell Travel. Whatever,” he brushed off my impending retort. “Next time can you warn me that I’ll wake up in some garden in Ireland? I don’t think the old lady appreciated seeing us in her garden.”

My face flustered up like a tomato and I quickly got off him. “What?!”

I looked around. “B-but we’re in your room!”

“We are now,” he replied with a shrug.

“How did you get back here? No. How did you get us back here?”

He simply stared in response.

What if he called my sister to come get us? Did Elijah tell him about that? He loves warning people. This is so embarrassing!

With a groan, I slapped my forehead, flinching at the sudden pain. “Ow!”

“Are you an idiot?” Jax questioned but sat up.

“I’m not an idiot,” I grumbled, feeling utterly embarrassed to the point of tears. Jax paused, his eyes growing wide as he noticed my eyes begin to water.

“Oh, no. Don’t go crying. I can’t handle when girls cry,” he huffed.

“I’m…not…crying,” I mumbled, my tears already falling down my cheeks.

He frowned, but I could see that he felt bad for me. He very cautiously placed his hands on my cheeks, wiping away my tears with his thumbs.

“It’s not a big deal. Nothing to cry about.” His tone was beyond gentle, only making me feel worse about the situation.

“How can you say that when I totally crashed into your room after those shadow guys were chasing me and then ran into your wall like a dummy because my gift didn’t work. I bet you got in trouble and now I’m in your bed crying,” I sobbed, feeling hopeless.

“I didn’t get in trouble. Don’t worry. My parents aren’t here today or tomorrow. You aren’t a dummy, and it’s okay to cry if you feel like crying,” he explained, using one of his hands to ruffle my hair. “You look ugly crying, Red. Stop already. No one is in trouble.”

“I don’t look ugly.” I swatted his chest.

He grinned but didn’t counter me. Instead, he reached for the tissue box on his side of the nightstand, offering me some Kleenex.

I mumbled thanks and used it to wipe my remaining tears and wet cheeks. “Sorry.”

“You apologize too much,” he whispered. “Who was chasing you?”

“What?” I asked.

“Shadow people were chasing you? Who were they?”

“I’m not sure,” I confessed. “I’d just finished my class with Professor Phoenix. I think she tried to warn me because she told me to go straight to the dorms.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I needed my spell book to study for next week’s test. I went to my locker to get the book and noticed a tall man at the end of the hall. I tried to ignore him, but two others showed up. When I looked in the other direction, there was a barrier. I wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t been so anxious. I felt my gift begin to activate and ran straight into my locker and ended up here,” I explained.

“Where was Puppy?”

“Elijah?” I clarified. With a frown, I looked away. “Uh…he’s busy, I think.”

“Busy my butt,” Jax muttered.

He moved off the bed, stretching out his arms. I scanned his bare back, noticing his muscles and how they flexed as he stretched.

He looked back at me, catching me red-handed. Raising my hands up, I tried to think of an excuse.

“I…was trying to figure out how I Spell Traveled us to Ireland,” I defended.

“While staring at my back,” he chuckled and headed for the door. “The pink bag on the chair over there has some clothes. Have no clue if they’ll fit you exactly but figured you wouldn’t want to be in your uniform all day. The washroom is down the hall. I’m going to make breakfast.” He headed out of his room.

“Meow!” Luna, who’d been relaxing on the top of a black bookshelf, hopped to the ground and chased after Jax, leaving me on his bed.

Glancing over to the pink bag, I moved off his bed and picked it up. Glancing inside, I noticed the loose pink top, a pair of black shorts, and tights.

Is that underwear?! Wait…I swear these are mine. How did he get these?

I didn’t even want to think about it, shaking my head and deciding to go use the washroom.

After a quick change of clothes, I noticed the new toothbrush on the sink, giving me a chance to brush my teeth and wash my face.

Once I put my hair in a bun, I went downstairs, slowly observing the large home. This must have been a mansion because it was huge. Or at least that is my guess, based on the high-rise ceilings and sophisticated hallway that must have hosted eight rooms alone. The staircase was all white, and when I reached downstairs, it took me a moment to figure out which way would lead to the kitchen.

Luna showed up then, running around my feet before walking to my left. She paused and looked back at me, expecting me to follow her.

Reaching the kitchen, I noticed how huge it was. It was most definitely double the size of mine at home. It could have been bigger than the one at our dorm.

Damn. Jax is rich.

Our family was well off, and we could afford to move from our home with how successful my parents and sister were, but we all loved the coziness our home brought, and it was where my sister and I had the most memories of our childhood.

Jax was at the stovetop, scrambling eggs. He now wore a red tank top and black shorts. His long hair was still down and ruffled from sleep, but it seemed as though he didn’t mind.

I walked into the room, watching him as he turned around and separated the scrambled eggs onto two plates.

“Do you need help?” I asked, walking over to the oversized island.

He looked up from the frying pan to meet my gaze. “Not really.” He eyed me for a moment. “Can you get the orange juice and butter from the fridge?”

“Sure,” I replied, getting to the task.

The toaster went off right when I closed the fridge, suggesting we were having scrambled eggs with toast and butter.

Noticing the strips of premade bacon in Jax’s hand, I watched as he began to place a few strips onto the frying pan, while the kettle began to boil.

Soon, we had a full meal before us, and I started with a cup of orange juice while Jax had some Orange Pekoe tea.

We sat in silence at first, both of us focused on eating. Luna ended up jumping onto the island, walking over to us. She sat next to my right hand, inspecting my fork and trying to whack it out of my hand.

“Luna. Let her eat,” Jax voiced.

“It’s okay,” I gave him a smile. “She’s playful.”

“She’s not used to us having someone over on the weekend,” Jax mumbled. “She thinks you’re here to play,”

“Aww,” I replied with a smile. “Aren’t your parents coming back?”

“No,” he replied, his eyes on his plate. “They won’t be here till next Friday.”

“Wait.” I paused midway through taking a bite of my toast. “If they’re not here, why do you come over the weekends?”

“My mom’s a control freak and doesn’t want me spending my weekends on campus. She thinks I won’t get work done.” He shrugged like it was a normal occurrence.

“But…you get good grades,” I pointed out.

“Yup.”

“She knows you only need to study last minute to get a perfect score, right?”

I’d observed Jax the last two weeks, and both times we’d been hit with a random test, he got a perfect score with little effort.

“Yup.”

“I feel this may be insulting to say, but I don’t understand why you have to come here then. You do well at school. Why can’t you stay during the weekends? She’d rather you stay here by yourself?”

“Pretty much. As to why, who knows? It’s always been like this,” he admitted.

“In high school, she did the same? Did you dorm during high school?”

“Yup. It was the same. The others are used to it.” He continued eating his food, avoiding my intense gaze.

“That doesn’t answer why.”

“She’s a control freak,” Jax repeated.

“You stayed on campus last weekend.”

“I stayed because she was at a conference and wouldn’t be home anyway. My dad isn’t as strict as mom and lets me stay on campus without saying anything to Mom.”

“Hasn’t your dad tried to convince your Mom that you’re an adult?”

“Tried. Failed. Usual cycle. No point. It’s a non-negotiable agreement if I want to go to school away from home.”

I bit my lip in frustration, not liking this agreement at all.

“That means every weekend you stay in this big house by yourself,” I concluded.

“Pretty much. I do go out to run or workout, but that’s really it.”

“What about parties?”

“What about them?” he asked.

“You don’t get to go to those?”

“If it falls on a weekend, no. Those aren’t as a big of a deal. I think people realize the Notorious Four don’t party on weekends and thus, most parties are scheduled on Friday night.”

“Why don’t you invite the others to stay with you on the weekends?”

He didn’t answer.

“Jax?”

He lifted his head to stare at me. “Why?”

“What?”

“Why would I invite them over?”

“To chill? Hang? Study?” I lifted my hand and waved it up in front of me. “Look at this place. I don’t even know how big your house is. Why wouldn’t you just invite them over to chill here on the weekends if you can’t stay at the dorms?”

He looked speechless.

“You never thought about that?” I asked in horror.

“No…it’s not that it didn’t cross my mind,” he mumbled, avoiding my eyes. “It’s just…”

“It’s just?” I pressed.

“It would be a hassle,” he mumbled. For the first time, I caught the vulnerable side of Jax Morgan, his eyes showing a bit of worry as he chewed his lower lip.

“Why would they want to stay over? They’re not being forced to stay at home like a little kid. I shouldn’t make them suffer. I’m sure they’d rather be on campus or going to other parties and events.”

“Have you ever asked them?” I questioned.

“No.”

“Then how would you know?” I inquired.

“I…don’t know,” he admitted. “I assumed they would be busy.” He returned to eating his food.

I didn’t press on the matter anymore, but I felt bad for him.

Does he mean this whole time…every weekend for the longest time…he’s been staying alone in this house?

“What about summer?” I asked. “You get to go out, right?”

“We stay at the cottage,” he replied, finishing up the last bits of his food and moving on to drinking his tea.

“Together as a family?” I asked. When he didn’t answer, I raised an eyebrow at him, lowering my fork to the plate.

“Do not tell me your parents leave you at the cottage by yourself during the summer.” My voice projected my devastation.

Jax looked uncomfortable as he sipped his tea. “They get called to work a lot. I just chill on the beach or study for the next semester,” he whispered.

I couldn’t wrap my head around this. Summer days were boring when my parents were at work and my sister was out saving civilians. Elijah would sometimes come and hang with me, making the time go by a lot faster than on the days he couldn’t.

Even having Aon was better than being by my lonesome self, but there was only so much a familiar could do for you.

“Jax?” He stared into my eyes as I whispered, “Aren’t you lonely?”

We shared a look; the sound of the clock ticking was the only thing that reminded me that time was passing by.

“Sometimes.”

That was all he said. Getting off his stool, he walked to the sink to rinse his plate. “I’m going to go freshen up. If you’re still hungry, there’s some blueberry yogurt in the fridge.”

I watched him leave the room. I looked to Luna, who was staring in the direction Jax went, her eyes moving to look up at me.

“Meow…” She looked sad, lowering her head.

I quickly petted her, giving her a light kiss on her head.

“Don’t worry, Luna. I think I have a plan,” I declared.

10

THE JOY OF HAVING FRIENDS

“You don’t need to stay here,” Jax suggested. “It gets pretty boring.”

“What were you planning on doing?” I asked, petting Luna, who was curled up on my lap.

“It’s still warm out for fall. I think my parents are going to close the pool next week. Was thinking of enjoying it one more time,” he admitted, looking at the glass doors that lead to his backyard.

“Have you managed to have a fun day with the others?” I inquired.

“Hmm,” he thought for a moment. “Not since…a year ago? Maybe longer. I’ve chilled at their places, but never had them come over here unless it was a special occasion with my mom’s permission,” he confessed.

“Meow!” Luna hopped off my lap, running to Jax’s leg.

He gave her a look. “What?”

“Meow!”

Jax frowned but leaned down to pick her up. “You’re such a weird familiar, you know that?”

She purred, rubbing her head against his cheek. He didn’t seem amused, but I could see the twinkle in his eye that he enjoyed Luna’s affection.

The doorbell rang. I looked at Jax, realizing his hands were full. “I can get it.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s not your parents, right?” I clarified.

“Nah. They would have walked in. They’re far away this weekend,” he replied.

Getting up, I walked to the hall, heading towards the door.

If I could win an award for my acting skills, I swear I deserved an Oscar in this shining moment. Opening the door, I dramatically gestured for our guests to enter, putting my finger on my lips for them to keep quiet.

Closing the door, I quickly took the box of pizza and began walking back to the living room.

“Who was it?” Jax asked, lowering Luna back to the ground.

“Pizza!” I declared, holding the box of pizza as proof. Jax gave me a surprised look.

“When did you order pizza?”

“When you were freshening up.”

“We just had breakfast.”

“I was hungry.”

“How did you know my address?”

“I didn’t,” I replied placing the box of pizza on the island. “But they did.” I pointed to the entrance, just as Finnick dramatically slid into sight.

“I HAVE ARR- AH!” he shrieked when Luna bolted from Jax’s hand and tackled him, causing him to fall over.

“What a fail,” Kaito announced, staring down at Finnick for a second. He raised his head and smiled at Jax. “We’re here,” he said with a wide grin.

Connor walked into sight, also looking at Finnick, who gave up in trying to fight Luna as she licked his face.

“That’s your fault for eating a tuna sandwich,” Connor announced, turning his attention to us. “Thanks for the invite.”

“When…I didn’t…” Jax looked lost for words, his stunning eyes landing on me as I gave him an innocent grin.

“I figured since I accidentally crashed into your house, the other guys could join in? It IS a nice day after all, and we can all study tomorrow for the test next week,” I suggested.

He stood there, staring at all of us. Kaito and Conner moved to the island, putting down a bunch of bags filled with junk food and party stuff.

Finnick finally rose back up, lifting a pink bag up. “Red!”

I looked his way.

“I got you a bathing suit!”

“Huh? Why?” I asked.

“Why? Jax has a huge pool, that’s why. We’re going to party it up today by having a POOL PARTY!” he declared.

“I feel like he’s just planning stuff on his own accord,” Kaito noted.

Connor nodded. “His idea.”

“How did you get my size?” I asked.

“Oh. I asked the puppy. Tried to invite him with the whole ‘we are having a dorm pool party’ but he refused. Sucks to be him.” Finnick shrugged. “I got two kinds. Bikini and one piece so you can choose. Both in neon orange.”

“I’m going to look like a highlighter.” I giggled at the image.

“What? Really?” Finnick gawked.

“Told you.” Connor shook his head.

“No, you didn’t!” Finnick fought back.

“Yeah, he did. He fully said she has pale skin and neon orange hair. You went on saying her hair is red, so it would do just fine with her having a neon bathing suit since Jax doesn’t look like a flaming cheeto with orange swim trunks,” Kaito elaborated.

“B-But that makes sense!” he argued.

I snickered. “No, it doesn’t. Jax can show more skin and his hair is not completely orange like mine. I’m way paler than him too. Also, remember: orange hair with hints of gold. I have no reds. Too much neon against my pale skin equals highlighter.”

Finnick looked devastated, his shocked look making the three of us snicker.

“Sometimes I wonder where he gets his fashion sense from.” Kaito began to chuckle.

“Sorry, bud. You messed up here.” Connor chuckled.

“Wait till we take pictures. I’ll be so white.” I laughed.

Finnick groaned. “I tried,” he said dramatically but began to chuckle as well.

I looked back at Jax, who was staring at us. Walking over to him, I gave him a nervous smile. “Are you mad?” I kept my voice low.

He slowly shook his head from side to side. “No…” he admitted.

“Surprised?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “When…”

“I called Finnick and told him what happened. The others were home and I thought it would be fun if we spent the day here instead of the dorms. Your parents aren’t here. I thought it would be fun to have a mini party with just us,” I explained. “Sorry if it was an intrusive idea.”

“No. I’m not mad. Just…surprised,” he repeated.

He grinned just slightly. Finnick skipped over to where I was, wrapping his arms around my neck. “Admit it. You’re genuinely moved to the point of tea-AH!” Finnick was cut off by another attack by Luna. He let go of me to attempt to stop Luna from pulling his shorts down. “Jax! Tell your familiar to stop attacking me. I don’t have tuna.”

Kaito and Connor walked over to us, ignoring Finnick’s pleas.

“We know your parents are on the stricter side of the road, but when Bri brought it up, it sounded like a pretty good idea,” Kaito explained

“Being alone at home is boring.” Connor shrugged. “Might as well have fun with friends.”

Jax grinned then, the smile lighting up his face and especially his gold eyes.

“Thanks, guys,” he said.

All of us smiled, even Finnick, who paused his attempt to get Luna off him to chuckle. “Seeing Jax smile makes me want to kick him in the pool,”

“That’s horrible,” I giggled. “But if you do, make sure my phone is out.”

“Enabler,” Jax grumbled.

I grinned proudly. “So…are we going to eat pizza? It smells delicious!”

“I’m starving! Let’s eat,” Finnick cheered.

We all moved to the kitchen island, unpacking the snacks and drinks the others brought. Soon enough, we were all in bathing suits hanging by the pool while music jammed from the living room speakers.

Connor had brought beers and light alcoholic drinks. I was sipping on a can of orange sizzling vodka when my phone began to buzz in my hand.

Elijah’s name showed up on the screen, and for a second I debated whether to pick it up.

I should pick it up.

After the third ring, I answered, still dancing lightly to the music in the background.

“Hello?’

“Hey, Bri,” Elijah replied.

“Hey, Elijah,” I greeted. “Uh…how’s it going?”

“Not too bad,” he replied.

The two of us were silent, and I took advantage of it to sip my drink.

Jeez. When did it become so awkward between us?

“Are you at a party or something?” he asked.

“Uh…something like that,” I replied.

I thought he knows I’m here. Finnick asked him…

I heard a girl’s voice in the background, the high pitch catching my interest. “Are you partying?”

“No. I’m studying. We have a test next week. Don’t you?”

“Ah. Yeah. We’re going to study tomorrow,” I confessed.

“We?”

“Uh. Me and the others.” I didn’t want to let him know I was with the guys, more curious as to who he was with.

“Others, as in?”

“Uh, yo—AH!” I flinched when something cold pressed against my back, the jolt enough to send my phone out of my hand and right into the pool.

“Oh, snap!” Kaito shouted, pointing to where my phone fell.

“And…that’s gone,” Connor declared.

“I got this!” Finnick replied, diving right into the pool. I blinked and slowly looked back to see Jax with a popsicle in his hand, the clear culprit of the shocking cold feeling that pressed against my back.

“I didn’t think that through,” he admitted, looking down at the spot where Finnick was rising. He came to the surface, his arm shooting out first with my phone in his hand.

“Did I save it?” he gasped.

“Pass it over here,” Kaito suggested. “I’ll throw it into a bag of rice.”

“Does that work?” Connor asked.

“I think so?” Kaito shrugged. Finnick threw my phone over to Kaito, who caught it. “I’ll be back!” he shouted, running back into the house.

“Does he know where the rice is?” Jax asked.

Connor grinned. “Nope. I’ll go help him.”

Finnick pulled himself out of the pool. “I’ll go assist!” he declared. I looked him up and down. “You’re drenched.”

He snapped his fingers, a gust of wind wrapping around him in seconds. “Not anymore.” He skipped away, leaving Jax and me.

I looked back at him and he looked back at the pool. “Sorry, Brianne,” he apologized. Peering at the popsicle in his hand, I reached for it. Taking the wrapper off, I popped it into my mouth to taste it.

“Hey. This is actually good,” I admitted.

“Huh?” He looked at me in confusion. “Aren’t you mad?”

“Over a phone?” I asked. “Nah. I can just get a new one if the rice doesn’t save it. I probably have to wait for my parents, though, since you can’t buy a phone unless you’re eighteen,” I admitted, now that I’d thought about it.

“Who was on the phone?”

“Elijah.”

“Questioning where you were?”

“Yup. Seems like a common question,” I admitted. “Though he was with a girl or something. He said he was studying,”

“Do you believe that?” Jax asked, taking a lick of his popsicle.

“Not sure,” I honestly replied. “Also not sure if I care right now.” Finishing the rest of my can of orange vodka, I smiled. “Let’s dance instead.”

“I feel your lack of interest is due to the alcohol,” he mumbled more to himself. “You’re a lightweight.”

“What does that mean?” I asked innocently.

“Uh. Don’t worry about it.” He grinned slightly. “Let’s dance for a bit. I like this song.” He took the can from my hand and threw it across the pool, directly into the trash can near the grill.

He slipped his hand into my free one and we began to dance while eating our popsicles. The others soon came back, the five of us dancing before we chilled in the pool until the sun began to set.

I now sat quietly staring up at the sunset sky, feeling fully relaxed while the guys made dinner on the grill. Connor was in charge, grilling a bunch of hot dogs and hamburgers with Kaito’s and Jax’s assistance.

Something cool pressed on my cheek, tugging me out of a calm daze as I glanced up to see Finnick’s warm smile.

“You all right?” he asked, offering me a cool beverage.

“Yeah. I thought Jax said I couldn’t drink anymore?” I reminded, having had a little too much to drink earlier. I guess my super chilled state of mind was what Jax called tipsy, but I kind of liked it.

At least it’s helping me not to worry about accidentally hanging up on Elijah.

“I won’t tell if you don’t?” He winked.

Giving him a smirk, I accepted the drink and he sat down next to me, the two of us watching the guys talk while at the grill.

Sipping a bit of my drink, I stared aimlessly at the sky once more.

“What are you thinking about?” Finnick asked.

“Hmm. Lots of things…” I quietly replied. “Hey, Finnick?”

“Yes, Red?”

“Have you ever had a crush on someone?” I lowered my head to look at him.

He grinned, looking over at the guys. “Yeah.”

“Really?”

His head bobbed lightly before he took a long sip of his drink. “I actually have two crushes right now,”

“Two?” I gasped. “You can have two?”

“You can.” Finnick chuckled quietly. “To be honest, the other crush is pretty new.”

“Hmm. I’m not good with this whole love thing,” I confessed. “I’m too innocent. Don’t pick things up. Elijah scolds me all the time over it. My sister isn’t as nitpicky with it.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” Finnick noted.

“I feel it is.” I looked at my can. “If I wasn’t slow at picking up on things…maybe I’d be able to tell if it’s worth keeping my feelings to myself.”

“Does this have to do with Puppy?”

I smiled slightly. “I secretly wish it didn’t.” I took a sip of my drink. “I honestly wish I knew what I was doing. I’m lost as in what direction to take. I…have…had?…a crush, but what if I’m not sure anymore?”

“You don’t think you like him anymore?”

“I don’t think he’ll ever see me as more than a friend, Finnick,” I whispered, staring into his eyes. “And…if he ever did, would it be worth the wait?”

Finnick didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked back at the guys.

“I see. With my first crush, it’s something like that.”

“Is it?” I asked.

“I’ve had a crush on them for years, but…um. It’s complicated.” He chuckled and shook his head. “I wait in hopes that one day, they’ll notice me, but I don’t see it as being very likely.”

“Why?”

“Culture. Society. Different races. Lots of factors.” He looked up at the sky. “I don’t think they’ll ever notice, but it doesn’t stop me from hoping.”

“Have you ever tried to tell them? To hint it out?”

“I have. Once.” He sighed. “It was the first time I drank. I actually kissed them. They didn’t freak out or get mad. Probably because I was pretty wasted. The next day I acted like I didn’t remember what happened. The person never brought it up. I…assumed that they didn’t like it. To be honest, I still don’t know if they hated what I did. They say when you’re drunk, you do things with no regrets. Actions that you wouldn’t do when sober. There’s no way I would have had the confidence to kiss them if I was sober. Even thinking about it now makes me nervous.”

“That means you’re fine with them…never knowing?” I asked.

“I’m not sure.” His eyes locked onto mine, the blue pigment in those orbs standing out against the warm orange tones of the sunset’s rays.

“We’re still young. I’m eighteen. They’re the same age. We don’t know what we want in life. My second crush, though, is intriguing.”

“Are they?” I asked.

“Yeah. They’re different. They don’t fall into a typical category or stereotype. They don’t care about what people say or do. They just live in the moment. I think that’s hard to come by nowadays.”

“What are you going to do when you have to decide?” I asked, taking a sip of my drink. “What if…you realize that you’re starting to like crush two? That it becomes something worth trying but doing so…means you have to give up on crush one?”

“You mean, for example, if you had a long-term crush on Puppy, but were beginning to see a different side of Jax?”

I blushed at his statement, but he took a large gulp of his drink. When he didn’t dive further into his example, I whispered, “Is it obvious?”

“No,” he replied. “I just pick things up faster than others.”

“Isn’t it bad?”

“What is?”

“That…I may like Jax? We only just started school. I barely know him…isn’t it too rushed? Should I wait until I’ve known him for a year? I’m pretty clueless about all of this. I’ve never…really…” I couldn’t admit it.

“You never really loved before,” Finnick concluded.

I felt ashamed, my head hung low as I nodded slightly. “Yeah.”

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of, you know,” he said. “I do think that in order for you to get the experience of what love is, you eventually have to decide whether to pursue crush one or let go.”

“You think so?”

“How much longer are you planning to wait, Brianne?” He turned his head to me, and I shivered at the way my name rolled off his tongue.

“I’m not sure.”

“Don’t be a fool like me and keep waiting.”

“I don’t think you’re a fool,” I commented. He smiled.

“I know, but this is your chance to figure out what you want. Don’t keep waiting, thinking one day your crush will change their mind. They could be leading you on this entire time. Not alluding to anyone, but keeping your options open is better than putting all your eggs in one basket.”

“What would you do?” I questioned. “You have two crushes. How would you choose?”

“I wouldn’t.” He winked.

“What?”

“I’d have them both.”

“You can’t have both of them,” I argued with a pout.

“I technically can, but neither of them knows my feelings yet,” he playfully stated.

“What if they did?”

“Then I’d figure it out and see if we could be in a relationship together.

“Three people? That sounds like a complicated threesome,” I voiced.

“Do you know what the term threesome implies?” He arched an eyebrow at me.

“Three people doing stuff? Like…going to the movies or shopping.”

“Ah. Your innocence is bliss,” he praised.

“I feel like I’m missing something,” I mumbled, causing him to laugh.

“Don’t be like that, Red. Trust me, your innocence makes you really cute,” he complimented. “You’re right. It’s pretty complicated in my mind, too. However, in my imagination, it would work out.”

“Those girls must be lucky then,” I admitted.

“Maybe. What if I said my first crush likes my second crush?”

My brows furrowed as I slowly looked back at him. “This sounds like a complicated love triangle.”

“I personally feel it may become a complicated Pentagon if crush two doesn’t stop being absolutely adorable. All depends on whether they decide for it to be four points or five.”

“Hmm. Your analogies are confusing.”

“Just like my love life,” he chuckled.

“What you two talking about?” Kaito headed our way.

“Crushes,” I replied, finishing my drink. Kaito reached where we sat, offering me a hand. He helped me up while Finnick rose up on his own.

“Crushes? Brianne, you have a crush?”

“I have two. It’s complicated,” I voiced. “Do you have a crush, Kaito?”

His face began to grow red as he looked away from me. “Kinda?”

“Really? Who is she?” I asked, moving my head to try and see his face.

“No one.” He turned around. “She wouldn’t know it’s her.”

“Why not?” I tugged at his hand.

“She’s clueless,” Kaito concluded. “C’mon. Food is ready.”

“Kaito! Tell me,” I called out.

“No.”

“Boo,” I grumbled. “No fun.”

Finnick was quiet, but he took a step forward and gently patted my head. “Promise me something, Red,”

“Yes, Finnick?”

“If a guy is willing to tell you he likes you, don’t ignore that opportunity,”

“I shouldn’t?” I asked.

“Nah.” He was staring forward, and I followed his gaze that was solely on Kaito. “When the time comes, go with your gut, and don’t hesitate to try new things. Sometimes that makes waiting for someone else to make a move less painful.”

“And if more than one person approaches me?”

“Try them all.” He winked.

“That’s…not allowed?” I questioned, unsure.

“Says who?”

“Um. I don’t know.”

“Then you can do what you want.” He slipped his hand in mine. “If the Notorious Four wanted to date you, would you say yes?” he teased.

I’m sure he was joking, but I answered earnestly. “Yes.”

It must have taken Finnick by surprise because he looked shocked for ten seconds. “You’re far more interesting than a television soap opera, Red.”

“I still don’t get your analogies, but again, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

He laughed and squeezed my hand. “Let’s go join the others.”

“All right,” I agreed with a firm nod. “And Finnick?”

“Mhm?”

“I hope one day you get to love both your crushes.”

“That would be a dream,” Finnick replied. “But…for now, I think I’ll enjoy my dear friends.”

We shared a look, and both laughed, agreeing to his statement. We both may have had crushes who wouldn’t reciprocate the feeling, but at least we had good friends.

Friends who would offer their shoulders to lean on if waiting equaled heartache. That’s all we could hope for.

11

FRIENDS AND IT’S OVER

“Jax?” I yawned, shuffling towards Jax’s dorm room, noticing the door was open.

Reaching the doorway, I noticed he had a puffer to his mouth, pressing the button once, and inhaling deeply before repeating it one more time.

I waited for him to finish, not wanting to intrude. He finished and yawned, putting the inhaler on his desk.

“Asthma?” I asked out of curiosity. I wasn’t sure if I was being intrusive, but from his relaxed expression when he turned my way, it didn’t seem like I offended him.

“Yeah, but it only happens when I’m super nervous or anxious about something. I can run and be generally active with no issue,” he explained.

“Why are you nervous?” I asked. “We did fine on our test this week.”

One week had already gone by since our awesome pool party at Jax’s house. It was Friday night and we planned to head to his place again tomorrow to study. It was only late afternoon; school had finished early today and we’d all decided to take a nap.

I’d only woken up because Kaito said Jax had to give me something before he headed home first to have dinner with his parents.

“I know.” He looked at his dresser.

“Are you nervous about your parents?” I asked.

“No.”

“Then?” I couldn’t figure out what would make him anxious enough to use his puffer.

“You weren’t able to get a new phone this week, right?” He changed the subject, his eyes moving to meet mine.

“Ah. No. My parents aren’t in the country. Dealing with some big case that will take five hearings or something. My sister also is dealing with an investigation right now. She did text me back before my phone had died, but she won’t be coming home until the end of the semester,” I elaborated.

Shrugging, I walked into his room. “It’s okay. Not like I desperately need a phone. I’m normally with you guys anyway.”

“And Puppy?”

“Uh…” I bit my lip, trying to think of a better way of putting my thoughts into words. “We’ve been keeping our distance.”

“Why?”

“I’m not really sure.” I sighed, running my hands through my hair. “We say hi when we see each other, and I have been trying to email him. He doesn’t check, though. I think he’s used to letter mail and not internet mail,” I commented with a sad smile. “I think with being in different classes, and dorms, and now without a phone for immediate access, we’ve been drifting apart. Sure, I miss him. He’s my best friend after all, but…it feels like we aren’t really best friends anymore? That must sound weird.”

“Doesn’t sound weird,” Jax mumbled, sitting down on his bed. He began to gather his hair while he talked. “Being a best friend doesn’t mean you two have to be in constant communication. You’ve based your friendship on always being around each other, whether it would be you going to his place or him coming to yours.”

He began to tie his hair up in a ponytail. “Distance and lack of communication shouldn’t determine if you two are regular friends or best friends. I’ve been friends with the others for as long as I can remember, and we’ve had summers where none of us talked to one another. It didn’t mean we weren’t best friends anymore. We were all busy and far away. Once we came back to school, it was like we hadn’t stopped talking two months prior.”

“Really?” I asked hesitantly. “So…I’m not being awkward for not wanting to talk to him as often?”

“That isn’t awkward. Puppy is acting exactly that. An immature individual who doesn’t want to adapt to change. When we go from witchlings to true wizards and witches, we’re not going to always be around one another. You may get a job like your sister’s. Just because she can’t text you immediately or come home whenever you need her, doesn’t mean she suddenly isn’t your sister anymore. It should be no different with Puppy and you. Stop worrying about him.”

“Jax?” Since Jax was older and a little more knowledgeable in the guy department, I figured I might as well ask. “Do you think he’s still mad that I’m dorm-ing with you guys?”

“Do I think he’s still mad? I think he’s immature as hell, so yes,” Jax bluntly replied, finishing up with his hair. “But is that your problem? No. You’re sixteen, Brianne. You can make your own decisions. You’re not a baby.”

“You’re right, but sometimes when Elijah gets mad, he says I’m clueless, innocent, slow.” My voice was tiny when I admitted it.

“He’s impatient, needy, and whines more than a little kid dependent on his mother, but you don’t see me pointing out his flaws to his face.”

I smirked. “You know, when you’re not looking angry all the time, you’re nice to talk to.”

He frowned, only making me giggle. “At least I said it to your face.”

“Whatever,” he grumbled. “Brianne?”

“Yes?”

“Elijah is eighteen. He’s not a child. There’s going to be a day where we’ll all be living our lives and working toward whatever dreams we aim to achieve. Don’t…let him make you feel that those qualities of yours are bad.”

“But…isn’t it? Being slow…innocent…clue—”

“Being innocent shouldn’t be taken as an insult. Taking time to study and learn about yourself isn’t a flaw. Being slow doesn’t mean you don’t catch things, but it demonstrates you need more information to put one and two together. You’re not clueless. Everything comes with experience, and you’re only sixteen. He needs to stop putting you in a bubble,” Jax determined.

His gold eyes looked at me with a hint of pride. “Personally, I’d rather have a girl who wants to experience things for the first time than one who takes advantage of such privileges.”

“Takes advantage of privileges,” I mumbled. “Is your ex an example?”

“Elisha,” I noticed the way he said her name like it was a disease. “I was forced to date her.”

“Huh?”

“My parents…my mom is all about status. I only ended up hanging out with the others and being friends for so long because they’re all from well-off families. Elisha is from a super-rich family. They may not excel in the magic department, but it was good enough for my mom’s approval. I had enough of it and broke up with her. I never liked her.”

“R-really?!” I gasped. “That’s not fair! You can’t be forced to like someone,” I countered.

He grinned. “I was. I had no choice but to go along with it. Whatever she wanted, she’d have to get. Whether it be items…or things that are…um. More intimate.”

“Like…holding hands?” I asked.

He smirked. “Sure.”

I still felt like I was missing something in his statement, but he didn’t seem to mind. “Anyway, I never liked Elisha. My dad was the one who interfered and said the relationship wasn’t good for me.” He looked at his hands that rested in his lap.

“If I had my way, I’d date a girl who’d want to learn things with me, together. Where we’d do things because we both wanted to and try new experiences together. Not someone who already knows the ins-and-outs of being a young adult. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt so robbed.”

Robbed. What did she rob from him? His time? Effort?

He sighed and began to stretch. “Next time you talk to Puppy, tell him to stop worrying about what you do. Last time I checked, you never check in to see what he’s doing or who he’s chilling with.”

“What about the rumors?” I mumbled.

“What about them?”

“Elijah brings it up a lot.”

“Why should you care about gossip? You know yourself. None of us care about the talk around school about the redheaded girl who’s chilling with the Notorious Four.”

“My hair is orange,” I grumbled under my breath, causing him to laugh.

Jax wasn’t always this laid-back but seeing him in this light was refreshing.

“All right, orangehead. See? They don’t know your hair is orange with hints of gold, now do they?”

He did have a point.

“Gossip is just that. You don’t care about it. We don’t care about it. Those words, rumors, lies, don’t help us do well on tests and won’t help us graduate Witchling Academy. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. That phrase was made for situations like these. Their words only impact us if we accept them, but you don’t.”

“No,” I replied with a smile. “I don’t care.”

“Good.” He smiled back at me. “Then live your innocent school life. Elijah will either come around, or he’ll learn the hard way.” Jax stood up, walking around his bed and picking up a pink gift bag. “If I were him, I’d take the easiest route.”

Walking over to where I stood, he presented the bag to me.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Open it,” Jax encouraged.

Pouting my lips, I accepted the bag and put my hand inside, picking up a rectangular box. Pulling it out, I gawked at the packaging, holding back a squeal.

“T-This! No way. This is that new phone everyone’s been talking about in class!”

Just last week, a limited-edition phone came out in five different colors. My phone was an older edition, which hadn’t bothered me, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t gushing over the new model secretly.

I’d hoped it wouldn’t sell out before my parents came back and the semester was done, and yet here it was, in my hand.

Glancing up at Jax’s pleased expression, I tried to think of what to say. “H-How?” I stuttered.

“It was my fault your phone died. I wasn’t sure which one to get you. The others came with me yesterday, when you were taking your magic travel studies class, and we saw they had this one. Finnick said he saw you peeking at it when some of the girls were passing the magazine around in class. It’s also pink.” His face began to turn red as he glanced anywhere but in my direction.

“Essentially, we bought it for you. Since you’re sixteen, I had to say…you were my girlfriend to get it, but we can fix that later once your parents or sister are back,” he declared.

“G-girlfriend,” I giggled quietly, his face growing redder by the second. “Hey, Jax. You’re blushing.”

“I’m not,” he argued immediately. “Ah, look at the time. I need to go home. Go bother Connor to help you set it up. He’s in the living room.” Jax began to shoo me out of his room.

I kept giggling, but before he could close the door, I swiftly turned around and hugged him. He froze, his body growing rigid from my sudden touch, but I didn’t care.

“Thank you, Jax! This is the best gift I’ve gotten from someone. I have to say thank you to the others, too!” I hugged him tightly.

“Jeez. You’re so excited,” he groaned, but his arms wrapped around me, returning my hug. “You’re welcome. Thanks for last weekend. It was really fun.”

“Let’s do a campfire or something this weekend,” I suggested, pulling back to look into his face. He blinked, his eyes lowering to my lips. “Sure.”

I smiled but didn’t immediately pull away, the heart-skipping feeling returning as the buzzing energy between us made its appearance.

“Jax? Can Kaito and I get a ride?”

We pulled apart a second before Finnick skipped into the room, his arms immediately finding my neck as he wrapped them around me. “Red! How was your na—Oh! Jax finally gave you the phone. Do you like it? Should have seen how strict Jax was. There was this group of girls who were trying to get it. This was the last model in town, and Jax went all crazy on the guy to make sure he go—”

“You talk too much!” Jax shouted. “Get out of my room, or I’m not taking you anywhere.”

I could feel the wave of Jax’s heat hit me and Finnick picked me up like I weighed nothing. “Run away!”

Kaito was walking into the living room, his katana and school bag on his back as Finnick carried me all the way to where he was.

“What did you do, Finnick?”

“Why do you immediately blame me?” Finnick gasped in hurt.

“Bri was there for a few minutes and Jax wasn’t planning to burn the dorm down,” Kaito replied.

“I feel hurt by your lack of trust in me.” Finnick blinked his eyes.

Kaito smirked but glanced over to me. “Like your new phone? Jax went through a hassle to get it.”

“I love it,” I exclaimed, unable to hold back my excitement. “Thank you, guys. All of you,” I acknowledged, leaning over to see Connor reading a book on the couch. “You too, Connor.”

He lifted his head to look our way. “Sure.”

“Connor! You have to keep Red company. Help her fix her phone. Kaito and I are going on a date!” Finnick explained.

“Date?” I asked, looking at Kaito, who yawned.

“He means I’m going to torture him at the library near Jax’s place. The final exam is on a subject he sucks at. Going to help him out,” Kaito explained.

“You’re supposed to go along with it.” Finnick pouted his lips.

“Uh-huh,” Kaito brushed him off. “You better pay attention, or I won’t tutor you again.

“Yes, sir!” Finnick stood up straight, putting his hand to his forehead in salute.

“All of you are loud.” Jax walked into the living room, his backpack on his back. “Hurry up. I’m going to be late if you guys delay me.”

“Wait! Let me get my stuff.” Finnick ran off.

“Wear proper clothes,” Kaito called. Finnick was only wearing his boxers, which made Kaito’s comment make sense.

“Connor and I will be here then,” I concluded.

Jax looked between us. “My parents leave at ten this evening. You guys can make your way to the library at nine thirty. The four of you can come over after they’re gone.”

“Really?” The three of us gasped.

“Did someone say sleepover?!” Finnick slid back into the living room, wearing black joggers and a white T-shirt, with his backpack on his shoulder.

“No one said sleepover.” Jax rolled his eyes. “I’m leaving!”

He turned around and began to walk away. “See you guys tonight.”

“Wait!” Finnick called back, grabbing onto Kaito’s hand and dragging him with him.

“I can walk,” Kaito groaned. “Bye, Connor. Bye, Brianne.”

“Bye,” Connor and I said together. Jax gave us a raised wave, while Finnick also said goodbye in a dramatic way.

In less than a minute, they were gone, leaving the dorm in comforting silence.

“Let’s set your phone up,” Connor announced.

“Okay!” I cheered.

“I’M GOING to take another nap,” Connor declared. “You can try out your phone now.”

“Thank you, Connor.” I beamed at the brand-new phone in the pink case they had bought to go with it. I was loving the phone so far, enjoying the new features I hadn’t had previously.

Connor had set everything up and even added me into their group chat.

It made me feel extra special, to receive a phone chosen by them and become a part of their exclusive chat.

Waiting till Connor closed the door to his room, I returned to staring at my contacts, deciding who I would call first.

Mom and Dad are busy. Starlight’s still on her case. Jax is driving Kaito and Finnick, and Connor is napping. Guess that leaves me with Elijah.

Scrolling down to his name, my finger hovered over his number.

What if he’s busy?

That excuse never stopped me before, but now I debated if it would be worth bugging him. I pressed on his number.

Putting the phone to my ear, I waited for him to pick up. It took five rings before he did.

“Bri?”

“Hey, Elijah,” I greeted.

“Why is your caller ID like that?” he questioned.

“My caller ID? What is it?” I inquired.

“Brianne Morgan.”

I didn’t immediately answer, trying to figure out how that even happened.

Jax said he had to tell them I was his girlfriend. Did the person think we were married or something? Dating and marriage are two different things. Probably a misunderstanding.

“It was probably a misunderstanding. The guys got me a new phone to replace my old one,” I explained.

“What?” Elijah asked. “Why did they get you one?”

“To replace the old one? You know, that accidentally fell in the pool,” I repeated, a little annoyed I had to remind him.

“Why didn’t you get your parents or sister to get you one?”

“Parents are working. So is Starlight.”

“Then you could have waited for the semester to be over,” he suggested.

“I didn’t ask the guys to buy me a phone, Elijah,” I announced, feeling irritated by his obvious suggestion. “I fully said the guys got it for me. I was planning to wait anyway.”

“Then why do you have Jax’s name on your caller ID? What if you text someone and they see?”

“Tell me. Who else am I texting aside from you, the guys, and my family?” I countered.

“Well, if you spent less time with those guys and more time trying to make friends, you’d have more people on your contact list,” he snipped back.

I was glad he wasn’t physically here to see how taken aback I was.

“What did you say?” My voice was surely an octave higher.

“All you do is spend time with the Notorious Four. When was the last time we hung out in the last four weeks of school?”

“Each time I try to invite you to something, you’re either busy, seeing your mom, or studying!” I argued. “Why is it my fault all of a sudden that you’re busy?”

“You make time to go to their houses and party!” he snapped.

“I’ve only gone to Jax’s house once! That was last weekend with the rest of the guys, AND they fully invited you!”

“Why would I want to come to hang out at his house?”

“Why not?! We had a good time and we even got some studying done.”

“Studying? What, each other?”

“What does that even mean?” I barked, starting to get annoyed. This was getting ridiculous. Who was he to suddenly judge me and my actions?

“See? Why are you so cl—”

“Stop insulting me all the time!” I snapped. “You’re always saying I’m slow, innocent, clueless. If you know that, why not make it so I understand what the hell you’re talking about?!”

Now I was angry, as I clenched my free hand into a fist.

“Well, maybe if you opened your eyes and ears and stopped acting like you’re in some kind of bubble, you’ll see what everyone else sees!” he shot back.

“What everyone else sees? Like what, Elijah?”

“All you do is spend day and night with the Notorious Four. They drop you off at class and pick you up like some lost kitten who can’t make her way back home by herself!”

“What? Why is that anyone’s business?” I huffed. “I know how to get to the dorms just fine, Elijah. Maybe the guys drop me off and pick me up because they want to ensure my safety! Did you ever think about that? Not like you’d know what’s going on anyway, seeing as when I did need your help, you were busy once again.”

He had no right to say anything. He didn’t know about those shadow beings who’d chased me. Jax did. He’d already told the other guys. Since that day, they all had taken turns taking me to class and picking me up, even if it was more of a hassle and made them late at times for their morning classes.

Either way, at least they showed more care than my own best friend, who was clearly judging me based on false information.

“Again, acting like a lost kitten.”

“What’s wrong with you?!” I shouted. “I did nothing to be mean to you and all of a sudden you’re saying all these mean things to me like I insulted you!”

“You’re making me look bad!” he grumbled.

“Making YOU look bad? And how is that happening, Elijah? Because, from your own words, we haven’t been hanging out. I don’t see how I’m affecting your image here.”

“People thought we were dating. All of a sudden you’re all into the Notorious Four. Living with them. Sleeping in the same rooms. Like jeez, did you have sex with them already?”

I was lost for words, trying not to burst into tears at his accusations.

I noticed Connor’s figure at the end of the hall, but I tried to keep it together.

“What?” It was all I could say.

“That’s only half of what’s being said about you, Brianne. You’re acting all innocent, but c’mon. You don’t have any other friends. You’re only chilling with the Notorious Four. You’re only doing well in school because all you need to do is read something once and ace it. All you do is spend time with the guys, and it shows. Look. Now they bought you a phone? As if you’re not rich enough to get it yourself. You keep making yourself look worse, and everyone’s talking about you. What’s gonna happen next semester when we have to start using magic and partnering up? You’re ruining your reputation and it’s making me look bad because they thought we were dating.”

“So you believe the rumors,” I whispered.

“Brian—”

“Yes or no, Elijah,” I confronted.

“It makes sense! Jeez. The first day of classes you teleported into my room practically kissing Jax.”

“We didn’t even kiss!” I screamed.

“That’s not what the girls at the club said, and sheesh! I saw it for myself. Stop trying to deny there’s nothing going on with you and Jax. He’s an asshole and wouldn’t simply piggyback you home from the goodness of his soul. Everyone else agrees.”

“You…told them?!”

He was quiet for a long moment. “It slipped out when they were telling me what they saw.”

“Elijah.” I had to fight not to laugh now. “You’re lecturing me about how everyone is gossiping about what I’m doing with my life, but you’re adding to that gossip by telling them stuff they don’t even need to know about!”

“Well. They’re my friends,” he argued.

“A bunch of gossiping eighteen-year-olds are your friends, but here you are judging me, implying that I’m…having S.E.X. with the Notorious Four! I’m still a damn virgin!” I snapped at him.

“Well…that’s not—”

“You have got to be kidding me!” I was on the verge of smashing this brand-new phone to the ground. “You’re going to believe a STRANGER! Someone who knows NOTHING about me, my upbringing. Like, jeez!!! You know my morals! I said I wouldn’t do any of that stuff unless it was with someone I liked!”

“‘I remember that, but you’re sleeping in the same—”

“Kaito is my roommate! I’ve said this over and over again. He’s never touched me in any way that is close to what you’re thinking about! I haven’t kissed him, or Finnick, or Connor!”

“What about Jax?”

I groaned out of frustration. “He kissed me once! It wasn’t even a thing!”

“There you go. So you do admit you kissed him!!!”

“Not at the party!” I defended.

I had had enough of this nonsense.

“What is this? An investigation of Brianne Marie Harlow and her life by the Judgemental Community of Witchling Academy?!”

“Bri—”

“You know what?! I’ve had enough.” I screamed. “You want the truth?! You want a fresh cup of tea for you?! I’ve had a crush on you for YEARS! I’ve had my eyes only on you, and even the Notorious, bad, sexy Four know that I like you!”

When he didn’t answer, I laughed out of pure frustration.

“Oh, now you’re speechless. Got nothing to say to the truth, but let the school create a river of lies and you don’t just hop in, you dive right in and support them. You don’t support your best friend who’s been there for you all the time. When your dad treated you like garbage, who was there?! When you couldn’t go home for two weeks, whose house did you stay at? I finally have a chance to meet some FRIENDS who are the opposite gender, and I’m suddenly sleeping with them?! Is that how you see me? Some…s…slut like half the girls in our classes who talk about which guy they’re after next? I had every intention of you being my first, Elijah! Yet, you couldn’t even kiss me! But I’m the innocent one. I’m the clueless dummy…who doesn’t know what people are saying about me. I’m the silly girl who gets notes in her locker calling me a slut…and whore and whatever words I never even knew until I had to google it my damn self!!!”

Tears began to stream down my face. “I called because I wanted to tell my best friend I had a phone and we could talk again, but I didn’t realize that would be ruining your reputation. The redheaded dummy is doing the Notorious Four. My hair isn’t even RED!” I screamed at the phone like it was the bringer of my pain.

“Well. Why don’t we stop being friends?” I declared, my hand trembling in my grip. “You go continue your friendships with all the gossip girls of Witchling Academy. I mean, surely, with you hanging out with girls, it doesn’t mean you’re sleeping with them, but put me in a dorm with four guys and I’m the top user in the academy. I love when the tables are turned, how innocent you look and how guilty I apparently appear. Hilarious!” I laughed, the sound nowhere near delightful.

“Delete my number. Don’t come to my house over the holiday break. If you see me in the hall, don’t even look in my direction, as I’m just ruining your image. You don’t need someone like that around you. I’ll continue my life with the four guys who actually want to know the real me, rather than listen to biased opinions and lies.”

“Bri.”

“Don’t call me that again. I never want to talk to you. Go find a girl who will bring out the best in you, because clearly, I’m not the one.”

I hung up, my breaths coming out in rapid bursts as tears streamed down my face like an overflowing river. I wanted to smash something, and for a few hot moments, I was tempted to throw the very phone I’d been gushing over minutes earlier.

I noticed Connor’s unicorn slippers in my line of vision as I stared at the floor.

“Brianne.”

“Nothing you tell me right now is going to make me feel better.”

I bet he’s going to judge me, too. My own best friend who’s known me since we were kids would rather listen to gossip than my own opinion.

“I’m not going to judge you,” he replied, as though I’d just spoken my thoughts out loud. He reached for my hand, slowly taking my phone away.

“How did you know that? I didn’t say it out loud.”

Does he read minds or something?

“Yes,” he replied. “It’s my gift.”

“Hmph.” I wanted to walk away, but he stepped in my path.

“Brianne.”

“Do you guys believe them?” I sniffed, unable to stop my tears. “When you look at me…and hear the rumors people say about me. Is that what you see?” I met his eyes, noticing how they softened.

Is that what everyone sees when they look at me?

“No.” Connor’s voice was soft but firm. “We don’t see you in that light.”

“Elijah does.” I hung my head low, my tears falling to the floor. “My best friend…thinks…I’m a…I’m a—” I began to sob, lifting my arm up to try and wipe away my tears.

“You’re not, Brianne.”

“He thinks I’m dumb. That I don’t know what’s going on,” I cried.

He really believed I didn’t know about what people were saying. That I didn’t read the mean notes and hear about all the name calling?

Connor reached for my other hand, wrapping his large one around it. “You want to know what the guys think?”

I raised my head to look at him, noticing how serious his expression was.

“You want to know what my gift tells me?”

I wasn’t sure if I wanted the truth, if hearing his words would make me feel better or worse, but Connor wouldn’t lie to me.

“What?” I replied, bracing myself for more hurt.

Connor lifted my hand, staring into it like he could read every line and path destined for me.

“I know when Kaito first met you that day, he couldn’t stop thinking about how your hair is so orange.”

I gave Connor a look, as he continued. “He wonders to himself what magic you possibly possess to keep the color like that. Whenever he comes to eat breakfast, he thinks about how you sleep so quietly and get ready without waking him up when his own sister does with the slightest movement. He doesn’t say it, but he loves when you study with him at night because it makes it less lonely,” Connor confessed. “He hates telling people that he struggles with studying because his appearances make it seem like he’s the smartest in the room. No one knows it takes him double the time, if not longer, to learn the same info as you or Jax. He’s always excited to study now because he knows you’ll stay up to keep him company.”

“He…thought about all of that?” I questioned. Connor nodded.

“He’s not the only one. Finnick loves calling you Red. He’s a joker but loves the way you pout your lips when he teases you. When he first noticed you, he liked how different you were. He stands out because of his green hair, but he doesn’t feel as out of place because of your neon orange hair. When you walk into a room, he loves that he can be goofy, and you never judge him. You laugh and giggle at his jokes, and don’t care that he isn’t the smartest. You make him feel safe and loved, even when he questions himself.”

Connor paused to take a breath, and I took the chance to ask. “What about Jax? He hates me, right? Or maybe did?”

“Jax never hated you. Jax connects with you more than any of us in our group. You don’t understand why yet, but he relates to you in many ways. He’s always been intrigued by how you can see right through him. You don’t show that you do, or maybe you yourself don’t pick up how accepting you are, but every time he sees you, he wishes you saw how unique you are. You make him want to break the rules. To do things he never thought about. He likes how you’re smart, but also cute when you don’t understand certain things. It upsets him when Elijah’s with you, and he’s more than once thought of beating him up when he’s called you clueless.”

That made me smile a little. “What…about you?” I stared into his eyes. “If…you’ve been able to read my mind. Do…you hate me?”

“I don’t hate you, Brianne,” he honestly replied. Wrapping his hand around mine, he smiled.

“When I first got to know you, I personally thought your thought process was weird. You didn’t spend time thinking about guys or what your plans were for the night. When in class, you’d focus on the lesson being presented. When we were home, you’d wonder about your family, and a few times if Elijah was okay.” He paused, taking a deep breath.

“But what made me realize how amazing you were was how well you hide your kindness.”

“My kindness?”

“You study with Kaito every night, even though it takes you one read-through to remember something not just for a test, but for life,” he revealed. My eyes grew wide at being caught.

“How…”

“When you study with us, you repeat the exact passages in your head, while one of us reads it out loud. You’re more gifted than people think, but you never want to be perceived that way. You don’t mind studying with the others, because the company helps you not worry about Elijah, even though deep down, you’ve accepted that he may never return your feelings.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “What else do you know?”

“I know that you always worry that you’ll Spell Travel randomly and scare us away. You worry every day that a rumor will spread and that we’ll believe it. For weeks now, you’ve received mean notes in your locker and always put them in your pocket, especially when Jax is around. You don’t want him getting mad and worrying, only throwing the papers out in the garbage can in your room so no one will find them. The gossip spreading across the school frightens you. When you’re deep in thought, you wonder if the world only sees you based off the lies people are telling of you, and are afraid that no one, including us, will want to hang with you. You’ve thought of how hard high school was, dealing with the same issues because you were a Harlow. The only difference was people pairing you with Elijah, but you didn’t mind as much because you wished that eventually, you two would be together.”

“I feel as though your gift needs a filter,” I mumbled.

“I wish it had one, but I try to zone it out,” he replied.

“If you don’t hate me,” I began. “And know all of this, why are you okay with me being around?”

“Why should I not want you around?” he countered. “I’m not one for words. I hate talking. I get headaches due to my gift, and that’s why I keep to myself. You never thought I was antisocial like everyone else. You still treat me like the others. You include me in things, and though I lack a sense of emotion in many situations, you’re still my friend. You still acknowledge me.”

Placing my phone down, he gently patted my head.

“None of the guys in the Notorious Four hate you, Brianne. Many people paint us as a group of guys that aren’t even close to who we are. You’re the first to be willing to learn about us, and we appreciate that. I know it’s hard to listen to all the stuff being said, but it doesn’t determine who you are. We know who you are, and if Elijah won’t open his eyes and accept it, then that’s not your problem.”

“Connor? Can…I ask one more thing?” I tried to think about it, to find a better way of saying my direct thought.

Does…Elijah not like me?

“Elijah…sees you. It’s just…” he struggled to explain, which was enough for me.

“Thanks, Connor.” I gave him the best smile I could offer. “Maybe Finnick was right. I should move on.”

“The ways people see us can change, Brianne. It’s just up to them and not us,” he concluded.

I understood what he was saying. It just made it harder to accept, because it was the truth.

“Well…today sucks.” I laughed.

Connor didn’t say anything, but I watched him walk back to his room. It took him a minute before he returned, holding a rainbow-colored swirly lollipop.

“Here.” He offered me the candy.

I took it, slowly scanning the clear wrapper. “A lollipop?”

He nodded. “For someone with my gift…the world is really noisy. My migraines make it hard, and sometimes, the pressure of it all makes me lose sight of color.”

“You see the world in black and white?” I questioned.

“Not always, but on those bad days, yes.” He reached out to tug off the wrapper, unveiling the lollipop. “I like colorful items because they stand out. Objects with various bright colors shine through to me, even if I’m having a black and white moment. Like your orange hair,” he emphasized.

I blushed slightly at his comment.

“I like sweets, but most importantly, the colors always make me happy or cheer me up when I’m sad. I don’t like that you’re sad. Therefore, here’s a lollipop to brighten up the rest of the day.”

“Connor…” I smiled, happy that he was here to comfort me. “Thanks for not judging me.”

“I didn’t when I barely knew you. I wouldn’t now. Neither would the guys. You’re one of us now. Just in a girl version.” He looked confused for a second. “Whatever.” He patted my head again. “Want to watch some shows? No point in studying.”

“Okay,” I replied, taking a lick of the lollipop. “Sweet.”

“Like it?”

“Yeah,” I admitted. “Coloring my world with each second.”

“Good.” Connor smiled. He offered his hand. “Let’s chill.”

“Okay.” I squeezed his hand.

It’s time I move forward. Sorry, Elijah. It’s over.

12

DEATH THREATS?

~THREE WEEKS LATER~

“TODAY SUCKS,” I muttered under my breath, ignoring the whispers and giggles in the hall.

Today was not the day for people to annoy me. I’d already had it with some girl today, who tried to “test” my patience.

She tested it all right, and in return got a lovely bucket of ice water poured down on her. Serves her right.

I wasn’t normally like this. I’d been handling the gossip, the continued notes. Jeez, I’d been ignoring the daily death threats at this point, but when Mother Nature hit you in the stomach with a load of cramps, all bets were off.

Being a female sucked at this moment.

All I wanted to do now was curl up in bed with a hot pad and sleep. I still had one more class, my magic travel class, but I wasn’t even feeling up for it. I’m sure people had noticed my angry mood.

Even the guys had been keeping a distance today. They at least showed some concern and asked if I was feeling okay during lunch.

What annoyed me more was seeing Elijah with three girls this afternoon when I was heading to class. Those three girls included Elisha, Jax’s ex.

No wonder he believed whatever lies she was feeding him. I heard at the beginning of this semester that she was bad news. She was the queen of gossip and now I was her target.

Made sense. I apparently stole her man.

It didn’t even make sense when I hadn’t known Jax prior to my attendance at this school, but did anyone really care about the truth? Nope.

“Brianne!”

I stopped mid-stride, looking back to see Jax was trying to catch up to me. I waited for him to catch up, unable to muster even a smile as we began to walk again toward my locker.

“Hey. Are you okay?” He sounded annoyed, but I was positive it wasn’t directed at me.

“I wanna go home,” I mumbled. “Or be anywhere but here right now.”

“Are you not feeling well?” he asked. “You weren’t looking too hot at lunch.”

I gave him the side eye, reaching my locker. Opening it up without a thought, I watched as five new sheets of paper fell to the ground. I merely stared at them, rolling my eyes at the expected list of threats today.

“Are those important?”

“No.” I began to stuff my bags with my books, deciding right there I wasn’t going to my next class. My body ached, my cramps were killing me, and if I had to go to the washroom one more time, I’d literally lose it.

I just want to nap!

“Brianne,”

“What, Jax?” I whined, only now noticing his eyes were scanning the sheet of paper in his hand.

One of the sheets of papers that held a lovely row of death threats.

“What. Is. This?” The way his voice seethed with anger stopped my pity party in its tracks.

When I didn’t answer, his raging eyes met mine. “Brianne?”

“Death threats. What else?” I shrugged.

“How long have you been getting these?”

“Weeks now? Two-thirds of the semester? I don’t know,” I mumbled. “Don’t even bother. Not like I’ll find out who it’s from anyway.” I closed my locker and put my bag on my shoulder. “I’m going home.”

“Brianne.” Jax tried to talk to me, but I began to walk away. I’d had enough of today. I thought I’d be the strong girl and be able to handle coming to school on the second day of my period.

What a fool I was.

I could already imagine Starlight shaking her head and using all the examples in the past of why my family never let me go to school during the first three days of my period.

At least I hadn’t killed anyone…yet.

Someone bumped into me, the impact enough to push me back. I fell on my ass, needing a second to process what just happened.

The person — who I realized was a guy — began to laugh, pointing his finger at me. “Oops. Should I be apologizing to the slut of Witchling Academy.” He laughed, a few girls down the hall joining in on dramatics. “I bet your parents are ashamed of having a daughter like you. Do you pay to get good grades?”

I slowly got up, ignoring the shot of pain I was feeling after that random fall.

Calm down, Brianne. Sis ain’t here to bail you out if you lose your cool. Just walk away.

“Why don’t you go jump off a bridge? About time you listened to all those notes being shoved in your locker,” he declared.

A few others were laughing and adding to the mockery, causing me to stop in place. A second guy stepped out of the crowd.

“Where’d your boyfriend go? You were the one he dumped her for.” This tall guy walked right up to me, shoving my shoulder like we were the same height and age. “What’s so great about you? Nothing to see here.”

I gave him a wide smirk. “Touch me again, and I’ll send you flying into the nearest classroom and I won’t even get suspended.”

My words were ice cold, but this guy laughed in response. “Aww. Are you threatening me? I heard from that…ah. Your ex. Or was he one of your boy toys? Your sister can’t come and fight your battles for you. Just because you’re a Harlow, you think everyone wants you on their side. That doesn’t work on me,” he taunted.

A loud crashing noise caused everyone to jump, and I looked back to see the other guy who’d bumped into me was struggling to get out of the row of lockers he’d been thrown against.

I looked at Jax, noticing his hair and how it had an illuminated golden glow. His eyes were burning like dancing flames, and his eyes were now on the guy in front of me.

“Keep pushing my buttons and I’ll get both of you kicked out of this school,” he declared.

The guy before me frowned, rolling his eyes like he didn’t believe Jax.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Junior President. Didn’t think you were powerful enough to revoke my attendance to this school.”

He shoved me to the side, hard enough for me to crash into the lockers to my left. “Oops? Your girlfriend was in the way. Why don’t you come over here and talk to your senior properly?”

He didn’t just touch me again.

My brain needed five seconds to process everything. And that was all I needed.

Everyone froze at the glass-shattering sound that followed.

I went from pushing off the lockers to sending the tall jerk into the next classroom, which just so happened to be Professor Phoenix’s.

All the students blinked, no one saying a word. Even Jax was rendered silent, his flaming eyes were wide with shock. I walked up to him and took his hand. Looking at Professor Phoenix, I spoke.

“I’m not coming to class today, Professor Phoenix.” My voice was devoid of emotion.

She looked back down at the tall jerk and then at me.

“All right. Make sure you read the next chapter for the test tomorrow.”

With a nod, I looked at the guy who bumped into me, noticing how he shivered on the floor. When he looked up at me, he whimpered, bracing himself for what he perceived would be his turn to go flying into the classroom.

“Next time you or ANYONE bumps into me, I’ll make sure I tear your body into shreds. Do you think I’m joking? Go look it up!” I fumed and kicked the locker right next to him for extra emphasis.

Glaring at everyone in the hall, I caught onto Elijah’s eyes. I didn’t even acknowledge him, gripping Jax’s hand and tugging him forward.

The hall full of students parted like the Red Sea, giving us a chance to head straight to the exit doors of the building.

Jax didn’t say a word the whole way back to the dorms. Even when we were in the elevator, he was silent, but he continued to hold my hand.

When we entered the dorm, Finnick slid from his stool near the island while Connor stopped mid-stride to the kitchen.

“Bria..” Finnick trailed off.

Whether he sensed my bad mood or could feel the energy radiating off of me, he didn’t continue. I let go of Jax’s hand, walking past Finnick and Connor and heading straight to my room.

Slamming the door shut, I threw my bag in the nearest corner, only then noticing Kaito was sitting on his bed. He was staring at me like I was crazy, but I didn’t care.

I walked to my bed, lifted the blanket, slipped under the covers and closed my eyes.

Sleep. All I care about now is sleep.

“BRIANNE.”

Kaito’s gentle voice brought me out of sleep. Opening my eyes slightly, I noticed he was kneeling down next to my bed, staring at me.

I wasn’t sure why he was there, but I noticed the concern etched into his face.

“How are you feeling?”

My eyes began to close, but Kaito called my name again. “Brianne?”

“Sleepy.”

“Why don’t you eat dinner first? Or you can go shower and then have some soup and sleep?” Kaito suggested.

Now that I thought about it, a warm shower would help my aches, and I was hungry. With a few extra seconds of mental debate, I lifted my head enough to nod.

Kaito grinned, reaching out to gently stroke my cheek. “I’ll be back, okay?”

“Okay,” I replied.

Watching him leave, I slowly sat up and rubbed my eyes. After scanning the empty room, I finally got up and grabbed a new set of clothes, feeling annoyed that I slept in my uniform.

As I showered, I recalled what had happened earlier.

Serves them right.

Only my family and Elijah knew where my strength lay. Sure, I could read anything once and store it in my brain like a magic encyclopedia, but what made me dangerous was my ability to enhance those spells in a short time frame.

Regardless of how long a spell usually took to cast, I could make it happen in seconds with triple the firepower. That power grew based on my emotions. It was why I tried to remain calm and give the impression that I was quiet. It was safer when no one knew how powerful you were.

I wouldn’t necessarily categorize it as a second gift, because it didn’t feel that way. My sister could do the same and it was what had saved her during the blast that killed the rest of her team.

However, I did have a second gift. One that only my family knew. Not even Elijah was aware of it.

At this point, maybe he never would be.

With our friendship on the outs, I was kind of happy I hadn’t told him everything about it. Sure, he knew about my many strengths, but not a lot of my weaknesses.

In this, getting my period was a typical woman thing and all it did was make me into an angry, no patience Witchling. At least today, that was a good thing to teach those guys a lesson.

After my long shower, I changed into black shorts and a pink t-shirt. Putting my hair up in a ponytail, I walked back into the room to see Kaito was back; the aroma of the bowl of steaming soup enveloped the room.

I smiled, and my stomach took a break on trying to kill me, now requesting the warm, seducing delight of broccoli and cheese soup.

Kaito smiled when he saw me. “You look a lot better.”

“Yeah,” I replied, sitting back on the bed and crossing my legs. I’d try and see if we had a heating pad of some sort for my stomach later, knowing I wouldn’t be out of the woods until tomorrow.

Kaito passed me the bowl, and after a few blows, I began to eat through it. He sat down on the floor, watching me eat. It wasn’t awkward being watched by him. It gave me a comforting feeling almost, to know that he cared.

Once the bowl was half empty, I paused my slurping spree to address what happened.

“Sorry about earlier,” I announced.

He shrugged. “Jax explained what happened. “His face grew serious as his eyes darkened. “How long have you been getting those death threats?”

“Weeks now? It was only once every few days, but since…” I trailed off.

“Since?” he pressed.

“Since Elijah and I stopped being friends, it became once a day. Last week it upgraded to three times.” With a sigh, I stared at my bowl.

“This may be TMI, but I get really bad cramps during that time of the month.” I took a peek at Kaito, who looked completely calm and focused on me.

Since he wasn’t weirded out by my statement, I continued. “The first three days are the worst, and it causes me to get mood swings. I normally stay at home because they get really bad. I can go from my normal shy self to psycho killer in seconds. I don’t have patience or tolerance, and things trigger me quickly. The last time I attempted to go to school during those three days, I almost killed a guy…or two. I don’t really remember.”

“So you normally stay home?”

“Yup.” I nodded, returning to slurping my soup. I had a bit more before I carried on. “My sister deals with something similar and takes meds for it, but I’m not old enough to take those pills yet. That’s why I stay home.”

“You were fine last month?” he asked.

“I don’t get my period regularly.” I had no clue why I was being this open about this to Kaito when he wasn’t a girl. Even the word ‘period’ bugged Elijah out.

Kaito acted like it was a normal thing.

To be honest, it was a normal thing girls went through, but I hadn’t seen a guy take such information so calmly.

“Ah. So every two to three months?” he asked. I nodded. “It’s not abnormal for my family. My sister is the same and so is my mom, so nothing is necessarily wrong with me. With our exams approaching, I didn’t want to miss class, but…today was hard,” I confessed, giving him a sad look.

“Was the talk too much?” Kaito whispered.

“Yes,” I replied. “I always ignore it and try to distract myself. I really did try, but I was in so much pain. Walking hurt and sitting only reminded me of my stomach’s mission to kill me from the inside out. My head was pounding throughout second and third period, and I had no appetite during lunch, only to be hungry right when class started. My body was aching and all I wanted to do was come home and sleep. Jax saw the death threats in my locker and got mad, but I didn’t care. I wanted to sleep. Then this guy came from nowhere and purposely bumped into me. I was already in pain, and it just made it worse. When he did it again, it was harder and had me crashing into the lockers. I hate being touched during my period, and I wasn’t going to be picked on when I’d been as nice as I could be all semester.”

“You have patience. I was more surprised that Jax didn’t kill both of them,” Kaito commented.

“They were seniors.”

“Jax wouldn’t give two cents. Them being seniors didn’t stop them from receiving a warning from the Dean.”

“Huh?” I asked.

“Once you passed out and Jax explained what happened, he and Connor went back to school because the Dean requested their presence. Since the damages to the lockers and the classroom caught a lot of attention, she wanted to know what happened.”

“Did they get in trouble?” I nervously bit my lip.

Kaito shook his head. “The Dean and professors here all know the council members don’t lose their cool over nothing. Jax gives his usual ‘leave me alone’ impression, but all the administration knows it’s a facade. Jax is like his dad, who acts in a similar manner. He’s well known in the magic community, which is why those who know him understand Jax better than most students who idolize him.”

With a shrug, he continued. “Connor revealed you’ve been getting death threats and notes all semester but didn’t say anything because you didn’t want to bother anyone. Professor Phoenix showed up and said she wouldn’t tolerate the bullying of an excelling student. She already has the list of students doing it. They’re going to wait till after our exams, to see if anyone will continue to put threats in your locker. Confronting them now would make it seem like you told them after the incident.”

“They want them to think no one is paying attention to what they’re doing,” I concluded.

“Yup,” Kaito agreed. “But next time, tell us when someone is bullying or targeting you.”

“It’s not a big deal,” I mumbled, returning to finishing my soup.

“Brianne.”

I paused in lifting my spoon to my mouth. I noticed his focused gaze. “What?”

“Seriously. For Jax’s sake?”

“Why Jax?” I asked, lowering my spoon. “I don’t want you guys babying me. I can stand up for myself.”

“We’re not babying you. It’s just…” He took a deep breath. “Just trust me, all right? I can’t explain why. It’s not my story to tell, but Jax doesn’t handle that stuff well.”

I wonder why? It’s not like he’s getting bullied.

“All right.” I wouldn’t argue over it. “If anything troubles me at school, I’ll let one of you guys know.”

“Good.” He smiled and rose up.

“Where are you going?” I asked before slurping the rest of my soup.

“To wash your bowl.” He winked and reached for the empty bowl in my hand.

“I can do it.”

“Nah.” He shook his head. “You’re on relax time until your cramps settle.”

“You say it so casually,” I noted. “Isn’t it, like, weird to you?”

“My sister becomes a completely different person on her period. I guess I don’t blame you guys, but I’m used to the topic. It’s a normal thing.”

“If only all guys were that mature,” I muttered to myself. I’m sure Kaito heard me as he left the room. It wasn’t long till he was back, bringing with him a heating pad and chocolate.

“Is that milk chocolate?” I gawked at the large bar. “That’s huge!”

“Finnick went and bought it. Don’t know why he got the huge one, but he’s an overachiever at random times. Connor picked up the heating pad when he came back to the dorms, and Jax was the one to make the soup,” Kaito explained.

“You guys…” I tried to figure out what to say.

Kaito offered me the heating pad. “There’s nothing to say. We take care of each other.”

With a grin, I accepted the heating pad and stared at the chocolate. “Can we eat it all together?”

It’ll be nice to share it with everyone.

“Sure.” Kaito smirked.

“Meow!” Luna ran into the room, hopping onto my bed and straight into my lap.

“Hi, Luna,” I greeted. She purred in response, seconds before Finnick came sliding into the room.

“I’ve arrived!” he said dramatically.

“Where do you get this energy from?” Kaito said casually.

“Admit it. You’re amazed by my charm,” Finnick declared.

“No one said anything about charm,” Kaito groaned.

“What are you doing here, Finnick?” I asked.

“Connor said you wanted to eat together,” Finnick replied. Jax and Connor walked in then, both of them holding trays with glasses of milk.

“My bad,” Connor apologized.

“We brought some milk,” Jax declared. “Kaito said milk and chocolate go well together.”

“They do!” Finnick exclaimed. “Hey, Red. Are you feeling okay now?”

“I’m fine, thank you.” I smiled at them. “Shouldn’t we study, though?”

“We can study this weekend. Let’s just chill,” Finnick encouraged.

“You’re the one who’s going to whine when you don’t understand stuff the day before the exam,” Kaito predicted.

“Don’t jinx me,” Finnick said. “I believe in my brains.”

“After I’ve drilled them with information from the next four tutoring sessions we have,” Kaito huffed.

Finnick groaned. “You’re horrible.”

“We just need to pass. That’s a C. You should be fine,” Connor acknowledged.

Jax lowered the tray onto our study desk in the room, walking over to give me a glass of milk. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I replied with a wide smile. “Thanks for earlier.”

“Hmmm.” He slowly nodded. “Sorry I couldn’t do more.”

“Not your fault. You have a position to uphold. Acting solely on emotion can get you in trouble.”

Accepting the glass of milk, I stared into his golden eyes. “I do appreciate you standing up for me. Thank you.”

His cheeks began to grow red as he glanced away. “N-No problem.”

“Hey, is Jax blushing?” Finnick exclaimed.

Jax’s face only grew redder as he glared at Finnick. “Why are you even here?! Go study.”

“What?! I thought we were going to relax. Kaito!” Finnick hid behind Kaito, who rolled his eyes.

“Why are you hiding behind me like I can protect you?”

Connor grinned at the two of them, leaving me wondering what thoughts were drifting into his mind from those two.

Glancing back at Jax, I met his eyes, noticing that he had been staring at me.

“What?” I whispered.

“Nothing,” he replied. “Just…happy you’re okay, that’s all.”

“I’m okay,” I reassured him. “Let’s relax.”

“Sounds good,” he replied, gently stroking Luna’s head.

At least now the death threats will hopefully stop. Maybe I should rely on them more?

13

PASSING AND FAMILY DINNER

“Ipassed! Kaito, look!” Finnick cheered, hopping around the room like he was a bunny.

Kaito was enjoying a cup of tea while Connor was reading a book, both of them having already reviewed their passing grades.

“At least it proves you actually pay attention when we study,” Kaito stated. Even if he was trying to be harsh, his voice and proud smile contradicted his efforts.

“No winter studying,” Connor added.

“Yes!” Finnick cheered, running up to where I stood next to the island. “Red, look! I got an A-minus! I never get A’s in school! This is a miracle. No, this calls for a celebration.” He hugged me.

I giggled and patted his back. “Congrats, Finnick.”

“Wait till next semester. He’s going to have to study every day,” Kaito revealed.

“No, I won’t,” Finnick pulled back to look over his shoulder. “Next semester is when the real juicy stuff happens. I’m amazing at magic. I’ll finally be able to show off my amazing skills and look hot while doing it.”

“He’s going to start wearing a fancier wardrobe to make himself look attractive.” Kaito sighed dramatically.

“Fancier wardrobe? What would make him look more attractive?” I wondered.

“A cape,” Connor concluded.

I waited for him to continue but when he didn’t, I looked at Finnick. “You wear a cape?”

“Yes!” He stood there proudly. “Adding a cape adds to the wizardly appeal. I’ll have all the girls wooing and cheering for me once I get to demonstrate my powerful magic and gift.”

“Hmm. I don’t know what your gift is. Or Kaito’s,” I admitted.

“A mystery,” Finnick hummed. Kaito finished his tea, a gentle smile forming on his lips.

“You’ll find out next semester, Bri.” He winked.

“Okay.” I wasn’t in a rush to figure it out. With next semester approaching, we were ditching the books and focusing solely on skills.

I loved studying and reading, but magic was where things got fun and interesting.

“Kaito. Connor. Want to come with me to get our stuff from the council room? We may need it over the break,” Finnick suggested.

“Sure,” they both replied, rising up from the couch.

“Where’s Jax?” I asked.

“I think he’s napping,” Finnick replied. “You can check his room.”

“All right,” I replied. “We’re going to the festival tonight, right?”

“Yes,” the three of them cheered. “We’ll text you when we’re done with council room,” Kaito stated.

“There’s going to be fireworks at ten tonight. We don’t want to miss those,” Finnick stressed. “They’re super amazing.”

“Colorful,” Connor added.

“Then you guys better hurry up,” I encouraged, shooing them to the door. “I’ll text you!”

Once they left, I quickly cleaned up the lounge area and went to check on Jax. Noticing his door was open, I poked my head inside to see he was staring at his phone.

“Jax?”

The room was silent, his golden eyes still glued to the phone. It didn’t seem as though he was reading anything, but his mind must have been deep in concentration in regard to whatever he was looking at.

Walking into the room, I stood right in front of him. “Jax?”

Again, he didn’t answer. I gently placed my hand on his shoulder. “Jax?”

He quickly looked up, finally being pulled out of whatever daze he was in.

“Brianne? When did you get here?”

“A minute ago. I called your name twice before,” I explained, noticing the worry in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

I was sure he wasn’t distracted due to his grades because I saw he got a perfect score. He’d been happy, and we even joked about us both getting perfect scores, which meant we’d duel next time when it came to who was smarter.

“I don’t think I can come celebrate with you guys.” He already looked disappointed.

“Why? I thought your parents weren’t coming until tomorrow?”

Today was Thursday, but we had tomorrow off since we’d already received our final grades for the semester.

“They were…but they decided we’re having dinner today.”

“Are they doing it on purpose?” I asked. “You told them we had plans to celebrate.”

“I did.”

“You shared that you did well, too?” I questioned.

“Yes.”

“Then?”

He took a deep inhale, letting it out slowly. “I think they want to discuss me getting back with Elisha.”

WHAT? Hold on. Back up.

“Why?” I immediately asked. “She’s been talking horribly about you all semester after the breakup. Why would your parents…” I paused. “Your mom wants you to get back with her?”

Seeing as it was his dad who’d supported him breaking up with Elisha, it had to be his mom’s idea.

“Elisha did poorly this semester and her family is blaming it on the breakup. Saying I was a good match for her.”

“How are her grades the determiner of your happiness? She’s spent all her time saying horrible things about you. How would getting back together help Elisha? It would make her look bad for trying to ruin your reputation and then going back to dating you,” I voiced.

“Why are you angry all of a sudden?” he asked in bewilderment.

I hadn’t even realized I was angry.

“Because your parents can’t keep determining what is best for you! They control how you spend your weekends and Friday evenings, and you cooperate without a fuss. Why are they trying to force you into a relationship with someone you don’t like?”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I was going to go early and try to figure it out, but I’ll probably miss the early festivities. I could try and make it to the fireworks, but…um. Yeah,” From how unsure he sounded, I knew he wasn’t confident that he’d make it at all.

“What if you tell them you’re interested in someone else?” I suggested.

“I’d have to introduce her to them.” He lowered his head. “This is so embarrassing.”

Jax…

“Let’s go!” I declared.

“What?”

“We’re going to your family dinner!” I was motivated with pure dedication to get Jax out of this mess. Reaching for his free hand, I tugged as I turned to the door. “C’mon. We’ll go now!”

“Brianne, wait. Why are—” he didn’t finish as the swirling sensation rushed around us.

We both gasped when we went from standing to crashing into a bed.

I heard Jax groan, the vibration right next to my left ear. Lifting my head up, I noticed I was resting on top of him and we were currently in his home bedroom.

“Your teleporting really does what it wants,” Jax grumbled.

“Spell—”

“Yes, yes. Spell Traveling. Your gift,” he replied, but I noticed the amusement in his voice. “Are you sure about this?”

I sat up. “Positive!”

Glancing down at my attire, I followed up with, “As long as I can change. I don’t think this is very appropriate.”

“Not sure. I like when you wear shorts or skirts. Shows off your legs.” He winked.

The way he said it had my heart skipping a beat and my stomach doing somersaults. My cheeks grew hot and I slapped his chest.

“Ow.”

“Don’t say silly things,” I grumbled and got off him.

He chuckled and sat up. “Brianne?”

I looked back at him, noticing the hint of relief in his eyes. “Are you sure about this? What if your parents find out?”

“Don’t worry. I have a plan.” I winked, a small grin forming on my lips as I pulled out my phone.

Let’s make this family dinner a successful one.

“BREANNE, WAS IT?”

“Brianne,” I corrected, slicing a piece of my steak with my knife.

“Yes, Brianne. What was your recent score for this semester? I know Witchling Academy is very easy in the first semester with no magic and all. I’m curious how you’ve ranked.”

I sweetly smiled, lifting my gaze from my plate to look right into Jax’s mother’s gold eyes. “I obtained a perfect score, ma’am.”

She blinked, caught off guard by my response, giving me the perfect opportunity to continue. “You’re correct about the first semester. It was very basic, and knowledge-focused. We were tested on simple magic spells and the general history of how Witchling Academy came to be. I’d call it…foolproof.”

Cutting into another part of my steak, I carried on. “I’m sure for individuals like Jax or the rest of his friends, that test was a walk in the park. To fail it is a demonstration that the witch or wizard did no studying throughout the semester. The topics tested are actually in the outlined syllabus we obtained at the beginning of the semester. That’s exactly why it’s foolproof.”

The tension in the room was palpable; both Jax and his father, who sat on the side ends of the table, were completely quiet. I’m sure neither of them wanted to interrupt the tense vibes bouncing between Jax’s mother and me.

I could see why she wanted everything to go her way, which included Jax’s love life. Her appearance alone demonstrated precision and perfection.

Even now, she wore a black business suit, while her short reddish hair was neatly combed down to one side. Jax had similar characteristics, but so far, she always looked extremely serious. No matter what the topic was, it was ranked up there with succeeding at a job interview.

Her husband, on the other hand, was a little more casual in a white dress shirt and black pants. He was the older spitting image of Jax. The only difference was that he had dark orange eyes and his long hair was a dark golden shade.

I’d used magic to dress up, wearing a black skirt, white short-sleeved dress shirt that was made out of silk, and a black and white blazer. I felt more like I was going to a fashionable business show than having dinner with Jax’s family.

“Interesting. Are you saying that Witchling Academy’s entry semester academics aren’t up to a challenging standard?” Jax’s mother questioned.

“Challenging isn’t the best word to portray such an individualized experience. Curriculum that is easy for me can be extremely hard for another. I simply believe that the semester one curriculum is generalized to accommodate all acceptees. It’s an introduction, just as it should be. We all get a term to try, and the exams and literature we obtain during the weeks determine if we have a chance of being successful or not.” I answered in as sophisticated a way as I could.

I could handle situations like these because of my many fake interviews with Starlight, back when she was practicing getting into Witchling Star Agency.

Jax’s mother was acting intimidating on purpose. She didn’t know my family background yet, giving her no knowledge of who I was other than the girl Jax was interested in.

“What are your expectations of Semester Two?” she questioned. “It’s still the first year of Witchling. Why would another semester be different?”

“Semester Two is going to give us a glimpse of what will be expected of us in year two. Semester One tests our knowledge capacity. Semester Two, from my understanding, will test our magic skills and endurance. Many people can specialize in one thing, whether it be academics or mage skills. It’s difficult to be good at both. Semester Two will be the trial for that before we enter year two, at which point everything will get harder.”

Jax’s dad cleared his throat, grabbing our attention as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “May I ask how old you are, Brianne?”

“I’m sixteen, sir,” I replied.

“Sixteen?” Jax’s mother raised an eyebrow at me.

“Yes, ma’am. I was gifted at a very young age, which allowed me to skip two grades. With an additional intellectual and magic exam, I was approved to apply to any magic school. I chose Witchling Academy because I felt it would help enhance my magic at a faster rate, as opposed to a school solely focused on teaching us magic rather than applying it,” I answered.

The two of them exchanged a look. I took the chance to check on Jax, who looked a little nervous and sorry for me. I gave him a small smile, returning my attention to his parents. “Is that a problem?”

“No,” Jax’s father replied. “You’re just very intelligent for your age.”

“I thank my parents and sister for that. They were very supportive of my interest in spell books and magic at an early age.” I nodded my head proudly.

“May I ask what your full name is, Brianne?”

“Brianne Marie Harlow. I’m sure you’ve heard of my parents? They’re on the magic council of this district. My sister is Starlight Marie Harlow. She’s the top agent at Witchling Star Agency. She’s in the news a lot. You know, stopping crime and all,” I humbly bragged, noticing the growing shock on Jax’s parents’ faces.

His mother composed herself quickly. “Is that so? Yes, I know your parents very well. They are diligent workers in the field of magic and are very powerful. I’ve also heard about your older sister. She’s made a name for herself in the agency.” She sat a little taller.

“I’m glad. Hopefully, my time will come and I’ll figure out what I’d like to specialize in. For now, my focus is on doing well at school,” I admitted.

Jax’s father looked impressed. “Brianne? I’m sure Jax has told you of his interest in you, correct?”

I figured this would happen, and I put on the calm mask I’d set out for myself. If this were another situation, I’d be embarrassed by the question, but since I was playing a certain role, his inquiry didn’t faze me.

“I am aware,” I replied with a small smile.

“Do you think if we did give approval for you two to date, it would affect your grades in any way?”

“No,” I replied earnestly, glancing between the two of them. “Grades and dating are in two different categories. We’re just getting to know each other. That shouldn’t affect either of our grades.”

“What about dates?” Jax’s mother questioned, wearing a smug smile. “Those take time and money.”

“Dates don’t have to be expensive. I don’t have much experience in the matter, but I’m not one to go to fancy restaurants and I have little interest in common, overly-hyped movies. A date can be studying for a test or eating lunch in a park. As for money, that isn’t a problem. I have my own income I’ve saved since I was six. I don’t need to rely on my parents or sister unless the item of purchase requires their presence or signature, which, when it comes to dates, wouldn’t be necessary,” I elaborated.

Jax’s dad was smiling from ear to ear, while his mother looked slightly irritated with my well-rounded answer. “Intriguing,” she replied.

My phone began to vibrate followed by a ringtone that told me my mom was calling me. “Excuse me. It’s my mother,” I announced.

“Feel free to answer,” Jax’s dad encouraged.

Answering the phone, I greeted my mom.

“Hello? Good evening, Mother. Yes, I’m at the Morgan’s residence having dinner. Yes, Mother. Mrs. Morgan with the lovely red hair and nice dress code. Oh, really? I didn’t know you two knew one another.” I peeked a glance at Jax’s mom, who was cutting into her food that was surely cold.

I did notice the slight blush of her cheeks against her pale skin.

“Yes. I’ve yet to tell them that you’ve seen Jax and are very impressed with his representation of the Morgan family. I’ll make sure to tell them. Yes.”

Jax looked confused, but he returned to eating his meal as I nodded my head in understanding.

“Thank you, Mother. We’ve just gotten onto the topic. I’m sure whatever happens, I’ll call you right back before the festivals,” I voiced. “Oh? I didn’t tell you?”

I noticed Jax’s parent’s gazes were on me as I continued. “Yes. There’s a festival happening tonight. It’s celebrating all those who scored in the top ten percent in the junior division. I should be making my way there if I want to see the fireworks on time. No, no. It’s not necessary to pick me up. After the fireworks, they acknowledge all those who got perfect scores and we give a motivational speech to the crowd. It’s going to be a good representation for the Harlow family and whoever else got perfect scores. I’ll make sure someone takes a picture if I can. All right. I will tell them you send your greetings. Thank you, Mother. Goodnight.” I hung up the phone and smiled at Jax’s parents, who looked confused.

“Festival?” Jax’s dad questioned.

“Yes,” I replied, looking at Jax. “You didn’t tell them yet?”

“Uh. It slipped my mind. You know with exams and all,” he nervously replied.

“That makes sense.” I beamed, returning to look at his mom and dad. “There’s a festival happening right now. The beginning isn’t too important, but after the fireworks, there’s a mini celebration for those who excelled at school for this semester. I wouldn’t want to miss it, but I figured this was also important.”

“When does the firework show start?” Jax’s dad questioned.

“In about…ten minutes. Wow, I hadn’t realized it had gotten this late. I wouldn’t want to be tardy. I know Jax had completely forgotten about it, but it’s pretty important, especially since he’s the Junior President of Witchling Academy.”

I picked my napkin up to make sure my lip was clean of any food.

“I don’t have to—” Jax, began but his mom cut him off.

“Jax. It wouldn’t be proper for you to let Brianne head to the festival on her own.” She patted her lips with a napkin and sat taller. “I can see that my son has some interest in you, Brianne, and seeing as your parents are aware of this interest, I don’t see any problems with you two dating. As long as you both do well school-wise.”

“Yes,” Jax’s dad agreed. “We’d like you two to continue getting good grades. Brianne? Thank you for taking the time to come over on short notice. You two should be on your way if you want to make it for that acknowledgment ceremony.”

“Thank you so much.” I smiled at both of them with a bow of my head. “Dinner was delightful.”

Jax looked completely shocked, unable to say anything. I reached out to place my hand on his. “Jax? We’re going to be late.”

“Oh. Right! We’ll get there on time. Mom and Dad, thank you for the amazing dinner and for meeting Brianne tonight. I really appreciate your approval.” Jax pulled out from his chair and gave them a half bow.

“Be on your way,” Jax’s mother encouraged.

“Thank you,” I said sweetly. “Please make sure you have a restful night,” I directed to both of them.

Success!

14

NIGHT IS STILL YOUNG

Jax closed the door and turned to face me.

“How?! This has to be a dream. Did you really just convince my parents to not only ditch Elisha but to allow us to go to the festival?”

I grinned in triumph, relieved that I could finally show my emotions. Sitting on his bed and resting one leg on the other, I casually shrugged.

“I don’t know. It could have all been my magic charm.” I winked for extra emphasis.

He rolled his eyes. “Finnick is rubbing off on you,”

“That’s not a bad thing.” I giggled before I shot up off the bed. “How are we going to get back to school on time?”

“I have an idea,” he replied. “But I have another question.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Was that really your mom on the phone?” he asked.

“Yup.” I nodded, pulling out my phone.

Going into the call logs, I showed him my screen; the top contact read MOMMY HARLOW in capitals.

“She’s in on the plan?” Jax gawked at me.

“I enlisted her when you went to shower before we left the dorms. I don’t normally call her, so she always picks up when I do. She already knows a little bit about you guys from my sister, since I’ve been texting her weekly updates all semester long. I told her that your parents wanted you to go back with your ex, but she’s been bullying both of us all semester,” I explained.

“What did she say?”

“She asked for Elisha’s name and looked her up. Not only did she notice her bad grades, but also saw a note in the system that she’s one of the individuals who was leaving death threats in my locker, which I didn’t tell my parents about.” I giggled nervously. “Let’s just say she was a tad upset.”

“And wanted payback?” Jax clarified.

“Yes. Since Elisha apparently can’t get suspended for what she did because of her family’s connections, my Mom gave us her blessing for our fake relationship,” I emphasized. “My mom’s a little dangerous when she’s mad.”

“A little,” Jax arched an eyebrow at me.

I whistled innocently. “Totally.”

Jax smirked but walked up to me. Without a second thought, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a hug.

I blinked a few times, trying to determine if this was real before my body acknowledged the warmth of his embrace.

“J-Jax?”

“I know it’s just a festival…and you had to convince your mom to go along with all of this, but thank you. Thank you very much, Brianne.” His low voice made me feel all fuzzy inside.

To be thanked by him for my little efforts made it all worth it. Hugging him back, I smiled. “You’re welcome, Jax.”

We were lost in our hug, enjoying each other’s warmth, when I remembered about the fireworks. “I think we’re going to miss the fireworks at this point. Want to head back to the dorms?” I asked.

“Hmm. The night is still young. Also, I have a surprise for you first,” he admitted, leaning back to look down at my face. “You have to close your eyes, though.”

“All right,” I closed my eyes, wondering what surprise he was planning. “Do I get a hint?”

“It’ll smell weird for a second,” he replied.

“I hope that doesn’t mean you farted,” I giggled.

“No,” Jax said disapprovingly, only adding to my amusement as I continued to giggle. I noticed the scent change, shifting from Jax’s cologne to a combination of multiple aromas.

Donuts, caramel, popcorn, and hot dogs.

“Did you bring a food court to your room?” I questioned, opening my eyes. I flinched at the sudden loud noise coming from the sky.

Lifting my head, I watched in pure amazement as the first set of fireworks shot into the sky, looking extremely close to us from where we stood.

Looking down, I noticed we were on the rooftop of one of the school buildings, which stood in the center of the festival activities.

With wide eyes, I shifted my gaze to Jax, who wore a wide smile, his eyes glittering in light pink with hints of gold. His hair glowed lightly in its golden flame glory, and his body also had a light glow to it, which began to dim with each passing second.

“Did you…wait. How?”

“I have two gifts,” he revealed.

My jaw went slack, causing him to chuckle in response.

“Who else would bring us back from your sleep Spell Traveller adventures, which you do at least three times a week, by the way. I’ve gotten tired of Kaito waking me up saying you’re not in bed.”

“Wait…you mean…” I recalled when I woke up to him having petals in his hair. “When you had petals in your hair and said I accidentally used my gift. You were the one who brought us back!”

His smirk formed into a wide grin. “My second gift isn’t as fancy as yours. I can teleport to places I’m familiar with. The stronger the connection to that place, the easier it is to teleport myself and anyone else.”

“B-but how did you find me during the times I randomly Spell Travelled in my sleep?” I asked.

“You’ll have to ask Kaito about that.” He winked. Another round of fireworks went through the air, catching our attention as we stared up at the colorful night sky.

“That means this entire semester, you’ve been in charge of bringing me back with Kaito’s help?”

He lowered his head to look at me. “I guess. Not like it’s much of a hassle. Just means I need to take a nap on those days.”

“Jax,” I whispered.

“You barely knew me but were always nice to me. The least I can do is help you out when you need it,” he mumbled.

Focusing his attention on me once more, he stared into my eyes. “Your eyes are glowing.”

“Are they?” I asked.

“Yeah. Do they do that when you’re emotional?” he asked.

I blushed and looked away. “I don’t know,” I mumbled, aware deep in my mind that my eyes did glow and change color based on my magic and emotions.

This was a horrible moment for it to try and give me away.

“Brianne?”

Jax gently moved my head to face him, our eyes locking in place.

“About earlier. The whole dating thing.”

“Ah,” I replied, realizing we would be in a jam regarding that. “I guess we’re uh…dating. Um, we can just make an excuse after the holiday break or later on if you want?” I suggested, trying to play it off.

I’d forgotten it was merely a joke, getting into the role of proving we were interested in one another during his family dinner.

When he didn’t reply, I got a little nervous. “I know it was a silly, last minute plan, but I didn’t want us to miss this. I forgot there are consequences with these things.” I nervously laughed and tried to look away, but his hand on my chin stopped me.

“Jax?” I asked.

“Has the puppy apologized to you?” he questioned.

I frowned, unsure how he even knew about that.

Connor must have told the others about it.

“No,” I replied.

His eyes lowered from mine to my lips. “Do you still like him?”

“Not anymore,” I mumbled. “Someone as innocent as me isn’t his type. I ruin his reputation.”

Jax moved a step closer, our bodies slightly touching while his hand made it impossible to look away.

“Reputation, huh. He’s still a fool. Does that mean he’s out of the competition then?”

“Out of…the competition?” I gave him a confused look, followed by a sad smile. “I never pick up on the clues.”

Jax smiled, a radiant one that reached his eyes and lit his entire face like the fireworks in the sky.

“I know,” he whispered, leaning forward. “It’s one of the many reasons why I like you, Brianne Marie Harlow.”

A firework shot upward, bursting far and wide through the sky, but I missed its finale, for my concentration wasn’t on the fireworks anymore.

My focus was on how soft Jax’s lips were as he pressed them against mine, kissing me like I was truly his one and only girl.

TO BE CONTINUED.

COMING SOON- JUNE 7th, 2019:

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TRACKER HIVE - SNEAK PEEK

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BLURB

I’ve dealt with my share of homelessness. I’ve endured being the bad gal in the room. I’ve taken a lot of life’s punches on the chin. But never did I expect to be forced to attend an academy full of power-hungry delinquents.

Born with powers far too great to control, I ended up homeless at eight years old. With my family gone, I lived on the streets, learning quickly that the world was just as cold as my beating heart.

Because I carry all eight magic elements, enemies sought me out from every dark corner. Luckily, I was saved and taken in by Alaric Masters, headmaster of Tracker Hive Academy.

My name is Jade Storm, and I’m the youngest recruit to become a Tracker.

Now that I’m eighteen, Alaric is insisting that I attend the academy. I’ll do it, but on my own terms. My only goal is to learn just how powerful I am and breeze through the next four years. I have no interest in joining any cliques, and I’m not here to make friends. If there’s one thing life has taught me, it’s that I work best alone.

However, the Troubled Four — Zeke, Zion, Zackery, and Zeus — have other plans. Quadruplets who together carry all eight elements, the boys are desperate to make me submit to their trickery. They’re stupid to think I’ll play by anyone’s rules but my own.

I can handle whatever threats, traps, bullying, and schemes are thrown my way, because I’m not here to be a good student. I’m here to keep my secret safe from those who will do everything to see me perish.

Game on.

TRACKER HIVE PROLOGUE

Rain…

The thundering sound of multiple droplets hitting the cement floor soothed my lonely heart. The cold trickled past the thin layer of cloth that clung damply onto my skin.

The rain never bothered me. It was a reminder, like many of the harsh conditions I’d endured, that this was my life now.

No more warm, homemade meals. Goodbye to loving hugs and cheerful laughter. Forget about the roof that once hovered over my head, shielding me from the grim, unpredictable weather and the darkness that accompanied every corner of the city I currently stayed in.

There weren’t many options for me.

I had chump change, but not nearly enough to take me on the bus ride out of this scary place. Being only eight got me enough to get one big meal at the local fast food joint, with the occasional sympathetic tip for a hot beverage to keep me going through the tough nights.

Within this part of the city, I had three spots where I’d hidden the emergency items I’d gathered, things like water or warm sets of donation clothes for the  rare occasions I got hurt and tainted my current set with bloodstains.

Being homeless sucked.

But at least I was alive.

I’d had to grow up fast, or else I’d be dead along with my mom, dad, older brother, and sister. People were still after me, and being a lone kid on the streets only made it easier for them.

Hugging myself tighter to combat the cold, I rested my head on my knees, staring at the buzzing street only a few inches away from the alley.

Watching everyone walk to and fro made me wish to be like them. I was too young to have a job, and the only time I was walking or running somewhere was to get away from the evil men.

Since my family’s death, I’d been hunted. No place was safe for too long. After the police reports and the attempts to put me in foster care, I’d discovered the truth.

I’d overheard the adults who were supposed to protect me offer to trade me  to those same men who wanted me now, all for a little cash. That was when I took the donated backpack, a few sets of clean clothes, the first aid kit, and my documents from the foster care lady’s desk and bolted out of there.

I felt like a criminal, but I was a little girl trying to survive the grim, bitter world. On weekdays, I stayed in the library, thankful to the librarian who took pity on me. Reading was one of the few activities that brought me solace. No one would ask where my mom or dad was, or spit and laugh at my predicament.

The room was filled with numerous bookshelves, stuffed from top to bottom with knowledge that I could learn, absorb, and use to my advantage.

The greatest benefit was the magic section, one that carried many spells  that had aided me in my fight for survival.

Our world was made of magic; the gods up in the sky blessed us humans with a fraction of their essence for us to use and learn. Some used their magic to heal, while others used it to destroy.

Not everyone was worthy of carrying these gifts and magic wasn’t distributed evenly. Though many had hints and bits power, others carried a lot more than the average person should.

The world of magic had eight elements: fire, water, earth, wind, thunder, ice, spirit, and darkness. No individual on record  had all the elements; the most powerful mentioned in the history books had five out of eight at their disposal.

I am the first one with all eight.

From what I remembered of my mother’s loving words, every birthday I’d obtained an element. Now that I was eight, darkness, the final and most compelling power of them all, was mine. It was the company I needed to live another day on the streets.

With each year that I gained an element, I became more and more dangerous — and hunted.. My family members were the only people I could rely on, but they were eradicated from this earth.

All because of me.

The sadness bore into my heart, and the darkness was my saving grace.

Now I was growing, learning about things eight-year-olds shouldn’t, but it was for the best. If these men wanted me, they would have to fight really hard to catch me.

It was a game of hide-and-seek, and for ten months, I’d been winning.

Tonight worried me. I was tired from yesterday’s long chase. Sitting here in the dark alley while the rain poured  upon my shivering body only made things feel more ironic.

My arms and legs ached, coated in bruises and scratches, and the emptiness of my stomach made it feel like something was biting my insides.

Tired, thirsty, hungry, and cold. The usual cycle of my new world.

Closing my eyes, I waited for morning to come, glad that my soaked hoody could give me a bit of shelter.

My black hair with white highlights was tied and tucked in the inner layer of t-shirt that I wore underneath. My black leggings were baggy but helped me run the fastest during rain or shine, and my black Converse sneakers were slowly deteriorating but still holding on — for now..

A suffocating flow of energy began to bubble inside me, strong enough for my eyes to dart open and have me standing up the next second.

That was the darkness’s way of warning me of danger. I had to get moving.

Slipping my little hands in my pockets, I headed farther into the alley, only to bite my lip and push off the ground. The swift call of the wind shot me up, securing my rise to the top of the building, seconds before five men rushed into the alley I’d been hiding in.

The darkness came to my aid, wrapping around my body and hiding my presence completely. I stayed frozen in place, not caring for the rain that beat harder against me or how the frigid  steel plates of the roof aided in the cold’s mission to give me frostbite.

“Shit! Where did the brat go?! We’re not going home until we got her!”

“Boss, she’s just a brat. What’s so special about her?”

“Did you not see the sign in the black market?! She apparently has six elements. She could even have seven! There’s some big money on the line for us to retrieve her. Stop bickering and find her!”

The black market. I’d yet to figure out what the place was. There were no books on it in the library and I was too afraid to ask the librarian. There was no need to risk getting kicked out.

Holding my breath, I eyed their movement as they walked deeper into the alley, looking around the narrowed path. When they lifted their heads up, I prayed the darkness hid me well enough.

My nose caught onto the distinct scent of smoke when I silently took an inhale, and another scent bugged me, reminding me of metal.

Or blood.

They remained searching the alley for another minute. “She’s not here. Let’s go!”

Tracking their every step until they moved out of the alleyway and into the crowded night streets, I let out my breath and rose up.

I need to run away.

I spun around, and the darkness continued to cloak me protectively, like a chameleon who shifts its skin to match the color of its environment.

Who knew how effective it was, but I took advantage of it, making my way to the next roof. The rain was getting harder, pouring down with anger and strong enough to make people start running for shelter.

I wished I could be like them, running from the rain and not from all these people who were desperate to find me.

Dropping to the ground, I thought I was safe, but in five seconds two men came to stop ten steps away on my left, their hands lifting up and pointing in my direction.

“There!”

Oh, no.

Springing into a run, I raced the opposite direction. I picked up the pace when I heard their footsteps picking up, darting my eyes from left to right to get a grip on my environment and where I was going.

The only advantage of being homeless was that I knew this city like the back of my hand, and the adrenaline thrumming through my veins was giving me the determination to lose these guys.

Turning a corner, I ran through another alleyway, ready to jump over the large fence, but a man came out of nowhere, leaving me no time to avoid crashing right into him.

“Oomph!” I hit him hard, falling back toward the ground, but was caught at the last second.

My wide eyes looked up at the man, who had long golden hair. There were hints of silver that reminded me of how my short black hair had a  number of white strands.

This man was tall and wore a black suit with a gold tie. He looked rich, like someone you’d associate with the higher-class men and women in the city who had the privilege to do whatever they wanted.

I noticed he held a gold cane in his other hand, as well as  black leather gloves. I swallowed as I looked up at him in horror, recognizing that I was in his domain and could potentially be a prisoner.

“RIGHT THERE!”

I lowered my head back to see the upside-down view of the two men who were chasing me earlier. My heart stalled when the remaining three  showed up, making it five against me and this new man — and I had no clue which side he was on.

“Well, well, well. Isn’t it far too late to be chasing after little children?” the man questioned. He easily lifted me back up, placing me on my feet and taking a step forward.

His hand reached back, knowing exactly where I stood, shivering and out of breath. Ever so gently, he moved me to stand behind him. Protectively, like I was someone of value to him.

And not in a negative, selfish way like these men glaring at us.

“Get out of our way! She’s our bait. We sought her out first!” the leader of the group roared, stepping up in front of the four men who crowded behind him.

Together, they were fierce-looking and made me tremble, but I tried to remain strong. To prove I wasn’t afraid of their large muscled frames and the tattoos along their arms and legs.

Yet I was still a kid, one who didn’t have the strength of these men to fight back evenly, and that was scary.

They wanted me for my powers, for the magic that came to my call when I needed it the most, but I didn’t know how to control it, leaving me just as useless as someone who had no powers at all.

I could run, fly with some wind, and hide in the midst of the shadows, but an uneven battle like this was a lost cause. I’d lose if this man  changed his mind.

“Children should not be used as a pawn in adults’ silly games. This girl has done nothing to you. What would you need from her?”

“We don’t need to answer you, rich scum. Get out of the way or you’ll just have to be another victim of our wrath,” the leader spat, conjuring a ball of ice in his hand and smiling wickedly at us.

Out of instinct, I moved closer to the man. Gripping his expensive coat, I whispered, “Go. They’ll hurt you. I-I don’t need your help. I can fight on my own.”

My tiny voice held little conviction, but I didn’t want this man’s help. Well, deep down I did, but that would leave me having to do a favor in return, and that was something I definitely didn’t want.

No one helped someone out for free.

His head tilted slightly to the left, giving me a chance to see his  tiny smirk.

“Do not fear, Tracker. Today I’m feeling a little generous.”

He looked away and raised his cane up slightly. “These men don’t deserve mercy.”

He slammed his cane down. The ground shook and a wave of energy burst from both ends, hitting me  and the five men waiting for this man’s answer.

My legs grew weak and I fell back on my butt, but I noticed the cement wasn’t drenched.

That’s impossible. The ground is still wet. It’s still…raining.

Glancing up with wide eyes, I noticed the raindrops suspended in the air. I lifted my finger to poke one of the tiny droplets. I expected it to burst into mini particles, but instead I merely felt its firm outer shell.

Did this man stop time?

I’d never read in any spell books of anyone having the ability to pause time, but when I peered at the man before me, he was walking forward and the men who were chasing me were frozen solid.

Lifting his cane up, he tapped each of the man’s head. I was unsure with what his actions would do as he reached the final guy and swirled back around, walking to where I sat on my butt in wonder.

When he stood before me, he offered a hand to help me up. Staring at it, I pouted my lips and fought my aching body to stand up on my own.

“I’m strong. I don’t need your help,” I said defiantly.

“I’m aware that you are strong, dear. It is always nice to learn to trust those willing to help. Even if it’s a rare occurrence.”

“Trust is earned,” I voiced.

“Big words for a child.”

“I’m eight,” I argued.

The man looked happy with my response and tapped his cane against the ground. Just like that, time started again, and the five men dropped to the ground.

My jaw fell open as I stared in horror, leaning to one side to get a better look at the men who lay unmoving on the ground. When I noticed the pools of dark liquid, I gulped but knew without a doubt the men were now dead.

“Now that those men are out of the picture, I best be going. I do recommend you find solace elsewhere. There are many shelters that would take you in and maybe protect you from the dangers of living on the streets,” he advised. “Unless you’d like to come with me?”

I took note of his offer, but his statement made me mad.

“There’s solace in being homeless!” I argued proudly.

It was stupid that I was being presented a chance out of this life, and here I was defending it.

The man’s warm laughter was soft yet calming. He knelt down on one knee before me. With a sincere smile, he bobbed his head.

“You’re correct, but there’s also solace in having a roof over your head. There’s peace in knowing you can sleep in peace and not in fear. There’s comfort in living in a safe environment, and most importantly, there’s hope in learning just how powerful you are.”

He presented his open palm, and I watched in shock as eight balls appeared. Each was a different color, but even I knew what each symbolized and the power harnessed within its thin walls.

“Eight…elements,” I whispered in awe.

“Just like you.”

My eyes bore into his, wondering if he was good or hiding behind his saving grace.

“You know that I have eight?”

“I do. The same way those men know how special you are. Only difference is I can help you and they want to use you for money and power.”

I liked how this man didn’t treat me like a kid. He showed a sense of respect toward me, which very few people did.

They didn’t know what I’d learned and experienced. What I’d done to grow fast and smart.

“I’m not good to be around.”

“I wasn’t either when I first gained my magic. I got better with time and training.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“You don’t have to in the beginning. This offering is all I can do to prove I’m not like those men who have been chasing you for months.”

“Months. How do you…?” I blinked at him.

“You are what many refer to as a Tracker. Individuals with massive magic power. It’s one of my duties to keep an eye on  Trackers who have no knowledge of who and what they are. I’ve protected you from afar, but things have become too dangerous.”

Lowering my head, I felt annoyed at his dangerous comment. Every day was dangerous for a homeless person like me. What did he know?

“Every alley has been blocked off with magic,” the man announced, shifting my attention from my annoyance. “If you had jumped up to go over that fence, you would have hit an electric wall that would have dosed you with enough electricity to kill you instantly. I’d personally rather you live than die with a bounty on your head.”

“I don’t know what a bounty is,” I mumbled, but I understood his point.

My head fell in shame, as frustrated tears formed in my eyes. “If I’m some special Tracker, why can’t I be stronger? I never asked for this. I want to live like a kid. To have fun again…but I can’t have that anymore.”

Biting my lip, I stomped the ground, my frustrated tears running down my flushed cheeks. “Mom, dad, brother, sister. They’re all dead! If I’m so important, why couldn’t I protect them? Save them! I’m tired of running. I can fight. I can hurt those men too, but I’m only eight. I don’t have the strength and it’s annoying.”

I sniffed and lifted my hands up to rub my eyes. The man very slowly pressed his hand on my head, gently stroking my wet hair without caring how mucky it must have been from the rain and weeks of not washing it.

“You’re tired, aren’t you?”

I sobbed and cried harder. “I’m so tired, sir. I’m trying hard. I want to live and make my family happy in heaven, but I need to be stronger. To work hard and be able to protect myself. I’m tired of being afraid. I just want a nice bed. A warm meal. A place to stay…and books to read. I won’t bother anyone. I’ll stay out of anyone’s way. I…just want to stop running away.”

That was exactly it. My inner thoughts that had run through my head every day since my family died.

Was there no place for me?

The man’s hand left my head and hovered before me in an offering gesture.

“A child should not be fighting in adult games. It takes the little innocence you have left. However, I can help you. I may be an adult like these other men, but I ask nothing in return. Your abilities as a Tracker will only grow from here, but if you remain as you are, you won’t survive against these people chasing after you.”

I opened my watery eyes to look up into his gold ones, watching them shimmer and glow against the dark hollow of the alley.

“I can offer you protection, and when you are eighteen, you can enter a place with people like you. It’s a long time from now, but during that time you may live at my home. You’ll be given food, shelter, clothes, and be trained to protect yourself. You’ll have the freedom to come and go, and all I’ll ask of you is to respect the decisions I make regarding your education. Does that sound reasonable to you?”

He was giving me a choice I surely wouldn’t receive from anyone else.

“You’ll be like a dad?” I asked.

“If you want to put it that way, then yes. I’ll take  responsibility for you as your father and mother would,” he reasoned.

Staring at his hand, I thought about it long and hard. I won’t ever meet a man like this again. If I’m this Tracker, that means I’m important. I won’t need to sleep in the cold anymore.

“If I say yes, will I get to know your name, Mister?” I asked.

“Certainly,” he acknowledged with a tender smile.

A warmth filled my chest, and that told me that he was telling the truth. It was the spirit element telling me so.

With a shaky hand, I placed it in his large one, amazed that he was so warm given the cold of the night.

“Jade. My name is Jade Storm. I’m eight and like mushrooms and cheese soup.”

The man’s smile widened, and his fingers wrapped around my hand in greeting.

“My name is Alaric Masters. I’m the headmaster of a school called Tracker Hive Academy. Mushroom and cheese soup sounds swell. Let’s have that for an early morning treat when we get home, shall we?”

“Home,” I whispered, the words almost foreign to me.

Alaric rose up but kept my hand in his as he nodded.

“Yes. Let us make our way to your new home.”

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Avery Song is the second pen name of a reverse harem author who specializes in fantasy romance.

She especially loves writing strong main characters and is excited for all the books that are approaching.

~Books by Avery Song~

SPELL TRAVELER CHRONICLES

Witchling Academy- Semester One

Witchling Academy- Semester Two (Jun.7.19)

Witchling Academy- Semester Three (Jul.12.19)

Witchling Academy- Semester Four (Aug.9.19)

JADE STORM TRACKER SERIES

The Tracker Hive Academy- Year One (Jun.1.19)

The Tracker Hive Academy- Year Two (Aug.2.19)

The Tracker Hive Academy- Year Three (Oct 2019)

The Tracker Hive Academy- Year Four (Dec 2019)