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

1.  Uncertain Future

2.  Semester Four Uncertainty And Just Breathe

3.  We’re All In This Together

4.  And I– Oop

5.  Delusional Self Reflection

6.  Christmas Gifts Of Friendships

7.  Cheerleader Jealousy

8.  Witchling Games Victory?

9.  Devastating Outcome

COMING SOON

BLAZING ACADEMY SNEAK PEEK

BLURB

CHAPTER ONE: Sweet Sixteen

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Also By Avery Song

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you for purchasing WITCHLING ACADEMY- SEMESTER FOUR.

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, May, and Felecia for always writing with me and keeping me motivated.

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

Bring on the competition and cheerleader fights. I’m ready to take a stand, prove myself, and save my team once and for all.

After triumphing over another exam gone wrong, all we want to do is recover. But it seems that there’s no rest for the witches, because another challenge immediately smacks us in the face. It’s something none of us saw coming, and one thing is for sure: entering Semester Four won’t be the same unless the Notorious Four is together once more.

I, Brianne Marie Harlow, have to take matters into my own hands if I want to attend my Fourth Semester at Witchling Academy with my four boyfriends. I only have one shot to bring my wayward team member back into the fold, and though I’m confident I can change his mind, I’m worried about the challenges that will surely come if I succeed.

Tension is growing, and the dynamic of our team is beginning to morph into something stronger than any of us realize. My relationships with Jax, Connor, Kaito, and Finnick are maturing, and with those changes come experiences I could never imagine happening with any other group of wizards.

The Witchling Games are approaching, and our team is facing off against a time limit. Things are about to get feisty, and while I’m always ready to kick some magical butt, I can’t help but wonder if we have what it takes to win.

There’s only one way to find out. Let’s do this, Semester Four.

1

UNCERTAIN FUTURE

~FINNICK~

“ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS?”

I stared at the filled-out sheet of paper, taking in the title “WITCHLING ACADEMY - DROP OUT FORM.” What a weird question to ask me. Anyone presenting this form should be sure about their decision. I mean, it said ‘drop out.’

The longer I thought about it, the easier it was to have doubts.

Did I want to leave this academy? I wasn’t sure.

The school itself had done nothing to me. In fact, it was thanks to these very walls that I was able to strengthen my friendships with my three best friends. They were pretty much like my brothers, my ride-or-dies.

They loved me as I loved them, and together, we’d been through some crazy shit. The goods and the bads, the times we experienced loss and the times we’d been champions, enjoying the cheers centered on us.

Being a part of the council had many perks as well. Relaxing in the council office or taking nice naps after school was the best. However, I think one of the best parts of attending this academy was meeting a certain redhead.

Or should I say a girl with orange hair with gold highlights?

Brianne Marie Harlow.

The gods must have taken their time creating her from scratch. She was like that single perfect gem you’d find in a sketchy shop. One that twinkled and caught your attention. And she was the best thing to ever happen to the Notorious Four.

Of course, then the rumors had started, the ones spread by jealous students that emphasized our desire to date one girl. It was funny, because it was obvious that Jax had dated Elisha, even if it hadn’t been by choice, and I was sure Kaito and Connor had done their share of dating before we actually got close.

None of us were obligated to say if we were dating anyone. Jax would have kept Elisha a secret if she hadn’t blabbed it to the entire student body. As long as we were happy, that was all that mattered.

When we weren’t pleased with what was going on, we’d try to figure out a solution together.

Becoming the Notorious Four had only tightened our bond. To be honest, I should have talked to them about this decision.

Yet, here I was, holding this silly piece of paper that clearly said DROP OUT on it, and being asked if I was sure about my decision.

I wondered how Brianne would take it once she found out. Right now, she was fast asleep, resting in the private infirmary room with Kaito. Connor and Jax were looking after them, making sure they were safe and recovering after the chaotic mess of an exam we’d just experienced.

I was still trying to decipher what had really happened, but even that was hard right now. I wasn’t thinking straight, but I felt if I didn’t leave now, I’d bring everyone down.

My grades weren’t the best; I had to study double or triple the length of time everyone else did to get decent scores. I was weighing my team down, and they didn’t deserve that. Not with how hard they worked.

They shouldn’t be brought down because of my insecurities and struggles.

That was why I was here in Professor Phoenix’s office, presenting her the form that would change my life.

If I dropped out, there wasn’t a chance for me to come back and start over. This wasn’t like how some students failed on purpose and repeated over and over again. If I dropped out today, and this form was processed, that was it.

There would be no sympathy toward me for dropping out. I wouldn’t be allowed into Witchling Academy ever again. The thought frightened me. To not be in the same classrooms — or even halls — as my loyal Notorious brothers.

As my beautiful, smart, and talented girlfriend.

But what could I possibly do? Would I be in the right mindset to do well next semester? Could I really sit in the classroom and focus? Better yet, would I be able to study when my mind felt like it was drowning in dark thoughts and worries?

“I’m…sure.” I struggled to say the words with confidence. Slowly looking up to Professor Phoenix’s gaze, I could tell by her face that my response sounded weak.

Professor Phoenix always gave me interesting vibes. When she looked at me, it felt as though she was peering into my very soul. She could read anyone like an open book and her silver eyes were doing exactly that right now.

Reading all my insecurities and giving me the chance to speak the truth.

I gulped at her scrutinizing gaze and stood a little taller, placing the paper on the desk.

“I’m sure,” I repeated.

Her expression didn’t change as she continued to stare at me. It got to the point where I began to grow nervous, wondering if she could truly tell what was running through my mind.

She finally sighed and removed her black-framed glasses.

“Finnick. What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” I shrugged. “I just don’t think I can keep up with the curriculum.”

“You did just fine the last three semesters,” she pointed out. “You also did well during the examination. I don’t see why you’d want to drop.”

“I don’t think I did much compared to the others. The curriculum is only going to get harder. I don’t want to be a burden. I also feel as though I won’t be able to give my all. Therefore, this is the best decision.”

“Even though the holiday break starts tomorrow? You don’t want to think about it and decide in the new year?” she offered.

“No,” I replied. “I’ve made my decision.”

She looked at the sheet of paper on the desk, and I was relieved when she reached for it and slid it over in front of her. She put her black glasses on and began to review it, her silver eyes going from side to side.

The longer I stood there, the harder it was to stand still. I wanted to fidget to distract myself from the growing regret that was beginning to surface in the pit of my stomach.

I don’t want to do this, but I have to. I…can’t be a burden to the others. Not again.

“Is this because of your mother’s passing, Finnick?”

My heart froze for a good second. I had to remind myself to breathe in order for my lungs to start working again. This was a conversation I knew would eventually happen, but now that it finally surfaced, it felt like the world was falling around me.

“No.” My voice was cold, sounding almost foreign to my own ears.

It wasn’t my intention and I hoped Professor Phoenix didn’t take it personally, but that wound was still wide open and bleeding. I couldn’t talk about it without breaking down entirely.

We had finished the exam, but that was merely a distraction for me. It had kept my mind and body focused and my attention on one main task.

It meant I didn’t have to dwell on anything else. Just the task in front of me.

That was exactly the problem I was having. Studying meant I’d have to sit there quietly and focus. It meant paying attention and letting the information flow into my cluttered mind.

There was no way I had that level of concentration right now. Maybe I should have taken up my dad’s offer to go back to therapy. To talk to a therapist about the dark thoughts in my mind and how the suffocating feeling was back at full force.

No. I can’t go to a therapist. People will make fun of me like before. They’ll laugh in my face and talk about how stupid I must be to go talk about my emotions to another human being — one who can’t even solve any of my issues. They’ll call me insane. Tell me to be an inpatient at a mental hospital. Better yet, just put me in a straitjacket and let my thoughts consume me forever. At least I wouldn’t be a burden to anyone — I wouldn’t burden my brothers and Brianne.

Glancing back at Professor Phoenix, I saw her silver eyes were locked on me once again, studying me like a science experiment. I tried not to squirm, but the longer she stared, the harder it became to breathe.

I needed to get out of here.

“Do I need to fill out anything else? Or can I go?”

She didn’t answer right away, and I bit my lip anxiously. She finally lowered her gaze back to the paper. “You may go.”

I sighed in relief and nodded my head slightly in respect. Turning around, I headed for the door but paused when she spoke.

“Just to let you know, I’ll have to inform your team about this change. Since Brianne is the leader, she’ll be the first to know.”

I clenched my fists to hide their trembling. The mere thought of making Brianne sad was already making me want to turn back around, snatch that paper, and tear it apart.

She’d helped me countless times. Whether it was with studying or comforting me when the bullying became too hard to bear. She was like my rock. One that, no matter rain or shine, could put a smile to my face.

Her wonderful smile that lit up the room and her adorable innocence made me love being around her. That aroma of hers that clung to you after a tight hug, and the way her energy could uplift you when the day seemed gloomy…

Fuck.

“I’m…aware,” I replied, my voice portraying my nervousness.

“All right. I’ll inform them and submit this. I’m sorry for your loss, Finnick. Just know that you are an outstanding student with loads of potential. Don’t let what people think of you determine your path in this world. If you do, you’ll come to realize how unhappy you truly are. Most importantly, make decisions that you won’t regret, because that feeling will never leave you. The cobwebs merely grow and scatter, until you wish you could go back and change what has already been written. That’s the best advice I can give you.”

Slowly looking over my shoulder, I watched Professor Phoenix put my form to the side and return to her stack of test papers. Picking up her red pen, she began to desposit x’s and checkmarks on the thin white parchment paper, and I knew this was my moment to either walk away or tell her the truth.

No. I…have to do this. For everyone’s sake. They deserve better. Yes.

Turning around, I walked out of the office and began to make my way down the quiet hall. I turned the corner, only to crash into someone.

“Sorry,” I quickly apologized and bowed my head in apology.

“Hmm? Finnick?”

I needed an extra second to process the slightly different voice. It wasn’t because I didn’t know exactly who it was, but because the tone was so similar to Brianne’s, I almost thought it was her.

Looking up, I realized Starlight was standing in front of me. She must have come straight from the agency, because she wore her full Witchling Star uniform.

Her hair was up in a ponytail, her orange strands nearly identical to Red’s. The more time I spent staring at her, the more I realized how closely she resembled Brianne.

Or how Brianne was looking like the spitting image of her older sister.

I’d noticed Brianne was growing in height last Christmas, but now if you didn’t know Brianne and Starlight, you’d think the two of them were twins.

She arched an eyebrow at me, her sky-blue eyes peering into my turquoise ones.

“Uh…sorry about that. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s all right,” she replied, inspecting me up and down. “Where are you going? The infirmary is that way.” She purposely pointed in the direction behind me.

“Ah,” I replied. “I had to pass by the office. I just need some fresh air. I won’t be long.”

She pouted her lips, something else that reminded me of Brianne. Her eyes scanned mine, just like Professor Phoenix’s had back at the office. She then shrugged.

“All right. Enjoy your air time,” she replied. Her phone rang at that moment, and she slid it out of her pocket and picked it up.

“Agent Harlow…oh. Hey.” The change from serious to casual told me that whoever was on the line had to be an acquaintance or close relation. From what I’d gathered during the Christmas and summer holidays, Starlight wasn’t the type to let her guard down, especially in public.

“I just got to the school. From what the nurse said, our siblings are still knocked out,” she spoke calmly.

Has to be Katsume, Kaito’s older sister.

“Yeah. I’ll go check on them. Aon hinted my sister was awake, but I feel like he’s scheming something stupid as usual. No. He just likes bothering my sister for no reason. It’s his way of still being a prankster, given that I don’t tolerate his trickery nonsense,” Starlight explained and worked on cracking her neck and rolling her shoulders.

I was impressed that she wasn’t worn out herself. She’d had to deal with the cleanup after the car chase and then go to the police station and morgue to confirm the body was the man who’d killed her team.

I only knew about it because I’d overheard the conversation with Jax and Connor. Since they were the president and vice president of the Junior Division of Witchling Academy and were prime witnesses to the entire ordeal, they were in on all the main details.

Personally, I wasn’t one to snoop, but I’d been trying to leave the nurses’ office on my dropout mission when they were having the conversation outside.

“I told him to let her drink one of those energy boosters. The canned ones. My sister isn’t the happiest when she’s low on magic. Either you’ll get the quiet exhausted side or the angry ‘I will destroy the world and everyone in it’ Brianne. Food helps give her a bit of a boost, but the drink will really help until she can actually get some sleep.” Starlight sighed. “Yes. I’m all right, for now. Let me check on them and call you back.”

Katsume must have said something embarrassing because Starlight’s cheeks began to burn a light crimson.

“No.”

There was a long silence, and her cheeks continued to flush. “I’m in public.”

A smirk formed on my lips, and I gave her a bow and wave.

“Bye, Starlight,” I whispered. She blinked and looked at me as if she hadn’t realized I was still there. She gave me a quick wave back, and I slipped my hands into my pockets and walked past her.

I took a few steps, but my ears caught onto her words.

“Ugh, fine. I love you, too. Happy? Stop embarrassing me in public,” she grumbled. I could hear her heels begin to click against the tiled hall, their sound growing quieter by the second until they were gone.

With a sad smile, I shook my head and began to make my way out of the school. It wasn’t until I reached the steps and inhaled the cool air that it finally began to sink in.

I dropped out…

Clenching my fists in my pockets, I began to walk away, needing to go somewhere — anywhere — that I could calm my buzzing mind.

The farther I walked, the harder it was to take an inhale and let it out. My pace increased from a leisurely walk to an all-out run.

It didn’t help with my breathing struggles, only adding to the growing pressure of what I’d just done.

How I got to the closed-off bridge was a mystery to me, but there I was, my hands on the cement ledge as I huffed and puffed.

“Breathe, Finnick. You just…need to breathe,” I coached myself, tears rolling down my cheeks. Even after a good fifteen minutes, it still felt like the world was ending.

I desperately needed oxygen and it was like my lungs weren’t processing any of it. Pressing my chest with my fist while my other hand gripped the ledge tightly, I closed my eyes and did my best to mentally calm down. This was a panic attack. I hadn’t had one in so long that I’d completely forgotten how difficult it was on the body and mind.

In this very second, I felt like a failure. That I’d done my mom, who was up in heaven, wrong. I’d failed her, because I’d promised to graduate from Witchling and be an amazing wizard.

I’d gone from the son she respected and loved to a coward. Could she at least see my troubles? Witness how hard it was to deal with the hateful commentary, mean taunts, and the simple acknowledgment that I wasn’t a part of what society considered ‘normal?’

Would she hate me now? Hate that I’d given up on my dreams because of peer pressure?

The sheer thought had me crying again, sobs crashing through me as I fell to my knees. I was desperate for physical comfort, to feel the arms of someone who loved me and hear their words of encouragement.

How much I yearned to experience just that in this striking moment.

All I could do was focus on breathing. Continue existing. That was my only option, even though I wished I could just be with my mother. Whenever things like this happened, all I’d ever needed to do was run home.

There she’d be in the kitchen, midway through making dinner and humming the latest tune on the radio. She’d turn in my direction, noticing how frantic I was and the difficulty I had breathing.

Even in my distraught state, she’d smile at me and her beautiful eyes would soften. Not out of pity or sadness, but in acknowledgment that I was having a hard time and needed her comforting arms to hold me. I’d run right into her arms and cry like a baby.

It had always been that way, back when I was a child and now as a grown man. Even when she was lying in her hospital bed. She’d let me cry in her lap and stroke my head and whisper words of consolation.

Everything will be okay, Finnick. You still have many chances in life. There’s nothing to fear. Don’t let the words hurt you.

“Fuck.” I choked on the single word, my sobs growing more frequent as I continued to cry. “Mom…why aren’t you here?”

How could I be strong now without her? She was gone. She left me and Dad. We were on our own and we felt so lost without her.

Dad could easily drown himself in work to deal with his grief, but what could I do? How would I figure this out? Christmas break was tomorrow, and I’d just dropped out of the only place I actually enjoyed attending.

Despite the bullying and mean commentary, I still had my Notorious brothers and amazing girlfriend. They could have helped me. Guided me on the proper path to deal with all of this.

Instead, I ran away and now there was no way out.

I fucked up.

That made me cry harder, and I wished to disappear altogether. I could do just that. Jump off this abandoned bridge and fall to my demise.

No one would find me. My body would lie there in the soil, whether it rained, snowed, or was shining brightly outside.

No one would care, right?

I had to shake my head and make the thoughts stop. I couldn’t let them make me do another stupid thing. I’d fucked up enough today. I wouldn’t let their dark presence bring me down.

Just breathe, Finnick. Breathe.

2

SEMESTER FOUR UNCERTAINTY AND JUST BREATHE

~BRIANNE~

TWENTY MINUTES EARLIER….

“YOUR TEAM indeed passed your Third Semester and you will be entering the Fourth Semester. However, I just received this, and it looked rather odd to me. Would you mind taking a look and making sure this isn’t a joke?”

I bit my lip nervously and looked between the guys. We moved as a unit to stand in front of Professor Phoenix’s desk and she slid the single page forward for us to inspect.

My eyes grew wide and my heart stopped. I squeezed the guys’ hands and immediately began to wonder if this was true or fake.

“This…this can’t be…” I trailed off and looked at Jax and then Connor. The two of them looked just as devastated by the form, and we all looked to Professor Phoenix, who sighed and leaned back into her chair.

“From your reactions, you guys had no clue.” She ran her hands through her silver hair and looked straight at us.

“I asked your team to come here to confirm whether Finnick Rosedale is actually dropping out of Witchling Academy. If he is, it won’t affect your entrance into Semester Four, but if this is finalized, he won’t be able to come back. Failing and repeating is different than dropping out. If I submit this, he’ll never be able to return to Witchling Academy. I have no clue what’s going on, but I’m hoping you three will be able to fix this. It’s up to you now. This is the best I can do.”

Finnick is going to drop out! He won’t join us in Semester Four? No…this can’t be true.

“This has to be a mistake. Why would Finnick drop when we passed?” Connor’s voice projected his disbelief.

Jax squeezed my hand, noticing how shocked I truly was.

“When did he drop that off?”

“About five minutes ago. I’m unsure where he went after dropping this off, but Starlight mentioned seeing him in the hallway. Something about him going out for some air,” Professor Phoenix explained. “I figured this was an abrupt decision and decided it would be best to make you aware of what’s happening. I also told him that, as team leader, Brianne would be informed about it. He seemed hesitant after that, but he said he was sure in regard to his decision and left.”

“Can we have a moment to look at it?” Jax asked and let go of my hand.

Professor Phoenix nodded, and Connor let go of my other hand. Jax lifted the paper to get a better look, and Connor leaned over to view it as well.

All I could do was stand there, my bubbling energy turning into a nervous bundle of anxiety. If Finnick was willing to drop out without telling us, we’d missed something important.

Glancing past the guys, I noticed Professor Phoenix’s silver eyes were locked onto me. We shared a look, one that resonated with me. We didn’t seem to need words for me to understand what she wanted me to do. What I could do in this dire situation.

Either accept this reality or fight for a new one.

She was right. I could fix this. All I needed to do was find Finnick.

My eyes lowered to the floor, and I bit my lip while my brain worked double-time to try and figure some way out of this.

I noticed the glint of gold bracelet on my left wrist, another limitation to my current situation.

I can’t Spell Travel. How am I going to find Finnick? Where would he go after giving up on school? Not the dorm…or the forest. Where?

The mere thought of the lost time was making me worry about Finnick even more. He must be stressed about what he’d just done, and I couldn’t imagine what his state of mind must be like if he thought he didn’t deserve to go to school anymore.

Something must have triggered it. Or was it a delayed reaction from his mother’s passing? It would make sense. Especially when we were so caught up with our exams.

Now that they were done, there was nothing for us to focus on. Everything that had happened before the exam would creep back up and crash right into him. The sadness, anger, bouts of regret.

I may not know exactly how it felt to lose someone, but I could imagine the pain. To be forced to accept that you’d never again be able to hug the person you loved and adored.

Is that what Finnick was dealing with right now?

My hands clenched into fists and my brain kept working. This world was far too big for me to narrow down places, and it wasn’t like I could teleport around and locate him.

MewMew?

I blinked and looked over my shoulder, wondering where the sound came from. It felt like it was in my head, but as I looked to the door, I noticed Elsa’s tail peeking out from the hallway, its side-to-side movement telling me she had either found something she liked or someone was keeping her occupied.

Looking back at Jax and Connor, I realized they were talking while Professor Phoenix returned to grading papers.

Glancing back at the door, I quietly walked over to it. When I reached the hall, my eyes lowered to my familiar, who was purring away while her head was being stroked lightly by none other than my older sister.

Starlight’s sky-blue eyes lifted up to meet mine and she slowly rose to face me. We were almost the same height now, but at this moment, that physical trait didn’t matter. Right now, what mattered was me getting to Finnick, and my sister was either going to help me or try to stop me.

I took a deep breath and straightened my back. My eyes shone with a newfound determination to locate Finnick and bring him right back to where he belonged.

He belongs by my side. He’s my boyfriend and we should get to enjoy our time here at Witchling Academy. Whatever he’s going through now is trying to get the best of him. I can’t let it destroy him. To stop his shining light and prevent him from reaching his goals.

Starlight’s aura seemed to get stronger the longer we held this staring contest, but it didn’t frighten me in the least.

She may have been older than me, and more experienced in the field of magic and catching bad guys, but I was confident in my skills and magic abilities. More importantly, I knew I could overpower her with this new drive of energy circuiting through me.

If this were any other situation, I would have backed down, simply out of respect for my older sister, who was wiser. However, I couldn’t let anyone stop me from saving Finnick from himself.

She must have seen the determination in my eyes or the sudden increase of my own aura, because her eyes softened, and that powerful burst of my aura shut itself off completely.

“I’m giving you a minute to get out of my sight and do what needs to be done, or I won’t let you go,” she declared.

“I love you.” I winked and leaned down to scoop Elsa up. She purred and curled up in my hand before I put her between my dress shirt and blazer. Once I knew she was securely snuggled with her paws gripping the exterior fabric of my blazer, I looked back at my sister.

“I’ll be back with Finnick,” I vowed.

“I know,” she replied with a small smile. Then it went to a frown and she looked at her cellphone. “If you’re not out of here in thirty-five seconds though, that vow may not get fulfilled.”

With a smirk, I looked back at my two boyfriends; they were still concentrating on the conversation they were having.

Sorry guys. Don’t hate me.

With that, I took a few quiet steps before dashing into a sprint. My sense of hearing picked up, and I began sprinting even faster when I heard my sister down the hall.

“Hey? Has anyone seen Brianne?

Ah! Gotta move!

“MewMew, MewMew!” Elsa was clearly cheering me on, and her ongoing mews and purrs made me smile. Even with the adrenaline running through me and the hint of excitement that the thought of being chased triggered, I tried to center my focus on what was vitally important: locating Finnick.

I knew this was about to be a lot harder than it would be with my Spell Traveling gift, but it also gave me a thrill to use my other abilities and magic to aid in me in the situation.

“Where did she—” Connor began, but was cut off by Jax.

“There!”

Uh oh!

Now I really needed to concentrate as I heard three sets of footsteps. I wasn’t worried about Jax and Connor. They were fast, but I could outrun them if I wanted to.

It was my sister I was worried about.

Acknowledging her in my mind triggered my senses, and it was then that I realized Starlight was catching up fast. Racing into the main hall, I had to dodge students left and right, but it didn’t take me long to burst through the main doors and down the stairs into the great outdoors.

I took a deep breath before dashing off once more. I still wasn’t sure where I was going, but I had to get Starlight off my tail.

My heart raced and my inhales and exhales were quick and breathy, but I was grinning from ear to ear. It had been so long since I felt like this. Even with our crazy exams, I never really enjoyed the thrill of the chase and outdoing someone you knew could beat you.

A gust of wind passed me, and I surely would have ignored it if it weren’t for the whistling message it carried.

To the left.

Whether it was the wind actually commanding me, or my own thoughts and hidden anxieties creating the sweet voice in my mind, I obeyed those words, my body swiftly turning left.

The wind picked up around me, and I decided to use it to increase my speed even more. Following the sweet whispers and gusts that guided me, it wasn’t long until I reached a quiet residential area.

The neighborhood had really cozy homes, and seeing as school was still in session, everywhere was extra quiet. The wind danced around me while I continued to admire the peaceful environment.

I wonder if any of the guys grew up in a neighborhood like this?

My mind could already imagine a little green-haired Finnick running around. Even though his hair was pink now, I still had his green hair imprinted in my consciousness.

The thought of Finnick re-triggered the urgency over his rash decision. There had to be something going on for him to want to drop out, especially when we all passed. Professor Phoenix wouldn’t have held back in submitting the form if she didn’t sense the same thing. There had to be a reason. We just needed to figure out what it was.

“MewMew?” Elsa yawned and looked up at me tiredly.

“Aww, are you sleepy?” I asked and petted her little head. She lowered her head and yawned again, snuggling against my body and the blazer. It only took a few seconds before her body began to fade, and just like that, she was gone — leaving a glittering mess behind.

I looked at the long line of rainbow glitter in the middle of my blazer.

“At least it makes it more colorful,” I mumbled to myself and began brushing it away. I looked forward while I continued the mini task at hand.

Then I froze, my eyes growing wide as I noticed someone standing against one side of the bridge. The person was tall, slim, and was definitely a man. From the similar uniform and the pink hair that was tousled from the wind, I knew without a doubt that the man was Finnick.

He was gripping the ledge, his body shaking like he was in some type of distress. By the way his shoulders moved up and down and the slight gleam to his flushed cheeks, I could tell he was crying.

Finnick? Wait…he isn’t going to…jump, right?

The sheer amount of fear that rushed through me contributed to the uptake of magic that crushed my senses. My wrist felt hot, and I knew the bracelet was stopping me from Spell Traveling. I was still far enough away that if he jumped, there was absolutely no way I’d make it to him in time.

I have to get to him, and this bracelet isn’t going to stop me!

My magic felt my strong conviction, and a slight cracking noise followed. Whether it was the bracelet or the ground itself, I would never know, but the spinning sensation flooded my body and with a step forward, I went from my spot on the street to standing three steps away from Finnick.

Needing a few seconds to gather my bearings, I noticed Finnick fall to his knees. I watched him cry and sob and he choked on the single curse word.

“Fuck.”

His cries and sobs continued to grow, and my shoulders sank as he whispered, “Mom…why aren’t you here?”

I knew it would only be a matter of time before Finnick had to face his new reality: a life without his mom.

He must have finally accepted that she wasn’t coming back, that this wasn’t a dream or nightmare that he could snap his fingers and wake up from.

I wished he knew just how loved he was. That he wasn’t alone in all of this. My heart clenched in sadness for him, and I desperately wanted to hold him. To hug him as tightly as I could and let him cry for as long as he wanted.

Yet I remained where I was, struggling to figure out the right thing to do.

I fucked up.

His single thought drifted into my mind, and I realized Connor’s gift that I’d mimicked must have activated from my supercharged magic status. Finnick cried even harder, and it brought tears to my eyes to see him in such a defeated state.

Was Finnick actually suicidal, or was I misreading the signs and mixing them up with depression? There had to be a handbook or something to deal with situations like these.

Mental health was always a tricky subject for me, and seemed to be one that many people tried to avoid in general. The thought of suicide, depression, or any diagnosis of something in the brain that made us sad seemed to make people uncomfortable. No one wanted to talk about it, and the majority of the time, it was shoved to the side so no one would acknowledge its existence.

To me, it made no sense. The mind was powerful and could either make or break us. It didn’t matter if you were human or a witch — the mind could help you rise in this world or make you fall to the crushing ground. The only difference with witches was that our minds could heighten our magic — or block it entirely.

In school, whenever the topic came up, it was pushed aside and buried like it was an act of sin to simply talk about the subject. Mental health fascinated me so much that I sometimes did my own research at home or in the library to learn more about it.

Whether it was depression, hallucinations, bipolar disorders, or suicidal thoughts, I wanted to know about them all and was disappointed that our curriculum never tackled them. There was so much to learn, and one thing that was never emphasized was the fact that it was normal.

It was important to deal with these things and get therapy, medication, or help. It baffled me that it was ‘acceptable’ to face the demons that bothered us after a scary fight or exam and that support was always available 24/7 after situations like that hit you in the face, but when it came to mental health and its ability to be a negative factor in our lives, no one wanted to hear, see, or acknowledge the damage it could cause.

I continued to stand, watching my boyfriend cry his eyes out while on his knees on an abandoned bridge. It was simply another reminder of the stigma of mental health issues.

He had been bullied throughout the entire semester, just like I was all of last year, and yet there was generally nothing anyone did about it. If not for Connor and the rest of my men, I’d still be getting bullied.

Unfortunately, all that did was move the target from my head to Finnick’s. It was only a matter of time before everyone found out about Finnick’s mother’s passing. Then, no one would bully him out of pity for losing his mother. However, it wouldn’t stop them from moving down to another target. How many times would the target move? How long would this behavior be accepted in our schools, workplaces, maybe even homes?

I’d studied all about this topic, and yet, I had no idea how to react. No understanding of how to apply that knowledge and give Finnick the support he needed.

No one would care, right?

A new thought floated into my mind, one that made me bite my lip in worry. This was a warning sign, something that many people said to themselves when those dark thoughts flooded their minds.

It was the mind’s way of saying that no matter all the love, kindness, and affection surrounding you, the world wouldn’t care if you disappeared because you didn’t matter. It was written over and over again in all the books and sections that centered on suicide.

Finnick shook his head as if he were trying to get rid of the very thought, and his irregular breathing became more and more rapid.

I couldn’t watch anymore. It made me sick to my stomach to think I was merely standing and watching my boyfriend self-destruct while I stood a few steps away. I may not have known how to tackle situations like this, but what I could do was make him understand that he wasn’t alone.

Whether it was a pat on the back, a slow, comforting rub, or a simple hug of reassurance, taking action instead of standing and watching like the rest of the world could change everything.

Taking a quiet step forward, I stared at Finnick as he continued to cry uncontrollably. He hadn’t sensed my presence and I didn’t want to scare him, but the least I could do was let him know that I was here.

When I reached him, I knelt down and very gently pressed my hand on his back. He didn’t seem to notice, still lost in his sadness and sobs as he continued to shake and fight to breathe.

He was so shaken from the loss of his loved one and making the irrational decision to drop out that it looked as though he’d lost all hope in general. I wished to save him from such thinking. To open his eyes and help him see the true light at the end of this dark tunnel.

No one could bring his mother back, but we could at least help him heal. Guide him on the path of light so he would realize that this wasn’t the end. He needed a reminder of how much potential he had. That he wasn’t a nobody in this world, but one of the many flickering souls that could leave an impact.

It was time for me to do my part. As his girlfriend or simply a person who didn’t want to see his burning light be blown out.

Just breathe, Finnick. Breathe.

I sent the simple instructions into his mind, hoping it would penetrate all the darkness. He seemed to pause in his crying, recognizing my voice almost immediately.

Slowly, he turned his head my way, and his turquoise eyes stared into mine.

“B-Brianne?”

“Hey, Finnick,” I whispered, giving him a small smile. “What are you doing here?”

He simply stared at me, like I was an illusion he’d just conjured.

“Brianne. Is…is that really you?”

My smile widened, and I nodded my head. “The one and only. You know there can only be one of me. Who else has amazing orange hair with gold highlights? Well…aside from my sister. She doesn’t count, though. No one in this world has hair like mine…hmm. That’s probably a lie since orange is a pretty rad color. However, no one has orange and gold!” I was clearly getting lost in my own conversation, which had my cheeks growing slightly red.

“Um…ignore me. I’m just being a little awkward,” I admitted and nervously giggled.

He blinked a few times, his tears rolling down his cheeks once more, and he reached out to press his hand against my cheek.

“Red?”

“Yes, Finnick?”

“It’s really you…” He trailed off as his lip trembled. His eyes were wide with awe, like he couldn’t possibly believe I was real.

“Yes, Finnick,” I whispered, placing my hand on top of his. “It’s me. I’m right here.”

Tears began to well up in his eyes once again, and he whispered, “I fucked up, Red. I…I submitted my dropout form. I…I can’t go to Witchling Academy anymore. I don’t know why I did it. I thought I’d bring you guys down. That I’d only be a burden to the team,” he cried and looked into my eyes with desperation.

“I knew it was a stupid move. That I’d regret it. Even Professor Phoenix warned me that I’d regret this decision. She said that I had all this potential and shouldn’t let anyone influence my decisions and worth. I knew everything she was saying was right. That even with my mom’s passing, I should think the decision through over the Christmas break and give my final say in the new year. She gave me the chance to think about it and I brushed it away. It was only when she mentioned that you’d be informed about me dropping that I paused. Like that sole piece of information was the deciding factor of whether I walked away or decided on a different route to take. I was going to stop, to change my mind and rip the paper into shreds, but the same thoughts still weighed on my mind. That I’d be a burden. That I wasn’t smart enough to be with you guys.”

“Finnick,” I whispered, and lifted my free hand to press against his cheek. “You know that’s not true.”

“I know. I really do, Red. Yet…at the time it felt that way. It was such a strong feeling, like I truly didn’t deserve any of this. It was like all my hard work was in vain because Witchling would only get harder as the semester passed by. How would I be able to keep up? I can barely think straight without remembering that I’m motherless now. I can’t eat without remembering all the amazing meals made for me. Whenever I sleep, I can hear her soft humming and I remember how she’d sing me to sleep when I was little. Every single moment where I’m not drowning in distraction, I remember my mom. My beautiful…amazingly talented mom who only wanted the best for me. She loved me, her son who liked boys and girls. Her son who always needed a little more time to solve an equation or memorize a sentence. Her son who wasn’t perfect and had many flaws, but was still someone she loved and cherished. Even on her deathbed, she accepted me and the ones I loved. She accepted my weirdness and blessed me. She wished me all the best, and even though she’d never see me again once she closed her pretty eyes, all she cared about was my dad’s and my happiness.”

His lip trembled again as he tried to smile. “No matter what I do, these thoughts plague me. Like a curse or a disease, and I can’t do anything to stop thinking about it. How am I going to study if I can’t concentrate? How will I be able to achieve great things when all I can think about is how my mom is gone? I tried to focus during the exam, and though it was hard, it was also the perfect distraction. Now there’s nothing left to distract me anymore. We’re on break and I know once it’s over, I’ll still be struggling. I don’t want my team to suffer because of this. You guys don’t deserve anything negative coming your way on my behalf.”

“Finnick,” I whispered. “Nothing negative will come our way. What you need is our support. There’s nothing wrong with how you feel. This is your mind, body, and soul trying to deal with loss. Everyone deals with it differently. This is just your way of accepting what is now a reality. It can take days, months, years. It’s not something you can rush to get over. That’s not something I’d wish on anyone either. You lost someone who made a great impact on your life and you need time to heal. That’s why you have friends and family to help you keep moving forward. We’d never abandon you to deal with this alone.”

“But…but it’s too late now, Brianne,” he sobbed, shaking his head in defeat. “I put in the form. Professor Phoenix submitted it. I can’t go to school anymore…or be around you and the others while you continue your studies. I already made enough mistakes to fuck everything up.”

He cried even harder and closed his eyes. “I promised my mom I’d go to Witchling Academy and graduate from there. That I’d meet new people and make even more friends. I vowed to enjoy my years there and figure out a profession, and then, after I graduated, I’d give back to this community and help make it easier for people like me to take the next step into adulthood. To accept who they are and understand that they too are allowed an education like everyone else. That being different doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy the same things as those who love the opposite gender. I wanted to be that shining light for them, kind of like how my mom was to me. How you are to me now.”

He opened his eyes again, those blue pearls reflecting his pitiful sadness. “I can’t do that anymore, Brianne. I fucked up and gave my future away with a piece of paper. There’s no way back.”

“There is a way back, Finnick,” I whispered, moving my hand to press it against his other cheek. “Listen, Finnick. You’re still enrolled in Witchling Academy.”

“No, I’m not,” he whispered and tried to pull his head back, but my hands on his cheeks stopped him.

“Finnick.” I used a sterner voice, and he stilled to stare into my eyes. Once I knew he wasn’t going to speak back, I carried on with what I had to say. “Professor Phoenix didn’t submit your paper.”

“What?” he whispered.

“She didn’t submit it,” I repeated. “She asked my sister to call us to her office, where she delivered the news that you wanted to drop out. Jax and Connor were reviewing the paper when I kind of ditched and ran off to find you. I think she’s waiting for me to come back and give my final say before she either submit it or rips it to shreds.”

Finnick stared at me like I’d spoken in another language. I smiled and leaned in to give him a tender kiss on the lips. He blinked, his eyes still locked on mine, but he kissed me back, the two of us closing our eyes and enjoying the bittersweet moment.

Moving my lips from his, I smiled and opened my eyes. Finnick opened his, and again, we were staring at one another. I decided to repeat the news.

“You’re still a Witchling Academy student, Finnick. We can go back and tell Professor Phoenix that you made a mistake and you want to stay. She’ll rip the paper up and it will be like you never handed it to her. We can fix it. You didn’t fuck up. You still have a chance to make your mother proud and to be an inspiration to others after you graduate.”

Finnick blinked and whispered, “I’m…still a student. I…didn’t fuck up?”

It was hard not to get emotional when I could see the tiny sparks of hope in his eyes.

“You didn’t fuck up, Finnick. We can fix all of this and enjoy Christmas break together. You can do whatever you need to do, whether it’s crying or finding things to distract you. As long as it helps you heal and doesn’t negatively impact you. Then, we’ll enter Semester Four and if anyone dares to bother you, I’ll smack them down! Wait…maybe not necessarily smack them. I think that’s considered abuse…hmmm. I’ll slap them with glitter! I’ll get Elsa to help me. Make it look like a familiar accident. I can already see the headlines on the paper. Tiny kitten familiar goes slapping people with glitter! Ah, that would be amusing, if you ask me. What was I saying again?”

I noticed the slight smile on Finnick’s lips, and I beamed to see he was amused by my story, even though I’d gone completely off-topic.

“What I’m trying to say is,” I began and stroked his cheek. “We’re going to enter Semester Four together. We’re going to tackle any hurdles along the way and no matter what happens, you have your weird, orange-with-gold-haired girlfriend and the rest of the Notorious Four by your side. You’re not alone, Finnick. Even when your mind is trying to tell you otherwise. We’re in this together, and whether it takes you a day, a month, or even a year to grieve, we’ll be right there for the entire ride. Even if it takes longer than a year, we’ll still be there to support you in all things. All I want you to do is allow yourself to embrace it. Remember how amazing your mom was and that she’ll always be watching you from the sky above. You can make her proud and prove to all those who tried to bring you down that you’re a survivor. A warrior who conquered your own demons and their taunts and became a successful graduate and inspiration to all. You’ll be living proof that life is hard, but there’s always a way out of those hardships. I’m sure there are students at Witchling or around our city who would love to hear your story and would relate to it. All I need you to do is believe that you can do it. Don’t let your mind get the best of you. If it ever does, just call me. I’ll always come to your aid. No matter what.”

“No matter what,” he whispered, and his eyes looked to the gold bracelet on my wrist. “Did you crack your bracelet and Spell Travel here?”

“Uh…” I moved my attention to the bracelet, realizing there was indeed a crack in it. Laughing nervously, I moved my hands from his cheeks and turned the bracelet so the crack was on the other side, hidden from sight.

“There,” I said in triumph. “What crack? Nothing to see here, lalalala!”

Finnick smirked, and then he began to chuckle. “Jeez, Red. You’re so weird.”

“Hey!” I pouted my lips. “You said I was unique!”

“Weirdly unique.” He laughed even harder, his lingering tears rolling down his cheeks. “What a silly way to hide a crack.”

“That’s not silly! It’s innovative!” I defended. “You’re supposed to support me!”

Finnick laughed even harder. “Yeah, support the fact that when you lift your hand, the crack is still visible on the other side.”

I frowned and thought about it, lifting my wrist like I was going to high-five someone. He laughed even harder and pointed to the spot. “See?”

My cheeks grew red and I stuttered, “T-that! Well…when am I ever going to give someone a high five?!”

Finnick was dying of laughter at this point, and I pouted my lips in frustration before I huffed, “Ugh. Fine. Laugh all you want. I’m going home.”

He clutched his stomach and laughed uncontrollably, falling over to the side. With a groan, I got up and stared at him as he laughed and laughed.

Crossing my arms over my chest and raising an eyebrow at him, he finally paused to look up at my irritated expression.

“Are you done?”

That only sent him into another round of laughter. I groaned and turned around. “I’m going back to school. Then I’m going home. That energy drink stuff is finally out of my system and I’m being laughed at. How’s that fair?” I whined and began to walk away.

He was laughing again, but it didn’t make me feel less annoyed.

I didn’t make it five steps before arms wrapped around me, pulling me back into a tight embrace.

“I’m sorry, Brianne,” Finnick whispered, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“I don’t believe you,” I mumbled. “Go away.”

He snickered again, and I tried to move out of his hold, but he held me even tighter. “I’m sorry, Red. Don’t hate me,” he whispered, and his lips pressed against the side of my neck.

I shivered at the sudden touch but tried to stand my ground.

“I don’t accept your apology,” I muttered, attempting to sound mad. It was hard when he was kissing my skin, his teeth lightly scraping across the surface, which sent another wave of shivers through me.

“Please?” His voice dropped an octave. That sent a whole different set of tingles through me, ones that made me grow hot in different places.

I wanted to ignore him, or at least not forgive him so easily, but he removed an arm from my waist to grasp my chin with his hand. Turning my head to the right, I noticed his face was inches from mine, and without a second thought, we were kissing again.

The kiss was different, a mixture of desire and desperate hunger that rippled between us. It started off slow, like most of our kisses, but as we began to move our lips, it grew into something greater. Something fierce and urgent.

My body turned to face his, and those slim-but-built arms of his wrapped around my waist and pulled me against him as we deepened the kiss.

This was the first time I’d kissed Finnick like this, enjoying the intensity of our kiss without a bit of hesitation or worry in mind. It was like I had turned on a switch between us, removing the barriers that blocked us from being this comfortable with one another.

Whether it was our own anxieties and worries, or simply the way our relationship dynamic worked, those last bits of hesitation were gone and were replaced by an intense need to feel one another.

This was my way of comforting him — reminding him that life is indeed a hard journey, but there are also good things in this world.

Like kissing, for example.

My body was tightly pressed against Finnick’s, while his mouth dominated mine in a heated kiss. The soft sound that escaped my lips seemed to ignite something primitive between us, only intensifying the kiss and our touch.

My arms slid around his neck, making sure he couldn’t pull back too far. It amazed me how I could feel so in control, but not at the same time. My body was getting exactly what it wanted, yet it also wanted more.

Finnick groaned and pressed his lower half against mine, and I swore I could feel the bulge in his pants, similar to what I felt when I took care of Jax that one night. The simple action made me ache between my legs, and it only grew when he did it again, as if on purpose.

I moaned in response and locked my mouth against his, the two of us frozen in a deep kiss. We finally broke the kiss when we were both breathless, and I opened my eyes to look into his hooded ones.

They were vivid with something dark, and the way they scanned my swollen lips made me excited to kiss him again. He must have read my mind, because his lips crashed into mine again, the two of us kissing long and hard while holding each other in a tight embrace.

It seemed to be the perfect spot to do this, to kiss and make out, because no one would interfere. The place was quiet because the bridge was closed due to construction. We could be left in our own world of kisses and comforting pleasure.

Most importantly, I hoped this brief moment reminded Finnick of some of the joys life could bring. That he was loved and deserved a spot on this vast planet.

Breaking the kiss once again, we both fought to catch our breath while our foreheads pressed together.

I closed my eyes and let myself calm down, feeling all sorts of tingles and aches. It wasn’t like they were bad, but they made me wish we weren’t standing on the bridge in public. It made me wish we were at home or in our dorm where we could go to one of our rooms and do things that didn’t require standing — or even clothes.

“Brianne.”

I opened my eyes and looked into Finnick’s. They began to pool with tears again, but Finnick was giving me a genuine smile as he whispered, “Thank you.”

“Finnick…I didn’t do anything,” I whispered back.

He shook his head and hugged me tightly against him. “I’ve never…felt so fucking alive, Brianne.”

With him hugging me as tightly as he was, I could feel the hint of tremors that shook through him.

“When I was here earlier, I wished…no, I begged…to just have someone here with me. To be able to have that comforting presence or even a hug. To have a moment of validation in my life, to remind myself that I was allowed to still exist. This place…this neighborhood means so much to me, and I didn’t want to taint it with negativity and do something stupid. Something I’d regret. I knew that my thoughts and actions were irrational, but at the same time, I couldn’t help it. I literally felt like I’d screwed up and there was no hope left for me. I even thought…maybe it was best for me to jump. To end it all and join my mom up in heaven. Yet, I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t ready to end it all, and I only thought of it as another burden I’d lay on those I left behind.”

My tears fell as I hugged him tightly back, attempting to fight back sobs. I truly hadn’t realized Finnick was that close to the edge — so near to doing something he’d regret forever and leaving those who loved him the most to pick up the shattered pieces.

“Then you arrived. As if you had been there all along. You didn’t simply tell me to suck it up like the bullies do. Or tell me that there had to be something wrong with me because I was acting like a delusional idiot. You told me to breathe, validating that I deserved to do just that like any other human or witch in this world. You comforted me, held me, let me cry like a damn baby, and kissed me. It was like you were breathing new life into me.”

He was crying again, and I rubbed his back as he continued.

“You didn’t kiss me like I was a struggling witch who was clearly having an identity crisis. You kissed me like I mattered. Like I deserved to be kissed and loved. Even though I like guys and girls. Even though I’m struggling with these dark thoughts, you let me get lost in those lovely lips of yours and enjoy that sweet taste of your mouth. You made me feel like a normal individual kissing his girlfriend on an abandoned bridge. You don’t know how nice it felt to experience that.”

He rested his head on my shoulder and cried, and I ended up joining him, the two of us shedding tears of joy and sorrow.

I wanted to help Finnick so badly. To make him realize just how special he was. He was grieving and that was a normal thing to do. I simply wished it hadn’t come to this in the first place. That he’d known from the get-go that it was okay to sometimes feel down in the dumps and that grieving was an acceptable thing to do.

I wished those bullies knew how powerful their mean words were. How hurtful and long-lasting those brief insults could be on a person. On the outside, Finnick continued to display that lovely smile of his and act as if the world around him was filled with sunshine and rainbows. No one knew about his dying mother. No one knew about his struggles to keep up with the curriculum. No one tried to accept him for who he was, and it showed just how powerful their ignorance was —and how close it pushed Finnick to the very edge. A decision, once made, that could never be reversed.

The bullying had to stop.

Or at least, we had to figure out how to limit it. If it was affecting someone as smart, talented, popular, and good-looking as Finnick, what about those who weren’t in powerful positions like the student council?

Sure, they could make remarks and bring him down verbally, but they wouldn’t dare mess with him physically unless they wanted to deal with Connor and the others.

But what about those who didn’t have a support system like Finnick? Even with everyone around him, he still felt the need to disappear. Like he was truly a burden to the world when he wasn’t. If he was feeling this way, what about those who didn’t have any friends? Or those who came from abroad like Mia and Miya? We had to figure something out, or…one day someone will be pushed off the edge.

It took us a long while before we finally pulled back to look into each other’s eyes. His were red from all his crying, and I was sure mine were similar. Even with our tear-streaked faces, smiles graced our lips before I leaned in and kissed him.

This kiss wasn’t as desperate as the other. It was far more sensational and made my toes curl.

“Finnick?”

“Yes, Red?”

“Are you okay now?”

“Yeah,” he whispered. “But…can we stay here a little longer?”

“Of course we can,” I replied. “As long as you want.”

“You sure?” He was slightly hesitant as he said it. “I know you’re tired and should be recovering.”

“I’m sure. I had two energy boosters.”

“Those canned drinks that give you a ridiculous amount of energy before you crash?” he elaborated.

“Yup.” I smiled gleefully.

He moved back just slightly to look at me, and I giggled.

“What?” I asked.

“That laugh sounded creepy. Like you’re one of those secret serial killers,” Finnick voiced.

“I’d be a pretty cool serial killer, though,” I pointed out. “I’d be cute and innocent. No one would see it coming. Then BAM!” I exclaimed and put my hands up for extra emphasis. “Dead. Explosions everywhere! I’d walk out of there like a hot blockbuster hit! Oh, I’d need heels!”

“Why would you need heels?” Finnick questioned.

“Because all the badass girls wear heels after doing something amazing in the movies. Like Charlie’s Angels. That’s another good classic by the way. Explosion! Explosion! Explosion!”

“MewMew?”

I hadn’t realized Elsa had returned and was sitting on Finnick’s shoulder; the two of them stared at me like I’d lost my mind.

My cheeks began to burn, and I slowly lowered my arms and hid my hands behind my back. “Uh…don’t mind me. I’m just…a little hyper from the energy drinks. I think this is a side effect,” I brushed off and giggled nervously again.

“You’re so going to crash.” Finnick shook his head.

“MewMew!” Elsa seemed to agree with him and began to rub her head against his cheek.

“Traitor!” I said to my familiar. “And no, I won’t.”

“Sure,” Finnick replied, but he smiled, looking extremely relieved. “Let’s talk for a bit?”

I smiled and nodded my head. “Yeah. Let’s talk.”

3

WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

“We used to live in this neighborhood,” Finnick whispered.

“Really?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he replied. “It was nice and quiet.”

The two of us sat on the ground, our backs against the wall of the bridge. My head rested on Finnick’s right shoulder, and my hand was intertwined with his. The two of us were staring up at the sky, watching as the sun set on the horizon.

It was winter after all, which meant the sun went down a lot earlier than in the summer. It left the sky a beautiful mixture of orange, gold, purple, and dark blue, with bits of red and pink.

A magical sky that many of us shared a view of, and I wondered if somewhere on the other side of the world, someone else was looking at a wondrous sky like this.

Finnick squeezed my hand and I squeezed right back, the two of us enjoying the comforting silence while we continued to watch the sunset. It wasn’t until the stars began to make an appearance, the sky growing a deeper shade of blue with bits of gold and orange, that Finnick spoke.

“When she was first diagnosed with cancer, I didn’t have a worry in the world,” Finnick whispered. “My mom was like Superwoman. Nothing could stop her from doing anything. Not even cancer. She only found it because there was a lump in one of her breasts. They did these scans and tests and confirmed it was treatable. That meant the cancer could be removed, and it wasn’t going to spread. I was younger back then, and when the doctors explained what was going on, it only meant that my mom would get better again. I kept doing my best at school in my studies and after school games. I wanted to make my mom proud while she was getting treatment.”

He took a deep breath and sighed.

“It was hard during the winter months. Something about the cold that makes things a lot worse. It always heightened my mom’s pain, and the absence of flowers and color in general always made her really sad. After class, I always drew my mom a flower. I’m not the best artist, nowhere close to my dad, but I could at least color within the lines. My teacher knew about what was going on and always stayed behind to watch me color a new flower. She actually would print out seven different flowers and every day we’d try one in a weird crayon shade and see if it looked nice.”

He quietly chuckled and carried on.

“It didn’t matter if some of the crayons had ugly colors. My teacher always said that every color in the pack was unique. Sure, some students only loved the bright colors of the rainbow. Brown is a color that many people dislike. It’s the shit color that usually symbolizes dirt, mud, poop. Basically, anything dirty. It’s not like the crayon asked to be the color it was, but alas, that was just how it was created. It had no choice in the matter.”

I lifted my head to look at him, noticing how his eyes twinkled from the bits of sunlight that remained and shone down on us. His gaze was far away, looking at the beautiful vast sky.

“One day, we colored a sunflower in just brown. I wanted to add some colors to make it look pretty, just like how pretty my mom was, but the teacher said I could only use one color. We’d yet to use brown, so I figured it would still turn out nice. My mom wasn’t picky when it came to flowers. She loved all of them, regardless of whether they were cherry blossoms, lilies, or sunflowers.”

Finnick paused and slowly turned to look at me, our eyes locking before a small grin formed on his face.

“When I finished coloring it, I hated it. The brown didn’t make the flower stand out like the rest of the colors did, and I assumed it wouldn’t make my mom happy. I wanted to start over, but the teacher shook her head and said my dad would be there any moment to pick me up. I began to cry, wishing that I could fix it because I wanted to make my mom happy, but there was nothing I could do. I sobbed all the way to the hospital, and when we arrived, my mom wondered why I was crying so hard.”

He chuckled and returned to staring up at the sky.

“Dad explained that I was sad because the brown crayon didn’t make the sunflower colorful enough, and I wanted to brighten her day like all the other days. I apologized to my mom for not choosing a good color, and that I’d color a better one on Monday. My mom gave me the biggest smile, and after Dad helped me sit down next to my mom, she took a better look at the picture. She stared at it for a long time, and I was sure she hated it because of how quiet she was.” He squeezed my hand and sighed.

“I prepared myself to face the truth that she hated it, but her smile only widened and she said how much she loved the sunflower. I was shocked. In fact, I told her that I’d still make her a new one because she was just trying to be nice and not hurt my feelings. She shook her head and told me she genuinely loved it. She then explained how important the brown color is to the box of crayons. I couldn’t understand it at first. I thought to myself, how could something perceived as so ugly and disgusting be important? It didn’t make sense at all, but my mom thought differently.”

Finnick turned his gaze to me once again and carried on, “When we look at the color of soil, it’s normally brown. Same goes with fecal waste. Mud, dirt, some types of clay, they’re all different shades of brown. However, just because the majority of people think the color itself is ugly in appearance, it still has value.”

“Value,” I whispered, and Finnick nodded.

“Soil helps plants and flowers to grow. It feeds their feet with the nutrients they need to grow big and strong. The bark of trees is brown. On the outside, they’re rough and sometimes look dead, but on the inside, they’re full of life, with many insects living there. Many times, fresh clean water runs inside the bark of trees, feeding many animals that can’t get water from anywhere else. Many believe fecal waste is just that, but it can be decomposed into many things and now in our world, waste can be turned into plastic that isn’t harmful to the environment. The color brown, which is perceived as ugly and useless, has just as much value as other colors that carry their own beauty and grace. In the end, every color has its own value, just as every creature, vessel, human, and witch has their purpose in the world.”

Wow.

In listening to the breakdown of it all, I realized that many people didn’t think that way. We lived in a world that liked to judge books by their covers without ever diving into their contents to see just how good or bad they could be.

“When she explained that all to me, she said how happy she was that I’d decided to give the brown crayon a chance. It meant that I was willing to give people chances along the road and not simply judge them by their appearance. It meant that I’d be able to meet genuine people and that she was happy that I’d grow up to be a man who accepted everyone’s flaws and imperfections.”

I was actually speechless from his revelation. To think his mom could implement such teachings at such a young age but make them so easy to understand.

If only professors used those wise teachings to help us learn life lessons like that.

“She told me that the brown flower made her extremely happy, and there was no need to cry. She added it to the rest of her collection of colored flowers from me. We actually still have them all in boxes in the art studio. She kept every single one from her whole duration of being in the hospital and kicking cancer’s butt. When she was deemed cancer-free, my dad taught me how to paint on canvas, and together, we made her a big piece of artwork with all the flowers she adored. It was a rainbow piece, with all the fun colors people loved, as well as the colors that people didn’t like as much. I told her how they were just as important as the rest, and I’d learned that everyone has a purpose on this planet and she’d taught me that. It’s one of the fondest memories I have of her.”

“Thank you for telling me, Finnick,” I whispered and squeezed his hand. He smiled and nodded, resting his head against the wall behind us.

“I miss her, Brianne.” His voice was tiny and his eyes blinked a few times. “When she beat cancer, I thought that was it. I never knew she was only in remission. That…the treatment hadn’t completely rid all of it from her body. Sometimes I’d notice a symptom, though, like when my mom would lose hair all of a sudden or when she’d get really skinny and not eat.”

He swallowed and took a steady breath.

“I was ignoring it, really. I didn’t want to acknowledge the chance of losing her again. I was just finishing my last year in middle school and had been accepted to Witchling. I was going to attend with my three best friends and life was pretty solid. I genuinely thought everything would be perfectly fine and my mom would get to watch me go through each semester like she always did. Whenever I had a bad day, I could run right into the house and she’d always be there.”

He needed another moment to compose himself, his eyes growing watery as he continued. “She would be cooking some amazing meal for me and Dad, and the aroma would wrap around the house. No matter if I was a panicked mess, she’d turn around and give me the biggest smile. She’d open her arms and ask me if my day was okay. That was her way of telling me that no matter how hard life was right now, she was there for me. I’d run into her arms and cry. To the outside world, it wasn’t the manliest thing to do, but Mom didn’t care. She’d let me cry until I calmed down. Then she’d let me explain what had made me so upset. After I voiced my concerns, she’d ask me what I’d learned and what I didn’t like about the situation. It was like each bad encounter had a good within, and our talks gave me the opportunity to review what had hurt me and learn from it. Once we were done, she’d tell me to take a nice hot shower, and she’d finish preparing dinner. Usually, my dad would either be done with his artwork or be home from his job and we’d enjoy an evening meal together. I wouldn’t need to dwell on what made me cry during dinner unless I wanted Dad to know about it. The whole process made me feel like even with the hardships in life, I could manage to figure out the good in things.”

“That’s an amazing outlook on life,” I whispered.

“Yeah,” he replied and closed his eyes, a tear rolling down his right cheek. “Now that I have a calm moment, I can remember all she taught me. All I learned through my own years of trying to fit in. I’ve always felt like a puzzle piece that never quite fit. It didn’t matter which way you turned me around or flipped me. I never would fit into the standards this world set for me. At first, it bugged me, but Mom was the one who helped me realize that it was okay to not fit. I was the brown crayon that not everyone liked. It didn’t mean I was useless or would never gain happiness. All it meant was that I’d have a harder time finding people who did like me for who I was. To find those individuals who loved the brown crayon. Though it meant that it would be harder to find friends, it also meant that when I did, they would last in my life longer because they accepted me already. Once I grasped that outlook on life, I met Jax, Kaito, and Connor.”

Even as more tears ran down his cheeks, he smiled while his eyes remained closed.

“I’d never been so happy. It was like the universe was rewarding me for listening to all my mom’s teachings, and I continued to listen through my teen and young adult years. When the cancer came back, I knew it was just another bump in the road. Another hill I had to climb, and when I reached the top, life would be easier again. But…it seemed as though the mountain continued to grow taller and taller, and I was losing all strength to keep going.”

He opened his eyes. “My mom was my strength. She was my shield from the hate being thrown at me. The sword I needed to fight against the demons that tried to bring me down. She guided me on the path of light when the darkness tried to hide the exit and was the candle in my life that continued to burn when the world was far too dark for me to handle. She lifted me up, even when her own life seemed to crumble…so when…she passed…I was sad.”

His lip trembled as he continued.

“I was sad, not because she was truly gone, but because I couldn’t do the same in return. As children, our parents work to help us rise up. They take care of us when we can’t do it ourselves. As we age, they grow old and the roles reverse so that we’re the ones taking care of them. I was ready to let our roles reverse, anticipating those days I’d have to help her eat or dress. I’d do it with a smile, and hum sweet happy songs to her as I dressed or bathed her. I was ready to pamper her the same way she’d pampered me, and when she was at her low points in life, I’d make sure to be there. To have my arms wide open for her to come and cry in my loving embrace. However…she died before I could do any of that, and it broke my heart that she never got to see the reward for all her hard work.”

His head hung low as he sighed, his tears falling into his lap.

“Finnick,” I whispered, and he turned his head slightly to look at me.

“She did get her reward.”

“No, she didn’t,” he whispered. “I never got to take care of her or return the favor.”

“You’re right about that part,” I replied. “However, you’re missing one important aspect.”

He lifted his head to give me his full attention. I smiled and squeezed his hand.

“You,” I explained.

“Me?” he countered. “I don’t understand.”

“You are the product of her hard work,” I revealed. “Think about it. She raised you and taught you all these valuable life lessons. She comforted you when times were hard and praised you when you did the right things. When people wronged you, she didn’t tell you to fight back or do wrong to them in return. Instead, she always turned a negative into a positive, and you absorbed those teachings. She got to watch you grow from a baby to a toddler, a child to a teen, and she got to watch you progress from a young adult into a man. In your eyes, you felt that in order for your mother to reap the rewards of her hard labor, you’d have to care for her the same way she did for you. However, that’s not how I see it.”

My smile widened when I noticed the twinkle in his eyes. He understood what I was getting at. “Your mother got to watch you absorb her teachings, day by day, and as you grew, she was rewarded by your actions. No matter how hard the world was, you continued to strive forward. You worked on battling those demons and achieving greatness. You made her proud every single day because you kept walking forward. As you grew older, you didn’t need to rely on her as much, and when things were tough, you handled them independently — but still tackled them in a positive light. She got to witness all of that and more, as you explored who you were and accepted that you weren’t that puzzle piece that fits into the final slot. You’re a unique man who loves without boundaries and she got to see you break out of your shell. Like a butterfly hatching from its cocoon, you reached the next level of maturity and she got to witness it. She got to see her son find himself. Even if she could no longer be there to watch you prosper or enjoy being spoiled by you, she got to see you reach a major milestone in your life.”

I leaned in and kissed his nose, and my smile only widened.

“I don’t know if it was truly your mom’s time to go or not. That’s up to the gods that blessed us with magic and life. However, what I do know is that a piece of your mom lives inside you. Her teachings, kindness, and love all resonate within you, and though she can’t be here in her bodily form, she breathes and lives through you. Those she touched emotionally will always be reminded of her when they see you, and as you spread kindness and love through your actions, the world will get to see how her hard work paid off. The mark she made on you will be passed down through your actions, and the mark you lay upon the world will have a bit of her in it. That will continue to be passed down, and your mother’s love, compassion, and hard work will be imprinted on this world until our existence finally ceases. So in the end, you are the best reward she could ever ask for because you will pass down the happiness she brought into your life and help others in return. That’s a beautiful reward, don’t you think?”

“Brianne,” he whispered, his tears running down his cheek.

“I know your mother isn’t here anymore to hold and hug you when life becomes too hard,” I began, sliding my hand out of his. I stood up and moved to the middle of the bridge and turned around to see him rise up from his spot to look at me in bewilderment.

Lifting my hands up, I left them outstretched, watching Finnick’s eyes grow wide in shock.

“When life becomes too hard to bear, remember that you have me to hug and hold you. No matter the good or bad, my arms will always be open for you. You can laugh or cry, and I’ll always listen to what made you happy or sad. I’ll carry on the tradition that your mother started, and as we grow and learn, maybe we’ll pass down the tradition to others. I just want you to know that I’m here for you, Finnick. Just like you and the others are there for me.”

I remained in my place with my arms outstretched, watching as my words finally began to sink in and resonate with Finnick, his eyes reflecting his understanding and acknowledgment of my words.

My cheeks began to grow red as I realized how my declaration had sounded.

“Um. That sounded like a proposal or something. Hmm. It wasn’t supposed to sound like that, but then again, it makes sense. I wonder if I were a guy if that would sound like a proposal? Actually, if I were a guy, this could totally be awkward. Hmm, but at the same time, even if I were a guy, I’d love you the same as I love you now. Wouldn’t that mean it would sound the same?” I was starting to question myself and was babbling nonsense while I continued to wait for Finnick’s reaction.

“Either way, it would definitely sound like a proposal. Ugh. I should have worded that differently, but if it were a proposal, I’d have a ring! Oh…wait, do men wear rings when they’re dating one another? Well…err…when they get engaged to one another? Actually, how did I get on this topic? Ugh! Why am I so weird? No, I can answer that question already. Why am I talking to myself? That’s a question I should be asking my—AH!”

I was cut off by the force that practically tackled me. I almost lost my balance, but arms wrapped around me and lifted me up.

“EEK!” I shrieked and braced myself as I began to spin round and round; Finnick’s loving laughter echoed around me.

“Why are you so adorable, Red?” Finnick chuckled and spun me even faster.

“Finnick,” I squealed. “You’re going to make me dizzy.” I began to giggle, unable to stop myself as Finnick continued to laugh.

We ended up laughing together, and Finnick finally slowed down and came to a stop. He lowered me back to the ground, and when I met his gaze, he slowly lowered his lips onto mine.

“I love you so much, Brianne,” he whispered when he broke the kiss.

“I love you too, Finnick,” I replied. “Feeling better?”

“Yes,” he replied. “You’re right. Guess I am the reward my mom worked hard for. Even if things get hard again, which I’m sure they will, I won’t let it get to me. I’ll come right here and remember exactly what you told me, and if I ever need you, I’ll simply call you. You’ll know where I am and you’ll be able to Spell Travel.” He winked at the last statement, and I nervously giggled.

“No golden bracelet stopping me.” I grinned innocently. “Don’t tell anyone I broke it. My sister will just give me an even bigger one like those chains people wear in jail.”

“It’s not that big.” Finnick rolled his eyes.

“It is! Chunky and heavy! You don’t understand my struggle.”

He laughed and shook his head. “You’re too much.”

“You love me,” I declared.

“That I do,” he replied and hugged me.

“Ready to go back?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied. “Hopefully the school is still open.”

“I think we can get there before seven. If my magic is predicting the time right, we have thirty minutes.”

“Okay,” he replied and pulled back to smile at me. “Let’s go and rip that paper to pieces.”

I beamed at his declaration and nodded. “Yes. Let’s return to Witchling Academy. The place where we belong.”

I got Finnick back! My Notorious Four boyfriends will be together again!

“BRIANNE, WAIT.”

Finnick tugged my hand, the motion causing me to stop mid-stride. We were only a minute away from the main building that led to Professor Phoenix’s office and had about ten minutes before the school was considered closed.

I looked over at Finnick, noticing his worried expression.

“Hey.” I turned to face him and took a step forward to rest my hands on the side of his ribs. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m a little nervous,” he admitted and tried to avoid my gaze. “I bet the guys are angry at me.”

“Why would they be angry at you, Finnick?” I questioned.

“Well…I ran away from everything and didn’t tell them.” Finnick looked hurt by his own words, and he used his free hand to ruffle his pink strands while his other hand squeezed mine.

“They’re not going to be angry with you, Finnick. They’re your best friends. They understand you. Don’t even worry about it,” I encouraged.

He didn’t look completely convinced, his eyes still looking away from mine. I moved a step closer, pressing my body against his. The action was enough to grab his attention, and those worried blue orbs met mine.

“Finnick. It’ll be okay. I promise,” I vowed. He stared into my eyes for a solid minute before he sighed and kissed me.

“I’m just a little anxious,” he admitted. “I don’t want to lose them as friends.”

“You won’t,” I whispered against his lips, and I couldn’t help but kiss him again. “If they’re assholes about it, I’ll kick their butts!”

Finnick grinned. “Since when did you start swearing?”

I blushed and thought about it. “Um. I don’t know. It’s you guys’ fault! Bad influences.”

He laughed. “I guess all of us but Kaito. Guess we gotta be careful not to taint your vocabulary.”

“You’re making it seem like I’m a kid,” I mumbled. “I’m eighte—”

“Yes, yes. You’re eighteen,” Finnick interrupted, but his grin only widened. “Still don’t think you should swear,”

“Why?” I asked. “And don’t say it’s because I’m a girl because that’s bullshit.”

“Language,” Finnick teased, gasping like I’d literally committed an act of sin in front of him. “I don’t want to hear anymore swear words from your mouth, Brianne Marie Harlow. Or you’ll get a punishment.”

“Coming from you, that sounds more like a spanking or something,” I noted.

“I could spank you. I’m sure you wouldn’t like that,” Finnick said proudly.

“Maybe I would.” I shrugged. “Could be pleasurable.”

Finnick was gawking at me, but I shrugged again. “What? People do that stuff for pleasure, don’t they? Um…what do they call it? Um…kink? Kunka. Kiki? No, Kiki is a name. I don’t know. There’s a name for it, but yeah.”

“Who is teaching all this stuff to you?” Finnick eyed me carefully.

I blushed and glanced away. “We should go before school closes.”

I tried to walk away, but Finnick tugged me back and held me hostage in a warm hug.

“Hey!”

“You didn’t answer me, Red,” he pointed out. “Who taught you that?”

“None of your beeswax!” I replied.

“Business,” he corrected.

“Same thing,” I huffed. “The school is going to—”

“Are the twins teaching you about stuff?”

“What makes you automatically think of Mia and Miya?” I inquired in an attempt to try to hide the truth.

“Because they’re the ones who told you what a dildo was!”

“T-that…was an accident!” I argued, referring to the time I’d been looking for an extra pair of pajama pants — after Finnick spilled chocolate milk on mine — and stumbled upon Mia’s dildo.

“I didn’t know what that was! I thought it was a massage thingy! That’s what the box said.”

“They say that to fool you!” Finnick countered.

“Someone as innocent as me wouldn’t know that!” I argued.

“Exactly!”

“Then why are we arguing about this?” I questioned.

“We’re not arguing,” Finnick groaned. “I’m pointing out the fact that Mia and Miya are the ones tainting your mind!”

“You can’t prove that.”

“I JUST proved it!”.

“Nope. Not enough evidence! I’m innocent,” I argued, feeling my cheeks flush in embarrassment.

“You’re hopeless.” Finnick sighed.

“No! You’re hopeless!” I argued, simply wanting to be right and have the last word.

“That’s not a comeback,” he pointed out.

“It is now!” I replied with a huff. “I say so. Therefore, I win.”

“What kind of rules are you following?” Finnick questioned.

“Mine!” I declared. “Which state that I, Brianne Marie Harlow, can’t lose to Finnick Rosedale or anyone else in the Notorious Four. I’ve won this argument and the next, and the future ones too. I’ll always be victorious.”

“I have a feeling these rules are biased.” Finnick sighed.

“They are, but sucks to be you since they’ll never be in your favor,” I declared proudly.

“Fine,” Finnick declared. “I’ll just ask Mia and Miya themselves.”

He let go of me and began walking in a different direction.

“Wait! What? Where are you going?!” I called out to him.

“To ask them. They’re probably somewhere on campus waiting to see you off before they go on their holiday trip to Korea. I can ask them myself.”

“No!” I ran up to him and literally jumped onto his back.

“AH!” We both fell to the ground and I hugged his body like my life depended on it. “Never!”

“You gotta be kidding me,” Finnick groaned. “Brianne. Let go of me.”

“Nope! Mia and Miya aren’t on campus. They’re probably with their sexy twin boyfriends, enjoying some lovely fun before their flight or something! You can’t ask them.”

“What lovely fun are you referring to?” Finnick questioned.

“N-nothing!” I emphasized and hugged his neck tighter.

“Gah! Bri! You’re going to kill me!”

“Good! You can die with your lies!”

“You’re the one who’s lying! Mia and Miya are the ones who’ve been teaching you all about S-E—”

“LALALA!” I sang loudly. “You know nothing!”

“C’mon! You’re eighteen! You can say the lovemaking word!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I declared.

“What about coc—”

“LALALA!”

“Puss—”

“LALALA!” I continued interrupting him and tightened my arms around his neck even more.

“Bri! You’re literally killing me!”

“Then keep your damn opinions about your — and my! —love life to yourself!”

“You’re A PART of my love life!”

“Never!”

“You…gah! Bri?!”

“Die with your dirty mind and leave my pure innocence alone!” I yelled.

Finnick coughed and groaned. “I can’t…believe this.”

“Hmm. I wonder how long it’ll take them to realize we’re right here?”

“I don’t know. They seem really into their argument.”

I blinked and slowly looked to my left, noticing Mia and Miya standing there with curious expressions on their faces. They were accompanied by Aki, Ako, Kiyo, and Koyo; the four of them stood behind the Korean girls as they continued to stare at us in wonder.

I loosened my grip just a bit, and Finnick gasped for air. “I thought I was going to die!”

Rolling my eyes, I let go of him and got up. Skipping over to Mia and Miya, I literally tossed myself into their open arms.

“Mia! Miya!” I cheered.

“Hey, Brianne.” Miya giggled.

“Hey, Bri!” Mia squeezed us together. “Ah, we’re going to miss your pretty orange and gold head.”

I laughed and pulled back to look between them. “Me too! Are you guys all packed?”

“Almost!” they replied.

“We have a few things to do, but we had something to tell you!” Mia explained.

“What?” I asked.

“We’re staying until Christmas Eve!” they cheered.

“What?!” I repeated, but squealed and hugged them. “That’s awesome! More sleepovers! Do I still get Korean snacks?!”

“Yes!” they cheered. “The guys have a huge stash we’ve been stealing. We’ll bring some over,” Miya emphasized.

“We can hear you,” Aki and Kiyo said in unison.

“I feel like she said it on purpose,” Koyo and Ako noted.

Mia smirked. “She did.”

The three of us burst into laughter, while the guys shook their heads and walked over to Finnick, who was still on the ground.

“Have pity for me. My girlfriend almost killed me,” he whined.

“You probably dug your own grave,” Aki suggested.

“Or tried to prove you were right.” Kiyo shook his head.

“Foolish.” Ako nodded.

“You always admit you’re wrong. Even when you’re right,” Koyo explained.

“Who made up that stupid theory?” Finnick complained.

“It’s life,” the four of them said.

“I personally believe God or Jehovah or whatever is actually a girl,” Aki reasoned.

“Yup,” Kiyo agreed. “Made it so that males would be single-minded and never be able to tell if their girlfriends changed their hair color.”

“And made it so we can’t multitask to save our lives,” Ako noted.

“Or find the right tampons,” Koyo acknowledged.

The others looked over to him, and we watched them share a moment of silence before Finnick nodded. “I guess that’s true. That whole period section is confusing. Why are there so many damn pads?”

“Or tampons.” Aki groaned.

“They’re all in different colors, too!” Ako pointed out. “We already struggle with color blindness. I bet that’s another thing God added to the list of male flaws.”

“Totally. Even if they’re neon colors, they all look the same!” Kiyo exclaimed.

“They all do the same job, too,” Koyo emphasized.

“Right!” the others said in unison.

“Miya sent us to get tampons one day, and I swear, it was like an adventure into the land of Narnia,” Ako explained. “It felt like I was lost for days.”

“If it weren’t for the pharmacist who took pity on us, we would have been lost forever,” Koyo said dramatically.

“Mia did the same to us. She said we had to find super pads! What kind of brand is Super Pad? I couldn’t find anything but Always and Tampax!” Aki stressed.

“And when we called her and said there weren’t any, she called us idiots and began ranting at us. We had to buy chocolate and three tubs of ice cream to make her happy,” Kiyo groaned. “It was horrendous.”

Finnick raised an eyebrow at them. “It’s not that hard in those situations. Super is like the type. I think they’re green or something.”

“Yes, but there’s no way to know that!” Aki argued.

“It says on the package,” Finnick replied.

“As uneducated males in all things periods, we would never know that,” Kiyo defended.

“But that’s obvious!” Finnick pointed out.

“I wonder if this is going to turn into another one of those debates,” Ako pondered quietly to Koyo, who nodded. “We should have brought popcorn.”

The three of us stared at the group of men as they continued to talk about all things menstrual. Mia’s and Miya’s faces were bright red, and the longer the guys talked about tampons and pads, the more flustered they got until they both snapped.

“Why are we talking about periods?!” they exclaimed.

The five men looked back at us, noticing how flustered we were.

“Why not?” they all asked in unison.

“It’s, um…” I began and looked around the calm group. “Well, it’s a weird topic to talk about.”

“Why?” they asked again.

“Because…it’s periods!” Miya stressed.

“So?” they replied.

“Don’t you guys get it?” Mia asked. “Periods! Blood. Code Red. Aunt Flow. Cousins of tampons and pads, with their ex being chocolate and their current lover being condoms!”

“Is that a new analogy?” Finnick wondered.

“I think that makes sense since tampons and pads would be the perfect set of cousins,” Aki reasoned.

“And an ex could totally be like chocolate. Hard to resist, but once you’ve enjoyed it, all you have is regret and acne,” Kiyo elaborated.

“Chocolate gives acne? I guess that’s true. Hmm. Perfect description of an ex.” Ako nodded to himself.

“And their current lover being condoms makes sense since that prevents pregnancy and thus, the cycle begins!” Koyo concluded.

“Ah.” The others nodded in understanding.

“That’s smart. Who made that up?” Finnick wondered.

“Who knows? I think it’s from some book. The author’s last name was related to music,” Koyo explained.

“Like a song?” Aki questioned.

“No, I think it was Song,” Koyo replied.

“What song?” Kiyo inquired.

“No, no. The name was Song,” Koyo emphasized.

“Brother, you ain’t speaking proper English here,” Kiyo exasperated.

“I am! The last name was Song!”

“What song?!” the rest of them questioned.

“Are you guys all stupid?” Finnick asked.

“Hey!” the four of them argued.

Finnick rolled his eyes and looked at Koyo. “Not you.”

“Yes, I know that, but insulting Kiyo is like insulting me,” Koyo argued.

“You two are different,” Finnick argued.

“Different, yes,” Koyo and Kiyo replied.

“But really the same,” Aki and Ako declared.

“You four are so confusing.” Finnick pouted his lips. “Can we get back to the mystery of this author’s name? So it’s Song?”

“What song is it?!” Aki, Kiyo, and Ako questioned.

Finnick and Koyo just stared at them before Koyo looked at Finnick. “Never mind. I take it back. My brother is the stupid one.”

“Ugh,” Kiyo groaned. “Let’s go back to the period talk.”

“No!” Mia, Miya and I groaned. “Change the topic!”

“Why?” they all asked.

“Because it’s uncomfortable!” I voiced.

“Why?”

Mia and Miya sighed. “Because it is!”

“Why?” they continued to ask.

“UGH!” Mia groaned and took off her shoe. “Stop asking!”

“Oh, no!” Aki and Kiyo gasped. “Not the shoe!”

“What’s wrong with the shoe?” Finnick questioned, clearly out of the loop.

“It’s like how Latino families have the chancla,” Ako voiced, emphasizing the last word.

“It doesn’t matter how far you are. It’s like the shoe follows you until it slaps you in the head and delivers common sense,” Kyo added.

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Finnick noted. “Doesn’t that mean you get smarter?”

“Are you stupid?” the four of them asked.

“Ugh!” Miya groaned and removed a shoe. “Get them!”

“Oh, shit!” the four of them cursed and were running halfway down the path before Mia and Miya reached Finnick.

“Come back here!” the two of them screamed before looking back at me. “See ya, Brianne! We’ll steal some extra snacks!”

“Okay, bye!” I waved goodbye.

“See ya, Finnick!” They gave him a slight nod of their heads, and with a smile, they chased after their boyfriends, leaving Finnick and me alone once more.

We glanced at one another, and with a unified snicker, we both burst into laughter.

“I think your best friends found their matches.” Finnick smirked.

“I agree. They’re going to Korea together with their families. I think that’s supposed to mean something.” I walked over to him.

He continued to smile but opened his arms up. I walked right into them and hugged him tightly. We didn’t need to say anything to understand the feelings of relief that pulsed between us.

If Finnick had let the dark thoughts get to him, we wouldn’t have been laughing and joking around with our friends like we had all the time in the world.

“I’m glad to be alive, Brianne,” he whispered.

“I know,” I replied and hugged him tightly.

“There you guys are.”

We pulled back to see Jax and Connor heading our way. Kaito, Starlight, Katsume, and Professor Phoenix were only a few steps behind.

I slipped my hand in Finnick’s, feeling the nervous energy around him as he noticed the guys’ approach. Even though he was clearly afraid, he stood his ground and waited for them to arrive.

Jax was the first to reach us. He appeared relieved to see I was in one piece after my random escape. He then looked to Finnick, a frown forming on his lips as his eyes blazed with anger.

On instinct, I moved in front of Finnick and glared right back at Jax. He lifted an eyebrow, his anger moving from Finnick to me, but I stood my ground.

“You can be mad at me, but not Finnick. We all know what he’s been through and he’s finally getting the time to deal with it. If you’re going to be an ass, just know I’m gonna kick your booty all the way into the new year,” I vowed.

Connor was the next to reach us, and he looked extremely amused with my declaration.

I looked over to him and he winked. Jax followed my gaze and gave Connor a look, but Connor merely shrugged.

“She’s right, you know,” he acknowledged. “Cut Finnick some slack.”

“He put the whole team in danger,” Jax pointed out.

Finnick squeezed my hand and moved to stand in front of me, facing Jax, who turned his attention back to us.

“I’m aware,” Finnick said with confidence. “I…I was stupid. I thought if I left…you guys would be fine without me. That I’d be less of a burden. It was silly of me to think like that and put our team and group dynamic at risk. You can be angry with me or even kick me out of the group, but don’t get mad at Brianne. She did nothing wrong, and it’s thanks to her that I’m back. I won’t do something stupid like that again, I promise.”

Finnick’s vow was strong and firm, and even under Jax’s scrutinizing gaze, he held his ground. Jax looked over to me, and I stood straighter and tightened my hold on Finnick’s hand.

Jax gave us one last look, his eyes darting between Finnick and me. I was really going to be pissed if he gave Finnick a hard time, but Jax closed his eyes and took a deep inhale, letting it out slowly.

When he opened his eyes once more, they were back to their calm, golden appearance, and a smile formed on his lips.

“Aww. Our baby actually fell for it.” He winked at me.

“Y-you were joking?” I questioned.

“Of course,” he replied. “I’m not an ass. By the way, when did you start swearing?”

“Uh…” I trailed off and looked at Finnick.

“Oh no, no, no. Don’t try to blame this on me. I’ve gotten myself in enough shit today. Leave me out.” He let go of my hand and tried to move away.

Jax was faster and put his hand on Finnick’s shoulder. “Mhm. You just swore right now. Are you the one influencing our innocent Brianne?” he questioned as he put him in a headlock and started ruffling his hair.

“No! It was Mia and Miya! I swear,” Finnick whined, trying his best to get out of Jax’s hold.

“Sure,” Connor drawled out, but from the look in his calm black eyes, I could tell he knew the truth. After Connor acknowledged me with a kiss, he joined in playfully scolding Finnick, ruffling his pink hair with Jax.

“Hey! You guys are going to ruin my hair!” Finnick complained.

“Good! Next time you wanna drop out, you’ll remember me trying to rub some love into your thick skull!” Jax huffed.

“That’s his way of saying he actually cares about you,” Connor translated for Finnick, just in case he hadn’t gotten the message about how much they cared.

“Fuck you, Connor!” Jax huffed. “No one asked you to translate.”

“Sure,” Connor replied, not even bothered by Jax’s response. “Can we give him a hug already?”

“I haven’t rubbed enough love into him yet,” Jax replied.

“Hey! Why do you get away with swearing in front of Brianne and I don’t?”

“I’m older,” Jax concluded.

“That’s bull-ah! Stop choking me,” Finnick groaned.

My tense shoulders sank in relief as I watched the three of them continue their reunion. At least Finnick knew just how loved he was, and I hoped it would linger with him, even when the dark thoughts tried to return and take hold.

They finally let go of Finnick and each of them gave him a tight hug and patted him on the back.

“Good to have you back, Finnick,” Jax admitted.

“Wouldn’t be the same entering Semester Four without you,” Connor added and ruffled his hair once more.

“Thanks, guys.” Finnick gave them a relieved smile. “Sorry for worrying you.”

They nodded and walked back over to me. Finnick remained where he was, his hand running through his messy hair in an attempt to tame the pink chaos.

Once Jax and Connor returned to my side, they both hugged me, and Jax gave me a deep kiss. “Don’t do silly stuff like disappearing on us like that. Scared the shit out of me.”

“Hmmm. Do you swear a lot when you’re nervous?” I pondered with a slight grin. He blushed and looked away.

“Hmph,” he replied.

“That meant yes.” Connor laughed.

“Stop translating!” Jax huffed.

“Never.” Connor winked. “It’s fun.”

I shook my head at the two of them, and then the three of us looked between Finnick and Kaito, who was still standing in his spot.

His expression was impossible to read. His hands were in the pockets of his dress pants, and his hair was up in a ponytail.

He looked a lot better after getting some rest, though I was sure he could use some extra sleep like the rest of us. I couldn’t wait to sleep myself, but I anxiously waited to see what would happen between them.

Finnick continued to stay in his place, still locked on Kaito. I could see the hint of fear in his blue eyes and the slight tremble in his hands.

Whatever Kaito decided to do would either make or break Finnick, and I was frightened it would do the latter. My heart picked up when Kaito began to walk toward Finnick, standing right before him.

His expression was still hard to read, but his tense body made my worries escalate. The silence grew, and we all waited in suspense as the two continued their staring contest.

Finally, Kaito decided to finally speak.

“You know what you did was utterly stupid.” His voice was cold like ice, and I immediately wanted to slap him. I probably would have if Jax hadn’t hooked his arm around my waist, while Connor reached for my hand and squeezed it gently.

I looked at Connor, our eyes meeting.

Trust them.

I didn’t need my mimic gift to understand what his eyes were trying to tell me. I wasn’t sure if I could keep standing here if Kaito continued to throw insults, but I decided to wait it out.

“I know,” Finnick muttered, his voice a little shaky. “I didn’t think about everyone else. It was a foolish decision. I’m sorry,” he apologized and bowed his head slightly. “It won’t happen again.”

“It better not,” Kaito grumbled, his expression finally showing his anger. “You could have put Brianne in danger with her running around. You made the others worry and wonder if you were alive or dead. The whole group dynamic would have been screwed.”

I was ready to pry myself out of Jax’s hold and punch Kaito in the gut, but Jax held me tightly and whispered in my ear. “Relax, baby. Let them work it out.”

This clearly didn’t look like ‘working it out’ to me, but Finnick slowly nodded as if he wasn’t being reminded how his actions could have hurt a lot of people.

“I…know.” Finnick was struggling to keep it together, and it made me want to cry for him. “I wasn’t in the right mental state, and I see that now. I…don’t want to die. Not yet. I thought I’d be a burden to you and the others. I’d already been the center of bullying and stuff before…you know….my mom’s passing and all, and it just felt like too much.”

I was secretly impressed that Kaito wasn’t even the slightest bit sympathetic here, but it also pissed me off because Finnick was literally on the verge of tears.

“What did you learn from this?” Kaito asked.

“To not let others influence me…even if it’s hard to ignore their taunts and remarks.”

“And?”

“And…to rely on you guys like before.”

“And?” Kaito repeated, and I really was going to punch his gut. No, I was going to kick his balls like I’d seen on television if he kept being a jerk.

“And to remember you guys care about me and I shouldn’t make irrational decisions.”

Kaito paused in his ‘and’ spree, and Finnick hung his head low in shame. He looked like a puppy that had been denied all the love in the world, and it made my heart sink and tears form in my eyes.

Connor squeezed my hand again, and I looked over to him with obvious worry. He still portrayed a level of confidence, but I didn’t know how this was going to make Finnick feel any better.

“And?” Kaito whispered, taking a step forward so they were face to face.

Finnick didn’t lift his head, and I noticed the first set of tears drop to the ground.

“And…” he struggled to speak, but he slowly lifted his watery gaze to Kaito, their eyes locking as he whispered, “I like you.”

My jaw dropped; I had not seen that response coming. I took a peek at Connor, noticing the slight grin that formed on his lips at the simple confession.

“I didn’t hear you,” Kaito replied.

Oh I’m so going to kick his—

“I like you, Kaito Mogami. I’ve…always liked you. For a really long time. You were my first crush…and I shouldn’t have given up on my feelings for you until telling you. So…” he struggled to continue, his tears falling as his lip trembled.

His shaky hands clenched on his pants, and he whispered, “I need you to know that I like you, and you don’t have to return my feelings. I’ll…get over you eventually if you don’t like—”

“You’re so damn annoying,” Kaito muttered, cutting him off and reaching out to grip the collar of Finnick’s dress shirt.

I swore he was about to punch him, but my eyes grew wide when Kaito tugged him forward and locked his lips on Finnick’s.

My cheeks flushed at the sight, but my heart rejoiced while happiness flooded through me.

Finnick looked just as shocked, his eyes wide as they continued to stare into Kaito’s. The kiss wasn’t lengthy but was firm and long enough to emphasize what Kaito wanted Finnick to know.

When he broke the kiss, Kaito’s cheeks burned red as he whispered, “Don’t make stupid decisions like that again. I’ve always liked you…I just…didn’t know how to deal with it. I was going to wait…but I can’t let you be thinking stupid thoughts like you aren’t important. You belong on our team. In our hearts and in my life. Don’t think you can go disappearing without taking that into consideration. If you do, I swear I’ll never forgive you and come right after you.”

“You sound like a stalker,” Finnick muttered, his whole face burning red. Kaito reached for Finnick’s hand and shrugged. “Maybe I am. I don’t like to lose. That includes losing people. So suck it up.”

“Mean,” Finnick muttered, tears spilling down his face. He tried to wipe them away, but more fell and he began to sob on the spot.

Kaito relaxed then, a small smile forming on his face before he pulled Finnick into a hug and let him cry into his shoulder.

“We care, Finnick. Even if it’s hard to show it. Don’t cry.” He rubbed his back and continued to let him cry.

My own tears fell; I was unable to hold them back at the emotional scene before me. I was so grateful that things had gone well and couldn’t help but smile at the loving scene.

Jax let me go and gave me a tender kiss, followed by Connor, who kissed me and wiped away my tears. We smiled, and they walked back over to Finnick to give him comforting pats and words of encouragement.

To see them lift one of their own up on an emotional level was an amazing sight to see, proving that their friendship and bond would last for a very long time, if not forever.

I looked over to Starlight, Katsume, and Professor Phoenix, the three of them just as emotionally moved as I. My sister wasn’t usually the crying type, but her eyes were teary, while Professor Phoenix used a black handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

Walking over to them, I looked at my sister first and smiled.

“I came back with Finnick,” I declared.

“I knew you would,” she replied and casually shrugged. “You wouldn’t be a Harlow if you hadn’t.”

We smiled and looked to Professor Phoenix, whose silver eyes sparkled with joy.

Giving her a small nod, I stood a little taller and spoke, “Finnick Rosedale will not be dropping out of Witchling Academy. The form was submitted in error. He’s back and is ready to face whatever Semester Four has in store for us once the holidays are over.”

Professor Phoenix nodded, and with a snap of her fingers, the very paper Finnick had filled out materialized. She grasped the paper, making sure I could see that it was truly Finnick’s dropout form, and then with both hands, she ripped it twice, followed by a few more times for extra measure.

“Finnick’s decision to drop out has been declined and the form of such decision has been destroyed. You and your team may enjoy your Christmas holidays and I’ll see you all in the new year,” Professor Phoenix declared with a wink.

I beamed and looked back at my four boyfriends, all of them looking relieved at the official announcement. With a grin, I squealed and ran over to them, crashing right into the group, which knocked them all over.

“Ah! Brianne!” they groaned, and I kept laughing.

“You’re stuck with me!”

“MewMew!” Elsa came out of nowhere and landed on my head.

“Another semester of glittering fun!” I cheered.

The guys sighed but they all smiled in joyful celebration.

My Notorious Four were back together and we were about to ace the next semester of our lives at Witchling Academy.

4

AND I– OOP

“Stop playing that silly birds with anger management issues game on my phone! I have to go to work,” Starlight called out.

“I’m on level 99!” I called out while chilling on my bed with a wet cloth on my forehead.

Today was the first day of our holiday break. Of course, that meant my body was down for the count and I was now sick in bed while the rest of my family, including Starlight in just a few short minutes, were all working while I suffered away.

Jax and Connor had an all-day meeting with the Dean and Professor Phoenix. They wanted to incorporate a few changes into the curriculum and rules of the school, but it wouldn’t take effect until Semester Five.

I was curious about what changes they wanted to implement, but I knew we’d all find out soon enough. Of course, it all depended on whether or not the changes were approved.

Finnick was spending a couple of days with his dad, helping to clean their home. They had to do a lot of things while dealing with their loss, but it was a good time for Finnick to bond with his Dad.

Mia and Miya wouldn’t be around until Christmas Eve since they were still packing and shopping for a few things from here that they couldn’t get in Korea. They would be there for the last two weeks of vacation. They’d even been granted a third week by the school if things got complicated with renewing their visas.

Since they and their boyfriends all had to renew, it made sense for them to go together. The Dean had informed them if they had any trouble, all they had to do was contact her and she’d make sure they got approved in three days max.

It must have been because their grades were literally perfect, making them outstanding students and candidates for elite opportunities.

I couldn’t wait for Christmas Eve to arrive, but for now, all I could do was soldier through this crazy cold. Kaito had mentioned that he may come over today, but it depended on his kendo practice.

Today was their last one before winter break, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they stayed later than usual.

I was absent-mindedly playing this classic angry bird game, deciding it was better than being bored out of my mind.

“Brianne?! Phone!”

“No,” I mumbled, and reached level 100. “Score!”

Sitting up a bit too quickly, I needed a second to adjust to the spinning of my environment. The cold cloth fell off my forehead, landing on my left side. I was still in my pink pajamas: shorts with cute gold frills on them and half-moon crescent print and a spaghetti strap top. My hair was down on purpose, seeing as putting it up in a ponytail would bother me.

“Weee,” I sang to myself and began pressing random keys on Starlight’s phone.

“You shouldn’t be sitting up.”

I paused in my random pressing spree to look up to see Starlight at the doorway. In my sick state, I had to squint my eyes and tilt my head to take in her outfit: a red strapless dress that hugged her curves, topped with a white and red rose kimono. Two hair ornaments held her perfect orange bun in place and she even wore makeup that gave a natural but flawless finish.

Her lips were tinted with red lipstick, but a light enough coat that it looked like her natural lips. With that and the hint of crimson blush on her cheeks, she literally looked like she was going to a damn ball rather than to work.

“Who are you seeing?” I questioned.

Starlight rolled her eyes. “No one. Mom’s back. She went to the pharmacy to get you some medicine. We don’t want your magic going all whack when we’re not home.”

“Is she staying?” I asked.

Starlight frowned. “No. She has a court meeting in an hour. Dad covered for her during his break so she could come home.”

“Oh,” I replied, disappointed that no one would be home. “Okay.”

“Hey.” Starlight walked over to me and gently stroked my head. “I already called Kaito. He’s going to come over. He finished kendo earlier than expected.”

“Really?” I gave her a sad look. “You’re not just saying that? He’s coming?”

“YUP. He’ll be here soon. At least before Mom leaves so you’re not alone.”

“Okay,” I replied, feeling more at ease. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Brianne,” she replied with a slight smile. “You have to take your meds though.”

“Boo,” I mumbled. “Fine.”

Lowering the phone into my lap, I watched Starlight prepare the medication and get a glass of water for me to drink. Tossing the meds into my mouth, I took a good gulp of water before offering it back to Starlight.

“So who are you meeting?”

“I’m not meeting anyone,” Starlight replied. “Katsume and I are doing something.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You can’t do nothing when you’re doing something,” I mumbled and picked up her phone, returning to my fiddling.

“You’re a horrible patient,” Starlight sighed. “Can I have my phone back? You can download the game on yours.”

“I want to play one more game on yours. I’ll lose my record on mine,” I mumbled.

“Fine,” she replied and moved to sit on my bed.

“Meow.”

I looked to the doorway to see Aon waltz in in his cat form. He hopped onto Starlight’s lap and curled up in a ball. She seemed to be a lot more relaxed as she sat there and stroked Aon’s soft black fur. Her gaze was on the door, but she was either lost in her thoughts or having a mental conversation with Aon.

I returned to her phone, deciding to finish one more level of the anger management game before releasing it from captivity. The next level wasn’t long or hard, and once it was done, I pouted, wishing I could play more of it.

I heard Starlight sigh. “You know what? I don’t need my phone today. If you need me, call Katsume.”

“Really?” I beamed sweetly at her.

“Yeah. I’m not taking work calls today,” Starlight replied. “I’ll sit with you until Mom’s done with her meditation session and then I’ll be off. I have to pick Katsume up anyway and she’s probably not done dressing.”

“Thank you, sis,” I quietly whispered.

“I’d do anything to make you happy, you know that,” she mumbled back and closed her eyes, continuing to pet Aon as he purred away.

“I know,” I replied. “And I’m grateful.”

We were both silent after that, and I played the game until I got bored. I returned to my thumb hitting adventure until a photo popped up.

I was going to close it, but the mere sight was heartwarming.

Starlight was standing with a wide smile on her face, Katsume and the rest of her team around her with streamers and other party items. They had to be celebrating something because there was a cake in the corner, but it was how happy Starlight looked that moved me to tears.

She’d been unhappy for so long, and to see her smiling in this picture around people that cared for and loved her warmed my heart. It was something I’d always wished for her.

“Why are you crying?”

I looked up to see Starlight eyeing me carefully before her gaze lowered to her phone. She noticed the picture, her eyebrow rising.

“You shouldn’t need to cry over a celebratory picture.”

“You’re finally happy,” I mumbled, tears rolling down my cheeks.

She stared at me for a long moment, another sigh escaping her. Aon jumped onto the bed to stretch and she rose up to walk over to me. Wrapping her arms around me, she pulled me into a hug and returned to stroking my head.

“Yes, Bri,” she whispered. “I’m…happy again. Will it last? I’m not sure.” She paused. “However, I’ll embrace what makes me happy and fight hard to keep what I love safe. That includes you.”

I nodded in her embrace, letting myself quietly cry in relief. I knew she was crying as well, even though she was trying to hide her soft sobs and moving shoulders.

She truly didn’t realize how much I cared and worried about her. Every mission she took could cost her her life, and yet she did it like it was not a life-threatening job.

She had lost everything and somehow was able to start over. I knew that I wasn’t strong enough to protect or help her now, but I hoped that I would be able to one day. That I could return the love and kindness she always wrapped me in when I needed it the most.

This must have been what Finnick meant. To return the love he’d received all his life from the woman who raised him. I truly hoped she was resting in peace now, in a place where there was no such thing as pain or sadness.

That she was in a place of colorful flowers in all the shades of the universe.

Starlight comforted me until I calmed down, and then excused herself to fix her makeup. Aon stayed behind, deciding it was his turn to comfort me by sitting in my lap and purring away.

Even he showed emotion when it was due, and I loved him for that — even though he was prone to hissy fits half the time.

When Starlight came back, I was about to close the photo section, but Aon reached for the screen and used his paw to swipe left. My eyes went wide at the next picture, one where Katsume and Starlight were in a tight hug and kissing each other like the world was about to end.

“You two kissed! Oh, well, this is like making out, but damn. Who kissed who?”

Starlight looked bored, but she gave off a hint of confusion, unsure what I was talking about.

“What are you talking about? Are you going on one of your imagination sprees? You do that a lot when you have a fever.”

“No!” I huffed, patting Aon’s head one last time before he hopped off the bed and ran out of the room. Starlight’s gaze trailed after her familiar, which told me she was now more curious as to what he was planning.

If he was running away, it usually meant he was hungry or avoiding Starlight’s wrath.

After working on standing on my bed, I presented the phone to her, the picture I was referring to still on the main screen.

“This! I’m not hallucinating! There’s literally a picture of you and Katsume making out like y’all are in that Pacific Rim classic and the world is about to be destroyed by robots and aliens fighting each other.”

Starlight blinked at least three times before her whole face burned red. I hadn’t seen her that red since her late fiancé kissed her at the dinner table to prove a point.

“W-W-WHO. TOOK. THAT?!” she shrieked.

“Hmm.” I turned the phone back to view the picture again. “Must have been Aon since the rest of your team is here. He’s pretty sneaky with thos—”

“Give it back!” Starlight demanded.

I smirked and jumped up and down on my bed. “Nevahhhhh!” I chanted like it was a declaration of war.

“Mom!” Starlight called out. “Brianne is keeping my phone hostage and I have to go to work!”

“Traitor!” I called out and jumped off the bed to try and figure a way out. It seemed we both had the same idea, our eyes looking over to the nightstand where the gold bracelet — that I’d purposely used Sailor Moon tape to hide the crack in — sat.

It seemed to twinkle at that moment, like a prized possession ready to be claimed, but it only emphasized one important factor: I could Spell Travel and run away!

A smirk formed and I spun on the heel of my foot, ready to sprint right out of here with her phone as my hostage.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Starlight ordered. “Isla No Escapndo Exclusiva!”

I was already racing to the wall, ready to feel the spinning sensation and land in one of the guys’ rooms.

“And I–OOP!” I began, ready to announce my escape, but instead I crashed right into the wall. I took two steps back, the world spinning as I tried to recover from the full force crash.

“Uh oh. Brianne?” Starlight actually sounded concerned for me. “Uh…Mom?! I think I killed Brianne!”

I couldn’t register what she’d said, as I was already seeing stars and black spots in my vision and my sense of hearing was completely fading out.

My eyes rolled to the back of my head and I completely passed out.

“MEWMEW!”

“You’re going to wake Brianne, Elsa.”

“MewMew?”

“She’s sleeping. It’s not playtime.”

“MewMew…”

“You can play around with this.”

“MewMew!”

There were tiny paw noises that followed, but the slightly chilled cloth that laid upon my forehead was what woke me up.

Opening my eyes slowly, I looked up to see someone looking down at me, his purple eyes coming into clear view and flooding with relief.

“Brianne.” Kaito smiled.

“Kaito,” I croaked, unsure why he was looking down at me. He lowered his head until his lips pressed lightly on mine. It was a rare occurrence, one that left me wondering if this was real or not.

I returned the kiss until he pulled back and smiled once again.

“How are you feeling, Brianne?”

“All right,” I replied. “Though…I feel like this is a dream.”

“Why is that?”

“You’re here,” I mumbled.

“You make it seem like I haven’t come over before.” He chuckled.

“True, but getting kisses from you is a rare occurrence,” I admitted, deciding to be truthful about it.

It had felt that way since we confirmed this four-boyfriend thing. Jax and Connor kissed me whenever they wanted to, unlike Finnick and Kaito. Their kisses felt like more of a rare occurrence or special occasion kind of thing.

“Does it feel that way?” he questioned.

“Yes,” I replied, deciding to be honest. “With Jax and Connor, it’s easy for them to kiss me or show affection. You and Finnick aren’t as open with public affection, but when you are, it’s just as intense. I just…wish you’d kiss me more sometimes.”

My cheeks swamped with heat, but I wanted to be truthful about it. I’d had my dose of Finnick when we were on the bridge, and it left me wishing for more. It was getting difficult to keep things slow when I was learning about my body and what people normally did in relationships at such a fast pace.

I was thankful to have people like Mia and Miya to teach me about the expectations in relationships and the different paces a relationship could take, but it made me question if I was going far too slow.

When I was by myself, I could think things through, but when I was with them, especially during intimate quiet times like these, I wanted to throw away the list of rules and simply give my body what it wanted.

This had to be what true maturity was all about, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before I ventured into the sexual side of things, but I wasn’t sure if I was going too fast or far too slow.

Couldn’t there be a handbook for beginners like me?

Kaito was analyzing me carefully, and the longer he stared, the more I began to blush.

“Just forget what I said,” I mumbled and worked on sitting up. Kaito had to stop me halfway, the world whirling like I’d gone on a carnival ride.

“Ugh,” I groaned. “Why is the world spinning?”

“You knocked yourself right out when you were trying to take your sister’s phone hostage,” Kaito revealed.

I took a second to think about it. “See, I’d argue, but I can one hundred percent see that happening.”

Kaito smirked and made his way off my bed. He then scooped me up and moved me farther up along the bed and rested my head on the pillow before laying the rest of my body on the soft sheets. After laying a thick blanket on me, he sat on the side of the bed and moved a few strands of my hair out of my face.

“Does me not showing affection really bother you?” he inquired.

“A little,” I mumbled. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful or anything.”

“You’re not ungrateful,” he whispered.

“I…just want to be able to read you better,” I confessed after a moment. “When you were confronting Finnick, I couldn’t read what you were going to do. I tried, but it was really hard to tell if you were angry or relieved to see him. I wanted to react, but Jax and Connor stopped me. They were able to understand your true intentions, but I couldn’t.”

“Did that upset you?” he asked, reaching out to stroke my cheek.

“Yes,” I mumbled. “I want to feel closer to you and Finnick. I…want to be able to kiss you more and hug you more.”

It must have been the fever making me so emotional, tears forming in my eyes as I carried on with my mini-rant. “I love you guys a lot. It hurt to see you two struggling to come to terms with your feelings, and I desperately wanted to help. To be there and say that I supported whatever decision you guys made. I tried…I had every intention to. But…but I couldn’t.”

More tears rolled down my cheeks as I began to sob. “Jax and Connor said to give you guys time to figure it out, and I wanted to be able to do just that. To be relaxed and not worry every time you two became distant that things would come crashing down.”

“It made you anxious?” Kaito whispered.

I quickly nodded. “Very anxious and worried you guys would fight and end up not being friends anymore,” I sobbed.

Kaito sighed and rose up. He lifted the thin sheet and crawled into my bed. Once he had his back against the headboard, he pulled me into his arms and let me sob into his chest.

“I’m sorry, Brianne. We didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“I was very worried,” I wailed. “You both deserve to be happy, and I hate that the world makes it so hard for you to love one another.”

It was true. Deep down in the depths of me, I hated the fact that our school had been the source of so much hate.

I wanted the bullying to end. For people in situations like Finnick and Kaito to be able to walk down the halls without worries or fears of what would be said to them if they did end up exploring their sexuality.

“You should have seen him, Kaito,” I mumbled and lifted my head to look up at him. His purple eyes were filled with empathy as I carried on.

“He looked so helpless, clinging to the bridge like it was the last thing he had to keep him from giving up. He clung to it like a shield, sobbing and crying like his mom had just died all over again. He was so sad, Kaito, and yet, he did our exam like he was fine. I hate it. I’m so angry that people who knew nothing about him were bullying him because of the rumor they heard. It wasn’t fair for people to mock how weird it was that Finnick might not be straight. It’s not even weird!”

I was just so mad that I had allowed things to get to this point. Sure, I’d barged in when I could, which had made a huge impact near the end of the semester, but the suffering Finnick had gone through was enough for him to think he wasn’t worthy of living at all. That his love didn’t matter and his feelings were insignificant.

“Those same people who bullied him this past semester are going to come back next semester and find out that Finnick’s mom passed. They’re going to feel like shit for treating him the way they did while he had to watch his mother die of cancer. I know they’re going to decide to be nice to him again and respect that he’s on the student council. That’s what pisses me off.”

My voice demonstrated how angry I was, and it was pretty dumb to be yelling when it was just Kaito and me, but I couldn’t stop myself.

“They’re going to laugh and smile to try and cheer him up and give words of encouragement and best wishes for him and his family. All because the situation has changed. The tables have clearly turned and if they go and bully him now, they’ll seem like horrible people and be called out. They know there will be consequences for their actions now, versus before when there was nothing to make them feel guilty or make them realize what they were doing was wrong.”

Kaito listened quietly as I continued my rant, needing the words to finally be free.

“It’s exactly what they’re going to do to Elijah. They used to feed him words of encouragement and validation, making him feel like he was on cloud nine and could do anything he wanted in the halls of Witchling Academy. He was blinded by the attention and the positive reinforcement from all the people around him, and then he started dating Elisha, who was only using him for her own needs. The moment he didn’t benefit them, they turned against him and made him out to be a villain.”

I shook my head in frustration. “Why is that? I don’t care about Elijah anymore or the torment he brought upon himself, but look how quickly the tables turned. We’re all adults, aiming to achieve big things, and yet we’re okay with pushing people to the side, diminishing their worth, and watching them self-destruct?”

I bit my lip, trying not to fall into another round of hysterics, but it was beyond upsetting that this was happening in the walls of the prestigious Witchling Academy.

People dreamed of being accepted to our school, its very walls created by the gods themselves. I didn’t think any of the gods created the school for it to become like this. To belittle the different and only accept those who were perceived to be acceptable or worthy. It was truly barbaric and unfair.

“I get it, Brianne,” Kaito whispered, and he gently pressed his lips to my forehead.

“How can I stop it? Or make it right?” I desperately asked. “I feel like it’s my duty to help. Like my purpose of attending Witchling is to remind everyone of the ways the gods laid down when they created it. The gods didn’t bless us with magic to belittle those who appear weak and praise those who appear perfect in society’s eyes. Why is it like this?”

I began to cry again and Kaito hugged me once again and rubbed my back. “Shh, Brianne. It’s okay.”

“It’s not, Kaito,” I sobbed. “Why can’t everyone work on themselves? Why can’t we all go to school, learn about the magic blessed to us, and aim to better ourselves? Is it that hard to do just that? To live and breathe without tearing each other down? Instead of trying to overpower each other, why can’t we work on lifting one another up and aiming for success as a whole?”

Sobs wracked through me, and I needed a moment to try and calm down. Kaito held me, whispering encouraging words of love and comfort as I cried.

I wasn’t necessarily sad. That wasn’t what brought tears to my eyes. What made me cry was that I pitied them — the students who thought of themselves as worthless beings when they had so much potential inside them.

People had mocked me throughout my life, but I had books as my guiding light. I could get lost in their stories and wisdom, soaking up all the knowledge I could to make me feel confident and worthy.

I eventually reached a point where hurtful words didn’t matter. I knew who I wanted to be, had the power and magic to back it up, and I could execute those skills like second nature.

Was it lonely? Yes. It was a lonely path to walk, but here I was with four amazing boyfriends, as well as best friends and acquaintances, who acknowledged me for who I was. They didn’t care about my looks or grades. They couldn’t care less if I was the top student or at the very bottom of the list. They liked me for me, for my personality and weird traits that people made fun of. I had always longed for that level of acceptance, and to have finally found it was rewarding. But I was just one rare case in a sea people who weren’t so lucky.

I wanted everyone to be happy and strive to reach their goals. What we did now would pave our futures, and it pained me that not everyone would reach the final destination because they didn’t feel good enough.

They didn’t feel worthy of the magic blessed to them by the gods who loved them. The powerful beings who knew of their flaws and accepted them with such knowledge.

“Brianne.” Kaito ended up scooping me up and into his lap, and I sobbed into his chest until there weren’t any tears left.

My heart ached for these people, the individuals whose shining lights were blown out too soon because of the people around them.

Kaito let me calm down yet again, and he reached for the water bottle on the nightstand and a pack of the medication that Starlight had brought.

I quietly watched him take two pills from the sealed plastic and then open the bottle of water. “Brianne?”

“I don’t want it,” I mumbled. “It makes me sleepy.”

“But it’ll make sure you rest and rejuvenate your magic,” Kaito reasoned.

“No,” I mumbled again.

“I’ll tell you a secret if you do,” he whispered. “And I’ll give you a kiss.”

That intrigued me more than the secret, my eyes slowly looking over to see his slight smile. “You’ll kiss me?”

“You’re more interested in that than the secret,” he sighed.

“You never—”

He cut me off by giving me what I wanted, his lips claiming mine and devouring them like they were his property.

The moan that left me vibrated against the walls of his mouth, and he deepened the kiss, which was rather surprising. I didn’t expect it, but my body thrummed at the change in pace and I kissed him right back in longing.

When we broke apart, I was panting as Kaito gave me a seductive grin, one I’d rarely gotten to see from him.

“How about now?” he questioned

I needed to gather my thoughts before I was able to answer. “Fine,” I quietly agreed, seeing as he’d given me a really good kiss.

His grin widened into a smile and he gave me the two tablets. I popped them into my mouth, and he passed the bottle of water for me to take a good gulp of the chilled liquid.

I opened my mouth to show him that there was nothing there, and he kissed my left temple and then my cheek. “Good girl.”

“What’s the secret?” I questioned, deciding to rest my head against his chest. I enjoyed being in his lap, especially when I wasn’t feeling at my best. My mind felt like mush, and I was simply mentally and physically exhausted.

“We’re working on it,” Kaito replied.

“On what?’ I questioned.

“We’re working on the bullying situation. It’s why Connor and Jax are having meetings with the Dean, Professor Phoenix, and a few other professors. They’re done with this behavior being excused and ignored. It’s not like the professors don’t see what’s happening. The problem is that we’re all adults and well, life isn’t butterflies and rainbows.”

I wanted to speak, but he lowered his head and kissed me again. When he released my lips, he remained at a close distance as he continued.

“We, the Junior Student Council of Witchling Academy, have made a proposal in regard to the bullying happening. It’s not fair for people to feel as if they don’t belong and be tortured for simply being who they are. Yes, Witchling is supposed to be hard, but that’s in regard to the curriculum. It doesn’t mean people are supposed to treat each other like pieces of garbage and make them feel worthless. Many of the professors have seen this, and though they’ve had their concerns, no one is really vocal. We all know Professor Phoenix can’t tolerate it, and it’s become a habit for people to avoid her and do it anywhere else that it can be done or even encouraged. That has to stop.”

I stared into Kaito’s eyes, noticing how serious he was about this. It eased my worries little by little, knowing that the guys were finally going to acknowledge the problem and fix it. Just because it wasn’t going to happen immediately didn’t mean they weren’t doing their best. As long as the goal was to finally stop the bullying raging on in the school, I would be relieved.

“We can’t afford to lose people like that,” Kaito whispered and caught my attention. “We were this close to losing Finnick. It wasn’t like we didn’t know entirely what was going on, but we assumed he was strong enough to deal with it. That’s one of the many problems. No one knows who is strong or weak in this world. Someone can act like a tough individual but be soft inside. Others could look innocent, but carry a deadliness to them that, when unleashed, could hurt many people.”

I smirked slightly at the second part of his comment, and he groaned. “You’re like an innocent kitten.”

“An innocent kitten that scratches, bites, and can kick your balls.”

He gave me a look. “Who taught you that?”

“No one,” I mumbled and looked away.

He sighed again and shook his head. “Miya and Mia are a bad influence on you.”

“Why does everyone automatically assume it’s them?”

“Because they aren’t afraid to educate you on anything you’re curious about.”

“That’s a good thing,” I noted.

“It is,” he replied. “Just weird to see you lose that sense of innocence,” he admitted. “At least it’s at a somewhat gradual pace and around people that genuinely care about you.”

My lips curled up in a smile and I gave him a peck on the lips before resting my head against his chest once more.

“I’m happy…and relieved,” I admitted and yawned.

“Good,” he replied. “Are you going to stop partaking in dangerous acts of rebellion?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied.

“You gave us a scare when you decided to be superwoman and run off to save Finnick.”

“But I saved him. That’s what matters,” I mumbled, my mind calming as the worries and fears faded away.

“You’ll always be right, huh?”

“Always,” I replied.

He was quiet for a long moment, his hand stroking through my hair. It only made it easier for me to drift away. I heard him call my name, but I couldn’t respond.

Something pressed against my forehead, and my body felt as if it were floating. Cool metal wrapped around my wrist, but it couldn’t pull me from the sinking darkness as I finally let myself relax.

The problem will be dealt with. I can carry out my duty. It’s just a matter of time.

5

DELUSIONAL SELF REFLECTION

~KAITO~

MY EYES LINGERED ON BRIANNE; her peaceful expression and her slow breathing were helping to calm my beating heart. She’d fallen asleep after our talk and I was relieved that the medicine was doing its job to help her.

A part of me was happy that Brianne could always come to me for guidance. It made me feel like her go-to person, like I really was important to her. I’d always wondered about that aspect of our relationship.

I really did love her, but I felt like I was the slowest in expressing my emotions. It was one of my many flaws, frankly. It was why it took me so long to finally tell Finnick how I felt.

Among other things.

Whenever I tried to communicate, it seemed to be last-minute — at the point where I could lose everything. When I kept probing Finnick until he confessed to me, I felt like a mean person for doing it.

I was sure he understood, and the others knew that that was the only way I’d be able to confess my feelings, but I could see how visibly upset it made Brianne. If Jax and Connor hadn’t been holding her down, she would have slapped me senseless and broken up with me.

She didn’t understand my process, at least not to the full extent. Again, I didn’t blame her, because she was still learning about each of us. It always intrigued me that it was so easy for people to come to me, but when something was bothering me, it was hard for me to lower those very walls and communicate.

Brianne would learn in time. I was confident she would be willing to get me. I just had to do my share and help her understand me.

She stirred in my hold and I noticed the bracelet on her wrist began to glow. I frowned, waiting for it to go off, but it just continued to glow strongly.

Is she trying to Spell Travel?

“Is Brianne trying to run away again?”

I flinched at the sound and looked to the doorway to see Starlight leaning against the door frame. She was in combat attire: her one-piece catsuit was sleek with a hint of color from her orange jacket with black zips.

Her orange hair was up in a ponytail and her sky-blue eyes seemed to glow slightly. I wondered if she’d just arrived back from an assignment since her aura was strangely stronger than before.

Actually, the longer I looked at her, the stranger she appeared. With a few blinks, she looked completely different. Her hair was no longer in its tight ponytail. Instead, it was left loose and floating, and the color was a beautiful white with orange and gold.

It was dosed in magic, just like her vibrant mulitcolored aura, and her catsuit was now a silky white dress with a golden belt.

With a frown and a tilt of my head, I stared at her with curiosity. Maybe I was so tired I was hallucinating. Looking back at Brianne, I expected to see her usual appearance as she remained in my arms, but she too looked completely different.

Her hair was like Starlight’s. Long with many gold and orange highlights. Her skin was a little paler than her usual and she wore a white nightgown. Her aura was even stronger than Starlight’s and staring at it was like looking into a prism of radiance.

Little sparks of electricity surged around her, like an overcharged electric fence. She was so stunning, it was like I was looking at an angel or a being of power that wasn’t of this world.

It made no sense to my brain and my head began to pound furiously while my eyes watered. The aura was far too bright, but I didn’t want to look away. Brianne was just so mesmerizing. She always was, but in this moment and form, I wished the others could see her glory.

To witness the power she was blessed with.

“Kaito.”

My head moved away from Brianne to Starlight, who was now standing at the side of the bed Brianne and I was resting on. She looked back at me, intrigued, and my watery eyes struggled not to close from all the light.

“Didn’t think that would awaken so soon. A good thing, but it’s too early for that,” Starlight mumbled.

“What?” I asked.

“Close your eyes for a sec, Kaito,” she instructed.

Deciding to follow the command, I did just that. Once my eyes were closed, a chilling wave ran through me, almost like a comfortable stream of water. When the sensation was gone, I opened my eyes once more.

Everything seemed normal again and I wondered if the images I’d just seen were truly an illusion. I returned my gaze to Starlight and noticed her arms were crossed over her chest. She was back in her original clothes and her sky-blue eyes weren’t glowing anymore.

“How long have you’ve been awake?” she asked.

“Um…well, since early this morning?”

“I think you’re sleep-deprived. Your eyes are all watery. You’ve been straining them a lot.”

“I guess.” I slowly nodded my head in agreement. There wasn’t much I could say about that, considering that I didn’t want to give myself away.

I must be hallucinating. I have to be.

Blinking my eyes a few times, I let the pooling tears fall before I used my hand to wipe them away.

“Yeah. Maybe I’ll wear my glasses or something.” I hadn’t been wearing them as of late, and loved wearing contacts, but if this whole eye strain thing was real, I’d have to start wearing them more often.

“What are you doing here, anyway?” I decided to change the subject.

“Brianne’s activating the bracelet.”

“Oh.” I looked back down at the bracelet in question. It wasn’t glowing now, but seconds passed and it began to glow again. Brianne stirred and hugged me a little tighter.

“Ice cream. Movies. Fun,” she mumbled sleepily.

“I think I should switch her bracelet,” Starlight muttered to herself.

“Uh, no. It’s okay. It’s doing its job, right?” I pointed out. I wasn’t sure why I was against the idea of changing it. “Brianne likes it now that it has Sailor Moon tape on it,” I declared.

“Why did she even put tape on it?” Starlight raised an eyebrow at me.

“Uh…because she loves Sailor Moon?” I defended. “We all know that. She even wears the themed underwear.”

Starlight smirked and arched an eyebrow at me.

“How would you know that?”

I began to blush, realizing I’d said something pretty inappropriate in front of Brianne’s older sister.

This would be a lovely moment to curse, ugh. I’m totally out of it today.

“Brianne likes to dance in her underwear and a white T-shirt at times. I’ve only seen it once, but she was wearing Sailor Moon-themed panties,” I admitted.

“Totally like her.” She shook her head. “Too bad you didn’t get any action.”

I gawked at her and she shrugged. “Katsume’s downstairs to pick you up. I was planning to tell you earlier, but we figured if we gave you some alone time you’d actually make a move. Oh, well.”

She reached out to stroke the top of Brianne’s head. “The medication is working. Good.”

“She was crying earlier,” I admitted and lowered my gaze to look at Brianne. “She was a little upset with Finnick’s predicament and the bullying situation at Witchling.”

Starlight nodded and smiled slightly.

“Brianne is pure. She always wants the best for everyone and hates seeing even one person suffer. She’s an empath with an old soul. I used to scold her when she let the bullying get to her. Such a powerful girl, but the world doesn’t want her to spread her wings and fly.”

Starlight leaned back and turned away to look out at the window.

“Brianne will bring change to Witchling. Some people are already seeing that change. Yes, the bullying is there, but it’s being rapidly reduced. People are acknowledging who is bad and who isn’t, and that the primary goal of Witchling Academy is to better oneself. I know you’re thrown into competitions against one another, but the purpose is for all of you to find yourselves and your purpose.”

“Was it like that when you went there?” I asked.

“Professor Phoenix helped a lot with that when I was there. We were her only priority. I feel it’s getting harder for her to combat all the bullying and negativity going around now.”

“Bullying and negativity going around?”

“Professor Phoenix helps at other schools. I’m not supposed to tell you that, by the way,” she emphasized.

I nodded, which told her that I understood and would keep that information to myself.

“There’s been an uptick in bullying across the board. Specifically at Witchling and two other schools. Witchling is Professor Phoenix’s priority and was her only school when I attended. Things have changed because she’s helped many students avoid dangerous situations and events that were due to the bullying. You know how it is. Those who don’t follow the ‘social norms’ get isolated first and her motto is to shut that down entirely. Of course, it’s less effective when a professor. Something has to be extremely bad for a professor to step forward and tell the student body that someone broke the rules of the school. However, when you see your peers defend each other, you’re able to sympathize more. It makes the problem not only relatable, but the students who witness it realize that it can happen to them at any time. They see how it makes them feel and they don’t like it. Brianne standing up to the bullies and having the council prove that bullying is wrong has made many students focus on what they want to achieve at Witchling and beyond.”

“I think you’re right,” I admitted. “So many look up to Brianne now. Even the twins have made their mark. I told Brianne that the anti-bullying plan is being put into place. It’s only a matter of time, which I know made her feel relieved. We’re hoping to incorporate Brianne into it somehow. For now, we just need it to be approved, but it’s taking a bit of push and shove.”

“Why? The Magic Council doesn’t want to listen to your pleas?”

I looked at her, and she turned her gaze back to me. “How do you know?”

“Let’s just say, I don’t like to follow the rules. It runs in Brianne’s and my blood. Either way, the Council is a pain in the ass. I only get my way now because I’m the top agent at Witchling Star Agency and my team is top dog in the country. You have to display power before the Council decides to listen.”

“What do we do then? We’re still students.” I frowned in worry.

“I think Professor Phoenix and the headmaster will help get it passed. However, keep in mind that when you’re dealing with the Council, power talks. It’s the same as wanting to own a business. Talking about your plans only gives you a tiny opening. Presenting a bunch of money you’re ready to invest in the project is what opens doors. You guys aren’t expected to be powerful now, but if you want your voice to be heard, you’ll have to figure something out in your Council dynamic.”

“I guess you have a point,” I whispered and looked down at Brianne. “Sometimes I wish I could be as powerful as Brianne.”

“You can be,” she declared. I lifted my head and saw her eyes were glowing once again. “You can be, Kaito. However, you need to start facing what scares you. You tend to delay acting until it’s too late or something bad happens. Then you regret those decisions. Stop letting your fear and doubt dictate you.”

“How…do you know that?” I questioned, using my free hand to rub at my eyes.

“Intuition,” Starlight replied and headed to the door. “And your sister talks about you a lot. She cares about you and doesn’t want you missing out on the best of things because of your fears.”

She stopped at the doorway. “I’m tired. Kiss Brianne goodnight and come downstairs. Your sister and I both have to work early tomorrow.”

“Okay,” I replied. “Thanks, Starlight.”

She lifted her hand in acknowledgment and left.

“MewMew!”

I jumped at the noise and looked find Elsa climbing onto Brianne, prowling like she was searching for something.

“So random,” I mumbled and took another look at Brianne. She was back to normal, but I wondered what was going on with my eyes.

I need to get my vision checked.

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, I worked on lowering her into the soft sheets. Covering her, I looked at Elsa, who was now managing to balance herself on Brianne’s forehead. I was surprised Brianne didn’t even stir from the kitten’s movement.

“MewMew?”

“Yes, I’m leaving,” I told her. I shook my head. “Why am I making it seem as though I speak cat?”

“MewMew.”

“Because I can? Sure…wait, what?” I groaned and shook my head. “Yup. I’m totally tired. No, completely exhausted and in need of a medical exam. Maybe sleep and wearing my glasses will do the trick,” I reasoned. “Why am I talking to myself?”

Getting off the bed and taking one last look at Brianne, I slowly moved out of the room and closed the door gently.

I headed down to the kitchen, where my sister was standing at the stove in front of Starlight. From the way her hands were moving and how quickly she was speaking, it seemed as though they were in deep conversation. I froze at the doorway.

I couldn’t hear their words, my hearing going in and out. I had no idea why my senses were suddenly going off track, but my eyes suddenly burned and my sister, who had been wearing black leather pants and pink v-neck shirt, was now in a full-blown kimono.

It was pink with blue and white petals and she even wore socks with wooden geta. Her hair was down and floating, and when I looked over to Starlight, the vision I’d seen of her with white hair was back in full force.

What caught me completely off guard were the multiple white tails extending behind my sister’s back. I wondered where they were coming from and if they were even attached, but I couldn’t stare long before I felt nauseated.

“I should have just kicked his dragon butt!” Kastume exclaimed.

Starlight seemed to notice me then, her eyes moving to mine. Katsume’s followed, and her eyes were glowing a vivid pink.

My jaw dropped open as I stared between the two, amazing with their auras that seemed to blend well together. My sister’s wasn’t a rainbow like Starlight’s, but the added pinks, blues, and white molded well.

“Kaito?” Katsume questioned. “Why are you staring at us like that?”

Starlight grimaced and took a step forward. “It’s awakening.”

“What’s awakening?” Katsume questioned.

“Kaito.” Starlight ignored my sister and spoke directly to me. “Close. Your. Eyes.”

My eyes suddenly felt heavy, and before I could close them, Katsume was there to catch me as I slumped over. My hearing slowly came back, but it was difficult to focus. All the same, I tried to get whatever they were talking about.

“It’s too early for him to use that gift,” Katsume quietly announced.

“Something must be activating it. He’s been really stressed as of late. That gift activates under stress and eye strain. He hasn’t been wearing his glasses, has he?”

“No,” she replied. “And maybe he’s stressed. He almost lost Finnick. You know he’s had a crush on that guy for like ever.”

“Why did it take them so long to get together?”

“Culture issues. Remember when I told you that Dad freaked when I came out of the closet? He thought the world would end. It was pretty dramatic and intriguing to watch. I wish I’d had popcorn. My mom went off on him for being so negative. Guess he was just afraid? Anyway, I feel as though Kaito can’t balance everything at once — or is afraid to. If his focus is on kendo, it remains on that. If his focus is on his friends, it’s solely there. He lacks peripheral focus, but he’ll learn and grow out of this. It just has to be his decision. He’ll learn. Took me a while to learn myself.”

“I think he saw.”

“Our forms? He won’t remember. I can fix that.”

“If his gift activates before he graduates, we’re going to have to tell him.”

“Maybe. We’ll delay it for as long as we can. If we tell him about his gift, the others are going to need to know. That just opens a can of secrets. They’re not ready for any of that.”

Starlight sighed. “I agree.”

“Can you do the sleeping memory fade voodoo thing you know how to do?”

“It’s magic, not voodoo.”

“Sure, sure. Same thing,” Katsume brushed aside. “I’ll pay you back with sex?”

“That’s…ugh. You’re weird.”

“Aww, you’re embarrassed.”

“I hate using this magic. It exhausts me.”

“After I take Kaito home, I’ll draw you a nice bath and give you a wonderful massage — AND sex,” she emphasized.

“You’re a horrible influence.”

“Miya and Mia and say that all the time.” She giggled. “They love me as a mentor.”

“Why are you a mentor again?” Starlight asked.

“Because I’m brilliant and I can help them stay undercover. Hopefully we can get Kaito’s foresight under control. Then there won’t be anything to worry about.”

“All right.” Starlight sounded tired. “I wanna go home.”

“MemoryVoodoo Spell,” Katsume cheered in encouragement.

“It’s magic. Not—”

“Sure, sure. Hurry up. I want bath time.”

“Addict.”

“You love me.”

“You need to be quiet so I can concentrate.”

“You’re just saying that cause you can’t ‘concentrate’ when you’re thinking about other steamy stuff,” Katsume sweetly declared.

“Hush!”

“I’m shutting up now,” Katsume sang. “I love you.”

“Hmph,” Starlight mumbled. A warm sensation flooded my body and the pounding in my head began to calm until I was on the verge of slumber.

“I love you, too. For now, keep an eye on him. That gift has to remain locked down for as long as possible,

“Yes, Starlight.”

The conversation began to fade and I soon forgot what had occurred. The last thing I remembered was stroking Brianne’s hair and watching her sleep.

That image lingered in my mind until sleep finally took me.

6

CHRISTMAS GIFTS OF FRIENDSHIPS

“Ah! That was so much fun!” I cheered happily and sipped more of my rosé wine.

Jax and Connor were watching me dance around the kitchen island, the two of them standing near the fridge and holding their chilled beers.

We’d just had an epic day of festivities with Mia, Miya, Akino, Akono, Koyoshi, and Kiyoshi. They were now heading to the airport for their flights and would be in Korea by Christmas morning.

They hadn’t minded spending the day with us, saying they would sleep on the flight and be energized for the Christmas activities that involved them going to church and preparing for the evening celebrations.

We got to exchange gifts and catch up on simple things. We were beginning to realize that things were going to get busy in the next couple of months and the semesters to come. It was an expectation that we’d all been prepared for, but it was finally sinking in that once Semester Five hit, things were going to progress a lot quicker.

We’d gotten our Semester Four outlines earlier than expected, and the curriculum didn’t seem as hard as we’d expected. We had the same classes and bits of training, but the Witchling Games were going to be the determining factor in just how tough things were going to be.

I couldn’t wait to see how all of that went, and if it was as challenging as they made it seem. This wouldn’t be the only Witchling Games we did, but apparently, it was the “easiest” one in the bunch.

The whole thing reminded me of that classic Harry Potter movie, where wizards raced on broomsticks and tried to catch a thing with wings.

I think that’s how it went. I never watched it, but everyone always talked about this platform where you had to run through a wall of sorts. The intriguing tales authors created back then.

Always made me wonder if they, too, enjoyed a school like Witchling Academy and had to harness their powers during their years at school. It also left me pondering the idea that there might be others like me somewhere out there.

I wasn’t referring to individuals like me with orange hair since that seemed like a rarity in and of itself, but I wondered if it was normal to feel this way. To feel as though I had some greater purpose somewhere out there.

I wasn’t sure when this feeling had started, but I bet it had something to do with my near-death experience with that evil man. I felt we were all recovering well from the incident, and it wasn’t as though I was having nightmares about it or anything, but it did leave a mark on me.

Maybe it took a moment of watching your life flash before your eyes to realize how unsatisfied you are with life.

My life was just beginning to reach the point where I actually enjoyed waking up each day and starting it out in a positive mood. Of course, my family didn’t count in this case, because they always gave me a positive push in the right direction.

It was the fact I could wake up without my family around and still believe the day was going to end well. That no matter what tried to hit me, I had support.

An early grave would leave me feeling like I’d missed out on the peaks of life, and that wasn’t something I wanted to experience. It made times like these, when we celebrated the holidays, so special and sweet.

“I want the rest of that.”

We looked over to Finnick and Kaito, who were sitting on the carpet in front of the television and playing some magic board game. It was supposed to be fun and teach you spells at the same time, making it challenging yet exciting as you progressed through the story.

Since it ran on magic, the story or objective always changed, giving the players an infinite number of endings while still using the same key pieces. Kaito wanted to play to help Finnick with his magic casting.

It wasn’t like he was struggling, but he did mention that he was worried about falling behind, and this was a good way to help avoid that outcome.

Though I didn’t think playing while drinking was going to get them very far.

Finnick was reaching out for the two-thirds-full bottle of champagne. We all knew that if he got his hands on that, he’d be a touchy mess and a pain to deal with.

He was already drunk, but at least without the champagne he’d be less drunk and more cooperative.

“You drank too much already. You can’t even finish a sentence,” Kaito pointed out.

“Yes, but I’m thirsty.”

“Be thirsty for something else.”

“I am, but you’re all the way over there and that’s such a far distance to travel,” Finnick argued.

Kaito blushed and tried to hide how embarrassed he was. “We’re literally a step apart. No more alcohol for you.”

“But…” Finnick made the cutest puppy face.

Kaito’s face was crimson now, and he groaned. “I give up.”

I thought he was going to give the bottle to him, but he put it to his lips and chugged the rest of its contents down in one go.

“Uh oh,” I stated and looked over to Jax and Connor. “That ain’t good.”

“That’s going to hit him stronger than whiplash.” Connor sighed.

“I’ll go get their beds ready.” Jax shook his head and put his beer down on the island.

“You drank it all?” Finnick exclaimed horror.

“Yes, I did,” Kaito replied. “What are you going to do about it?”

We all looked to Finnick, noticing his sad expression as he sat there cross-legged and stared at the now-empty bottle in Kaito’s hand.

I wanted to clutch my chest in sadness when tears formed in his eyes and he looked to the floor like he’d literally lost the game.

Kaito blinked and slowly looked at us. The three of us began to whistle, looking anywhere but in their direction. We weren’t going to get caught up in this. He’d made his bed. Now he was about to lie in the consequences, which looked to be Finnick’s sadness and misery.

“Ugh.” Kaito sighed and I looked over to see him reach out to pat Finnick’s head. “There, there. Stop crying. I’ll buy you a new one. Er…a better one that you can have all to yourself. Don’t cry.”

I smirked and looked at the others, who were smiling just as widely as I.

Walking over to them, I placed my glass down and moved to hug Connor first. Then I walked over to hug Jax.

“Why are you hugging us?” Connor asked, walking over to stand next to Jax and me.

“Are you getting emotional because of that?” Jax asked me.

I shook my head and blinked back my tears.

“I just…I feel like I’ve been neglecting the two of you and feel a little bad about it.” I admitted. “I feel like Semester Four is going to breeze by and we’re not going to spend much time together until this summer. I don’t want you guys feeling as though I don’t love you. I’m just struggling with balancing myself out.”

“Brianne,” Jax whispered and kissed my forehead. “You’re far too good for us.” He hugged me again, and I felt Connor’s presence behind me before he, too, hugged me.

I was sandwiched between them, and it felt just right to be in their joined hold. Letting my eyes close, I allowed myself this moment to enjoy the two of them. I truly wished I could give them more of me, or that I at least had plans to do just that in the near future.

For now, my goal was to make sure they were all okay mentally and emotionally before we moved to the next level in our relationship.

The next level where things would get a lot more intimate.

“We’re perfectly fine, Bri,” Connor whispered and kissed the side of my neck. “We’re happy and glad we’re all safe and sound. I agree that next semester may go by like a whirlwind, but we can handle it.”

“It’s mostly studies and testing. Nothing we can’t handle. The Witchling Games is what I’m excited for, but it’s the basic one. It isn’t going to be anything crazy. Just simple things we see in witch movies and shows. Easy stuff,” Jax explained.

“Semester Five may be tricky,” Connor admitted.

“Why?” I asked.

“We get to start using weapons. They’re not ordinary ones. They have magic of their own.”

“You mean like my sister’s bike and guns?” I asked.

“Yup.” Jax nodded. “It’s pretty cool. You can do a bunch of things. For example, Finnick is good at art. He can get a magically enhanced paintbrush and draw spells to cast them if he can’t speak.”

“Wow,” I commented. “That sounds fun.”

“I feel like Brianne is going to get guns,” Connor noted.

“You think so?” I asked and turned around to face him while Jax hugged me from behind.

He nodded with a playful grin. “I can see it happening. Your sister is good with them. I’m sure you’d be fine with it. Also, we can get you a car now.”

“A car?” I gasped. “I want a motorbike!”

“Oh, no,” they said together.

“You’d be a danger to the community,” Jax declared.

“Meanies,” I huffed. “Connor can train me!”

“I could, but you gotta wait till you’re nineteen.”

“Why?” I pouted my lip and Connor chuckled.

“We’ll see how you do on your next lesson.” He winked.

“Okay,” I replied.

“Finnick, you played that wrong.”

We looked back at Kaito and Finnick, the two of them attempting to play the game. From the way Finnick was looking at the card, I wondered if he was trying to read it or simply staring into space.

Kaito, on the other hand, looked like the alcohol had indeed hit him. He was one of those individuals that you couldn’t leave alone near the bar for even one minute, or you’d be doomed. The next minute, he’d be wasted off the tiniest serving of alcohol.

“He really can’t handle alcohol,” I concluded.

“Nope,” Connor and Jax replied.

“I’m trying to read it,” Finnick muttered.

“You said that five minutes ago.”

“It hasn’t been five minutes.” Finnick hiccuped.

“Yes, it has,” Kaito countered.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Nope!”

“Yes!”

Finnick stared at the card again, as if he was doing his utmost to read what it said but failing. He frowned and lowered the card.

“I don’t want to play anymore.”

“Why? I can just help you read it,” Kaito reached for the card.

Finnick didn’t say anything and we were all confused when tears sprung to life in his blue eyes.

Finnick? Why is he on the verge of crying?

“Finnick,” Kaito reached out and stroked his head. “There’s no need to cry. Look, the card says, ‘If you could tell one thing to your mom…’” Kaito trailed off, realizing exactly why Finnick had been struggling to speak.

We were all silent and watched as tears streamed down Finnick’s face. He bit his lip and used his left arm to wipe his tears away.

“If I could tell one thing to my Mom…I’d tell her how much I love her,” he whispered.

The three of us stood there, unable to even move, and Kaito lowered the card to look at Finnick, who began to sob.

“I’d tell her how happy I am now. Even though she’s not here…not here to give me hugs and tell me that everything is going to be okay. I’d tell her how amazing my friends have been, my amazing brothers who are here for me, rain or shine. I’d let her know that she was the joy in my life, and though she’s gone, I still have a shining light there to guide me when I’m lost. I’d tell her how amazing Brianne is. How loving and genuinely kind she is. I’d tell her that I’m going to finish the rest of the semester here at Witchling Academy and spread kindness to the world. I’ll tell all those who hate themselves for being different and loving anyone they want that no matter what the world tells them, they are loved and cherished. Finally, I’d tell her that I’ll spread her reward to everyone. I’ll spread myself and the teachings she shared with me and Dad and help as many people as I can. Everyone would accept all the colors in the crayon box and not the select few that everyone loves. She’d know how loved she was, and I’d tell her again and again until time ran out.”

The only sound that echoed through the room was Finnick’s quiet sobbing. Kaito sighed and reached out to pull Finnick into his arms. That made Finnick cry even harder, and he tried desperately to keep quiet, but his wails became uncontrollable as he let his emotions out.

I looked at Jax and Connor, the two of them giving me a nod before they let go and walked over to comfort their brother, who was still grieving and trying to heal from his massive loss.

Time would help him heal, and the future holidays would be a bit harder down the road, but at least he had us.

We would enter the New Year even stronger and conquer Semester Four with ease.

7

CHEERLEADER JEALOUSY

~SIX WEEKS LATER~

“ONE MORE ALONG the track and we’ll start the new routine!” I announced and blew the whistle.

“Yes!” the rest of the team cheered and began one last sprint around the large running track. I watched their synchronized movement and glanced back to the timer that displayed their current overall training time.

Being the official leader of the Witchling cheer squad had never been my intention, but here I was, leading the team of seniors and juniors.

It had somehow become this way after Elisha disappeared. It wasn’t as though she was missing, or anything. Her friends and the gossip hounds reported that she was unwell or having a life crisis.

No one knew which was more likely to be true, but no one truly cared.

Her absence had seemed to reduce the bullying a lot. For the last six weeks, I’d been working with the Notorious Four to try to figure out a better way of monitoring the school and the bullying that occurred.

The dean and professors agreed that things were getting out of hand and new rules had to be implemented, but it came down to when and how to do that.

For now, our aim was to focus on our grades and finish this semester as normal. The summer would give the school enough time to update the security system and cameras. The dean had hinted that she would assign someone the power to stop all bullying activities, and the consequences would be of the highest order: termination.

I couldn’t wait for the plan to be implemented, but my goal now was to work hard and prepare for the Witchling Games.

The games were pretty simple. We had to catch a flying object while riding a broomstick.

Easy enough.

I was sure there would be some twists to it, but the overall requirement wasn’t going to be difficult. Each team would work as a unit to catch one of the three flying objects.

The size of the objects was unknown. They could be as small as a golf ball or as large as a refrigerator — yes, it had happened before — and once the object was obtained, the team or teams had to reach a checkpoint to claim their victory.

It was as easy as that. However, my gut instinct was telling me something was off, but I wasn’t sure exactly what.

There had been no sightings of the Shadow People and none of the seniors had bothered with me since I proved my point, again, in the hallway. That only left me to wonder if Elisha was plotting something. Or was I really going to be able to enjoy my school life with no other issues or predicaments?

“I should have made you leader a long time ago.”

Lifting my head up from my watch, I looked to Professor Phoenix, who stood on my left. She was in shorts and a polo shirt, the black and pink combo fitting her curves perfectly, while her hair was up in a ponytail thanks to the black cap that matched her black shoes.

She wore pink-framed sunglasses and a light coat of pink lipgloss.

“Me?” I nervously laughed. “I don’t think I fit very well.”

“That’s the fastest time they’ve run the track and they don’t even appear tired,” Professor Phoenix pointed out. I blushed slightly at the compliment and returned to looking at the squad as they began to speed into full sprint mode, Mia and Miya at the front of the line.

“R-really?” I questioned.

“Yup,” she replied. “Whenever Elisha told them to run they would complain, whine, and groan the entire time. Half of the team wouldn’t finish, and they wouldn’t bother putting a hint of effort into the rest of the practice either. Since you’ve started, they’ve been livelier and look happy to be a part of the team. Mia and Miya are a good addition as well. When you see how students from other countries train, it gives you a new perspective and gives the team something to compare to. They’ve been top runners and performers along with you and the senior leaders and that seems to have given the squad a push. It’s positive reinforcement and competition, without the nastiness of jealousy.”

I nodded in understanding, feeling a bit proud of myself.

“I’m glad that I can do something to help. Though once Elisha comes back I can’t stay in this position.”

“Why not?” Professor Phoenix questioned.

“Um…I don’t know. I’m not experienced enough?”

“Neither are Mia and Miya. The three of you started last semester and are the top three junior cheerleaders. It merely makes sense that you’re the leader, seeing as Mia and Miya balance one another out and can’t both lead. Elisha has been gone since long before the last semester ended. That’s more than enough time for me to boot her off the team.”

“Really? She didn’t give notice?”

“Nope. Nothing,” Professor Phoenix replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “She was on the team merely out of convenience, anyway.”

“Out of convenience?” I repeated.

“If she hadn’t been on the team, she’d have done anything to get on it. I’m sure she thinks I’m stupid or that her silly gift worked on me, but it didn’t even graze the surface. I like to play along with people’s games to see how they’ll react. She thinks she’s smart with what she does with her gift and with how much her father allows her to get away with. It’s only a matter of time before that gift is taken away from her and she ends up realizing how much she relies on it to survive.”

I didn’t reply and returned to looking at the stopwatch in my hand. I had a hunch that Professor Phoenix knew exactly what I had done, but until she spelled it out, I’d continue to pretend I knew nothing of it.

Wasn’t like she minded my secrecy. If she knew what I did and was against it, she would have confronted me about it by now.

“Well, maybe one day she’ll have to deal with something like that. Could be a valuable lesson for her,” I admitted and looked to my right. My body tensed, and I actually cursed under my breath — the action catching Professor Phoenix’s attention.

“Hmm? You’re not one to curse…ah. That makes more sense,” Professor Phoenix soon understood exactly why I’d muttered the ‘shit’ word.

Elisha was marching toward us, as if our conversation had summoned her. She was disheveled, like she’d been pushed into a sewer and then dumped into a trash can to dry. Even from this distance, my nose picked up on a horrendous odor, like a mixture of dirty socks, smelly hair, and skunk.

Professor Phoenix took a step forward, not in the least intimidated by Elisha’s stomping approach. The rest of the squad seemed to have noticed what was happening, and Miya, Mia, and three of the other girls on the team rushed to come to our aid.

Elisha’s eyes were solely on me, and I secretly preferred it that way.

I wanted her to see how her raging glares and furious aura did nothing to affect my cool. She’d had her time to reign. Now it was time for her to feel what it was like to be a normal individual who wasn’t at the top of the hierarchy list.

“You!” she screamed and pointed at me.

I purposely looked around me, before staring back at her and raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, you mean me?” I asked and pointed my finger to myself.

“Yes! You!” she screamed and was literally about to launch herself at me, but it was like an invisible wall had suddenly appeared and slammed into her face.

She groaned and held her forehead, and it was enough of a distraction for the others to arrive and crowd around me protectively.

“What are you doing here, Elisha? You’ve been absent for ten weeks. Unless you were in the hospital, which I would have known because your father would have informed the school, there really is no need for you to be here for cheer practice or even on Witchling Academy property.” Professor Phoenix laid it all down, not caring that Elisha was fuming in anger on the opposite side of whatever barrier she’d made.

“Tell that bitch Harlow to give me back my gift!” she demanded and pointed to me. “She stole it!”

“Come again?” I tilted my head in confusion, feigning pure innocence. “I can’t steal gifts. I have my Spell Traveler one that everyone confuses for teleportation. Aside from that, I’m not that special.”

“That’s a strong accusation to make, Elisha,” Professor Phoenix pointed out. “As the daughter of the chief of police, would you like to share some evidence to support your sudden claims?”

“N-no! I don’t have any evidence or shit! I know she stole it! Give me my damn gift back!”

“Elisha.” I sighed and took a step forward between Mia and Miya. “I don’t have your gift.”

“Lying bitch!” she cursed.

“You can insult me all you want.” I shrugged, not bothered by her commentary. “I seriously don’t have your gift. Maybe you were a bitch to someone — like you are to everyone — and they took it to teach you manners.”

The girls giggled behind me.

“About time someone did,” Mia sighed.

“Right? She’s the biggest bitch in the school and after being absent for however many days, thinks she can waltz back in here and demand something with no evidence whatsoever? The struggle for attention must be real these days.” Miya shrugged.

“The struggle never ends,” one of the other girls added, the rest of them giggling and agreeing.

“I’m serious! Why the hell are you all taking her side?! You’re MY team,” she screamed.

“You abandoned your team for ten solid weeks.” I decided to put my foot down before this escalated into something stupid. Nearby student already had their phones out and were recording the altercation. It was only a matter of time before it landed on the front of the gossip blogs and papers, and I didn’t want to be portrayed as the perpetrator of this situation.

“Ten weeks ago, you stopped showing up to school and cheer practice. No notice or anything. Just disappeared. Did you really think the squad was just going to wait around for you to come back?”

With a long sigh, I stood a little taller and crossed my arms over my chest in defiance. As an added bonus, I let a speck of aura out on display, and I could hear a few gasps from both the cheer team and the students standing by to watch the heated confrontation.

“Everyone can be replaced, Elisha. Even someone like you! That’s your problem, actually. When it comes to the people in your life, you treat them like shit and discard them like trash. You want everyone to worship you and treat you with respect, but you can never return the favor and give that same respect back. You’re so used to demanding things and controlling people that without your gift, you can’t function. I’m sure at this point, you really aren’t thinking straight because we both know that you can’t take me on in your current condition.”

I noticed the flicker of fear at my open threat, and it made me smile as I took another step forward.

“You can challenge me right here and now or spit out accusations all you want, but if Professor Phoenix takes down this barrier between us, I’ll make sure to beat enough common sense and respect into that tiny brain of yours that you’ll wish we’d never met.”

My threat was followed by a wave of power, one strong enough to push her back onto her ass. More gasps and a few cheers came from the sidelines, and I glanced over to see that the number of students standing and watching us had tripled.

“Y-you-ou—”

“You what?” I raised my voice and glared at her. “Bitch? Slut? Whore? All those mean things that you used to put in my locker on those sticky notes for the majority of my first year here? How does it feel now? To be on the receiving end and getting the reality check you so heartily needed?! I’m tired of this bullying nonsense and people treating each other like shit because their gift is deemed better than someone else’s!”

I lowered my arms and looked straight into Elisha’s wide eyes.

“When we’re stripped of our powers, guess what? We have nothing but our personalities! We’re simply human beings like the rest of the world. Remember that the power coursing through our veins is not something we’re merely born with. It’s blessed upon us by the gods themselves, and what can be given can also be taken away with a snap of one’s fingers.”

She gulped at my declaration, and I narrowed my eyes at her, hoping she could feel the power thrumming through me and envision what I could do to her if I had the opportunity to not get in trouble for it.

“Stop being a spoiled little brat and grow up. If you think you can live this life forever, you’ll be surprised at how fast you’ll land yourself in a jail cell. Wouldn’t it be a shame for your father to have to bring in his daughter for disturbing the peace and embarrassing herself in front of the student body? You want to fight? Go right ahead. Disgrace yourself and see how far you can get. I don’t even need magic to take you down and you know it! So try me, and let’s see who’s going to be victorious in this little game once and for all.”

I clenched my fists, ready for that barrier to fall so I could beat the shit out of Elisha for the suffering she’d caused my men, especially Jax and his family. I’d get them the revenge they deserved, and she wouldn’t be able to stop me.

She screamed and stomped her foot like a child before pointing at me. “You’ll pay for this! Just you wait! I’ll take something you cherish and then we’ll see who the real winner is!”

She stomped away as everyone began to boo and tell her to get off of the property. She’d caused all that ruckus to make an empty threat at me.

I wanted to feel relieved, and yet, I wasn’t. In fact, I was more worried.

Please, let’s hope that empty threat is all it is. No more issues.

8

WITCHLING GAMES VICTORY?

“AH!!!” I screamed from the top of my lungs.

“MEWMEW!” Elsa copied me as the two of us continued to plummet toward the ground.

“WINDOALASHA REVERSA!” I added an extra push of magic and braced myself in case it didn’t work. The broomstick finally decided to function again, lifting us up at the last second and surging us forward between two buildings.

I could hear the cheers of the crowd and people watching on the streets, and I only groaned, wishing this wasn’t our damn exam.

Yes! Lo and behold! The Witchling Games were ACTUALLY our exam!

None of us expected this; we’d believed that the games would happen this week and then we’d tackle another simulation exam or redo the one we were supposed to do in town last semester.

Nope, far from that. The moment the flag waved for us to start, the timer on the large scoreboard started and lettering underneath it appeared that said ‘SEMESTER FOUR—FINAL EXAM.’

Given that there were five gaming arenas across the property, with all of us positioned in our teams waiting to see if we’d be chosen to participate, none of us could have realized that this was going to determine if we passed or failed.

Right now, only mine, the Park’s, and a third team remained. There was also only one magic tracker left for us to claim, and it just so happened to be unicorn ball with wings.

A unicorn ball…a LIVING unicorn ball…with black wings!

The goal was to catch the little sucker and reach the finish line before the timer hit zero. We still had loads of time, but if I couldn’t figure out how to work this damn stick, there would be no way to win this one for the team.

I sped between the buildings and used double the magic to direct the broomstick upward. It was clearly cooperating with the boost of magic I was feeding it, and my hands were gripping the wood like my life depended on it.

The wood had magic incantations on it, and they currently glowed a vivid mixture of pink, gold, and orange.

Elsa was on my shoulder, aiding me in distributing my magic at a much faster rate, but if we had to keep using such large amounts of magic, we’d be in serious trouble before long.

Gritting my teeth, I focused on locating that unicorn ball, hoping it wouldn’t be far. I was beginning to feel winded, and it wouldn’t be long before I was out of fuel.

“FUFUFUFUFU!”

Huh?

“MEWMEW!” Elsa practically screamed in my ear. I immediately felt the foreign magic, and with a turn to my left, I caught sight of the swiftly flapping unicorn ball as it began to soar upward.

“Oh no, you don’t!” I screamed. “WINDOSHA ALARANDO VU!”

I pushed triple the energy into the broomstick and willed it, once again, to go upward and after that unicorn ball. Bracing myself for the sudden increase in speed, Elsa and I began to soar higher and higher, until the town looked like small Lego pieces and we were entering into the atmosphere of clouds and high-altitude planes.

I couldn’t tell what substance or even creature this unicorn ball had been created out of, but the change in altitude clearly wasn’t slowing it down. My hair began to glow and my eyes stung, but it wasn’t from the rushing wind or lack of oxygen. It was the sheer magic power that was building and pushing for me to get what I’d worked so hard to obtain.

I knew it was close, and part of me felt like this was on purpose. Like this ball was meant to be in my grasp, even though it made no sense at all. I’d never seen this thing at all, but I now wanted it more than ever.

I was only a few feet away from it, and I knew it would take one last push to obtain the ball that was desperate to try to leave the atmosphere and abandon us mundanes.

“You. Are. Mine!” I screamed. “Alara Rosha Windo A Ravu! ISHNA!”

I used a spell that I would have never used in school or around students in general. It was one that was in a book within the private sector of my parents’ library and required far more magic than the average witch or wizard could wield.

I’d secretly learned it because I thought it was cool — the spell quadrupled your magic for a short period of time and created a barrier around your area to make it impossible for anyone or anything to escape.

This unicorn ball wouldn’t stand a chance, and I didn’t even think the cameras recording this entire thing would be able to see what was about to occur.

The broomstick responded and shot me up like a racing rocket. Within three blinks, the black ball was in my grasp, its wings fluttering for a long few seconds before it calmed.

“YES!” I cheered, but then something caught my attention.

My arms began to glow first, and my eyes grew wide when my magic suddenly responded like I’d summoned it again. Markings began to form on my arms and I ended up letting go of the broom as my body floated like I suddenly weighed nothing.

My confusion only grew when I noticed my bare legs beginning to glow as well, the bright pink of markings that had never been there before suddenly appearing.

“Wha…” I trailed off, sensing something coming, but it wasn’t from behind me. It was from above. My head shot up to see a bright ray of light, and I had no chance at dodging it.

I screamed, the blast hitting me full force, but it didn’t hurt. In fact, it was nice and warm, like the sun’s rays on a summer day.

Opening my eyes, I saw someone. Whoever or whatever — angel? witch? — it was, they hovered only a few feet above me.

All I could see was their silhouette and a pair of large wings. It made no sense, because supernatural creatures didn’t exist. Or at least, that’s what they told us.

My body began to fall, furthering the distance between me and the angelic being above, but my ears caught their words.

Your time has come, child. You must learn who you are, but this isn’t the right place. We will meet each other again, and when we do, you will understand the reason we bestowed you upon this forsaken world. Until then, protect those who are important to you, and most importantly, do not hesitate when your instincts tell you to react.

Farewell, my daughter.

Daughter?! What?

With a blink, the light was gone and I was floating once again. I looked to my hand to see the unicorn ball was still there, and I noticed its black wings had little pink sparkles on them. I observed it carefully, curious as to whether it was actually alive or simply ran off of magic.

Looking at the pink horn, I noticed Elsa was inspecting the ball just like I was. She slowly reached to tap it lightly, as if it was a magic artifact of some sort. With the simple tap, a pair of glowing pink eyes popped open and looked right at me.

I didn’t know how to respond, and I just continued to stare at it while it blinked and looked at Elsa.

“MewMew?”

“FuFu?”

“MewMew?”

“Fu?”

“MewMew!”

“FuFu!”

I had no clue what conversation the two of them were having, but it seemed that Elsa actually liked and understood the unicorn ball.

“Are you a familiar?” I wondered.

“FuFu!” it replied and fluttered its wings just slightly.

“Intriguing,” I replied. “Hmm. You’re kind of cut—AH!!” My body suddenly dropped, as if my magic had just run out. I quickly grabbed onto Elsa, pulling her and the new familiar unicorn ball to my chest protectively as I descended at a rapid pace.

I tried to call for my magic or at least try my best to slow us down, but it was no use. I was completely out of magic right now, and it would take me a few minutes to even regenerate enough to Spell Travel anywhere at this point.

What was the best thing to do in situations like this? Scream until your doom.

“AHHH!” I screamed.

“MEWMEW!”

“FUFU!”

Our screams echoed around us as we got closer and closer to the ground. I braced myself for the impact; the last images that flickered in my mind were of my family, friends, and loving boyfriends.

“AND IOOP!”

My body was suddenly caught by something and I was afraid to open my eyes until I heard a familiar voice.

“You got her, Miya!” Mia cheered. “WOOT! We did it!”

“I told you I would! All I needed were a few extra seconds and boom. Right where we had to be!” Miya declared.

I opened my eyes to see that I was now in a magic swing of sorts, hanging from Miya’s broomstick as she and Mia raced forward.

Miya looked down and gave me a little wave, her eyes a stunning white, while her hair was white, turquoise, and oozing intense magic. Since the day I met them, I’d known the twins were powerful, but this magic was unreal. It was almost like they were gods or something.

“Welcome aboard the Park Express. Where we take care of our random falling best friends and deliver them to VICTORY!” Miya cheered.

“Meaning you don’t really have much of a choice to ride with us, and since we love you, it only makes sense for us to team up.” Mia giggled.

“Mia…Miya…thank you!” I was about to cry, and they both smiled and nodded.

“Save your tears for when we celebrate! You owe us cake or something sweet.”

“All right,” I agreed, a few of my tears falling out of happiness. “Off to victory!”

“Yes!” they cheered and soared even faster toward the final checkpoint.

I looked down to Elsa and the new companion, watching Elsa continue to purr and snuggle around the unicorn ball that seemed to be asleep.

The image of the being with wings flickered in my mind, and I wondered who they could possibly be. There wouldn’t be time to dwell on it until later, so I decided to push it to the back of my mind for now.

Semester Four is done, but I feel there’s something more to come.

9

DEVASTATING OUTCOME

“Why do you guys look so serious?” I asked, approaching Jax and Connor.

“We’re dealing with a problem,” Jax muttered, sounding so pissed I wondered if his hair was going to catch on fire.

“A situation?” I looked between the two of them. “What?”

They exchanged worried expressions and I crossed my arms and gave them a stern look. “If you think I’m going to be left out of this, you’re both delusional. What’s the problem? Is something wrong or is someone hurt?”

“Finnick is missing.” Connor dropped the bombshell, following it with more worrying information. “Kaito’s been searching for him for an hour and can’t find him at all. He doesn’t have his phone with him and his dad hasn’t seen him since he left today to meet with us.”

My heart skipped a few beats. “What do you mean he’s missing? He was with us before I went to start the Games. He said he was going to the lockers to get his water bottle. Did you check the locker room?”

This wasn’t making any sense.

“We did. Multiple times. He’s not there,” Jax revealed.

“Then where could he have gone?” I questioned them, putting my arms in the air. I shouldn’t have taken my frustration out on them, but people didn’t just suddenly disappear. There had to be a trail of some kind.

When they shared another look, I knew they were hiding something.

“What. Happened?” I articulated.

After the craziness I’d just endured, I wasn’t in a patient mood. I wanted to know how I could be of assistance in this stressful situation.

Connor sighed and ruffled his hair. “Finnick was ganged-up on in the locker room.”

I stood there with a guarded expression on my face, but my insides grew hot with boiling anger. “What. Did. You. Say?”

“When Finnick was taking too long to come back, Kaito decided to go and check. He figured Finnick may have felt overwhelmed by all the families and being around loved ones and thus, he went to compose himself in the locker room. Kaito arrived to find blood all over the floor and a few of the bullies either knocked out or injured. A few of the guys from the football team saw what was going on and intervened, but by the time Professor Phoenix and the police arrived, Finnick was nowhere to be found,” Jax explained.

“We’re worried because with Finnick’s mindset and the fact he’s still grieving for his mom…he’s not in the best place right now. Being jumped by ten guys…fuck.” Connor struggled to keep it together, blinking multiple times. “We have to find him. He’s not going to be in a good mental space.”

“He said he wouldn’t do anything like that anymore,” I voiced, my fear growing by the second.

“It’s…complicated,” Jax whispered.

“Tell me!” I yelled.

The two of them exchanged a look, and Connor gave in. “Finnick used to have an older brother.”

“What?” I gasped. “Used to?”

“His brother was a lot older, like a good eight years or so. He’d taken Finnick out and they were jumped, just like in the locker room. His brother protected Finnick, but before he could take out the last guy, the…man…” Jax had to pause, struggling to continue.

Connor took over and looked my way. “The man took out a gun and shot Finnick’s brother. It triggered Finnick’s…second gift…and that killed the last guy, but the damage was already done. It was too late. Finnick watched his brother pass away as they waited for the ambulance.”

I had no words, but I understood why they were worried.

Trigger. It’s a fucking trigger!

“How long?” I questioned, my voice losing all emotion as I clenched my fists. I could feel the band around my left wrist burn against my sudden burst of magic, but I didn’t care. There was no way I was going to lose Finnick. Not after we had struggled as a team to get him back.

“How long?” Jax questioned.

“How long ago was that?” I asked.

“Twenty-five minutes ago,” Connor declared.

I slowly nodded, and the two of them looked confused as to what I was planning. There was a loud snapping sound, and the gold bracelet with the Sailor Moon tape fell to the ground.

Before either of them could register what I was about to do, my world began to shift, and soon enough, I was exactly where I wanted to be.

Blinking my eyes and trying to fight the dizziness and nausea, I was shocked when my vision finally cleared.

There was Finnick on the abandoned bridge, though it was difficult for me to even see now that the sun was about to set.

What frightened me wasn’t the fact that he was on the bridge. No, it was because he was with someone — a familiar male, who looked to be arguing with him.

You have GOT to be kidding me!

I began to run without a second thought, until those eyes that had once looked at me with love and joy locked onto mine — Elijah’s angry eyes.

He noticed my approach, and that seemed to set him off, his hand shooting outward and his mouth moving to speak a command. I shot a glance back at Finnick, watching his eyes grow wide in shock.

His body was propelled backward with enough force that it broke the thin wooden railing.

“FINNICK!” I screamed, watching his body fall.

Foreign power that I’d never experienced before in my life hit me like a brick, and my body blurred with a single step. I went from being at least five steps from  Elijah to crashing into Finnick and willing anything whatsoever to cushion our fall.

Even with my sudden intrusion, Finnick seemed to have noticed and switched our positions, making it so his back faced the approaching ground and I was in his arms protectively.

“WINDLASHORA!” I screamed, hoping that the spell would work.

When we crashed, I heard a crack and Finnick screamed in pain, but I was struggling to stay conscious.

It took me a minute to finally get myself together, and I opened my eyes and looked at Finnick’s excruciating expression.

“Finnick! Are you okay?!” I screamed.

“It’s okay. My leg…fuck!” he cursed and tried to control his breathing.

“I’ll get help. Hold on, Finnick,” I assured him, and looked back up to see Elijah’s wide eyes. I was confused by his look. The anger that was once coursing through his eyes had been replaced by shock — and regret?

None of this made sense. Why would Elijah be arguing with Finnick, and what could they have possibly been talking about to make Elijah push Finnick off a damn bridge?!

“Hang on, Finnick! I’m…I’m going to teleport you. Not Spell Travel, but use a spell so that our bodies don’t actually move until your leg is examined, all right?”

He nodded, tears rolling down his cheeks as his split lip trembled. I noticed the bruises and blood that drenched his clothes, but I couldn’t focus on that.

Centering on myself, I used whatever was left of that foreign magic to teleport Finnick’s body to the grass to my far right. It wasn’t enough to teleport me as well, but at least it would give me a moment to breathe and try to get help.

“FUFU!”

I blinked and tried to figure out where the sound of the peculiar familiar came from.

Reaching into the pocket of my combat shorts, I felt the familiar round object and pulled out the unicorn ball I’d caught during the Witchling Games.

“What are you doing here?” I questioned. “I returned you to Professor Phoenix.”

“FUFU!” Its wings began to flutter, littering pink glitter on my hand. I let go of it and it began to flit around me until my body was covered with the pink stuff. I expected it to heal me or something, but it was just glitter.

It landed back in my hand and I stared at it. With a long sigh, I shook my head.

“If you’re trying to cheer me up, thanks, but—”

“BRIANNE!”

Elijah’s scream made me flinch, and I looked up to see his fearful eyes. “RUN!”

I wasn’t sure what he was telling me to run to, and I looked over to make sure Finnick was all right. He met my gaze, looking just as confused as I.

Forcing myself up, I spotted a beaming white light that shone at me, and the sound of racing tires reached my ears.

“What the—” I only got a glimpse of the car that was speeding right at me when it was seconds from hitting me. My gut instinct kicked in, and all I could do was protectively clench the familiar to my chest and brace for the hit.

When the collision finally came, my body went flying, pain like I’d never experienced coursed through me - enough to make it impossible to take another breath.

Nothing could save me from the drop as my body began to fall, and the last thing I heard before the world went completely black was Finnick’s ear piercing scream.

“BRIANNE!”

TO BE CONTINUED.

COMING SOON - September 6th, 2019:

books2read.com/WITCHLINGACADEMY5

Here’s a sneak peek of BLAZING ACADEMY, coming out this October 6th, 2019!

https://books2read.com/BLAZINGACADEMY

BLURB:

When the element of fire burns within your veins, the academy for all things scorching is the best place to learn how to make that flame burn even hotter.

Alice Blaze is my name, and I’m not exactly your typical sixteen-year-old. My mom disappeared after my birth and my dad was an alcoholic maniac, so I was raised by my protective grandparents in the single house up the hill. The one people only come to visit on Halloween.

Because, yeah, apparently, our house is haunted. Naturally.

As an orphan living in a spooky house, it’s no surprise that my life has been…eventful. I’ve been inadvertently causing trouble since I was little and it always ends up with something combusting into flames. You know, lighting up the curtains, exploding vials in lab class. And don’t get me started with the accidental school fire. Need I say more?

The flames really hit the fan when I’m accused of shattering all the windows in the entire school. Of course, that doesn’t make sense because it has nothing to do with my burning nemesis. But it doesn’t matter. Expulsion is imminent and my grandparents are fed up with my constant transfers.

But then something amazing happens: a letter of invitation lands right onto our doorstep. Or window.

I’m invited to Blazing Academy, the school for all things — and people — that are scorching hot. Shifters, demons, and blazing hot witches…oh, right. I almost left that part out. According to the school, that’s what I am. A blazing hot witch.

Let’s hope that’s all I am, and that this first semester goes a whole lot smoother than I’m imagining. Otherwise my whole life might just go up in smoke.

CHAPTER ONE: SWEET SIXTEEN

“Alice! You’re going to be late for school!”

I turned over to hug one of my multiple pillows that crowded around the head of my bed. Even with two fans on and my window half open, I was still far too hot.

It simply wasn’t bothering me because I was half asleep, but I was glad I only wore underwear to sleep because clothes were a no-no in this weather.

It was September, and I was baffled that it was still so hot. I always ran a little warm, even in the most chill days in winter, but it always left me wishing my grandparents would invest in an air conditioner.

Yes, our old, “haunted” building of a house needed a few renovations, but we were living in the time and age where we could afford a portable AC.

My grandma always gave the excuse that my room was in the attic and the hose connector to release the air pressure and water or whatever wouldn’t reach the ground. It was all excuses to me.

Fans did barely anything up here. It did a bloody good job circulating the hot air, but to actually cool me off? I might as well eat ice cream every hour of the day.

Today was the third day of me going to another school that was forced to accept me. I always got a few brow raises when I’d acknowledge that I’d transferred from school twenty-something. I’d lost count, but from what I remembered, I was at school twenty-five before I made my lab vial combust.

Seriously, it was an accident.

People thought I was a witch. Or a red-haired, possessed female who looked like she was a part of a cult instead of a student trying to get her high school diploma.

My name was Alice Blaze, and I had a running streak of getting kicked out of every school I’d been allowed entry in.

It started in daycare and lead to grade school, and now, high school. It wasn’t my fault, or at least, that’s what I was told to say each time I “fucked up.” See, there was something about the element of fire that hated me.

It had to be a past life vendetta or curse I had to my name because when fire was involved, I was signing off another transfer form and moving to the next school a few days later.

Lighters, fireplaces, even plain olden day matches. The spark of a flame matched with how I was currently feeling that day and either ended up with something burning to crisp or catching on fire and summoning the entire fire department to our school grounds.

Sometimes, I could be in the happiest mood, and the flames will be all playful and try and burn the classroom down for fun.

Due to constant fire mishaps, whenever I enrolled in a new school, the fire department was on speed dial. That was one fact that the students always found out about before the common ‘Blazing Alice’ nickname came to be.

How I wished to just be homeschooled. At least no one would have to deal with the fire mishaps I apparently created or stalk me all the way home to see the tall castle on the top of the hill.

Our house was literally the only one on the hill, and it gave you haunted house vibes. Totally spooky, painted in all black, and our garden and front lot were covered in thick trees and a few vines.

I wished they were nice and tall, the perfect wall of nature to shield us from the city’s ridicule. The school that was thirty minutes from my house by bike was the only one that was willing to accept and tolerate all the trouble I caused.

The principal was best friends with my grandparents and was doing us this favor. It was nice of her, but I wasn’t interested in the pity acceptance.

If I could be homeschooled, life would have been far easier. No more problems, no students bothering me, and it would be easier to study because no one would interrupt me.

The one problem with all of my schools was that I was an easy target to pick on. I was the tallest out of the females, standing at 5′9″. I loved wearing heels or anything to bring me up to 6′0″, but that merely got more attention.

Adding my small waist, wider hips, tanned skin, and extremely red hair, I was the sore spot in a bland hallway, and among my peers, I was the “weird” one.

I never asked to be this way, but I embraced it. My grandparents taught me early to love myself for who I was, and I’d thrived with that.

Would have been nice to have contact lenses strong enough to last a day of school, but beggars can’t be choosers.

The most distinct attribute regarding my appearance was my red eyes. People thought they were contacts and that I wore them to grab attention. No one ever believed me when I said they were real and that I wasn’t the Devil’s daughter.

I’d gotten used to it by now, and even with knowing they were real, I lied and said they were contacts to avoid being called a trouble maker AND a liar.

A girl could carry only so many labels.

“Alice! Don’t make me come up there!” Grandma called from the second floor.

Snuggling my pillow tightly, I wondered if I ignored her long enough, she’d let me skip school today.

Today was my birthday after all. Did I really need to go to school?

My sweet sixteen was here, but I didn’t feel any different. No one was going to treat me a little nicer because it was the day I was born, and I surely wasn’t expecting a happy birthday either.

Blazing Alice didn’t have friends, because she was too dangerous to be around. That’s what people liked to spread around the school, no matter how long I lasted before being kicked out.

If only I could be one of those girls who had a group of friends who cared about these milestones. To have someone sing happy birthday and present me with a cupcake with a candle on top.

With my fire problem, we weren’t allowed to have candles in the classroom, but just for once, it would have been nice to experience it with good company.

“Woof?”

Something nudged my nose, and I poked an eye open to see the tiny black wolf. I hoped it was a wolf, but it very well could have been a husky breed puppy.

This little guy had been wandering through our thick trees when I came home from my first day of school. It was stuck in a patch of vines, and though I wasn’t one to feel sympathy for wildlife, this mini wolf was far too adorable to ignore.

The plan was to get her out and let her be free to find her pack, but she ended up following me into my haunted house, and I basically couldn’t get rid of her.

My grandparents tried and failed miserably. Thus, the reason why this cute puppy wolf thing was now chilling in my bed in a last attempt to wake me up.

“Woof!”

“I should call you Wolfie,” I mumbled, and closed my eyes.

“Woof!” The light nudge to my nose, followed by the little licks, made me grin.

“Be lucky you’re cute,” I muttered but lifted my hand to ruffle her fur. She kept licking my face and it wasn’t until her tail smacked my cheek, then I sat up.

“‘Nope. Not being wolf farted on today. Your farts can kill,” I groaned.

Hearing the creaky ladder steps, I groaned and lifted my blanket to cover my breasts. Soon enough, my grandma was at the entrance of the attic.

“Aren’t you too old to be climbing ladders?” I whined.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m fifty-four, Alice. That’s not old.”

“Old to you guys is when you need a knee replacement, which I researched was seventy-five from the new statistics. However, I think it’s when you have grey hair, which you do,” I acknowledged.

She gave me a scowl and I merely shrugged. “You said you always want me to say the truth. I’m stating facts.”

“Go get ready for school.”

“Do I have to?” I whined. “Can’t I skip today? Pretty please?”

“Even if it’s your birthday, you need an education. I promised the principal that unless you were super sick, you wouldn’t skip school. What I will do is drive you to school,” she offered.

“That makes me sad. No thanks.” I frowned and looked at wolf pup who crawled onto my lap.

“Woof!”

“Did you give her a name?”

“No.” I sighed. “Call her Cyrus. Reminds me of a girl version of Cerberus,” I suggested.

“Woof Woof!”

“Really?” My grandma gave me one of her common ‘I can’t believe your logic’ looks. I gave her a nod. “She likes it! Plus, she could be a demon from hell here to make sure I’m not lonely.”

Grandma shook her head. “I’m making breakfast. Get in the shower,” she stated, and before I could protest, headed back down the ladder.

With a pout of my lips, I mumbled, “Not fair. She didn’t even say Happy Birthday.”

Deciding to get up, I petted Cyrus and picked her up from the bed. Lowering her to the floor, she ran around by my feet as I sat up and stretched.

After a minute of sitting almost naked on my bed, I got up and walked over to my desk chair that my uniform was resting on. I would have been worried about how wrinkled it was, but I couldn’t care less.

I already hated this school and couldn’t wait for something to go awry. It would be the best gift a girl like me could ask for. Maybe that would convince my grandparents to let me be homeschooled.

If Dad wasn’t a recovering alcoholic getting rehab, he could have given permission for me to be homeschooled.

My Dad was an interesting character. I sometimes wondered if he was really crazy, but basically, my grandparents hated him. They were my grandparents from my Mother’s side, and the only thing they had to say about my Dad was what an irresponsible adult he was. I’d never gotten the chance to meet my Dad’s parents.

Dad has been fighting with alcohol addiction for years. It hadn’t been like that when he married my mom, but when she left after carrying me to full term, it left a hole in my Dad’s heart.

Even after sixteen years, he still missed my Mom. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone but me, and it pained me that there was nothing I could do to help him. He was in my life when I was younger, but I was mainly in my grandparents’ care.

I got to visit him once in a while, but that slowly changed when his addiction got worse. He went from drinking two bottles of alcohol a day to a whole case, and when he’d get violent, my grandparents deemed him incapable of raising me.

It was only a matter of time.

The one thing I’m sure lead to my Dad drinking more was how similar I looked to my Mom. From the few pictures I carried of her, I was her mini-me and now that I was growing far too fast, I looked almost identical to her now.

With heels, we’d be at the same height, though my figure was just a little curvier than hers. My red locks were a shade brighter, but my eyes were identical, along with my lightly tanned skin.

I had no clue what my mother’s background was, but my Dad was Caucasian. Whatever the combo was, it gave me a light tan mix and made it difficult for people to figure out if I was white or native.

My cultural background wasn’t a big deal to me. It didn’t deny who I was or give me some urge to learn where I came from.

All I wanted was to fit in at school. To learn more about myself and my studies. Not deal with the daily drama and teasing over me being far too accident prone.

If I could even call it that.

Regardless of my questionable ethnicity, I hadn’t seen Dad in a while. He tried to show up during holidays, and at least text me once in a blue moon when he remembered he had a daughter, but the distance had really taken a stab at our Father-Daughter bond.

I didn’t blame my grandparents for doing what they did, and even with the multiple school mishaps, they still took care of me and were willing to do the walk of shame to the principal’s office every time I got in trouble.

They loved me, yes, but it would have been nice to have both my parents here to raise me rather than them.

If my mom was around, maybe she’d be able to figure out what was wrong with me.

Heading to the bathroom, I took a nice cool shower to wake me up. After that, I brushed my teeth and did a quick makeup look. I wasn’t super into makeup but enjoyed a bit of a smoky eye look and red lipstick.

If my uniform could have some red to match my hair, eyes, lips, and red heels, that would make the black and white uniform less dull in comparison to my pop of color.

Leaving my lipstick for last, I gathered my single notebook, pencil case, phone, and the latest spells and fashion magazine from my wooden desk and placed it all into my red backpack.

I wasn’t one to make notes or even study for long, which left me being called a smart ass. Another quality I’d taken from my mom, who was apparently a genius. I’m talking one-hundred percent, straight A-plus student genius.

My dad was more athletic, which was perfect for me since I took that trait from him and was the fastest runner at any school I attended during track season.

That reminded me of the time I’d been at one school for most of the training period for track and field, only to transfer to the opposite school they were facing in the league championships.

Did my new school use that as an advantage? Of course. Top runner and league champion for the school’s first official win. Ah, the few good times where students my age actually praised and acknowledged my existence.

I moved onto the next school during summer break and never got a chance to make some good friends that I thought were interesting. That’s why I just stopped trying.

It was disappointing to try and get along with people and then have to become long-distance friends. Those relationships barely lasted that long. No one around here was going to input that much effort into a friendship with the new transfer student.

Putting my bag on my shoulder and looking around my room, I nodded once and glanced down to Cyrus, who was sitting on my foot.

She loved doing that, which was her way of saying ‘take me downstairs for food please’. Having her for three days had brightened my life just a little bit.

My grandparents may have forgotten my birthday, but the spots of love Cyrus showed me were enough to make me happy.

Leaning down, I picked her up with ease and made it down the ladder. Heading downstairs, I noticed that grandpa’s brown leather coat was gone as were his matching shoes; both items usually rested against the wall near the door.

“Where’s Grandpa?” I asked when I entered the kitchen. “Did he go fishing again?”

“Yes, he did,” Grandma replied.

“But it’s September,” I reasoned. “There are barely any fish in the lakes by now.”

“Doesn’t stop him. You know that,” she replied and lowered the plate of pancakes on the dining table. “Don’t take too long to eat, I have an important meeting to go to.”

“Morning bingo isn’t important,” I noted but headed to my spot at the table.

“It is when I can win money,” Grandma countered.

“Would that money go to fixing the house?” I suggested.

“The house is in perfect condition,” she argued.

“Uh huh. I think you forgot about the hole in the roof that I patched up with a metal plate from the basement. I’m sure that came from a broken appliance somewhere in the house. Then add the fact that only my toilet works properly, and the water is cold again,” I explained some of the many faults in our old house.

Lowering Cyrus to the floor, she ran to her filled bowls of water and food and began to eat. Pulling out my hair, I hooked my backpack on one side and sat down.

Picking up my fork and knife, I dug right in as Grandma answered.

“Someone will come in this week to check that out, as well as the other things that need to get fixed.”

“Why can’t we just move somewhere else? This house makes it seem like we’re dirt poor. It’s like the Addam’s family home. No wonder why I get made fun of all the time.”

“Who’s bullying you? This is a new school. It’s the perfect fresh start, Alice.”

“Fresh start of the new girl with the red hair, eyes, and heels. Alright,” I commented with the least bit of amusement.

“Alice,” Grandma said with a serious tone. “I won’t hesitate to go to the school and find out.”

“It’s fine, Grandma. I can handle it,” I vouched. “Don’t need you bringing your cane around trying to hit the hot dudes.”

“I would do no such thing,” she huffed. “And my cane is only for when I’m tired.”

“Alright,” I replied and focused on my breakfast.

Once I was finished, I pushed my plate to the side to do my usual morning text message check. Turning my body to open my backpack and retrieve my phone, I turned back to see the plate with a red velvet slice of cake and a single candle that was actually lit up.

Glancing over to Grandma who had somehow placed the plate there without me noticing, I smiled back at her gleaming expression and she whispered, “Happy sweet sixteen, Alice.”

“Grandma.” I looked at her with teary eyes. “I thought you forgot!’

“I couldn’t forget the day you were born, Alice. I know we don’t do much in terms of celebrations, but this is extra special. Your grandpa is actually in town reserving a nice restaurant for us to have dinner tonight. The three of us. It’ll be a nice, luxurious dinner with some bomb dessert.”

I snickered at her attempt to use our current age “lingo”. “Thanks, Grandma!”

Glancing back down at the candle, I worried about the flame that was already growing in size. “Uh. Can I blow it out now before the whole house catches on fire?”

“Make a wish before you do,” Grandma urged.

I wanted to huff, but I decided to go along with it. She did get my favorite flavor of cake. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath.

Please let me find a school that accepts me. Not these academies that hate every unique thing about me. Most importantly, let me find some friends. Just one friend…

Letting the air out in a stream of air, the rather large flame took a bit of blowing to put out. It finally did, but I did notice Grandma holding the fire extinguisher as back-up.

That made me giggle. “That would be pretty funny to have on a card or calendar, Grandma.”

“I’d be rich if I sold photographs of me posing with this fire extinguisher,” she cheered. “But your grandad would never allow it. Got to figure out another career to pursue.”

“Back to the bingo drawing board,” I teased.

“You can win a lot at Bingo!” she stressed.

“You haven’t won in how many years? Ten? Twenty? I swear you’ve been on a losing streak since I was born,” I emphasized.

“I’m working on it.” She blushed at my statement, knowing well it was true. “Finish your cake or you’re leaving it behind.”

“I can’t leave this beauty behind!” I exclaimed. “It gotta be in my belly first.”

Staring at the cake, I took a quick picture and looked to Grandma as she picked the other plate that I’d discarded to the side.

“I can wash it.”

“Nonsense. It’s your birthday. You get a bit of special treatment today.” Grandma winked. Staring at her with loving eyes, I whispered, “Thank you, Grandma. For putting up with everything.”

She met my gaze and had a smile of her own. “Only two more years and you won’t need to deal with school anymore, alright?”

Giving her a bob of my head in reply, I looked back at the cake and sliced a piece with my fork.

She’s right. Soon I’ll graduate and can find a place willing to accept me. Hopefully they don’t play with fire.

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

Witchling Academy- Semester Three

Witchling Academy- Semester Four (Aug.16.19)

Witchling Academy- Semester Five (Sept.6. 19)

Witchling Academy- Semester Six (Oct 2019)

JADE STORM TRACKER SERIES

The Tracker Hive Academy- Year One

The Tracker Hive Academy- Year Two

The Tracker Hive Academy- Year Three (Oct.5.2019)

The Tracker Hive Academy- Year Four (Dec 2019)

UNDERWORLD ACADEMY

Academy for the Fallen- Year One (Aug.25.2019)

BLAZING ACADEMY

Semester One (Oct 6th, 2019)