Monday came faster than my mom wanted. The minute I told my mom I was going to school on Monday, all hell came loose. She argued, begged Adam and Aunt Maia to support her cause and if not cause I knew she cared for me and that was the cause of her paranoia, I would have laughed at how insane she was acting. It seemed careless for me to even consider going to school, but I missed my friends, cheerleading and I definitely had missed enough classes, no need to add more right?.
Adam was firmly behind my mom this time, which was shocking to me as he always had my back even when I was about to do stupid things like going to school today. Aunt Maia was my supporter this time which was hilarious as my mom couldn't believe her eyes when Aunt Maia agreed with me to disagree with her. I loved all of them but sometimes we were cataclysmic together.
It took a lot of convincing but my mom finally agreed on the condition that Adam took me to school and brought me home immediately after school, so no cheerleading practice, for now.
The weekend had helped me realize that what Xander said was the truth. If I didn't dwell on the issue so much, the power it had over me was drastically reduced. It didn't mean that the change wasn't occurring in my body, cos that was definitely still going on, but it meant I could at least have a sense of normalcy instead of gripping fear while waiting for the full moon which was Friday. So I'm gonna have a blast with the time that's left of my human life.
I got to school right on time, waved Adam goodbye and with a nervous heart headed for my locker. Nat met me halfway, squeezing me in a life draining bear hug. "I missed you and I was so scared something had happened to you and it would've been my fault and I came to see you but you wouldn't let me in and my dad got hurt and I just…..", I stopped her rambling before she could die of oxygen loss.
I pushed back from her hug and told her to breathe which she did, before she calmed down and I hugged her like a normal person this time. "I missed you too, I told her remorsefully, "and I'm sorry I refused seeing anyone. Most of all I'm sorry for not being there for you when your dad got hurt". She just held me at arm's length and said with a smile, "all is forgiven. Though if you hadn't come to school today, I'd have killed you myself".
I smiled right back at her, then she smacked me on the arm and said, "Next time don't scare me like that". "Ouch!! I thought you said all was forgiven", I asked. "Yes it is. I just had to make sure you didn't doubt my threat", she said casually. "Well, I'm not Justin. Of course I know your threats are very real", I said resignedly before someone interrupted us and said, "talk about the devil…"
"And the devil disappears", Nat replied immediately and just like that I knew it was Justin. I turned just in time to be covered with another bear hug. "Damn", he cursed after letting me go. "I was so scared that you had left me alone to deal with Bat-alie here", he said with a sad face and I just couldn't help myself. I laughed, because he looked so ridiculous trying to pull a sad baby face.
"Don't worry about that", I whispered in his ear. "I am right here for you". "I hope you both realize I can hear you right", Nat said irritatingly. "Yes we know", Justin replied. "We're only pretending to whisper just to make you feel slightly better about your crazy self".
"You, my friend are dead", I told Justin the minute Nat started smirking. The look of fear that crossed his face was priceless, Nat didn't say a word, just her hand reaching for him and he ran for his dear life. I just shook my head with a smile and proceeded to open my locker.
"That boy is a thoughtless twat", Nat said. "You should stop encouraging him you know", I told her quietly. "How the hell am I encouraging him", she asked frustratingly. "The dude gets on my nerves like no other". "Well for starters", I said turning to her as I locked my locker. "Stop giving him such reactions, I mean if he taunts you continuously it's obviously because he enjoys it and your reactions to it are just hilarious to say the least".
"So I'm supposed to just sit back, relax and watch while he says stupid and mean things about me to my face", she said incredulously. "Either that or you guys can continue your foreplay… sorry wordplay the next time you meet", I told her positively.
"You are a terrible friend Asha", she said immediately. "Just think of it this way", I whispered in her ear this time, "you ignore him the next time and we'll see if he doesn't go mute or look for the next candidate to mess with". She smiled at that.
"You are one crazy gal you know that right", she said bumping her shoulder with mine. "We're a match made in hell", I replied bumping her right back as we headed to our first class.
I entered my class just in time for the bell, good graces. Xander wasn���t in class, weird. He never came late, not even once. I on the other hand was the perpetual late comer, blame that on Nat.
The class went smoothly, though I was a little distracted wondering why Xander wasn't in school. My next class was so much better, Justin and I kept passing notes all through. I had so much fun in that class but in all my notes I couldn't bring myself to ask why Xander wasn't in school.
Break time came sooner than I expected and I headed to the cafeteria only to find Xander and the boys already at the table. I was happy he was around and I guess it showed because the next thing I know, someone bumped me on the arm as I had hindered the lunch line from moving. I apologized, grabbed my tray and headed for the table.
The closer I got to the table, the more excited my heart got. I was definitely crazy. I greeted everyone at the table and like always Justin saved me a seat. I placed my tray down and Justin shrieked. "Whoa!!! What happened", I asked him immediately.
"Did you get that for yourself or that tray is for Nat", he asked in shock pointing to my lunch tray and I smiled. "Phew", I breathed. "You had me worried for a second there", I replied in relief. "Well it's his hobby to blow things out of proportion", Keith said from across the table. Jesse only shook his head while Canaan smiled.
"Why did you get that?", Justin asked again. "I thought you were all for veggies and staying healthy". I smiled and replied, "I'm all for staying healthy, but I've had a terrible craving for a while now which is why I decided burger, chips and ketchup is the direction I'm heading towards today". "Which is not bad at all", Nat said joining us, and just like that the table was complete.
We ate and made small talk, while Justin tried unsuccessfully to get a rise out of Nat, which came as a surprise to me because I knew she was itching to give him a twisted reply. Xander for the most part seemed distracted, but that didn't stop me from thanking him again.
I think it was a few minutes to the end of our lunch, when we all raised our heads in unison to the entrance of the cafeteria as if sensing her at the same time. Nixa.
She walked straight to our table and before she could get to us, Xander stood up, as if in a well-practiced motion exchanged seats with Nat, placing him right beside me on the right with Justin still to my left. His body wasn't touching mine but I could swear I felt static like electricity brimming off him.
She got to our table and looked straight at me, "I can see you are feeling a lot better dear child", she said quietly, almost too quietly as if she knew my hearing was very good in certain situations. Or at the very least she knew what her spell would do to me and what I would become, but that didn't make any sense at all.
"What do you want?", Xander asked in the same quiet manner but I could tell she heard him by the look on her face. 'What is going on', I asked in my head. "The truth is unravelling little by little before your very eyes", the voice in my head replied. "You should wait and watch closely, maybe finally you'll see what you're missing".
"I'm not here for you", she said to Xander before turning to me again. Oh God why me, I thought. "Can I have your right hand dear child", she asked stretching out her hand to receive mine, as if I'd be that stupid the second time.
Before Xander could say anything I stood up, "first off I don't know you, okay and I don't see why I'll be willing to put my hand in yours. What are we, friends? No", I said already starting to feel the anger and frustration I had bottled down come back to the surface. Every single thing I had felt since she messed with me I was ready to return to her.
"My name is Asha and don't you ever call me child again. Then I don't know what makes you think it's okay to spell someone and turn their lives upside down and then you're here to do what, come and check how well you've succeeded in your fucked up plans", I asked heatedly. I was ready to walk up to her and really get to it, when Xander interrupted my tirade.
"You can keep your hand to yourself Nixa", he said rising to his feet. "I didn't get the chance to say this the last time, but now's a good time as any. Stay away from my family and friends or I'll make your betrayal feel like a fresh wound till you're hunted down and killed".
At that she smiled, looked at me and said, "Now's not a good time I can see. Then I guess we'll meet in due time, with that said I have to take my leave". She turned to walk away only to halt and turn back, in my mind I was wondering what the hell she forgot to do to me this time.
"You are almost out of time, recognize and see the truth for yourself before it's too late", she said to no one in particular. 'What language was that anyway?', I asked myself. She sure did love to speak jargon.
Xander looked exhausted by the time she left the cafeteria. He barely had time to catch his breath before the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. We all packed up our lunch trays and disposed of them as we walked out of the cafeteria. I said my byes and proceeded to walk to my next class with Xander in tow. He had offered to walk with me, and I had agreed.
We walked together quietly until he said, "here, your next class is applied Chem. right?". "Yes it is", I replied. "Alright then", he said turning to leave when I impulsively grabbed his wrist to stay him and all of a sudden electricity flickered to life from the contact and I saw Xander turn to me with his grey eyes turning black pretty fast as he said the words that would forever change my life "Mate".