Janie skips into the room and sits beside me, and greets Imogen.
'I didn't know Xander had powers like you two until he used them in the restroom yesterday. Is Xander some kind of a wizard?' Imogen asks us.
Janie giggles, 'We didn't know either until yesterday. We were just as surprised as you were, but no, he isn't a wizard. Xander’s a warlock,' Janie tells her.
'That's so cool. A witch and a warlock dating. Does that mean you will have magical babies one day?' Imogen asks.
Janie blushes heavily at the thought of babies. 'I think that's still a fair way off into the future, but I guess since my Grammy was a witch, it passes down each generation and the same with Xander, so I guess we would have baby witches and warlocks running around one day,' she smiles.
'Oh, you have to let me babysit! It would be so much fun!' Imogen beams.
'Shh!' I say, hushing her as everyone turns their attention to us.
'Sorry, I didn't mean to be so loud,' she says in a hushed tone.
'It's okay, just be careful what you say. We don't want other students to know what we are. We're lucky as it is that the teachers didn't take Martha, Sandra and Tori seriously yesterday when they tried to expose what we are,' I say to her.
Janie and Imogen nod at one another as the teacher enters the room, with Martha, Tori and Sandra following behind. They freeze and stiffen as they see us. I raise a hand and smile as I wave at them. They frown and scurry together to the seats furthest away from us.
'I think they're scared of us,' Janie whispers.
'I think so too,' I reply.
'And so they should be,' Imogen chimes in. 'After all, they probably know Janie can turn them into a bunch of chickens, and Rose will happily devour them like the wolf she is,' Imogen giggles.
We laugh at the thought and then focus on our studies.
I'm itching to see Brad and can't stop staring at the clock, but every time I do, it feels like time is taunting me, and I swear the hand even moves backwards instead of forwards a couple of times. Finally, the bell goes. We bolt out of the room, throw our books in our lockers and run to the cafeteria. Xander has ensured he's got enough lunch to feed Janie and himself. She sits on his lap, and he brings the sandwich to her mouth to take a bite.
'Awe, look at them,' Imogen says, elbowing me. 'Aren’t they just so sweet?' she coos.
'Sickly sweet to my stomach,' I reply, pointing at my belly.
'Oh, it's okay, Rose. Brad's coming your way as we speak,' she smiles. I look over my shoulder to see Brad knocking his shoulder against the odd guy in the crowd to get through.
As Brad stands before me, he grabs my chin, tilts me back onto the table, and devours my mouth with his.
I laugh nervously, pushing him away. 'I'm starving,' I say to him, trying to find an excuse to get away.
My face feels hot, I know I'm blushing, and my insides feel as though they’re heating up. Embarrassed, I turn around and march to the cafeteria line, take a tray and fill it with food.
Brad chuckles in the line beside me, ‘You’re so much fun to tease,’ he smirks.
We sit opposite Xander and Janie, and Imogen sits at the end. I realise it’s so quiet, and no one is talking. I look up from my tray to see the tension between Xander and Brad lingering.
Janie stares at me, indicating I should say something.
‘Um, Nice day, isn’t it?’ I say, breaking the silence.
Janie sighs at my pathetic attempt to cool things over.
‘Would be more pleasant with less company,’ Xander mumbles.
‘I agree,’ Brad says, glaring at him, and tears a bite out of his bread roll.
‘Well, I can see you two men are getting closer by the minute,’ I say sarcastically.
‘Is it that obvious,’ Brad replies jokingly.
I stand up from my seat, ‘How about we eat outside? I could do with some fresh air,’ I say to Brad.
‘Are you okay, Rose?’ Imogen asks.
‘Yep, I’m fine, just feeling hot and flustered.’
After finishing our lunches, Brad and I roll around and play fight under a large tree. He pulls me onto his lap, wraps my legs around his waist, and kisses me.
Being in this position is not helping the heat I’m feeling. If anything, it’s making me feel more flustered. I subconsciously kiss Brad’s neck towards his ear.
‘Rose, this is more like it,’ he smiles.
As I suddenly realise what I’m doing, I push my hands against his chest to get away. I fall back onto the grass and sit up, facing him.
‘I am so sorry. I don’t know what got into me,’ I tell him apologetically.
‘Oh, don’t be sorry, Rose. I wish I got to see this side of you more often,’ he winks.
‘Honestly, it’s a side of me that I don’t ever see,’ I confess to him, feeling confused.
‘I’m sure it’s a side we will both get used to,’ he replies.
The bell thankfully rings. ‘I’ll see you later,’ I wave and hurry to class.
‘I don’t know what got into me. My entire body felt like it was heating up. I was seductively kissing Brad along his neck, and I didn’t even realise it, and I mean, I was devouring him,’ I say to Janie and Imogen.
‘Sounds like someone’s frisky,’ Imogen grins and wiggles her eyebrows.
I snort, ‘No way. I’m not ready for that yet. Just because my body wants one thing doesn’t mean my mind and heart want it too. Of course, I want to take the next step at some point, but I’d like to wait a little longer, you know, and you forget I have a tail and ears. I can’t let him see, so until Janie figures out how to make me human again. I can’t take that next step, and I also want to make sure I want to take the next step with Brad, to give myself to him fully. Our bodies are temples. We shouldn’t just allow any guy to wham, bam, thank you, ma’am us. Even if we don’t last, I don’t want to regret sleeping with him.’
‘True,’ Janie replies. ‘Xander and I have come close to taking the next step a few times and have spoken about it. He said he’s happy to wait a hundred years if he has to. But I think I’m ready to take that step much sooner,’ she smiles and shies away.
‘Oh, you lucky ducks, and here I am still single,’ Imogen laughs.
‘You’ll meet someone, I’m sure of it,’ I say, smiling at her.
‘I know. I’m just a little impatient, but I’m sure he’ll be worth the wait,’ Imogen says. ‘Do you want to go to the tree house later?’ she adds.
‘Oh, I’ll be spending the afternoon with Brad because I probably won’t see him over the weekend. I’ll be staying with Janie at her Grammy’s house,’ I tell her.
‘Imogen, you should come too?’ Janie offers.
‘I’m going to Neilson’s party Friday night, but I’m free Saturday night,’ she says.
‘Okay, Saturday is fine,’ Janie replies.