Authors: Fabio Bueno
Aha! That’s the link between college and our previous su
bject. I guess that’s his guilt
talking, but I don’t ask him about it. Instead, I say,
“But what are you going to do?”
“I guess I’ll just backpack across Europe.”
“Really?
”
I did
it.
Kind of.
I used
taxis, trains, airplanes, and four
-star hotels. Since it doesn’t count as a backpacking experience, I don’t mention it. “
Do you like Europe?”
“Not really. It just sounds like something a slacker like me would do.” He shrugs.
“
You’re not a slacker. Priscilla told me you do well in school. That
you’re even doing
pre
-
calc
. Can’t you get cash for college?
”
“I can always s
ell my body to some rich horny E
uro women.”
His voice is mischievous.
“Like me?
Is that what you’re saying
, you naughty boy
?”
“Maybe.
” He tries to
rotate his body to face
me, but I
don’t let him
.
“If that’s what you want
, let me check the goods,” I say. Since I’m still embracing him from behind, my hands go under his shirt, caressing his chest, his abs
. He doesn’t complain. “Yeah, I think we can make a deal.”
He chuckles.
“
W
hy is it
sell
my body? Shouldn’t it be
lease
my body?”
“That’s beyond my area of expertise.”
Even with my playful excuse gone, I continue to explore his upper body with my hands.
He chuckles softly. “Are you trying to seduce me, Miss Skye?”
I
grin
, but I don’t answer him.
It’s insane being around him. Every glance, every touch, every thought
feels
like foreplay.
I think about
our
future.
I think
I may be
over my bad experiences with
Connor
. T
alking to Priscilla helped me.
Apparently,
all I needed was some
s
ympathy.
With
Drake,
I’d be starting over, in a different relationship. A different
kind
of relationship. Drake and I are equals. I trust
him
.
That makes all the difference.
With Connor, I wanted the experience. With Drake, I want Drake.
I
plant
a
gentle
kiss on the
nape
of his neck.
H
e’s
dreamy
.
Delicious.
Without realizing it, I blurt it out.
“You’re d
reamy
-
licious
…
”
He doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, probably confused by my assertion.
“Even my girlfriend is calling me names now…”
To my surprise, I don’t flinch after he utters the GF word.
So
metimes I feel like Skye does ever
ything
she can
to drive me crazy. I
n many
,
many ways.
Her hands are all over me, making my blood boil—the good kind of boiling.
She
coaxed
a confession
out of me about my past I have never discussed with anyone.
She inspired me to reconnect with my little sister.
O
h
, yeah—and the witchcraft stuff.
After I call her my girlfriend, I expect a reaction of some kind. Her body
stiffening
, her hands leaving me, some sign. But nothing changes.
I have no idea why it’s so important
to
me to label our relationship. Maybe I
’m afraid she’ll leave me again.
I don’t know. But at least we don’t have to talk about it and try to define what our “thing” is anymore.
We just
are
. And that’s good enough for me.
My mind wanders. I come back to this morning.
“Why did you go after
Brianna
?” I ask.
“After I sensed Jane’s presence—”
“As one does
…”
I
cut
her
off.
“Hey! After I sensed Jane, I
had an idea.
I had to touch
Brianna
to make sure she’s not the Singularity,” she says. “I think that if I touch her I can feel her hidden magical energy.”
“But didn’t she touch you when she trapped you in the locker room?”
“I was distressed at the time; if she was leaving just traces of energy,
it would
be hard to sense it.
I mean, my face was burning. I’m not sure I’d notice the tingling sensation of another Sister nearby.
”
I nod, as if it makes
perfect
sense.
I still can’t believe that I believe it. “Do some more magic,” I say. “Som
ething that I can see. It doesn’t need to be anything amazing, just something
that will
show me neither of us is crazy
.”
I feel her chest heaving behind me, probably a deep sigh. “
Let me
think of something,” she says.
***
The
next day we are at the school lot, and I hav
e a decision to make. We arrive
early, after
our morning spell/lay-on hands/
tease session.
T
he
warm mug
Skye has just handed me
looks suspicious
.
“What is that?” I ask.
“You wanted pro
of
that
I’m a witch,” Skye answers.
“Is this poison?” The concoction
is
purplish and smelly. “What did you put in there?”
“You don’t want to know.” But she sees my face,
sighs, and adds, “Okay. Among
other things, beets,
bug juice, some roots I’m not—”
“Wait! ‘Bug juice’?” I don’t think she’s kidding.
She chuckles.
“
It’s just a
different kind of
smoothie.
Ju
s
t drink the damn thing.” She pushes the mug towards my mouth, but I resist.
I take a step back. “You still didn’t answer me. What is it?” I
un
screw the lid
.
I want to take small sips. Just in case.
“It’s a truth potion,” s
he says, looking away.
I only raise my eyebrows until she looks at me again.
She extends her hand.
“
If you don’t believe me, l
et me take a sip and ask me again.”
“
Ha-ha
,” I say. “No, seriously, what is it?”
Boulder comes out of nowhere. “Hey, Romeo,” he greets me. He nods toward Skye. “Ms. Romeo.”
She roll
s
her eyes.
He turns to me. “Tickets arrived, D-Man. You owe me sixty bucks.”
Tickets? “What—”
“Hey, I ne
ed some coffee.” H
e takes the mug from my hands.
“No!” Skye and I plead at the same time.
Boulder looks at us suspi
ciously and grins. “What?” He raises the mug above his head
.
M
y girlfriend
and I
jump
like small children trying to reach it.
“Don’t drink it,” I say.
Boulder
wags his finger at us
. “It’s spiked! Is that it? You little devils.” He lowers the mug and
takes
a deep breath. “It smells nasty!
It’s not coff
ee. What is it? Energy drink?
Blueberry juice?
Açai
? I love
a
ç
ai
.
”
I
try
to wrestle the mug
away from
him, but Skye lowers my arm. She shakes her head, sporting a
n
impish
smile.
He looks at both of us, shrugs
,
and takes a deep gulp from the potion. “That’s the stuff,” he says before downing the rest of the contents. We can almost see the flow of liquid inside his massive neck.
“Any time now,” Skye murmurs to me.
Boulder wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “
That’s
how we should start the day.”
Skye nods. She’s so confident
,
I don’t doubt her anymore.
“You two look particularly hot today,” Boulder says.
I raise my eyebrows. Skye gives me a furtive look. “Really, Boulder?
”
s
he says.
“
So you think Drake’s hot?”
“Sure he is
,” he says with a tone that implies that Skye is crazy for
dou
b
ting my hotness.
I cringe.
But Boulder is on a roll.
“I try to surround myself with handsome men. Not that I’m into guys
, but half the fun of being in the gym is checking out each other’s bodies, isn’t it?
Comparing.
And it’s nice to be around beautiful people. Like you, Skye. And The Predator. Where is she?” His eyes scan the lot. “Oh, she’s not around.”
“Do you like Priscilla, Boulder?” I ask.
“I love her, D-Man. She rocked my world. She caught me right after the football ban, and she was there for me.” He nods to himself, absorbed in deep thought, and I see
his
teary eyes. “
I don’t know what I’m going to do without a scholarship. It keeps me awake at night.”
He shakes his head. I’m afraid to say anything.
“
I
was hoping she would stay with me
;
that
she
’d make thing
s
easier. I
thought my big stick would be enough to keep her around, but she told me she isn’t a one-man girl.”
Skye mouths to me
,
“big stick?” I nod. Boulder is anything but modest. She giggles.
Her giggle catches his attention. “And you,
sweetheart
, don’t you dare
go
breaking D-Man’s heart.”
“What makes you think I’m going to walk out on him?”
“Historical evidence,” Boulder says.
He points to her. “Remember—”
“A reckoning,
I know,
” Skye says.
Huh?
Boulder
nods
and hands me the mug back. “Catch you lovebirds later,” he says and walks away slowly, his shoulders hunch
ed. A never-before-
seen posture on him.
“Is he going to be okay?” I ask Skye.
“It should wear off in a
few
minutes. I made it mild.”
She looks amused.
“So, this potion causes depression or what?”
“Most truths are unpleasant, Drake,” she says.
I stare at her. “Is that what you were trying to do to me? What were you going to ask me?”
She grins. “Nothing too persona
l. But don’t be mad. Cheer up. Y
our best friend thinks you’re hot!”
She has a way of making me believe th
at things can’t get any weirder. A
nd
of
shattering that belief
moments later
.
“That’s beyond
disturbing,” I say. Now this
thought
will
never leave my mind.
“He’s not
the only one
, you know,” she says, resting her hands on my sides and pulling me to her.
I can’t stay mad for long.