Becoming

by Dakota Brown

  It turned out that either Alex or the husky eyed guy were in all of my classes. Victoria shared three, and Ed or Allan were in all but Doc's class. It wasn't surprising, considering how small the college was. It sounded like the first year, if someone didn't take one of the core classes in the first semester, they were in it the second. It was nice to already know people if nothing else.

  Chapter 5

  Sofia

  "But I want to come," Victoria grumbled into her phone as I walked into our dorm room. She paused for a few moments. "Yeah, I know. Next time maybe. See ya soon, Mom. Love you."

  "What's up?" I asked when she hung up the phone. I didn't think she'd mind the question, especially since she was still trying to manage my hot boys contact list.

  "There's a demonstration in the Springs this weekend. My parents are going. They want me to concentrate on classes for now." She put her phone on her desk and pushed her rolling chair back, spinning to face me.

  "Oh. What are they demonstrating?" I put my backpack on my desk and pulled my rolling office chair back to her side of the room so we could talk.

  "There's a case down there where a teacher got exposed as a werepuma. She lost her job right after for some other BS reason. The foundation we work with got wind of it, and decided it was a good issue to focus on for a little while. It must be so tough to have to hide what you are all the time." Victoria sighed. "I'm glad many of the battles for black rights were fought before I was born, so I can fight for someone else's rights. I mean, we're not there yet with anyone's rights, but we're a lot closer than the supernaturals."

  "Yeah." I didn't know what else to say. "Maybe they should have stayed underground."

  Victoria snorted. "Easier isn't always better. The magical community went into hiding during the Renaissance. I read somewhere that many who were interviewed several years ago were relieved that, even though it was harder in some ways, not having to completely deny their own existence was nice."

  "Right, but now they can be persecuted again." They...we...did I even consider myself part of that community? Would anyone else if they found out? I hoped I never knew the answer to that.

  "That's what we're trying to fix. The exploitation when it first came out was terrible. I'm sure you heard some of the stories."

  "Yes, they were treated worse than circus animals, and forced to work for nothing in fear of their lives. You're right, at least the wide-scale exploitation from the big corporations was curtailed." I had to agree with her there.

  Sometime in the early 2000's, someone who knew about the magical community had figured out they could profit from them and forced them into labor by threatening exposure. Other corporations had caught on and done the same.

  Finally, a few members of the community couldn't take it anymore and outed themselves in an attempt to save lives.

  It had worked, except no one knew how to regulate the industry, so the government had made it completely illegal to use magic in industry. They also adopted a rather harsh 'don't ask, don't tell' policy in regards to knowing if someone was other than human or not.

  "The first thing we need to do is get the different types of supernatural people added as protected classes. Then we need to work on shifting the laws so that they can be out in public as who they are, if they so desire. It will take a while. We've already made progress in the last few years."

  "That would be nice," I mused. "Protections from exploitation and discrimination."

  Victoria grinned at me, as if I were a prized student. "Exactly. Okay, enough heavy stuff. How's your homework load?"

  "Not bad. I've stayed on top of it all week, and I think I'm caught up."

  "So, a free weekend then?" She grinned.

  "Um, yeah. I guess so." I wondered what she had in mind. She wasn't a partier that I could tell, however she did like to go out and do things. So did I, once I knew what there was to do.

  "Well, your boyfriends promised to take us hiking. Maybe we can hit them up."

  I raised my eyebrows. "My boyfriends?"

  "Ed, Allan." She winked. "Doc."

  "O-M-G he's my teacher." My cheeks heated.

  "Or we could see what Alex is up to?" She relented just slightly.

  "Are you determined to hook me up with someone?"

  "Actually, they're just all really nice, and it's good to have some friends, but I can give you crap, can't I?"

  I shook my head and sighed. "I guess."

  "Great. I'll see about hiking tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be great, and then maybe we can meet up with Alex on Sunday." She rolled back to her desk and grabbed her phone.

  Defeated, I just shrugged. If she wanted to plan my social life, right now, I was completely fine with it.

  "All your boys are fast to reply to texts. Ed replied. They're in for Saturday. He'll meet us at seven after breakfast."

  "Early riser I guess." I groaned a little.

  "Apparently. Though a lot of people tend to hike early. Avoid the afternoon storms. We're not having many right now, but it's a thing."

  "Oh, right. I remember reading about that. Lightning being the big danger." I shuddered.

  "Yes. Oh, and Alex asked if you like to dance."

  "Um. Yeah, I guess. What kind?"

  Victoria shrugged. "Guess we'll find out. He'll meet us Sunday afternoon. He said he would bring a friend so we would both have partners."

  "That's nice of him."

  Victoria glanced at me. "I can stop if you want me to. I just figured we should take advantage of a relatively free weekend, since we won't have many until winter break."

  "Sorry, it's fine."

  She continued to look at me.

  "No, really, I actually appreciate it. I'm just not used to being surrounded by hot guys and actually going out."

  Victoria grinned. "It's only a date if you make it one."

  "Maybe you had better tell them that."

  She laughed. "I'll leave that up to you. So, what do you want to do tonight?"

  "Pizza?"

  "Great. It will be our Friday night tradition."

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  We found Ed and Allan waiting for us when we came down after breakfast the next morning. Allan glanced us over and nodded approvingly of our hiking boots, shorts, and T-shirts. We both wore ballcaps and had backpacks with extra water slung over our backs. At Victoria's insistence, I had taken a few of her protein bars, and we both had jackets.

  Ed and Allan both wore nylon hiking pants, T-shirts, and hats with a brim all the way around.

  "Is Doc coming?" I was under the impression that the three of them did a lot together, so I was surprised not to see him.

  Ed smiled, sky-blue eyes practically glowing with pleasure. "He's our ride. Has our packs, too. He'll be here in a minute."

  I had wondered how we were going to get to the trailhead. I didn't even know where they planned on taking us.

  Allan stared up the road as if watching for something. After a moment, he relaxed. It didn't take long before I heard the grumble of a diesel engine.

  "Big truck." Victoria sounded surprised.

  "Cowboy," Allan replied.

  "I expected a Subaru," Victoria said.

  Ed and Allan laughed.

  The truck hadn't phased me. I had grown up around big vehicles. I actually would have been surprised if Doc had driven up in anything else. Besides, this was a ranch town.

  "Victoria can take shotgun," Allan declared.

  She grinned at me and winked. I blushed and nodded acceptance, when the silver truck stopped in front of us.

  Allan got the door for Victoria, and Ed opened the one nearest me. I grabbed the handhold and hopped in. Victoria struggled for a minute before Allan pointed out the handholds to her.

  "Sorry, might be the first time I've been in a big truck," she grumbled.

  The rest of us laughed.

  "You'll get used to it," Doc replied.

  Ed and Allan slid in on either side of me, and we all buckled up.
r />   "So, where are we headed?" Victoria asked when Doc pulled away from the curb.

  "Lost Lake!" Ed and Allan exclaimed.

  "Are you sure you want to take them there?" Doc glanced back at the guys for a moment before turning back to the road.

  "Why wouldn't we?" Ed asked.

  Doc was quiet for a moment. At the roundabout at the edge of campus, he turned west, and the guys both grinned.

  "There's about five million lost lakes in the Rocky Mountains," Victoria pointed out.

  I could almost see Doc smile, though I sat behind him. "True. I'm not sure what this one is actually called. You really have to know where it is to be able to get there."

  Both of the guys sat like typical boys, knees spread, careless of the room they took up. I supposed most girls would scrunch in on themselves to take up less space. I refused to occupy a smaller area just because I was a girl, so I sat the same. Our knees touched, and I had to put a foot on either side of the center console in front of me, so my feet touched theirs. Neither of the guys acted bothered, and I didn't really care. I had grown up around too many oil field guys to be too shy.

  I watched the scenery as we left the valley and climbed up into the mountains. I started to worry that I wouldn't be able to keep up on the hike, since I still hadn't quite adjusted to the elevation. I had plenty of water, and if I needed to take it easy, I promised myself I wouldn't be shy about saying so.

  "We live off that way," Allan said after about a half an hour.

  I peered at the narrow dirt road he had pointed to. There were no street markers, just a gap in the trees off the paved road we were on.

  "What's down there?" I twisted around, as if by continuing to look at the dirt road as we drove by, I could see its secrets.

  "Besides our cabin? Not much. Doc's got thirty some acres that back up to the National Forest."

  "Wow," Victoria exclaimed. "How'd you get that?"

  "Family land," Doc replied.

  "Ahh, that's the only way to get anything around here these days."

  Doc nodded.

  After another fifteen minutes or so, he pulled off the main road, and the truck bumped down another dirt trail to a small parking lot with a marked trailhead. He waited for a moment before turning the diesel off, and then Allan sprang out and opened the door for Victoria. He helped her down as I slid out after Ed on the other side. He offered me a hand and I took it, because why not?

  When he didn't release my hand once I was on the ground, I wondered how long he would hold it. Maybe he was interested in me.

  As soon as Doc was out of the truck, Ed handed me off to him and moved around to the bed of the truck.

  I widened my eyes in surprise.

  Doc laughed, his nearly obsidian eyes glinting in the light. He squeezed my hand gently and released me. "Just ignore him." Doc put a battered cowboy hat on his head and took the backpack Allan handed him.

  All three of the guys carried heavy packs, but they also looked more than capable of doing so.

  "This isn't a terribly strenuous hike." Doc glanced at me, and I smiled gratefully. "But it's beautiful."

  "Great." Victoria smiled. "Let's go."

  "I'll scout ahead," Allan offered, and headed down the trail at a brisk pace I wouldn't be able to keep up with, even if I were adjusted to the altitude.

  Victoria set out after him. She clearly wasn't trying to keep up, either. I followed, and Doc fell in behind me. The trail here wasn't wide enough to walk next to anyone. Ed trailed behind a bit, but I got the impression he was watching our backs, not annoyed about anything.

  We let Victoria set the pace. She stopped now and again to snap a picture with her phone or catch her breath, though sometimes, I thought she stopped for me.

  "It smells amazing," I marveled after a longer silence while I simply appreciated the beauty of the pine forest and the vibrant blue sky.

  "Yes. Sometimes I forget to notice, since I live up here, but I'm always reminded any time I head down into the front range," Doc replied.

  "It just, I don't know, feels like something that's been missing in my life," I said softly.

  Doc touched my shoulder, squeezing gently, as if he understood. My heart sped up a little. I hadn't realized he was that close behind me.

  "Let me lead for a minute," he said to Victoria. "This is the tricky part."

  "The path seems pretty clear," she sounded confused as she stepped to the side.

  "We're not going on that trail." He stepped off the path and hesitated. "It might actually be best if we held hands for a minute. I know that's a little weird, but trust me it'll be…" He hesitated. "Safer."

  Still looking forward, he held his hand out behind himself.

  I glanced at Victoria, and she nodded for me to go ahead of her, so I slid my hand into Doc's relatively cool grip.

  He glanced back and smiled. I ignored the fluttery feeling that gave me and held my hand for Victoria. She grabbed it, and Doc led us off the trail.

  "What about Ed?" Victoria tugged on my hand.

  "He knows the path as well as I do. He'll catch up soon." We threaded through the trees, and it didn't surprise me that Doc made very little sound as he walked.

  After a moment, it almost looked like the air got darker in front of us. I hesitated. Doc's strong hand kept me moving forward. Something tingled over my skin, starting at my hand, then moving down my arm and through my body as Doc pulled me through what almost felt like a barrier.

  I kept a strong hold of Victoria, though she didn't seem to notice the resistance like I did.

  The atmosphere brightened, and I decided I must have been imagining things as we stepped out onto another path.

  As soon as Victoria stood on the narrow, stone lined trail, Doc let go of my hand.

  Victoria jumped when Ed stepped out of the woods behind us.

  He and Doc shared quiet smiles before Ed fell in behind us once again.

  "Stay on the path," Doc cautioned and led the way.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  For a while we hiked in silence. After a bit, Victoria gasped. "Is that..."

  Doc glanced over where she pointed and nodded.

  "What?" I saw a circle of colorful mushrooms and rocks partially obscured by pine needles.

  "Wow. I probably shouldn't photograph that, should I?"

  "Won't come out in your picture anyway, unless you have special filters, and they prefer if you don't," Ed answered. "Gotta get special permission."

  "Faery circle," Victoria answered when no one else replied to my question.

  I put my hand over my mouth to hide my surprised gasp. "Should we be here?" I recalled the fair folk liked their privacy.

  Doc glanced at me, eyes glinting. "We're invited."

  "That's so cool!" Victoria clasped her hands together. "Will they come out?"

  "Hard to say," Doc replied.

  Ed was uncharacteristically quiet as we walked, and I looked back at him to see if he was okay.

  He smiled brightly, and I guessed he was just happy to be out in the woods.

  I wasn't even sure how long we hiked in the fae part of the woods. Here and there I saw toadstools, ferns, and other plants that I knew didn't normally grow in Colorado, along with the occasional faery circle.

  We kept to the path, and I tried to be as respectful as I could while staring at everything, including occasionally at Doc's backside. It was hard not to, but there were enough other interesting things to look at that I mostly managed to not ogle my teacher.

  Eventually the trees thinned, and then, almost suddenly, we were out in a grassy clearing overlooking the most beautiful lake I had ever seen.

  I took a few steps forward, brushing against someone's arm. I stopped.

  "Wow." The water was perfectly still and reflected the snow tipped mountain peaks in perfect detail. I had never seen a sky so blue or clear, and the water was the same. Somehow, I ended up at the edge and stared down, surprised I could see the bottom. Pebbles covered the bottom and th
e shore.

  "How deep is it?" I whispered.

  "Here, only about ten feet." Doc stepped forward to stand on my right.

  Ed stood on the other side. He grabbed my hand again, but I barely noticed, I was so entranced by the scenic beauty.

  "I swam out to the middle once and tried to dive to the bottom. Even I couldn't make it," Doc said.

  That apparently meant something, but I didn't want to question him.

  "Does anything live in it? It has to be cold."

  "Freezing." Doc laughed. "And yes. Many fish, more of the folk."

  "I'm surprised you would bring us here," Victoria whispered.

  "It's safe enough." Allan came up to us. "You can't get here without an invitation, so even if you told people, they'd never find it. If we didn't trust you, we wouldn't have."

  Victoria and I shared a look, and I suspected the grin on my face was as big as hers.

  "Let's eat." Ed tugged me away from the water's edge.

  I hadn't really felt hungry until Ed mentioned food. Then my stomach grumbled loudly.

  Allan had already thrown a blanket over the soft grasses and was pulling things out of all three packs, until they had something like a feast laid out.

  "Wow," I said.

  "We're growing boys and need a lot of food," Allan explained. "Also, we brought enough for you two, and extra, in case we had visitors."

  "I'll be back." Doc headed down the lakeshore.

  Victoria stared after Doc in surprise. "Is he not hungry?"

  "Probably not," Ed answered. "Let's eat."

  I sat down between Ed and Allan. They passed out sandwiches and cookies wrapped in some sort of reusable fabric. They had more water bottles and topped both mine and Victoria's off without us having to ask.

  I devoured one ham sandwich, and Ed handed me a second before I had even decided I wanted more. We ate in silence. Doc had vanished somewhere, though clearly, he was familiar with the area if he had been in the lake at one point.

  I leaned back on my elbows and stared out over the water, mesmerized by its beauty.

  "It's all yours," Allan said.