Liam was dancing around like a boxer. Lucas just shook his head.
“I’m not going to fight you, because I don’t have to. Eva is mine.”
She didn’t like the way he said that. She wasn’t his property. “I’m nobody’s,” she announced, giving him a stern look.
Liam stood still and relaxed his fists. “Ooh, I know what that is. Time to skedaddle,” he told Finn.
Finn gave her a shy smile, and then followed Liam into the cafeteria. Everyone had left. Only she and Lucas were in the Commons Area.
Lucas frowned. “I’m sorry, Eva. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Well, what did you mean?!” she snapped, not ready to forgive him.
He took off black his cap, ran his fingers through his blond locks, and then adjusted his cap back on. “I just…I meant to say that he didn’t stand a chance in hell—that we were together. I didn’t tell anyone about us…about the connection between us.”
“You mean how you can enter my mind?”
He nodded and gently brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. “I know we were meant to be together. What else does it mean when a Leprechaun can enter a Banshee’s mind and prevent her sorrow? We were meant to find each other, Eva. We’re made for each other.”
She melted at his sweet words and forgave him, throwing her arms around his neck. He nudged her nose affectionately with his, and then kissed her sweetly on her lips.
“I never want to be without you,” he said softly.
It was the closest statement to “I love you” she could’ve received. But she couldn’t return his fervor.
“I need you too,” she said.
It wasn’t meant as a statement of love, but only of the connection he spoke of—the way he could enter her mind, and ease her sorrow. Despite Lucas’ warm arms around her, she kept thinking about Devin, and how he looked at her, and then ran away. It drove her crazy—this mysterious passion, this love—as if they were supposed to be together.
Lucas gave her another kiss. “Let’s get some breakfast. I’m starving.”
She let him hold her hand as they entered the cafeteria. When they stood in line with their trays, she looked over and saw Devin bolt out, with his breakfast in a brown paper bag, and a cup of coffee in his hand. Bree stood just a few feet away, with her hands on her hips, frustrated.
“I wish we were in the same classes,” Lucas said, distracting Eva. He dumped a pile of scrambled eggs onto his tray. “Hey, maybe I can ask the headmaster to fail me,” he continued cheerfully, placing the serving spoon back.
Eva shook her head. She didn’t want that, but she wouldn’t mind if Devin failed. “Don’t do that.”
His face fell, saddened.
“Don’t repeat a grade on my account,” she added quickly. “Besides, it’s just for a little while. We can see each other after class and on the weekends.”
Kiss after class and on the weekends was more like it. That necessarily wasn’t a bad thing, but she knew Devin would be on her mind the entire time.
He smiled. “Yeah, you’re right. We have a whole year.” He went further down the food line, took a set of tongs, picked up a pile of bacon, and settled it on top of his eggs. “You know, after I graduate,” he said, placing the tongs back, “I’m going to stay on here.”
Uh-oh.
“Going to be Colin’s apprentice?” she joked in a desperate attempt to calm her nerves.
He let out a small laugh. “Yeah, don’t think so.” He poured some orange juice in a black mug. “Some of the professors need assistants, or I could travel like the headmaster does—find and recruit students to the academy.”
“That sounds good.”
She liked the idea that he wanted to help, but not to just hang around to be with her. If Lucas would truly leave after this year, then she could get to know Devin better next year. That’s if he didn’t run away every time she entered a room.
“Really?” he asked, smiling. “You’d like me to stay?”
“Uh…ooh, eggs,” she said excitedly, dumping some on her tray, trying to stall from answering, because she didn’t know what to say. Next, she went down the line, and got a few strips of bacon, a buttermilk biscuit, and coffee. Compared to the food at the psychiatric hospital, it was like she had been invited to a king’s feast. Finally, she said, “Whatever you want to do. I don’t want to pressure you.”
He didn’t seem to question her hesitation, and gave her a passionate kiss that elicited a lot of “Oohs” from the breakfast crowd.
A guy nearby joked, “Too early in the morning for that!”
Eva got embarrassed, and hung her head, staring at her eggs.
Lucas gave a wide grin. “Never too early for a sweet kiss!”
“Awws” filled the room. That was mostly the girls.
Eva just wanted to flee like Devin did. Instead she held her head down, and only peeked up in time to not slam her body against a table. She looked up and saw Corrine and Meg sitting with Liam and Finn. Her four most favorite people in the world—the ones who made her laugh, didn’t try to kiss her (except maybe Liam) and didn’t flee every time she approached. Now she loved Lucas’ kisses, but she couldn’t get aloof, rocker boy Devin out of her head.
Meg patted an empty seat next to her. “Sit here.”
Eva did and Lucas sat next to her. She noticed that Finn was smiling shyly, staring at Meg but she was oblivious, eating pancakes dripping with butter and syrup.
Liam bit off a piece of buttery toast. “So what does it take to get a kiss from the new girl?” he asked in a muffled voice, food in his mouth.
“A connection,” Lucas answered, smiling.
“Cryptic-much?” Meg remarked, raising an eyebrow.
Eva just shrugged and dug into her breakfast. No one asked her or Lucas anymore questions, and soon everyone was filled up, ready for class.
Lucas held Eva in a tight embrace. “See you in four hours.” He kissed her lips, soft and sweet.
“Unless I need you before then.” She hoped that she didn’t have a vision on her first day of classes, but needed to know he’d be there for her.
He kissed her again. “Always.”
“All right, that’s enough you two,” Liam said, gently pulling Eva from Lucas. Eva and I have to get to class,” he continued, smirking.
Lucas pointed a threatening finger at him, but smiled. “If I hear your Texan breath has been panting in Eva’s ear, I’m going to knock that red right off your head.”
“Ugh! Too much testosterone!” Meg pulled Eva from the boys. “We have a class to get to. Hello?”
Eva was so grateful to Meg in that moment. She didn’t want to be fought over.
The girls left the cafeteria, and headed to the first classroom on the bottom floor. Like the rest of the mansion, her Geometry classroom was old-fashioned with a woodsy décor, but it was also decorated with colorful and modern academic posters of math concepts. Seats weren’t assigned, so Eva sat near Meg and Corrine in the only available desks up front. Soon, Liam and Finn joined them, with Liam sitting behind Eva, and Finn sitting behind Meg. Everyone wore their uniforms, immaculate in the morning, and some took off their caps, and some held them on. Eva felt hot under hers, so she took it off, and placed it in her satchel.
“Ooh,” Liam breathed on her ear from behind.
Eva smelled a mixture of tobacco and bacon. She turned around to him, smiling. “You’re just asking for trouble, aren’t you?”
He smirked, throwing his hands out. “I’m a Leprechaun. That’s what we’re all about.”
“But you can be different. Hasn’t Lucas changed?”
When he hesitated, she panicked, wondering if Lucas’ deception was about to be revealed, but then he said, “Hell, yes! You should’ve heard him last night!” He turned to Finn. “Tell Eva what he said last night.”
Finn opened his mouth to speak, but then fell silent, as Meg suddenly turned in her seat, facing him, wanting to know too. Corrine was slyly looking as
well. He turned his attention to Eva and seemed to regain his composure. “Well, he uh…couldn’t stop talking about you. It was driving Devin crazy.”
Oh?!
“But what’d he say?” Meg prodded Finn, continuing her stare down.
Finn broke under the pressure, and started transforming into a black fog.
“Hey, buddy!” Liam snapped his fingers. “Come back to us, buddy!”
After a few seconds, Finn finally returned, but looked away from everyone, silent. Suddenly, Eva made a connection. She believed that Finn liked Meg, and when the redhead confronted him, he got nervous, and almost completely vanished. Devin did the same thing. He seemed to panic when she was near, and once, he disappeared, and twice, he ran from her. Did that mean…
Does Devin like her?
Liam slapped his hand over Eva’s, holding it, tearing her away from delicious thoughts. “Yeah, well, Lucas was sayin’ how you’re so beautiful and such a great kisser and how he loves it when he holds ya…all this mushy romance stuff. Not that me and Finn didn’t wanna hear more about the kissin’, but Devin was about to lose it! Right before we were to start playin’ again, he just bolted, with his guitar slung across his chest.” Liam quickly slid his hand across hers to demonstrate Devin’s speedy exit.
“He just vanished?” Eva asked.
“Nah, ran like his ass was on fire,” Liam clarified, and then he shook his head. “Somethin’s been buggin’ that guy ever since…”—he gave Eva a hard stare—“well, ever since you arrived.”
Eva panicked, not knowing how to defend herself, but was saved by the appearance of her math professor. He was tall, mid-forties, with brown hair gelled back from his face. He was wearing a black suit with an emerald tie, and handsome just like many of the Leprechauns at the school.
Must be something in the blood.
Of course, all the Banshees were pretty too, but she wouldn’t really count herself as extraordinary. That was Bree. But Lucas had told his friends that Eva was beautiful. Which was nice, but she was more intrigued by the fact that Devin freaked out. She couldn’t help thinking that Devin actually liked her…or maybe he didn’t. Maybe she just misread Finn’s reaction to Meg. Maybe Devin was being weird for some other reason. Maybe he was mad because he wanted to rock out and Lucas wanted to chit-chat.
It was all so confusing. She just wanted to concentrate for the next two hours on math, but it was her least favorite subject, so that was doubtful.
Professor Aidan O’Connor introduced himself and seemed very nice. But he embarrassed Eva when he pointed out that she was the only new student.
“New girl!” Liam shouted, applauding. Some clapped along with him, obviously aware of Liam’s status as class clown.
“All right, settle down,” Professor O’Connor said, giving Eva a shy smile. “Let’s get to work.”
Eva was grateful to turn the attention away from her, but was overwhelmed by the lecture. When the two hours were up, and her hands were tired from coping down notes and numbers, the bell—old-looking and loud—finally rang.
“No homework for tonight, but expect some tomorrow,” said the professor.
Everyone groaned.
Professor O’Connor ignored them, looking at Eva. “Could we talk for a minute?”
“Okay,” she said softly, thinking she was in trouble.
Meg and Corrine didn’t seem concerned, waved to her, and left. Liam shot his lips at her in a kissing motion, and Finn just lazily waved, while allowing Meg to leave out before him—a very gentlemanly thing to do. Eva couldn’t shake that something was going on. Or she just wanted to believe that, constantly thinking about Devin, and his mysterious actions.
“Eva,” began the professor after all the students had left, “I know about your situation. The headmaster told me.”
She panicked. “He did?”
He nodded. “It’s okay. I know you probably don’t want the others to know, but believe me, over the years, many like you, Banshees, have been sent…away. Don’t be ashamed of it.”
“I just don’t want anyone to find out,” she said.
He threw his hands up. “Hey, I understand. No problem. But since I know where you’ve been, I also know that most of this lecture today”—he waved at all the white marks on the blackboard—“was a lot to take in.”
She smiled. “It was.”
He nodded. “Thought so. That’s why I want you to know that you can always come by after your therapy sessions if you need extra help, and I’m sure the other students would be more than willing to help you out too.”
More work after school?
“Okay, that’s good to know, and I’ll definitely come back if I need the help. Thanks, professor.”
She really didn’t want any remedial help unless it was absolutely necessary. She was never great with math, but it wasn’t that hard, and she was sure if she spent a lot of nights in her room, pouring over her books, she would catch up.
“Good. Now hurry along. Professor O’Keefe should be expecting you.”
She nodded and rushed out to her Biology class in the next room over, where everyone had already taken their seats. Her friends were in the back of the room, and Corrine sat next to an empty desk, waving her over.
Meg was seated in front of Eva. Finn sat across from Meg, looking a bit nervous, with Liam in front of him. Liam turned in his seat and blew a kiss to Eva. She smiled, catching it, and then threw it over her shoulder. Liam scrunched his face, as if he was going to cry, but then he smiled, wagging his finger at her. Finn smacked him on the back of the head, and then Liam punched him in the arm.
Corrine leaned over. “Leprechauns,” she said with disapproval.
Eva took the opportunity, and whispered, “Hey, do you still like Finn?”
Corrine’s eyes widened. “Well, not like that…anymore. Why?”
Eva lowered her voice even more. “I think he likes Meg.”
Meg turned in her seat, and said loudly, “You think Finn likes me?”
Eva dropped her head, embarrassed. When she looked up, the whole class was staring in her direction. She chanced looking at Finn. His face was beet red, and his eyes were wide with panic, so unsurprisingly, he vanished.
“Ah, hell! Not again! Finn, man! Come on back!” Liam shouted.
“What’s going on?” asked a voice near the door.
Eva turned around and saw a tall woman, mid-thirties and pretty, with auburn hair that fell to her shoulders. She was wearing black heels, a black pencil skirt, and a green blouse. The woman looked confused, standing in front of a poster of a DNA sequence, colorful and twisted.
“Nothin’. Just tryin’ to get ol’ Finn to come back to us,” Liam answered.
They waited and waited, but he didn’t show up.
The professor approached Eva. “Hi, I’m Mary O’Keefe. I’m glad you could come here. If you need any help catching up, just let me know, okay?”
“Thanks for your help. I’m glad to be here.”
The professor continued, “Class doesn’t usually start out like this.” She nodded to Finn’s empty chair. “Of course, there’s the occasional Banshee mourning, and a Leprechaun vanishing when he has to give a report, but that’s just to be expected.”
Eva just nodded and watched as Professor O’Keefe went to the front of the classroom. “Well, while we’re waiting for Mr. O’Sullivan to return, let’s take out our books,” she instructed.
They all did, opening it to the page the professor indicated on the board, but Eva was thinking about poor Finn. Both Meg and Corrine leaned to her.
“What was that about?” Corrine whispered.
“What’s going on?” Meg asked a little louder.
Eva just shrugged, and said to Meg, “Sorry, but I had the suspicion that Finn liked you.”
“Based on what?”
“Well, he was staring at you during breakfast, and when you looked directly at him in math class, he got nervous and almost disappeared, and now...” She nodded to h
is empty desk.
“And that means he likes her?” Corrine asked. “He never disappeared with me.” Her face fell from the revelation.
Eva shook her head. “No, no, that’s not…don’t mind me. I don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m new here, remember? I don’t know all about Banshees and Leprechauns. Ignore me, okay?” she pleaded.
She waited for their replies, hoping that she didn’t ruin their lives. Thankfully, Meg smiled, and Corrine nodded.
“Don’t worry,” Corrine said.
“Yeah, it’s over and done with,” Meg said.
Eva relaxed. After an hour and a half, Finn finally reappeared, but his sudden arrival didn’t cause any reaction, as a Banshee from across the room started to wail. The few girls nearby went to console the girl, and even Professor O’Keefe got down on her knees, laying a hand on the young girl’s head.
Eva scanned the guys. Most of them were looking away, silent. They didn’t want to witness the sobbing, which went on for the rest of the class, with the professor refusing to leave her side. When the dismissal bell sounded, the girl was consoled, and everyone got ready to leave, writing down their homework assignment.
Eva quickly pulled Finn aside, out of the classroom, and away from everyone, to the Commons Area.
“I’m so sorry,” she apologized, clutching onto his arm. “I feel so bad for what I said. I thought you liked Meg and—”
“I do,” he admitted in a low voice, “but don’t tell her. Don’t tell anyone.”
She was right. “Why not? What if she feels the same way?”
“Does she?” he asked with a hopeful smile.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I could ask her.”
He shook his head. “No, don’t. Just leave it alone.”
“Why?”
“If she didn’t like me back, I couldn’t take it. I get so nervous around her. I’ve been able to control my panic attacks, but earlier it was too much, and I vanished. I can’t help it. Don’t say anything. Especially since her and Corrine are friends.”
“Did you like Meg last year? Is that why you broke up with Corrine?”
He shook his head. “No, not really. I knew it wasn’t working out with Corrine, but I didn’t know why. And then…I don’t know what happened.” He smiled. “When I came back to school this year, I saw Meg, and I just knew.”
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