In fact, no one had even mentioned his attack today. Had it been squashed with the death of Amy, or hadn't they been told? She understood why they wouldn't tell the students about Perry's attack, after Amy's death it would only have added to the unease on campus.
But four attacks that Jaycen knew about and she had been at all the scenes, sometimes before anyone else. Surely someone should have come to talk to her by now?
"Random question, but where would someone go if you were hurt at the school?"
Gemma stopped walking and turned to her. “I get why you might be scared. You've been here for two days and someone has died, for heaven's sake. But I promise you that it won't always be like this. The school is safe."
It pained Jaycen to let Gemma think that she was scared, but she couldn't tell her the truth. Mainly because she wasn't one hundred percent sure what the truth was.
So instead she looked at the ground, kicking the dirt with her shoe. "Yeah, I know. I just think I'd feel better if I knew where I'd go if something went wrong. I know it sounds silly."
"No, no. It's not silly. Whatever makes you feel better." She pointed to a small building separated from the rest. "You'd go to the nurse's office—they call it a nurse's office but it's more like a mini hospital. The place is huge. Do you see it?”
She nodded. “Oh cool, thank you.” It pained her to lie, so she promised herself that as soon as she could tell Gemma she would.
Jaycen was about to make an excuse and leave when a voice shouting into a megaphone broke through the hum of the school campus.
“Say no to magic mixing!”
"Keep our schools pure. Keep our magic alive!"
Everyone fell silent, listening to the chant before they all turned back to their conversations, ignoring the noise.
"What the hell was that?" Jaycen twisted, searching the grounds, unable to see the source of the noise.
“Stupid people.” Gemma shrugged, an uneasy look passing over her face before she looked away. “I wouldn’t worry about it if I was you.”
She hadn’t been worried about it in the first place, Jaycen thought, just mildly curious at best. But after that, Jaycen’s curiosity was piqued.
"What stupid people? And where are they?" she pressed.
Gemma rolled her lips together, and then said, "It's just protesters. My dad said that they've been outside the Cure for months now. There's a lot of press here today, because of Amy. I guess they want the attention. It's sick."
"The only thing sick around here is you. Your blood is so clear it's almost water. You don't deserve to be in the same space as us true bloods."
The rude guy from Jaycen’s class the day before walked past them, well, more like sauntered. Steven? Steve? She really couldn’t remember, but the two other boys who were with him laughed at his insult. The same insults he had said to her the day before; were they really the only ones he could think of?
Gemma looked sick, her eyes falling to the ground.
"Are you talking to us?" Jaycen was so confused; she still had no idea what the term meant. But Gemma's face had paled, her eyes filling with tears even as she tried to hide them, so something was definitely wrong.
"Yeah, I know it's hard to believe that I'm talking to someone as lame as the two of you." He snickered, his two followers laughing along with him.
“Good one, Stephen,” one of them laughed.
Stephen, that was his name; she hadn’t been a million miles away. Gemma still wasn't looking up, even as the boys walked past them, and that pissed off Jaycen.
“I have no idea what you were just on about, so I'm going to ignore that for a second, but ‘you're lame’? Really? That’s the best you’ve got?” Jaycen challenged, following him with her eyes as he walked past them. Baiting him just a little.
He stopped and spun to look at her, her small bait enough to get a rise out of him. He moved back over to her, his face inches from hers as his lips curled up in a snarl. “You’re new. So, I’m going to give you a quick lesson. I don’t care what shit hole you came from, or what weak, pale bloodline runs through your pathetic veins. You don’t talk to me. If I say something to you, you just smile and be thankful that I give you any attention at all. You got that?”
Now, it was Jaycen’s turn to laugh. “I have no idea who you are, and I really give zero shits. You don’t want me to talk to you, then stop talking to me. It’s that simple.” She pulled back, really uncomfortable with how close he was but refusing to show it as she pointed to his slicked back hair. “Oh, and a bit of advice, lay off the hair gel. This isn’t the 90s and it’s reflecting the sun in my eyes.” She turned and left, grabbing Gemma by the arm before pulling her along with her.
“You’re going to regret this,” Stephen seethed. She didn’t have to see him to know he was shaking with rage; she could hear it in his voice.
“Okay, Backstreet boy. Whatever you say.” She laughed at her own joke; no one else did. Did they have Backstreet boys in the magic world, or did they have their own bands? Jaycen made a mental note to ask Gemma, not now, but at some point.
“You really shouldn’t have done that,” Gemma whispered as she nervously looked over her shoulder at where Stephen was presumably still standing. “That was suicide.”
“The guy was a jerk; you shouldn’t let him talk to you like that. You shouldn’t let anyone talk to you like that.” Jaycen stopped walking and turned to look at her friend. Who had she hung around with before Jaycen had got there? Who were her friends? She was the nicest person Jaycen had ever met, so why wasn’t she surrounded by friends? Why?
“It’s just who they are. It’s how they all act.” Her casual shrug put Jaycen on edge; how could she accept such rudeness?
“Who? Who acts like that?”
“Anyone with power, anyone from a substantial family. Anyone with violet blood.” She smiled a small, sad smile. “They demand respect because of where they came from.”
“They come from the same place that you come from,” Jaycen reminded her, suddenly wanting to start a fight with everyone who dared be mean to Gemma. The girl was so nice, too nice really. “Maybe, it's because you’re too nice. Next time someone says anything to you, punch them in the nose, or if it’s a boy the balls. Just go straight for it.” Jaycen was being completely serious but Gemma laughed like she was joking.
"Hey, Gemma, you okay? I saw you talking to Stephen." A lanky, red-haired boy jogged towards them, his eyebrows creased in a small frown. "What did he say to you?"
Oh, she did have friends. Jaycen eyed the newcomer as colour flooded Gemma's face. She reached out and held Gemma's arm, just in case she needed the stability. Surely it wasn't healthy to go from that pale to that red so quickly?
"Oh, hey, hi, hello. Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for asking though."
The guy watched her carefully for a minute. "Good. Because if that guy gives you any more trouble just go to Benedict or Caleb; he shouldn’t get away with it." He nodded at Jaycen before walking off.
"Well, that was odd,” Jaycen said once the guy was a safe distance away.
Gemma groaned. “His name’s Luke; I see him every day. He’s spoken to me maybe once, twice before. Oh God, I couldn’t even say hi back. What is wrong with me?” Her face was still shining with embarrassment.
“But you did say hi; you said it three different ways.” Jaycen laughed, just as her phone buzzed in her pocket. She fished it out. “It’s my mom. I’ve got to take this; you go in and I’ll meet you in there.”
“Okay, I’ve brought a few books with me. We can start your studying for the test.” Gemma pulled out a large book from her bag.
“Yeah, that’s great.”
Gemma smiled and headed off to the cafeteria as Jaycen pressed answer on the phone.
“Hey.”
“Hey, sweetie, it’s me, your mother.”
Jaycen laughed. “Yeah, I know, mom. Your name shows up on my phone; how are you?”
“Oh, yeah.” Her mother’s laughter tri
ckled down the phone. Warmth filled Jaycen, the sound automatically making her feel like she was home.
“I miss you.” A few passing students smiled at her as they passed.
“I miss you so much too. The house is so quiet now you’re gone.”
“You should take up a hobby, dancing or something.” Jaycen started walking, not realising she was walking to nurse’s office until she was outside the door. Well, while she was there, it would be rude not to go in.
“Dancing? When have I ever danced?” Her mother danced everywhere. When she walked to the kitchen, to the bathroom. No matter where she was, she danced—the whole world was a party. Was it odd that her mother didn’t know that? Was it a subconscious thing?
“You should start then,” Jaycen said again, stepping into the small building. “You’d be really good at it.”
“Okay, I’ll call you back when I’ve booked a class. Bye, love.” Just like that her mother had disconnected.
“Well bye to you too,” she said to no one, shoving her phone back in her pocket, and walked through the set of double doors. This place was nice, a lot different than the rest of the school. Where the other rooms and halls were painted a soft grey or blue, this building was painted all white. Sterile and clean, just like a hospital.
“Can I help you?” A tall woman holding an iPad walked over to her.
“Yes, is there a boy called Perry here?” She pressed her lips together, trying to look past the woman. All she could was desks, empty desks at that.
“Perry? Do you have a second name?” The women started to type into the iPad, her fingers halting as she waited for Jaycen’s answer.
“Do you have more than one Perry here?” Jaycen’s turned, looking at all of the emptiness. “Do you have anyone by any name here?”
Clearly annoyed, the women pursed her lips. “He’s upstairs. Second room, third bed to the right. Visiting hours are between twelve and twelve-thirty.” She looked back down to the iPad. “So, that gives you seven minutes.”
Visiting hours? Jaycen headed for the only stairs she could see, taking the steps two at a time. Would someone kick her out if she wasn’t out of there in seven minutes? Did they have a nurse security guard?
She heard the noise before she opened the door, people talking, some moaning in pain. She pushed the doors open, taken aback by how busy it was. Beds lined the room, each only a meter from the next, and each one occupied. Some of the sick or injured had guests who were sat at their bedside; they were either chatting or on their phones. Why the hell did a school have so many injured people? What was happening here?
She started to speed walk down the room, pushing open the second set of doors, and looking to her right.
The young boy sat in his bed, bandages covering most of his arms.
“Hey, Perry,” she faltered. “Do you remember me?”
Perry looked up. It took a beat before he smiled. “Yeah. You’re the girl who… who helped me.”
She dropped her bag and took the seat next to his bed. “Yeah. I’m Jaycen.”
He smiled up at her. “Jaycen’s a boy’s name.”
Yeah, she had definitely heard that before. “Yeah it is. My mom wanted a boy.” She leant forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “How are you feeling? I mean,” she motioned to his bandaged-up arms, “apart from those.”
“I’m good. They want me to go home though. They think I did this to myself.” He lifted his arm, and pointed to his leg. “Which is stupid. Who would cut themselves like this?”
A lot of people, Jaycen wanted to say, but she didn’t. Instead, she shrugged. “No one. I would have told them that you didn’t do it to yourself. I would have stuck up for you.”
The boy’s head tipped to the side, his face thoughtful. “The guy said he spoke to you, and that you said you didn’t see anything. He told me to keep the attack quiet; he said people would say I’m crazy.”
Now, that was weird. She shook her head. “No one spoke to me today, and I didn’t see anything,” she clarified, noting the notepad and pencil on the floor, “but that doesn’t mean that something wasn’t there. I saw the marks on your leg; I saw you being dragged off.”
“Now, we both sound crazy. Don’t tell anyone that; they might want to send you home too.”
“I don’t care.” She smiled a little. “I know what I saw.”
“I thought I did; I remembered it so clearly. But now,” he lifted his shoulders in a small shrug, “now I don’t know what I saw.”
Jaycen didn’t say anything for a beat, wondering what exactly this mystery visitor had said to Perry to make him question himself.
Jaycen decided to change the subject and picked up the notepad. “Do you draw?”
Taken aback for a minute by her unexpected question, Perry just looked at her, before slowly nodding.
“A little. It calms me down, I’m learning how to use my magic with it.”
“Can I?”
She waited for his permission before she opened the book. When he gave it, she flicked through the pages, each one covered in a different drawing.
“These are good.” She stopped on one of a man, dressed in black, and scowling. Benedict. Perry wasn’t just good at drawing; he was great. “Was this the man that you spoke to?”
She flipped the paper, so he could see what drawing she was looking at.
He shook his head. “No, the guy was younger.”
Thornton? Why would he lie? Why would he tell Perry to keep the attack quiet? She flipped a few more pages, her hand freezing at the last picture.
“What’s this?”
Perry bit the inside of his mouth. “That’s the thing that attacked me. The beast. I drew it before the guy came, but now I’m not sure if it’s right. The attack’s getting fuzzy in my head; it’s hard to remember.”
Black eyes of a wolf—no, not a wolf. A bear, a wolf, and a dragon all mixed together stared back at her. It looked so real that she half expected to hear its snarl and feel its bite.
“I know, it’s stupid. I’m starting to get why they think I did it to myself.”
She shook her head, still not able to look away. “No, no.” Finally, she looked up, licking her lips. “It’s not stupid, and you definitely didn’t do this yourself.”
“Jaycen? What are you doing here?”
Her whole body jumped at the new voice, dropping the book and pencil onto the floor as she turned.
“Benedict, hi.... I.... erm, I was just seeing how Perry was.”
“Obviously. You should probably get going; visiting time is almost up.”
Thornton stood just behind him, her presence seeming to put him on edge as he gritted his teeth and looked away. Now, she knew they weren’t friends; he had made that very clear on a number of occasions. But he looked like her mere presence was insulting to him. Or that she smelt really bad. Either way, he seemed to hate being near her.
Benedict walked to the other side of Perry’s bed as Jaycen dropped to her knees, picking up the book and pencil. She pulled out her phone, snapping a few quick pictures of Perry’s drawing before putting the folder on his side table.
When she turned back, her phone was in her pocket, and she was smiling. “I should get going.” Just as she said the words a bell rang out. “Bye.” She ran out of the room, her phone with its picture of the invisible beast, feeling heavy in her pocket as she headed to meet Gemma.
Chapter 10
Jaycen and Gemma had been sat in the cafeteria and had been studying for what felt like hours, and Jaycen needed a break. Plus, Perry’s drawing still sat on her phone.
“I think we’ve done enough studying for today, don’t you?” Jaycen said, rubbing her temples.
“Do you have a headache?” Gemma asked, closing the textbook.
Jaycen saw her opportunity, and she took it. “Yeah, I think I need to sleep. I’ve learnt so much though.” She stood, picking up her bag. The last part hadn’t been a lie; it turned out Gemma was a great teacher.
&nbs
p; Gemma didn’t seem to mind as she fished a book from her bag with a small smile. “That’s okay. Go back to your dorm and get some rest. I’ll call you later.”
Gemma almost looked relieved as she opened the book at a bookmarked page and started reading before Jaycen had even left.
Maybe, it was Gemma’s choice to stay separate from most of the students? Maybe, it was her choice to stay alone? Jaycen looked around the crowded room. A few groups of students sat together, but most of them were sitting alone, either on their phones, or with a book in front of them. Maybe, they all just liked being on their own?
Jaycen walked out of the cafeteria, pulling her phone from her pocket as she headed to the library, and pulled up the picture. The beast looked terrifying. Was this really what he had seen? A chill ran through her body—if it was real or not, she just had to find out.
She headed in the direction of the library, walking past two students fighting on the school field. She could tell immediately that it wasn’t a scuffle, but a controlled class between two very well-trained warlocks. She stopped walking and just watched. Hadn’t classes been cancelled for today? They both moved so fast, neither stopping as they got hit. One was dressed in black, the other dressed in white. An older man with salt and pepper hair stood back, watching them closely.
The two moved together, almost like they were dancing. Then, one lifted his hand and the man dressed in white flew back, hitting the ground with a thud.
“Good. But you still stopped before the magic came.” The man watching, the teacher, walked in between them, holding out a hand for the guy in white to take. “It must flow naturally, just like your next step.”
“His ass still hit the ground, didn’t it?” The man dressed in black smirked, his eyes locking on to Jaycen from across the grassed area. “Liking the show there, nymphet?”
It took Jaycen a minute to realise he was talking to her, or that she’d seen him before.
“Oh, it’s you.” She pursed her lips, trying to think of his name.
His hand went to his heart as he pretended to be offended as he walked over to her. “That hurts; that hurts.”
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