Page 23 of Poison

I shoot upright, the speed has me tumbling off the sofa and landing on the floor with a thud. My tablet screeches and vibrates on the coffee table with theLatewarning pulsing on the screen. I run up to my room, leaving Kevin in his curled-up spot on the floor. I burst through my bedroom door, grabbing my uniform out of the wardrobe and throwing it on in record time. I really need to do the whole ‘time management’ thing better, but I can’t be late so I’ll have to miss the shower today.

I take the stairs two at a time, jumping from the second-to-last step. My ankle rolls as I land, and I have to bite my lip because of the pain. I hobble to my boots and push my feet into them, my ankle wincing at the pressure.

“Poison?” Kevin says as he slithers around the corner, I push past him since he’s blocking the living room off with his size.

I grab my tablet, stuff it into my bag, and take off at break-neck speed to the front door, not bothering to close it behind me as I sprint across the grass towards the building that houses my first class of the day. Another screech comes from the tablet, and I pull it out, finding a message from the teacher telling me I have five minutes and if I’m not there in time I have to go straight to the headmaster’s office.

I really don’t want to have to go there again.

I pick up my pace, rushing through the corridors. When I spot the sign for Charm/Incantations on the wall pointing up the stairs I make my way up, taking two at a time. After the third floor, my steps slow the higher I climb. It feels like I’m on a forever spiral of stairs and I don’t think there’s an end to it.

Sweat drips down my face as the last of the steps come into view, and I rush to the sole door at the top of them and push my way through. An older woman stands there with grey hair pulled back tightly in a coif. Her eyes are pulled back with the force of the style, giving them a sharp feline like appearance. She looks down the length of her nose at me and I gulp, I can feel the power radiating off her like it does with my aunt.

“Hurry up and take your seat!” she commands. “Unlike yourself, who thought it was okay to not show up on time, your classmates were punctual and you are not taking any more of their lesson away from them.

“Sorry,” I mumble as I make my way to the only empty seat in the class, which happens to be at the back of the room near the church-style window.

My cheeks flame as I try my best to hide my face behind my hair, it doesn’t help when I hear the snickers from the other students. Someone trips me and I only just manage to get my hands out to grab the desk to halt my fall. I look over to a pink-haired girl who’s glaring at me, I glower back. She hisses at me with fangs on full show and the teacher clears her throat behind me. The girl rolls her eyes and flips her hair over her shoulder, turning her attention back to the teacher.

“Today, Miss Draken!” the teacher chides me.

I drop into my seat, pulling my bag around so it’s sitting on my knees. I pull out the books I packed yesterday after school, along with a notebook and pen. The teacher starts the lesson and I listen intently, trying my best to ignore the mumbles and whispers as she draws something on the board.

“I know, right! She thinks Asher is her mate and she said she accepts his rejection,” someone titters. “Imagine how desperate you have to be to cook up a lie like that!”

I go from embarrassed to angry real quickly as I listen to the conversations of the class. So he’s telling everyone his prank is me being desperate.Wow! What a dick!

The teacher drones on, my brain slowly picking up what she is wanting us to do for the practical portion of the session. My anger becomes a simmer as I flip through the book on charms and find the one I want to try and make.

“Psssst.”

I ignore the noise, clearly one of the students is trying to get another’s attention.

“The stones and ingredients you may need are available out of the store room to my right, one at a time I will call you,” the teacher says, waiting with a glare as the class stop whispering to each other. “Poison.”

I stand up and make my way down to the front of the class, my eyes scanning the floor to make sure someone doesn’t try and trip me again. I breathe a sigh of relief as I step into the store room, my nose starts to itch from all the scents of herbs and oils in here. Thank god I’ve been in one of these enough times to have a basic idea of how all magic folk have their room set up. Grabbing everything I need to make my charm, I smile as I head back to my seat with my arms full. I freeze in my spot as my eyes rake over the new guest.

“Whatcha making?”Kevin smirks as I narrow my eyes on him.

You’ve got to be shitting me! Why the hell would he come to a lesson?!

I let his question roll over me as I start laying out everything I need. Luckily, the book tells me how to make the charm. I follow the instructions step by step.

“What’re you making?”he asks again.

“Dammit, Kevin, I’m making a protection charm,” I whisper-yell to him.

I feel eyes boring into the side of my head, and I glance over to find the girl on my left looking at me like I’m demented. “Who’re you talking to?”

I keep my face blank as I stare at her, like I’m stupid. I don’t break eye contact and after what feels like an eternity she looks away. I shake my head as I see her shuffle her seat to the side to try and get further away from me.

“See, I told you she was bat-shit,” one of the guys says on my other side. “She’s even talking to herself now.”

I grind my teeth, trying not to let his words affect me, wishing that Kevin was here with me to help me get through it. But now I’m starting to realise it might not be such a good thing, at least the people at home could see him. Here, he won’t show himself for some reason and I look like I’m talking to myself.

A shadow blocks out the measly little bit of light that’s coming through the window behind me, I lift my head to find the teacher looking down at me as I mix herbs and spices together.

“Good, Poison. Protection charm?” she asks with a lifted brow and curious expression.

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