Chapter Five

I sent my dad a quick text, and followed Cassius and Harlow to his house, slipping my phone back into my bag.

Harlow was also on the phone. "No, I don't now how - can you just ... look- just get over here- Ducky's place... yeah."She said, before hanging up.

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." She said, forcing a smile as we followed Ducky. "I have a friend - his name is Lee. I think he might have an idea on what's going on."

"Oh." I said. "Cool." Ducky's neighbourhood was nice. All of the houses were neatly uniform, yet they all had something that made them stand out, if it was the colour of the plants or the car.

The sun had been hidden by dark, foreboding clouds as we walked. Never a good sign. A fat, warm raindrop landed on my nose, and I swiped it away.

"Guys..." I said, before the heavens opened and we ran for it. The water was warm and heavy, making me dredged. Harlow was screaming about her books, and Cassius was running towards a house - one I assumed to be his - and practically kicked down the door.

We all rushed inside, thankful for the shelter, then stood awkwardly in Cassius' front hall, with water dripping off our hair, fingertips and clothing.

"Welcome home dear- you're home late-" someone I assumed to be Cassius' mother walked through the door. She was small and petite, with a white face and her black hair that was identical to Cassius' curly mass on the top of his head. "You didn't tell me you were bringing friends!" She shrieked, cupping her head with her hands.

"Sorry," Ducky mumbled. "This is Harlow and Aidan - and someone else is coming too."

I waved, unsure of what to do because my hair was still sopping wet and my jacket was soaked.

"Oh, hello dears." Mrs Mallard Said, seemingly sincere.

"Hi Mrs Mallard - Sorry to trouble you." Said Harlow. Ever the crowd pleaser.

"Please, it's fine. And call me Bethany."

I smiled and nodded at her. Ducky then swept us up the stairs and to a room I assumed to be his room.

I perched on the bed, throwing my jacket onto the floor, when Cassius did likewise. He sat on his desk chair, spinning it around, and Harlow just sat on the floor. I started to wring out my dark blond hair.

"You have a nice room." I gazed around. It was a light blue colour, and had posters and stickers stuck all over the left wall. He had a chest of drawers and a desk and a bed. He also had big open windows that stretched half way across another wall, and a tall white door that probably lead to the bathroom.

Ducky went red and scratched the back of his neck. "Awe shucks, you're making me blush."

Harlow grinned at us, amusement in her tone. "Stop flirting!" I looked back at Cassius, who was waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Ew. Just no.

I pulled a face and a double chin appeared on my neck. I then turned and punched Ducky in the arm. He let out a squeal of surprise then clutched his arm.

"Why would you do that?" He shrieked. I rolled my eyes.

"Please," I snorted. "If I was flirting with you, I definitely wouldn't punch you."

"Your logic is blowing my mind." Harlow commented, chuckling.

Ducky opened his jaws to say something, when his mother yelled something to us from downstairs in the hall. I frowned at Harlow, I couldn't hear her through the thick walls. Then, we heard a smattering of footsteps and then the door pushed open.

I turned and gasped. "Hey!" I stood up. "It's you - stupid name guy!" The boy that said my name was a boy's name at 9 o'clock this morning was standing at the door. He jerked his head up, startled, then smiled sheepishly at me.

"Yeah...-I-Um." He smirked and looked at the ground. I wanted to bask in his consciousness.

Harlow cleared head throat. "Yeah- this is Lee. He's here to help us. And I'm sure he is very sorry about what he said this morning."

Harlow sent Lee a glare full of icy daggers, and I was actually glad I wasn't on the receiving end of that stare for once.

"Why don't we tell you what we know." I said slowly after a tense moment of silence. Lee nodded, seemingly eager to not have to face Harlow's wrath for the time being. Honestly, so would I.

So Ducky began the story - about how we went back to the homeroom to grab his books, then Harlow told the part about watching Gabriel and his posse bully a young human (and it was at that moment when I realised I started calling them humans, as if they were different from us. Woah. This magic stuff was really getting to my head.) then I finished the story with describing how the energy had flown through me instead of hurting me and how we had kicked ass.

When I had finished, Lee looked impressed. He ran a hand through his mass of dark brown hair. "What you've done isn't unheard of." He said finally. "It has happened before, but it's just a little rare, and performed by the more advanced of witches." My eyes widened, and he paused, as if waiting for questions or objections. Ducky waved his hand for Lee to continue. "I believe that you were channelling the energy into Aidan and then she used it to repel the energy sent her way. It's not unheard of, just unlikely for some kids your age."

Woah. I glanced between Harlow and Cassius, and then back to Lee. "Is this like some magical Harry Potter shit?" I laughed. Lee frowned and shot a confused look my way. "You know - freaking Harry Potter - the chosen one."

Ducky scratched the back of his neck and a tense silence fell upon the group. I glanced around, raising my eyebrow wearily. "Did I say something wrong?"

Harlow cleared her throat and I turned my attention back to her. "Umm, we kinda tend to not read books such as Harry Potter - they make us mad as that's how we're portrayed."

I nodded quickly, jolting my head. I pushed a strand of hair from my face and didn't meet their gazes. "Right- Sorry."

"It's alright." The bed dipped as Lee sat down next to me, and he awkwardly pressed his hand to my back. I smiled meekly at his try of comfort.

Ducky got up form his revolving chair and peered our of the window. "The rain's eased off. Do you guys wanna go- or you could stay."

I checked my watch and stood up. My hair was just about dry and was starting to go frizzy. "Yeah. I probably should head home now. See you guys tomorrow?" I asked, and they all had affirmative answers.

***

"Hello!" I called into the house and set my bag on the counter. I threw of my shoes and walked into the living room. As I stepped forward to peek around the door, I saw a white furry thing streak past my foot, with my brother Milo chasing after it. I let out a scream and jumped onto the windowsill that was next to me, my back to the glass, warily watching the floor.

"What the hell is that!" I asked as my step-mum walked into the room.

"It's a meat rabbit. How was school?" she looked up.

"A meat rabbit?" I demanded. "As in, we're going to eat it?!"

"No, of course not. I saved it from that fate. The boy needs to learn responsibility do I got him a pet. I figured it would be a fresh start from Dakota. I'll ask again, How was school?" She seemed almost proud.

"It was alright." I realised my step mum would probably call me mad if I actually told her what went down today. "Art was fun. I made a couple friends." I slid off the sill, my socks thudding on the carpet. I nodded to the way the rabbit left. "And a nice, normal dog wasn't in the running? Like a Labrador or a German Shepard? I heard pugs are cute."

The rabbit bounced it's way into the room again and Milo scooped it up in his string-bean arms, a massive grin on his face.

"It lives outside, right?" I raised my eyebrows, and Milo's chin bobbed eagerly. "I made a hutch!" He said loudly.

"Cool. And by the way, if I find poop in my room I will scream." I grabbed an apple from a bowl on the coffee table. I glanced back at the rabbit again. "That thing is gross. It has red eyes. It's obviously a demon."

"It's cute." Milo argued, standing closer. His small head lifted so he could see me. He only came up to my ribs normally, as only being 8, and me 8 years older than him. We looked exactly alike though - same muddy green eyes, curly blond hair and the dusting of freckles along our noses and cheeks.

My bedroom door was half open when I got there. Not a good sign. I pushed open the door but everything seemed normal. I threw off my jacket and hung it into the closet. I went to sit down across the room on my bed when I felt something wet squish on my white socks. I lifted my sock to take a glance. At first I thought it was a cluster of raisins, then I gagged when I realised it was rabbit droppings. I wrestled the sock off and threw it across the room. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.

I took a deep breath, then let out an ear-piecing, shrill scream.

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