School had always been a nightmare for me – Not that I had spent much time there.

As a teenager I got passed from family to family within the foster system across different states; I hadn't experienced much of the typical school routine. No one noticed when I was absent, and usually, no one cared.

I remember that in the early years, I actually tried to "make the best of a bad situation" by trying to make friends and talk to my classmates as well as catching up on assignments. But over the years, as sad as it was, there truly was no point to it.  I just became numb to it all. 

I knew I wasn't smart enough to get a scholarship to visit a university and I wouldn't be able to  get a loan. I knew I wouldn't get a job with the opportunity to climb a corporate ladder. The system was rigged and, because of my background and some bad decisions, I already had a record and fallen in with the wrong crowd. 

So why the hussel, right?

For a while, Tom was the only one who placed any value on keeping me on track with  my education, but when things eventually went from bad to worse with the Simmons family for the boys, I decided to run off with them eventually placing me outside the system for good.  

So sometimes I wondered: What would have been, if... 

What would have happened if I had actually finished high school?

What if I would have been born into another family? One that truly had cared for me, enough so, to help me further my interests?

What if I hadn't run off with my first love only to end up assisting in robbing banks? Get a record. Only to have the only family I had ever known, the only man I had ever loved, killed, leaving me behind a suspect, on the run, alone?

I had always figured, I would have been better off. That it had all been due to circumstance that I had ended up where I was. I had figured it had been bad luck. Maybe faith?

But Meg, sitting next to me in my car, babbling on non-stop had me reconsidering things...

Not because I felt inferior to her or because she had brought up school. It was because she had been babbling at me non-stop for a good twenty minutes about legends and theories of gods, spirits, and mythical creatures until I eventually wished my ears would fall off. How could anyone subject the children of this country to this kind of torture day after day? It was horrible!

I learned two things in that twenty minutes 

1) According to her, everything that had happened to me, was allegedly predestined, so I would have ended up where I am right now, drawn to Eric, one way or another (which I didn't believe, by the way)

2) I would have never survived higher education.

We were still trapped in my car on the way back, and every now and then, when her statements became particularly absurd and twisted, I toyed with the idea of pulling over and abandoning her in the wilderness.

Only a small, really tiny part of me held back, again, the same question running through my mind: What if? What if she was right? Even if just a fraction of the things her wild-haired mind had conjured up were true.

I mean, up to a few hours ago, I would have sworn witches were a myth. Then her eyes had turned purple...

The fact was, the last few days had been crazy.

And if I would have told anyone the truth about the real first encounter with Eric in New York way back when vampires had still been in the coffin (so to speak), I probably would have been locked away in one of those nice, white jackets that fasten in the back, right?

I hadn't allowed myself to ask myself "What if?" back then. But maybe I did now. 

Gritting my teeth, I did let her sit next to me in the car begrudgingly, babbling on and on about things I knew were not true, unsure on my next steps. I tuned her out as best I could as my brain fought to process. Now and then, I caught words or snippets of sentences.

'Shapeshifter,' 'Viking god' (why this word stuck out to me was painfully clear), 'magical bond of disgrace,' 'insanity...'

Like an alarm clock I kept hitting snooze on.

Finally home, I went straight from my car to my house and to my liquor cabinet. Megs followed me without interrupting her monologue, and held one of my glasses up, silently demanding I pour her a drink as well. The bourbon was empty, so vodka had to suffice.

I did as she wanted, topping her up as well before downing my glass in one go, so I could pour another one right away. The familiar burn calmed me a bit, but sadly hindered me in my ability to dissociate from the conversation any further. 

"...but I have to say, you two are pretty intense. That alone makes me sure there's something to the story... And you're sure you haven't set a vampire on fire before..."

"With my thoughts? No!" With a lighter, on the other hand...

I shook my head, remembering the smell of burning flesh, and took another big gulp. Deep in my brain, a part registered that I was drinking way too much lately, but even that part could be quieted with another sip. Which I took. Gradually, a warm feeling enveloped me, and my racing thoughts and heart beat evened out. I was ready to listen to Megs.

She had made herself comfortable on my new overpriced couch and whistled appreciatively.

"Wow, you must have really gotten under Eric's skin. Nice couch, not bad..." She let her gaze wander through my apartment. "But now the rest doesn't match anymore..." Megs leaned forward as if she wanted to tell me a secret."Honestly, I don't understand why you're so resistant to just giving in to him. Overall, he's actually pretty decent... for a vampire... as long as you don't piss him off..."

I raised an eyebrow. A gesture I seemed to have picked up from him. Noticing her attempt of convincing me had turned into a list of Eric's character flaws,Megs rolled her eyes and leaned back.

"Okay, he's a psychopath," she sighed. "But the sex is so good, you don't really mind! You know, when he bites you right before you clim-"

I quickly interrupted her, waving my hands in the air.

"Okay, okay! Got it. Good sex."

"Sweetie, great sex!"

I tried with all my might to bury the images conjured up deep in my mind, but hot blood already surged through my body making me equal part angry and horny. Or maybe it was his blood. I wouldn't be surprised if even his blood had so much of an ego, that it reacted independently to whomever praised it.

I fanned my flushed face, and as I moved, my skin began to crackle. Startled, I stared at Megs, who was just staring at my feet with wide eyes.

My feet?

I looked down and gasped. I... was floating.

The calming effects of alcohol vanished in an instant, adrenaline sobering me up. I screamed."I'm flying!"

"You're floating..."

"Don't come at  me with semantics! My feet aren't on the ground, I'M A WITCH..." my voice shot up three octaves as my body unceremoniously fell the few inches back down, as I landed on my knees.

"Hey, hey, hey! Let's not go that far! You have to earn that title, missy!"I stared at the surprisingly calm Megs in disbelief as she offered me a hand to help me up."Uff. There. See, now you're standing again."

I still couldn't find my voice. Too many thoughts raced through my mind for me to form words. Megs resumed talking.

"And you're not a witch, damn it. Haven't you been listening to me this whole time?!" Megs led me to the sofa, where I willingly followed and sat down next to her. I clutched my glass with the rest of the vodka like a lifeline.

"You are definitely something special, that much is clear now..." She tilted her head, intrigued and curious. "Do you really have no idea what you could be?"

I shook my head, shellshocked. 

She shrugged. "Hmm, too bad. But at least you seem to be accepting now that there's more between heaven and earth than just humans and vampires..."

She seemed to be waiting for an answer, so I nodded. "Good, then let's take a look..." She rubbed her hands together, the various rings on her fingers making the clashing metal sounds. When she closed her eyes and placed her hands on my shoulders, they were warm and the pressure was comforting. She opened her eyes, which now glowed purple, and held me in place.

I shrieked back. 

She rolled her eyes. "Don't freak out again. Just sit still and let me do my thing, okay? I don't feel like explaining everything again right now, so you'll just have to trust me."

Another stare on my part. "I floated.", I repeated very much not helpful. 

Megs sighed. "Yes sweetie, you did. Now hush.!

I nodded. It took me a moment to realize she had just spoken to me in my head and not out loud, but by that point, I was accepting everything around me as it was. I could worry about it tomorrow.

Megs pursed her lips, her dark red lipstick starting to wear off. "God, you've built a thick wall around yourself. I wouldn't want to be the guy dating you and trying to break through them..." She grinned cheekily at her sharp comment, but soon her forehead furrowed as she seemed to be trying to ... extract information?... from my brain. She closed her eyes again, now straining.

"Damn, my nose itches... could you?..." She wiggled her nose, which I wordlessly scratched. "Thanks."

It remained quiet for a few more minutes until I finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Damn it, what are you DOING?"

Megs opened her eyes, surprise in her gaze. "Wow, someone was thorough. Honey, you've got a cover on you!" Megs clicked her tongue with reluctant admiration.

"Excuse me, a what?!"

"Cover!"

"Like a book cover?"

She tilted her head.

"Yeah, something like that. A shell. A concealment. The wall metaphor is pretty literal after all I guess." She was shaking out her hands, rolling her head on her shoulders.

I must have looked very confused because Megs explained. "I, a witch with the ability to enter thoughts and memories, maybe even the brains of others, am standing in front of a wall with you..." Megs got up and went over to the vodka bottle. "Hmmm, I wonder..."

She muttered to herself as I tried to translate her words. When that didn't help, I finally stood up too. This time it was my turn to hold my glass out to Megs, silently asking her to refill it.

"Sure? Another one? Your alcohol tolerance should have been a clue that you're not entirely human."

She might be right. I hadn't been keeping exact count, but this was already my... fifth glass tonight? A girl my size drinking this much straight liquor should definitely be more drunk. I feel like I used to be, but tonight..."I just burn through the stuff faster than most. Fast metabolism!"

Megs' eyes widened. Really, really widened. Then she jumped up, gave me a big kiss, and ran to my bookshelf. She grabbed one of the books with precision and skimmed through the pages.

Before I could catch up with her, she had already grabbed the book and had a hand on the door handle. It was only when I called out that she stuck her head back in and grinned mischievously.

"Don't worry, Ash, you'll see me again."

Almost gone, she stuck her head back in, turning to me with a serious expression on his face. "But for fucks sake, stay away from Eric!"

That was a 180-degree turn from her previous speech. Hadn't she just said I should give in to him and that the sex was worth it and fantastic? I stared at the door, but she was gone. Just as inexplicably and unexpectedly as she had always appeared. Completely baffled, I collapsed onto my couch after the never-ending evening.

I pondered over Megs, her claims, and her warnings to stay away from Eric for a long time. Was that just a jealous command after all? Had she threatened me? Warned me? Why did everyone think I couldn't stay away from him?

Wrapped up to my neck in my blanket, my thoughts kept spinning. About Megs, about Eric (who, as I had surprisingly quickly forgotten, had strangled me just a few hours ago! How had I repressed that so quickly?) about mythical creatures and the fact that I had floated over the floor like on a hoverboard after almost setting a thousand-year-old vampire on fire with the power of my thoughts. 

Ooooh, as a fast recap, this all didn't sound as if everything would eventually be good at all.

I tried to comfort myself with the fact that Eric would have left town by now, like he had said. Which was good... right? That was comforting. I didn't need him. Or want him. No, not at all. And I wouldn't miss him either.

It wasn't until the next morning that I realized I must have fallen asleep, curled up like a kitten, on his couch with a smile on my face, thinking of him...

And I had a hard time convincing myself that I truly hated that. 

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A/N: My muse has been kind of lazy as of late. However, I've been working on some original work which is kind of coming together (finally!) I'm a panser, my writing process is an absolute mess. Anyway, for now, enjoy!

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