Chapter 15
Shelly and I sat in chairs on the opposite sides of the hallway while we waited for the principal to call us into his office. She was still holding a large handful of tissue over her nose, pinching it, while the school nurse continued to give her instructions on how to stop the bleeding.
I didn’t feel a bit sorry, even when Shelly kept glaring at me. I knew she was trying to intimidate me, but I folded my arms and stared back. After warning the two of us to behave, the nurse finally left.
“Nice punch,” Shelly sneered, her voice sounding muffled by all the tissue. “The nurse thinks you broke my nose.”
“Good,” I said, suddenly feeling very satisfied.
“I can’t believe you hit me because of some stupid boy,” she whined.
“I thought I already explained how I feel about Vance.”
“Whatever,” she said. “He’s not into you the way you think he is.”
“Is that so?” I wondered what could possibly be running through her head.
“He’s been following me around for weeks now.” Shelly lowered the tissues so she could glare at me better. “Everywhere I go, every time I turn around, there he is, watching me.”
“Duh,” I said flatly, looking at the raccoon bruises, which were already forming under her eyes. “That’s because we’ve been worried about you.”
“Well, you should worry. I’ve never felt sparks like that flying off a guy. He was like butter and honey all rolled together, soft and delicious. I’m definitely going to need another taste.” She licked her lips for added emphasis.
I was instantly on my feet, ready to pound on her again, when the door to the principal’s office swung open.
“Miss Mullins!” he called out loudly, stopping me in my tracks. “Please step inside.”
I gave Shelly one last glare, clenching my fists at my sides, before I turned and headed into the room.
Mr. Holland closed the door behind me, motioning for me to have a seat in front of his desk, and he walked around to the other side to seat himself.
“Miss Mullins, I have to say I’m surprised and frankly disappointed also,” he began, folding his hands together.
I did my best to hold my peace and listen to what he had to say.
“You’ve always been a model student here, and the teachers have good things to say about you too.” He paused expectantly, as if waiting for me to say something. When I didn’t, he gave a big sigh and continued. “As you know, we have a strict no fighting policy here at Sedona High School.”
I nodded.
“I understand from several eyewitnesses you may have felt somewhat provoked in this incident.”
I gave him a half shrug.
“Do you care to elaborate?”
“Nope,” I replied, wishing he would hurry and get on with the punishment.
“Well, under the circumstances—since you threw the only punch and caused significant bodily harm to Miss Fontane—I’m going to have to suspend you for three days. I also need to advise you, pending a visit with Miss Fontane and her parents, a legal complaint may be filed against you.”
“I understand.” I wondered how bad this whole thing might actually get.
“In that case, you need to get your things and wait in my secretary’s office. I’ll be calling your parents to come get you.”
“I have my scooter here today. I can drive myself,” I explained, wanting to delay the call to my parents as long as possible.
“School policy says a parent has to come get you. Sorry.” He opened the door to his office and waited for me to step out. “Miss Fontane,” he called, beckoning to Shelly.
She stood and began walking toward me. “Sucker,” she whispered as we passed each other.
I ignored her and continued to the locker hall to get my things. Vance was there waiting for me in the empty hall. I could see he’d scrubbed his face clean since it no longer had Shelly’s lipstick smeared all over it.
“I’m sorry.” He leaned against the locker next to mine. “You okay?”
“Peachy,” I said, throwing a few things into my bag before slamming the door closed.
Vance grabbed me by the shoulders, turning me to face him.
“You know there’s nothing going on there, right? I mean between me and Shelly.” He stared into my eyes, and honesty radiated from them.
“She isn’t going to stop, you know?” I pushed past him to walk down the hallway. “She made it pretty clear that, now she’s had a taste, she wants more.”
He quickly caught up to me, grabbing my arm and spinning me around.
“I could care less what she wants.” He placed his hands on both sides of my face. “I’m bound to you, and only you.” His eyes searched mine, and he gently kissed me.
“Go back to class, Mr. Mangum,” Mrs. Bloomfield’s shrill voice cut through the moment. “Miss Mullins, follow me please.”
Vance’s hands dropped to his sides. “I’ll see you after school,” he whispered, sounding frustrated, but not wanting to rock the boat anymore. “I love you.”
“Love you too,” I said and turned away to follow Mrs. Bloomfield back to her office.
Both my parents came to the school. After a brief visit with the principal, Mom drove me home in the car while Dad rode my scooter behind us.
I normally would’ve laughed my head off at the image of my dad on a green moped with a purple flowered helmet on his head, but under the circumstances, no one was laughing. In fact, no one said anything until we were all settled in the living room.
“So what happened?” my mom asked, looking mildly worried.
I began explaining the past few weeks’ events leading to this and what had caused my reaction today.
“Well, I will say I can understand why you did what you did,” my dad began, stroking his chin in thought. “However, it does give me some concerns regarding your control issues. You’re a witch, Portia, and as a witch, you should always be in control. Bad things can happen when you rule totally from emotion.”
“I understand.” I knew what I’d done was wrong, and I wasn’t arguing that fact. “So what’s my punishment?”
“No punishment,” Mom said, with a shake of her head. “But do your best to repair things with Shelly.”
I nodded, making peace with Shelly would probably be near to impossible, but I would try.
“Well, is there any work you need me to do?” I asked glancing at both of them while I stood. “Looks like I’m going to be here for the next three days.”
“No. Just the usual straightening,” Mom replied.
“Sounds good. I’ll be in my room if you need me.”
“Don’t forget about our plans for this evening,” my dad called after me, “unless you don’t want to go now.”
“No, I still want to.” I headed upstairs. I needed to do something, anything, to get out of my own head for a while.
Jinx was waiting to pounce on me the minute I entered my room. I threw my belongings on my desk and plopped onto the bed, letting her nuzzle my face to her heart’s content.
“I was a bad girl today,” I mumbled while I stroked her soft, white fur.
Her replied meow sounded like a denial. “Well, you’re kind of biased.” I laughed.
I rolled her over and tickled her belly. She purred loudly, batting at my hand playfully with her paws, and trying to nip at me with her teeth.
“I love you, Jinx,” I said, scooping her up and cuddling her. “You’re a good kitty.”
She licked my nose before she jumped out of my arms, back onto the bed. I flopped over onto my pillow and closed my eyes.
“Get some rest,” Vance’s voice whispered softly in my mind. “I’ll be there at lunch.”
“All right.” My heart ached with his physical absence.
“Love you.”
“Love you more,” I replied.
“Not possible,” he returned with a chuckle.
“Do your schoolwork!” I chastened.
“Okay.”
His laughter faded from my head.
I didn’t know I had fallen asleep until I felt Vance’s soft kiss on my forehead.
“Hey, sleepyhead.”
I opened my eyes to his smiling face.
“Hi,” I said, stretching. “Is it lunch time already?”
“Yep. You were out like a light.” He laughed. “I couldn’t even hear your dreams when I tried to check in on you.”
“This morning was a bit emotional for me,” I said with a slight pout.
“That’s completely understandable. By the way, great right hook.” He grinned. “And it didn’t even have any magic in it!”
“Yeah, well I guess my baser instincts kicked in.”
“I’m glad you’re on my side!” He laughed. “I’ve never had girls fistfight because of me before. Well, unless you count the time . . . ” his voice trailed off, and he glanced at me. “Never mind. We’ll save that story for another day.”
I gave him a small forced grin before I sobered again.
“The next three days will be miserable without you here,” I complained, pulling him down next to me.
“Don’t worry,” he said, wrapping his arms around me. “I’ll be here every minute I can, and the rest of the time I’ll only be a thought away.”
“I know. But it still won’t be the same.”
There was a soft knock on the door, and my mom walked in holding a plate with two sandwiches. She had a bag of chips and two cold sodas in her other arm.
“I thought you two could use some lunch.” She set the items down on the dresser.
“Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.”
“By the way, the school called while you were sleeping. Shelly and her family said they won’t be pressing any charges,” she told us as she left the room.
“Well, that’s a relief,” I said, turning to Vance. “The nurse said she thought Shelly’s nose was broken.”
“It is,” Vance replied with an assured air.
“How do you know?”
“I have my ways.” He held his hands above my head and wiggled his fingers while making a mysterious looking face and crazy eyes at me.
I started laughing out loud, and he started tickling me.
“Stop!” I gasped after several seconds of his assault. “You need to eat, or you’ll be late.”
“Oh, all right.” He moved away, taking one of the sandwiches off the plate, and offering me the other.
“Seriously, though, can you use your magic to diagnose people’s injuries?” I asked.
“I can if I touch them. I held Shelly back after she charged at you, right before the teachers stopped everything.”
“Interesting.” I carefully chewed a bite of my sandwich. “Can all witches and warlock’s do that?”
“Not all. It’s a special gift exclusive to healer witches.”
“So you’re a healer witch . . . um, warlock?”
“Yes.”
“Can you heal yourself if you get sick?”
“No. A healer witch, besides me, would have to do it.”
“Why?”
“Because my powers could be affected by my illness, depending on what type it was.”
“Oh.” I pondered this for a moment. “So how does one find out if they’re a healer witch?”
“When they have the opportunity to heal someone, and it works.” He reached for the bag of chips.
“Who did you heal?” I asked out of curiosity.
“My mom.” His eyes got a faraway look in them. “She accidentally cut her hand on a knife while doing dishes. I saw all the blood, ran over, placed my hands on her cut, and it healed.”
“How old were you?”
“Five. It was the first manifestation of my power,” he said, looking at me.
“Wow. No wonder everyone’s impressed with you. How’d you even know what to do?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “Instinct, I guess.”
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Sure. Ask away.” He took a big swig of his soda.
“What’s your mom’s name?”
He sat there for a moment before signaling me to be quiet by placing a finger on his lips.
“Krista Leah Mangum,” his voice whispered very softly in my mind.
“And your dad’s?”
This time he shook his head.
“Not here. Not now. It isn’t safe,” he said out loud, and when I looked discouraged he added, “It’s more of a precaution really, Portia. We’re just trying to keep anything he might be doing to track us at bay.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, looking down at my half-eaten sandwich, worried I’d crossed a line.
He hooked his finger under my chin and lifted it to meet his gaze. “You never have to be sorry around me. Not for any reason.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead.
“Vance! You’re going to be late if you don’t leave now!” my mom’s voice interrupted from downstairs.
“I’ll be back after school,” he promised, standing to leave.
“All right. I think I’ll go spend the rest of the afternoon with my grandma at the store, though.” I replied, standing and giving him a hug goodbye.
“Okay. I guess I’ll meet you there then.”
He ended our hug with a kiss and was off, running down the stairs. I followed him outside so I could watch him drive away.
“He’s a good kid,” my mom said from behind my back.
“Yes, he is.”
“He cares a lot about you. I find that unusual in a young man of his age.”
“Vance is exceptional,” I stated.
“You’ll be careful, won’t you?” Mom asked. “I know he’s eighteen already, and he’s an adult, but you’re still only sixteen. If he hadn’t been on the run and gotten behind in school, he’d be graduated and long gone by this time. It worries me he may be ready to move on with a part of his life you’re not ready for.”
I turned back toward her when he was out of sight.
“Mom, I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but I would happily go wherever and do whatever Vance wanted me to.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she said seriously. “You could end up on the run with him, out there alone and unprotected.” She looked me over. “Or even pregnant.”
I gave a half laugh. “Is that what this is really about? Sex?”
“Are you sleeping with him?” she asked me point blank.
“Yes, Mother, I am. Every night. Emphasis on the sleep.” I folded my arms. “And for the record, I personally would love to be doing a whole lot more, but Vance has goals that are important to him. I’m doing my best to help him honor those.”
“You two are playing with fire, you know, spending so much time together,” she said, but I could see the apparent relief on her features.
“I know we are, and I’m not going to lie. It’s been hard, Mom.” I raked a hand through my hair, needing to talk to someone and feeling thankful my mom and I had always shared a close bond. “I almost feel obsessed with him at times. The whole view of the world changes for me when I’m with him. I love him a lot, and I want to be with him in every way possible,” I replied honestly. “But I also realize it’s not time for some things yet, so please know I’m not rushing into anything I’m not ready for.”
She smiled softly at me, lifting her hand to my face. “You’re growing up so fast,” she said. “Where did the time go?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, giving her a hug. “But no matter how old I am, I’ll always be your little girl.”
“Thank you for trying to be responsible,” she whispered into my ear, and I laughed out loud.
“You do remember I just got a three-day suspension for hitting my best friend, right?”
“You know what I mean!” She joined in with my laugh, giving a playful spank to my rear end. “Do you have any homework? I need to run to the store real quick.”
“No, I don’t, but do you care if I go to Grandma’s store for the r
est of the afternoon?” I asked her.
“Not at all. She’d probably enjoy your help.”
I followed her into the kitchen, watching while she gathered her purse and the grocery list.
“I’ll be back by four so we can go to Flagstaff,” I said, walking her to the garage.
“Okay. Do you want me to give you a ride to Milly’s?”
“I’ll take my scooter.”
“All right, sweetheart. See you later then,” she said and got into the car.
I went into the house, grabbed my coat and headed back to the garage but thought better of it after a second, deciding instead to walk. I had a lot of pent-up energy and felt I could use the air. A brisk jaunt down the road seemed like the perfect thing to clear my head and help me work out some of my emotions concerning Shelly. I wasn’t alone in my thoughts for long, though.
“You’re amazing,” Vance’s voice whispered.
“What’re you talking about?”
“That conversation with your mom. I was eavesdropping.”
“Were you now?” I smiled to myself.
“Yes. And I think you’re even more wonderful now than I did before, though I don’t know why I’m surprised.”
I laughed out loud, and a passing jogger gave me a funny look.
“I really don’t know what you’re going on about,” I said back to him.
“You were so honest with her. I can’t think of many girls who would tell their mom point blank how much they want to sleep with their boyfriend.” He chuckled. “Unless, of course, you were trying to kill her with a heart attack.”
“No! Of course not!” I said, rolling my eyes. “My parents have trusted us. It’s got to be hard for them. I promise you if magic weren’t involved, or this binding spell, I’m sure my dad would be chasing you off with a shotgun, or whatever else warlocks run would-be suitors off with.”
“I’m positive you’re right on that matter,” Vance replied wryly. “So why tell her you want to have sex with me? Doesn’t that stir the pot?”
“No. It tells her I’m responsible enough to talk to her frankly about this kind of stuff. And it’ll reassure her that their trust in you hasn’t been misplaced.”
“Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched,” I heard him mumble.
“What?”
“I’m saying you put too much faith in me. These walls could easily crumble. Trust me, the temptation is excruciating.”
“And that’s why I believe in you,” I replied. “Because you’re trying to stay away from temptation.”
“And that’s what I’m trying to tell you. I’m failing miserably. She’s right, you know. If you were older, I’d be asking you to move on to a different stage in your life.”
“But I’m not older, so I guess we’re stuck making the best of our current situation. If we struggle to do things right for just ourselves, then let’s try to do it for them as repayment for their faith in us.”
“Like I said before, you’re amazing.”