"Are you okay? I'm sorry,” Logan apologized. We were walking shoulder to shoulder and his hand linked with mine, giving me a tight squeeze.
I smirked and squeezed his hand back. "I'm cool. Don't sweat it. That was harder than I expected it to be," I reassured him. I wouldn't have expected them to want us to work together instead of in our separate groups.
I couldn't imagine the pain one would experience when they were magically burned by lava. Even if it was fake, it still would have been painful to experience before the magic dissolved.
I gave his hand another squeeze before sliding my hands into my pockets. Logan stayed silent but nodded back at me before returning his attention forward. If these professors were watching for our weaknesses, I didn't want them to see how affected I was by their trial. Before we walked out of the hall, I stopped and tugged at Logan's arm to stop him in his tracks. I leaned over to whisper in his ear.
"I'm fine. Please don't worry about it. I don't want them thinking I'm a weakness to you. Alright?" I pulled back to give him a stern look. His orange eyes stared into my red ones and he nodded once.
"Are you two done with your loving moment? I'm tired," Nixon called out. We turned to see him waiting for us, his hands also in his pockets. His eyes were focused on me which I noticed made Logan frown, his orange eyes glancing between us.
"Ya we’re done, sleepy." I grinned when he furrowed his brow.
"You're just as tired,” he retorted.
"Whatever you say." I replied, walked up and patted his shoulder. He glanced at my hand.
"Are you still dizzy?" he whispered. I blinked, curious how he knew I was experiencing vertigo before but shook my head from side to side.
"No, I'm okay. How did you know?" I asked.
"If I used as much energy as you just did back there, I'd pass out flat on my face. I figured you'd at least get really dizzy. You held your ground well," Nixon praised and I actually felt my cheeks flush a little as his red eyes began to return back to their normal black. His hair had already reverted back to its bright red color. I was suddenly aware of our closeness and his soft scent of strawberries. What possible cologne are these men wearing? Logan makes me crave vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce, and now Nixon and his strawberry fragrance is making me thirsty… wait no. Not that kind of thirsty, but like strawberry milkshake thirsty. UGH! Why is being a male so complicated?
Logan cleared his throat and we both turned to see his impatient expression, his arms crossed over his chest. "Let's get going, the others are waiting," Logan suggested, lifting his head slightly. We turned to look ahead and spotted the other three guys waiting for us.
Nixon smirked, taking three steps forward to stand in front of Logan. "Don't worry. I'll make sure I don't steal sexy Jinn over there from you,” he declared, before turning around and walking back towards me. He gave me a lazy smile and winked.
I had to question if I really just saw what I thought I had. Wait. Is Nixon interested in me? Oh well, that's kinda hot. NO, I can't think that way, I'm NOT actually a guy. I'm also dating Logan. Yes. I, Jewel Starfire am dating Logan Cross. I can't be interested in Nixon… but I'm Jinn right now? Does that mean I can? My brain can't keep up with this.
I did a fake cough to distract myself from my frenzy thoughts and took a hesitant glance at Logan. His face was guarded, but I had known him long enough to be able to tell he was pissed.
This is going to go downhill quickly. I can feel it.
"Here's your schedule and dorm key. You may choose your dorm mate and are expected to stick with that. We don't encourage switching dorm mates just because you end up hating one another. Your dorm is ACE 7 on Spellbound Road,” the secretary instructed, handing me my package and my identification. I glanced at the card with my name 'JINN STARFIRE- MALE- SSS RANK- RED OR GOLD DIVISION’ written out with my picture on the left side.
"Thanks," I replied, turning around to walk back to the others who were checking out their own identifications and packages.
"ACE 7 anyone?" Maximus asked.
"Both of us," Zane and Kage said together, then high fived one another.
"Same," Logan mumbled, before glancing over at me.
I lifted my map that showed I was also in ACE 7 and he gave me a small smile but still looked in a bad mood. I was exhausted and wasn't in the mood to deal with whatever was going on in his mind right now, especially in my male form where I had to give off a more confident, slightly uncaring attitude. That's what I thought anyway.
Nixon shuffled over to my side, resting his head on my shoulder. "Jinn is in ACE 7 too? Jinn, let's be dorm buddies,” he suggested.
"No."
I returned my attention to Logan who strode up to my other side, glaring at Nixon who still had his head rested on my shoulder. "I'm staying with Jinn."
"But he'd be nice to cuddle with," Nixon mumbled. I didn't know if I was suffering from slow response syndrome or what, but I just stood there, unsure how to react to his comment while my mind was busy imagining what Nixon looked like without a shirt. This isn't healthy.
"You're not cuddling with Jinn. He's mine," Logan announced.
"He is?" Kage asked Maximus and Zane, who were staying out of the tense battle of 'Who gets to dorm with Jinn.'
"I think he means like friends?" Zane suggested.
"More like lovers. Hey Logan, are you gay?" Maximus asked.
Logan seemed to blink out of his angry gaze and slowly turned to Maximus. "No. I'm not."
"Then you don't get to cuddle with Jinn," Nixon said plainly.
"Is there a rule that if you're gay, you get to cuddle people?" Kage wondered.
"I don't think that's in the LGBT handbook, Kage," Zane pointed out.
"There's a handbook?" Kage inquired.
"I feel like we're missing the point here," Maximus exhaled slowly.
"Can we save the sexuality lesson for another time? Nixon isn't dorming with Jinn. I am! I'll fucking fight you if I have to,” he growled.
Nixon lifted his head off my shoulder and went up to Logan. Even with their two inch height difference, Logan wasn't intimidated in the least and looked like he wasn't going to budge. "You sure you can win, Cross? Last time I checked, you couldn't hold a triangle," Nixon whispered, his husky voice so low yet held a level of power that made goosebumps crawl up your arms.
"Jinn will be my dorm mate. I won't budge on this,” Logan declared. They stared each other down; Logan looked like his eyes could shoot daggers while Nixon looked calm with a hint of amusement on his lazy expression.
"Should have brought some popcorn with me," Maximus mumbled.
"I could grab some. There's a vending machine right there," Kage suggested, gesturing down the hall.
"You'd miss the action though," Zane reminded.
At this point, my brain gave up on trying to follow what was going on. Men. I'm too tired for this shit. I rolled up my papers, sliding them into my back pocket and tucking my ID in my front pocket before I began walking away, leaving them to do whatever.
"Uh. The person in question is leaving," Kage pointed out, but I kept on walking.
I turned down into the crowded hall leading to the exit. I didn't need a map to navigate to wherever this Spellbound road was. I remembered from years ago when my mom had taken me around the school campus; she said Spellbound road was one of the most popular and lavish blocks of Brighten property. I didn’t know how we got that lucky, but I'd worry about admiring whatever dorm we got after I had a chance to take a nap.
I got outside and walked down the stairs, breathing the clean air in deeply. It felt amazing to enjoy the fresh atmosphere after being stuck breathing AXE body spray and sweaty men. I couldn't say much, since I was also sweaty from my that test and the exertion of it all.
Shower or nap… hmm. If I shower, that means I have to do it as a guy? Ugh, this is such a pain in the ass. Maybe we'll have private washrooms? I highly doubt it. Please, let me have a private washroom. Pretty please.
"Y
ou look like you could fall asleep on the floor." Alice's voice entered my mind and I scanned around to spot her owl form in a tree a few steps ahead.
She flew down and landed on my shoulder, rubbing her head against my cheek. I smiled, beginning to pet her as I continued to walk down the path. I noticed a sign that pointed straight to Spellbound road.
"I feel like shit. The test was harder than I expected," I spoke quietly to her, ignoring the stares I was getting. Seeing as I'd yet to see anyone else with a familiar, I figured Alice would be one of the few and a bringer of attention. Not like I wasn’t getting enough of that to begin with.
"Hoot," Alice replied. "At least you’re still able to keep your appearance, but you should try and take a nap. How are you going to change back to sleep?"
"I don't know. I honestly don't care at this point," I admitted. I always got bitchy when my magic levels were low. Hmm, can I even say bitchy as a guy? This is so silly. Why did I do this to myself? What possessed me to agree to these terms? Well, it was for Mom. Maybe for myself a bit too. I bet Gabriel and Father are up there in the heavens laughing at me.
"Hoot," Alice commented. "Ya, you need a nap."
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," I sighed heavily.
"You always get so bitchy when your magic is low… wait, can I say that about you since you’re a guy?"
I groaned, rolling my eyes, then pulled my hand out of my pocket to ruffle my hair. "I don't even know."
"Jinn!" I looked over my shoulder to see Logan running towards me. I came to a stop, waiting for him to catch up. Nixon and the rest of the guys were not too far behind.
"You didn't need to leave,” he huffed, totally out of breath.
"I feel like shit and you two are having a manly 'let’s all claim bids on Jinn' fight. I need a nap," I growled back, beginning to walk again. He sighed, speeding up to match my long strides.
"Are you upset?"
"I want to nap," I countered.
"It's more than that."
"No, it's not. My male instincts tell me that I want to nap," I defended.
"I really doubt that," Logan retorted. I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him, lowering my voice.
"Logan. This isn't like when I'm a girl and care about the fact you and Nixon are in some type of male feud over me, which by the way, I don't understand why you're getting your balls in a knot about when he doesn't even know I'm you-know-what."
"Are we seriously arguing right now?" he asked.
"I. Want. To. Nap," I emphasized every word, my voice so low it sounded like I was about to fight his ass. I had to admit, I was slightly tempted.
"Hoot." Alice hopped off my shoulder and onto Logan's. "Go nap, I'll distract him."
"Alice. Not no- Ow. Why are you poking me? Don't tell me you're mad too," Logan complained, frowning at Alice who spread her wings and continued to poke Logan's cheek. I turned around, taking off and leaving him and the others behind. I just needed to sleep. Was that really so much to ask for?
"Jinn looks pissed off," I heard Maximus point out. They sounded only a few steps behind me. As we entered Spellbound road, the noise of the crowd quieted down.
"He needs a nap. If Logan would just let him be, he'd been asleep by now," Nixon commented.
"You really like naps, Nixon?" Kage asked.
"Ya. Sleep is the highlight of life. Don't need to deal with reality," Nixon said plainly. I frowned at his words that seemed to hold more meaning than the others picked up on. It made me curious as what happened in his life to make those words hold such weight.
"I think having a good time in bed is more of a highlight than sleep, but whatever rocks your socks," Maximus sighed, also sounding tired.
"Coming from the guy who's lucky to be able to hold a conversation with a female," Zane chuckled.
Kage laughed, "Maximus is the perfect example of the guy who can reel all the ladies in but becomes a shy mess as soon as they start talking, and they all run away."
I looked over to see Maximus’ face grow red. "That's not fucking true. They're just hard to understand,” he defended.
"Hard to understand, my ass," Nixon said with a yawn. I turned my attention forward, looking for our residence when I noticed a familiar face.
"Hmm? Ms. Landsford?" I asked, failing at hiding my shock. She gave me a wide grin and smiled.
"Ah. Jinn Starfire. A pleasure to finally meet you. Charlotte told me a lot about you and your family. Nice to see a Starfire joining Brighten,” she greeted.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and bowed my head in greeting. "Pleasure to meet you. Aunty Charlotte did say good things about this school. Decided to give it a shot." I played along and didn’t give in to the urge to smile. She glanced over at the others that approached us.
"Logan Cross, Nixon Rose, Zane and Kage Park, and Maximus Copperfield. A pleasure to meet you all." She greeted the others as they came up to where I stood. They all bowed their heads in greeting; their expressions varied from confused to curiosity.
"My name is Ms. Landsford and I'll be one of your professors here at Brighten Magic Academy. Residence ACE 7 will be your dorm for the duration of the semester. This can be changed if your grades don't meet the standards or if you do poorly on a magic test which will be held twice a semester. Each semester is four months long. This week is more of an orientation week. You'll have this time to settle into your dorms, buy your books, and get your wands handcrafted for the semester. Wands are not required, but I suggest you have them just in case a test ranks them as mandatory," Ms. Landsford explained. Her gaze landed on me, followed by Nixon during the final sentence.
I wonder if Nixon can use magic without a wand, like me. He did give me an extra boost during our exam and didn't use his wand for that.
"Hoot!" Alice spread her wings and flew up to land on my shoulder. Ms. Landsford smiled at Alice.
"Ali Starfire. You're one of the rare familiars on this campus. I took into account you have a familiar, Jinn, so your room has a spot for him to rest and a spare bed if in case he decides to stay in his human form. I believe that was what was written on your application."
"Hold up, the bird can change to a human?" Maximus asked, moving around to stare at Alice, who fluffed her feathers and snuggled closer to my head, glaring at Maximus.
"He doesn't like everyone. I wouldn't try petting him unless he shows that he wants you to, and to answer your question, yes. Ali can change into a human," I revealed.
"That's so cool." Kage came over to stand next to me, reaching his hand out but didn't touch Alice. She relaxed and lowered her head, allowing Kage to pet her.
"Kage has always been good with familiars.” Zane pointed out.
"Familiars are rare and energy costing. After that test and now knowing Jinn has a damn familiar, I'm surprised he's even standing," Maximus commented.
"Ali doesn't take a lot of mana from me," I replied, not wanting to spend too much time on the topic. It was hard enough to remind myself to call Alice by her male name, Ali. The longer we spent on the topic, the higher my chances were of slipping up.
I opened my mouth to brush off the subject but yawned. Fuck, I'm seriously tired.
"Hoot, hoot, hoot," Alice replied, hopping up and down on my shoulder. "Nap, nap, nap."
"Sorry to cut things short, Ms. Landsford, but Jinn needs a nap. He's really cranky when he doesn't sleep. We don't want to suffer the consequences of his lack of sleep," Nixon stressed, walking up and resting his head on my shoulder.
"Why are you even resting your head on his shoulder when HE'S the one who’s tired?" Maximus groaned.
"Because I need a nap too. Plus, I like doing this. It bugs the shit out of Logan,” he confessed. I glanced over at Logan whose eye literally twitched. These two are never going to get along.
"Hoot," Alice replied to my thoughts. "Agreed. Maybe they'll kill each other. That would be entertaining to watch though."
I sighed. Entertaining for you.
"My apologie
s. All of you must be exhausted. Let me give you a quick tour and then we'll be on our way. You will have one more roommate. He just went off to get his schedule," Ms. Landsford announced.
"Who’s that?" Maximus wondered. We all began to move towards the entrance door, Logan holding the gate open for all of us to enter.
"Braxton,” she answered simply. Kage and Zane stopped in their tracks, their jaws open in shock.
"BROTHER!" they explained together. We turned to look at both of them and they groaned.
"I knew there was a catch for him letting us apply," Kage sighed.
"I'm calling Mom. Fuck this, I won't be babysat by him!" Zane complained.
"Braxton's your brother?" I clarified. Both Kage and Zane looked young for sure, but no younger than the acceptance age of twenty-one.
"Yes. Ugh. If we don't get to go to at least one party I'm calling child services," Kage whined.
Maximus laughed. "You can't call child services on him, idiot. Braxton is chill,” he pointed out.
"Chill to YOU," Zane amended.
"Yeah, you guys are only a year apart. He's nice to you. He's a pain in our asses," Kage replied. He was the more soft-spoken of the two, which made his debate sound harmless compared to Zane, who had a more assertive tone to his deep voice.
"If you two are brothers, who is the older one?" Logan asked.
Zane pointed to Kage. "Sadly, Kage is older. He's twenty-two. I'm twenty-one."
"Everyone thinks Zane's the older one between us since he's more straight to the point and has little patience. Or maybe, it’s because my voice is softer," Kage considered, shrugging his shoulders.
"Hoot." Alice left my shoulder to fly over to Kage's. "I like him. He's kind-hearted."
Kage's expression brightened and he began petting Alice, who rubbed her head against his hand.
"He likes you," I pointed out as we entered the home.
"I'm glad," Kage replied, a bit of amusement in his eyes. I didn't understand why he was so entertained but I shrugged it off. I was getting closer and closer to a nice bed, so nothing else mattered at the moment.
REFLECTIONS OF YOU (Brighten Magic Academy Book 1) Page 10
