The itch in my head subsided as soon I was walked up to the partially open door of the human den. There were lights and noise inside, and other things I didn't even process until I was inside. Then I took in the scent of teenage musk (ew) and the sight of kids milking around with their hands hands clutched around what I think were called cups? It was indeed very loud, and there was no sign of Ted anywhere. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the kids were pointing and whispering, I suddenly felt weird, like there was something I should know about, but the feeling passed.

"Zara." Jay squeezed my shoulder. "I don't like this. In fact, I'd go out on a limb and say I might even hate it."

I realized this probably wasn't the most favorable situation for him. "I said I'd be quick, I meant it."

"Okay fine, but if I don't start seeing some serious hauling of tail, I'm going to start whining, and we both hate that."

The corners of my mouth twisted up despite myself. I walked around with Jay tailing me for a bit, testing the area to get a word in from Zach about what we were looking for.

You're looking for the boy.

Is he an ingredient? I mused to myself at the thought.

He's the prime option.

My smile faltered. I wasn't being serious. I don't think I could go through with something like that.

It's not him, it's something he possesses, besides it wouldn't matter if you couldn't or could not, you'd do it for me anyway.

I stopped walking for a moment, feeling chills run down my spine and a dull ache in the back of my skull. Then all of a sudden I lost my train of thought and wondered why I had just stopped. I continued on walking.

"Do you see something?" Jay asked.

"Nothing besides smelly kids who are giving me weird looks."

"Strange." He replied, in an equally odd way.

I was just about to head through another door, when I spotted him. Ted was sitting on a couch and nervously holding one of those cuts while he listened to more nerdy looking kids chat and mingle. I started to move towards him, and it only took a moment for him to make eye contact with me. When he did his eyes went wide and he dropped the cup he was holding, immediately standing up and excusing himself for the spill and to his friends. I couldn't walk faster without leaving Jay, so I just had to keeping going at the same pace while I watched him disappear around a corner.

"Zara, while I love deciphering your thoughts from just your movement alone, what's going on now?" Jay asked, avoiding clipping the furniture.

"Oh sorry. I saw Ted but he just disappeared again. He ran, isn't that weird?"

"Yeah." Jay's strange voice was back. "Am I holding you back? You need to catch, right? Just leave me here for a bit I'll be fine."

"No." I frowned. "No... I don't why but I think that would be a bad idea."

"...okay?"

I could sense he was hesitant again. He knew something I didn't, that was for sure. He was keeping it from me however, so I wasn't going to acknowledge it. I continued stepping over and pushing past people, watching Ted vanish behind a door. I grabbed onto the handle, only to find it wasn't opening. I didn't really know what to do know since my concept of knobs on doors was very rough.

"Is he in there?" Jay asked.

"Yep. Come one Ted, I just want to talk." I knocked on it slightly.

"No." I heard his reply easier than I expected to, I think my claw hearing was coming back, not the best sign.

"Why not?" I sighed.

There was a buzzing energy around the metal knob. I was picking up on it now. Something inside me felt like i could open this if I used enough force or magyk.

"B-because you tried to kill me!" He stammered.

"No she didn't." Jay insisted.

I glad he did because an icy feeling had settled over me when I realized I didn't remember.

"We promise we're not going to hurt you, we have your phone, we wanted to return it to you." I tried.

There was silence on the otherwise of the door.

"I honestly think you're thinking of the wrong people." I kept going, wrapping my hands around the knob and trying to summon something.

Magyk maybe? I don't know. I don't know if the laws of gyre applied to this but I would give it a shot anyway. There was a tingly feeling in my fingers, and I felt a slight pain from behind my eyes when all of a sudden there was a metallic snapping noise and the door swung open.

I barged inside, Ted was sitting on the edge of... I think humans cleaned themselves in it. He looked up and shrikes once we were inside. I grabbed onto his mouth to squelch the noise and Jay closed and door and fumbled around with the lock for a bit. Ted started whimpering pathetically, a sound I thought was familiar but... I couldn't place it. That kind of scared me.

"We're not going to hurt you, okay?" I promised him.

He stared at me fearfully, then frowned all of a sudden, and stopped the high pitched noises. I let go of his mouth and handed him his phone back.

"I've seen you before." He spat.

"You just did earlier today." Jay pointed out.

I blinked, but decided to infinite that because Ted was giving me the weirdest look.

"No... no it wasn't you. It was some dude. He used to go to my school, you look just like him." Ted was squinting with the effort.

I swallowed hard. "What his name... Zach?"

"Yeah, I think it was." He seemed significantly less terrified. "Who... who are you guys?"

Jay reached out and squeezed my hand. I appreciated the gesture, it was sweet. I think some part of me wished he would do it more.

"We're trying to do the right thing, truth is... we're obviously not from around here. We need your help... I think."

"But who ki-"

Something came over me and I latched onto Ted's wrist all of a sudden, he stopped talking, mouth hanging open. In my grip, his fingers started to shake, and I hissed as pain flooded into my head again. Then it stopped. I don't know what was going on but suddenly I was shaking.

"Zara? Are you okay?" Jay's hands were on my shoulders, trying to get my attention.

The world blurred in and out of focus. I was focused in on one thing, Ted's hair. I jumped at him, and all of a sudden my hands felt like paws again, except they were sticky and... fake feeling this time. I didn't have time to process this as I swiped at his forehead. I could feel myself brush up against his skin ever so slightly. I spilled his blood. I pressed my claws up against his forehead and soaked it in, drawing as much as I could into my body, my glorious new body that I would have soon. I was so close...

Jay yanked me away from Ted, I fell back against the bathroom floor, breathing heavily, groaning from the blistering ache in my head. It hurts so badly. Great Glamora, I could have sworn a bird was trying to peck out my eyes.

Ted wasn't moving. Jay leaned over him and traced his fingers gently along his body until he found the spot where his head and neck met, and pressed his fingers there. I sat up, then spotted the cut on his forehead.

"What happened?" I blinked, pressingly my hands against my forehead weakly.

"I don't know, you tell me." Jay spat angrily. "You're the one who can see."

I remained silent as he lifted his hands away. "He's alive, he'll probably be fine. See if there's something in here to stop the bleeding."

I pawed through the many different crevices and closed pockets of the room and eventually found something that Zach had tried explaining a long time as something to try and recreate for our own Meðal Den, an aiding band, I think. I ripped open the package while Jay waited impatiently.

"Glamora, I hate being human."

"I'm coming." I insisted, peeling the little annoying plastic bits off.

I placed it gently over the bleeding area. Then realized I was going to need a few more of these aiding bands, so I applied on more. Jay touched over my work and seemed to approve. Then he grabbed my shoulder and hoisted me up.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I snapped, "I think we still need him."

"Oh you're not getting anywhere near him." Jay sighed, flicking out the stick Jack had given him and started making his own way out of the rom and through crowds.

I yanked my hand away just as we got through the door. I had to hand it to him, the guy's memory was amazing, but I wasn't having this. 

"What happened back there?" I demanded.

"You attacked him, Zara. I don't know what's going on with you but I know we need to get out of here. Come on."

"No!"

I was shaking again, I could feel the heat of tears right behind my eyes, threatening to spill.

"No... no I didn't... I wouldn't attack him." Tears flowed freely down my face. "I wouldn't..."

My mouth was stalling up, like something inside me wanted me to stop talking, but I overcame it this time. This time? Had this happened before?

"I can't remember." I realized, sobbing. "Jay I can't remember anything."

His face softened and he reached out and numbed against my arm. His fingers traced their way to my folded shaking hands, which he wrapped his around. His hands were warm and bigger than mine. I liked this.

"It's okay." He whispered. "Zara... I... I don't really know what's going, but I'm going to make sure you get through this. You're going to be okay, you here me?"  

He took a few steps closer to me, and rested his chin on my head. I cried into his chest until I could feel the soggy effects of dehydration pull at the corner of my skin. I'm so glad he was here.

"Why did you agree to do this?" I asked softly.

"What do you mean?"

"You obviously been against it, so why are you here?"

He sighed. "Oh Zara. Look I love Zach, okay? He was my best friend... but so are you. No... I... I mean it's more than that, but you've made yourself clear and I'm not going to make you uncomfortable with my feelings all over again."

Now I was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Zara... I love you."

My headaches subsided and all of sudden I remembered a vague moment form around two years ago. Jay confessing to me right before our big fight where Zach sacrificed himself. Glamora reign down on me. I had thought about that moment so many times since then but in this last week I had almost forgotten. How strange, because it was one of the most important things in my life, Jay's love for me... and the fact that I loved him too. I wonder why it had taken so long for me to realize that.

"Oh." I muttered numbly.

"I know I'm sorry. Now really isn't the time."

"No it is. Actually know you're right it really isn't but Jay... after this is all over I think I'd like to take you up on that."

He didn't seem able to answer for a bit. "Wh-what?"

"I really didn't have time to answer the the first time you asked me but now I'm saying yes." I repeated.

"Oh." His voice was significantly higher pitched than before. "Oh."

"Yeah."

He stood there, frozen as a frog, then stepped closer and hugged me really tight. No words were needed, it was perfect. Perfect love. No head ache, no voices. Just the two of us and the night.

"Let's get out of here." Jay offered.

"I agree."

_____________________
Jara??? In MY twenty gayteen???? MORE LIKELY THAN U THINK

Their night isn't even over smh