(Hermes)

Tony got up to turn in his surprise quiz about in to the teacher and when he handed it to the teacher, Mrs. Romey looked up at him and gave an annoyed look, “Mr Benish, this paper is completely blank, only your name on it.”, she said.

“What?”, Tony gasped, taking the paper back. “No, impossible—Mrs Romey, I swear—“

She shook her head, “Just go back to your seat and do it. It's very simple, should only take you ten minutes to complete.”.

He groaned and turned around, going back to his chair and throw himself down on his chair, quickly working on the answer yourself problems. I was wondering—am I ever going to get bored doing this? I'll probably leave Tony and his meathead jocks alone soon. I wonder if he ever had such pity on me in elementary, of course he had other poor souls to torture, but I wonder if a bully ever does get bored messing with other people.

Five minutes later, class ended, but Tony had to stay to finish his work. I packed myself up and left the classroom, going over to my locker. I paused and looked down the hall, seeing if I could someone how ditch Jaycee. After kissing her, I don't know if I could be around her. I have never kissed a girl like her.

I thought it was cute and innocent of her to have never kissed anyone and I took pity on her, but it was a dangerous step.

I closed my locker and trying not to make myself look obvious, I hurried down the hallway and down the pair of steps. When I got to the bottom, I felt safe and I walked normally before a teacher catches me. I grinned, knowing I was going to get away with it.

My grin dropped when I saw Jaycee at the school entrance and she turned, seeing me. A small smile appeared on her face and she waved for me to hurry up.

Damnit, I thought as I walked over to her. I'll just make something up, yeah I'll just do that.

“Hey,”, she said, nervously playing at the end of her side braid, twirling her dark hair around her finger.

I cleared my throat and scratched behind my neck, “Look, Jaycee, I just suddenly remembered I have to do something for my mom after school. She still got a few boxes to unpack and—“,

She crossed her arms over her chest and her nose staring to flaring, making her look kind of cute. Stop it!, I thought. She isn't cute, she's annoying.

“Your lying.”, she said.

I scuffed and innocently smiled, “I am not, I'm being serious.”.

She shook her head, “No your not. I have a little brother and tons of cousin, I know when lying when I see it. You scratched behind your neck, a sign.”.

My eyes widen for a second, “Whatever. I just can't go.”.

“Give me a real reason then.”, she said, lifting her chin up in a challenge.

“I...”, I didn't know what to say. I guess the truth, “I can't be around you.”.

“Why not?”, she asked, her nose flaring again and I just wanted to chuckle.

I brought my hand up to the back of my neck, “Made plans already.”.

“Lair!”, she said and I groaned, bring my hand down. “Look, Hermes, I'm not going to kidnap you or anything. I just want to be friends....like the old times.”.

I chuckled, “Not after I kissed you.”, I said, walking away and out of the school building and she followed me.

“Of course we can.”, she said. “Many guy and girl friends kiss, you were merely just doing me a favor.”, she said, coming up beside me.

I snorted, “I don't hang with dogs.”.

She groaned and hit me, making me wince and bring my hand up to me shoulder not realizing how strong she is, “I'm not a dog.”, she whispered, but dog. “And keep your voice down.”.

“Ow, fine.”, I said. “Anyways, I don't think us being friend is a good idea. We should just stay apart.”.

She spoke when we were fair away enough where people would hear us, “I know you think that, but mates are pretty much friends also. Your suppose to be my best friend.”.

I rolled my eyes, “Not happening.”.

She grabbed my arm and stopped us, making me groan, “Just come with me, I just want to hang out and be friends.”.

I pressed my lips together and thought about it. Lucinda wouldn't only see that, that we're friends. She wont like it, but if she knows we're nothing more then that, it would be a little safer. And I doubt one thing. “Your not going to leave me alone if I don't go, will ya?”.

She shook her head once, “No.”.

I looked away and sighed heavily, “Fine.”, I said and she actually squealed and I gave her a look. She stopped with her eyes widen, but nodded, letting me go. “You are so stubborn.”.

She grinned and leaded the way towards the woods, “Only way I can get what I want.”.

“Don't you have enough friends anyways with the other hippies?”, I asked and she rolled her eyes.

“Jessica and Louis are amazing, but they don't know the real me. You do.”, she said, smiling excitedly. “I have been waiting so long to tell someone about me.”.

I put my hands in my pocket, “How many wolves are there here?”.

“Well,”, she thought. “There's my grandfather, but he doesn't shift that often and he had six kids with my grandma Kelly, so adding about two or three kids for the each of them, a lot. There's only me and my brother Jace though for my dad.”.

“Jace?”, I asked. “Jaycee and Jace?”.

“I know, I know, but my father liked the name Jace cause he thought I would be a boy when my mom was pregnant since many of my uncles had boys first. My mom came up with Jaycee when they found out I was girl instead. So how many witches? I seen three my whole life and they woke in this candle and inscense shop five miles away from Nash.”.

I shrugged, “I don't know, there's not many here in Nash. And those witches are first generation.”, I told her and she looked at me confused. “First generation, they either turned to witchcraft or both their parents were a witch and warlock, so after those witches have grandchild, they'll be known as a second generation. Their magic will be very lows. I'm a forth generation.”.

“Oh.”, she said, her mouth forming an 'O'. “So how do witches really know about my family? How many of them have you met?”.

I closed my mouth, wondering if I should tell her so much about what my people know. Would it be wrong to tell her? I'm not really suppose to discus about our history to others different from us.

(Jaycee)

I looked up at Hermes, waiting for him to answer my question. I was wonder really how witches knew about my family. He should tell me, this is my family we're talking about. Even if it's people I actually don't know, they still share a bloodline with me.

“Through the years, your family would try to get witches to break the curse.”, he said. “They thought they were damned with this curse, which you are. No offense.”, he said when I glared at him.

“So what?”, I asked. “I'm going to hell when I dye?”.

He chuckled, “Of course not. But anyways, we would turn them down since we like to hold grudges against your people.”.

“Which is why your so rude to me.”, I said, nodded.

“I don't care about the past.”, he said, surprising me a little. “My family would just never accept you.”

I frowned and stared at the ground, thinking this felt like we were from different cultures and I could never be with him cause we aren't the same religion. It hurt, a lot. I decided to change the subject towards us ever having a chance to being together, “Continue. How many of my people have you met?'.

“Two.”, he said. “Back in Florida, I was at the beach when I was twelve and he was surfing. I knew there was something different about him and my mom felt it to. She told me about your people and how I should stay away. I was fifteen the the next time and she was at my school. They was something strange about her, she acted differently. I mean, she acted and did everything has a human, but she was amazing at sport and I mean amazing. I knew she had to be different. I have this strange gift of seeing into people past or thinking and when I touched her one time, I saw her past.”.

I remember last Monday, one our first day. He was—well, normal until we lift at lunch outside. After I grabbed him, he changed. Did he....

“That's how you find out about me.”, I gasped. “You saw my past.”.

“And what you thought.”, he grinned.

My face flushed a little, “That invading privacy. Can all you do that?”.

“Like I said, it's a gift. Now stop being noisy.”, he said and I huffed. After a few moments of walking in the woods, he sighed, “Okay, I give. Where are we going?”.

I smiled, “Can't tell, it's a surprise. But it's a special place.”.

Quite again for a few minutes, “I use to hear the wolves are night when I was little.”, he said and I looked up at him confused a little. “At night, when I was little. I heard your kind out howling. It would scare me.”.

I cracked a grin, not helping it. “No need to fear my family—in their wolves form. You should worry more about them being human. My family is pretty crazy. I mean, my grandpa may be in his sixties now, but he's healthy and strong as a horse. He looks like Sylvester Stallone but with more gray hair and without the snarling look.”.

“Holy crap.”, he chuckled.

“Yup. Almost there though.”, I told him.

After ten more minutes of walking, we finally made it close to the cliff of the water fall and lake. My family loved the cliff, they loved jumping off it into the lake. I looked up at Hermes and I grinned, seeing the confused look on his face.

“Jaycee, what are we doing here?”, he asked. “You want to go swimming or something?”, he asked, chuckling.

“No.”, I said, bring my bag in front of and as I opened it, I spoke, “Remember third grade, the day after Halloween, we brought our candy to school and we realized we mostly had either chocolate or lollipops?”, I asked him.

He shrugged, “So?”.

“We bet who could fit more lollipops in their mouth and you've won. And you won in fourth grade, I want a rematch.”, I said, taking the bag of lollipops out. They were the usual small round lollipops, simple and easy. I want a rematch though and I plan to win this time.

He stared at me like I was crazy, “Your joking, right? You brought me all the way out here for this?”.

I shrugged, “Chicken?”, I mocked.

“No.”, he said. “This is just stupid, to bring me out here of all places.”.

“Nice place to just talk.”, I said, looking around. “Now bring it on, I'm going to win this time.”, I said as I opened the bag. “As many as you can fit in your mouth or can't breath anymore.”, I handed him one and when he didn't take it, I looked up at him and shrugged one shoulder, “What?”.

“You are such a nine year old.”, he said.

“I like being a kid, it more fun then having to grow up and dealing with everyday life like paying rent and working.”, I said, unwrapping the lollipop and putting it in my mouth and took another one to unwrap it. “I can't stand when most teenagers say they want to grow up already. I wish I could back track time and stay little. To never grow up and just continue to think the world is like a Dinsey movie.”, I babbled and already was unwrapping my fourth lollipop. “The Little Mermaid was always my favorite. Now are you going to take one already?”, I asked, holding the bag up to him.

He hesitated, but took a few out and began to unwrap them and stick them in our mouths. “Mine was Aladdin.”, he said.

I wiped the little droll coming down the side of my mouth, “I liked Mulan to, I thought she was brave.”.

He seem to hesitate a little, “Bambi, I cried when his mother got shot and killed.”.

I couldn't help but giggle a little, “Really?”.

He shrugged, “Everyone cries at that part.”.

“I cried when the Beast in Beauty and the Beast movie died at the end and was happy when he turned back into a human.”, I said. “Oh, and I cried when Jack down at the end of Titanic.”.

We we losing our chance to speak as our mouth were getting full of lollipops and we were trying so hard not to droll. I couldn't help but giggle a little more and he chuckled along with me.

He moved his eyebrows up and down, “This is just sexy, you know.”.

I laughed, wiping away more droll. Oh this is just disgusting, but it was so fun. I gave myself time for him to get to my number eight and he looked like he was having a hard time fighting more and more into his mouth.

I somehow manage to get ten in my mouth and he got nine. We spit the lollipops out into our hands and through them in a plastic bag I had. After I did a little dance, “I win, I win, win!”, I happily said.

“There, you got you damn rematch.”, he said, chuckling as he wiped his droll away with the sleeve of his jacket. “Hope it was worth me almost choking.”.

I took out a can of soda and handed it to him, “It was, now time for a swim.”.

“Huh?”, he asked.

(Hermes)

She took a long sip from her soda and made an 'ahh' sound, “Come on, it'll be fun!”, she said, throwing off her flannel shirt, having a black tank top on under. “I mean, unless your afraid of heights.”, she added as she stripped off her jeans and had some gray cotton shorts on. She undid her braid next as she kicked off her shoes and she let her wavy dark hair out and I could smell her raspberry shampoo, making me so badly wanting to reach out and run my hands through her hair. It looked soft, like silk.

I snorted, “I'm not, but I'm not going to jump off a twenty feet cliff.”.

“Bock!”, she said, mocking a chicken. “Bock, bock, bock.”.

“Cut it out.”, I warned her.

“Bock! Bock!”, she did it again and I took a step towards her. “BOCK!”, she said extra loudly and she giggled.

I took another big steps to catch her, but she turned and ran over towards the edge, “Jaycee!”, I called out. “Don't.”.

“Oh come on.”, she chuckled. “Who knew you were such a girl?”, she asked before she brought her hands up over her head and jumped off. I hurried over to the edge just in time to see her splash into the water. A few moments later, she rose to the top and threw her hair back, “Come on, I can see your pink panties from down here!”, she yelled up, laughing.

“Maybe I'll just leave.”, I called down to her, ready to see the 'no' coming look of shock.

Surprised, she shrugged and floated her body. She laid in the water peacefully and let the last of the summer beam on her skin. Knowing I wouldn't hear the end of this from Jaycee, I took off my jacket and shirt. I was not going to let hold this on me forever, I was not a chicken.

I threw off my shoes and socks as I took off my pants. I looked down at the lake, eyeing how far away I can be from her as I jumped. Taking a few steps back, counting to three, I ran and jumped off the cliff.