• Demonic.

    “So, tell me, why were you sniffing around the TVs so much kid?” the mall cop asked me. This must be the lamest thing I have ever seen. This so called ‘interrogation room’ is literally, two chairs and a fold out table in and the newly finished closet space. It’s really bright in here actually, nothing like in the movies. Bright florescent lights and the white walls make everything ultra bright.
    As for the ‘interrogator’, he was a little more then an over weight cop that was hired yesterday from the post office, or construction sight. I don’t know if this guy has ever even seen a gun. I sighed at the pour pity of it all. “I told you, I just wanted to see the prices on them. That’s all.” I lied. Unfortunately, I’m a terrible lier. I have this habit of blinking when I lie. I guess wannabe cop picked up on that.
    “Yea, whatever. Kids like you don’t inspect TVs as much as you did. I see three thousand kids like you walk by those TVs. One or two would take more then a second or two to look at them. You, you where looking at them like a fourteen year old at a playboy. I saw you the moment you landed your eyes on those TVs.” He growled. He reminds me of a lap dog barring its teeth. Cute but annoying. Right then my phone began to vibrate in my pocket. I took it out and slide my hands under the table, so he couldn’t see me texting. Before I slid it all the way under the table, I saw who sent the text. I saw the name ‘Vaulx’ and my fingers went to work.
    “Why were studying it like you had a test on everything about it kid? I mean, you looked at every bolt, every screw, every tag and label on more then ten TVs. You playing to steal them or something?” the cop asked cockily.
    I smiled as I hit send. “Something like that.” The last thing that cop saw was me standing up and walking out as he passed out and fell on the floor.

    Chapter one.

    I woke up cold from the sweat on my body. I sat up, gasped in and let out a horrific scream. By the sound of it, you would have thought someone had just inserted a dozen needles into my veins. I could swear I felt the metal slits pump through my body with each beat of my heart. I breathed hard and rapidly, trying to calm down, trying to fight the message the dreams where sending.
    Then I got mad. I reached over and grabbed my phone, opening up a new text message. “You. Freaking. Suck.” I typed into the phone. I hit send, and almost instantaneously, I got my message back from Vaulx. “You had this coming to you. Let me go, and I’ll stop It.” the messaged said.
    “Wrong answer. Fraza.” I typed back. My phone began to grow colder and colder, while an evil scream came through the speaker only for it to be electronically scrambled and cut off. I turned my phone off and got up. It’s time for school. Like, now. I’ll never get there on time, so I might as well take my time to get ready. I need to find cloths, back pack and food. Let’s do that in that order.
    I have the cloths I wore yesterday right down stairs on the table, so that’s taken care of. Back pack is down there too, and food is in the kitchen witch is right next to the living room.
    I walked out of my tornado ally of a room and walked down the hall. I pasted the bathroom and walked down the orange oak stairs. The cream walls are nice, but I’m planning to repaint it some time soon. I turned left and walked into living room with Gypsy on the couch, sleeping on his back, paws in the air and tongue hanging out of his mouth.
    She’s a silly dog. She’s a Boxer Lab mix. She’s fairly small for her breed, but still a great dog. I picked up a tennis ball and threw it at her. It hit her stomach and she scrunched upped, fell off the couch, landed on her feet and trotted over to my side with out missing a beat.
    “Hey girl, you hungry? Good news, you’re coming to school with me. We’re practicing Animal Disguise.” I said as I bent down to pet her. She whined at that. “It’ll be ok girl, I promise. Now come on, let’s get you some food.”
    We walked into the small kitchen with the four foot by four foot island. The cabinets are a dark oak, darker then the oak flooring in the stairs and everywhere in the house. The garnet is black with flakes of marbles in it. It has gray tiles too that really go with the kitchen if you ask me.
    I walked over to one of the bottom cabinets, opened it up and pulled out a bag of dog food. I then reached up and got two bowls from one of the upper cabinets. I put one of the bowls on the ground and threw some dog food into it.
    After some dodging over the hunched over dog, I finally began to sit down and eat too. Cheerios. It’s fills you up. After we all eaten, the pounding of mutable feet was heard through out the ground floor as I walked around, gathering last minute stuff while Gypsy fallowed me. Soon enough, I was on the road and heading towards school within ten or fifteen minutes.
    I grabbed my phone out of my pocket, whipping the frost off the screen, turning it back on. It grumbled (literally) to life, and once it warmed up, I selected Vaulx from my contacts and hit call.
    As soon as I heard an answer, I hit the speaker phone. “Hello?” I asked the phone.
    “It’s more like Hell. Go to it.” was my response. “So, you still going to try to control me, or are you going to start using some of the other poor souls trapped in here?” Vaulx asked.
    “Demons are not ‘poor souls’.” I interjected.
    “They are when they’re with you.” he snickered. “So, what’s up for today?”
    “Today it’s school, no more hunting for a while. I got four, and that one for that job I was suppose to do.” I hinted. I never told Vaulx about the job, but I’m sure he already knows. Now that I think about it…I haven’t done any of my homework…so I don’t know how Terry is going to react to that.
    “Fine. Whatever.”
    “You know, the less you fight me on this the better we’ll get along and the smoother it’ll go.” I stated to the voice on the other end. I heard a huff on the other side before the phone disconnected itself. I sigh and put my phone, then, disaster.

    By the time I got to school, I was late to last class before lunch. I’m SOOO DEAD! Like, dead would be a preferred state right now. Oh God…come on, go be making copies, go be making copies. I turned the door knobbed and quickly and quietly went into the room.
    I shut the door behind me, eyes shut and breathing a sigh of relieve. “Thank God…I thought I was going to have to-” I started. My rant was interrupted by a sharp and brutal Humph. My heart froze and I could hear Vaulx’s laughter in my head as he would if he knew the situation right now.
    “And what, pray tell, did you think you have to do?” Terry asked, leaning against her desk. Her green eyes were fixed on me, while her face resembled a cat’s when it found a wounded mouse. She’s not mean or anything, but she loves to poke fun at you if she can. She’s a fairly short woman, maybe five three. She had to tilt her head to look up at me, even from a good distance away.
    Though, now that she has me; being late to her class for the third time in a row, I know she’s going to be brutal. “Um…Terry…” I started.
    “It’s Berkheart, Luke.”
    “Sorry Ms. Berkheart, I was thinking you would want me to explain why I was late.” I said humbly. “Oh Luke,” she sighed. The whole class room now had looked up from their books and their eyes where set on me. None of them seamed to be too thrilled to see me. “You know I don’t care why you, in particular are late to my class. I just want to know why you, particularly haven’t showed up to my class.” She toyed. She does this a lot. Her fingers danced across the clip board she was holding, wondering if she should send me to the principle’s office or not.
    I took in a deep breath. “Well, I got into a car accident. I’m fine, I managed to take a buss to get here, but my car is kinda, sort of…well, my wet cloths and the smell of Lake Agley sort of tell the rest of the story.” I said shyly. I was expecting a sigh, or a scream, but I didn’t get either. Instead I got a small, but noticeable laugh from her.
    “Oh Luke, what am I going to do with you? Get to your seat and I’ll expect a thousand word papers describing your car in its current situation tomorrow. We’re about to hear from the Psychology class on some idea’s they’ve come up with.” She said. I nodded and rushed to my seat, dipping wet and sneakers squeaking.
    I’m lucky I got my book bag out of the car before I completely submerged. I wouldn’t be completely wet actually if I didn’t have to dive in after my phone. Stupid demons…you’re lucky Vaulx is there. If he wasn’t there, they all would have been starting a long, long eternity at the bottom of that lake.
    When I sat down, I shook my head violently, shaking off water from my head like a dog. My ear lob long black hair with blond tips instantly proofed back to a manageable position. I did, how ever, get a slap up side the head from one of the people I shook water on. Her name was Meg.
    We’ve been friends for a while. She came to this school recently, like a lot of kids. There are people who realize they can see and control demons at different ages through out their lives. It usually happens around puberty. Now, deal with me because I didn’t understand this for a while myself.
    When you hit a growth spurt, only does it make you grow, but you eyes have to grow too to keep up with your body. Accordingly, your rods and cones get bigger too. You have to have a unusual amount of cones and rods in the first place, and right around puberty, allowing those rods and cones to get bigger, you tend to see more (tend). That’s where demons come in.
    Demons are in simple terms, energy. No, literally. You flip on a light bulb or turn on a computer, the electricity that enters the devise so fast, it make a tiny rift in this dimension(as pre planed by any electronic devises). Just enough for a demon to squeak through. Demons actually liked their energy being drained in a small ‘cage’ as they put it. Their ‘world’ (or so they say) is just swearing chaos. Here it’s nice, peaceful, lot easier to breath. You can’t trust what a demon says though.
    ANYWAY, like this whole thing was for, Meg joined this school only about three years ago. I was her chaperon for the first couple days. Principle Goldman didn’t let me chaperon (even though I’m a great student, been at this school since it opened up, and I’m just awesome with people) because of that one incident.
    How as I suppose to know that demons can cast spells when I’m at age seven? I just drew a picture of a pony out of mud; I knew almost nothing at that age.
    After I became Meg’s chaperon, we were almost inseparable. You couldn’t find two better friends in this school. We’ve been busy for a while, not a lot of time to hang out. I’ve been busy with my demon antics, and she’s got a boyfriend recently and they’re going through that puppy dog love phase. Even with all that, we still mange to spend a little time together now and then.
    Though, it’s not like it was last year. After the summer… things seamed to change.
    “So, Luke, what’s your option?” Terry asked. I refocus, wondering what she was talking about. A couple kids where in the front of the class. I’ve seen them around, but I don’t know them personally. It’s strange seeing these kids up there. Mini skirts or shorts with pink zebra striped tang top, or a green turtle neck. This school used to be a castle, so everything is either limestone or wood.
    Old, grand chandeliers hung down from the ceiling, while the eleven foot high windows let in light and a view of the Ireland country side. Rolling green hills, thickets of trees, it was enough to make you wish you weren’t cramped in this school.
    I looked back to the front of the class quickly. The kids were all lined up in front of Terry’s desk, which was placed in front of a huge, wall sized caulk board. I really do like this school; I just wish it wasn’t so much…educational I guess. I’m not the one for book smarts.
    “Um…my opinion?” I asked nervously. I had no idea what they wanted me to say. No idea at all. I could say yes and just agreed to join the army. Or, I could say no and completely contradict their whole point. Might as well make a fool of myself.
    “Well, my opinion is that the blond to the far left should have my number, or at least a copy of my key.” I said with a confident smile. I really did like the blond. She was tall, tan, and healthy if you’re picking up what I’m laying down.
    She had a white tan top with jeans. A cowgirl look really, but she didn’t have the cowgirl boots on. Instead, it looked as though she had steel toe boots on. Something I would have actually. That when my interested sparked about this girl.
    This one was weird. She didn’t have any makeup on, or if she did she did an incredible job of it. Her hair was shiny and smooth, pulled back into a pony tail that reached down to her upper back. She had a cute face too. Small nose, nice smile, narrow cheeks but not skeleton narrow, but still it all worked together.
    What I wanted to know was why, a girl like this, wore something like that? I mean, don’t get me wrong, it looked nice. Look real nice. It’s just; I don’t see girls wearing steal toe boots every day. Especially looking like that.
    When I stopped examining her, I heard a hardy laugh from the guys in then room, got a pat on the back by one, a howl from another.
    Though, you can imagine how it went over with Meg and Terry. I was promptly sculled by both. Meg smacked me, and Terry scolded me by ‘not’ noticing the smack. The blond though, at the end, was anything but made. I might have seen a little color flush in those sculpted cheeks of hers.
    “Very funny Luke. Please, might you not spend our class period flirting and more on learning, like I’m actually paid for? Thank you. Now, Linda, as embarrassing at it might be now, can you please repeat what you just said?” Terry asked the line of students with hint of impenitentness in her voice.
    To my surprise, the blond on the end stepped forward, trying to advert her eyes from me. I got more then a couple quick glances though, and when I did, man did I feel on top of the world.
    “Well, um, we were debating on the idea of demonic position in class. One of the key points of arguing is that a demon, yes, could take over a human. Though that demon would have to be captured and told so by a Creature Controller.
    “Now, there have been countless cases of demonic possession, but a lot of them are just ordinary people. Not a single thing about then could link them to any Myth type creatures. Family, work, friends, nothing. We concluded a small or fairly large portion of those cases could either be a prank, but that left the others.
    “Could a demon, either A; leave a small part of it inside someone which continues to mess with their mind or B; could uncontrolled demons posses a human on it’s on free will. A regular human.” She finished. I had to say, that was a puzzler. Sure, demons have been known to leave traces of themselves in places. Like buildings, boxes or furniture. What’s more though, demons can’t enter a regular human’s body unless told to by its Master or Controller. Not to mention she had a voice that would make an angel listen up.
    It’s a nice theory. Point A relies on point B for creation, but point B is impossible, so that’s canceling both points. This is the kind of stuff the Psychology class gets to think about everyday. I like it.
    “Um…” I said, thinking. This was a good argument. Which ever point you agree with, it leads to a mood argument. But I, Luke Shepherd, know a thing or two about the so called Magical world. My tests just don’t show it. “Well, what about werewolves? Those are humans that merge with humans.” I asked her. She nodded, expecting this, flipping through her metal notes.
    “Yes, that’s true, but as you know; werewolf children are born with no life forces. So the parents make a deal with a Creature Controller to buy one of their demons to inhabit the child. Needless to say, it’s only a special kind of demon that can inhabit a child with no life force, not just any demon can take on the job.
    “In an unsaid agreement, the child allows the demon to inhabit his or her body, be partly human, and in return the demon allows the child to use its powers. Even so, the root at all that the parents and Creature Controller allow the demon to take possession of the child.” She stated. Nice. I was impressed. She’s not only God-like beautiful, but also smart. I had to really step up my game for her.
    “What about higher level demons? Did you consider those?” I bluffed. She didn’t take it though. “Ever since the light bulb was made, the first devise to open up a rift to the demon’s dimension, Thomas Edison had a write contract with the Demon Lore. Among with other rules, demons of any level can not hurt a regular human unless instructed to do so.” She corrected my statement. She grinned. She thinks she cornered me. Some how, in this little question, an intellectual contest has arouse between us. I love it.
    “Alright, alright. I guess that makes sense. I assume you ruled out Leprechauns right? Those little guys can be crafty and make humans agree to inhabit a demon.”
    “Yeah, we assume maybe two or three of those cases where the cause of Leprechauns.” She said quickly. I sure the Psychology teacher didn’t tell them EVERYTHING. I mean, I know that teacher. She always leaves a margined for another student to prove her students wrong, just to keep her students on their toes. I just have to think of what it was.
    I think I know what it is too. “What about an Ouija board? You had to talk about those.” I asked hands behind heads. It didn’t phase her one bit. “Yeah. We did. As everyone knows, the human mind produces twenty watts of electricity. When that low power gets channeled in one thought, like fear or surprise could do, a demon could find that small rift and enter that human.” She said as she sealed her fate. I felt bad, because I as soon as I was bout to say my point, I saw that she knew it.
    Her face went from confident, to fearful that I was going to say what she was thinking. I had her, we both knew that. If what she saying is true, fear could cause a small demon to enter the brain. Ouija boards do that a lot better then any other fear factor, because the human is already thinking ghost or demon.
    Though it’s possible to be scared from a close car accident a scary movie, therefore, no matter how small that chance, a demon could enter that moment of fear. The conditions had to be perfect, but it could happen and that could end this right here now. All it would require was one sentence to prove my point, but I’m a gentleman.
    “Oh…well I’m stumped.” I said hands behind my head. I had a smartass grin on, but no one cared. I have that grin on all the time. My and the blonde’s eyes were gridlock. She was shocked at my answer, but her face showed more of angry wonderment. I just kept on smiling, while she stepped back into her line, eyes finally leaving me.
    “Thank you all for your thinking food, and Luke, would it kill you to show some of those smart on your test? Some times I swear you let your pencil do your thinking for you.” she joked. That got a laugh out of the class and the kids from Psychology, but not blonde. She was still avoiding my eyes. I have to try and find her in the lunch room.
    As the Psychology class left, Terry went back the regular lesson plan. As soon as her small, slender white cylinder hit the black board, my phone started to vibrate. I, knowing almost no one at all, dug it out of my pocket and read the message.
    “I didn’t like that girl. Try not to see her ever again.” Vaulx said. I rolled my eyes, fingers going to work. “Whatever. You’re just pissed that I found some joy in someone.”
    “No,” he responded almost as soon as I hit the send button. “That’s not it completely, but you liking her makes it all the better for me, a higher being then you that could crush you under one of my hangnails, to tell you to stay away. Besides, it’s not just me complaining, it’s all the other demons in here too. They don’t like her either, but they’re too scared of you to say anything. I, on the other hand, am not.” he finished. I rolled my eyes again, typed in “Kaliosa” and hit send, watching my phone twitch and vibrate as if something inside was rolling around in pain.
    I put my phone back in my pocket, assured that I would get some work done before the end of cl-
    BRING!!!
    Damn.
    “Class, I want a paper on how you think Einstein got the Demon Lore’s daughters in the atomic bomb. Alright? Luke, I don’t want you to forgot about your paper about you car either!” she called out as a heard of teenagers pulled up their book bags and rushed to the door, itching to eat lunch.
    I, as always, am never ready for the bell, so by the time I got my stuff together and out the door, I was one of the last ones. I always had the walk to the cafeteria to look forward to though. This was one of the only times I actually got to hang out with Meg before her boyfriend swooped her away.
    It wasn’t long, but it would have to do. When I cleared the doorway, there, leaning against the wall, was Meg.
    She almost as tall as me, but her figure stopped at five eight. She had a long, straight chocolate covered hair with eyes to match. She was a smart cookie, I had to say, but she’s also quiet serious about everything. Every now and again I’ll get a whiff of her silly side, but that’s rare. I’m talking finding a hundred dollars lying around in a bank floor rare.
    She’s a good friend though and even though we’re polar opposites, it works.
    “So, you bring Gypsy for Animal Disguises today?” she asked me as we walked down the crowded hall. It floor has been polished and painted with some sort of clear paint. The walls had huge pieces of art either of people or places, and the ceiling seamed ready to give away, but if it hasn’t happened all the years I’ve been here, it’s not going to happen today.
    “Yeah, I did, why?” I asked her. She shrugged. “I don’t know. I brought Teel.” She said proudly. Teel was her cockatoo. I’ve known that bird since I known Meg. It’s a hold bird, but it’s still as beautiful as the first day I saw it.
    “Really? Don’t think your demon won’t use Teel’s wings and fly away?” I asked her. She shook her head. “Nah, I really don’t think so. I’ll have control over it most of the time. It’s your demon you should worry about.” She hinted. I sighed and rolled my eyes. She hates Vaulx. Hates him.
    “I know, I know.” I said, saying the same thing as the other times. Of course, she’ll say the same. “You know you should let that demon go before he hurts somebody.” Like she’s always said it. I rolled my eyes again, this time, more dramatically. “Meg, come on. He’s level seven. Some teachers here can’t even get their hands on a level seven. You know it only goes up to twelve. I’m doing pretty well. Besides, he’s the highest one I have. The others are at a max of four, and it only gets worst from there.”
    “I know, but still. He’s been giving you bad luck, giving you nightmares and basically disrespecting you. You can’t allow a demon to disrespect you.” Megan scolded. She’s right, I can’t allow demons to disrespect me, but I don’t care. All my other demons listen to me with out a word; it’s just Vaulx who has an issue.
    I spun around in front of her, sneakers squeaking horribly. “Listen, I’m keep Vaulx, ok? He’s staying. Now that that’s out of the way, here comes Tom at six o’clock.” I said in a pretty pissy tone. Meg jumped suddenly, spinning just as fast. Tom was a big guy. He played foot ball for the school, and was on the Sparing team for the school also. He had ok demons, but he himself was someone you had to look out for.
    He’s about five inches taller then me, so that puts him at six seven. I offend mistaken his shoulders for this pads, and his arms resembled tree trucks. I’m no whimp mind you, but I’m not a troll unlike Tom.
    If you haven’t figured it out, Tom and I don’t get along a whole lot. He sees me a rival for Meg’s attention (like I get any) and I see him as a jackass. We’re at an impasse here. He had short dirty, speckled bond hair and bright green eyes. They were freakishly green. Sometimes I think he has a demon inside of his head lighting him up like a candle. There has to be something up there cause it’s sure not a brain.
    “Hey baby.” He said, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a bigger-then-necessary kiss on my occasion. He does this a lot. I always wanted to drug Megan and plant a demon in her tongue, so when they kiss, he gets a little something extra. That would make my day.
    “Hey baby…” she said, obviously embarrass from the event, turning around as me and Tom sized each other up. I lost the moment I was born with normal human DNA. “What’s um, going on with you?” she asked.
    “Nothing much, you?” he said, not taking his eyes off me. I don’t know if he was talking to me or her, but see, I didn’t really care. “Good.” I said. “I was out looking for a job, found a job and now I’m going to complete that job. Unlike you, I have to work for a living.” I said sneakily. I had to. Megan will probably say I shouldn’t start stuff…but it’s Tom. I gotta.
    “Really now? What do you call that new Chevy Avalanche out there?” he asked me, pointing to some window. I had the answer he wanted to hear. I had the answer I should have said. I even had the answer I should have said.
    “A piece of a s**t.” That, just so you know, was not what anyone wanted to hear but me. I didn’t even want to hear it after I said it. Tom had grabbed hold of my head and slammed it into the lockers. It didn’t hurt as bad as it sounds, because the lockers gave way and my head dented it.
    “Now,” Tom said, everyone suddenly gathering around us. Megan hadn’t noticed what happened until it happened, and now she was being held back by Tom’s pals. “Let’s try that again. This time, don’t insult my truck.” He said with an evil grin. Tom would kill me I think. Dad’s the police chief and his mom’s a lawyer. He thinks he’s untouchable, and so far, he has been.
    I tried pushing my lips together to say something, but it took a moment for them to find them. I was a bit confused about what was happening after that slam. I knew my phone was vibrating like crazy though. “Um…alright, I like that plan…” I mumbled. Tom let me go, stepping away. As soon as he did, I pushed off the lockers and brought my fist across his chin.
    He went flying back, stumbling. He would have fallen if one of his friends didn’t catch him. I have to hand it to Tom; he can take a punch. I about broke my hand on that punch. As he staggered to get to his feet, I scrambled to get my phone. All I have to do it hit 666 (he chooses it) and I might have a chance against Tom.
    “TOM! Stop it!” Megan cried out. She tried getting out from Tom’s goon’s grip, but she couldn’t. My phone was being all weird. Come on, come on, turn on!
    “You…little…” I heard Tom say before I felt an iron bar hit my gut and side. Ok, it wasn’t an iron bar, it was his leg, but it wasn’t much different. I felt to my stomach, the taste of metal filling in my mouth.
    I felt stomp after stomp of Tom’s huge foot on my back. One time my back cracked, but I don’t know if that was a good or bad crack. I was pulled up to my feet, from two more of Tom’s goons that came from nowhere.
    I hope Vaulx hurries up.
    “You. Little. b***h.” Tom cursed as he took a frozen chicken of a fist and struck my face. My neck snapped violently to the left, blood spraying from my lip. Though I didn’t feel that punch. I didn’t feel my lip bleeding either. I slowly straightened up, direct eye contact with Tom. “Wait…what did you call me?” I asked once more. Tom punched me in the guy, and of course I hunched over, moaning. You couldn’t take a punch from Tom and not moan.
    I felt his massive head bend down to my ear, breath warm with blood lust. “You heard me you dirty, little, b***h.” He huffed out. I bent my head towards Megan, who had heard him the first time. She had turned her head, not watching the since unfold. That was her way of saying ‘alright, he’s all yours.’
    I plan to make him regret calling me that. I snapped my arms straight, flames shooting down them. I felt the heat, but I didn’t register pain with the heat. It just felt like the sun’s rays getting hotter and hotter and hotter. I pulled my arms up and back, slamming Tom’s two goons in the face and sending them flying back into the lockers. Their bodies hit the metal doors with loud thanks!
    I reached forward, my muscles screaming. This is was Vaulx does. Makes you work for the power.
    I grabbed Tom’s face, jumping back and throwing him against locker. I held him by his face three inches off the ground. My arm was fully stretched out, and I could feel more then before, power pulse through my veins.
    “Luke! Stop!” I heard Megan shout. I didn’t want to stop. Or I should say, Vaulx didn’t want to stop. I never told anyone the truth of what it’s like to fight with Vaulx. I’ve always said it’s like another demon, but a whole lot more power. That’s not the case.
    It’s painful. It’s incredibly painful. It feels my blood has been turned into barbed wire and with each beat of my heart I feel the wire scrap across my veins. The flames that lick around my arms feel like people are putting their cigarette out on my skin. I could feel his claws at my brain as I try to channel his power…but I can’t deny it’s all worth it. I just wish I made more control over him then he did me.
    “Never…ever…” I said in a deep and dark tone. “Call me a b***h. Masicone.”
    I saw Tom’s eyes grow to the size of dinner plates as he struggled from my grip. Masicone won’t kill him, but it’ll hurt like hell. It feels like a fire cracker exploding in your head. I could feel the energy build up in my body and begin to work its way up my body, but then something else hit me. “Parastone.”
    Next thing I knew, I was frozen in my place, as was Tom. There was one person in the school that knew Parastone. The principle.

    Chapter two.

    Who was that guy? He was hot, that was for sure. That deep, almost dark blue black hair and blond tips. His deep denim blue eyes seamed to cut right though me, and his whole person seamed to just drip with confidence. The more and more I think about him too, the more and more I seam to find strange or different about him.
    Like, why was he wet? Why did the girl next to him keep shifting eyes between the two of us? I mean, if he’s her boyfriend I’ll back off; but if he is her boyfriend, what was with the come on he started off with. Which reminds me how embarrassing that was! I mean, I don’t know if should feel offended or flatter.
    Besides, he seamed really smart, even though everyone I’ve asked about him said he’s not the brightest bulb in the bunch. I highly doubt that. He obviously new a lot about demonology and even more about debating. I thought for sure he had me. I could even see in it his face, he knew what to say.
    Some of the other kids might have known too, sure, but that heated debate was between me and him and everyone knew that. I hear I am, at my lunch table with all my friends, but I can’t help but scan the entire cafeteria for his face, cloths or hair. I even tried to listen for a squeak of a wet tennis show. I couldn’t find a single clue that proved that guy was still on the face of the planet.
    I shouldn’t obsess like this anyway. I’ve done it before, and I always end up hurt. First time was expect, second was two, but after the seventh time, you tend to learn.
    “What are you looking for?” My friend Penny asked. Penny and I have been friend since preschool. She was that one girl who pushes you down and takes your crayons. She just didn’t expect me to get up and push her back. She’s no longer like that. She’s the prissier one out of the two of us.
    She’s wearing a white designer tang top with a flashy necklace. Her shorts were danger jeans she had, but since she was going to be a famous designer, she decided to style cut them herself.
    Of course though she has a pair of the most beautiful high heels you’ve ever seen. She was always the model type anyway. Long and slinky. Long arms, long fingers, long legs. Makes me feel kinda self conscious sometimes, I won’t lie. Having a friend constantly going to photo-shoots, flirting with some of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen, getting offered jobs for her face being in small magazines.
    I never thought of myself as ugly, but I never saw myself as beautiful as Penny. She always is lecturing me about my looks though. ‘You need some more low-cut shirts. If you got it, flaunt it’ or ‘a little lipstick never killed anyone’. I take her advice sometimes, but I don’t know. I’m not the one for miniskirts.
    “Oh, nothing.” I lied, stirring my lasagna absent mindedly. This, somehow, explained everything to her. She grabbed onto the table, pushed off the ground with her foot and pushed me to the end of the table.
    “Oh my God! You have a boy on your mind! Who is he? Is he hot? Does he have a nice car? Have you slept with him yet? If so, were you safe or o-natural? ” she shot at me. I felt like I was in front of a firing squad during target practice. By the time I registered the last question, she had just hit me with two more. “Ok, in order; yes, I don’t know, I guess, I don’t know, no and EW!” I protested. She huffed, disappoint at the lack of information. “Fiiiiiine. We’ll go the little nice girl’s way. Who is he? Does he go here?” she asked me. I shrugged, looking around the cafeteria one more time.
    The long dark oak tables were vandalized with markings, crusted on food and chips and marks from shoes, cafeteria trays or some hexes or spells or something. I can’t tell the difference. “Um…he’s not here, but I know he goes here. You know how we had to go to the other class and get their perspective right? Well, he was in the class I went to.” I told her. She seamed contented with what I was giving her, but I could tell she was hoping for something a little more juicer. Still, she seamed happy to be helping her friend out with boy stuff. “Ok, ok. I need a little more then that sweetie.”
    “Ok…well, he laid down a HUGE come on so the whole class could hear.”
    “Ok, ok, he’s confident, that’s hot. What else. I need looks.”
    “Tall, I would say six foot two. Dark black hair with blond tips, beat up jeans and a black t-shirt, that I might add he fills out real nicely, and brown jacket. He was dripping wet when I was there, so I don’t know if he swims or what.” I said quickly. I could feel a giddiness coming over me. I felt like I was thirteen again.
    “Oh, nice. He sounds like a hotty, but I won’t go as far as hunk. Do you know anything else about him? Like if he’s single.” She hinted. That when my heart sank. I forgot all about that. What if he is taken?
    “I…don’t know that part…” I sadly admitted. I mean, if he is taken, I have to forget about him right? I mean, if I was that other girl, I don’t know if I could live with myself. I know what it’s like for someone you never thought would leave to be swept out from under you. It’s a devastatingly sick feeling. I never want to make another girl feel like that.
    “Wait. Is that him over there?” she asked me. It’s funny really. How a simple thought of someone, someone I never knew existed until ten minutes ago, could make my heart race so fast. I could feel my heart thump against my chest so hard and so fast, I thought it was going to just right out of me.
    I couldn’t hear anything but the same thumping. I’ve only felt like this once before, and I had to go to the hospital for that. Why am I reacting like this? He’s just a guy. Just…take a breath and calm down.
    I adverted my eyes to Penny’s head gesture. Of course, she was right. There he was. He was walking into the cafeteria with some guy, but I could focus on his friend later. He looked beat up actually. He had a bloody lip, you could tell he was favoring an arm and he seamed to be a little nervous and shifty eyed.
    “Yeah! That’s him!”
    “Good! Wait here, I’ll be right back!” Penny said, spring up and gone before I could reach out and pull her back. Penny! Why?! Penny why?! I think I’m going to die! I mean, I don’t know what to do, to say, to act. I’m not a natural flirt! Flirting is very, very difficult for me!
    Sure enough though, here comes Penny with the two boys, trays full of food. Penny was texting on her phone. Two whom, or why, I had a feeling I’ll find out shortly. Sure enough, as soon as she put her phone away, all the girls at my table check their phones, picked up their trays and left.
    Penny. Is going. To die.
    “Hey there beautiful.” A cheerfully deep smooth voice said. I slowly realized I was staring down at the table. I must have obliviously hung my head when all the girls got up and left. Makes sense. I’m going to die of embarrassment anyway.
    “Hi there.” I shyly said, taking a strain of hair and placing it behind my hair. And let the slow, miserably slow death begin.
    “So, Linda here hasn’t shut up about you since the bell.” Penny playfully said to guy. I took the hell of by boot and rammed it into her shin under the table. She shut up instantly, along with a curse under her breath.
    “Really now?” he said with a grin, placing a forkful of lasagna in his mouth. “No, I mean, I haven’t been talking about you constantly. I mean, just the regular amount. You know, like, hey I saw this cute guy-”
    Smooth. Real smooth Linda. I could feel my face blush with read as his grin seamed to be printed on his face. “No! I mean, not that you’re not cute or anything. I’m just saying that I didn’t say that. I mean, I might of, I don’t really know, I’m just-” I rambled. I was heading down a bad, bad path. I need help. After that kick though, I don’t know Penny was going to step in and say anything.
    Though, the guy’s friend did. “Hey, goldy here is babalan like a drunken Leprechaun. It’s quiet charming; if you don’t take her…I will mate.” He said with a pause in a sentence. I thought that was strange, but then again, this guy was strange. He had pricings all over his body. Two in his arms (each) one in his nose, three in his lips, one on his eye brow and I think I saw two on his tong. He has bleach white hair and dark, tan skin. He wore a purple white shire and his pants were almost as black has his eyes.
    He remained me of someone I just can’t place my finger on it. His strong British accent distracts me from really pegging him.
    “Sorry, he’s new here, not to mention about a bit strange. I’m shadowing him-”
    “Yeah, and he’s don’t a bloody bad job of it. I swear, I think I’ll pop…bloody hell I lost my train of thought.” His friend Duke cursed, throwing down his plastic fork.
    “Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…I’m shadowing him today. I’m actually glad your friend here…I’m sorry, what’s your name?” he asked Penny. Oh thank God. She’ll have to talk now, and plus, I can learn his name. I know his teacher said it but I can’t remember it to save my life.
    “Penny. Penny Robinson. I don’t think I caught your name either, what is again?” She asked, quickly throwing me a ‘your welcome’ glance. He held out his hand, silently asking for a handshake. “Luke Shepherd. Nice to meet you Penny. This is Duke and Linda, of course I know.” He hinted. I couldn’t help but blush. I was…was I really just stunned by him? I can’t help it. I can’t think rationally, I can’t react to anything but him. Anything by him could light a fire in me it feels like.
    I was gasoline and he was the match. I had to do something. I’m no longer capable of independent thought, so, I needed someone else to think for me.
    “Yeah…I’m…I got to go to the bathroom. Penny?” I half asked/half demanded. Soon enough, we were up and headed to rest room to think out a game plan.


    “You know, I like her.” I said to Duke. For once I found someone who loved lasagna as much as I did, or more. I don’t think he’s come up for air in the last five minutes. “Oi, I agree. I haven’t tried a blond yet. Then again, I do like a girl with a brain in that noggin.” He mumbled as he went back to his food. “Shut up!” was the last thing I heard before he shoved a fork of food into his mouth.
    “She’s smart. Don’t let that blond myth fool you…besides, what do you know, you’re English.” I said sneakily. That was just to get a rile out of him, and it did. “OI! It’s better then being a bloody Yank! What are you guys good for? Starting wars, that’s what.” he said quiet angrily. I could tell he really wasn’t pissed at me, he just acted like it. I can tell we’re going to get along fine.
    I huffed. “Yeah, but at least we win them.”
    “What’s that suppose to mean?!”
    “It means we’re 3 and 0 and you guys are like, point five and six or something.”
    Ha-ha, this is fun. “I have a mind to tear you to peaces…” I heard him growl. An actual growl too. I thought at first he had a dog with him or something. It made me turn and face him, and he was hunched over his tray, eating like nothing had just happen. Peculiar. Time to change the subject.
    “Anyway…what demons you got?” I asked him. He straightened up, a smirk appearing on his face. I liked where this was going. “What don't I got? I got any demon you want. I can’t use a lot of them, I’m not that skilled. Though, you looking for a demon, I can stock you up.” he whispered loudly, spinning around and scanning his phone. I spun around too, facing him and looking down on his phone like he was.
    He opened up his contacts, and there they all were. 75+ demons. All sorts of different levels, but the highest I saw was a level six. “How’d you get that one?” I asked him, pointing to the contact that said ‘Hacksaw, lvl 6’. Duke grunted. “That one was a gift. I can’t use it. You want it?”
    “How much?”
    “Fourteen grand, and that’s with the friend discount.” He added quickly. My jaw about dropped. “Fourteen grand? That’s more then my car and house combined. Why so high?” I went back to my food, and waited for him to do the same. “You know I’m not allowed to *cough* sell *cough* demons. Goes against the code or law or something. Though a fella’s got to make a living. I got some artifacts to for sale if you want to take a gander at those mate.”
    Tempting. Artifacts don’t really do anything, other then piss the other person off in a demon fight. They just make your demon able to take another punch or stay a little longer before you have to send them back to their realm to recharge their batteries.
    The longer demons stay on Earth, the longer their essence, life force, juice, whatever you call it runs out. The lower the juice, the less good they are in a fight. Demon runs out of juice completely, he vanishes away into nothingness. So, if you ever blew out a light bulb, congrats, you just animated a demon.
    “I might…not really the artifact type. I’m more of the, go-in-and-kick-a** type. I don’t like carrying around all that metal anyway.” I protested to his sale’s pitch.
    I looked around the cafeteria. I wonder where Meg was. Probably nursing Tom’s wounds. You don’t see me being a wuss about getting hit. I finally found her, over their by the football and sparing team’s tables. She sat next to Tom, who looked awfully beat up and shaken, but he was still chatting up his pals like any other day.
    She looked miserable. I don’t know why she goes out with him. All he does is boss her around, try to get her in bed, or any action he can get at any giving moment. She’s reluctantly denied sleeping with him, but I don’t know. Every times she says that she looks away from me.
    I think she’s lying, but who am I to judge her? We’re no longer kids. We no longer play games, no longer spend days on end hanging out. People grow up and change.
    “Sorry about that.” Penny said, returning with her incredibly beautiful friend. Speaking of people…
    “No problem.” I said quickly, pushing my tray aside, giving the beautiful blond Angel across from me all of my attention. “So, we have maybe…twenty minutes before lunch ends. Tell me a bit about yourself.” I requested.
    She seamed to jump at my question. As if she was expecting anything other then that. “What? I mean, w-why? Wouldn’t you rather talk about something else like…cars or something?” she offered. This raised an eyebrow. A girl wanting to talk about cars? This is either a trick or…something else entirely. Unfortunately, I know nothing about cars. “Um, alright. Why not? You start and I’ll try to fallow. I know nothing about cars.” I admitted, laughing out of nervousness.
    “Moron. Every guy knows something about cars. If you don’t, then you’re not just fit for being a male.” Duke interjected between bites. I rolled my eyes, ignoring him. I just wish Penny had. “Wait, you know nothing about cars?” she asked me. I shook my head, looking confused. “I’m not a car person. Am I supposed to be? I’ll do my best to keep up, but don’t hate me if I fall behind.”
    Linda and Penny looked a little…surprised is a word for it. Linda’s jaw dropped, along with Penny’s. Linda looked towards penny with a face I couldn’t make out from my angle.
    “Um…Luke, what about sports? You must like sports!” Penny said over enthusiastically. Linda seamed to like that idea, because she turned two me, blue eyes sparkling. I couldn’t help but wonder if she really liked sports. She must with that twinkle in her eye. I felt a little nervous and a little disappointed in myself, not knowing any of the tops she seamed to like.
    “Um…ha-ha, I really don’t know a lot about sports either. I’m not that into football, socor or baseball. Snowboarding and skiing is the only two sports I really know.”
    “What?” Penny asked once more. “What’s wrong with you? Do you do anything manly?!?” she almost shouted. I could see a craziness in her eye. She was standing up, looking me down, arms propping herself up on the table.