The Young and Gifted

61. forbidden fruit

The room was already pouncing, most speaking about their summer activities and others speaking about the new teacher, specifically Davina. Not only did they have humans, a Phoenix, they also had a Heretic.

"I feel like a museum and a zoo at this point," Kaleb muttered as he sank down at a table with a platter of food. "I did not know that witches could be vampires."

"And what do you think Ric meant when he said he installed a new curriculum?" MG questioned. He looked different this year, with his side hair buzzed off, leaving his curly locks on top. Since he returned with Kaleb late last night from their trip, he dreaded seeing day.

"Probably some sort of—" Kaleb was saying but was cut abruptly when the chair beside MG slid across the floor.

A girl and a boy sat at the table, delivering smiles at the two vampires. "Jade," she said as she sat beside MG.

"Sebastian," he mumbled and ripped into his blood bag with a scowl.

"Oh shit, you guys must be the new students," Kaleb grinned, holding his hand out for Sebastian. He took it, snapping fingers with the other vampire and smirked back. "Kaleb, how are you?"

"Annoyed that we only get 4 bags of this horrendous substance," he grumbled and tossed the empty blood bag aside.

"I know right?" MG chimed in. "I tried to beg Ric that 4 wasn't enough but he—"

"Animal blood isn't enough," Sebastian seethed.

MG shut up at that, remembering the last time a certain someone deemed animal blood not enough. He could still feel that rabid part of him, ripping into those poor humans and leaving them for dead in the woods.

As the table of vampires continued to converse, Stephanie stood out in the crowd, glancing around. She didn't know where to sit. Sebastian and Jade seemed to have already found friends and she assumed that Pedro was where the other children were but she knew he was also making friends easily. Before she could decide to go and eat in her room, a figure collided against hers, jolting her tray forward.

"Shoot, sorry," a male voice rapidly apologized and she turned to a boy with curly black hair.

"No, it's my bad. I shouldn't be randomly standing in the middle of the room," she said with a nervous chuckle. Stephanie began to fix and arrange her lopsided platter.

"Landon," he held his hand out. "Landon Kirby."

She smiled, shaking his hand and muttered, "Stephanie Salvatore."

"Salvatore?" His brows scrunched. "As in..." Landon trailed off as he motioned to the room, the building, with one hand.

"Yeah. I'm not supposed to let it get to my head but I'm so glad I finally get to see the house my parents and uncle grew up in," Stephanie gushed. He began to lead her to the table where Kaura and the others were sitting. "Compared to the pictures and stories my parents told me, they really did something to the place."

Landon chuckled and turned to the group. "Everyone, this is Stephanie. Stephanie, this is Kaura, Raf, Mason, Lizzie, and Josie." He pointed to each individual person and she waved.

Raf, who had his arm around Lizzie, leaned in and asked, "So your parents are like the official founders of SBS, right? Elena and Damon Salvatore."

"Yeah, I guess," she shrugged. "I've always wanted to come here and I would argue with mom about it. My dad finally convinced her to let me live a little and visit the town they all grew up in. I have to be careful though and my mom already made strict arrangements with Caroline. Vervain 24/7, some sort of anti-supernatural death spell, the basics."

As the group familiarized with her, Raf's gaze dashed across the room to where MG was sitting with Kaleb and a couple of unfamiliar vampires. MG seemed to be already staring but when he saw Raf turn to him, he immediately looked away. Raf swallowed, slowly uncoiling his arm from Lizzie. He decided it was best to stay away from PDA, especially with MG around. He didn't want to rub the wound and feel worse than he already had.

But Lizzie interpreted the gesture the wrong way. It so happens that when she looked at Raf, his glance had fallen to Kaura who was whispering things to Mason. 

Lizzie's blood boiled but she didn't say anything.

Jade speared her fork through her food and twirled the utensil before she pointed at a table far from them. "So. What's the deal with those people?"

Kaleb cleared his throat. "Landon Kirby, once human, now Pheonix. It's all blurry but during the earthquake, he died and revived. Dorian finally figured out that he turned into some sort mythical bird. Josie Saltzman, a direct descent from the Gemini Coven, one of the most powerful covens actually. I'm assuming she's going to be single for the rest of the year because the love of her life died tragically in the earthquake last year too. Then we have the chaotic couple, Mason Hayes and Kaura Bennett-Parker. Mason, a vampire who doesn't give two fucks about people who aren't relevant to him and Kaura is...she's Kaura. I don't want to offend her by saying she's crazy because I feel bad for all the things she's had to go through. And finally...the duo we don't talk about. Lizzie Saltzman, who is Josie's twin sister, and Rafael Waithe, who is a werewolf. I'm not going to even get too much into it because we don't speak about Lizzie Saltzman. Or Rafael Waithe for that matter, it's a forbidden topic," Kaleb concluded.

"Why?" Sebastian asked, eyes glazing over the group.

"Long story short, Raf went for the girl I've been in love with for years. We were best friends," MG shrugged.

"And how long have Mason and that Kaura girl been together?" Jade asked, her eyes pinned to the two in a lover's hold. Every ember in her body seemed to ignite but she reigned it in.

"Since Valentine's day, I think," Kaleb shrugged. "Man, what a recap. I should start a gossip page or something."

Before Jade could ask more prying questions, the bell rang, alerting the students that first period was starting in 5 minutes. Raf scrambled up with a sigh, throwing his tray away and began his walk down the hallway.

Lizzie caught up to him, only to shoulder past the werewolf. Raf was stunned at first, watching the witch stomp forward. He jogged to catch up with her, his path to class redirected. "Are you mad at me?"

"Am I mad at you?" Lizzie chuckled. Her face dropped as she hissed, "I'm furious. You think I didn't see that?"

"See what?" Raf exclaimed, eyebrows shooting to his hairline with confusion.

Lizzie crossed her arms. "What, now that I'm not a challenge anymore, now that I'm not forbidden fruit, you're bored of me?"

"Lizzie—"

"I saw you looking at Kaura," Lizzie crossed her arms accusingly. "I bet you'll never get bored of her, right?"

"What are you talking about, babe? Why are you so concerned about Kaura, we're both in a relationship—" Raf tried to justify, completely confused as to where this was coming from.

"But what if you weren't?" Lizzie demanded. "What if we didn't get together, would you still be thinking about her?"

"Probably, I was in love with her before—"

"Are you still in love with her?"

Raf didn't know why but he hesitated. He already knew that his heart belonged to another witch but for some reason, he hesitated. Landon once said he had abandonment issues and after he and Kaura broke up...it was a very hard time for him. So telling Lizzie that he wasn't in love with Kaura but in love with her was more a challenge than he realized.

Before he could think any further, Lizzie had already marched away, fuming to class. "Lizzie. It's not like that—" But she was already gone. Raf knew that this argument was going to hurt her and he hated himself for it. He slammed his fist in the wall and cursed vividly. 

~

"You're a terrible liar."

try to guess who said it and don't forget to vote ;)