Nightshade Academy (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 9

AN: First off, I just want to start by saying I'M SO VERY SORRY!!!! It's been three weeks since I've updated and I'm sorry to all my followers for keeping you guys waiting u_u I had a few personal issues come up that are now resolved and I'm happy to inform you that the updates will go back to being weekly from now on :) so sorry for the long wait, but here finally is the next chapter to Nightshade Academy~! Picture of Jay on the side for you ;)

It was Friday and finally the day of the big game against Westwood Institute. Other than Nightshade, there were five big name schools that harbored our kind and several smaller ones in place for specific races. Westwood was one of the top five and apparently faced Nightshade in the league championship game last year, which we had lost. Walking down the halls you'd think the school was preparing for some grand event, not a football game. The halls were decorated with pictures of the football team in huge life sized cut outs. As I passed by one I noticed the pictures would wink and yell something at you like 'GO NIGHTSHADE AHHH' and the first time it happened it scared the crap out of me. Apparently they were all enchanted, courtesy of the student council. Banners were strung up with more words of encouragement like 'GO, FIGHT, WIN!' from the cheerleaders and 'TACKLE NOW, ASK QUESTIONS LATER!' which was apparently a signature quote from the head varsity coach. Even the students were all dressed up in 'Nightshade gear.' The separate years were divided into different colors but the main school colors for Nightshade Academy were Gold and Black, same as the senior's uniforms. People ran around with gold and black NA's painted on their faces and some even dyed their hair. Like Megan for example. Her usual colorful hair sported solely gold and black today. She had gold and black hair ties holding it up in pig tails as well. Even raven was dressed up with a black and gold ribbon in her hair along with sparkly gold eye shadow and a banner on her arm that was gold with Nightshade scrawled across in black lettering. A lot of people had these arm bands on I noticed.

"You can buy one at the student store for like five bucks." Raven informed me. I nodded and made a mental note of it, though I doubt I'll actually get one. I felt really out of place not dressing up, but I hadn't realized how big of a deal this would be. I sighed and glanced up at Dakota. At least I'm not the only one. Dakota opted to remain in his usual wear today. I guess he didn't feel like supporting the football team with Josh as the quarterback. Speaking of Josh, I spotted him down the hall as Dakota and I made our way to our history class. He was wearing his football jersey and man did he look good in it. With his build it was almost as if he was born into this world just so he could wear that uniform. It hugged his chest and caressed his muscular arms. The gold color really stood out against the black and matched his golden locks. His eyes shown a fierce blue and his whole demeanor depicted him as excited and ready to hit the field. His smile never left his face as he made his way towards us with a pack of burly looking jocks in matching jerseys behind him. I recognized the one on the right as the kid who sat across from me in English. He didn't say much, but he never strayed too far from Josh's side. He was also pretty cute with dark hair and hazel eyes. So many people were gathering to watch them pass, like they were hoping to catch the light gleaming off of them, that I thought for sure Josh wouldn't notice me. Just as we were about to completely bypass him, he suddenly grinned and stepped in front of me.

"Ollie!" He beamed. I smiled shyly back.

"Josh."

"You're gonna be at the game tonight right?" He asked. Though he seemed confident I noticed a flash of worry in his eyes that quickly passed. I nodded and his grin widened.

"Sweet! Don't forget to meet me by the locker room and we'll go to the after game party together." I felt Dakota stiffen by my side.

"I will." I assured him while casting a sideways glance at Dakota. He was glaring at the ground and looked generally pissed off by Josh's appearance. Josh seemed to sense this and smirked.

"It'll be a lot of fun. Plus, there's no way we're gonna lose now that I know you'll be there to watch." He winked. I blushed just as Dakota let out a bitter laugh. Josh narrowed his eyes at him.

"Got something to say omega?" Josh's group of followers let out a bark of laughter. Dakota bit his lip and met Josh's steady gaze with a threatening glare.

"Nothing at all asshole, oh, I mean alpha." He sneered. Josh let out a low growl and I could feel the tension growing between the two of them.

"Hey Dakota we should get going. Class is about to start." I ushered him forward with a light push. He continued to death glare Josh as if their stare was magnetized and neither could look away.

"See you at the game." I called over my shoulder as I roughly shoved Dakota forward. Man this kid was heavy. Maybe Raven was right and Dakota should to go on a diet. Josh shifted his gaze and gave me a bright smile.

"See you there!"

Dakota growled as I pushed him around the corner. He jerked forward and stomped down the hallway pissed as hell. He seemed even more upset today than usual and I had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with all the praise Josh was receiving. Having your arch rival standing in the lime light will do that to you I guess. In the hallway Josh seemed like a king. The entire school drowned him in their admiration and gave him their votes of confidence in today's game. Not a single one doubted they'd lose with Josh on the team. He beamed at them and bumped fists with his teammates who's confidence levels were also boosted with him by their side.

When he walked into bio everyone patted him on the back. Some girls told him they'd be cheering him on at the game while another random guy ran up to him, did a spontaneous chest bump then screamed before our teacher hushed him and instructed us to all take seats. Josh slid into the spot next to me and flashed me a smile before pulling out his textbook. I smiled back as I opened up my notes and started jotting down what our teacher was scribbling on the board. I knew most of the information already so while she began to drone on about cellular mitosis I let my mind wonder. I glanced around and noticed everyone else taking feverish notes. Everyone that is except Josh. I peeked over at him through the fringe of my hair. He still had a smile on his face, but I could see lines crinkling his forehead. His eyes were trained on our teacher but it was obvious his mind was occupied with thought of something other than biology. His lips curved ever so slightly and I realized he was biting the inside of his cheek. He was tapping his pencil incisively on his notes making a rapid pat, pat, pat noise. When I glanced down I could see his leg shaking impatiently up and down. Was he...nervous?

When class ended we all gathered our things and stood up. The momentary pause of praise due to class quickly resumed and everyone went back to hounding Josh with compliments. Now that I looked carefully at him I could tell the smile plastered on his face was taking great effort and the way he held himself so confidently was strained as if the whole world was resting on his shoulders. Before he could be completely over taken by his crowd of admirers I hastily grabbed onto his arm. He turned and blinked at me like he was distracted and was having trouble registeringwho I was.

"Hey." I began and finally recognition rushed to his eyes.

"Ollie! What's up?" He grinned. I smiled back and tightened my grip on his arm. I bit my lip not really sure what to say.

"Um, I just wanted to say...good luck at today's game!" I stammered. He smiled and nodded his head.

"Thanks!" When I continued to hold onto him he raised a brow and glanced down at my hand.

"Um, Josh?" He looked back up at me and cocked his head to the side.

"Yeah?"

"It's just a game," I began, giving him a slight smile. "It's not the end of the world if we win or lose and no one is going to hate you if we do. Besides, I'll still be your friend even if you mess up. Not that I think you will! Just, uh, you shouldn't worry so much about it." I dropped my gaze and quickly let go of his arm. Heat rushed to my face and I prayed I didn't sound like a complete idiot just now. When Josh continued to say nothing I hesitantly peek up at him. His shoulders relaxed and his face eased into a true and genuine smile. His eyes gleamed and he nodded his head.

"Thank you." His sincere voice deepened my blush.

"N-No p-problem!" I stuttered dropping my gaze. I heard him chuckle.

"See you at the game." He said then turned to walked away. I glanced up in time to catch one last look at his delicate smile before he was over taken by the rest of the school. Someone brushed my shoulder and I was suddenly met with two steely, hazel colored eyes. They held a tone of seriousness in them, but they weren't glaring. In fact they seemed to thank me. I realized it was one of Josh's friends, the same guy I had noticed before. He gave me nod and then glided back to Josh's side.

When it was finally the last class of the day it seemed everyone's excitement was only barely contained. I stood on the gym floor watching my classmates smack a volley ball around absentmindedly while they chatted about the game. Coach blew her whistle and we all winced.

"Come on! Get your heads in the game! Scott, switch out!" My gaze lifted to meet her angry grimace and I quickly jogged off the court. In my haste I accidentally bumped into someone and I spun around to apologize.

"I'm so-" My words were cut off as Jay's glare came into view. I didn't even finish my sentence and immediately looked way. I jogged as slowly as I could without it seeming like I was running for my damn life to the other side of the court. Once there I instantly looked for Dakota and found him watching me through the slotted net as he stood ready on the opposing team's side of the court. I relaxed knowing he was here. Ever since the incident with Jay I've been afraid to face him. It's pathetic, I know, but he brought up a part of my past he shouldn't have and now I was hiding like a coward behind Dakota. Dakota thank God though had my back with this whole thing and hasn't said a word to anyone. Instead he's just always there, watching Jay carefully whenever he's around, which really helps. I sighed and laughed at my behavior. I needed to just grow a pair and face him, but I can't yet. I've always been horrible at standing up to people.

I looked around and saw June standing across from me on the other side of the gym. He had a bored look on his face but once his gaze met mine a smile instantly filled those plush lips of his. He winked and blew me a kiss. I blushed and looked away, a faint smile on my face. Suddenly Josh came barreling down the court and spiked the ball hard to the other side of the court. It ricocheted off the ground with tremendous speed and flew right at June. Luckily with his vampire speed he swiftly dodged it. He glanced up and shot a dangerous glare at Josh who grinned.

"Sorry." He said with a shrug.

"I bet you are wolfy." He replied with a hint of irritation. "Hope your throws on the field tonight aren't as horrible as that. It'd be a shame to have all this hype over the legendary pay back game against Westwood all go to waste because they put a freshman as their starting quarterback." Josh narrowed his eyes at him.

"Oh don't you worry about me leech. I'll be just fine." The two glared at each other and I couldn't help but sigh. Why can't anyone ever get along?

Finally the day ended with the gaudy sound of the gong and students poured out of the school like a mass flood, all rushing to prepare for tonight's game. Unfortunately we still had practice and I impatiently watched the clock as I strummed the same chords I had been playing for the past two hours once again. Anthony shook his head at us.

"Again." He said. We all groaned and played the piece again only to entice another dissatisfied head shake from Anthony.

"You guys are all over the place today! Can't you focus even for a millisecond on practice?"

"Well your highness it is Friday and some of us have a social life and would rather be spending our time, oh I don't know, doing something fun like getting ready for tonight's game." Raven airily replied. Anthony sighed and pushed up on his glasses.

"Fine, I don't care anymore. Go get ready for your boring football game. Honestly I don't see how anyone can find such a dull sport entertaining."

"That's your own opinion and thank you for your release oh great one!" Raven gave an exaggerated bow and Megan and I laughed while Anthony rolled his eyes before walking away.

"So Ollie," Raven began, turning to face me. "Ready for your first football game at Nightshade Academy?" I smiled and nodded my head.

"Yeah, sounds like fun."

Dakota scoffed as he turned to put his guitar down. I frowned and peered over at him. Megan noticed my stare and gave me an understanding look.

"Don't worry about him. He just hates all the attention Josh is getting." She whispered.

"I heard that." Dakota grumbled. "And I don't give a damn about Josh and all his damn splendor as a glorified jock."

"Oh yeah? Then why are you sulking?" Raven inquired. He glared at her. His eyes briefly landed on me and I could see the faintest blush on his face before he quickly looked away.

"No reason at all."

"Uh-huh. Anyways, are you excited for the after party?" Raven continued, returning her attention to me.

"Yeah." I said, giving her a bright smile. I really was. It'll be interesting to see how they pull off throwing a party at a boarding school.

"I bet you are, what with you ditching us to go meet his royal jackass to go to the party." Dakota spat.

"What! You're going to the party with Josh?" Megan asked, her eyes lighting up. I gave her a shy nod.

"Well he invited me to go with him and wanted me to meet him by the locker room after the game..." I trailed off.

"Alright, then we'll all go meet up with the football star after the game." Raven smirked. My eyes widened. "Pfft don't look so shocked! Why should you get to hoard all the good looking eye candy for yourself huh? We're going too! And we're gonna ogle that hot piece of ass the entire way there!"

"Yeah!" Her and Megan high fived while Dakota and I stood off to the side looking as equally shocked.

"Hell no!" Dakota fumed once he regained his composure. "Fuck that I'm not even gonna go anymore."

"Why not?" The three of us whined in unison. Dakota gave us a flat look and shook his head.

"What's the point in me even going? I'd rather die than hang out with Josh for a single second and the highlight of the party is Jay's performance, who I hate with burning passion, so fuck that. I'm not going." Raven narrowed her eyes at him.

"Oh yes you are."

Dakota matched her glare and took a step forward.

"Or what?"

Raven smirked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh I have much dirt on you Dakota Smith. So much in fact I could write a whole book about all your dirty little secrets." Dakota hesitated but continued to stand his ground.

"So what, you're gonna black mail me now?"

"I prefer the term persuade." Her lips turned up into a wicked grin and her eyes slid over to mine. "By the way Ollie did you know Dakota wet the bed until he was thirteen?" I didn't even have time to react as Dakota lunged across the room. Raven swiftly dodged his attack and smirked at his blushing face.

"Or how he was breast fed until he was five?" Dakota snarled and tore his claws through the air, aiming at Raven's petit body. She snapped her fingers and her body immediately dissipated into a puff of purple smoke. Dakota passed right through it and a second later Raven reappeared, an amused look on her face.

"Stop it! You know how I had that bladder infection after taking a piss in the wrong part of the woods! And it's common for werewolves to be breast fed that long dammit!" Megan burst out laughing and I had to bite my lip hard to keep from doing the same. Raven just continued to give him an evil grin with a very dangerous glint in her eyes.

"But the thing I think you'll find most interesting about Dakota is his sex life Ollie."

"You wouldn't dare." Dakota gasped as a look of horror crossed his face.

"Oh I dare big boy." Raven grinned back. Dakota stared Raven down with untold hatred in his eyes, but it was obvious he felt like the next thing she'd say would destroy him. My curiosity was sparked at Raven's words. I suddenly recalled the box I had discovered my first day here with all of Dakota's private and very awkward things. Did that have something to do with it maybe?

"After all," She continued, giving Dakota once last menacing smirk. "he-"

"ALRIGHT I"LL GO!" He screamed, drowning out her words. Raven beamed at him.

"Alright let's go then!" She hooked arms with Megan and the two of them skipped merrily out of the room. I glanced hesitantly over at Dakota who looked completely deflated.

"So," I awkwardly began, "I take it you have an interesting sex life?" He shot me a glare before spinning and around snatching up his guitar case. He growled something under his breath before stomping out of the room.

"I'll take that as a yes." I said to myself as I grabbed my own guitar and followed Dakota to our dorm room.

I couldn't tell you much about what was actually going down on the field, but I can tell you how crazy these people are when it comes to sporting events. Raven and Megan had dragged Dakota and I to the game an hour early. I thought it a bit excessive until I saw the huge line parked right outside the football field. The entire flipping school was here! Gold and black was mixed in with grey and red, Westwood's school colors. More than a few fights broke out before the game even started and those poor Westwood kids were seriously outnumbered. Teachers and administrators lined the way as the fights continued. They gave the evil eye to anyone who even looked at each other and the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a butter knife.

After we had flashed our ID's to the ticket holder, the four of us ambled into the stadium. Nightshade, in case you hadn't figured it out yet, loves to do everything up big. The field itself was the size of one found on the screen of a broadcasted NFL game. The stadium had a collapsible dome in case of bad weather. There were huge concessions stands selling all kinds of food and next to that was a giant student store filled with even more Nightshade merchandise. The score board was enormous and hung up in the center of the bleachers which circled around the whole field.

"Damn." I breathed as I took the surreal scene in. We might as well be at a professional game, or a University at least, not a freaking high school.

"Come one!" Megan chimed as she dragged me up the way and into the stands. We found ourselves a nice spot towards the middle of the stadium, close enough to the field to be able to catch all the action. Not that I knew what the hell was going on. Again my dad could never understand my indifference towards sports when he himself was such a big football fan. I remember the disappointment in his eyes when I said I wouldn't play, or how upset he got when after a few tosses of the brown leather ball in the back yard I'd call it quits and go back to playing my guitar.

"LET'S GO NIGHTSHADE!" Raven suddenly screeched right into my ear as the whole stadium erupted into applause. I glanced to the field in time to see our team rush out of the locker room. They tore through a painted banner the cheerleaders were holding up and stormed through the turf. Westwood's team did the same and soon the game had begun.

(AN: Just so you know, I know close to nothing about football o_o I had my brother help me with this part so hopefully it's not horrible haha)

"I'm gonna get something to eat." Dakota said to no one in particular as he got up and disappeared towards the smell of greasy food. We were winning 14 to 7 before halftime, both teams refused to give a single play up to the other. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around Nightshade was just barely ahead with a score of 26 to 24. I watched with heightened excitement as Josh made play after play. Watching him throw a perfect spiral or pass it off to another player with such precision and earn the team a touchdown brought on an unexpected thrill. He was really good and I didn't have to know anything about sports to know that. He was on fire the entire time and even when he was tackled he'd brushed it off like it was nothing. Finally we were down to the last seconds of the game and Westwood had pulled ahead after making a field goal, advancing the score 26 to 27. Our coach called a time out and the separate teamed circled around in a huddle.

"You don't want no black and gold, you don't want none. But if you want some black and gold come and get some!" The cheerleaders sang as they sprang forward and did a serious of front hand springs and flips. The crowd cheered deafeningly all around me. People had produced blow horns and clappers out of thin air and added even more sound to the sea of noise. I was smacked in the head by a foam finger as the girls behind me screamed.

"Go number one!" They squealed, holding up a homemade sign with Josh's blown up face glued to the center of a heart and drown in gold sparkles.

"Oh God." Dakota groaned in disgust as he turned away from the fan girls behind us.

Finally the referee blew the whistle and the players ran back out on the field. I leaned forward in my seat and watched as Josh began to yell out commands to the rest of the team. Then the ball was snapped and in a flash Josh had it in his hands and was looking for an opening. Thirty seconds on the clock. He scanned the field but the other team had anticipated their moves and blocked any open players. Twenty seconds on the clock. The linemen were struggling to keep the heavy white jerseys at bay and in a moment of desperation, Josh suddenly took off down the field. Fifteen seconds on the clock. He tore down the field with tremendous speed that I knew was supernatural in nature. The dazed players suddenly snapped out it and raced after him. Ten seconds on the clock. Everyone stood as Josh belted down the field. Thirty yards...twenty yards...ten yards...I looked up at the clock, five seconds. Just as he had reached the edge of the in zone, he was tackled from behind. The horn blew signaling the end of the game as three more players piled up on top of him. I held my breath as the ref frantically blew his whistle and began to rip bodies away from Josh. Once they were gone I stood up on my very tip toes and could just see Josh's torso had made it over the line, the ball still firmly grasped in his hands. The ref blew his whistle again and threw his arms up, signaling a touchdown. The crowd roared as the score changed. 32 to 27, Nightshade had won.

"Yeah!" I hugged Megan and Raven and the three of us jumped up and down in joy. Dakota crossed his arms and looked uninterested in the win, but even with all the excitement going on I watched him stand up and clench his fists at that last play before letting out a relieved sigh.

When the game was over, the four of us made our way towards the locker rooms following the trickle of bodies escaping the stadium. Megan, Raven, and I had hooked arms and were kicking our legs up as we walked victoriously past a group of Westwood students, laughing at the glares they sent out way. Dakota wasn't in as a celebratory mood as we were. In fact he seemed like he was sulking, like the whole time he was just waiting for Josh to mess up and was disappointed he had to go face him now with no new ammunition to fire off at him. When we approached the outside doors leading to the locker room, I stopped in my tracks. It seemed the majority of the school had gathered around, waiting to assault the football players when they came out. The cheerleaders took post just outside the doors, holding up their pom pom's threateningly as if daring anyone to over step the boundaries they had created. Fan girl's closed in around them, their hands full of goods and signs brandishing their favored player's names. Other, less crazed, fans stood behind them exchanging views of the exciting game. We tried our best to squeeze through the crowd and found a spot just behind the obsessive fan girls. People began to push and shove each other around and I was uncomfortably squashed between two bigger guys. Megan and Raven were in front of me looking less than cozy. I grunted and pulled out of the uncomfortable Ollie sandwich and stumbled back into someone.

"Sorry." I said over my shoulder as I looked up into Dakota's forest green eyes. He smiled.

"Its fine-" Someone smashed into Dakota and he rammed into me. His body pushed up against mine and my eyes widened.

"Uh, Dakota?" I peeked over at him and saw the blush spreading across his face.

"I swear I'm not doing it on purpose." He defended as he tried to back up. Some guy in front of me shouldered his was past a clump of angry looking girls and in the processes pushed me back further into Dakota. I felt him grab onto my hips as my back pressed against his chest. I froze and went completely rigid. I looked down in embarrassment and felt Dakota shift behind me. I bit my lip at the friction it caused.

"Ollie?" His hot breath fanned out over the back of my neck and I involuntarily shivered. It was hot. Really hot, and the source of that heat was coming more from Dakota than the bodies around me. His hands were warm on my sides as he held me gently and the feeling of his body pressed against me was exhilarating.

"Y-Yeah?" I finally said, not meeting his eyes.

"Uh, just uh, you-" The door suddenly burst open and out walked the first few football players. The crowd roared and pressed forward. I was crushed against the person in front of me and looked up in horror at the overly sweaty, plump guy. His glasses were fogging up and he removed them from his face as he gave me a sly grin over his shoulder.

"Ugh!" I pushed him away from me, bending slightly forward, which really only pushed me back into Dakota. My arms strained, trying to escape this damn pervert and I heard Dakota moan behind me. I stopped as I realized I was practically shoving my ass against his groin. His grip tightened around me and I blushed even more. Dammit.

"Um, Ollie?" He breathed as he moved behind me. I sucked in a breath as I felt the new bulge in his jeans rub against me. If this wasn't awkward before it definitely was now. Me, pushing myself into a very hard and very attractive looking werewolf while gripping the shirt of a fat sweaty guy giving me cheeky looks was about as awkward as I could manage. As more players exited the locker room the crowd just seemed to push increasingly forward, like all of them at once wanted to claps them on the back and congratulate them for the good game. Finally I couldn't handle the awkward stares this guy was giving me and spun around. I was planning on forcing my way out of this tangle of bodies, but as I turned around Dakota was uncomfortably pushed into me. My back pressed against the sweaty guy and I squealed. Dakota tried to move and pressed his knee painfully into my crotch.

"Dakota." I groaned. "As much as this could be a turn on, this just hurts."

"S-Sorry." He groaned back. Dammit why can't these people get a grip and back off? I looked up at Dakota who looked about as done with this as I was. He sighed and rested his forehead against mine.

"Any ideas on how we can escape?" He asked.

"In fact I do." I said. I focused all my energy to the center of my core. I felt the familiar burning sensation in my chest as I ignited my abilities. My body began to softly glow as I focused on making myself lighter.

"Just imagine being as weightless as a balloon," My father's voice echoed in my head, "and fly!"

My feet lifted from the ground and I pushed off of Dakota's shoulders and into the air. I breathed a sigh of relief as my chest could finally expand again without all the added pressure. I glanced down at Dakota who was staring up at me in awe, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. In fact most people were staring at me, but come one. This was Nightshade Academy and people could do weird things like this. I held my hand out towards Dakota.

"Want some help?" He nodded and hesitantly held onto my hand. I concentrated my energy to him. The soft glow incasing my body swirled down to him and covered his own body in a small film. Suddenly he was as weightless as me and I yanked him skyward. He wobbled through the air and brought his knees up to his chest, folding into a ball, while clutching my arm. His nails dug into my skin and I winced.

"Uh, Dakota? That kind of hurts."

"Sorry!" He said as he stared down at the crowd anxiously. I laughed.

"It's fine. I won't drop you." He looked over me and nodded.

"Now straighten your legs out." I instructed him and he did as I said. He started falling forward and began to wave his arms around in alarm while trying to stay upright.

"Don't freak out! Just calm down and let yourself fall forward." He froze and his body fell until he was parallel with the ground. His grip on my hand tightened painfully and I was almost tempted to let go and have him drop into the crowd, but I wouldn't do that.

"Now, bring your shoulders back a little. Just a little bit though." He did as I said and his body slowly followed the movement until he was upright again.

"There, see? It's not that hard. You just have to find your balance." He gave me a stiff nod and I smiled. "Now you have to be kind of careful. The littlest movement can tip off your balance. Here." I moved back and tugged Dakota along until we were both facing the locker room doors. He started to teeter but managed to keep himself straight.

"Alright, now just barely bring your shoulders forward like this." I demonstrated the movement and started to move forward. Dakota panicked as our distance grew and popped his shoulders out way too much, causing him to immediately fly forward. His hand ripped from mine and I heard him scream as he tumbled to the ground. I raced forward and grabbed hold of his leg just before his face smacked the concrete. The layer of energy coated his body once more and I was able to effortlessly flip him around. I slowly set the both of us down and Dakota let out a sigh of relief as he feet settled on the floor.

"Ok, not bad. Just be a little more subtle with your movements next time. If you're too hasty with it that'll happen." He stared at the ground and fell to his knees.

"The ground...the ground!" I watched as he happily pet the concrete like he had never been so relieved to see the cracked pavement before.

"Oi...did you hear anything I just said?"

"Um, Ollie?" I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around. My voice was lost as I peered up at Josh. His hair was still wet after just taking a shower and small droplets collected on the ends. They shone dimly in the light and made it seem like he was wearing a wreath of light around his head. He did have the looks of a Greek god so it suited him quite nicely. He was wearing a plain black shirt that clung to his muscles and designer jeans that hung on his hips just so, slightly revealing the grey briefs he was wearing. He was staring at me with those gorgeous blue eyes but they were filled with surprise and a hint of amazement.

"Yes?" I finally said once my voice had gotten over its shell shock due to this gorgeous man.

"Well that is...I just walked out of the locker room and all of a sudden Dakota was flying at me and you were gliding through the air...that was just...unexpected." He let out a slight laugh. "Is that part of your Esper powers?" I blushed and looked away.

"Y-Yeah. My bad. I didn't really give Dakota the best tips before hauling him into the air like that."

"I'm sure you did, but he's an idiot so it's not surprising he didn't understand your instructions."

"Hey!" Dakota jumped to his feet and glared at Josh. "I'd like to see you do better you pompous fuck!"

"What'd you just call me?" Josh growled and closed in on Dakota. He got right in his face and Dakota looked like he was about to punch the living shit out of him. My eyes widened as I went to separate the two.

"Um, guys?"

Something smacked into my back and I was thrown to the ground. I groaned at the sudden weight crushing my lungs and glanced up. Both Megan and Raven were sprawled out on top of me.

"G-Guys...please...get off."

"Oh sorry!" Megan rolled off of me just as Raven got to her feet.

"God damn people! Show some restraint!" She scolded the crowd and turned around. "Alright let's blow this scene." She strutted over to me and yanked me to my feet. She flipped her hair out of her eyes and pushed her way between Dakota and Josh.

"Hook arms!" She yelled and we instantly did as she said, except for Josh that is.

"What are you-"

"Oh for fuck's sake! Ollie!" She grabbed onto one of his arms and at her command I grabbed onto the other. His eyes widened as light flashed between us. I heard Raven's soft mumbled and felt my feet lift from the ground. Light filled my vision until I couldn't see anymore and then in an instant it was over. My feet settled on the ground and I opened my eyes to a completely new scene. Raven had used another movement spell to transport us to the edge of the forest surrounding Nightshade. I furrowed my brows and gave her a curious look.

"Where are we? I thought we were going to a party?"

"We are. The party's just through there." I followed her outstretched finger and squinted through the dimness towards the dark woods. I could just make out a worn trail snaked through the thick underbrush. The ground was covered in the damp carcasses of dead leaves and a thin layer of fog clung to the shadowy forest floor, making it seem even more ominous. I was sure I could hear strange noises from deep within the tangles of wild foliage.

I turned around and started walking back towards the school.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Raven yelled as she grabbed onto my arm.

"Nope, no way in hell am I going in there."

"What? Are you serious?" She exasperated. "Why the hell not?"

"Because it's creeping looking as fuck and I-"

"Um guys?" Josh interrupted. "I-I don't feel...so good!" He ran to the edge of the forest and starting throwing up.

"Oh that's Nasty." Megan commented as Dakota started laughing.

"What? Does the big bad alpha have a weak stomach for transportation spells?" He started making a serious of gagging noises before returning to his mocking laughter. Josh glared at him and leaped to his feet. He snarled and tackled him to the ground.

"Josh! Dakota!" I yelled as I rushed over to them. I gripped Josh's shirt but damn this guy was huge, and a lot stronger than I was. He grabbed a fist full of Dakota's hair and roughly yanked his head to the side, then he bit down on his ear and growled. Dakota yelped and shook his head around violently, clawing at Josh's chest and back.

"Let go!"

Josh snarled and bit down harder, drawing blood, and jerked Dakota's head back with his teeth. Dakota whimpered and stopped moving. He let his arms fall to the ground and closed his eyes in submission. Josh continued to growl and dug his claws into Dakota's shoulders.

"Josh stop!" I yelled, grabbing at his face before he tore Dakota's ear off. What the hell is he doing? Some Mike Tyson shit? Josh let go and barked loudly in his ear, making him wince, before standing up.

"Don't you ever mock me again omega." He spat. Dakota growled and glared up at him.

"You use dirty tricks you bastard!"

"What did y-"

"ENOUGH!" Raven's strong voice rang through my ears and reverberated in my chest. I felt a sudden tightness around my heart and could sense she had used another vocal spell.

"We did not come here for you two to quarrel with each other dammit! We came here to go to a kick ass party and have some fun! So Dakota stop patronizing Josh and Josh stop sending Dakota into submission every time he does something you don't like. Be the alpha you're supposed to be and Dakota, be the bigger man." The two stopped their glares and looked away from each other. I'm not sure if Raven used another spell on them but for now at least they seemed like they weren't going to fight anymore.

"Whatever," Josh mumbled, "And why are you guys even here? I thought it was supposed to be just you and me Ollie." He gave me an accusing stare.

"Before you start blaming Ollie for ruining your chances to seduce and rape him, we invited ourselves to come along because we wanted the chance to ogle your sexy ass." Raven explained with Megan nodding her head enthusiastically beside her. Josh blinked.

"Well glad that's all cleared up."

"You're welcome." Raven replied and brushed past him. "Now let's go." They all made their way to the little path way while I stood frozen in place.

"Ollie, aren't you coming?" Megan called over her shoulder. They all turned around and gave me curious looks. I swallowed and shook my head.

"You guys can go on without me. I think I'll just head back to the dorms..." The school wasn't that far away. I could walk back in probably twenty minutes or so. Raven gave me a flat look.

"Oh come on, the forest isn't that scary."

"Um, do you see what's behind you? That's creepy at its finest."

"Ugh! Don't you make me-"

"It's ok Ollie. They're really not that bad. They just look a little foreboding on the outside but it's only a quick ten minute walk to the party, which will be filled with tons of people and music and life." Josh interrupt before Raven could threaten me. I bit my lip, debating on whether or not I should risk the Goosebumps horror story possibly waiting for me in those woods. Plus they looked really dark and darkness and I don't mix well.

"Come one." Josh smiled at me encouragingly and gestured for me to follow him as he turned slightly towards the woods. I sighed and reluctantly walked forward.

We trudged along with our feet sloshing through the massacre of wet leaves and mud. The path was very narrow and forced us close together with Raven and Megan taking the lead and Josh, Dakota, and I following right behind. They said they wanted to come along to eye rape Josh's ass but it was so dark it was nearly impossible to see two steps ahead of you. I peered nervously up at the overcast sky. The gloomy clouds weren't letting any light through as we made our way along. I glanced around warily at our surroundings next. The forest was so dark that I could barely make out the inky silhouettes of the trees around us and whatever else lies hidden in the foliage. An owl hooted somewhere in the tree tops above us, causing me to jump. Josh chuckled softly beside me.

"Don't like strolling through the woods at night?" He asked.

"Something like that." I mumbled as I wiped my clammy hands against my pants. My eyes shifted all around, imagining dark creatures as I peered through the dimness. I know I probably shouldn't be so afraid when I'm currently enrolled in a school full of monsters, but somehow knowing the creatures of the night really exist makes me wonder what else out there is real. Plus with my past being surrounded in this dreadful darkness was not helping my anxiety levels at all.

"So about you flying earlier," Josh began, sensing my discomfort, "How'd you do that exactly?"

"Oh, um, it's kind of hard to explain." I muttered.

"Try." I could just see his slight smile through the dark.

"Ok well...I guess it has a lot to do with physics. Mostly Newton's third law of motion." Josh raised a brow at me.

"Really? In what way?"

"So you know how Newton's third law of motion states when an object exerts a force on a second object, that second object simultaneously exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on that first object?"

Josh gave me a blank stare before slowly nodding his head.

"I guess I do now." I let out a slight laugh.

"Sorry that was a bit much. To put it in perspective you can think of it as a person walking. That person pushes against the ground and the ground in return pushes against the person. Or like how the tires of a car push against the road and the road pushes against the tires of the car. The tires and the road simultaneously push against each other, as does the person and the ground they're walking on."

"Oh ok, I think I understand now."

I smiled. "So basically when I fly what I'm really doing is gathering all my energy to my core and then pushing it outward. The force has an opposite reaction on the forces around me, such as gravity, and they simultaneously push back in every direction until I'm moved through the air like I'm flying. The opposing forces are what keeps me suspended in the air. Does that make sense?" Josh nodded his head.

"So how do you move then?" Dakota suddenly asked. I glanced over at him and saw he was watching me curiously.

"So to move you use slight movements which cause you to exert more energy in one direction which will have an opposite reaction and move you in the direction you made the movement toward."

"Oh so like when you told me to bring my shoulders back."

"Yes, the movement caused more of your energy to be placed forward which had an opposite reaction that moved you back."

"I had no idea Esper's powers were all sciencey." Raven spoke up. I laughed.

"Yeah well, my parents would argue that every race involves more logic and scientific reason in their abilities than you'd think." There was a sudden loud crack beside us and I yelped, instinctively grabbing onto Josh and Dakota's arms. Megan laughed and waved her hand through the air dismissively.

"Relax, relax. It was just a tree falling over." I nodded my head but didn't let go as I dug my nails into Josh and Dakota's skin. I momentarily forgot where I was and relaxed into our conversation, but now that I was brought back to the attention of the real world I was more aware of it than ever. The darkness seemed to smother me and I could feel my chest getting tighter. My breathing increased until I was on the verge of hyperventilating. Dakota pulled my hand down to his and weaved our fingers together. I instantly relaxed and lessened my grip on Josh's arm. Josh must've taken that as his cue to do the same and suddenly I was holding both of their hands. I glanced hesitantly between them, but I think because of how dark it was they weren't aware that the other was also holding my hand. Great. More awkward situations. This one, however, I was prepared to stick out until we were surrounded by light again as I took comfort in both of their touches. As we continue along, Josh moved closer to me until our shoulder's brushed and squeezed my hand reassuringly. Dakota did the same but rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand soothingly until I felt at peace and completely safe between the both of them.

We had been walking for a while now, more than ten minutes like Josh had promised, but as we continued on I saw no signs of any sort of party. I squinted through the thick clumps of trees but saw no light a head. I strained my ears and all I could hear was the slosh of our feet through the damp earth, no music or incessant laughter like I was expecting.

"Are you guys sure we're going the right way?" I finally asked.

"Positive." Raven replied.

"Don't worry, we're almost there." Megan assured me. I gave them doubtful looks which I knew they wouldn't be able to see through the dark setting. Suddenly Raven stopped and I nearly ran right into her. I was about to ask what was up when a cloaked figure stepped out from behind the trunk of a large tree. I jumped and was tempted to ran away or scream, something. Raven regarded him with a shrewd stare and crossed her arms.

"Fergus, I see you're still playing guard dog."

"Raven," He replied in a voice just above a whisper. His body was draped with the large, black cloak. I couldn't make out any prominent features and his face was hidden in the hollow of the hood. He seemed to be just barely there, like he was a phantom waiting on the cold wet path for the wind to blow through the tree tops and whisk him away with it.

"Password?" He murmured softly.

"Pumpkins." Raven said with a hint of impatience. He nodded his head very slowly and disappeared back into the shadows.

"Finally." Her and Megan stuttered forward and it was as if the darkness had consumed their bodies. The completely vanished from sight. I couldn't even ear their footsteps any more. My grip tightened on Josh and Dakota's hand as I began to panic.

"Where did...?" I glanced urgently between the two of them.

"Relax." They both said at the same time. I watched as Dakota shot Josh a quick glare before continuing.

"It's fine Ollie, just walk forward."

"What? Walk forward?"

"Yes, walk forward. Past these trees." He gently tugged on my hand but my feet remained cemented to the floor. Dakota rolled his eyes.

"Just trust me." I bit my lip and cast a sideways glance to Josh. He smiled and squeezed my hand.

"It's fine." He said. I nodded and reluctantly took a shaky step forward. I didn't want to go where Dakota was ushering me to. For some reason this particular spot was darker and colder than the rest. It gave off a bad vibe and half way there I changed my mind.

"On second thought I think I'll-" Dakota yanked on my arm and I stumbled forward. I was ready to scream when suddenly there was light. There was light everywhere as globed lanterns filled the tree tops, and there was noise. Music floated around us as did the voices of the many people running around. My eyes widened as I took the scene in. There was a large clearing carved out of the forest. It was like a meadow of sorts with saplings sprung up all around. Paper lanterns filled the trees and some glided through the air, lighting up the space. People ran around, their hands filled with run plastic cups and I noticed the folding tables set up with drinks and alcohol. Next to that was a barbeque pit with a large robust guy dishing out hamburgers and hot dogs. At the end of the clearing was a huge boulder cut in half. It was the size of a two story house with one half of the rock lying flat on the ground creating a makeshift stage and the other creating a back drop for it. A random group of teenagers were blasting out loud and distasteful music. Most people seemed displeased with their act but others whooped and began grinding on one another in their drunken state. There was even a large bonfire in the center of the clearing with people gathered around drinking, talking, and trying to roast marshmallows. My mouth gaped open and I quickly spun around to face the dark pit of despair we had just come through.

"But how...?" I gave Dakota and Josh confused looks. They smiled.

"There's a barrier set around the clearing to keep unwanted people out." Dakota began.

"People like teachers and other administrators who want to ruin all the fun." Josh picked up.

"There's what we call a 'guard' who in this case was Fergus that asks for a password to keep undesirables out. The barrier contains the light and whatever noise is made inside of it so the teachers never know where to look. There's multiple clearings out here we use after all so you have to pay attention to the student news feed to find the location and new password." I slowly nodded my head as I wrapped my brain around the situation. So this barrier is similar to the one we used in the cafeteria and the one surrounding the school. Ok, got it. I suddenly became aware that I was still holding both of their hands and quickly dropped them before they noticed, or made a comment about it if they did.

"So what now?" I asked as I glanced around.

"NOW WE PARTY!" Megan screamed as she latched onto my hand and hauled me over to the stage area. Raven floated to my other side and before I had time to protest, I was dragged away from Josh and Dakota's side. I glared at both of them.

"What the hell?" I yelled as they finally let go. Raven gave me a sly smile.

"Don't you worry little Ollie. We've got it all figured out. Just dance with us for a bit, get them all antsy and then the real fun will begin." I blinked.

"What?"

"Just dance!" Megan commanded as the band began to play a poorly done cover of Party Rock. I sighed and gave in as Megan grabbed my hands and started shaking her hips. I laughed and danced with her for a bit. I glanced around the crowd at the many faces, trying to pick out the ones I knew. I looked around for Josh and Dakota, but it didn't look like they had made their way over here yet. I wondered if June was around but somehow I couldn't picture him going to a loud party like his unless it benefited him in some way. Someone bumped my shoulder and I turned around. Josh's friend, the one with the pretty hazel eyes was looking down at me.

"Oh sorry." I said. He shook his head as if telling me it was fine. I nodded and we stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"Uh, I didn't catch your name earlier." I began, clearing my throat.

"Dawson." He replied.

"That's a cool name. I think we have English together."

"We do."

Silence.

"And, uh, you play football." He nodded again.

More silence.

"You're friends with Josh..." Now I was just naming off random facts I knew about him. He nodded again and continued to stare at me. If he would just give me more than a nod or a two word answer this would be a lot less awkward. His stares were a bit uncomfortable as well.

"Thank you."

"What was that?" I looked up at him like I didn't quite hear him right. Did he just say something? He gave me a small smile, the ends of is lips barely curving up.

"Thank you...for what you said to Josh earlier. It calmed him down." I blinked and nodded my head.

"Sure, no problem." He nodded his head and suddenly the awful music stopped playing.

"Thank you Nightshade." The stoner looking lead singer with the braided pony tail said. He looked like he wanted to say more but suddenly couldn't remember what as he shrugged and slouched off the stage. Probably on his way to smoke more dope. Jay then swaggered forward and the crowd erupted into applause. The sudden noise got the attention of everyone else and the majority of the people gathered around the stage. Jay and his bandmates plugged in their instruments and strummed a few warm up chords. Jay walked over to the mic and smiled.

"Hey Nightshade." The crowd cheered and his smile grew. I didn't clap, but I didn't look away in disgust like Megan and Raven did. Jay held up his hand and the noise died down.

"I know a lot of you came here today to hear us perform and I want to thank every one of our fans for your support." More applause and shouts of praise.

"Tonight I want to play a special song for you. There's one person in particular out there that I haven't been very fair to. Babe, I know you're mad at me and you have every right to be. I've been an unfair jerk to you and I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me and remember why we were together in the first place." I raised my brows in surprise. He sounded so sincere just now which seemed really out of place with him. I didn't think he was the type to be serious about anyone given who he was and I wondered who this mystery lover was. Suddenly the drums rolled along as did the wane of the guitars. I immediately recognized the beat to the song as Endlessly by The Cab.

(Checkth out the upload to the side dearies, it is an amazing song ---------->)

"There's a shop down the street where they sell plastic rings for a quarter a piece I swear it,

Yeah I know that it's cheap not like gold in your dreams but I hope that you'll still wear it,"

Jay's easy voice began, carrying the heart of the melody down to the crowd.

"Yeah the ink may stain my skin, and my jeans may all be ripped,

I'm not perfect, but I swear I'm perfect for you,

And there's no guarantee that this will be easy,

It's not a miracle you need, believe me,

Now I'm no angel I'm just me, but I will love you endlessly,

Wings aren't what you need, you need me,"

The crowd was as lively as ever and even though I hated Jay, they had good reason to be. His voice was amazing and very smooth like a rich dark chocolate. He was talented and it was easy to see why he was so popular, but there was something different about this performance. He normally sang with a lot of passion but tonight it was from the heart. His words seemed to hold more emotion in them, like this song meant something so much more to him than anyone would be able to understand. I did, however, understand the way it reflected through his voice.

"There's a house on a hill with a view of the town and I know how you adore it,

So I'll work every day through the sun and the rain until I can afford it,

Yeah your friends may think I'm crazy 'cause they can only see,

I'm not perfect, but I swear I'm perfect for you,

And there's no guarantee that this will be easy,

It's not a miracle you need, believe me,

Now I'm no angel I'm just me, but I will love you endlessly,

Wings aren't what you need, you need me,"

Girls squealed happily around me and I realized his words promoted a love connection with all the couples about as they started dancing close together and making out. I wrinkled my nose at the two dry humping beside me but noticed a cute blonde girl had come up behind Dawson. He stared at her like she was the most amazing thing in the world and held her close. He sweetly kissed her lips and her eyes fluttered closed as she smiled in content. My heart squeezed at how cute they looked and I hoped I could be that happy someday.

"Ink may stain my skin, and my jeans may all my ripped,

I'm not perfect but I swear I'm perfect for you!

And there's no guarantee that this will be easy,

It's not a miracle you need, believe me,

Now I'm no angel I'm just me, but I will love you endlessly,

Wings aren't what you need, you need me,

You need me! You need me!

You need me! Oh you need me!

"There's a shop down the street where they sell plastic rings for a quarter a piece I swear it,

Yeah I know that it's cheap not like gold in your dreams but I hope that you'll still wear it,"

As he finished I could almost see tears in his eyes but he quickly covered it up with a smile.

"Thank you Nightshade! We are Falling Angels!"

The crowd cheered louder than before and started chanting Jay's name. I still think he's a prick, and I won't forgive what he did to me, but I did love his music. That much I'll admit. After their first act, Falling Angels played three more songs before exiting the stage. Megan and Raven ran off somewhere when I wasn't paying attention so I wondered around in search of Dakota and Josh.

"I said don't talk to me!" My head snapped up at the sound of Dakota's voice. I glanced around but didn't see him. Curious, I walked toward the spot where I thought I had heard him. It was at the edge of the clearing. I squinted through the trees just barely lit by the single lantern hung up here. I could just make out two figures and walked forward. Were Dakota and Josh fighting again? God I hope not and all alone over here? Who knows what damage they could do to each other unsupervised. I suddenly became worried and rushed behind the trees just to stop dead in my tracks. My eyes widened and my mouth hung open in shock. I wasn't sure which part of what I was seeing was more surprising, the wings spouting from Jay's back or that fact that he had Dakota pressed up against a tree and the two were kissing.

I stood there completely stupefied by what I saw. Jay had beautiful white wings flowing from a spot just between his shoulder blades that cascaded around him. They closed around Dakota, wrapping him in their snowy feathers that caught rays of moonlight seeping through the clouds. Jay was holding Dakota's face gently and caressed his lips softly with his own. Dakota wasn't fighting it at all but welcomed it, gripping his shoulders and bringing him closer.

Suddenly it felt like my heart had been stabbed with a knife. I quickly looked away and ran back to the party. What is this? I grabbed at my chest as the pain just seemed to increase. What's going on? Jay liked Dakota and he liked him back? And Jay has fucking wings now? What the hell? I vaguely recalled learning in history class that succubus and incubuses had wings. Right, but that's not what's important here. What about everything that happened? My breath came out in shallow pants, and sweat began to build on my brow. I thought Dakota hated Jay, he left him to join a new band and broke off their friendship didn't he? What about all that talk about 'revenge' and 'payback'? All those glares and acts of hatred? My heart wouldn't calm down as my pulse accelerated, sending waves of pain throughout my chest. What about the other day when Jay locked me in the dark? I know I didn't explain why, but Dakota saw how scared I was. He knew what Jay did traumatized me so why in the hell are they kissing? A new thought came into my mind and I felt my stomach drop. Was he just pretending the whole time to be my friend? Were he and Jay really a couple and they were just playing me for a fool? Have me suddenly challenge Jay's popularity as a publicity stunt and then the two would sabotage and humiliate me in front of the whole school just to make Jay the number one vocalist and go back to being in a band together? Images of the two laughing and kissing mockingly in front of me filled my mind.

I furiously shook my head back and forth. No! Dakota isn't like that, he would never mess with people that way. I don't know why they were kissing but Dakota would never do anything to purposely hurt me. He's too kind for his own good and extremely sweet. He's a bit naïve and a little dull at times but he's funny and cute, a talented musician and...and what am I doing? I stopped as my heart reached new levels of pain. I don't even know why I feel totally let down right now, or why I'm trying to defend Dakota. It's not like he's my boyfriend. He's my roommate and has the right to keep his private life to himself. He doesn't have to tell me anything if he doesn't want to, I mean we barely know each other.

That last thought was depressing. It's true though. We have only been a part of each other's lives for a short time now. I realized I haven't even really tried to get to know him like I should. Alright, instead of sulking I'll do that. I'll learn more about Dakota and I'll start by asking him about what I saw. With that in mind I wondered over to the drinks table. I still felt dismayed, but there was no point in it. I sighed as I took a swig of Coke. I'm sure it was there to be mixed with all the alcohol but drinking wasn't really my thing. Someone behind me suddenly covered my eyes and I stiffened.

"Guess who?" They said in a gruff voice, like they were trying to disguise who they were. I relaxed as I immediately saw through it.

"Oh I wonder...any hints?"

"Hm, I'm pretty handsome." I detected the smile in their voice.

"And?"

"Well I'm sexy."

I laughed. "Oh yeah? Anything else besides being good looking?"

"I'm athletic, strong, good natured, I volunteer at the humane society, enjoy long walks on the beach and get a kick out of classical music. Oh and I love reading." I laughed and turned around to face Josh.

"Now how much of that was true?"

"All of it." I gave him a suspicious look which he returned with an innocent smile. I laughed again.

"So are you enjoying the party?" He asked. I stopped and stared at the ground. I glanced around at the drunk bodies stumbling around and shrugged.

"It's ok."

"Not really enjoying yourself?" I shrugged again and took another sip of my drink.

"Well I think I know something that'll make up for it." I raised a brow at him.

"Oh yeah?"

He grinned and held his hand out towards me. I hesitated and gave him a weary look before placing my palm in the center of his warm hand. His fingers closed around it and he lead me to another section of the clearing. When we reached the edge of the space I slowed my steps.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere special." His blue eyes twinkled as if they were with holding a secret from me. I swallowed and took a meek step into the tree line. After a few more steps we passed through the barrier and all the light and sound vanished. I tightened my grip on Josh's hand and moved closer to him. He smiled and pulled me along, twisting and turning through the large tree trunks. I glanced up at him. I could just barely back out his smiling face as we moved along. His hair fell in his eyes and he flipped it back in a very cute way.

"By the way, you did awesome today at the game. I never told you that earlier." I suddenly said. His smile widened and he met my gaze.

"Thank you. I think I did so well because of what you said to me earlier."

"Oh, my rambling?" I laughed. He squeezed my hand.

"Sometimes it feels like people expect so much from me. As a future alpha it's like I'm not allowed to be anything but perfect, so when you told me it was fine if I messed up it just...it made me feel like it was ok to be normal. So on the field today I just kept repeating your words to myself and it somehow calmed me down. Knowing you were there watching me made me want to win even more though." He laughed and I liked the sound it made as it filled the space between us.

"I'm glad, and trust me I'm no where near perfect so you can be yourself around me."

"That's a relief. I feel likes there's no one really left in my life who I can act that way with."

"What do you mean?"

He glanced up at the sky and then back down to me.

"Like I said, as future alpha practically everyone I know expects great things from me. As I kid I loved the attention. I'm not gonna lie, I was a little brat and strived to have everyone's eyes on me." I laughed and he smiled at me.

"It's easier when you're a kid though. You get good grades in school and excel a little during sparing and everyone thinks you're so grand. I used to go out of my way to be in the lime light and I even learned how to play an instrument to show I had different levels of discipline and showed it off to everyone. As I got older though things changed. The pressure grew and getting good grades wasn't enough anymore. I had to demonstrate I had what it took to be the future alpha of my pack. I needed to express my leadership and communication skills. I had to be a good example and couldn't really goof off anymore. Any time I did I was looked down on. Even my closest friends started to say things like 'you should act more like our alpha' even though we would all be messing around. So I guess I just invented this perfect person to be. One who was always polite and the praise of the pack. The handsome and young future alpha who's not only a honors student, but the star quarterback of the football team. I came to Nightshade instead of going to the pack school to escape. I closed myself off from people and am only their 'friends' because I'm their alpha, but none of them are really there for me. I only trust a few people and there's really only two people in this world who I can act like myself in front of. Well, three now." He glanced over at me and I blushed.

"Who are the others?"

"Here at school it's only my beta and Dakota."

"Dakota?" Then again I guess that made sense. He certainly didn't seem to act like an angel in front of him.

"He's the only one who never changed. No matter how old we have gotten he still hates my guts. I don't really know why, but our little banter sessions keep me sane. I don't have to impress him cause he doesn't think anything of me. Sometimes I even go out of my way to pick on him just so he'll yell at me." He had a fond look in his eyes as he spoke. I remember Dakota saying before that Josh was always trying to out do him, but I guess there was more to it than that.

"Why don't you try being friends with him instead of always fighting him? Wouldn't that work out a lot better?" He smiled and shook his head.

"It's too late for that now. Dakota wouldn't want to be my friend."

"But-"

"We're almost there." He cut me off and stared straight ahead. I bit my lip and glanced down at our hands.

"Can I ask you another question?" He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes and nodded.

"Well you said you're always trying to be perfect but....isn't this viewed as an imperfection?" He glanced down at me now and cocked his head to the side.

"What is?"

I lifted our hands a little.

"This...isn't being gay, you know, not right?"

He blinked and suddenly stopped walking. He turned to face me and gave me a serious look.

"Do you think that?"

I bit my lip and shrugged.

"Sometimes...but no one here seems to mind. Back home if you were gay it was a death sentence of bullying until the end of your days, but not a single person seems to care here at Nightshade. Why is that?"

He stared at me for a long while before gently cupping my face in his hands.

"Don't ever think that being gay and who you are is an imperfection or is wrong. Ok?" I paused and slowly nodded my head, taken completely aback by his change in attitude.

"Good." He slipped his hand back into mine and we started walking again.

"To answer your question, no one really cares here because there are entire races out there who only pair with members of the same sex."

I raised my brows in surprise.

"Really? Like who?"

"Harpies for example. They're a tribe of women warriors and in their culture women are to be revered and respected. So since women are worshipped there, they feel men are inferior to them. They don't treat them badly, but will only marry and unionize with other women. Men to them are used for keeping their blood line going so male harpies will only marry other men as well. If you pay attention there are a lot of same sex couples in our school but that's because of their cultural background. No one makes fun of them because it's a part of who they are. We accept it and it's normal here."

"As for why it'd be fine for me, werewolves are known for having mates that are the same sex. It doesn't happen as often, but it does. We have two couples in my pack who are mated to the same sex. We accept it because we know who we mate with is not our choice, nor a mistake. They're who we're supposed to be with. My parents let me date who I want because they know someday I'll be mated to the person I'm supposed to be with. They're not extremely pleased in my taste of men, but convince themselves it's because my mate is most likely another guy."

I nodded my head as he spoke. Now I understand. I hadn't known all of that before and am glad to know the students here were so accepting.

"Here we are."

We stopped and glanced around. It was just another part of the trail. I furrowed my brows and looked up at him.

"Josh?" He turned around to face me and smiled.

"Close your eyes."

"What?"

He took a step closer to me.

"Close your eyes." He said again, softer than before. "Trust me." I chewed the inside of my cheek and gave him a curt nod. I slowly slid my eyes close and took a deep breath. Josh came around behind me and placed both of his hands on my shoulders.

"Don't peek."

"You know from my perspective it's like you're getting ready to rape me." He laughed and the sound echoed in the silence around us, bringing life to this dark forest.

"Do you really think I'd do that?"

"Well..."

"Just trust me." He whispered in my ear and I shivered.

"O-Ok." He chuckled softly and gently pushed me forward. He maneuvered me safely through the last few remaining trees and then stopped.

"Alright." He said quietly. "Open them." My eyes fluttered open and I gasped. He had led me to another clearing, but the majority of the space was filled with a crystal blue lake. The water was so still that the stars reflected back, mirroring the night sky. I glanced up and saw the grey clouds had broken apart, revealing the galaxies hidden behind them. It was so beautiful. We were so far away from the city that there was no light pollution to shield the shining constellations. They glowed and shimmered in the water like the two were connected and the heavens touched the earth. The cloudy dust of the Milky Way spread across the both of them, completing this stunning illusion.

"It's beautiful." I breathed, unable to look away. Josh moved his hands down my arms and rested them on my hips.

"Do you like it?" He murmured into the curve of my neck. I blushed and smiled.

"Yes."

"This isn't even the best part." I glanced over my shoulder at him.

"There's more?" He smiled and gently grasped my chin between his fingers. My heart skipped a beat as I stared up into those perfect pools of sparkling blue. He leaned in closer until his lips hovered just above mine. I held my breath as I waited for him to close the space.

"Look over there." He whispered against my lips. He gently turned my head to face the lake once more. The moon shyly peeked out front behind the thickest clouds and as its soft glow enveloped the space around us, there was even more light. My eyes widened in wonder as a superfluous of pure white flowers bloomed all around us. In an instant the edge of the lake was surrounded by their softly glowing petals. I had never seen a flower like that before. They looked like a cross between a lily and a rose.

"What are those?"

"They're lunar flowers."

"Lunar flowers?"

"Yes." He said, returning his hand to my waist. "They're highly regarded by many races, werewolves included."

"Why?" I asked as he began to gently run his thumbs in soothing circles on my sides.

"I can't say it's the same for everyone, but for werewolves the lunar flower is a symbol of our Goddess."

"You believe in a Goddess?"

Josh nodded and rested his face in the waves of my hair.

"She has no name, but is the celestial being who creates everything. Everything you see is full of life's energy and that source comes from the heavens where the Goddess dwells. All spirts originate from there, including yours and mine. When we descend down to earth, the Goddess choses our forms and blesses us with life. It's said when she first set foot in the world she created the wolf as her guardian and as she walked across the barren land, droplets of light sank into the earth and from them grew the lunar flowers."

I was lost in the sound of his honey coated voice. His hands were warm on my sides and the beautiful scene before me was so unreal I felt if I reached out to touch it the mirage would break and shatter to a thousand pieces.

"So you're saying this is a place where gods have walked?"

"It certainly looks that way."

I laughed softly and rested my head back on his shoulder.

"This is amazing...how did you ever find this place?"

"One day in middle school I was being a hot head had started a lot of needless fires with people. The arguments and blame mixed with my stubbornness was driving me crazy so I shifted and went for a run in the forest to clear my head. As I was running I felt drawn to this spot and before I knew it I was here. It's just so calming being in this place that this is where I go whenever I need to unwind and relax. I just sit here for hours staring into that lake and think about all of life's wonders I guess." He laughed and nuzzled into my hair. "You probably think I'm silly."

I shook my head and turned around to face him.

"I don't think that at all." He puased at my sudden serious tone then smiled and leaned his forehead against mine.

"I'm glad." I blushed and looked down.

"Does anyone else know about this place?"

"Hmm, I don't know." He hummed. "You're the first person I've shown it to." I looked back up to find he was staring at me.

"Why?" He smiled and gently kissed my forehead.

"Because you're special." My blush deepened and I looked away in embarrassment.

"Not really."

"But you are." He said as he turned my face back to his. "And I want you to know that." Somehow I felt like crying, but not because I was sad. No one had ever said something so sweet to me before. It was nice.

"I want to show you more places like this and do more nice things for you." He continued, brushing the back of his fingers across my cheek.

"Like what?"

He smiled and turned me around. He pushed gently down on my shoulders until I was sitting on the green grass at the edge of the lake. He walked over to a clump of bushes and produced an acoustic guitar. My mouth hung open.

"What...?"

He grinned and held it up for me.

"Things are about to get really cheesy." He warned.

"Oh dear Lord." I laughed as he took a seat beside me. He adjusted the guitar in his lap and gave me a sheepish smile.

"I don't sing, but I can play." I nodded, encouraging him to continue. He took a deep breath and positioned his fingers on the frets. Then the music began. The notes glided through air, carried softly by the wind. They swirled over the still lake to the lovely petals of the lunar flower and danced gracefully up to the shining stars above. I recognized the song as Kiss the Rain by Yiruma and closed my eyes, letting the heavenly melody fill my mind. I opened them and gazed out over the lake. The most beautiful sight accompanied by a symphony of the most beautiful sound. I was on cloud nine.

(You must check out this song o_o it is so beautiful and I love the guitar arrangement by Sungah Jung ^~^ )

As Josh played the final few notes, the sound washed over the space and slowly faded away. It was almost as if it were sinking into the earth and becoming a permanent part of the magic created here. I peered over at Josh with a smile filling my lips.

"That was beautiful." I said. He laughed and a slight blush graced his cheeks.

"You're beautiful." He stared at me with compelling eyes that seemed to burn endlessly, deep within those rings of blue. I quickly looked away before they could completely melt me. I glanced to the sky and noticed the full moon. I stared at it a moment and then back down to Josh.

"This may seem a bit rude but...aren't you bothered by the full moon? I thought werewolves went crazy on the eves of full moons." He laughed and peered up at the sky.

"We do, but that's not a full moon."

I furrowed my brows and returned my attention to the glowing circle in the sky.

"It's not?"

"Nope," He said, shaking his head, "Not a true and genuine full moon at least."

"What do you mean?"

He looked back down at me and smiled.

"Just cause the moon looks whole doesn't mean it is. It's actually once every three months that a true full moon arises. When I say true I mean it's fully completed by a ring of spiritual energy that gathers on that night. The moon has its greatest influence on the earth those days and pulls the energy of the world to it. When that happens, it will shine even brighter and has a great effect on our kind, and others. We're stronger and closer to our inner wolves than we normally are. It awakens a side of ourselves that we're normally closed off to."

"So is that when you turn into a wolf and go around attacking people like in horror films?" I joked. He smiled.

"No we don't just shift and lose complete control of ourselves during a full moon like in movies. We're just more in touch with our instincts I guess, but when you're young like people my age there are instances where we lose touch with our human side. It's rare though."

"Hm...so the moon doesn't bother you now?"

"No, but it does still affect me. It just makes me feel more lively and restless." He explained.

"And you're not gonna randomly turn into a wolf?" I meant it as a joke but he suddenly gave me a serious look. He set his guitar down and leaned in closer. I could make out the moon rising behind him, wrapping his face in its soft glow. This seemed vaguely familiar somehow...like dejavu.

"Do you wanna see it?" He asked, just barely above a whisper. My eyes widened as it all came rushing back to me like a slap in the face. I realized this was what I had foreseen in my vision before. The moon crowned Josh's head and the setting was complete. It was exactly as I had seen it. I swallowed.

"See what?" I whispered back, as I stared into his captivating eyes. He leaned in even closer.

"My true form."

I held my breath. This is where the vision had stopped. What happened next? I desperately wanted to know and before I realized what I was doing I nodded my head yes. Josh never looked away. No, he kept me spellbound as I memorized every swirl of blue and fleck of gold I saw, burning it forever into my memory. He shifted so he was resting on his knees and leaned forward on his hands. He got so close to me that all I could see were his perfect eyes. Then there was a spark of light, like lightning running over Josh's body. I wanted to look and see it but his eyes demanded my attention. I saw the shift, like a ripple in the space between us, but my mind couldn't comprehend it. As josh finally pulled back I was no longer staring into the eyes of a dreamy guy, but into the soul of a beautiful white wolf.

I gasped as I stared at the stunning creature. It was so...gorgeous. Its fur looked as soft as silk and its body was strong and held with pride. Moonlight washed over it like it was completing some fairy tale spell. Its eyes were a striking blue, a blue I only knew as belonging to Josh's eyes.

"Josh?" I whispered, staring in awe at his new form. The wolf bowed its head as if confirming his identity and stood. Josh was huge. He was much bigger than me normally, but as a wolf I thought he'd be smaller at least. Instead he was as large as I was and if I stood I knew he would come up past my waist. I didn't really know what to do. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but would he let me? Would he let me pet his fur or would he consider that demeaning as a future alpha? He seemed to sense I was distraught and lazily walked over to me. He plopped down in front of me and met my gaze. Josh stared at me, then leaned his forehead against mine. I hesitated but slowly brought my hand up to his head. I softly stroked the fur on the side of his face and he licked my cheek lovingly.

"Haha, stop." I laughed as I gently pushed his face away. I held it in both of my hands and stared at how perfect he seemed. He was handsome whether he was a boy or a wolf.

"You're beautiful." I whispered. He closed his eyes and pressed his wet nose against mine. I giggled and scratched behind his ears. He, like Dakota, started to happily pant and leaned into me. He rested his face against my chest and I held him in my arms. I watched in amusement as his tail swished back and forth in the grass. I reached out to grab it and the second my fingers made contact with it, I was suddenly thrown to the ground. Josh stood over me and growled. My eyes widened in alarm. What, what did I do? Then I remembered Dakota's words.

"Oh, sorry! I forgot you're not supposed to touch a werewolf's tail. My bad!" I apologized, holding my hands up to show I meant no harm. He gave me another low growl and plopped down on top of me.

"Ugh, Josh...you're not that light." He shifted so the majority of his body rested against the side of me, but his front paws remained securely on my chest. He nipped playfully at my ear and I laughed, running my fingers through his fur. He stopped and started to lick a spot on my neck. He nipped at my skin and I lightly swatted his head.

"Stop that." He growled and dug his face further into the curve of my neck. I chuckled softly and stared up at the sky. I glanced over all the specks of sparkling light, wondering how so many curious things could exist in this world. I absentmindedly smoothed my hands over Josh's fur and took comfort in the warmth his body radiated. His hot breath grazed my skin and I suddenly felt very tired.

"Thank you Josh." I whispered as I closed my eyes. "This was amazing." Slowly I drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

AN: Done!!!! Yes!!! Guys this is the longest chapter I have ever written with a total count of 15,181 words! Thank you guys so much for your continuous support and for voting and commenting on these chapters :) I'm sorry this update came so late, but I promise the updates will be more constant from now on and I'll once again be updating weekly :) don't for get to VOTE and COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me know what you think about this new chapter :3