Speaking with Samara lifted my spirits. I felt renewed. My bitterness against Koretta and pack wasn't totally gone but I did feel better about myself. We talked for hours. I really needed it. I knew Samara would somehow make everything bearable.
While I was with Samara, I realized that there was nothing I could do to change what was going on. I had to come to terms with what I was since it was impossible to change back into a human. My problems weren't gone but now I felt that life wasn't this dark horrible place I had been making it out to be. Samara was light in my darkness. When I was with her I felt normal, almost human again. She gave me hope. I didn't want to go back and feel angry again.
I was happy to finally be able to see and talk to Samara but my favorite part of the whole night was when Titan walked me back to the river. Dawn was on its way and I knew I had to leave soon. I didn't want to leave. Leaving Samara was hard but after hugging her one more time. I made my way back to the river. It didn't take long to catch his scent. I turned and there he was. My heart rapidly started beating faster. How was it that I always forgot how beautiful he was until I saw him again? He always looked amazing. I could feel my cheeks burning. I didn't understand why this was happening to me. Not even the night air could cool the heat burning through me.
I was quite confused. My body was reacting to him. Why was I acting like a cat in heat? I mentally kicked myself when I realize what was going on. It was mating season for the Lykánthropes. No wonder I getting turned on by the mere scent of him.
I couldn't let him know what was going on. I had to act cool. I raised my eyebrows asking the silent question.
"I'm only here to make sure you make it across the river safely." He answered.
"What? Do you think I'll double back and kill everyone when you're sleeping?" I huffed.
"No. I don't believe you'll do that." He said with a guarded smile.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you believe I won't come back and kill everyone when they're sleeping?"
He stepped forward. "I just get this feeling you're not that kind of girl."
"And why do you say that?" I asked.
“I think it's your eyes. They're not mean.”
I laughed softly. "That's cute."
He grinned and my heart skipped a beat. "Hey. I was being serious."
I laughed a little louder. "Well, then, I guess that was a compliment. Thank you. "
"You are more than welcome."
I bit my lip before talking again. "So... um... I guess I'll be off then. I have to get back before everyone at the camp wakes up. It was nice talking to you again." I backed away a couple of steps before turning around.
"Wait." He called out.
I turn back around. He was digging into pocket of his jeans. "You need this." He took out a bar soap. He held it out to me.
I could feel my eyes widening. I titled my head in confusion. "Are you trying to tell me I stink?"
He chuckled. "Of course not." He laughed again. "You smell like Samara who smells like us. If you don't wash up before you get to your camp everyone will know what you were up to."
"So I have to take a bath before I get back to my camp?"
He nodded. "You're also going to have to wash your clothes."
"And where are you suggesting I do this?"
He grinned and pointed to the river.
"You gotta be joking." I whined.
"You're going to have to do it if you don't want to get caught. Trust me."
I sighed. "I guess you’re right." I waited for him to say something else but he didn't. We just stared at each other waiting for the other to speak. The sun slowly climbed up in the sky letting me know that I had to leave soon. I chewed on my lip before speaking again. "I guess I better go."
He nodded.
I turned not knowing what else to say. I was getting ready to throw myself into the river when he spoke.
"Come back whenever you want." He said softly.
He was gone by the time I turned around to thank him. I jumped into the icy river with a smile on my face. Being invited back made me happy. I sneaked back into the Camp, water dripping off my body. I shivered as the cool breeze blew around me. I could see a couple of lights on in the cottages. Females already starting their day. I left a trail of water as I walked into the Cub House. When I was in my room I quickly changed and sleep for a couple of hours before starting my day.
Usually I kept myself locked up in my room until I was famished. I never really mingled with the females but this day was different. I felt that I needed to go out and try to see things in a different light. Samara advice was something I wanted to take to heart.
I combed my hair and left it loose. I was surprise by how long it was. Ever since I was younger I kept it short. My wild curls were easier to tame that way. I hated my curly hair. I never let it grow pass my shoulder but now it was quickly creeping its way down my back. I was pretty positive that hair wasn't supposed to get that long in just a couple of weeks.
I put my flip-flops on and opened my door and immediately all but one door in the hallway swung opened. Four heads popped out to stare at me. I was sure they were all surprise to see me. I never left my room for anything during the day. I tried to smile as I walked by but I'm pretty sure I failed. I could feel their stares from behind as I walked. I moved as quickly as I could down the stairs and out of the building.
As I walked out into the sunlight, I paused to let the sun illuminate my skin. I had almost forgotten what the warm rays of sunlight felt like. I never left my room at this time of day. Wide eyes followed me as I made my way through the courtyard. Everyone stared at me like I was a mysterious creature. They saw me but they didn't quite believe it. I felt like Big Foot.
The women didn't stare for long. They all got bored of watching me when they figured out I wasn't up to anything. They all went back to whatever they were doing. I spotted little girls playing; they ran around laughing and screaming. I found myself stopping to watch them. They seemed so normal. I guess in my mind I had pictured them fighting over raw meat like animals.
I heard someone call my name. I turned and saw Tamanna and Aliesha walking my way. Aliesha walked slightly behind Tamanna. I could tell she didn't want to be anywhere near me. Tamanna smiled and waved. I smiled back.
"Hey!" She said when she was in front of me. "You're out of your room and it's not even dusk. I'm surprised."
"Yeah. I decided to come out before I forgot what the sun felt like."
"Well you're right on time." Tamanna grinned. "We're going into town. You should come with us. Right, Ali?" Tamanna said turning to face Aliesha.
"Sure." Aliesha mumbled. It was pretty obvious she didn't want me to come.
"See." Tamanna said. "You should come. It'll be fun. I'm buying some stuff for my new cottage. Ali here sucks at picking colors. You can come help me out."
"I suck at picking colors, too. I won't be any help."
"Oh that's okay. I already know what colors I want anyway. Come on, you've never been into town. I'm sure you need to buy some things." Tamanna said.
I thought about it. I did have to buy some things. I also wanted to buy a prepaid cell phone. I wanted to be able to talk to Samara whenever I wanted.
"See, I knew it. You do have to buy some stuff. Come with us." Tamanna smiled.
I really wanted the phone. "Yeah. Okay. Let me go back to my room and get my wallet."
"Okay. Great will meet you at the garage."
"Garage?" I asked.
"Yeah it's behind the Cub House. We'll meet you there."
I went back to my room and got my wallet. I only had two hundred dollars left. I was hoping there was an ATM in town. I would have to get more money soon. I was lucky that my father had left me a little nest egg when he died.
I walked round the Cub House to the garage. I didn't know how I never notice it before. It was huge. About twenty cars were parked inside.
Tamanna and Aliesha stood next to the hottest car in the garage. I was pretty sure it was a Porsche of some kind. Tamanna grinned while rubbing her hand together. She looked a little crazy but I couldn't help but grin back. "You ready to go?" asked Tamanna.
"Yeah. Is this the car we're going in?"
"Yup. Queen Tailah gave it to Aliesha as a Christmas present." Tamanna playfully punched Aliesha in the arm. "Lucky. All I got was an iPod."
Aliesha smiled for the first time. "That's because no one would trust you with a car after the Go-Kart incident."
Tamanna sighed. "When are you guys going to forget about that? It happened four years ago."
"What happened?" I asked, curious.
Aliesha answered. "Let’s just say that the court yard had to be rebuilt after the incident and about five people had their legs broken."
"It's totally unfair. Everyone refuses to teach me to drive now." Tamanna huffed.
"That's because no one wants to die." Aliesha replied. "Come on we better go before I change my mind about taking you."
"Alright. Let's go. I'm ready."
We all got into car. Aliesha drove, while Tamanna sat beside her. And I sat in the very tiny backseat. The drive into town was long. We actually passed the Vrykolakes Ranch. I tried to stare but I couldn’t help but wonder if I could possibly catch a glimpse of Samara or Titan. Tamanna tried to keep a conversation going but neither Aliesha nor I would bite. So she finally gave up. We rode in silence for more than half the way.
When we finally got into town I was kind of surprised. It looked like something from out of the past. The town was very small and discreet. I climbed out of the car. I hated two door cars when I had to sit in the back.
"Come on, guys." Tamanna said as soon as I was out. "The last time I was in town I saw the most amazing curtains. I hope they still have them."
Aliesha and I both patiently waited while she took an hour looking at curtains. She would ask for our opinions but didn't really listen to us when we told her what we thought. I was already exhausted when we left the first store with the same curtains she went in talking about. If Aliesha and I hoped she was done. We were both disappointed when she walked into the hardware store for some paint. We spent another hour watching her choose the perfect color for her living room.
I used to like to shop, but I quickly grew to hate it. With Tamanna it was torture. I didn't understand why it took so long to pick something out.
By the fifth store, I was ready to drop dead on the side walk due to exhaustion, but I had to admit it was fun hanging out with people after spending two weeks by myself locked up in my room.
Aliesha was pretty cool after she stopped sending me I-hate-you vibes. It hadn't helped that at first Tamanna kept mentioning Elias to me every couple of minutes. I guessed Tamanna had no clue how much Aliesha liked Elias.
I wanted to get away so I could buy the prepaid phone, but it was impossible. Tamanna wouldn't let me out of her sight. She kept asking for our opinions even though she always went with whatever she liked in the end.
We all laughed and talked as Tamanna shopped the day away, buying what she needed. I had everything I needed but the cell phone. I didn't want them to ask why I wanted a cell phone when there was a landline in every living room of the Cub House.
It wasn't until the seventh store that Tamanna seemed to slow down. We went to the car to put in the last of packages she had purchased. She leaned against the car and sighed. "I'm starved. We should get something to eat."
I saw Aliesha silently thank God. "Me too." She said. "Let's go to King's Court for some burgers and fries."
"And milkshakes. Jayla you are going to love this place. It has the best food." Tamanna assured me.
"Sounds good. Where is it?" I asked.
Tamanna eyebrows moved in to the middle of her forehead. "Around the corner. Why?" She slightly tilted her head.
"I'll catch up. I have to buy something I forgot. I'll be real quick. Order me whatever you're getting as long as it doesn't have onions or eggs."
"We can go with you then go eat." Tamanna offered.
"No!" I accidentally bellowed. "I mean… No, it's okay. I'll just catch up. You're starving right. I'll be there in five minutes."
"Okay. If you say so." Tamanna finally agreed. "I'll order for you."
I watched them as they turned the corner than ran to the store where I had seen the prepaid cell phones at. I bought one and a card with a thousand minutes on it. My money was almost all gone.
I walked to the car and tried to put my bag in it but it was locked. I would have to take the bag with me into the restaurant. The bag was see-through they would see the cell phone as soon as I walked in.
I sighed and headed in the direction they had gone. I walked by four stores before I saw the sign for King's Court. I walked into the small burger joint holding my bag behind my back. All the delicious smells made my stomach growled. I hadn't realized how hungry I was. The place was full of people getting an early dinner. Tamanna and Aliesha sat in a booth at the back. I walked towards them. I slid in besides Tamanna and placed the bag on the floor next to me.
Tamanna smiled. "I thought you had gotten lost. I was about to go look for you."
"It took longer than I expected. So did you order?" I asked changing the subject.
"Yup. It should be here soon. You're going to love the food. The burgers here are amazing and the milkshakes are to die for. I'm drooling just thinking about them."
"Here comes our food." Announced Aliesha. She was facing in the direction of the counter.
I could smell the food getting closer. The waitress placed the giant tray of food on the table. She gave us a weary looked before walking away. And I understood why. Tamanna and Aliesha had ordered two of everything, two giant burgers, two orders of fries and two milkshakes for each of us. A month ago I would have gave the same weary look the waitress had given us if I'd seen the food placed on the table but I knew that I could eat everything and still have room for dessert.
Are bodies were different from humans. Our metabolisms were extremely fast. We needed the calories of the food to keep us going. Instead of two thousand calories we needed around six thousand calories every day to keep our bodies healthy.
I stuffed two fries in my mouth before reaching for the ketchup. Tamanna and Aliesha were already half way done with their first burgers. We could hear all the conversation going on in the restaurant even the whispered ones. In the kitchen I could hear our waitress talking about our order to another waiter.
We all giggled as she betted that we wouldn't finishes half of our first burger. The other waiter laughed and took her bet.
"She must be new." Aliesha grinned.
"I can't wait to tell her we want dessert." Tamanna laughed finishing her first burger. She started on her next one.
We finished everything by the time the waitress came to ask if everything was okay. Her eyes widen when she saw are empty plates. I held back a laugh as she picked up the tray with the empty plates.
"I'll be right back with your check." The waitress said.
"Actually, before you do that we would like some dessert please." Tamanna smiled. "I would like two slices of cherry pie. What do you guys want?"
"I want two slices of apple." Answered Aliesha.
"Do you have cheesecake?" I asked.
The waitress nodded.
"Alright. I want two slices of cheesecake."
"Anything else?" Asked the waitress gaping at us.
Tamanna thought about it. "Actually now that you mention it. Three more milkshakes please."
“Okay. I'll go get that for you right away." She turned with the tray and almost ran into the kitchen.
"They ate everything and they asked for more." Our waitress announced when she was in the kitchen. "They all must be bulimic. There is no way they can eat like that and stay that skinny."
Tamanna laughed out loud at that comment. "Why do people always assume eating disorders?"
Aliesha shrugged. "Here she comes." She handed us our desserts and milkshakes. We all thanked her before she walked away.
Tamanna looked at her watch. "Oh my. It's almost seven. I still have to make one more stop before we head home."
Aliesha groaned out loud. "Oh God. What now? Place mats?"
Tamanna glared at her. "I already bought those or did you forget?"
"I'm trying very hard to forget what happened today. I think I might have nightmares about curtains and cushions tonight."
"Shut up. I need to go to the pharmacy." She puffed.
"Why?" I asked, taking a bit of my cheesecake.
"Because I need a pregnancy test."
I forgot how to swallow and my cheesecake went down the wrong tube. Tamanna banged on my back as I coughed. I was sure I was going to have some bruises later on.
When I was done coughing I took a sip of my milkshake before talking again.
"But I thought you had sex for the first time two nights ago. Why do you need a pregnancy test?"
"Well, first of all, because I want to have one at home when I'm ready to take it. And, also, hasn't anyone told you anything about our reproduction."
I shook my head.
"Of course not." She sighed. "Our reproduction is a little faster than humans."
"What do you mean a little faster?" I asked. "Like eight months instead of nine?"
"No. More like six months if you're lucky. Sometimes the babies like to come out a little sooner. And if you're in wolf form throughout your whole pregnancy it takes about two to three months."
"Good thing I don't want kids." I replied.
"What are you talking about? It's your job as a female Lykán to have lots of babies."
"What century do you live in?" I asked.
"But I'm sure King Elias will want children." Tamanna concluded.
I could feel Aliesha hate vibes attacking me again.
I glanced at Aliesha. She wouldn't look at me. "Tamanna how many times do I have to tell you? I don't like Elias… I mean King Elias. I don't want to mate him. So please stop talking about him." Before I get another enemy. I added silently.
As soon as I was done with my tiny speech the hate vibes stopped their assaults. I relaxed. I really didn't want any more enemies. Koretta and Elsa were more than enough.
"I'm just saying. Everyone thinks that King Elias really likes you. He's never showed interest in anyone before." Tamanna revealed.
I groaned inward. "That's because the right girl hasn't approached him yet." I said looking directly at Aliesha.
She smiled before looking away. The weight lifted off my shoulders. She now knew I wasn't after Elias. We ate our dessert while chit chatting about this and that. Our waitress came over and asked us if we wanted anything else. If it hadn't been getting late we would have ordered more just to see our poor waitress face.
"Aliesha, it's your turn to pay for the food." Tamanna reminded her.
I took out my wallet and took out the last of my money. "I can pay for my stuff."
Aliesha shook her head. "Nah. You can just pay for the food next time." She handed our waitress her debt card.
"I wanted to ask you earlier but I forgot to. Why have you been paying with cash all day?" Tamanna asked me.
"What do you mean?" I asked confused.
"I mean why haven't you been using you’re allowance card?"
"What's an allowance card?"
Tamanna sighed. "You really need to come out of your room more often. All females under the age of twenty-one get an allowance."
"Like what? Twenty dollars a week?"
"More like a thousand a month." Tamanna giggled. "You see, the day a female turns fifteen she has to move into the Cub House and once you are out of your mother's home you have to take care of yourself but of course a fifteen year old cannot support herself so she gets an allowance until her twenty-first birthday because usually females are mated by then anyway."
"I'm Twenty-one but I’ll continue getting an allowance after I turn twenty-two because I work as a bodyguard for the queen. But it's more like I'm getting paid to do my job." Aliesha confessed. "Also people who go to college get an allowance until they graduate. Plus the Pack pays their tuition."
"Wouldn't feel right taking money from the Pack. I mean I haven't been here since I was fifteen. So it doesn't feel right."
"What are you talking about? You're part of the Pack. It's not like we will ever run out of money. We all help each other. And afterwards if you want to pay the Pack back you can." Tamanna beamed.
"And unless you're Koretta you don't use up all the money." Aliesha smiled.
"I have more than twenty thousand dollars in the bank. I can give it back if I want or invest it." Tamanna said.
"And what are you going to do with it?" I asked.
"I'm going to ask King Elias where I should invest it in and make enough to pay back everything the Pack ever gave me and more." Tamanna smiled. "Just like Aliesha did."
The waitress came back with Aliesha's debt card. I stood up and started walking towards the door. I was half way across the diner when I remembered my bag. When I turned to get it. I saw Tamanna holding it in her hand. My heart stopped beating completely. How could I have forgotten it? How was I going to explain a cell phone?
"You forgot your bag." She said handing it back to me. She smiled. "When we get in the car I'll give you mine and Aliesha cell phone numbers. That way we can text each other. It way easier than walking to each other places when we only want to ask one question."
My heart started beating again. "Okay. That will be fine." I mumbled.
"Great. We better go. I want to get back before it gets completely dark." Tamanna said.
I saw our waitress behind the counter. She was clearing dirty dishes from on top of the counter. Tamanna turned towards Aliesha and I and winked. I had no idea what she was up to until I heard her speak.
"So guys, what should we have for dinner?" Tamanna asked as we walked by the waitress.
"I was thinking pizza." Aliesha answered.
I could hear the plates shattering on the floor as we made our escape through the door. I didn't let myself laugh out loud until we were a couple of stores away. I had forgotten how good it felt to laugh. I had to hold on to the wall of a building so I wouldn't fall over. It took us a couple of minutes to compose ourselves. People stared at us, some smiling, while others shook their heads at our nonsense. We walked to the nearby pharmacy when we finished laughing like lunatics.
The drive back home was livelier. We talked about everything. I felt that I knew them very well by the time we were back at Camp. As we pulled in I could tell something was up. The Camp was buzzing. Lights blazed in the courtyard.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"No clue." Aliesha answered
"Usually it isn't like this unless the guys are here." Tamanna put in. "Oh my God." She squealed. "They have to be here."
"They never come two times in one week." Aliesha observed.
"Yeah but why else would the courtyard be ablaze?"
"Someone would have called if the guys had come." Aliesha rebutted.
Tamanna reached for her purse that lay at her feet. She dug in her purse until she pulled her cell phone. She pressed the bottom on the side. "I forgot to turn it back on after we left King's Court. Did you turn yours back on?" She asked Aliesha.
"No. I forgot, too."
Tamanna phone made a beeping sound when she turned it on. "I just got a text from Jacen. You see. They are here. He just asked me where I was at. They got here an hour ago." I could hear the smile in her voice. "Would you guys totally hate me if I got out here? I want to see him as soon as possible."
Aliesha stopped the car. "Get out. You’re making me sick with all the love you're radiating."
Tamanna laughed. "I'll get the stuff out later. Okay?"
"Sure. Whatever. Go have wild monkey sex with Jacen."
"I will. Just for you." Tamanna giggled.
"Gross." Aliesha and I groaned at the same time.
Tamanna laughed once more before opening the door. "Bye." She yelled over her shoulder before slamming the door and taking off in the direction of the courtyard.
"She forgot her purse." Aliesha commented.
"Ah. To be young and in love." I sighed.
"That something an old person would say."
"People say I have an old soul." I said, smiling.
Aliesha just stared at me through the rearview mirror.
"Okay. So no one has ever told me that. I just wanted to say it."
"God. You are weird."
"Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment."
I could see her grin in the rearview mirror. "It was a compliment." She sighed. "Let's hurry up. We single ladies still have to go get dressed."
I also sighed. "How long do we have to wear those things?"
"Until we're mated." She answered me.
"Great. So I'll be wearing it for the rest of my life." I joked.
"I'll be right there next to you. So you have nothing to worry about."
I grinned. "Please. You'll end up marrying King Elias."
She sighed. "I wish."
Aliesha parked her car in the same spot in the garage. She got out of the car and pulled the seat forward so I could get out. I grabbed my bags and squeezed out.
"Hey I don't have to guard the queen tonight so I'm free to mingle. You want to hang out together? We single ladies have to stick together."
"Sure." I smiled.
"Okay. I'll walk you to your room so you can get your dress. Then we can go to my place and get ready."
"Your place? You don't live in the Cub House?"
"No. I'm one of the queen's guards so I have a cottage behind the Queen's Quarter."
"Cool. You have your own place?"
"Yes all her guards do." She replied.
"All the cottages that surround the Queen's Quarter belong to her guards."
We walked out of the garage and start walking towards the Cub House. "So is that why Tamanna has a cottage now too? She a guard?"
"No, although, Tamanna was training to be a guard, she got a cottage because she's now mated."
We walked through the front doors of Cub House. Aliesha followed me as I walked up the stairs to my room. "So everyone that marries gets a cottage?"
"Yeah."
"Are there enough cottages for everyone that wants to mate?" I asked opening the door to my room. "Come in." I walked to my bed and dropped my bags on it.
"Only about ten to fifteen females mate every year. We always have enough cottages. We built fifteen cottages every year."
I walked to my closet and took out my formal dress. "That's a lot of cottages."
She shrugged. "We have the room. There's plenty of land."
I thought about it then nodded. "Okay. I'm ready." I said after grabbing everything that I would need for the night.
"Okay let’s go to my cottage and get ready."
"Alright."
I followed Aliesha to her cottage. We stayed at Aliesha's cottage for as long as we could but we knew we eventually had to go out to the courtyard. We both didn't feel like mingling. So when we finally got to the courtyard we decided to hide in the corner.
We spent our time laughing and talking. Whenever a male would get close we would glare at them until they turned around and left us alone. I soon found out that Aliesha was very popular among the males. A lot of males tried to catch her attention. But she just ignored them. She revealed to me that she didn't care about anyone but Elias.
She also explained how she always got nerves around him now. Words never seemed to come out in the right order when she talked to him. She also confessed that she believed she wasn't good enough for him since he was now King of the Males. I tried to tell her she was wrong but she wouldn't listen.
Aliesha and I spent most of the night watching as guys and girls made fools of themselves as they tried persistently to impress each other. I felt like a scientist observing a subject in their natural habitat.
Aliesha whispered something that made me laugh. I was so lost in my laughter that I didn't notice Elias walking towards us until he stood right in front of us. I should have realized something was going on when Aliesha stopped laughing and started drooling.
"What so funny?" He asked, sitting down in between us.
"Your face." I replied, with a sweet smile.
I heard Aliesha's small gasp.
He smiled. "Very funny." He turned to Aliesha. "So how have you been, Ali?"
She blushed at his question." Fine and yourself?" Aliesha stammered.
"I can't complain." He admitted. He turned his attention my way. "And you, Jayla?"
"I've been better." I noted.
Elias chuckled. "So why are two beautiful young ladies like yourselves hiding in a dark corner?"
"Hoping to stay invisible until the sun came up. I guess it didn't work." I accused.
"Are you saying I'm bothering you two?" He smiled.
"Yes."
"No."
Aliesha and I spoke at the same time. Aliesha caught my eyes and glared at me. I shivered. She was almost as scary as Samara. I had to hide my smile. I covered my mouth with my hand.
"You have excuse Jayla, King Elias, she’s still new. I learned today that she says things without thinking it through." Aliesha lied.
Elias grinned when he saw me roll my eyes at her nonsense. She really was as bad as Samara.
"Why do you call him King Elias?" I directed my question at Aliesha, ignoring Elias.
"Because he's the king." She answered, confused.
"Yeah but didn't you just get done telling me that you've known him for about thirteen years." I recalled.
"Yes but he's still the king."
I shrugged. "He's still the same person isn't he?"
Aliesha glanced at Elias. "Yes, of course. But I think I do it more out of respect than anything else."
Elias sat back listening to our conversation.
"I could never respect a goof ball like him."
"Hey." Elias objected.
We both ignored him and continued with our conversation. Aliesha was so busy defending Elias that she had forgotten about her shyness. I wanted to pat myself on the back but I couldn't without them thinking I was weird.
"Jayla, you mustn't say such things about Elias. Especially when he is sitting right in front you."
Elias turned to face Aliesha. I smiled. She had forgotten to say King. Elias had also noticed.
"But you just got done explaining that he once walked into the courtyard naked because someone dared him to."
Elias grinned like he was proud of his stunt.
"I also explained that he was fifteen at the time."
I shrugged. "A goofball is a goofball at any age."
"He hasn't done anything immature since he became king." Aliesha reassured me.
"What do you call carrying me like a sack of potatoes to the queen?" I insisted.
"That's normal." Elias shrugged.
"Yeah. In Crazy Land maybe." I replied.
He shrugged again.
"Aliesha. What time is it?" I asked.
"I don't know. I didn't bring my cell phone. Check your phone."
"I forgot I had it." I disclosed. I took it out and checked the time. I sighed. We still had a long time to go. "It's barely twelve." I announced.
"Oh come on it not that bad. We can hang and talk. It'll be fun." Aliesha betted.
And she was right. We did have fun. Aliesha and Elias spent the whole time telling me stories of their childhood. My sides were hurting by the time Tamanna and Jacen joined our circle. It was a little sickening watching the cute couple cuddling with each other but we all had a good time. Especially me.