I sat in third period class the next day, botany to be exact, daydreaming. My mind was constantly replaying last night and the last few hours. I had woken up this morning with no recollection of my whereabouts, until I felt something move behind me. I twisted around to find Kent, sprawled on the bed and me wrapped in his arms.
He opened his eyes and turned to see me staring at him. Instinctively, I had looked away and felt my cheeks heat up. Memories came flooding back to my brain then; the induction into the Nightshades, Kent's confession and the wholesome-kiss-turned-heated-makeout-session. We got up after that and went to meet with div and Bianca.
When lunch came around, instead of sitting at our normal table, Kent whisked me off to a hidden corner somewhere away from view. "Kent? What are we doing?" He had taken a shaky breath and started to speak. "So, I've been thinking a bit, and I just wanna ask. Would you be my girlfriend?" I remember the pure joy blossoming in my chest before immediately hugging him.
"Of course, Kent! I'd love to." He broke into a smile then and hugged me back. We walked away to the table with our friends, hand in hand. The picked up on it immediately and everyone was so happy for us, Divina especially. She claimed she 'saw it coming' which I guess was pretty obvious. That then lead to my current position, sitting in botany next to Kent, and reliving that moment over and over again.
Then the class was over and we all filed out of the greenhouse. Bianca reminded us that the Nightshades meeting was tonight, which I was super excited for. I was going to be introduced to the whole group, and sworn to secrecy. Kent, Divina and I were all hanging out in our dorm until then.
—
Evening came sooner than expected, and Divina gathered both me and Kent to take us down to the library. Kent was half asleep and I was new to the social group so she was the only sane one there. We wore our mask and robe and quietly snuck down to the statue. Divina snapped twice and we slipped in to the room. The other members were already there, and Bianca welcomed us.
"Tonight, we have a new member joining us. Jaden King, who I'm sure most of you know by now." She turned to me at that point and motioned me to take off my mask and hood. I obliged. "You will now be sworn to secrecy. Do you, Jaden King, swear to keep the Nightshades as a secret, and protect it with all your might?"
"I do." There was a collective sigh of relief from the occupants of the room, and we all relaxed and started to meander about and chat to each other. I heard the statue click open however, and quickly looked around the room to ensure that everyone that was supposed to be here, was here. Footsteps could be heard from above, and I grabbed Bianca, letting her know of a possible intruder. Everyone put their masks on, robes up and melted back into the shadows before the intruder saw us.
The footsteps sounded closer and soon there was a short figure standing at the bottom of the stairs. I saw the silhouette of the two black pigtails, instantly knowing who the girl was. She walked around the room slowly, and stopped at a bookcase, studying the books. She turned around to leave just as quickly as she entered, then Bianca grabbed her and put a bag over her head for optimal disorientation.
We all revealed ourselves from the shadows and stepped forward in a circle. Wednesday was on a chair with her wrists bound behind her when the figure who I knew to be Xavier whipped the bag off her head. "Who dares breach our inner sanctum?" Bianca spoke in a deep voice. Perhaps not twisted enough, as Wednesday knew who was speaking immediately.
"You can take the mask off Bianca." We took our hoods and masks off. "Oh wait I preferred you with it on." The girls' snide comments were getting on my nerves. Kent could tell, because he grabbed my hand in comfort. I smiled at him; grateful for his reassurance. "How did you get down here?" The question pierced the silence.
Wednesday gave her explanation which I tuned out, only listening back in when Kent spoke up. "Wait there's a riddle? I thought we just snapped twice." I quietly laughed at my partners dumbassery, and Divina just scoffed. "Well aren't you just the brightest of the bunch?" Wednesday's words brought me back down to earth. A feeling I could only explain as rage bubbled in the pit of my stomach.
Then Xavier invited her to pledge. My eyes snapped to him. I get that he had a crush on the girl but he didn't need to publicly embarrass himself. There was no way that girl was getting in here. Bianca seemed to agree. "We talk about not making waves? She's a tsunami!" The group rippled with agreement. Thankfully Wednesday 'wasn't interested in joining.' She got up to leave, and stepped towards the exit when Kent stood in front of her.
"Do you want a matching black eye?" That's it. I stepped forward. "Oh you mean the cheap shot you pulled with that hand? Yea how about you make sure your the one throwing the punches next time, then we'll talk." I towered over the girl, my eyes ablaze with anger. She can come into the school, act like she's in charge, but she cannot insult or threaten my friends and partner.
Surprisingly, she took a step back, and looked slightly wary about my actions. She made no move to leave so I pushed it and snatched the rope from her hands. "Get out, before it ends badly." I growled. She almost ran, stomping up the stairs. I saw her turn back once, but catching my eye, she didn't say anything.
I turned back to the group who were all wide eyed at the scene that played out before them. Suddenly I felt bad, and shrunk back behind Kent. He held my hands, silently comforting me. Bianca was the first to move, and came over to me. "Goddamn, I knew we made the right choice by inviting you to join." I broke out in a grin at her face words, all my fears having melted away.
Considering it was kind of late, everyone headed out, one by one, to their dorms. Me and Kent, Divina and Yoko were one of the last groups out of the room to go back. We walked together, Kent holding my hand and Divina; Yoko's. I saw a shared look between the twins before we reached my room. However, Divina and Yoko went in while Kent and I headed back to his room. Now I knew what that look was.
