Typhoon & Tempest

Chapter Eighteen

Jack drove them both to school the next day and wouldn't stop complaining the whole time. Lily listened politely to her rants, that Jack never got her wish of a sleep-in or a day without doing homework, but Lily herself was relieved to be back in a normal routine.

Lily was also nervous to see the school again, see where she was attacked and almost kidnapped by Yuric's rogues. Was the window replaced? Was there still shattered glass on the cafeteria floor? What about the trench she'd accidentally created in the oval - was that gone too? 

Jack parked, slowly weaving her way between fellow students' shiny cars. Lily learned that almost everything in Jack's home, almost all her belongings, were either bought second-hand, homemade, or passed down in the family. Her car stood out in car park by being one of the few without a new polish on its panels.

Jack scoffed when they both got out and she looked to the school. "Sadly, we meet again." The witch grumbled, finally out of her denial. "A week off would have been so nice though."

"You'll have weeks off at the end of the year before University starts, though." Lily added.

"I'm not going to Uni next year," Jack smiled at her as they walked into school. "I'm taking the year off." 

"Really?" Lily adjusted her grip on her bag. "A break from school or are you going to travel?"

"I'm going to work, I think. I can't leave Mama by herself, let alone you, Claire and Karen." Jack grinned, bumping her shoulder. "What would you do without me?"

Lily smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. She'd decided to have it loose today only because her last hair tie snapped last night. "Aunt Ollie wants me to go to Uni, like my father did."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "But what do you want to do?"

"I think I'd like to follow in my dad's footsteps - he worked on boats, loved to be out on the water." Lily's smile softened as she thought about her father. "I'd like doing that." 

Jack cocked her head. "That sounds like a relaxing life, and, a boat is a great place to have a party."

Lily laughed as they stopped by the front doors with the rest of the school, waiting for Claire and Karen to show up. They usually arrived together, Claire and her dad picking Karen up on their way in. Karen's dad was a night guard and it clashed with his schedule to drop his daughter off at school.

"What's your schedule today? Do we have any classes together?" Jack asked, peering over Lily's shoulder as she grabbed her timetable out, triple-checking it again.

"Science, PE, English, and then...wait it's Thursday right?" Lily asked, her finger following her column of classes. 

"Yeah, so it's your elective in last period. What do you have?"

Lily's shoulders dropped. "The teachers gave me Meditation."

Jack shrugged. "That's what I have. It's kinda fun, you just sit there for an hour and you basically sleep."

Lily smiled in relief at having someone else in her new class. Just as she was about to ask who taught Meditation, Jack waved at their two friends coming in through the gates. Lily noticed that they were close enough to almost be holding hands, but when they saw Jack's wave Karen and Claire took a subtle step apart. Karen tucked her hair behind her ears, Claire fishing out her phone from where it was tucked in her bra, and held it out to Jack when they reached them.

"Look!" Claire squealed, ignoring Jack's grimace at the pictures. "My dress came!"

"Oh it's...pink!" Jack tried a smile but Claire stuck her phone in front of Lily's face next.