A Pocket Full of Posies (Book 3)

Chapter Seven

I'm wishing I'd never given Jamie his stone back. He doesn't half whine. I think the hair yanking pissed him off. The good news is that the banished voices have disappeared completely thanks to Chiku's little cocktail, and better yet, I've convinced Jamie to let me follow him back to the flat. I may or may not have threatened him. The ghoul patrol are under strict guidance to keep the blessed stones on their person at all times, even when in Chiku's house to avoid forgetting them.

It was easy. I told Jamie I'd found it on the kitchen table, and if he forced me back to the house now, I threatened to tell the Medakis he'd left it hanging around. It's kind of funny. He's clearly more afraid of people thinking he's careless than demon attacks, not that I don't think we're perfectly safe. The Medakis have confirmed so, as has Clara, so long as I stay close to a blessed stone.

We're nearly at our uni accomodation now, and to my surprise, Annabel has stuck with us throughout the whole journey. I was expecting her to go and try to rat me out to Sefu or Kato, or try to wake Chiku the second I made a run for it. She's not even asked Lucy, who's stuck with us for the ride as well, to verbally rat me out. She's been acting kind of weird since she caught me crying in the bathroom. She's become softer. It's kind of gross.

"Right," Jamie announces as he grabs my arm, and turns me to face him.

His eyes are boring into mine, and I don't know if it's because him pulling me closer has shortened the distance between the stone in his pocket and me, but I really want to laugh. We're standing outside our flat's door, and there's a heavy beat thumping from the flat opposite ours. I'd kill for a party right now.

"One hour, okay?" Jamie snaps, stealing my attention away from our neighbours' door. He spits a bit. My face is kind of wet. "Then I'm taking you back. I'm not letting your idiocy get me in trouble."

"Shouldn't have let me follow you then."

"You blackmailed me!"

Eh. Details. I tap his cheek a few times, grin, and turn back around to let myself into our flat. He's still complaining about something or other when I head into our kitchen-living area, but there's no sign of anyone. Damn it. I turn around, and make my way back into the hallway.

"Stop moving so fast! We have to stay close!"

I ignore Jamie. As I near my bedroom, the sound of muffled voices distracts me. They're coming from Tom's room. I barge in--probably should have knocked, but hindsight is a useless thing--and stop in the doorway to see Carmen, Ava, and Tom's peepers on me. Carmen and Ava sit on the bed, while Tom is halfway inside his wardrobe with clothes dumped over the floor beside it.

"Oh, hey Felix," Tom says with a wave.

"Whoa, Felix? What are you doing here?" Ava stammers before turning to Jamie. "What's wrong with you?"

"Well, for starters, he uses way too much hair gel. Complains a lot to," I answer Ava.

"Right? " Tom joins in. "Thought it was just me noticing the hair thing. He's posh as hell too, but I guess that's not something wrong, just--"

"Felix!" Ava tries again.

She holds her hands out in anticipation of a response.

"That house is driving me crazy, I just wanted to get out for a bit," I whine as an idea pops into my head.

I can't. I shouldn't. That would be really bad of me.

No, I can't.

"Being stuck in a house, one place, it's just, y'know, it's a lot sometimes. It's just... It makes me think of..." I let my voice trail off, and take a breath for dramatic effect.