Call Out My Name

EPISODE THREE

The house was quiet when I got home. I released a huge sigh of relief. My mother hadn't heard about my escapade. Brady and Leah had been impressed. So impressed and proud of me for standing up for myself that they bought me eight cups of ice cream. After the eighth cup, my tummy protested, my mind too high on sugar.

I tiptoed up the stairs through the dark. It was 7:01 pm, thirty minutes past my curfew. My mum was a surgeon at the Belleforte hospital. She was on the night shift every Tuesday.

The lights flickered on, short living my relief as mum came into view. She wore purple scrubs with her hair tucked into a tight ponytail.

"You're home a little early" I chuckled nervously.

"I had someone cover for me for the first time in twenty-six years. It was easy"

"Why?"

"Your principal invited me to his office"

The traitor

"Why?" I played it off.

"Will you drop the act already?" mum threw up her hands in frustration.

"I really don't know what you're talking about"

"Now Alphea" she gritted with folded arms.

"I'm sorry" I sighed.

"Sorry? Sorry?" she scoffed. "Sorry doesn't even begin to cut it. You kicked a King's son in the......the.....the region"

"Region?" I feigned confusion.

"You know what I'm talking about" she rushed angrily, her face turning red. "You were lucky you got away with it"

"So he's a prince. It doesn't change the fact that he's a certified asshole" I rolled my eyes.

"Listen to me Alphea and listen to me good. You will apologize to Prince Soren first thing in the morning and you will make him forgive you"

"Mum__" I started to protest.

"I don't f*****g care if he was wrong. His father owns the hospital I work at for God's sake!" mum yelled. "You were supposed to keep your head down. I told you that. And all you did was draw the attention of a king. Are you crazy? You should have walked away" she hissed.

"It's not my fault you're a f*****g coward" I snapped, breathing hard.

My mother scowled at me, a very very very terrifying sight to see but I was not backing down.

"A coward?" she snapped. "Tell me my precious Alphea since I'm the coward" she sneered.

"What happens if King Bellforte decides he wants your head huh? You attacked his only child. Only. It is seen as treason and you know it. Don't play brave and don't play stupid. Being cowards is what has kept us humans alive for so long. It is not cowardice. It is survival and you'd do well to become a coward if you wish to live a happy fulfilled life" she advised.

"Goodnight mother" I forced through clenched teeth before stomping my way to my room.

I slammed the door shut.

Mum was right but I wasn't about to tell her that. She was also wrong too. Cowardice had made sure no human got into politics again. We had no representation in the monarchical system of government. So many countries and not one human king or queen or any representation in government.

If no one would do something, I would. But what?

I turned to face the window. The night sky reminded me of Aysa. I should have taken his number but I was so out of it that the thought never crossed my mind. With purple eyes and grey fur swirling in my vision, I drifted off to sleep.

The next day at school, everyone stared differently at me. Some with awe, others with hate and a few, with caution. By lunchtime, I had gotten used to the stares so I swallowed my pride and did what mum asked me to do.

I went to the cafeteria and approached Soren's table, looking as remorseful as I could. His pack members rose to their feet, growling threateningly at me.

Good.

They must have seen through my act.

"Stand down," Soren said in a tired voice.

"My mother said to apologize so sorry. From my mother" I apologized as sincerely as I could.

Moments ticked by.

A booming sound plunged the whole cafeteria into silence. It took me a few seconds to realize where the sound was coming from.

Soren was laughing. At me.

"Care to share the joke?" I gritted, fists clenched at my side. His pack growled their disapproval.

"Leave her" he glared at them. "Leave us" he added.

They scurried away, leaving the two of us alone at the table.

"Your mother's apology has been accepted but I was in the wrong. Not her. I'm sorry" he apologized sincerely.

I was surprised, he saw it and smirked.

"You didn't expect my apology"

"I didn't but I'll gladly accept it," I said with as much dignity as I could with my chin raised.

I started to walk away.

"I didn't accept your apology"

I spun around to face him, my face burning with irritation.

"But you said__"

"I accepted your mother's not yours" he shook his head. He had a huge grin on his face and all I wanted to do was snap his pretty little neck.

"Tell you what. I'll gladly accept your apology and calm my father down if you say yes to dinner"

I scoffed. "I'd rather deal with your father's anger, I'd rather eat myself alive, I'd rather rip my own head off before I ever had dinner with the likes of you"

"Then I refuse your mother's apology" he smirked.

The cunning little bastard.

"Text me the time and place" I huffed, walking away.

"I don't have your number!" he called after me.

"Your father's a king. Figure it out" I bellowed, storming out into the hallway. I saw a flash of purple eyes as a boy walked past me in the hallway. It was Aysa.

I grabbed him by the elbow as quickly as I could. Aysa looked at me with irritation but his gaze softened when he recognised me.

"Alphea" he breathed, smiling at me. His eyes were wide with surprise but he remembered me.

His dark hair fell into his eye and he pushed it back with his free hand.

He was beautiful.

But what was he doing here? In my school. Was he new in town?

"Do you attend this school?" I asked, smiling goofily at him and trying to hide my surprise.

"I moved into town last week. This is my first day of school at Regan high," he explained. scratching the back of his neck.

I hadn't heard of anyone moving into town since forever but Regan high was a mixed breed school now. I was sure a lot of supernatural creatures were moving here to get a shot at attending the school.

I hadn't thanked him properly for saving my life the other night. Maybe I could show him around.

His purple eyes bored into mine, waiting for a response. As I gazed into his eyes, I felt a strange tug at my heart as sparks danced on my fingers.

I clenched my fists and shook the feeling away.

"I forgot to take your number. I would like to thank you properly for saving my life, twice," I told him. I let go of his elbow and handed him my phone. Aysa typed in his number and handed me my phone.

I would call him right after school.

Aysa smiled at me, shoving his hands in his pocket. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Was he asking about the sleepwalking?

"I'm better," I sighed.

The bell rang before I could say anything else.

Shit!

"I'll text you. I promise" I rushed, running to my next class. "Thank you" I called out, glancing back at him.

Those purple eyes never stopped staring.

The moment I got home, I sent Aysa a quick text. He asked me to meet him at the school.

I tugged my black sweater down and swiped the car key from the counter, cursing as a few drops of rain splattered against the kitchen window. I needed to get there before it started storming.

“You're going to have a great time” I murmured to myself, dashing out towards the blue honda parked in front of the house.

A devastatingly cute smirk graced Aysa’s face when I entered the warmth of the school hallways. He was leaning against a locker down the hallway.

I walked up to him, nervously.

"The school should be locked by now," I said, rubbing my shoulders.

"For some reason, it's not. We'll take my car." Aysa said, taking my hands in his and intertwining our fingers together. Tingles shot up my spine at his gesture and I tried not to get flustered.

Once we were seated in his car, I turned toward him as he started the engine.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

He smiled, pulling the car out of the parking lot.

"My family owns a property a few miles out of town. I've always wanted to see it but I didn't want to go alone so you are my plus one"

My smiled dropped, why were all the men I was meeting recently plain crazy?

"Do you think this is romantic or something?" I gritted, glaring at him. I would give anything to smack the s**t out of him. Here I was thinking he was cute. Apparently all the cute guys are crazy.

"You're taking me out of town?!" I yelled into his ear.

"Don't scream my ears off. Geez Alphea," he complained, rubbing his ear.

"You're fine. Suck it up. Why do you think it is okay to take a three hour roadtrip with a girl who just met you?"

"With a girl who just met me? Looks like you care about your safety more than mine." he chuckled.

"Of course I do" I exclaimed, sizing him up. "I don't know you"

He went quiet, focusing on the road but I couldn't help but notice how his grip on the wheel tightened and how he clenched his jaw when I said I didn't know him.

I wanted to apologise for being rude, after all, he did save my life but I couldn't get the words out. I rolled my eyes. If I got home safely after this, I would apologise and thank him again.

Leaning my head against the window, I watched the rain fall gently until I fell asleep.

Blood.

I was standing in a pool of blood. The dead bodies of women were scattered all around me and I stood in the middle of it. I was with Aysa a few minutes ago. Where was I? The sky was blood red and it rained ash. From a distance, I could see a raging fire approaching. I needed to get out of here. I spun around, trying to run but I sunk deeper into a pool of skulls and dead corpses. In the skies above me, dragons screeched fiery breaths as they fell to their deaths.

A woman came to me. She cupped my face in her hand and kissed me. I let out slow heavy breaths as her lips touched my head. I felt at peace with her.

"Wake up, Alphea," she said.

The fire consumed me.

I woke up with a loud gasp. Tears streamed down my face as my breath stuttered in my throat. Aysa gathered me in his arms, stroking my hair. I buried my face in his neck, holding on tightly to him. I never wanted to feel that way again.

"It was a dream. Only a dream. Dreams cannot hurt you," Aysa kissed my hair and my cheek.

"It was real" I shook my head. He didn't see it. He wasn't there.

"No" Aysa shook his head, his purple eyes stared into my silver eyes. "It was a dream"

I calmed down as we stared at each other. He was right

"It was a nightmare," I murmured, pulling away from him. He had parked the car in what seemed like a meadow.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"My family's estate" he replied, getting out of the car and jooging over my side to open the door for me.

Such a gentleman. "Thank you" I whispered.

The rain had stopped but the clouds were dark and the sky still rumbled. It would rain again.

"I don't mean to pry but how long have you been having these nightmares?" Aysa asked, placing his hand on my back and leading me towards a wall with a huge oak door.

"A few weeks," I swallowed.

Aysa unlocked the oak door and we walked in. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

There was a pond in the middle of the garden. White cherry blossoms and pink cheery blossoms had been planted around the pond and in the middle of the cherry blossoms, stood an apple tree.

I looked to Aysa for permission.

"Go ahead" he smiled.

I let out a loud squeal and rushed to the pond, ignoring the other plants around us.

A few apples and water lilies danced in the cool pond. This was amazing. In the middle of the pond was a blue flower that caught my eye.

"It's a moonflower," Aysa said. "Centuries ago, in another world, the signature of witches was a blue moonflower. It blooms at night, under the moon and the stars"

"Where did you hear that?" I asked, turning to look at him.

"A book I read" he answered.

I would love to see the flower bloom and eat an apple or six of course. I checked my phone. It was almost 7pm. Mum was always on the night shift at the hospital. I could stay longer.

We walked towards a brown bench swing beneath an old wisteria tree with purple flowers. The tree had grown so big, its flowers formed curtains around Aysa and me.

The bench swung gently as Aysa and I watched the pond.

Aysa spoke, "There was a girl I loved once. She was everything. She was as beautiful as the night. One day, she hurt me. When I needed her most, she walked out on me and she never looked back. I heard she lost her memories. So I looked for her, hoping that she would remember me. I wanted closure"

"Did you find her?" I asked, looking at him. He flinched, and pain was all over his face.

"I did but now I know that if she ever remembers, I will hate her and I will hurt her as much as she hurt me" he whispered.

I smiled sadly, placing my hand on his.

I didn't know what to say.

"Maybe if she remembers, she'll have a prefectly reasonable explanation for why she walked out on you and why she hurt you" I said.

I looked at him, his eyes were shining with unshed tears. Aysa grabbed my face and slammed his lips against mine. Lights came on around the old wisteria tree and the pond.

As the moonflower bloomed, I closed my eyes and kissed him back because it felt right.

Our tongues tangled together and I buried my hand in his black hair.

I could only hope that Aysa would not be the death of me.