Wizard (Troy Sanders Trilogy Book 1)

17: Just so I Know She Can

“You do know you don’t see any different even with your mouth open, right?” Victoria said and I abruptly shut my mouth; I didn’t even realize that I had it opened to begin with.

How could she be in my room, much less, my bath...? Wait a minute! She knew where my room was. She had been here before during the skunk "incident"; plus Victoria was capable of about anything. Case in point, the present situation.

I immersed myself deeper into the water although I knew she couldn’t see anything embarrassing; at least I hoped so. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I told you I'll see you later, didn’t I? Well, here I am.” She summoned a chair out of thin air and sat down, crossing her legs.

It was actually a good thing that she had opted for a full body gown that night instead of the skinny jeans or the bum shorts that she usually wore or our very awkward situation might just have gotten even more awkward if you know what I mean.

“Victoria, you and I know that "later" doesn’t include my room or bathroom for that matter!” I said, giving her a death glare in the hope of wiping the smile that was just forming off her face.

But she only smiled all the more wider. “Feeling a little shy, are we?”

“Don’t get me annoyed, Vic,” I warned.

“Or what?” she asked, clearly not getting the hint as she teased even more. “You’ll get out of the tub and show what an amazing wizard you are?”

“In your dreams, Elmonton,” I returned, making an “I get what games you’re playing and it won’t work on me” face at her.

“So, I see someone’s been practicing,” she said, moving on as she controlled the book of spells to herself. She opened it and her eyebrows furrowed in concentration - which was really cute, by the way - but made no comment as she controlled it back to its original position.

We remained in our various positions for a while without saying anything to each other; she looking around the room and me looking at anywhere but her.

But then I noticed the water was growing cold.

“Umm, Vic.”

“Yes?”

“I need to get out of the tub now.”

“Then do so.”

“What?”

“I said, do so.”

I gave her an “Are you frigging kidding me?” look. “Vic, I can’t get out of the tub while you’re here.”

“Why?” she looked at me like she wasn’t getting what I was getting at. “Come on, Troy, stop being such a big baby and get out of the tub before you catch a cold. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”

I looked up at her in that moment; she was dead serious. I made a face for her to leave but she didn’t catch it; or pretended not to. It was hard to decide with that girl.

So, I splashed some water on her which resulted in a very surprised look from her; like she hadn’t been expecting it at all. “You did not just do that, did you?” she said.

She controlled a few drops of water and directed them in my face. I feigned an angry roar and we turned it into a game; me splashing the water at her manually and her returning the favour magically. We were actually laughing like kids, oblivious to the fact that we might have broken more than a dozen school and moral rules.

“Okay, okay, you win,” she said after she seemed to have had enough. “I’ll leave before you become Iceman.”

She turned, grabbed her cloak- which was hanging on the holder all along- and left. I wasn’t really sure she had left- she was still crazy, always-up-to-something-mischievous Victoria after all- plus she seemed kinda too interested in seeing me get out of that bathtub. So, I counted to ten before jumping out of the tub and running like hell for my towel. Thankfully, I cleaned up and got dressed without an incident.

I got out and found out she had left; but not before she left a message floating in blue light for me. Just so you know I can.

I laughed myself off. It was weird I was still friends with that crazy specimen of a girl. But it was even weirder that I was beginning to like her crazy; at least until the next time that I said I didn’t.

Classes had been going on well but I’d been getting into trouble more often than not; this time of my own handiwork.

The teachers complained that I wasn’t actively involved with the magic demonstrations nor did I do the assignments I was given- and think about it yourself. Why in the world should I bother with magic when I wasn’t even going to use the knowledge outside Firewalt?

Now, I couldn't very well tell them that, of course, it wouldn't bode well for the family “legacy"; and so, I agreed to be in solitude- Firewalt's term for detention.

I had been in solitude for only thirty minutes and I was ready to jump out the window; and I would have too if not for the fact that I was on the third floor and dying didn’t look pretty. I decided to take a stroll round the classroom instead, checking out the paintings on the wall as I went.

I had barely gone through a quarter of the wall when I suddenly bumped into someone- seriously, what was with all of those bumps?- and I was about to give the “someone” a lecture about watching where they were going when I saw that it was Elaine.

“Troy,” she said as her face lit up in recognition. “What are you doing here?”

“This is my class,” I replied with a silly ‘Duh!’ expression on my face.

She laughed which was really smooth; it seemed that the girl didn’t have any obstruction in her mouth, which was also kinda cute.

“Mine too,” she replied as she playfully hit my hand. “But it’s already weekend. So, why don’t you really tell me what you’re doing here?”

I decided to come clean. “I’m in solitude. Please don’t tell anyone-”

“I won’t tell anyone you spoke to me,” she completed, putting her two of her fingers to her lips and raising it up in a promise gesture. I expected her to leave but instead, she handed me an apple and went to take a seat. It was good to see that she was committed to this whole friends thing. But if she got caught, solitude would be the least of her worries.

“We missed you that day in the dining hall,” she said before I had the chance to say anything, “Jake was really worried about you.”

“Nah! He was just faking it,” I returned and we both laughed again; it was really nice to have someone to talk to.

She was about to say something when the door suddenly opened and standing there like some angel just arrived was Victoria.

Vic made a stern face that was enough to make a grown man pee his pants and said to Elaine, “Leave now and I don’t rat you out.” Elaine gave me a quick goodbye and ran off as fast as her legs could carry her.

“Nice girlfriend you have there,” she said, turning to me. She was teasing me but there seem to be a little accusation in her voice.

“She’s not my girlfriend, just a friend and Jake’s crush,” I replied- better to clear things up then than face a mix up later, right?

“That has never stopped anyone before,” she muttered and took her own seat.

I wanted to make a snappy comeback at her remark but couldn’t. I suddenly felt guilty for talking to Elaine, which was kinda crazy because my thoughts weren't even in that way. “Is just me or do you stalk all your “friends”?” I decided to ask instead.

“Just you,” she returned, all serious.

I was about to say something when she pulled my lips together and said, “I told Miss Swan that you’re taking after class lessons with me and that today’s your practical day.”

“But that’s not true.”

"She doesn't know that. So be happy, no more solitude.”

She was about to leave when I stopped her. “You do know that they’re going to ask for a demonstration when I returned, right?” I reminded her. Victoria’s plans were always half-baked and I was the one usually left holding the wet sack.

“Don’t worry, I’ll show you a thing or two before you return,” she replied and got out of my reach before I could pull her back again. “Are you coming or what?”

I shook my head and laughed; it was just amazing how this girl seemed to have a way around everything. Of course, there was a very big chance of this blowing up in my face but I put that away just then and decided to play rebel with Victoria; nothing else mattered.