CHAPTER EIGHT: BACK TO THE PAST

Jade and Dahlia were cleaning the toilet when Jade pulled out a ball of hair from the toilet.

"Ewwww!" Jade said in disgust as she quickly disposed of it in a trash can.

"Darn these public schools" Dahlia complained. She did the finishing touch and then they were done. They sat by the bathroom door and conversed.

"Dahly, can I tell you a secret?" Jade asked concerned.

"It's Dahlia, and what is it?" Dahlia asked in annoyance.

"It's about the mark... I think I might be a werewolf"

Dahlia laughed but Jade was more serious than ever.

"It's true, my wound healed up quickly and I didn't even need to go to the hospital" Jade said in her defence.

"Jade, you're not a fucking werewolf, if you were, the whole world would know"

"I swear to you I am!"

"Cut yourself" Dahlia declared.

"What the fuck?" Jade asked confused.

"You healing quickly was a coincidence, but since you don't wanna believe me...here, cut yourself" Dahlia said giving her a compass that she had just gotten from her backpack. Jade doubtfully collected the compass and used it to cut through her hand. They both waited, watching the wound for minutes but it refused to heal up.

"You see, now you gotta go see a doctor" Dahlia said. She packed her stuff and left for home.

"Don't leave me here Dahly!" Jade demanded but Dahlia was too far gone.

Dahlia was home. She met Jake and told him about Jade's suspicions.

"No one can ever find out what you are, you've gone through enough, who knows the havoc that will be unleashed if your identity is ever figured out" Dahlia said and Jake agreed to it.

"Out of context though, I've always wondered, how are you a witch when your grandfather's a normal human being?" Jake asked out of curiosity. Dahlia gave out a chuckle and began her story.

"I barely know who my real parents are. I was adopted by Mr Kean's son when I was four. They took me in like I was their own. They didn't know the power that was buried deep in me. Neither did I. One day, something terrible happened, I can't remember what exactly but it got me mad. I was furious and that was when the power in me unleashed. I burnt down the house, Mr Kean lost his hearing, his son and his in-law...I lost myself"

"I can relate... Remember, I was the cause of my parents' death" Jake said.

"No, no, no, you don't understand Jake...I set the house on fire, I single-handedly set up my parents on fire, I made my grandfather lose his hearing, I was a monster Jake, the worst part, no one knew I was the cause of that fire... Mr Kean still took me in, like I had done nothing wrong" Dahlia confessed crying her heart out. Jake felt for her and went over to hug her.

"It wasn't my intention to hurt you Dahlia" Jake said with remorse.

"You were just curious Jake, it's ok...and that's why I don't use my powers regularly, I'm scared...I'm scared cause if I could set a whole building on fire when I was five...what would I do now that I'm eighteen?"

*********************

It was the next day. Sky and Dahlia were texting each other as classes went on. Dahlia told Sky that Jake never had a girlfriend. But sky told her that Jake affirmed to having one the day they were on toilet duty. Dahlia told Sky that it was a misunderstanding, that Celeste was just Jake's best friend. Sky is relieved but didn't rejoice because she knew that Jake might only see them as friends. The teacher noticed sky and Jade using their phones in class and she seized them.

"I didn't expect this from you Sky" the teacher said with disgust.

Sky was an excellent student just that she didn't look and act like one. She actually loved reading and doing nerdy stuff. She was a straight A student but sometimes what spoiled her overall academic performance was her lateness to classes which usually landed her in detention.

School was over and it was time for Sky and Jake to attend to their toilet duty. When they were done, he asked her if he could be her escort home again and this time she agreed.

"So, Jake...do you have any last name?" Sky asked as they walked down the streets.

"No, just Jake" Jake said with a smirk.

"Ok...you are kind of strange in a way" Sky insisted.

"How?" Jake asked with a chuckle.

"Maybe it's the fact that Dahlia never ever mentioned anything about you to me, or how you don't have a phone or the fact that you're this hot yet you've never dated anyone" Sky said laughing.

"First, friends conserve some things from each other, especially things that are unnecessary like me. Second, I think it's high time I get a phone and third, Sky Pearce thinks I'm hot" Jake replied.

"Well first, you're not unnecessary. Second, you definitely should and third, fuck off !" Sky cussed as they both laughed.

"I do know a store you could get one right now...if you want to" Sky declared.

"I don't have money on me" Jake said disappointed.

"I've got my mum's credit card " Sky said waving it in the air. Jake had no idea what it was but smiled because he saw Sky smiling. They had a change in direction and headed to the tech store. As they walked, Jake stumbled upon a vet clinic called Edith's vet clinic. He recognized the name; it was his mother's. He stopped for a moment to stare at the clinic.

"What, you've never seen a vet clinic before?" Sky asked with a chuckle.

"This one belonged to my mum" Jake said in a sad tone.

"Oh... I didn't know" Sky said with remorse.

"Do you mind if we make a quick detour?" Jake asked.

"Not at all" Sky assured.

Jake and Sky went into the clinic. He saw a vet there and asked if he knew a woman by the name of Edith. He told him that he did but it had been eighteen years since they'd heard from her. That she had just suddenly disappeared. The vet asked Jake who he was to Edith and Jake replied saying he was her nephew. Jake then asked him if he had her home address and the vet told him that he did, so Jake asked him to give him the address and he did as well.

When they got out of the clinic, Sky asked Jake why he lied to the vet about him being the nephew of his mother and he explained saying he didn't just want to complicate things.

They walked down to Edith's home. When they had gotten there, Jake stared at the door afraid to enter. Sky noticed it and immediately held him by his hands.

"You can do this" she assured Jake who gained a little more confidence from her words. Holding hands, they ventured into Edith's home.