Pursued by the Demon King

Chapter Two

Calen was sitting cross legged as he started setting up a small black cauldron sitting on top of a metal burner. He had rolled out a thick leather pouch that consisted of ingredients that we were going to need. Two goblets were off to the side. 

He must have thought we were going to be here longer than usual because he too was dressed in his school uniform and his satchel was stacked behind him against the wall. He didn't look over when I entered.

I quickly sit down on the other side of the cauldron facing him. He pauses before he sets the burner into flames. He glances at me and quirks his brow in question. Rolling my eyes I slip my bag off my shoulder putting it behind me. 

"Don't act like you have been here for a while, we both know you got here minutes before me."

He just grunts while giving a small grin. He doesn't say anything as he starts placing different herbs and roots into the pot. I take out the two bottles of water I brought and open them. Just before I begin to pour Calen stops my hand and yells out,

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! You purified that right? Who knows what's going to happen if it's tainted!" He gave me an offended stare.

My eyebrows shoot up at him. "Seriously Calen? We're making homemade tea, what could possibly happen to it?"

"It's not just any tea Nessa, it's our special tea. The tea we make once a year on this very day."

He looked so serious that I nearly wanted to laugh out loud. Shaking my head I pour in the water. "Don't worry, Oh Mighty Sage, it's purified." I say sarcastically. 

I watch as he puts everything in and begin to stir as the water started heating up. The aroma was beginning to calm me and I felt my body relax. I watched as he worked. He had his white sleeves rolled up a little past his elbows and today he choose to wear the light tan sweater vest that came with the uniform. Calen was the only male student I knew that wore the over sweaters. No one else would be caught dead in one and it wasn't mandatory to wear them. Most boys wore their suit jackets but Not Calen. 

He stated our first year of high school that the jacket felt too confined, whatever that meant. So he stuck with the sweater vests. He actually made it work somehow. Even though he preferred to leave his white button down shirt untucked, his thick black shaggy hair down to his shoulders that was always covering his eyes, perfect golden tan and six foot one, lean frame, yeah the boy made it work. 

Sometimes he made me think of a very clean homeless man. Having the thought pop into my mind I giggled a little. He wiped the hair out of his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time since I came in and stated, 

           "What's going through that beautiful intelligent brain of yours?"

Trying to control my self-inflicted humor I shake my head at his choice of words. Only he would think that of me. Yes, I may have the highest test scores and GPA in the entire school but that was the only thing going for me. 

Once again he swiped the hair off his face. Sighing irritably I yanked the extra hair band I always wear on my wrist just for this occasion. "Boy, stop that and lean forward." I huffed at him.

He didn't hesitate and without breaking off what he was doing he leaned forward and allowed me to take his bangs and put them in a small bun on top his head. I smile hugely at my handiwork. I have done this so many times now it felt natural. 

Dare I say that he looked quite cute like this. Now that I can see his eyes, eyes that pierce to my heart every time, those blue eyes could seriously cause some swooning in the female population. Too bad I was the only one who saw them. Calen would never let me put his hair up like this in public. I tried once and never again. When the boy wants to fight, he'll fight like a cat trying to avoid water.

"Nessa?"

I snap out of my thoughts and see him staring at me as if waiting for something.

"I'm sorry what?"

"What was so funny? You giggled."

"Oh that? It was nothing, don't worry about it." I waved it off forgetting the thought already.

He squinted his eyes at me like he was trying to sear into my skull. Finally after intense seconds he gave up and shook his head. "I'll never understand you."

"What are you talking about? You're the only one who does." I say nonchalantly staring into the pot.

"Anyways, it's done."

I sit up straight and reach for both of the goblets. Calen grabs a filter and sets it over a glass container he had taken from the science lab and never returned. I watch as he carefully pours the liquid and contents into the filter and watch as the liquid separates from all the herbs and roots.

Placing the cauldron back he carefully picks up the glass and closes his eyes. Whispering under his breath he says an enchantment and I watch as the liquid turns from a dirty brown into a light green color. He pours the tea into our goblets.

We both raise the glasses to each other. "Nessa, I know that one day this s**t will work for us, but if it doesn't-"

"And it hasn't for three years now." I couldn't help but put in.

He scowls at me. "Attitude's not helping." He quickly states before going back to his speech. "As I was saying, if it doesn't, it won't matter because by then we will both leave this awful place you agreed to come to and be done with all these pathetic losers who only care about themselves and their not so hidden greed of magic." 

I snort at that. We drink the awful tasting liquid. "Ugh, it never gets any better either." I nearly gagged at the taste.

Calen makes a face as he sets his glass down. "Well, you know as witches say, the more awful the taste, the more chance that it works."

Again I snort. We sit there in silence for a few moments like we always do after drinking the tea. Knowing it isn't going to work, I let him have the chance to believe that it will. Feeling a little uneasy I bring up the one subject I know he will get annoyed at, but stupid me couldn't help it.

"You know, not everyone here in this school is all bad Calen."

He slowly lifts his gaze to mine with a hint of wariness. "Don't." He warns.

Again stupid me doesn't stop the words from coming out of my mouth. "Out of all people he stood up for me and he didn't even have too."

 Before I even finished the sentence he quickly stood up and started ramming things in the leather pouch. "Here we freaking go." He sighs dramatically, getting that annoyed look on his face.

I stand up to help him. "I don't understand why you hate him so much. He's a good guy and he never makes fun of me, or teases me. He even knows my name." 

Calen puts all the stuff into the corner and leaves it there. No point in keeping any of it since this was our last year. He takes the leather pouch and stuffs it into his satchel and slips it over his head and onto his shoulder. He turns to me and his face becomes expressionless. "I don't hate him, who ever said I hated him? I just think the guy is putting up a nice guy act and is secretly a giant douche underneath all that fake spray tan and massive use of hair gel."  

Irritation overcomes me. "That's not fair Calen. He gave you no reason too even dislike him. What the hell do you have against him that you won't even give him a chance?" I snap.

He grunts in frustration as he rips the hair band out of his hair, letting the bangs fall back over his eyes. He stomps out of the hole in the wall, past the plastic wrap and as he leaves me completely behind I hear him say,

               "That i***t is not even worth a chance."