Hunting the Fairy Tale

Chapter 18 - Elusive Cats and Happy Unicorns

Willow

"Where did you get your awesome drugs? I want to meet your dealer!" Paisley declares when I join her at the van after school.

For some reason, it was a lot harder to stuff my school uniform into one of the compartments in my schoolbag than storing my tracksuit and a pair of canvas sneakers had been.

I'm going to have to use a separate bag, this is not working quite as well as I thought it would. It might've been better to have a quick shower and change back into my school uniform, but I didn't want to keep the Davenports waiting. At least it is Friday and I can put my school clothes in the wash tonight. 

My eyes grow wide when I see the odd looks we're receiving from other students using the parking lot.

"Context," is all I manage to say, and then Paisley is laughing at me.

"Seriously though, I feel a little groggy and sluggish and a bit achy, but I don't feel like I'm gonna friggin' die anymore."

"I can tell," I laugh. "A doctor prescribed them for me. I'll give you the name to give to your doctor and some more pills when we get home. Just don't use them too often and don't drink more than two at a time and only when you really need them. They're highly potent."

"Yes, Mom," Paisley is rolling her eyes, and then she smiles, bowing slightly, "thank you very much."

The boys arrive in a group. I'm starting to suspect that they're attached by an invisible cord. If you find one, you're bound to find the others. Declan and Ronan are very often with them.

"And here comes the Fearsome Foursome," Paisley calls in greeting.

"They're fearsome?" I suddenly wonder again if they're the school bullies. Chloe did say that Hunter doesn't like bullies, but Lucas is afraid of getting punched by him. I've seen how the boys in my class backed off from me when they learned about my connection with them. They don't seem like bullies though. Up to date, I've not seen them bully anybody except each other.

"Only if you piss them off."

"Ah! The walking dead is with us!" Tanner smiles, seeing Paisley upright and functioning more or less normally. He rubs a hand through her bangs, messing them up. She just grins up at him. Her hair hadn't been all that tidy, to begin with.

"Feeling better?" Asher wants to know or states, but I cannot quite tell which. Paisley answers him with a silent smile, and that seems to satisfy him.

"This girl has seriously potent drugs, if you guys ever wanna go on an awesome trip, she's your girl," she announces to the world and once again I find myself dodging weird looks from unknown students.

"Paisley! Seriously! Context!" This time I'm laughing though, shaking my head.

I hug my backpack to my chest and say goodbye to the boys. I'm surprised when Hunter suddenly steps forward and slides open the passenger side backdoor for me to get into the van. He'd been awfully quiet since his arrival.

"Thank you," I say, trying and failing to read the guarded expression on his face.

He gives me a slight smile and reaches over the back of the front seat to get the motorcycle jacket and one of the helmets he'd apparently stashed there at some point. He pulls the jacket on, says a general goodbye, and walks away to where he'd parked his motorcycle.

That jacket definitely looks so much better on him. It emphasizes the broadness of his shoulders in a very pleasing way.

I know I'm staring.