Chapter 8- Wicked Forest

There was no way that Drake was going to let Levi have Crystal. He didn’t deserve her. Just because he was born the son of Seth Carmichael, he had everything handed to him. Still, he wasn’t happy. He moaned and groaned like a little girl. It infuriated him that there were people like Levi in the world, everything went their way. Then there were people like him. No matter how hard he tried, how much effort he put in, he was always at the bottom. It was like the mountain he was trying to climb didn’t have the foot holes to fit his feet.
Drake smiled as he sent the last text to his school friends. Jumping up from his bed he grabbed his jacket and car keys. Crystal was one girl he wouldn’t let Levi have. Why should he? The one girl that he actually liked, wasn’t superficial, didn’t pretend to be something she wasn’t. She was different and made his heart race. How could he watch the very girl with Levi, knowing what he was? He bounced down the steps. Levi stood at the bottom of the stairwell; one foot placed on the bottom step.
“Where you off too, in such a good mood?” he asked.
“Out with some friends.” Drake didn’t keep the harsh tone from his voice. He was angry and wanted everyone to know.
Levi pulled a face at him in disgust, which only made Drake’s back turn to steel. He didn’t get it. He didn’t know how it felt to be an outsider within his own family and never would.
“Why do you associate with such people?” Levi asked.
“You’re soon to be wife is one of those people. Why should I stick around here? I am nothing but a Halfling, a disgrace to the name witch. The only reason I am tolerated is because of your mother. At least the teenagers are not snobs.”
“That’s not true,” Levi said in defence. Drake couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. There was no point as Levi was always right and, in the end, it only made Drake feel stupid an irritated.
Raising his eyebrows at his statement Drake jumped down the last step and out the front door, he let the door slam closed behind him as he headed to the garage. No matter what had happened in the past. Levi would never learn. He would always think himself above others.
Checking out each of the cars he decided to take Levi’s priced possession. His Harley, he hung up his car keys and pulled the bikes key from the key hook. He would turn up in style.
***
As she walked down the uneven car park of the Craven Café, she felt unsure. Many times, she thought about turning around and going home. It was silly really that all she wanted out of life was to be a normal teenager. Instead, magic and spells, a gated community and the Starlight coven were all she would ever know.
Walking through the doors, the strong smell of baked goods and coffee greeted her. Her stomach let out a roar as she made her way across the café. A group of high school teens sat at a booth, with Drake at the centre. Their laughs and boisterous voices filled the Craven giving the place a joyful feel.
“Hi,” she waved as she got closer, suddenly feeling shy.
Drake jumped from the table he was sitting at and smiled. “Hey, here sit down. Would you like a milkshake?”
She nodded, looking at the space he had referred to, seeing Maria glaring angrily at her. If looks could kill she would have been dead. Shrugging her shoulders, she sat down and gave Maria a smile.
“Freak,” Maria muttered, but Crystal ignored her. With a sly wave of her hand, she made the milkshake that Maria was sipping move away from her mouth and spill onto her tight red dress.
“What the…” Maria jumped up.
“Wow, with a mouth that big how’d you miss?” Crystal asked. Maria barged by on her way to the restroom, while the group of teens snickered and laughed.
Before Crystal knew it, she was having fun, watching their easy banter and the way they all teased one another. Even Maria loosened up and involved her in conversation.
“You know you’re not that bad,” one of the guys called Jack said.
“Thanks,” Crystal smiled.
“What’s it like living in Wicked Forest?” Stacey, a red-haired girl asked.
“Boring, really.”
“Oh, I mean. The forest is off limits to us village kids. The only way in is through your community,” Jack said smiling.
“You see, we were thinking what a suitable place to have this year’s Halloween dance a creepy forest,” Stacey gushed.
“What?” Crystal asked. “I am sorry, but the forest is off limits. Even to me.”
The other kids didn’t get the chance to finish as just then, Crystal was hauled out of her seat by Darren and Derek. Two college students, who were a part of the Starlight coven, men were the only members of the coven allowed to get a further education after high school. They held the physique of wrestlers, mean and menacing. Darren and Derek used their looks to glare at her new friends. She watched as some squirmed in their seats.
At first, her new friends didn’t say a word as she was marched out of the café. Then the teens from her school shouted abuse at the two men, who ignored them.
Jack and Dane followed them outside.
“Let her go!” Jack yelled pulling up his sleeves.
“Jack don’t,” Crystal shook her head.
The boys wouldn’t play fair, and Jack was sure to get hurt. It was the kind of situation she had always wanted to avoid. The reason she never tried to make friends. Being a princess to the Starlight’s meant she had to be mature and sensible at all times. Teens, they were reckless, and it would ruin her mother, if she involved herself in their antics. It didn’t matter, if she did it discreetly, they were always watching her.
“I said let her go,” he took a swing at Derek who blocked the oncoming punch with his left hand while using his right hand to soccer punch him in the ribs. Jack doubled over in pain gasping for air. He bent over, his face turning white.
Crystal felt bad for him. He should have listened to her. No one ever did, that was the problem, and most times she felt like she had no voice.
“Wanna try it big man?” Derek asked Dane who stood with his mouth agape.
“You can have the girl,” Dane spluttered.
“Coward,” Crystal muttered under her breath. She didn’t want them to fight over her, but to just hand her over. Like she was nothing?
“Get off me,” she gritted her teeth and pulled her arm free from Darren’s grasp.
Walking ahead of her two escorts she headed towards the black jeep and climbed into the backseat.
Her life was getting worse. Her parents wanted to marry her off to a monster. She had just been humiliated in front of her new friends and the coven teens thought of her as a spoilt brat.
Things were getting out of hand. She needed to think things through. She glanced back at the Craven as they pulled away and shrank down in her seat. The group of kids gathered around Jack looking on at the moving vehicle. She had blown any friendship she may have had. No, it wasn’t her that had done it, but the woman she called mother. Did she just want to destroy her life? Or what she had left of it?