REFLECTIONS OF YOU (Brighten Magic Academy Book 1) Page 14

  Nixon got up and sat on the edge of the bed next to me, making me realize I wasn't in our bunk bed but on his bed. "If it makes you feel better, you have a nice body,” he stated, revealing barely any emotion.

  "Thanks… I mean, ugh! That does not, Nixon!" I whined, slapping his shoulder.

  He shrugged. "You should be proud that you have a sexy body. You shouldn’t be embarrassed. Logan's lucky,” he spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.

  Alice moved from where she'd snuggled next to my shoulder to sit next to Nixon. He smiled, petting her on the head. "See, you humans always overreact to everything," she teased.

  "I hope one day you get to enjoy the life as a human every day for a good week. Then you’ll understand my agony," I complained. Nixon and Logan turned to me, raising an eyebrow.

  "Alice is being silly. Ignore me." I relaxed back into the sheets and stared up at at the ceiling. The familiar face from before suddenly hovered above my face and I blushed.

  "Is she alive?" he questioned, looking down at me.

  Logan huffed. "Move your face out of my girlfriend's personal space, Braxton. Jeez, you heard her rant when you walked in."

  Braxton frowned and rolled his eyes, leaning back. I turned my head to the left to see him standing in a grey t-shirt and black shorts. He definitely looked better naked but I tried really hard not to focus on that detail.

  "My apologies, sexy girl. Didn't mean to intrude during your shower,” the man apologized.

  "I'm just going to assume you’re Braxton," I determined and he nodded.

  "Braxton Park. A pleasure to meet you."

  "Jewel Starfire," I replied. He smiled at the name, the first time I’d seen a softer expression on his face. "If you ever want to dump Logan, can I be next in line?" he asked.

  "Hey! Why is everyone hitting on my girlfriend?" Logan exclaimed.

  "Actually Braxton, I'm next in line, but you can be after me. Actually, we can share. Sharing is caring," Nixon offered.

  "That would be nice. She's hot," Braxton pointed out. "But I'm not sharing with my brothers. They suck at sharing."

  "That could be arranged," Nixon nodded in understanding.

  "Why do I feel like I'm a part of a business exchange?" I commented, though I didn't really mind the fact they wanted to share me. Ugh, I really hit my head hard. I'm becoming delusional.

  "Hey! I didn't agree with sharing," Logan grumbled, rising from his kneeling position to stand.

  "Sharing is caring!' Kage spoke as he and Zane entered the room with a plate of food. I blinked before slowly sitting up. I glanced down to make sure I wasn't naked, thankful to see I was wearing a long red shirt. I didn't know whose it was though. I took a small sniff of it and smiled.

  "Strawberries," I commented, lifting my gaze to Nixon. "This is yours," I confirmed.

  Nixon glanced away, his cheeks turning slightly red. "Yup,” he answered.

  "Awww. He's all embarrassed that you know what he smells like. I can see a harem forming," Alice hummed in my mind as she began hopping on the bed at my feet.

  "Ugh, Alice, go bother Kage," I huffed. Alice stuck out her little fox tongue and jumped off the bed and began a slow climb up Kage's clothes. He chuckled.

  "Hold up, Alice. I'm still holding half of the food,” he laughed. Braxton walked over and took the trays from both of them before placing the food gently on my lap. I stared at the large amount of food, a combination of breakfast and dinner. There were pancakes with cut strawberries and blueberries covered in maple syrup, while the other tray had broccoli and cheese soup and a thick slice of whole wheat bread and butter.

  "You should eat. The guys said they haven't seen you eat since they met you and Logan was no help,” Braxton encouraged

  "You didn't even ask me," Logan sighed, looking exhausted. I had a hunch the guys really liked teasing him because it always got a reaction out of him.

  "Thanks. I am really hungry. Is it still Tuesday?" I inquired. I had no sense of time. Our exam was Monday and we had been at the house for almost a full day when I fell and passed out.

  Maximus walked into the room holding a glass of water and what looked like medication.

  "It's Tuesday evening. You were knocked out for a few hours. We ended up calling the main nurse. Her name was Savannah. She said you should take one of these. It'll prevent you from getting any headaches," Maximus offered, coming over to hand me the glass of water and a pill from the foil package.

  "That's why we made food! Savannah said you need to take it with food or it'll make your stomach upset," Zane stressed.

  "But we didn't know if you would want more of a breakfast meal or lunch meal since you missed both," Kage added.

  "So you guys made both?" I asked, giving the three of them a wide smile as thanks before taking the pill, drinking a good half of the chilled water which tasted normal, and not laced with Nixon’s magic.

  "Yup. We wanted you to have variety," Zane said proudly. Braxton slapped his head. "Ow! What did I do?" Zane whined.

  "It was my idea to give her different kinds of food. Don't stand there and act like I did nothing,” he growled.

  Kage chuckled. "Zane got caught." He kept laughing and I smiled at the three brothers, noticing how close they were. It made me wonder if Braxton waited until his brothers got into Brighten before applying so he could go with them. But Kage could have gotten in last year. Maybe something happened.

  I looked down to my food, wondering what I wanted first. Since the soup was still steaming hot, I decided to start with the pancakes.

  "Want me to feed you, Jewel?" Nixon offered.

  "I should feed her since it's my fault she got injured," Braxton pointed out.

  "Can we feed her since we made the food?" Kage asked as Alice roamed about on his shoulder.

  "Ya, we volunteer to feed Jewel!" Zane enthused.

  "I brought her medication and was actually listening when Savannah was explaining all the symptoms to watch out for. I should get to feed her," Maximus insisted.

  "No one is feeding her," Logan sighed. I snickered which turned into a full laugh, causing all of them to stare at me.

  "Was laughing a side effect, Maximus?" Kage asked.

  "To be honest, I wasn't paying attention to half of the things she said,” he confessed, making me laugh harder.

  "I'm sorry. I’ve just never met a group of guys who get along so well." I continued to giggle.

  "We don't get along," they all declared.

  "Sure," I replied sarcastically. Once I was done with my giggle fit, I turned to look at Braxton. "So did they did they tell you about me?" I asked.

  "Yup. Jinn male, Jewel female. No one but Ms. Landsford, Savannah, and the Headmaster know. Your secret’s safe with me," he shrugged, looking like it wasn't a big deal. I was quiet for a moment, staring at each of them. Logan moved into Maximus’ spot while he moved back to give him space. He gently touched my shoulder.

  "Hey, what's wrong?” Logan asked. He knew me long enough to know when something was bothering me.

  "Don't you guys want something in return?" I asked. The others all stared at me with confused expressions before looking at one another, as if one of them would understand.

  "Why would we want something?" Kage asked, tilting his head to the side, as if uncertain.

  "That's how it was back home," I whispered looking back at Logan who frowned then slowly nodded.

  "In our town Natala… it’s hard to lean on or ask people for help because they always expect something in return. It doesn't matter how small the deed. If you’re helping a kid, typically nothing is expected but once you reach your teens, simple acts of kindness usually have a hidden meaning to them and are never without consequences," Logan explained.

  "If you helped someone study to get a good grade, they owe you and you can expect that person to help you in a jam in the future. If they don't, you have the right to spread around the town that they didn't return the favor," I explained, giving them an example.

 
Braxton looked upset, exchanging a look with Maximus who had his arms crossed. "We have an idea of what you're referring to, but we would never help someone seeking personal benefit. Either you help out of the goodness of your heart or you don't. That’s how it should be," Braxton declared.

  Maximus nodded his agreement. "I get your worry, but I'm not here for favors. If so, we'd actually be in debt to you for helping us pass the exam. We had one of the hardest tests from what I've heard going around campus, and thanks to your quick thinking, we made it. The least we can do is keep your secret."

  "Maybe there's even a reason why the headmaster and the other staff want you here? They wouldn't accept you just because your mom made an error," Kage proposed thoughtfully.

  "I have to agree. Regardless of their reasoning, I don't think it’s a hassle at all. Plus you’re pretty cool, both as a girl and a guy," Zane complimented.

  "And you're a good cuddler," Nixon added. Logan shook his head, his teeth clenched, while the others snickered.

  "Nixon needs to be a professor in napping." Maximus joked.

  "Would be nice. I'd get paid to sleep,” he replied with a smile. We shook our heads, but it was nice to see Nixon smile once in a while.

  "So it’s agreed. We’re all cool with Jewel being Jinn?" Maximus asked. Everyone nodded.

  "Cool with me," Braxton replied.

  "Yes for us," Kage said sweetly, petting Alice who was still lounging on his shoulder.

  "Us as in me too," Zane chimed in, resting his hands behind his head.

  "I'm down with it," Maximus added.

  "Yup," Nixon said with a yawn.

  "I’m already on board with all of this so I'm perfectly fine with the idea. Just no more walking into washrooms naked or unannounced," Logan pointed out, staring at Braxton who huffed.

  "No one warned me there was a girl in the house. Why should I bring clothes to the washroom in an all-male house?"

  "Because no one wants to see your huge cock," Maximus complained.

  "Right. You're giving Jewel unrealistic expectations," Zane nodded.

  Kage leaned in to whisper to Zane. "Ya, Brother's cock is larger than both of ours. I think we're screwed since Jewel must have got a glimpse."

  I blushed at his quiet words and the others groaned. "Well, we don't have a chance now," Maximus groaned.

  "Guess Jewel better dump Logan now," Nixon suggested.

  "She's not dumping me. My cock is perfectly average," Logan confessed, his cheeks burning red.

  "Average like male average or average like Braxton average?" Kage asked.

  "Braxton is NOT anywhere NEAR average!" Zane stressed.

  "Can I finish my food before we talk cock length?" I asked. They paused, looking as if they had completely forgotten I was there; they all started to blush.

  They all gave their assent and I giggled before taking a slurp of my soup.

  "By the way. My length is just a little smaller than Braxton's," I purred, using my thumb and index finger to show how slight the difference was.

  "UGH!" The guys all groaned and I laughed.

  "Good one," Alice giggled in my mind. I observed them as I continued to eat. I realized I actually felt confident in Brother's words.

  I just need to have more faith in people.

  "A party? Are you guys all going?" I asked curiously, filling the last cup with strawberry milkshake before putting the blender in the sink to wash. I opened the tap and filled it to the top before I turned and looked over at the guys chilling in the kitchen.

  I'd spent all of Wednesday and Thursday learning the ropes around campus as Jinn, while spending the late afternoon and evenings as Jewel with the guys. We'd figured out our classes and I was glad that I was with at least one of the guys in each class.

  Casting Magic for Advanced Mages was with Logan and Nixon, Familiar Studies was with Kage and Braxton, Physical Studies, or what I called 'gym,' was with Maximus and Zane, and Superior Studies of Magic and Intense Spell Casting was with Nixon and Braxton. The last class was ranked the hardest to get into and we'd been assigned to it because of our test results. I could tell Logan wasn't pleased by that, but he didn't bring up the issue. He actually seemed quite calm since Braxton would be joining us, lessening the threat he thought was present when I was alone with Nixon.

  Brighten was doing something different this year with their classes. Instead of the standard four classes throughout the day that were two hours each, they decided each day would have two four hour classes with a break in between them. Magic classes were sometimes shorter depending on the activity of the class.

  We'd have five weeks of classes. The sixth week would be midterms with a week off for us to go back home or relax. After that would be another four weeks of powering through before finals week and end of the first semester.

  We were allowed to participate in two clubs, but I hadn't decided which ones I wanted to be in yet. I was pretty good at every sport but Brighten being as high class and well-known as it was, didn't have 'normal' sports. Everything was enhanced with magic, making everything more adventurous and, at times, dangerous.

  I, personally, was thinking of delaying participating in any clubs till next semester, which Braxton suggested was smarter because nearly half of the people dropped out or failed, making the clubs a lot less full and more enjoyable than the drama and fights that came along with overpopulated groups.

  Today was Friday and it was already mid-afternoon. We'd spent the morning working out upstairs in the training room. I had to admit, it was nice to work out without needing to shift to Jinn to do so. The guys insisted I stay in my female form, which I felt was for the added benefit of seeing me in short-shorts and a tank top while conducting high caliber spells that left me drenched, and not in a pleasurable way.

  At the halfway point, I did switch over to my male form, wanting to get used to being in the form for longer periods in preparation for the coming weeks of school. Now that we were having an afternoon snack, strawberry milkshakes, I didn't see any reason to still be Jinn so I was back to my female form, finishing up the milkshakes for the guys because none of them knew how to make them.

  "Apparently. It’s tonight at the house at the end of Spellbound. It's an elite party for only those on this block and their girlfriends," Braxton explained, walking into the room as he was putting his shirt back on.

  "Or boyfriends," Kage pointed out.

  "Ya right. They're really hard asses about that kind of thing," Maximus pointed out.

  "About being gay? It's an all-boy school. Not everyone likes pussy. No offense Jewel," Zane apologized and I smiled.

  "None taken, but I agree. What's the big deal about being gay? Aren't there a few lesbians at the all-girl school?" I asked out of curiosity.

  I was straight, but being a guy really opened up my perspective and made me even more curious how someone who likes guys could survive an all-boy school when 80% of the population was hot enough to be a model. Even if someone didn't have the looks, personality was a huge thing to me. So, as long as you weren't a douche, I'd be interested in giving it a shot. I just got lucky with Logan who was the whole package of looks and personality.

  "They’re just not very accepting here. Could just be that the school values more old school ways. They're only getting high tech with laptops, computers, and phones, but magic is centered on ancient philosophy so the school applies that to their social attitudes too. It's not against the rules to be gay, but if you get bullied for it, no one is going to defend you," Braxton explained, coming to help me distribute the milkshakes to everyone.

  We all moved to the living room and sat in our usual spots. Maximus and Braxton claimed the two-seater sofa to my left, Zane and Kage were relaxing on the two-seater on the right and I was sitting on the three-seater sofa, right in the middle with Nixon relaxing on my right and Logan on my left. To avoid more arguing, that was the seating plan the guys created with a good game of Rock-Paper-Scissors.

  Don't get why anyone would
give the chance up with a Rock-Paper-Scissors game, but hey, I was just the lone female wanting a place to sit down and to avoid being in the middle of a war.

  "Bullying still goes on here?" I asked, trying to hide the hint of anger that flickered inside me.

  "Bullying happens everywhere. Doesn't matter if it's at a high ranked school like Brighten or on social media online. It sucks and is really pathetic. But it happens, sadly, more than anyone would want it to," Maximus replied. He looked a little upset by the topic but I decided not to push further.

  "So this party? Are we going?" I wondered.

  "Do you want to go?" Logan asked.

  I drank a bit of my milkshake, while debating. "I think we should," I finally said.

  "Why?" Kage asked.

  "This school looks like it's all about face," Nixon pointed out. I turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow for him to elaborate.

  "When we finished our exam, the professors didn't stop watching us until we left the building. They wanted to see how we would react after winning. They judge students based on a lot of things and over the years, they calculate your overall behavior and use that to determine if you're going to be worthy to be a mage warrior," Nixon explained.

  "What, seriously?" Zane exclaimed.

  Braxton nodded, ruffling his hair. "They want to assess your behavior. Whether you're cocky or shy, and whether you have good or bad intentions. Of course, nothing is monitored off school grounds. You can do whatever you want as long as you follow the rules and regulations of the law. Watch when school starts."

  "Certain people will act like angels in class, but are like hellions off school grounds," Nixon commented.

  "But is there something specific the school is looking for in people to be considered a 'mage warrior' worthy? Also, three years is a long time. One slip up and you're screwed. Not to forget mentioning the reality that you may not even know what the school or these judges are looking for in a mage warrior," I explained my concerns, feeling like that was a stupid way to determine someone’s worth and potential.

  "No one knows what attributes the school is looking for, which makes what you're saying valid. You can be acting like a goodie two shoes for your entire schooling and find out you didn't make the cut because you were too good and did nothing wrong," Maximus explained.