Abstract

Chapter 16

"Good. You're here." Autumn said as soon as I walked through the door. "We need to work on your abilities." I couldn't say Autumn and I were the best of friends, but she didn't put fire ants down my socks anymore so that was a good sign.

"I haven't seen Zylen yet." I sigh as I allow her to drag me to the couch.

She made an exaggerated gagging noise at the back of her throat. "You can kiss your boyfriend later. He's busy with Adam anyway. We need to work on it now. We've already held it off for 8 months." She crashed down besides me.

She was right. I could wait a few more minutes before I went looking for Zylen.

"You're right." I admitted. "Should I use you as the test subject?"

She shrugged. "Since I'm here."

"Okay." I rubbed my hands and thought of an emotion I could use. "How about Jealousy?" I finally said.

Her eyes widened in refusal. "I don't think that's a good idea." But I wasn't listening anymore. I just closed my eyes and pictured her jealous of something or someone.

Just then Qaahir walked into the room chatting animatedly on the phone. "I miss you too. So much. I can't believe it's out one month anniversary tommorow. I can't wait to see you. You hang up. No, you hang up." He smiled at himself as he talked to his apparent girlfriend on the phone.

Autumn's nostrils were flared as she stared at Qaahir. "So you and mystery chick are still dating?" She asked, an edge in her voice.

He sighed lovingly. "Yes. She's the best. She's beautiful and smart and funny--"

"Okay, we get it!" Autumn snapped.

"Okay..." Qaahir looked between the two of us with a confused expression. "I'm just going to leave."

As soon as he walked out, I turned to Autumn with the hugest smile. "Oh my god! You're into Qaahir!"

Her hand flew over my mouth. "Keep your voice down." She hissed.

"Sorry," I apologised, but it was muffled by her palm. So I licked it.

"Eww. Did you just lick me?" She wiped her hand on my top with a sneer.

I nodded. "Yes, yes I did. But that's not the point. You like Qaahir." I pointed out, a little softer that time.

She kicked a feet up on the table. "It's not something I'm proud of." She was suddenly interested in her fingers. "But yes, I've kinda, sorta, maybe liked him for a while now."

I couldn't help it. I just burst out laughing. The idea of Qaahir and Autumn was almost utterly ridiculous. The bad girl with the piercings and the tattoo on her neck with the geeky boy with the quirky glasses.

"I'm glad you find this funny." She remarked, but I could tell she was hurt by my laughter.

I grabbed her arm. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. Why haven't you told him?"

She shrugged. "He wouldn't like me back." She said it like she absolutely believed herself.

"Why wouldn't he? You're beautiful and tough and smart. He would be lucky to have you." And it was the truth: she was all of those things. Maybe a little mean, but still. I didn't tell her that though.

She seemed genuinely taken aback by my compliments. "Well, thank you. But please don't say anything."

"I promise." I smiled.

Hands covered my eyes and the way my heart rate sped up, I had an inkling as to who it was.

"Guess who." His voice rasped in my ear.

"Brad Pitt? Is that you?" I teased.

"Haha. Very funny." Zylen removed his hands from my eyes, wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, and pulled my mouth towards his. His tongue slipped past my lips as he thoroughly kissed me.

"Wow. You don't even have the decency to ask me to leave." I heard Autumn shuffle out of the room. I went to pull away, but he held onto to my hair a little tighter.

"Zylen, I need to breathe." I smiled against his lips.

"I breathe you." His hands pulled my head out of my clip and it tumbled down my shoulders.

"That was so cheesy." I shook my head, but my stupid heart melted anyway.

"So what we're you and Autumn doing anyway?" He tangled his fingers around my hair and played with the tips, something he had been doing a lot lately.

"Nothing you need to know about." I remembered my promise to keep her secret crush on Qaahir a secret.

He shrugged, because he knew it would be pointless to get something out of me. Everyone else decided it would be the right time to stroll into the room, talking about God know what.

"Dude, Kendall is totally hotter." Jesse said, nudging Cole.

"Have you seen Kylie? That chick has the best tits ever." Cole responded.

"Kourtney still the hottest in my opinion." Derek shrugged dismissively. Cole and Jesse looked at him like he had grown two heads.

"Both the Kardashians and the Jenners are hot, it's too bad they don't have the talent to back it up." Autumn said.

"Why are we talking about this again?" Nabeela asked. She sat purposely in between Zylen and I, but Zylen wasn't having any of that. He pulled me over onto his lap.

"I'm going to say it again in case no one heard me before. Zylen and Aura are the cutest couple I've ever seen." Willow said.

"Excuse me," Greg scoffed. "Have you seen Bella and I? We're the cutest couple you've ever seen." Bella and Greg both batted their eyelashes for emphasis which cause us to all laugh.
My cheeks heated in thankful bashfulness. Zylen kissed one of my scarlet cheeks. "Of course, we are. She's the most beautiful girl in the world." And he looked at me like he absolutely believed it with every fibre of his being.

The girls awed at his compliment, and I blushed harder.

"I need a boyfriend." Rehana sighed dreamily.

"I'll be your boyfriend." Jesse offered.

"No thanks. I said a boyfriend, not a man-whore." Rehana quipped out.

"Ouch," Jesse gasped, feigning hurt.

"How did you get so horny?" Autumn asked, propping her head on her palms. Everyone, including me, suddenly perked up, interested in how Jesse became a Lust Abstract in the first place.

He shrugged as he began, "I was a very lonely kid in high school. I got bullied alot and didn't have any friends. I kept to myself most of the time and never confided in my parents about the situation."

"You were bullied?" Cole scoffed.

Jesse glared at him. "Yes, I was. Anyway, one day I was just trying to get through the school day without being shoved against a locker, when Rose Sawyer, the most popular girl in school, approach me during lunch time.

"What did she want?" Rehana asked.

He turned his glare onto her. "I'm getting there. Anymore interruptions before I continue?" When there was complete silence, he continued. "She asked me to help her prepare for Biology test we were writing the next day."

"You sound like you were a complete nerd." Adam scoffed.

"I was. I still am. Just a little hotter though. Anyway, I talked myself into going over to her house and helping her study. When her mom directed me up into her room, I was shocked to find her in her underwear. I don't think I need to explain the rest." His wink was saucy as we laughed at his story.

One by one, everyone began narrating the story of how they got their abilities. Some were funny and happy, Some were not so funny and funny. But as I lay there with my head on the shoulder of my amazing boyfriend, listening to the stories told by my amazing friends, the world made a little more sense.

Thank you so much to my readers who leave the nice comments and vote for the book. You are all BAE!