Teenage Luna | ✔️

Chapter Seventeen

^Gif is of Alyssa Asher :) 

I walked the long way home. Instead of cutting through the woods straight to Maple Street, I went through town. I needed a new book from Rosie's. 

Rosie's used to be a sweet shop, Dad tells me. It used to sell these things called Hot Fudge Rocks that melted as soon as you put it in your mouth. It had been renovated right before I was born. I walked inside the shop on Old Folk Rd, today. The shop was now a bookstore. It still sold sweets up the back in the cafe but Dad says that it's not like how it used to be anymore. I picked up a book I hadn't seen before off the new arrivals shelf and turned to read the blurb. 

As soon as my eyes read the word 'magic' I put it back down. I soon found a book that was a mundane 'girl-falls-for-new-bad-boy-and-eventually-he-gets-the-guts-to-ask-her-out-before-he-cheats-on-her-so-she-breaks-up-with-him-and-then-he-makes-it-up-to-her-by-doing-something-super-cliche' type of novel. My shelf was full of them because although I dislike cliches, they're cliches for a reason; they're good. 

I took it to the counter and gave the old lady a thin smile, "Hi Edna."

She handed me back the book and my credit card and nodded her head, "Until next time, Miss James."

"Bye," I said, slipping the items into my schoolbag. 

I stepped back out onto the pavement. The sun made me sweat as I walked the quick way home from Rosie's. Even under the canopy of trees, I was boiling. I sighed at the heat before clicking my fingers on my left hand. The air around me became a degree cooler. 

Mum had taught me a while ago that if you associate your commands with actions then it's a lot easier. Sometimes Artemis doesn't always understand your thoughts but actions she always sees. 

I escaped the woods onto Maple Street and made my way up to House Seven. It was a medium-sized house, not too extravagant, but it houses the six of us well. The Beta Family live in House Fourteen, up the street. A few other families are scattered around the place but the Beta Family needs to live close in case of an emergency. 

I jumped over the gated fence in our driveway and crossed the garden. Eight-year-old Mia Asher and my youngest brother Dylan were hiding up in the treehouse. I waved up at them and Mia grinned back, "Come hang out with us?"

"Sorry, Little Asher," I grimaced, "I got homework to do."

She pouted, "Ok..."

Dylan waved me off. I slid my shoes off by the door and walked inside, "Hey everyone!"

The noise in the kitchen, I realised, was pretty loud. They probably didn't even hear me. I dumped my school bag by the staircase and entered the kitchen. 

It was an unusual raucous. Mum was baking, Tommy and Kota were fighting over something and Aimee was sitting on her phone. Why she was here; I didn't even know.

Mum noticed me, "Hi kiddo. Anything exciting happen at school?"

"Not really," I murmured, "Anything exciting happen at home?"

Mum wrinkled her nose, "Sort of?"

The room went quiet. I realised the quiet before I realised the cool change in temperature. I tried to let it rise back to normal warmth but I asked quietly, "What do you mean by sort of?"

"Aunt Liv is coming home, at last," Mum answered, plating the cookies. 

I took a deep breath. Good; it wasn't Alpha related.

"Mum's coming home?" Aimee grinned brightly, "That's perfect. I'm going to go tell Dad."

Aimee was twelve, the daughter of my Aunt Liv and Uncle Aaron. Her older brother is the Beta but as of far it's ineffective - we still don't have an Alpha.