Conquest of Magic

Part 8

I walked into the history class and found the room nearly empty, except for Jacob.

"Where is Emma and Lucy?" I asked him.

"Come here," he said, spreading his arms wide with his signature smile. I embraced him in a tight hug, laughing. It felt wonderful to be with my best friends after the long weeks of stress.

We spent the rest of the time catching up and chatting. I was genuinely glad to be back to my old self, and as the day passed I began to relax and feel happier.

Just when I thought my day couldn't get better, the door to the classroom flew open, and I gasped in surprise. John stumbled in, and my mood soured instantly.

"Ugh," I muttered under my breath, earning a curious glance from Jacob. I filled him in on the events of the past week involving William and John. Jacob's face darkened with anger, and he shot John a steely "I'm watching you" look.

John had quite a reputation on campus for his nasty attitude and rude behaviour toward nearly everyone.

"Is the jerk still giving you a hard time?" Jacob asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Not really," I whispered, trying to hide my feelings.

John's eyes locked with mine, and I worried he might have overheard me. But honestly, I didn't care much if he did; it wasn't like he wasn't aware that he was a jerk.

"That's all for today. I'll see you guys tomorrow," Professor Hans said, dismissing the class.

As Jacob stood up, he immediately moved in front of me, taking a protective stance when he saw John approaching. "I'm so glad to see you having a good time with your plaything," John said with a sneer before walking out of the classroom.

"What's his problem? What does he mean by 'plaything'?" Jacob asked, clearly puzzled and annoyed.

"Just ignore that jerk," I replied, trying to brush off the comment as we walked out of class. Jacob's hand rested reassuringly on my shoulder, a comforting presence as we left the building.

An unsettling feeling of being watched lingered in my head all day long. Whenever I tried to pinpoint who might be causing it, the feeling would suddenly disappear, leaving me with an uneasy sense of paranoia.

"You know what? It's been forever since we went to any parties. Let's go tonight!" Jacob suggested with excitement.

I didn't want to be alone anymore, so I agreed, which made him beam with happiness. Emma and Lucy joined us, their excitement was palpable.

"Did I just hear 'party'?" Emma asked, bouncing up and down with enthusiasm.

I smiled at her eagerness. Emma's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I can't wait! It's been way too long since we've had a good party."

Later that evening, I arrived at Lucy's house wearing a simple black body-hugging backless gown paired with red heels.

"Wow, Kristen, you look stunning tonight!" she exclaimed. "That dress is perfect."

I gave her a grateful smile, adjusting the neckline of my black body-hugging gown. "Thanks, Lucy. I'm really looking forward to this. It's been a while since I've had a night out."

Emma looped her arm through mine as we made our way to the living room. "Let's make tonight unforgettable," she said with a grin.

As we settled in, Lucy added, "I've been hearing that John's going to be there too. Do you think he'll cause any trouble?"

"I think John is stalking you," Lucy said, her tone shifting to concern. "We heard from Jacob that he's a creep. We've seen him a few times staring at you in class."