Revelations » Michael Langdon

4

❝ Wide awake in bed, words in my brain: 'Secretly you love this, do you even wanna go free?' ❞

Glory and Gore by Lorde

✢

"Okay, why does Michael keep staring at you?"

I eyed Candice over the rim of my coffee mug, before turning as discreetly as I could manage to where I knew the blonde warlock was standing. He was leaning against the doorframe, next to a few chatty Hawthorne boys that he clearly took no interest in conversing with. Sure enough, his eyes were trained on me, his expression unreadable.

Until he realized I'd caught him, then the ends of those pink lips quirked up into a smile. He lifted his fingers, unbothered, and gave a small wave.

I sighed heavily, turning away from him to settle in my spot on the couch once more. Candice looked at me knowingly, throwing another potato chip into her mouth.

"Yeah. He's got the hots for you. Bad."

Ever since our channeling practice a few days ago, Michael had been trying to corner me at any chance he got–which were many, unfortunately, considering our rooming arrangements. Regardless, I became a master at avoiding him in the confines of the academy. It was an art form, really, the way I calculated the time it usually took him to fall into a deep slumber and only then would I creep into our room as silently as possible. As for my early mornings, I'd beat him to the kitchen, sometimes brushing past him as I grabbed a granola bar and juice. He'd use this as an opportunity to start up a conversation, just to watch in obvious amusement as I threw out blunt replies en route for the stairs.

He seemed hellbent on getting me to admit that the channeling experience was unlike any other. Which, of course it was, but confessing that to Michael would only result in him trying to prove that there was something brewing here. And there wasn't. He was just my stupid new roommate.

With his own particular brand of magic that awakened my senses.

But I wasn't going to dwell on that.

"No, he doesn't, Candice." I snorted.

"Who's got the hots for you?" Madison chimed in, settling beside us on the lounge couches.

"Nobody–"

"Michael," my best friend helpfully told her. I shot her a glare.

The blonde arched an eyebrow, crossing one leg over the other, and leaned toward me in intrigue. "Oh, really? Poor guy. Doesn't know he's going after little miss uptight."

I pursed my mouth. "I'm not uptight, Madison. Just not interested in getting with any of our rivals."

"Ugh, spare me the excuses." She fluttered a hand in dismissal. "They're not our rivals, okay? Listen to the hippy dippy yay-lets-all-be-partners crap Cordelia and Myrtle were talking about. We're all friends here. And friends can hook up."

I wrinkled my nose. "Not happening. You guys need to butt out. Michael doesn't have the hots for me. If anything, he has the hots for my magic."

Candice suddenly gained a knowing gleam in her eyes. "I get it. Channeling session went a little too well, huh?"

"According to him," I muttered, discreetly tilting my head in Michael's general direction. "But it was so not anything special."

Madison's stare turned knowing. "Not surprising. His first taste of a woman's magic, and not that of some boy in his Hawthorne tribe, and he goes nuts for more. Totally inevitable. I say you use it to your advantage and sleep with the gorgeous bastard before he channels someone else and chases them instead."