Breaking Free (BXB)

Chapter 22-Not My Boyfriend

My life had taken a strange turn, and I wasn't sure if it was for the good or the bad, but one thing that I did know was that this whole 'you are a cat' thing came with some perks. Peeling back the scratchy brown blanket, I gazed at my bare chest. I had gotten so much tanner since I had been brought here, my chest now several shades darker than it's usual pasty color. I had the faintest sign of abs and I wasn't as scrawny anymore with muscle filling in my arms, legs, and chest. I knew I hadn't worked out much at all, so this had to be attributed to the supernatural. Even with the miraculous appearance of muscle on my body, it didn't hold a candle to the biggest change so far.

Running my fingers over my skin, it felt soft and clean. It was uninterrupted and tight. No ridges, no scars, nothing. I had been shot twice with arrows and punched to the depths of hell and the only thing to show for it was the dull ache in my chest and the fact that I slept for what felt like weeks. My body looked like someone had airbrushed my entire body. Even my eyes were three shades brighter and my freckles darker and more like the type you'd see on a celebrity and not an awkward sixteen-year-old boy.

The crunching of leaves alerted me to someone else nearby. Pausing, I waited with bated breath for any kind of noise. The birds sang quietly, pausing every now and then, but not for very long before they began again. Whispers started up somewhere nearby, just out of earshot. Frowning, I strained my ears, desperately trying to catch what was being said. My name came up a lot, and so did the word 'sword' and 'danger'. My gut twisted at the sharp edge to their tones. I could recognize Owen's voice, and I could definitely recognize that he was frustrated and angry about something. I could see him running his hands through his hair and gripping the tiny little curls at the ends like they were his lifeline. Sighing, I pushed myself up and out of the lukewarm tent, the cold wind making me shiver.

The mud and sticks dug into my feet as I wandered around the campsite. There were three other tan-colored tents set up around the area, and a homemade pit settled in the center. A small fire flickered and I smiled at Tom as he looked up at me. The whispers still played like background music, despite the fact that there wasn't anyone except for Tom anywhere to be found.

"Hey, kid. How're you feeling." My smile fell.

"Don't call me kid," I grumbled. Tom snickered then took a giant chunk out of a granola bar, waving the small thing at me teasingly.

"Eat something." He mumbled, bits of granola falling out of his mouth as he scrounged around in a duffle bag next to him. Finally finding what he wanted, Tom jerked upright, a bright green granola bar in his hand and a triumphant grin on his face. "Catch!" Then before I could react, the bar was flying towards my face at a speed most granola bars would only see in their nightmares. Shrieking I flailed my arms to try to catch it and felt it smack me in the face, leaving a tiny pink spot on my cheek and a huge frown. Guess the muscles didn't come with dexterity. Tom laughed his ass off as I tore open the granola bar and munched on it angrily, still trying to follow the faint trails of Owen and whoever else he was with. As I got closer it started to sound more feminine, and I suddenly felt pity seep into me.

He was arguing with Sera. Tom gave me a look before shrugging his shoulders and taking another bite of his granola bar.  Following the sound of their voices, I crept up to a small crop of bushes.

"I'm just saying that he is injured and changed for the first time only a couple of days ago!" Owen shouted somewhere nearby and I flinched. Despite my better judgment screaming at me to walk away, I felt curiosity overtake me, moving me forward. Being careful not to step on any sticks or leaves, I peeked out from behind the brush. Owen's face was red and his hands were thrown up in the air with frustration. Sera had her hands on her hips and one eyebrow quirked. She knew she was going to win. No one won against Sera.

"You won't always be there. He needs to learn how to protect himself, injured or not!" I watched Owen splutter as he gripped his hair, searching for the right words. He looked desperate for anything to say. I could tell that he was losing, and I wanted to help him. But I also really wanted to know what was going on. I knew that it had to do with me, but that was it. Taking a deep breath, I considered both the options. On one hand, Owen meant a lot to me and to see him like that hurt, despite our currently very awkward situation, on the other hand, I really, really wanted to know what they were talking about. My curiosity won. Pushing through the leaves, I stood up straight in between them. Their eyes widened and Owen froze.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice sharp and cutting. I folded my arms over my chest and waited for them to start talking. They just stood there, their mouths flapping open and closed. Shock painted their entire expressions, from their wide-eyes, frozen postures, and gaping mouths, and I almost laughed. Times like this made me wish that I had a camera on me to take a picture.

"I-uh-we-uh," Owen stuttered, running his hands through his hair with a sigh. Sera glanced back and forth between us, and I felt something within me squeeze with a cruel sort of delight. They knew they were caught and they were the perfect imitation of a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I wasn't even really mad that they were talking about me behind my back, their facial expressions were too hilarious to care much.

"Um, what?" I pressed, watching with a guilty delight as he shifted from foot to foot, avoiding my gaze. Sera rolled her eyes, then crossed her arms with a huff.

"We were talking about training you in combat. I am for it. He isn't" My eyes narrowed and I glared at the forest floor, any previous comedic value of the situation dying. Irritation surged within me and I narrowed my eyes at Owen. I had placed my trust in him, and he had deliberately kept something like this from me.

"And you thought it would be a good idea to make this decision without me present?" My voice was sharp and angry and they visibly flinched from it. Sera muttered something under her breath that sounded very similar to 'tiny terror.'  After several minutes of silence, I smirked. "Well, it's decided then. You will teach me how to fight. When do we start?" I asked eagerly. I could see the reluctance on Owen's expression.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Milo." My eyes narrowed and I turned on him.

"Well you aren't my boyfriend, are you. You don't get a say." The guilt washed over me immediately and I heard him suck in a breath. I shouldn't have said that.

"And who's fault is that." He muttered before stalking off, leaving a heavy silence behind them that rested solely on my shoulders.