Tamed

Chapter 16. Small talks

"He has got a nasty temper," Joseph grimaced.

"Who?"

"The Green Welsh which was assigned to me. He's probably is in his teens and hormonal," Joseph scowled .

Jason chuckled and plopped down on his bed, clutching his stomach.

"Set him up with a she dragon then," Boon suggested.

"I am not a dragon matchmaker, okay? It's not a part of my job."

"As a matter of fact, it is. You have to tend to their every needs." Jason winked. Joseph threw a pillow on his face.

"That crazy dragon keeps breathing fire every ten seconds. I have to keep flicking my wand and put out the fire. Or he'll succeed in burning the whole forest down." said Joseph, shaking his head.

"My story is worse buddy," Owen said from the other side of the room. He was changing into his pajamas. "As soon as I unchained the Ironbelly, it flew away into the neighborhood and got into a fight with the Chinese Fireballs who were kinda in the middle of a dragon meeting or something."

"Are you making this up, Owen?" Aiden asked, cocking his eyebrow and casting an incredulous look at his friend.

"Why would I make up something like this?" Owen protested, struggling with his pajama pants, hopping on one leg.

"Dragon meeting? Really?"

"I don't know. Three Chinese Fireballs looked like they were kinda in the middle of a conversation. So I thought that's what it was. A dragon meeting. All they were doing was grunt, growl and screech. They don't teach Dragon language here. How am I supposed to know for real?" he shrugged.

Aiden shook his head laughing

"What did you do then?"

"First of all, Mr. Levitsky cursed me to death. Then I had to distract the dragon and bring it back to its allocated place"

"Sounds like a tedious task," Boon remarked.

"You have no idea, buddy," Owen sighed, finally managing to dress into his pajamas and ploppng down on his bed, his face hitting the pillow.

"Hey Nat!" Jason called, as he saw her enter the room. Marshall trailing behind her.

"Yo Jason!" she greeted him.

"How's your Shortsnout?"

"He's great!"

"I heard you tried to evade all rules and tried to approach it from the front," Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe I did," she shrugged, still grinning.

"I have this feeling that you are sort of a rule breaker than a rule maker," said Boon.

She shook her head, "It's not a sin to be adventurous, is it?"

"No, it isn't. But we didn't peg you for one who breaks rules is all." Joseph stated.

"That's because you don't know me yet."

"I would like to get to know you better," Joseph said walking up to her.

Uh oh. Joseph's flirty mode was switched on again. Natalie looked over at Marshall pleading him to distract Joseph.

"Nat, are you a dragon?" Joseph asked, a serious look etched upon his face.

"I am sorry what?" she asked, looking at him pointedly.

"Are you a dragon? Coz I would like to keep you."

It was the worst pick up line she had ever heard in her entire life. She badly needed a cauldron to puke into.

"May be I am a Dragon. Coz I would like to roast you," she said, hoping that he would get the hint. But he was of full of himself that he thought she was playing along.

"Roast, grill, I am open to anything " he smirked. Natalie felt like she would throw up. But she stifled the urge and looked over at Marshall, mentally begging him to save her from the disaster standing before her with a smug face.

"Okay Joseph, enough with the small talk." Marshall intervened, "We have to be in the forest in the wee hours of the morning. Nighty night, then," and walked over to his own bed.

Natalie followed him without daring to make eye contact with Joseph. She didn't want things to get awkward.

"Thanks," she muttered as soon as they were out of Joseph's earshot.

"Anything for you, bud."

"You too Marshmallow? It's contagious, isn't it? Bud? Really? You guys make me feel  like a delicate flower."

"Yes. Bud. Get used to it. And I know you secretly like it."

It was true. She argued with the boys for calling her bud, which they claimed was a short form for buddy. But deep down, she liked it. But she would never let them know that.

"Are you in for thumb wrestling?" he asked gracelessly sitting on his bed. "Sure," she exclaimed, joining him. "I am taking you down, Marshmallow!" she declared, hooking her fingers with his. "You are going down buddy. You are going down."

"Enough with the trash talk. Start playing" he said, rolling his eyes.

Natalie was a very competitive player. Almost every time they played, Marshall lost to her because she was awesome at whatever she did, and he was so proud of her for that.

"I won!" she shouted as soon as she succeeded in pinning down his thumb.

"Second round!" he declared, clasping their dominant hands once again. Finally Marshall, for the first time in history, managed to pin her thumb down. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" he cried banging his fists together, "253 - 1!"

"Oh come on! It was one time. And I was distracted." She rolled her eyes.

"Don't be a sore loser now, " he teased.

"I am not a sore loser!"

"You so are"

"Take that back Marshmallow, and I won't tell anyone that you "accidentally" tasted the dragon pee."

"How dare you! I trusted you with that secret! In my defense, I thought it was water and I was thirsty. Who knew they would store refined dragon urine in bottles identical to our water bottles? And for the record, Dragon piss has medicinal values."

"Whatever Marshmallow. It was gross," She made a puking expression. "You wouldn't want others to know that now, would you?"

"You wouldn't dare!" He warned her

"I am very daring," she wiggled her eyebrows.

"I will smother you with my pillow"

"No you wouldn't," she said in a sing song voice.

"Okay maybe I wouldn't," he admitted.

"You love me so much, Marshmallow," she said pinching his cheeks.

"Ow. Don't do that!" he swatted her hands away. She ruffled his hair and climbed up her bed.

Marshall smiled to himself thinking about how right she was. She was too precious for him. He didn't have any siblings to care for and fight with. And with Nat, he could do all those things. He shared a special connection with her.

"Good night, Marshmallow," he heard her feeble sound from a distance, when he was pulling the duvet over him.

"Good night, Nat, " he whispered before dozing off.