Chapter One
My seventeen years of life may appear to have been normal. Oh sure, I live in a large house and go to public school. I brush my teeth every night. I get A's and B's in school. I was invited to the prom by a senior and named prom queen. I am even kind of pretty. To most outsiders, the life of Lia Russell is one every girl would die for. But this is not true. Nobody knows how untruthful it really is but my own family. For, you see, I am a naga. That is Sanskrit for "serpent". In Mexico, I am called "nagal." A real live serpent shape shifter. Once a week, usually at night on the weekend, I have to turn into a half snake. In fact, I change into a dark green, very poisonous snake. That is why my eyes are emerald green. That also explains the fact that they have transparent protector scales over them, like those of a snake, and why I am cold blooded. I may look like a human, with dark brown layered hair, dark, inhumanly green eyes, full red lips, height of 5 feet 6 inches and a deep Californian tan. But I am not a human and never will be. I am not even a regular naga. Oh no, I couldn't be even a tad normal. I am a royal naga, part of the Nagai, who all have snake skin the color of mine. But strangely, they are not venomous. Yes, I am a naga princess. My mother is dead, so if my dad does not soon find a mate, I will be the ruler of all naga worldwide. There may not be very many left, but this thought seriously scares me. Even my name is not normal. My full title is Princess Reptilia Draco Russell Nagai the second. I go by Lia Russell so that no humans will discover the truth. If they did, the truth would be out. If the human did not kill me (which is kind of hard, due to the strength I have as a superhuman monster), my people surely will. "Lia, come down stairs. The bus will be here any second," calls my dad, Dave Russell, short for King Davida Russell Nagai the first. "I'm almost ready!" I yell back. I am just finishing tucking my dark green shirt into my long denim skirt. Green looks good on me, since it matches my eyes. I then put on a pair of huge silver hoop earrings and voila - I'm done! I don't put on make up since I don't need it. I'm not bragging. Quickly, I run down stairs and kiss my dad on the cheek. "Have you changed yet today?" he whispers. "No, dad. I'll change when I get home," I reply, slightly annoyed. Could he be anymore obvious? Well, I guess I'm over reacting, because I only live with my dad and my 12-year-old brother, Chris, short for Christopher Russell Nagai. Why does he get a normal name? "Be careful and make sure you change deep in the swamp." Whenever naga change, places around water are always the best. "Last time you changed you were almost seen. That was too close for comfort." I silently agree. A renegade salesman had walked right past me last time. Fortunately, he's not known for his good eyesight. "Sure dad, bye!" I yell, running for the bus. "I've got an assembly with the Society tonight. I'll be home late. Bye!" he shouted after me. Dad was always having meetings with the Society, better known as the Society of Otherworld Creatures or SOC. It may only have around 2,000 members world wide but boy are they interesting. As well as naga, other members included, and I'm not joking: mermen and mermaids, centaurs, gnomes, elves, werewolves, and many more just as interesting. There is even one vampire. I don't even want to know how some of the other members survive. As well as being the king of the naga, Dad is King of the other Shape shifters (including werewolves) and chair member of the society. And yes, I am the heir to this responsibility. Why isn't my brother? In the naga community, the women are in charge, and all members of the SOC respect this rule. They have pledged not to interfere with the naga royal problems. No help for me. If my dad marries, his wife will be ruler of the naga. Oh, and another thing, I am the only female naga in existence! Lucky me, as usual. As soon as I get to school, I am greeted by all of the school's finest. I am one of the most popular girls in school, which makes it really hard to keep my secret. "Yo, Lia! How's it hangin'?" That's Ray, an annoying yet sweet and popular junior with me at Unity West High School. "Looking good," shots Anthony and he whistles too. He's had a noticeable crush on me for a while. Several other people hoot at his outburst and he blushes. "Save some for me!" yells Thomas. I just smile, oblivious to it all. I haven't had any OJ this morning and that' what really wakes me up completely. "Hey, Girlfriend!" shouts Loretta, and we do a smack down. It's what we call our secret handshake. "Lia, did you hear the scoop on Jake?" says Candy. Two minutes into school, and they're all ready feeding me gossip. "Hey guys, let her breathe," suggests Rachel, my best friend, as she hands me some orange juice that she smuggles from her house every morning. My dad doesn't let anything citrus in the house. It reminds him too much of mom. "Give her air space." "Okay, so what were you saying about Jake?" I ask. I have an incredibly large sense of curiosity. "You deserve extra points for recovering so quickly," states Rachel. Every one in the group is always giving each other extra points. It's a sort of game with us. All the losers do it to, to try and be popular. But they always say stuff like 'Your significantly rewarding performance merits an equal reward.' Who talks like that? Maybe that's why they're losers. Who knows? "You didn't here?" says like five of our group members at the same time. "I wouldn't be asking you if I had heard," I say. I am starting to become annoyed, and my voice is showing it. No one wants to get on my bad side, since I am queen of the school, and have been since my freshman year.
"Spill it Candy!" Ray says. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but he was found outside the rink last night." she stops. The skating rink is the High School hang out. Rachel and I made it the place to be. "All of it," says somebody. I nod gratefully. "Dead. The police reports say that his neck was split in half. Really messy. Like it was bitten in two." Candy's dad is the city's police chief. She knows everything before everyone else. "Oh, and there was a deep, large cut on his forehead. In the shape of a spiral." All of a sudden, I'm sick. I spit my orange juice out all over my shirt.
Chapter Two
It's not just that Jake, my boyfriend, and ticket to the prom is dead. It's that I know who did it. It was Rafael. Rafael is (I wish I could say was) a rogue naga, who is not a member of the Society. Six months ago, he was imprisoned for killing another naga. My mother. He tortured her until her death, when he bit her head in do with his fangs. Every layer of the mark on each victim's neck stands for a type of torture. As the circle expanded, the torture grew worse, until my mother screamed out in pain. Rafael injected more and more venom into her until she collapsed. Obviously, he escaped. "I am so sorry," says Candy. "I thought you knew." "Don't worry. It'll be okay," murmurs Anthony into my long hair. "I know you really liked him." That's when I realize. I can't show anything. Otherwise, I'll show everything and my secret will be out. "Actually, we broke up last month," I lie, playing at indifferent. "I was just startled." Anthony pulls away, hurt. "You didn't tell me." He was always very jealous of Jake. No one, not even Thomas even flirted with me. It was understood that Anthony was second in line. "Should I have?" As soon as it comes out, I know it is a mistake. I don't want to hurt Anthony. It just bothers me that he is so protective of me. But I've gone too far. I have to act it all out. "I've never been you're property. I've never even been you're girl friend. All the guys are so afraid that you'll hurt them that they won't even assssk me out." I hiss at him. When I'm angry, I start to shift form. My tongue was starting to fork. I needed to calm down. "Sorry, I didn't know that my affections bothered you so much. You know I care for you." There's a look of hurt in his eyes that I know I caused. "Yeah, well, now you know." I can't apologize now. It's too late. He storms off, tears in his eyes. I've made the captain of the football team, the most popular guy in school, cry. Great. "Look what I did to my shirt." I mutter, trying to pretend to care about fashion. That's what any human girl would do, right? "That's okay. Look," declares Rachel. She garbs the orange juice bottle from my hand and spills some on her own blouse. She then passes it on. All the girls in the group spill some on their shirt. I smile. I really do care about my friends, even if they are human. In the naga world, it is considered weak to love a human. But my father loved my mother, a human. The rest of the day is spoiled for me. I try to talk to Anthony, get him to understand. But he refuses to talk to me. Interestingly enough, all the guys in school must know that Anthony won't beat them up for talking to me anymore, because most of them have flirted with me today. I am starting to wish that I hadn't been so rude to Anthony. Also amusing is that all of the girls in the school wind up with bright orange splotches on their shirts by the end of the day. Some of them are painted on, but it's nice to know that I am liked, even by people that I don't know. Now how am I going to break the news of Rafael to my dad?
* * * *
At home, there's a note on the door. 'Remember to do the laundry.' It's code from my dad to transform. Every time I change, I rip my clothes or dirty them or something. I lay my back pack down on the table and change into my oldest and grossest clothes. When I've just finished changing, Chris gets home. "I'll be out doing the laundry," I declare sarcastically and roll my eyes. Chris snorts, muffling a laugh, and nods. "Fine with me." I slowly walk outside as I am tying my hair back from my face. Sometimes I wish it were shorter. Every time I mention this to my friends, they argue about how pretty and shiny it is, especially Anthony. Anthony. I won't even think about him. I haven't lost a friend or anything. I'll make him understand. Good thing I'm so stubborn. I reach the end of the swamp, but not the end of our property, and peer around. No one is there. Good. I let my mind relax and think about changing. That's all it takes. My muscles contract as my spinal chord slowly and quietly elongates. It's not painful at all, but I'm used to it. To Chris, it's still painful. He can't even fully become a snake yet. All that changes is his lower body. He can only shift into half form, which is my favorite position. The best of both worlds. The skin on my legs ripples and caves, as if tiny pressure points are being pricked, one after another, making my body shiver all over. I start to shake. Not violently, not yet. The skin turns slightly green, a brilliant lime color. Then it darkens, gently, shade by shade turning into a deep, emerald green. The bones in my feet and toes attach to my elongated spinal chord and I suddenly have no feet, just a tail. My skin hardens on the lower half of my body, and it creases and shifts, turning into scaly mass. I always think that if I looked up close I would be able to see the scales connecting like a giant green puzzle. But there is no time to look. I am only half changed, as only a royal naga can be. Regular naga can either be human or snake, not in between for longer than a few minutes. Then they must change into a full figure. Since I am royal, I have the privilege of being able to stay half way for longer. I could stay like this permanently. No. I must not think. I must do. My body is not satisfied half way. I have not learned to control the urges yet. Teenage naga are usually able to control themselves, but my body is urging me on, continuing the process with out my mental help. I hear a noise. Slowly, I turn around, only half formed. "Ah, Princess Reptilia, I am surprised to have you turn around. I've only been watching you the entire time." Rafael. The piercing blue eyes stare into mine and I shudder. This naga really is a monster. "What. are . you .. Doing .. Here?" I nearly bark out, filled to the brim with anger. "Patience Lia," he says, rudely neglecting my title. "The royal bratsss alwayss have been impatient." "Why-?" I yell .I have waited so long for revenge, as has my entire family, and this coward comes in the very middle of my transportation, right when I am at my weakest. "I have only come to warn you. I will finish all of the Nagai's off. But if you keep your human" he spit out that word "friend's from meddling in my business, I will not make your coil as long as your mother's." Suddenly, all the memories came back n a blinding wave of pain, clouding Lia's mind. Lia's Mom screaming in absolute pain. Rafael drawing the coil out slowly and deliberately. Rafael chopping Lia's head in two with his glistening fangs. "And maybe I won't make your family watch again." With that last thought, he slithers away, leaving me to bear the pain of the memories. I fall to the ground, crying, my body still transforming. My teeth have gotten longer. My tongue is beginning to fork. My hair is retracting and yet I do not notice. Finally, I am a snake, my clothes lying torn and empty on the ground. I may be a 5 foot 6 inch tall snake that is 6 inches thick, but I am a snake. I stop sobbing. Snakes do not cry. I realize then that I have not eaten lunch. I must feed. My body is throbbing with hunger. I can feel nothing. No leaves as I slither away, preying on mice, through the swamp. I do not feel the mud sliding away as I slide through it, on the hunt. All I feel is the pain inflicted on me when my mother screamed, a scream of pure agony, and my pain and helplessness as I watched her die. Finally, I am full, and not angry or hurt. Only content. And as I revert to human form and put on my filthy, torn clothes, I know. I must kill Rafael. I will kill Rafael.
Chapter Three
"Hey, you're home," I said to Dad as I came out of my room, finished changing. He came home earlier than I expected today and I wasn't eager to tell him the bad news. If I had felt such pain, what would he feel at the memories? "Yeah, the Society meeting was cut short today," He replied. "I brought someone home today." I looked around the corner and saw Marcus, one of the only other naga and teenage members of the society, who Dad is forever trying to hook me up with. Marcus looked me up and down and smiled. That was the thing with Marcus. He was such a huge flirt. I didn't even know if he liked me for me or because of the power he'd get with me, so I usually stay away from the other naga males, okay, so, all the naga. "Hi Marcus," I said. I would at least try to be polite. "Hey Tilly," he said, calling me by the naga's nick name for me. "You look .. Nice." "I know," I said, smirking. Marcus is so sexist. "I agree," said Kevin, coming out from behind Dad. Kevin is the exact opposite of Marcus. He is short, skinny, not well muscled, and very spunky. He's also my friend. Have I mentioned that he's totally different from Marcus? Marcus shoved him away. "What's the matter? Afraid of competition?" quipped Kevin. "You? Competition?" asked Marcus. "Yeah. Right." "Ooh, I think he's scared," yelled Kevin, shoving him with all his might, which was far. "Boys, boys," I said, acting the part of mother." I really am not worth it." "Look in the mirror," quipped Marcus, surrendering. He always has to have the last laugh.
My seventeen years of life may appear to have been normal. Oh sure, I live in a large house and go to public school. I brush my teeth every night. I get A's and B's in school. I was invited to the prom by a senior and named prom queen. I am even kind of pretty. To most outsiders, the life of Lia Russell is one every girl would die for. But this is not true. Nobody knows how untruthful it really is but my own family. For, you see, I am a naga. That is Sanskrit for "serpent". In Mexico, I am called "nagal." A real live serpent shape shifter. Once a week, usually at night on the weekend, I have to turn into a half snake. In fact, I change into a dark green, very poisonous snake. That is why my eyes are emerald green. That also explains the fact that they have transparent protector scales over them, like those of a snake, and why I am cold blooded. I may look like a human, with dark brown layered hair, dark, inhumanly green eyes, full red lips, height of 5 feet 6 inches and a deep Californian tan. But I am not a human and never will be. I am not even a regular naga. Oh no, I couldn't be even a tad normal. I am a royal naga, part of the Nagai, who all have snake skin the color of mine. But strangely, they are not venomous. Yes, I am a naga princess. My mother is dead, so if my dad does not soon find a mate, I will be the ruler of all naga worldwide. There may not be very many left, but this thought seriously scares me. Even my name is not normal. My full title is Princess Reptilia Draco Russell Nagai the second. I go by Lia Russell so that no humans will discover the truth. If they did, the truth would be out. If the human did not kill me (which is kind of hard, due to the strength I have as a superhuman monster), my people surely will. "Lia, come down stairs. The bus will be here any second," calls my dad, Dave Russell, short for King Davida Russell Nagai the first. "I'm almost ready!" I yell back. I am just finishing tucking my dark green shirt into my long denim skirt. Green looks good on me, since it matches my eyes. I then put on a pair of huge silver hoop earrings and voila - I'm done! I don't put on make up since I don't need it. I'm not bragging. Quickly, I run down stairs and kiss my dad on the cheek. "Have you changed yet today?" he whispers. "No, dad. I'll change when I get home," I reply, slightly annoyed. Could he be anymore obvious? Well, I guess I'm over reacting, because I only live with my dad and my 12-year-old brother, Chris, short for Christopher Russell Nagai. Why does he get a normal name? "Be careful and make sure you change deep in the swamp." Whenever naga change, places around water are always the best. "Last time you changed you were almost seen. That was too close for comfort." I silently agree. A renegade salesman had walked right past me last time. Fortunately, he's not known for his good eyesight. "Sure dad, bye!" I yell, running for the bus. "I've got an assembly with the Society tonight. I'll be home late. Bye!" he shouted after me. Dad was always having meetings with the Society, better known as the Society of Otherworld Creatures or SOC. It may only have around 2,000 members world wide but boy are they interesting. As well as naga, other members included, and I'm not joking: mermen and mermaids, centaurs, gnomes, elves, werewolves, and many more just as interesting. There is even one vampire. I don't even want to know how some of the other members survive. As well as being the king of the naga, Dad is King of the other Shape shifters (including werewolves) and chair member of the society. And yes, I am the heir to this responsibility. Why isn't my brother? In the naga community, the women are in charge, and all members of the SOC respect this rule. They have pledged not to interfere with the naga royal problems. No help for me. If my dad marries, his wife will be ruler of the naga. Oh, and another thing, I am the only female naga in existence! Lucky me, as usual. As soon as I get to school, I am greeted by all of the school's finest. I am one of the most popular girls in school, which makes it really hard to keep my secret. "Yo, Lia! How's it hangin'?" That's Ray, an annoying yet sweet and popular junior with me at Unity West High School. "Looking good," shots Anthony and he whistles too. He's had a noticeable crush on me for a while. Several other people hoot at his outburst and he blushes. "Save some for me!" yells Thomas. I just smile, oblivious to it all. I haven't had any OJ this morning and that' what really wakes me up completely. "Hey, Girlfriend!" shouts Loretta, and we do a smack down. It's what we call our secret handshake. "Lia, did you hear the scoop on Jake?" says Candy. Two minutes into school, and they're all ready feeding me gossip. "Hey guys, let her breathe," suggests Rachel, my best friend, as she hands me some orange juice that she smuggles from her house every morning. My dad doesn't let anything citrus in the house. It reminds him too much of mom. "Give her air space." "Okay, so what were you saying about Jake?" I ask. I have an incredibly large sense of curiosity. "You deserve extra points for recovering so quickly," states Rachel. Every one in the group is always giving each other extra points. It's a sort of game with us. All the losers do it to, to try and be popular. But they always say stuff like 'Your significantly rewarding performance merits an equal reward.' Who talks like that? Maybe that's why they're losers. Who knows? "You didn't here?" says like five of our group members at the same time. "I wouldn't be asking you if I had heard," I say. I am starting to become annoyed, and my voice is showing it. No one wants to get on my bad side, since I am queen of the school, and have been since my freshman year.
"Spill it Candy!" Ray says. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but he was found outside the rink last night." she stops. The skating rink is the High School hang out. Rachel and I made it the place to be. "All of it," says somebody. I nod gratefully. "Dead. The police reports say that his neck was split in half. Really messy. Like it was bitten in two." Candy's dad is the city's police chief. She knows everything before everyone else. "Oh, and there was a deep, large cut on his forehead. In the shape of a spiral." All of a sudden, I'm sick. I spit my orange juice out all over my shirt.
Chapter Two
It's not just that Jake, my boyfriend, and ticket to the prom is dead. It's that I know who did it. It was Rafael. Rafael is (I wish I could say was) a rogue naga, who is not a member of the Society. Six months ago, he was imprisoned for killing another naga. My mother. He tortured her until her death, when he bit her head in do with his fangs. Every layer of the mark on each victim's neck stands for a type of torture. As the circle expanded, the torture grew worse, until my mother screamed out in pain. Rafael injected more and more venom into her until she collapsed. Obviously, he escaped. "I am so sorry," says Candy. "I thought you knew." "Don't worry. It'll be okay," murmurs Anthony into my long hair. "I know you really liked him." That's when I realize. I can't show anything. Otherwise, I'll show everything and my secret will be out. "Actually, we broke up last month," I lie, playing at indifferent. "I was just startled." Anthony pulls away, hurt. "You didn't tell me." He was always very jealous of Jake. No one, not even Thomas even flirted with me. It was understood that Anthony was second in line. "Should I have?" As soon as it comes out, I know it is a mistake. I don't want to hurt Anthony. It just bothers me that he is so protective of me. But I've gone too far. I have to act it all out. "I've never been you're property. I've never even been you're girl friend. All the guys are so afraid that you'll hurt them that they won't even assssk me out." I hiss at him. When I'm angry, I start to shift form. My tongue was starting to fork. I needed to calm down. "Sorry, I didn't know that my affections bothered you so much. You know I care for you." There's a look of hurt in his eyes that I know I caused. "Yeah, well, now you know." I can't apologize now. It's too late. He storms off, tears in his eyes. I've made the captain of the football team, the most popular guy in school, cry. Great. "Look what I did to my shirt." I mutter, trying to pretend to care about fashion. That's what any human girl would do, right? "That's okay. Look," declares Rachel. She garbs the orange juice bottle from my hand and spills some on her own blouse. She then passes it on. All the girls in the group spill some on their shirt. I smile. I really do care about my friends, even if they are human. In the naga world, it is considered weak to love a human. But my father loved my mother, a human. The rest of the day is spoiled for me. I try to talk to Anthony, get him to understand. But he refuses to talk to me. Interestingly enough, all the guys in school must know that Anthony won't beat them up for talking to me anymore, because most of them have flirted with me today. I am starting to wish that I hadn't been so rude to Anthony. Also amusing is that all of the girls in the school wind up with bright orange splotches on their shirts by the end of the day. Some of them are painted on, but it's nice to know that I am liked, even by people that I don't know. Now how am I going to break the news of Rafael to my dad?
* * * *
At home, there's a note on the door. 'Remember to do the laundry.' It's code from my dad to transform. Every time I change, I rip my clothes or dirty them or something. I lay my back pack down on the table and change into my oldest and grossest clothes. When I've just finished changing, Chris gets home. "I'll be out doing the laundry," I declare sarcastically and roll my eyes. Chris snorts, muffling a laugh, and nods. "Fine with me." I slowly walk outside as I am tying my hair back from my face. Sometimes I wish it were shorter. Every time I mention this to my friends, they argue about how pretty and shiny it is, especially Anthony. Anthony. I won't even think about him. I haven't lost a friend or anything. I'll make him understand. Good thing I'm so stubborn. I reach the end of the swamp, but not the end of our property, and peer around. No one is there. Good. I let my mind relax and think about changing. That's all it takes. My muscles contract as my spinal chord slowly and quietly elongates. It's not painful at all, but I'm used to it. To Chris, it's still painful. He can't even fully become a snake yet. All that changes is his lower body. He can only shift into half form, which is my favorite position. The best of both worlds. The skin on my legs ripples and caves, as if tiny pressure points are being pricked, one after another, making my body shiver all over. I start to shake. Not violently, not yet. The skin turns slightly green, a brilliant lime color. Then it darkens, gently, shade by shade turning into a deep, emerald green. The bones in my feet and toes attach to my elongated spinal chord and I suddenly have no feet, just a tail. My skin hardens on the lower half of my body, and it creases and shifts, turning into scaly mass. I always think that if I looked up close I would be able to see the scales connecting like a giant green puzzle. But there is no time to look. I am only half changed, as only a royal naga can be. Regular naga can either be human or snake, not in between for longer than a few minutes. Then they must change into a full figure. Since I am royal, I have the privilege of being able to stay half way for longer. I could stay like this permanently. No. I must not think. I must do. My body is not satisfied half way. I have not learned to control the urges yet. Teenage naga are usually able to control themselves, but my body is urging me on, continuing the process with out my mental help. I hear a noise. Slowly, I turn around, only half formed. "Ah, Princess Reptilia, I am surprised to have you turn around. I've only been watching you the entire time." Rafael. The piercing blue eyes stare into mine and I shudder. This naga really is a monster. "What. are . you .. Doing .. Here?" I nearly bark out, filled to the brim with anger. "Patience Lia," he says, rudely neglecting my title. "The royal bratsss alwayss have been impatient." "Why-?" I yell .I have waited so long for revenge, as has my entire family, and this coward comes in the very middle of my transportation, right when I am at my weakest. "I have only come to warn you. I will finish all of the Nagai's off. But if you keep your human" he spit out that word "friend's from meddling in my business, I will not make your coil as long as your mother's." Suddenly, all the memories came back n a blinding wave of pain, clouding Lia's mind. Lia's Mom screaming in absolute pain. Rafael drawing the coil out slowly and deliberately. Rafael chopping Lia's head in two with his glistening fangs. "And maybe I won't make your family watch again." With that last thought, he slithers away, leaving me to bear the pain of the memories. I fall to the ground, crying, my body still transforming. My teeth have gotten longer. My tongue is beginning to fork. My hair is retracting and yet I do not notice. Finally, I am a snake, my clothes lying torn and empty on the ground. I may be a 5 foot 6 inch tall snake that is 6 inches thick, but I am a snake. I stop sobbing. Snakes do not cry. I realize then that I have not eaten lunch. I must feed. My body is throbbing with hunger. I can feel nothing. No leaves as I slither away, preying on mice, through the swamp. I do not feel the mud sliding away as I slide through it, on the hunt. All I feel is the pain inflicted on me when my mother screamed, a scream of pure agony, and my pain and helplessness as I watched her die. Finally, I am full, and not angry or hurt. Only content. And as I revert to human form and put on my filthy, torn clothes, I know. I must kill Rafael. I will kill Rafael.
Chapter Three
"Hey, you're home," I said to Dad as I came out of my room, finished changing. He came home earlier than I expected today and I wasn't eager to tell him the bad news. If I had felt such pain, what would he feel at the memories? "Yeah, the Society meeting was cut short today," He replied. "I brought someone home today." I looked around the corner and saw Marcus, one of the only other naga and teenage members of the society, who Dad is forever trying to hook me up with. Marcus looked me up and down and smiled. That was the thing with Marcus. He was such a huge flirt. I didn't even know if he liked me for me or because of the power he'd get with me, so I usually stay away from the other naga males, okay, so, all the naga. "Hi Marcus," I said. I would at least try to be polite. "Hey Tilly," he said, calling me by the naga's nick name for me. "You look .. Nice." "I know," I said, smirking. Marcus is so sexist. "I agree," said Kevin, coming out from behind Dad. Kevin is the exact opposite of Marcus. He is short, skinny, not well muscled, and very spunky. He's also my friend. Have I mentioned that he's totally different from Marcus? Marcus shoved him away. "What's the matter? Afraid of competition?" quipped Kevin. "You? Competition?" asked Marcus. "Yeah. Right." "Ooh, I think he's scared," yelled Kevin, shoving him with all his might, which was far. "Boys, boys," I said, acting the part of mother." I really am not worth it." "Look in the mirror," quipped Marcus, surrendering. He always has to have the last laugh.