Chapter 3
Rose cringed as the harsh voice of the huntsman echoed through the mansion.
"Huntsgirl!" Rose sighed, she didn't want to do this now.
She turned and bowed. "Yes Huntsmaster?" She said with fake enthusiasm
The Huntsmaster narrowed his eyes as he saw beyond the fake enthusiasm and his composure relaxed as he continued in a softened tone. "What's wrong?"
Rose took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Nothing, I am just tired." Rose said as she tried to get past the huntsman.
"Not so fast." He stopped her motion. "Don't fool me, something happened. Is it that ski trip? Since you came back. You're not your usual self."
"That stupid American dragon. He messes up my entire life." Rose hissed. "Jake wanted to tell me something and because of that stupid dragon. I had to neglect him."
"Jake?" The Huntsmaster asked confused.
Rose flushed red as she recalled what she just said. "Just a boy from my class." She hurriedly said before slipping past the Huntsmaster to get to her room.
"Remember Huntsgirl, don't let a relationship cloud your mind for your true purpose!" He shouted after her. "Cleaning the world of magical creatures!"
Rose slid down the door and sighed. "That was close." She said to herself. "Time for some research." She got up and walked to her closet, where she picked up a few books till she found the year book of her school. She smiled at the picture on her drawer, which showed her and Jake at the school dance a few months ago. She opened the yearbook and pulled out the pages that had pictures on them. Using pins to hang them on a board on one of the walls in the room she stared at them intently. Taking a marker out of her school bag she circled two people.
"They were with the American dragon as I almost slayed him." She whispered. "So it's possible they know my identity too. Still they might be magical themselves, that boy could be I dunno a wizard and the girl a siren, considered her temper and the 'I'm way better than you are' attitude."
"But who could be the American dragon?" Rose started to circle some boys most of them were boys she talked with sometimes or who simply shared a period with her. After some circling she came by an empty square with Jacob Luke Long written under it. She giggled, as she moved on to the next one. "Luke I am your father." She said with her best impression of Darth Vader. "I really have to use that as an opening line next time." She frowned. "If he wants to talk to me,"
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Huntsgirl! Lights out." The huntsman growled before walking further down the hallway.
Rose 'broke' the neck of a doll shaped as a magical creature and the board disappeared into the wall.
"Tomorrow I am first going to talk with Jake and after that with the other two." She said as she slipped into her Pajamas .
XXX
Jake groaned as the alarm clock shrieked through his room. He transformed his hand into a claw and smashed it. "Stupid alarm clock." He mumbled as he got up, his eyes went wide as he dashed for the door grabbing his towel and clothes in the process. "Bathroom!" He shouted.
As he opened his door, Haley was leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. "Better luck next time, Jake." She said, sticking her tongue out towards Jake. Before slamming the door shut.
"Not again!" Jake whined. Defeated he walked downstairs as his mom was making breakfast and his dad was reading the paper.
"Good morning lawbreaker." His father said not looking away from his paper, obviously still mad about yesterday.
"Jonathon," Susan said with a stern look. "Jake, you want your eggs scrambled?"
Jake sat down his mood now absolutely ruined. "Serve them like they do it in prison."
"So you're not going to eat any eggs this morning." His father snickered.
"Both of you show behavior that fits your age." Susan snapped. As she moved to Jake and dropped the scrambled eggs on his plate. "Here," She mumbled before returning to the stove.
"I'm off to work, and you." He said looking over his glasses, pointing at Jake. "Remember what I said, after school. Home, chores and room… nothing else."
"Sure thing." Jake replied uninterested.
"Bye, honey." Jonathon said kissing his wife on the cheek before leaving the house.
After a while Haley came down the stairs her hair neatly done in two pigtails her clothes straight as ever and her goody two shoes smile already on her face.
"Finally," Jake muttered getting up. "You're like 2 feet tall, why in heavens name does it take so long to get ready."
Haley looked at him baffled. "Do you know, how much work goes into cuteness as this." She said pointing at her face.
Jake smiled tauntingly. "I don't know, but seems like a waste of time to me. I've seen ogres who look cuter. Making his wings appear he hovered over her ruffling her hair before disappearing into the bathroom.
Haley took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "just wait, Jake just wait." She said as she tried to calm down. after a while Jake was busy adding the last touches to his hair as he heard a knock downstairs.
"Haley, can you get it!" He heard his mother shout. Not spending any more time on the matter he continued with his hair.
Haley was watching her favorite cartoon as her mother shouted. She groaned and ignored it as she kept watching her cartoon.
"Haley!" Susan shouted again.
"Yeah, yeah." Haley said annoyed. Running towards the door she quickly pulled it open. Expecting to see either Spud or Trixie to be behind it she turned and started to walk back towards the TV.
"Uhm, is Jake at home." An unfamiliar but gentle voice asked. Making Haley spin on her heel.
Before her stood a tall girl, angelic face and slightly curled blond hair reaching just a little further than her shoulders. Giving the girl a confused look, Haley asked. "Who are you?"
The girl blinked several times before smiling. "I'm Rose a friend of Jake."
Haley shook her head. "I didn't know he could afford friends looking like you, well not from his allowance."
Rose frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You can't be hanging out with him out of free will." Haley said placing a hand on her hip. " Is he threatening that he would slay you if you don't hang out with him."
Rose giggled lightly. "No, he doesn't pay me and no he hasn't threatened me. I hang out with him totally out of free will."
Haley shook her head. "You're going to regret that big time."
Rose ignored that last line as she smiled. "So… is Jake still home?"
Haley nodded. "I call him… Jake someone's here for you a girl!"
"I'm coming! What do you mean by girl. You've seen Trixie before, she practically lives here remem…" Jake stopped as he saw who it really was.
"Surprise," Rose sheepishly laughed.
"Hey," Jake replied barely audible.
Haley looked from Jake to Rose and back. "What is going on here." She suspiciously asked.
"Go away, Haley." Jake said as he started to push her towards the living room.
"No.. I demand an explanation, who is that girl." Haley protested.
"Don't you have a show to watch?" Jake asked.
Haley's eyes widened as she dashed into the living room. Jake sighed in relief as he turned towards Rose. "Come on lets go."He said as he walked passed her, she grabbed his hand and followed him.
Once again he felt the warmth he felt the night she saved him return to his whole body. As the door was closed and they were out of the street Rose spoke up.
"Talk to me, Jake. Please." She said looking him into the eyes and still not letting go off his hand. "Please."
End of chapter.
A little late night present (well it's almost midnight here so. it must be morning/afternoon for most of ya.)
So you liked the chapter? Please any suggestion etc. please share them with me. Like the part which displays Rose trying to figure out who the amdrag is. Comes from Rik anyhow, anyone else wants to be noted in the A/n. throw in your two cents ;)
Onej6
