CHAPTER 4

A light gentle breeze moves calmly across the entire school grounds. The boy follows me to a bench that sits off a little hill. We sit down next to each other on the cold metal bench, good thing I'm not wearing something shorter, I lean my head back slowly, feeling the light breeze against my face and the sun shining for just a split moment even made me forget where I was for a second.

"That was a good arm you got there. Have you ever played before?" I asked as I placed my bag between me and the boy.

" I played when I was a little kid, I guess I still got it." the boy replied as he stretched his right shoulder back as if it seems a bit stiff from before.

" thank you for technically saving me from the ball back there but I kind of had it back there. Anyway, I never did catch your name" I smiled as I crossed over my legs.

"Well you never asked for my name but It can be whatever you want it to be." he winked "Just kidding, it's Jason… Jason Jackson. Most of my friends call me JJ." Jason said as he kindly shakes my hand.

"once again. I would like to say Thank you for your help, Jason. I appreciate it."

"Sure no problem. You should never give people like that satisfaction. It clearly shows that you both are better than him."

"Oh yeah I know that's why I pulled away" I quickly butted in.

"To be fair people like him always get what they deserve" I nodded at Jason's words. This guy could be the one friend that Ben needs right now. Especially when I'm not around if he needs help. Maybe some start of a bromance may go on. I thought to myself. It has been difficult to try and subdue Ben's anger problems notably when Michael around. If I wasn't there it could go horribly wrong and the family will be exposed to who we really are. I can't imagine what would happen. Nathan would lose his mind if he found out that Ben even used the slightest amount of power. I can't always be the one to protect us.

"Nice tattoo you got there. So where are you originally from?" I asked as I stared at his tattoo. His tattoo looks more like a black wolf with it semi-big eyes, tall sharp teeth but its tail and other parts of its body are so different from any ordinary normal wolf. The parts seem to show other unfamiliar beings.

"I'm actually originally from here. I went to a school not far from the edge of town and then I went away for a few years or so. But now I'm back." he expelled his head down as he finished his sentence.

"Oh really? So that's why I have never seen you around here before?" I quickly replied. "So where did you go if you don't mind me asking?" Damn iris what's with the 21 questions I need to slow it down a bit or he might think I'm weird or something

"Yeah pretty much, you could say I was away for family reasons and stuff," he said nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"So what brings you back…" I was about to talk when suddenly my phone starts ringing

RRRING! RRRING! RRRING!

"Ah shit, sorry" I reached into the front pocket of my bag and grabbed my phone, seeing Nathan's name flash up on the screen. Finally, I thought.

"Sorry I got to take this, it's my brother." I walked away leaving Jason on the bench on his own with my bag beside him.

"Sure, go ahead" he whispered. I briefly pressed the green button on my phone. Hearing a slight crackle through the speaker as I place it gently against my ear.

"Hey Iris, is everything okay? I got your voicemail. I'm so sorry that I missed your calls. What's going on?" Nathan quickly replied.

"Finally, Nathan. I was losing my mind here. I thought something happened to you, what took you so long? Look I can't say much about it, there aren't any private places to go at the moment" I calmly replied.

"I know and I'm sorry about that. The meetings took a little longer than expected. We can talk about it soon, I can come and get you in the next half hour or an hour? I'm just heading off… home" all of a sudden, a swift buzzing started forming from the phone like a swamp of bees were nearby.

" Nathan, where are you, exactly? I can't hear you very well, all I can hear is some weird buzzing sound on your end." the buzzing continues to get louder and longer throughout.

"I said… I just… heading off… home. I'm just entering the door...now. What the..hell?" Nathan said in a shocking high pitch buzzing voice. I quickly move the phone from my ear, trying to get rid of the awful sound that rings through my brain.

"Nathan, what's going on?" I worriedly shouted. Pulling the phone back next to my ear.

"iris , whatever you do… don't come...ho...ARGHH… Colloportttus.." the phone unaware goes silent.

"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The other person has cleared."

"Nathan!!" I shouted. Slowly remove my phone from my ear... "Oh god, no."

"Iris what's wrong?" Jason comes up to me, dragging me back to the bench. Holding onto my arm guiding me to sit down.

"Its… my brother. I… think he's in trouble" I stuttered, trying to spit out the words. I pull my phone back up and try to frantically redial Nathan's number again.

RRRING! RRRING! RRRING!

" The service you are trying to reach isn't available right now, please try again later." I smashed down the end call button and repeatedly called his number back up again.

RRRING! RRRING! RRRING!

"The service you are trying to reach isn't available right now, please try again later.'' I will try and try again. Hearing the same words over and over again.

"Fuck!" I screamed as I frustratedly threw the side of my fist onto the bench. Making the bench wobble like a piece of jelly.

"Still nothing? Maybe he just lost service or his phone died" Jason asked.

"I doubt it. I just heard him screaming down the phone" panicky isn't what impossibly feeling right now, shock and scared maybe. I can't lose another family member. Those words 'colloportus' I know those words, my book… my spellbook, maybe I saw it in there or somewhere. I hope he's okay, I need him to be okay. I think I may have one of my spellbooks in my locker; but I need to get rid of Jason, just for a while… That's it!

"Jason, look, I need you to do me a huge favour. I know we don't know each other well but I need to grab some bits from my locker. I was wondering if you could find and grab ben for me, tell him what's going on? Get him to me as soon as"

"Sure thing, iris. Shouldn't you call the police, if you're that worried? I'm sure they would go and check in on him." Jason answered. I stared at him for a while in confusion. Wait, he said my name, I never told him it. How the hell did he know. I quickly snapped out of it.

" Trust me, I rather check on him myself I don't need some called cops to do something that I simply can do myself." I snapped at him by mistake.

"Okay, I go and grab him. Where do you want us to meet you?"

"I'm sorry. Just meet me outside the front of the school" I calmly said to him.

" right okay. I'll see you in a bit." Jason said as he rushed off over into the school building. I swing around my bag over my shoulder and quickly run into the school corridor, running toward my hideous purple locker like a cheetah hunting its prey. My odd one-out a lock was all covered with band logo stickers that slowly and gradually falling apart in front of the locker door. I shake it open with no luck of its opening. I try to reopen it again by twisting the lock back and forward.

"No, fuck that ain't it… it's two, five, eight, six, two… god no" I slap the locker with the palm of my hand. I take a quick careful look around me to see if anyone is about. We are in luck. no one is nearby.

"Okay we alone, just breathe iris. Just breathe." I calmly place my hand over the lock, slowly and proudly I say 'recludam' immediately a very small bright light explodes from my palm, unlocking the lock, crashing onto the floor.

"Yes!" I thought " time to find out what the hell is going on here" . I swung open the locker door nearly taking it off the hinge. I reached my hand into the dark unknown and barely used locker. I pull out a smooth old leather grimoire. I brought it closer to my chest and closed my eyes. A flood of memories rushes me instantly and for a split second I get to see her again.