I giggle, there's no denying that had crossed my mind too. "For being nice to me."
"Aren't people usually?" He ruffles the kitten's head, receiving an extra loud purr for his efforts.
"They're not mean. Not like Ivy was. But they normally talk about me behind their hands. They think I don't know. Or maybe they do. I'm not sure. But other than Daphne and her brother, no one really talks to me."
"The pink haired girl?" he checks.
I nod. "Yes."
"Is it pink for a reason..."
A snort escapes me. "It's to make her look like less of a nerd. Her words, not mine."
"Does it work?"
"You tell me. What was your first impression of her?" Inwardly, I curse myself. Why am I shifting his focus to my best friend? Here's an attractive guy being nice to me and I'm not even trying to take advantage of it. Maybe people are right and I really am a bit clueless.
"That she has nothing on you." He reaches out, as if to move a stray strand of my hair away.
"Mr Peters?" a voice interrupts sternly.
I turn to tell the person to go away, only to stop in my tracks when I see the colour of the lanyard around his neck. Great. We've been caught by a staff member. Not that we're doing anything wrong, but it still complicates matters.
"Shouldn't you be in class, Caspian?" he asks, a little less stern this time.
"I was just helping Mo-Miss Black."
The new man nods. "I'll take it from here. You should get back to lessons."
Caspian grimaced, as if he wants to argue but not daring to. I can understand that. We might not be in school any more, but that doesn't mean teachers have lost their authority.
"I'll see you later, Mona," he says instead, getting to his feet. The long lingering
look he gives me fills my heart with warmth. But I don't let myself dwell on it too much. That's just a fast way to end up heartbroken and I'd like to avoid that if at all possible.
"Why don't you come to my office?" the other man says.
I get to my feet, at a complete loss for what else to do. I can't really tell him no, even if I want to.
"Follow me."
I swallow loudly. I don't like the idea of having to do what someone else says, but at the same time, I don't feel like I'm in a position not to. I don't even have proper access to my magic to protect myself.
The kitten squirms in my arms, seeming a little less at home with me than it had with Caspian. No, that he had. I can't forget he's a boy cat. My lack of magic is no doubt risking my place here as it is, I can't go getting into trouble too.
Chapter Four
"Tea?" the man asks. "Or would you prefer coffee?"
"Tea, please," I answer, in a slight daze. I'm not sure what's going on right now. All I know is that I'm sat in a teacher's office with a restless kitten on my knee and apparently we're making chit chat about tea. Today took a weird turn.
"Here you go." He puts a mug down on the table in front of me. "Would you like anything for him?" He nods towards the kitten.
"I-I don't know," I answer honestly. "I made him by accident about half an hour ago."
"Hmm, what to give to a magical kitten," he muses.
"Exactly." A small laugh escapes from me as the kitten ventures forwards, using my knee as a way to get to the table.