A Fiery Friendship [1x1]

Janine was almost done with her food when she was suddenly grabbed by a hand. She gasped when she was yanked back and spun around, nearly choking on her food as she faced the one who grabbed her. She widened her eyes and swallowed when she saw it to be Raphael, startled by how quick he was to reach her.

The whole action threw Janine off guard, therefore she wasn't ready for Raphael's sneaky influences. She suddenly felt as if she couldn't say no, with how charming he looked up close and his contact.

"Umm... I... Have to ask my mom first.... But..."

The suspicion was still there in her head, but Janine just couldn't override it anymore.

"I... Suppose I could come over.... J-just to help with your.... Um... Work...! Yeah... Just work," Janine stuttered as she felt herself growing more and more... What was the feeling? Embarrassed? No, there was barely anyone else around besides the cafeteria woman. Flustered seemed like a good word. Janine felt her cheeks growing warm; she just hoped that Raphael didn't see her face too well despite being so close to her.
 
Raphael smirked at Janine's reaction, the previous normal attitude disappearing and becoming more flirtatious again. "Great. I'll make sure it's worth your while." He seemed to realise that that didn't sound the best, and he shook his head. "Not like that. Not like that," he said quickly. He jumped as the second bell rang out. "Shit," he spat under his breath. "Wait for me at the school gates!" He said, and then rushed away to his next class.

Raphael and Janine weren't in any more classes together for the rest of the day, and neither were Janine or Ethan. At lunch, Raphael noted how Janine seemed to prefer eating alone and sat with who he was probably destined to sit with; the jocks and their girls. There was a cheerleader, Stephanie Miller, who was practically hanging off him the whole lunch period. Raphael's eyes, however, seemed to stray more towards Janine, wherever she was.

At the end of the day, Raphael was at the gates, like he said. He leant against the wall, scrolling through his phone with one hand and holding Ethan by the back of his shirt with the other. It seemed there'd be someone else joining in on the study session.
 
Janine stared at Raphael blankly until he said some suggestive words. She seemed to snap out of it a little, and tilted her head with a frown. She never got the chance to speak on it though - he corrected himself rather quickly.
She snapped out of her small trance when Raphael left and the bell rung her ears, causing her to panic and rush to hee next classroom.

When lunch came around, Janine was back to her own anti-social self. She sat on the table where she and Dodie used to sit, and ate her food slowly. She sensed Raphael's eyes looking at her and turned her head to her right to see where the jocks and preppy cheerleaders were. She scoffed and shook her head slightly. "It's where he belongs anyway. No way he'd stay with the rest of us," Janine muttered as she put another piece of sandwich in her mouth.

When school ended, Janine was rather hesitant on leaving the school doors. She knew she had said yes to Raphael's offer earlier in the morning, but she knew she would've said no if it wasn't for...... Whatever Raphael had on him. She could call it 'his charms', which was there - don't get Janine wrong - but she knew it was something else. Either way, she couldn't escape him even if she wanted to. If she stayed after school, she'd be bothered by the ghosts there. And if she wasn't, she knew she'd be watched all over the school. She felt like there was no other choice but to go with Raphael. With a sigh, the hooded girl stepped outside and kept her head down. But even on that off-chance that Raphael wouldn't see her, it was impossible for him to not see her, since Raphael was in an area in which it was impossible for her to avoid view. Besides, she couldn't help but notice another person with Raphael. A light sniff of the air confirmed her suspicions. Ethan.
But why?

Janine stopped a few feet away from both teens, her arms crossed and her feet tapping on the ground. "Humph..... What, are you guys dating now? What's with the walking toothpick? You never said you were bringing him along," Janine said with a huff of irritation.
 
Raphael smiled at Janine. "C'mon, Janine!" He started. "He's the valedictorian. I need all the help I can get," he said, touching his free hand to his chest.
Ethan wasn't actively trying to get away, but he looked uncomfortable, and like he'd much rather be anywhere else. He stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact with both Janine and with Raphael. "Neither of us are happy about this, Janine," he mumbled. "I'm only coming for an hour."
Raphael laughed, but didn't explain what was so funny. "My house isn't too far from here, so we're walking," he said, and let go of Ethan's shirt. He walked past the school gates, and the group were off.

In the walk to Raph's house, Raphael chatted pretty much the entire way about pointless things; his old friends, old girlfriends and boyfriends, pretty much anything to fill the silence. With no ghosts around, Ethan looked ten times more uncomfortable than he usually did. He even looked smaller, somehow, with his back all hunched, his head tipped down and his hands stuffed in his pocket. He didn't look up at either Janine or Raphael, finding the pavement pretty appealing, apparently.

"We're almost there now," Raphael said.
They had walked directly into the heart of one of the more well off neighbourhoods - Honeywell Road. Not millionaire well off, but admirably well off. There were nice cars and nice houses, with white picket fences, garages and three floors, maximum.
Raphael lead Janine and Ethan to house number twenty-four. He dug his keys out his pocket and unlocked the door, stepping inside. "I've got some pets. Hope you guys don't mind," he said.
As if on cue, there was a loud cry of "Cracker? Cracker?" and a massive white and yellow cockatoo skipped into the lobby, jumping. Following after was another cockatoo, this one flying straight at Raphael. Seemingly on instinct, he lifted his arm, and the bird slowed down and perched.

Raphael laughed. "This is Stella," he said, scratching the back of her neck. "And that's Carly." He nodded to the cockatoo that was still plodding towards him.
Ethan stared at the two birds, though it wasn't obvious if he was afraid or what.
 
Janine snorted and shook her head. "I don't care if he was the President of the whole damn school. He can't be that useful... Unless maybe you wanted to steal documents or personal information or something," Janine said as she glared at Ethan.
She huffed when he said he wasn't happy coming along. "That makes two of us," the hooded girl said as she walked past him.

As they walked, Janine half listened to Raphael, but she was more focused on her phone at the moment. She texted her mom that she wasn't going to be home at the moment, and that she would be helping another student study with their work. It was a risky move telling the truth, but she figured her mother wouldn't mind to terribly.
While waiting for a response, Janine sighed and temporarily shifted her focus to Ethan, who seemed to be very uncomfortable with his situation. She chuckled softly, knowing that she would be feeling that same way very soon. But for now, she felt like picking on the scrawny bastard. She slowed her walking pace so she'd eventually be behind Ethan, and put her lips close to his ear. Her voice was low and taunting with an apparent hiss in it, and her 's' would be drawn out in that typical serpentine voice that was often depicted in cartoons and movies.

"Feeling uncomfortable are we? Feel vulnerable without your ghost buddies? Don't worry, it's only ssstudying. Ain't nothing gonna happen... Maybe not so soon anyway," Janine added with a taunting hiss. She backed off and let a smirk come across her face, letting the two boys walk ahead of her.

After a short while, Janine noticed the type of neighborhood she was stepping into. The fences, the house designs, the damn yards. They seemed to be a shade greener than the school's field. Of course Raphael lived here in this type of area. He had to be a very well off kid to be living here. Janine felt even more out of place here, and put her hood down to avoid showing her face. Perhaps the feeling of being uncomfortable would come sooner than she thought.

When they finally got into the house, Janine was hesitant on stepping in. She had never gone into another person's house other than Dodie's, and even then she didn't go in that quickly due to hesitation. With a sigh and a force of nerves, Janine stepped inside. She didn't know what she expected to feel, but she supposed she was over thinking it as usual. When Raphael mentioned having pets, Janine shrugged her shoulders, stating her love for animals and not minding at all. Perhaps the pets might be able to get her mind off of stressful things of they were playful or friendly to strangers.

Suddenly, funny sounding words squawked from around the corner, making Janine flinch and tilt her head a little. What the hell would be making that kind of noise?

Then, two large Cockatoos hopped and flew their way towards Raphael, making Janine smile a little at the silly birds. She had never seen a Cockatoo in such a size, being much more used to seeing the smaller variety from pet stores. It made her want to reach out and pet them, but she wasn't sure how they would fare towards strangers. Being so, she kept her hands to herself, hiding her face behind her hood as always.
 
The whispering made the hairs on the back of Ethan's neck stand on edge. Just hearing the hissing was like a suggestion of demonic power, and it made his head dizzy. He sped up, very nearly jogging, and pulled in front of Raphael. The tanned boy didn't seem to notice too much, too engrossed in his useless chatter. All Ethan was thinking about was getting away from Janine, and away from her demonic influences. Why the hell had he agreed to this? He knew, of course; Raphael had traded his secrets for Ethan's own.

Raphael tickled under Stella's chin, making little cooing sounds. He crouched down, offering his other arm to Carly, who jumped on. "Carly is Stella's mum," he explained. "She's an old bird. She was a rescue, and she came to us pregnant," he explained, and when he turned her slightly it was clear why she had to be 'rescued'. The poor old cockatoo only had one wing, and all that was left in the place of the other one was a sad looking bump. "We don't really know how she ended up getting hurt," he said with a sigh.

He shook his head. "Anyway, we can study in the kitchen. I think Stell wants a cracker, anyw-"
"CRACKER? CRACKER? CRACK-ER?" Stella screeched, a mad demon desperate for her saltines, flapping her wings and lifting her crest high. This seemed to make Ethan pale in fright, though Raphael didn't notice.
Raphael laughed over the din, and then rushed through a door and into the kitchen. When Janine and Ethan followed, they'd find the two cockatoos on the counter, Stella still screaming while Carla stood, timid and quiet. Raphael fumbled with a box of crackers, his perfect demeanour cracking a little as he frantically tore the box open and threw some in Stella's direction. The cockatoo tore into them, a wild animal returned to her feral state.
 
Janine watched the birds as they gathered on Raphael's arm. She sighed and shook her head, wishing she had a pet herself. The story of the one-winged mother made Janine pout a little in sympathy, but was amused as the daughter bird kept squawking and flapping her wings.
With a chuckle, she turned her head to see if Ethan was amused by the silly bird, but to her surprise, he seemed terrified of the bird's actions. Janine found it odd and curious, and she tilted her head suspiciously as she stared for a moment. But before she could come to a conclusion, she heard Raphael mention the kitchen, and followed him in, seeing Stella tear into the cracker like a vulture would to a carcass. Janine blinked and chuckled to herself, watching the cockatoo eat as if she hadn't eaten in weeks.

"That's funny, she acts as if you never feed her," Janine commented with a smirk.
 
Raphael snorted. "We feed her way more than we should," he said. He poked Stella in the stomach; she was pretty chubby, but it might have just been her feathers. He threw some more the bird's way, and she caught it in the air. After maybe ten crackers, she seemed satisfied. She cooed softly and jumped off the counter and onto Raphael's shoe. Raphael sighed and took another cracker, holding it out to little old Carla. The older bird squawked and took the cracker in her hand, using her foot to eat it. Once she was done, Raphael lifted her up. He turned to his guests. "Stella likes to eat paper, so she can't stick around while we're studying. I'll put her in the spare room, though," he said as he placed Carla onto the round kitchen table. "You two can get set up. I don't expect you to be two loud, but please be quiet for Carla," he said softly, stroking the older cockatoo's head. "She gets enough shit from Stella." He laughed, and then walked out of the kitchen.

Ethan pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. He went into his bag and dug out his school supplies, not looking up at Janine or at Carla, who was waddling around the table adorably.
 
Janine watched the two birds eat the crackers with interest. She was more willing to talk to birds than other people, or any other aninal really. They wouldn't try to get all up in her business in order to find her secrets. Her mind did wonder to what Raphael said a moment ago. He said the word 'we'. Clearly there is a family. Did Raphael have a sibling? Or siblings? Was he an only child? And where are his parents? Janine noticed that nobody acknowledged an entrance or precense other than Raphael's. So did that mean that they most likely didn't know they these she and Ethan were here?

Janine began to get nervous a little. What if they came in and saw Ethan and herself sitting on their chairs? With no warning...?
Okay, she couldn't get herself worked up over this stuff. She came here to help a classmate study. Surely they wouldn't freak out.... At least in front of them. With a slightly nervous sigh, Janine sat down on the chair across from Ethan, and pulled out the books she was supposed to pull out. She quietly watched the older bird waddle around with a small smile, ignoring Ethan the entire time. Suddenly, a small vibration took her attention away from the pet bird and to her pocket. A message on her phone. And it was from her mom.

"Study? Okay, but as long as you make sure to come home safely.... And there better be no boys in the scenario!"

Janine's mom added near the end. Janine flinched and growled under her breath. She was never sure on whether to be offended with the statement due to the fact that she knew she wouldn't be able to obtain a boyfriend, or to hold her tongue and go along with the joke. She knew it was a joke, but it was embarassing (and slightly irritating) all the same. Nonetheless she replied back, thankful that texts were hard to convey emotion.

"Haha mom, very funny. Thanks though,"

Janine typed as she lifted an eye to see the waddling bird sit in the middle of the table. She sent the message without even looking at the screen, a sign that Janine probably texted a bit much considering her social status, and closed the screen to put it away.

'A little too late for that warning mom...'
 
Ethan started at some homework that he'd been given in his English class, keeping his head very much down. He didn't react to Janine's phone buzzing, or to Carla's waddling, not even when she came right up to him and poked at the top of his pencil. He just snatched it back and keep on writing. It was like he thought that as long as he didn't look at Janine, or at anything in the room, nothing and nobody in the house could hurt him.

Raphael came back a minute later. To anyone else, it would look just like a normal guy entering a room. However, to Janine and Ethan it would be like when the t-rex comes in Jurassic Park. It seemed to make the very bones in their body shake and it filled them with such intense anxiety. Overall, it would be worse for Janine for a reason that was about to be revealed.

Raphael walked into the room. Around his neck there was a set of metal rosary beads. They weren't like the Ethan's little ones that had burnt Janine; for all that it shone with it's pure holy energy, it might as well have been blessed by the pope. It filled the room with light that would flick painfully at Janine's skin, simply blind Ethan and make the air feel thin. The teen boy pulled his head down towards his chest, squeezing his eyes shut against the light. Janine should watch her hands; touching those beads might well kill her, for all they shone.

To Raphael, it seemed that nothing was different. He sauntered into the room and took a seat between Ethan and Janine. He delved into his own bad and pulled out the Chemistry and the English stuff. Ethan risked opening his eyes a little and looked at the books. Immediately, he shook his head. "You said we were only...only doing Chemistry," he said, struggling to form a sentence thanks to the dizziness in his head and the air being thinner than it would have been at the top of Mt. Everest.
 
Janine sensed something wrong just before Raphael walked into the room. Sharp hisses echoed lightly in her head as she looked up, seeing the teen with a metal necklace around his neck. It reminded her of the rosary necklace that Ethan had worn the first time they met. Janine felt herself grow nervous and anxious - if it was a rosary necklace, she was in trouble. She tried to look down in her book pages to keep her eyes fron Raphael, but the bright light stung at her skin, making her wince silently in pain. She was happy to have most of her skin covered bt her jacket, but it only seemed to lessen the unwavering pain. She pulled her hands inside her sleeves and shied a bit further from Raphael. Why were these beads hurting her without them touching her? Are these more powerful?
Janine's nervousness grew bigger and bigger when Raphael finally sat down. She didn't know what to do - moving wouldn't help, and she had no place to go. At this point, Janine had kinda wished she hadn't asked to stay and 'help her classmate'... This was turning out to become a rather nerve-racking moment.

Whatever was happening was driving Janine crazy with nervousness. Does Raphael not understand what he was doing to them? She took a quick glance to Ethan and saw him being affected as well. With no eye contact to Raphael, the half-demon glanced at the book he pulled out and tilted her head witv confusion.

'I don't get it.... He didn't say Chemistry to me,'

Janine thought with a barely audible whine. When Ethan spoke up, Janine dared to speak up herself. "That's not what he said.... He said English and Biology to me," Janine said with a suspicious voice.
 
Raphael went into his bag again, pulling out the Biology stuff as well. He shrugged. "I thought you could help me out with English," he looked at Janine, "you could help me out with Chemistry," he looked at Ethan, "and you could both help with Biology." He shrugged again, opening up the Chemistry book first. "Ethan needs to head away first, so we'll do Chemistry right now and everything else we can do later." He looked at Janine, eyebrow quirked. "You can go exploring around the house, if you'd like. It's pretty big, and you can go just about anywhere as long as you don't mess it up too bad. There's a door with Stella's name on it, though, and you shouldn't go into that one. She'll probably try and attack you," he said with a laugh.

Ethan glanced at the rosary beads, and then to Raphael. He knew the truth about this weirdo - and the weirdo knew the truth about him - and Ethan had even warned him that he couldn't function around strong holy things or strong unholy things. His brow furrowed as he struggled to become angry, but it seemed like the pure light in the air not only made him unable to think straight, but unable to feel strong, undesirable emotions. He pouted. "Can you...can...can you take those...off?" He asked slowly, pointing at the beads.

Raphael looked confused for a few seconds, and then his face lit up in recognition. "Oh! Sorry about that, dude," he said, taking a hold of the rosary beads and sweeping them off his head. He looked at them for a few seconds, and then smirked. "Hey, Janine, could you take these up to my room, please?" He asked, holding the beads out to the half-demon. They were close enough to Janine, and hot enough to feel like they were made of fire. Raphael's face was daring, almost taunting; he didn't believe that Janine would be able to do it.
 
Janine huffed at the reasoning for Raphael's brief confusion. She thought that while made sense in a way, she still thought that he should've clarified it more before they even left school. The pain on her skin stayed constant and hot on her skin - while she liked the heat, this was a bit different. It wasn't lightly covering her like a blanket, but more felt like a harsh flame spreading around her. While she didn't feel anything that would threaten to damage her skin, it was enough to deter her from them and keep away.

Her demonic side was very much feeling the beads' effects. The hissing in her head started to sound pained, which made her to unconsciously cringe and wince in both sympathy and pain herself. But even so she didn't want to show her discomfort, for she feared it would hint to Raphael that something was different about her. Janine flicked her ears when Ethan asked Raphael about taking her his necklace off and almost sighed in relief. At this moment, she realized that she was straining in normal breathing, most likely from the painful sensations bombarding her body, and made herself exhale slowly and quietly out her mouth.

But something was puzzling her. Why did Ethan ask about the beads? Didn't he wear them himself? What did it mean if he had to ask for them to be taken off? She dared to look at Raphael as he took the beads off and caught the look in his eyes. What was that? But seconds after the look, Raphael moved the beads in front of her. Janine felt herself suck in air and lean back tentatively, eyeing the beads with as little fear as possible. It was too hard to get angry, even though she felt the anger flicker try to well up. Janine quickly got up on her feet from her chair and backed away, shoving her hands in her pockets as she shook her head.

"N-no thanks.... I... Um..." Janine thought she needed a decent reason to not take the necklace. But what? Was there a solution to getting out of a situation? Janine felt more stressed the more she tried to think on it, and felt herself shivering with anxiety. Then, it came to her: her attitude could help her give at least a somewhat convincing performance. Her emotions might nit match her attitude, but not many folks could tell the difference when it came to Janine anyway. She had to try and sound convincing.

"... I'd rather not." Janine said with a shake of her head. 'Come on Janine sound more convincing!'
"What, Mr Beauty Model can't take something upstairs to his own room? Am I a servant or something? I don't even know where your room is!" Janine said with a raised voice. Risking more precise discomfort, she crossed her arms and snorted, shifting herself to the side. "Piss off Raphael, you play too much! I'll be upstairs," Janine said as she began her quick stride to the stairway. As she began her ascent, she looked to the bird on the table. "Oh, sorry Carla if I was too loud," Janine added before she went out of sight.
 
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