School... I was back in class, listening to a tired teacher drone on about something she probably cared about even less than we did. She was just reciting her lesson, hardly noticing if anyone understood a word of it. Normally, I’d try to pay attention, but I could barely focus today. After barely escaping that facility intact, I''d been living under so much stress that survival had become my only thought.


    But gradually, I realized no one was after me—not yet, anyway. The relief was overwhelming, so much so that I almost forgot about my horns and wings problem.


    I just need to act normal, I told myself. Do your thing, Dolores, and you’ll be fine. They don’t have my ID, they don’t have Dolores’ face. And as Dolores, my genetic info is in no database.


    After all, I was still “wearing” Cala’s body.


    "They" might have Cala''s genetic material, and that could spell trouble for me down the line. Wearing her body meant I’d need to be extra careful and have an escape plan ready. But where could I even run? The thought of living on the run wasn’t exactly appealing. For now, though, I seemed safe enough.


    I glanced at my seatmate. Naturally, Constance had already asked me about the girl I''ve been with at the school entry. I couldn’t help but laugh as I replied, “Can you believe I was the one who brought those two together? I gave Gonzo a bit of advice, and, judging by how things turned out, it must’ve worked. They’re officially a pair now—she even came over to thank me personally.”


    Constance laughed and suggested I should open a matchmaking agency: Dolores & Co.


    The funny thing was, it was true. It was one thing I could genuinely add to the list of good deeds I’d managed in my life.


    I spent a lot of time chatting with Constance. She was always a sweetheart, keeping me up to date on all the gossip I needed to know.


    "Behaving normal" meant, of course, I caught the teacher''s eye, and we both got admonished, told to stop talking during class. So, I let the hours drift by, giving the flow as little resistance as possible.


    During the breaks, Matt came over and asked if something was wrong. He told me they’d been practicing all Sunday and had sent me at least twenty messages, wondering if I was mad at them or if something had upset me. Of course, I couldn’t tell him I''d been kidnapped, so I just apologized, saying I couldn’t make it.


    I wasn’t sure how to put their minds at ease, but Matt made me promise I’d join them to practice in the afternoon.


    As an unplanned ''bonus'', Constance found out about me singing at Stavros’ place. Well, so be it.


    I’d heard from Constance and Matt that people were buzzing about the raid on the gamers'' compound. The latest gossip claimed they had ties to the gang responsible for the nuclear/chemical catastrophe in Bounty County, and supposedly, the army had barely prevented a similar disaster here. No one could say exactly how they’d pull off such a thing, but with no official explanation and barely any coverage in the national news, rumors were running wild.


    I wanted to skip the last couple of hours and head home for a nap, but as I wandered into the canteen, I spotted Joe. He was there with some guys in sports gear, and I couldn’t help but let my eyes linger on his toned frame, feeling my heart race just looking at him.


    “Dol, sweetheart!” he called out, spotting me. “We’ve got a friendly against the Ipswitch College boys, but we’re one short. Wanna join us?”


    I cringed a little when he called me "Dol." I hate that nickname—it makes me sound like a doll, which I am definitely not. But then, he’d also thrown in “sweetheart,” and that warmed my heart. It was a bit of a bold move from him, and I was completely won over by it. Playing handball with him right now? Very cool. Even Cala was giving off positive vibes, though I realized there was a snag.


    “Uh, but the girls'' locker room closes at noon,” I pointed out.


    “You can use my locker for your stuff! C''mon, please?”


    I felt a little conflicted, but my heart was already racing. Was this really happening? I mean, I was Joe’s girlfriend, wasn’t I? Could I actually say no?


    So, instead of going home to get some sleep, I found myself gearing up for another handball game.


    The moment I stepped onto the field, it hit me: I’d done it again—typical Dolores, making a snap decision without thinking it through. I handed over control to Cala since, let’s face it, I’m a total zero at sports. Weirdly enough, Cala had adapted fast to this world, almost like she was made for it. I could rely on her completely, even if communicating with my "other half" (or third?) was a bit... tricky. But, anyway, back to the game.


    I love playing with these guys. I love their rough, intense style, the way they don''t hold back. But then, I remembered—wings and horns. I had to keep my wings firmly pinned to my body, avoid any stray hand that might brush against my horns. It was so stressful! But I tried to reframe it: a complex exercise in awareness and avoidance, a game within a game. Only with that mindset could I keep playing—and actually start to enjoy it.


    In the end, we lost by just one point. I lingered by the door, waiting for the guys to finish changing, when Daniel walked out, the first one dressed.


    “You didn’t seem fully in the game today—what was up?” he asked.


    I shrugged. What could I say?


    “I can’t hear you out there; come on in!” Joe called from the locker room.


    I sighed. “Let the boys have their peace.”


    “You can head to the showers now; everyone’s done!” Daniel assured.


    “Are you sure?”


    “Yeah, we''re all done!” Simon chimed in from inside.


    The showers were to the right of the entry and the locker room on the left, with a corridor in between.


    As I went towards the showers, Simon, who was just coming out, asked me:


    “Daniel was right, Dolores; you were not in the right mood today, else we would have won.” - I heard some protests from the other team. He continued - “Do you come with us for a consolation lunch? There will be extra sausages and chips, just as you like it?”


    “And beer!” - yelled Joe - “it''s going to be a loong day!”


    “Oh boys, I''m really sorry, but I''ll have to go to Matt''s place and exercise!”


    Oh fuck, this is what happens when you let Cala lead. She tells everything like it is, and I cannot even talk to her; I can only talk to White Flower, who can relay it to her! Why do I have this damned setup in my head?


    There was a bit of silence in the locker room after that.


    “If it''s not too indiscreet, what do you exercise with Matt?” - asked Daniel.


    Now some bloody, noisy comments came out of the locker room.


    “Yes, truly?” - asked Joe, a bit miffed.


    I shrugged. Is Cala oblivious to the situation, or does she make fun of it?


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    “Matt has a band, and we have a performance at Stavros'' place Thursday evening, and I don''t know the songs by heart. Should I read from the notes? Besides, we still sound like crap most of the time.”


    I was now undressed and went under the shower.


    “What? Did I hear this right?” - wondered Simon


    "Speak louder; I cannot hear you!" - I said from under the shower.


    “At Stavros?” - asked Jonathan, another guy from Mike''s class - “Don''t tell me you are Fata Morgana? I go there with Linda Thursday evening? Would we hear you?”


    “Yes, that''s the name the boys came up with!” - I confirmed, yelling from under the shower - “Hey Joe, do you happen to have a towel? I forgot mine in the girl''s room.”


    There was laughter and all kinds of gallant proposals. Yeah, fuck me, I forgot it; what can I do now?


    “Sure!” - he said and appeared in the door frame with closed eyes balancing his hand with the towel in the air. Of course, he may be cheating, but that did not disturb Cala, and at least he was doing as if.


    I took the towel, and he turned away.


    “Thanks!”


    “Wow, that''s great, Dol, sweetheart. Boys, do we go there to ask for a replay?”


    “Yeah!” - screamed Simon - “Replay, replay!”


    Now my trousers were in Joe''s locker. Should I put the sweaty sports shorts on again?


    “Hey, are you finished there in the locker room? I would like to dress?”


    Someone answered:


    “You can come; the boys don''t mind!”


    “Yeah!” - a choir of five or six agreed.


    Cala rolled her eyes. This is not much different to the assassins guild team.


    “They''ll be ready in a minute!” - said Simon, who was the cooler head between them.


    “You spoilsport!” - said Joe.


    “When is your performance scheduled?” - asked Daniel


    “It is planned after 19:00, isn''t it? There are only two groups planned; you are the second one.” - said Jonathan, who obviously had read the program.


    “Yep!” - I confirmed


    “We''ll be there!” - confirmed Joe


    OK, well done, Cala. So now I''ll have a vocal gallery and possibly a lot of stress once we finish our performance. How will Matt digest this?


    As soon as the boys evacuated the locker room, I went to equip myself while Joe was guarding the door while chatting with Daniel.


    Once I was ready – and it did not take me more than two minutes – the noisy group of about fifteen boys left towards a fast food restaurant, and I went towards the entry to take my bike when I met Matt.


    “Hey, Matt! Waiting to be picked up?"


    His mother usually comes to pick him up in her sports car. He shook his head:


    “No, I''m waiting for the bus, ma just called me, she cannot come to pick me up so I''ve sent all a message that I''ll be late. Haven''t you seen it? We can go together if you want?“


    Oh. OK. The clever thing would be to ride the bus with him... Hmm, and try to avoid any touching with all those people in the crowded train and buses with my naked torso and my wings in the back? Fuck, no. No way! I shuddered at the thought.


    Besides, he knows I am a witch; I don''t have to extra hide from him. Cala should take him for a ride. Should I fly over there? I imagined myself as a dragonfly Dolores carrying Matt in her fangs. Well, it would be funny; however, I''m not sure my wings are strong enough for two, but I grinned at the image.


    “With the bus and the train? That''ll take ages. If you are a brave man, you can join me on my bike... Is it still valid that we''ll eat at your place? Because else I can go with the boys and hurry up...”


    He nodded dutifully:


    “Yes, that''s still valid, but you know we just have sausages, chips and beer?” - I grinned at that. He continued - “I wonder, why do I have to be a brave man to drive with you? Are you such a lousy driver?”


    Cala raised a brow, but her grin only grew wider:


    “You forgot to mention cucumbers; I hope you have those! For the ride, I need to mention that I don''t have a helmet. I don''t use such a thing just for riding a bike, and no extra for you, but I''ll make an illusion of it. So you''ll be on the bike with an illusion of a helmet.”


    He nodded at the cucumber part of my answer, and then his face became a little pale:


    “Err? Are you joking?”


    “No, and this is the easy-peasy part. So do you come with me or do you go with the bus?”


    “Er. OK. And the rest? You said this is the easy stuff? What comes after?”


    Cala shrugged.


    “This should be enough to help you decide.”


    He sighed.


    “If you go without a helmet, I''ll go without one too.”


    We were approaching the bike. Cala''s brows rose:


    “Matt, let''s put it like this, you are a fragile china vase, and I am an iron statue. I''ll take care of you, but still, the risks are different, are you still decided to come?”


    “Do you want to scare me?”


    “Well, yes, in a way.”


    “Since when are you such of an iron-girl?”


    “Since I drank some powerful elixir. No, joking, but trust me, it is like this.”


    “The fragile china vase sits here.”


    He climbed on the bike and then looked a bit uncomfortable at me:


    “Or should I wait and climb after you?”


    “It can work like this, but normally you should have waited.”


    “Oh!”


    “Is this your first time on a bike?”


    “No, my pa took me on his bike when I was a kid. I still have his bike, but ma does not let me drive it.”


    “I see. I guess that she will be very pleased to see you riding the bike with me.”


    He sighed, nodding.


    Flo took over and placed a fake helmet over his head.


    “Everything OK?” - she asked.


    The way she talked and the way she asked, he must have felt it was a different person. I heard his heart beatings changing. His whole posture changed. Before he was tense, now, he smiled, and a warmth appeared in his eyes.


    He nodded:


    “Yes!”


    She bound her hair, and I saw his hungry eyes looking at me. It was not necessary; Cala''s hair, which is now mine, is short enough. I guess she did it for him, for the show; she can be damn sexy when she wants, but then Cala was back in the lead. She heaved the motorcycle with him standing on it from the stand and climbed in front.


    “Now, don''t scream, and if you feel something hitting you, keep calm, I may not be able to keep my wings still.”


    She quickly slipped a leg over the bike, taking the seat in front of him.


    “Wings?” - he wondered, confused. It must be damn confusing for people to suddenly be aware that there are things they cannot see.


    “Rule number one, hold tight, don''t fall!” - she yelled as she started the motor.


    The bike roared, and we were on the road. At the next red traffic light, his face landed on my neck.


    “Upmf. Sorry!” - he mumbled


    “No, problem. You can keep closer!” - said Cala


    “What do I feel here? Are these really wings?”


    “Rule number two: don''t talk about them.”


    Cala laughed, the bike snaking through the traffic, the noise making any conversation now impossible. Oh my, as much as I hate bikes, the more she loves them.


    “You said you have sausages, cucumbers, chips and beer? I insist on the cucumbers!” - asked Cala at the next traffic stop.


    “Yes. Why do you ask?”


    “I don''t want to be sorry.”


    “But I need to arrive in one piece home for you to get them!”


    “We have a deal!” - said Cala with a zeal that reminded me of the black angel