Chapter 5: Pretzels

“You are brilliant!” Fred says when we arrive at our spot. Without a warning, I suddenly feel very warm inside. My face feels like it’s glowing, almost like I’m blushing. Wait, am I blushing? Before I can think of this properly, Lotte pulls me into the auditorium. “What?” “Oh, c’mon Beckett, you’re blushing.” I knew it. “You’re kidding.” I try. “Does this face looks like it’s kidding? Oh, come on. Admit it.” “Admit what?” I think I know what Lotte is going to say, though I have some mixed feelings about it.  “You like Fred.” And once again I was right. But I don’t ‘like’ Fred. He’s just a good friend. Or at least, he was. No, I can’t have a crush on him. That’s impossible. He is adorable though. And handsome. And funny. “Well?” “Okay, okay. I think I might be having feelings, weird feelings, for… pretzels.” Why did I say that? Ugh, my feelings are confusing me. “Pretzels? Are you kidding me?” “Oh, Tubbs, just… Shut it. And it’s nothing like what going on between you and George.” “Excuse me?” “The way you looked at each other this morning? At the lake? Oh, and not to mention the way he protected you for Fluffy.” “Fred also protected you.” Okay, now we’re just teasing each other. “Well?” I ask her. “Okay, I might have some strange feelings for Pretzels’ brother.” We both laugh. I sit down at the edge of the stage. “You know, we’re falling in love with our best friends.” “Yeah, I know.” Lotte sits down next to me. “It’s not that weird though, I mean, they’re funny…” “and handsome…” “and adorable...” “and sweet.” “Oh, God, we really like them.” Lotte looks at me while she says that, and we both start laughing. The bell rings, meaning the seventh period is about to start. “We should go.” I say. “Yeah, I need to go to the other building. Chemistry.” “Ha. You may count yourself lucky with Slughorn.” “Well…” Lotte smiles.  “It’s better than Snape.”
            We walk through the doors, where the boys are still waiting. “And what were you two doing so mysteriously?” Right, what do we need to say now? “Nothing. It’s.. girl stuff.” Lotte smirks. “Right…”

Later that day, I sit down on my bed and think about my confessions. Pyrite, my reddish grey Lynx jumps on my bed and lies down at my feet. Drops of water fall down on my bed, because my hair is still wet from the shower I took fifteen minutes ago. I look around; Hermione is busy studying, like always, and Chantal lies on her bed and is reading a book. “Where’s Lotte?” “I’m here!” I hear, coming from the walk-in closet. “She’s there.” “So I’ve noticed, Chantal. Thanks.” Lotte walks out of the closet. “Making an outfit for tomorrow. I was bored.” she says, when she notices my what-were-you-doing-and-why-face. “Ah.”
            Felix, Lotte’s Phoenix, flies out of the closet and lands on Lotte’s bed. Pyrite looks up and follows the bird with her eyes. “You know you should stop trying.” I say to the animal. Even though the 4 animals in this room are friends (Chantal made sure of that with her talent to talk to animals), Felix still loves to provoke Pyrite. (What can I say, cat and bird, eh?) Pyrite puts down her head as an answer. Lotte walks to my bed and sits down next to me, followed by the bird who sits down on Pyrite’s back. The cat doesn’t even bother to look up now.
            “I’ve been thinking, about our confessions.” I look at Lotte. Where is she going with this? “I think we both should wait, and I also think that, if we’re talking about it, like now, we should use the word ‘Pretzels’. Kay?” She almost whispers to prevent Chantal and Hermione from hearing this. I totally agree with her, but have to laugh at the word ‘Pretzels’. I didn’t meant to say it earlier today, it just popped out of my mouth, and now we use it as a codeword. “What are you two talking about?” Chantal now sits on her bed and looks interested at us. “Pretzels.” we both say, and we start laughing. Chantal keeps looking at us, not understanding. Raven jumps off of Chantal’s bed and starts walking towards us. “Oh right, don’t say a thing about this.” I say threatening, looking at the two animals sitting next to us. When Raven jumps on my bed and starts tripling around Pyrite and Felix, who don’t say a thing while Raven keeps on protesting. Or at least, that’s how it sounds. And looks. It’s quite a funny show, looking at the three animals. Apparently, Crookshanks wants to be in it too, because she jumps off of Hermione’s lap and trips to the other animals.  It’s getting too busy for Pyrite, because she jumps up and runs out of the room into the corridors, followed by the other animals.
            The next moment, Kayleigh walks in, looking over her shoulder to the four running animals. Mokona, Kayleigh’s badger, decides to fit in and follows the other animals into the corridors. Kayleigh sighs. “Well, go and have fun! Why are they acting like that?” “Lotte and Becky were talking mysteriously, and I wanted to know what it was about, but the animals refuse to talk.” I raise and shake my fist as an answer to Chantal’s curiosity. “Chantal! Grrr.” “Right. Anyway, Liz and I went to town and we bought some things. A.k.a. food. Who wants a pretzel?” She holds out a plastic bag filled with pretzels. Lotte and I look at each other and start laughing. “What’s wrong with them?” I hear Kayleigh ask. “I have absolutely no idea.”
            “Can all of you please stop? I’m trying to study here.” “Hermione, calm down and take a pretzel.”