Spunkalicious ((Jazz))

[Vanessa Baer]

“Spunky and Unique: as a unique individual you like to do things your way, but this doesn’t mean you won’t bend to the will of others. You are up for anything as long as it isn’t too drastic or illegal, although sometimes you doing illegal things aren’t too uncommon.” Vanessa bit off a piece of her licorice wand before continuing to read the answer to her quiz she had just taken from Witch Weekly. It was a relatively muggle quiz, and Vanessa had taken many like this before. “Don’t let your spunkalicious and unique sense of style interfere with those who would like to get to know the sensitive side of you. Sometimes people overlook the finest details and don’t realize what’s right in front of them.” Vanessa rolled her eyes, “Thank you, Captain Obvious.” She muttered as she tossed the magazine on her bed and sat up from the laying position she had been in. She stood from her bed and reached above her head, stretching. That magazine was rubbish, Vanessa wasn’t sure why she continued to read it. It always said the same thing. “Don’t overlook the particulars,” Vanessa mimicked in a high voice as she slipped her feet into her shoes, “don’t miss the things that are right in front of you. The magazine editors must have overlooked the fact that their magazine lacks originality. Spunkaliciousness.”

She weaved her way out of the common room, the stupid magazine’s response to the quiz still in her head, and made her way toward the Student Lounge. Maybe she could find Jeremiah in there, or maybe even Jasmine. She hadn’t spoken to her best friend in awhile and she missed the girl. Vanessa knew that life had swept them both up into separate whirlwinds, but that was no excuse for Vanessa to completely stop talking to her best friend. While Vanessa wanted more than anything to spend time with Jeremiah again, a greater pull at her stomach made her yearn to speak with Jasmine. Vanessa pushed open the door to the Student Lounge, her eyes scanning first for Jeremiah and then second for Jasmine when she didn’t find the guy. Luckily, Jasmine was sitting in a chair reading a book. Closing the door, Vanessa quickly made her way over to her best friend. “Can you believe that a stupid quiz told me that I need to open my eyes to what’s in front of me?” Vanessa collapsed into the chair across from Jasmine. On the table in between them was a box of chocolates, “And what I see is some yummy chocolates that are calling my name.” She reached over and plucked a chocolate from the box before putting it in her mouth. She chewed and then swallowed, “Mmmm, spunkalicious.”

[Jasmine Anderson]

Jasmine quickly wrote down a reminder of homework onto the piece of parchment as the students began to quickly pile out of the room. It was her last class of the day, so Jasmine wasn’t in much of a hurry. Folding the parchment up once she was done, she began to put all her things into a shoulder bag, only one other student still in the classroom. Jasmine sent Brantley an apologetic smile while clasping the front of her bag. Setting the strap comfortably on her shoulder, she followed her friend out of the classroom. They walked down the corridors, talking about different things. Most times it was about horses with an occasional question about his mother Melina. Brantley mostly tried to avoid that topic, and when he did, Jasmine didn’t press him on the topic. She knew it was hard for him to talk about it, or even deal with. Maybe that was one of the reasons Jasmine always wanted him to be smiling and thinking positively. That was what friends did. Also, she pestered him constantly about that stupid cryptex, which she still couldn’t open. Brantley would drop her hints everyday to what the letters of the combination was. Jasmine hoped her stressing it out hoping to find some note that is quite long. She didn’t know if Brantley only put a small piece of parchment inside that had writing on it saying, good job. He did like to challenge her mind at times.

They stopped by the doors to the student lounge, a student walking past them to enter through the doors. Brantley had to go to the owlery to send a letter back home and left in the other direction up the moving stair cases. Jasmine smiled, moving the strap on her shoulder so it rested more comfortably. Pushing open the doors to the lounge, she headed toward an open chair in front of the fire. There were only a small number of people around most of them were probably either still in class, or in the common room. Jasmine set the bag down on the ground pulling out a box of chocolates she kept inside for a small snack and the round, cylinder shaped cryptex. She moved it around in the palm of her hands, her mind hard at work for trying to figure out the combination. Brantley had told her it was something they had in common, and was a four letter word. Maybe she was overlooking the possibilities. Jasmine continued to stare at it looking up upon hearing a familiar cheery voice. Quickly setting the cryptex back into the pocket of her jacket, she took out a book from the bag opening it up to some random page.

Vanessa sat down next her, ranting about some description a magazine wrote for a quiz. Jasmine closed the book shut smiling as her friend already began to dig into the chocolate. “Do you honestly believe that Vanessa?” she asked tucking her legs under her as she set the potions book down on the table next to the chocolates. Taking the magazine from her friend she flipped it open to the page with the quiz on it. “While I take this quiz, you need to tell me everything that happened on your date with Jeremiah. I want to know all the details, including what you wore, what you guys did, or anything in particular,” she began checking off her answers as she went down. Once answering the last question, Jasmine’s eyebrow rose slightly at her answer. “Hidden Romantic: Deep inside of you lies the volcano of the romantic. You love to be swept off your feet but doing that is no easy feat. The man who chooses to win you over has to match you in intelligence and charm, but the looks help as well. You're passionate about what you do, and sometimes your passions steps upon making new decisions overrun your logical thinking. That doesn't go to say you're irrational, but take careful steps upon making new decisions.” Jasmine shook her head throwing the magazine back down on her friends lap. “Do you honestly believe that?”

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa tilted her head and chewed her lip in thought. Did she believe it? Sure, Vanessa had an out there sense of style and she was rather unique in her personality, but did she really hide away her sensitive side from people? She had never really had the opportunity of showing people her sensitive and emotional side. There wasn’t someone out there she thought she needed to open up to. Besides Jasmine, and even Jasmine hadn’t ever seen her emotional. “I guess so, I mean can you see me as hiding my true feelings though?” Vanessa thought it over in her mind. She really didn’t hide her feelings. She let people know how she felt and when she felt it. Vanessa was never really a person to hide behind closed doors from emotions that she wasn’t used to. No, that was Aryeh’s doing. Vanessa couldn’t stand holding emotions from people. There wasn’t enough love in the world, and there was too much anger. “It has one thing right, I didn’t notice what was in front of me until I looked. I love this chocolate.” Vanessa picked up another piece and popped it in her mouth. She loved chocolate.

Jasmine had taken the magazine from Vanessa’s lap and then told her she would have to tell about her date with Jeremiah. Vanessa nearly choked on the chocolate in her mouth, “Date? Was it a date?” she questioned with a slight awe in her voice. Yeah, she had been confused on whether or not it had been a date when they went out to Hogsmeade, but she had quickly forgotten about it when they had started having a good time. Had it really been a date? Would that be a bad thing if it was? Vanessa found Jeremiah attractive and he was really a great guy, someone she liked to be around, but had it been a date? The word ‘date’ hadn’t been spoken between them. Vanessa made a quick mental note to ask him about it later. “It was fun, for the lack of a better word. I love hanging out with him. We met up outside my common room, and went to Hogsmeade; which was the first I had been there in two years. There I bought presents for mum and Aryeh, and then he took me to a diner. Once there, I was talked into singing at the open mic.” Vanessa shrugged and ate another piece of chocolate.

Vanessa listened as Jasmine read off her answer, stifling a smile. Her friend asked her if she believed the answer and Vanessa nodded. "Well, yes, I do! Considering you have been seen around the school with positively the most romantic guy at Hogwarts." Vanessa giggled now as she went for another chocolate.

[Jasmine Anderson]

Jasmine stared at Vanessa as her best friend asked if she hid her feelings. Her eyebrows rose slightly at the question. Did that magazine say something like unemotional, or needs to show feelings? Vanessa didn’t hide her feelings ever, normally that was Jasmine job. “Like I said, do you really believe in that? It’s just a way for magazines to sell their issues, or tell woman what they want to hear,” Jasmine began taking the magazine back from Vanessa. Flipping it open to the table of contents, she scanned the titles looking for something interesting to read. Everything in the magazine was mostly about celebrity gossip, losing weight, makeup, and the ever so popular topic, love. There was even an article about speed dating. Chuckling she opened it up to the page. “Your one of the spunkiest people I know who tells people how you feel…well there might have been some times, but I don’t remember those times.” Turning the page of the magazine she landed on an article of how to choose the right consular. Folding the magazine back up, Jasmine set it back down on her friends lap before digging into her bag for a new one. Holding up the front to her friend she grinned. “This magazine is way more interesting and truthful than that.”

Opening the magazine up to an interesting article on horse diet, Jasmine looked up at her friend as she chocked on a piece of the chocolate. Did they go on a date? With raised eyebrows, Jasmine kept quiet, listening to her friend’s descriptions on everything. “So it wasn’t a date?” she asked when Vanessa finished explaining everything. Well, it sounded like one to Jasmine, though she thought her friend was still in love with Aryeh, she even remembered her friend liking her cousin. Now that was plain weird. “Well, I think Jeremiah is way better than my cousin. Not only is better in the looks department, but doesn’t use cheap pick up lines.” Jasmine rolled at her at the image of her cousin trying to charm a girl. His was of charming one, was using a stupid, weak pick up line which only the stupidest of girl’s fall for. Though, most girls didn’t care at all, unless the guy was good looking. “Well do you like Jeremiah?” Jasmine asked grabbing a chocolate from the box before adding another question. “Does he like you?”

When Vanessa said something Brantley, Jasmine nearly chocked on the chocolate. Swallowing hard, she looked at Vanessa shaking her head. “Were only friends Nessa...” she trailed off, knowing her best friend could tell she liked this guy more as a friend. “Brantley may be romantic and perfect he likes to challenge me with riddles and codes.” Taking out the cryptex from her pocket she handed it over to Vanessa sighing. “He gave this to me on a trail ride for me to open and gave me a hint,” Jasmine said taking another chocolate before leaning back into the chair. “A four letter word that we both have in common.”