‘She just might be a wicked witch of the southwest’.

That was the seed planted. Watered during Alice’s shower. And left to gain sunlight on her way to class.

The soil in this allegory was her talk with Jiji last night. About other Jinn and how Jiji wasn’t able to say for sure that she was the only one in the city. At most, in Jiji’s words: ‘there’s this baby-faced cutie, Ford, that has a magic eye.’

She had her tablet record the lectures while her mind drifted to one core question. ‘What about everyone else?’

What else could be real? Were other magical creatures possible? Was Jiji really some rare 1 in 10 million situation?

Maybe the woman giving a tour to high school students outside was a mermaid? It wasn't hot, but she did have a comically large water bottle. The red hair and an operatic voice helped Alice’s conspiracy theory.

Was the man next to her in history a vampire? His slicked-back hair resembled the old movie ‘Dracula’ a bit. He was just as pale as that Dracula as well.

What about her literature teacher? Short and stumpy, with a long gray beard down to his belly. Hair covering most of his arms. The only thing this 'gnome' was missing was a pipe or a walking stick.

Maybe she was overthinking this? If any of these classmates were secretly evil aliens, there'd be a lot more campus issues. She'd certainly wouldn’t notice more of those issues.

From her lack of a friend circle. Hobbies that keep her indoors. No interest in social media. And the only reason she met Jiji was due to Jiji teleporting around campus.

Yeah, Alice might have been sitting next to Dracula's great-great-grandson earlier.

The bell rang, and Professor Anderson waved his class goodbye. He gave some of the boys high-fives on their way out. Something he did every class before a game.

Yeah, Anderson might be a tall gnome. But if he was, he was a nice gnome. This little detail helped ease Alice.

Then reality hit her. On the side. With a backpack, as she was entering the plaza. The jock didn't even stop to say 'sorry'. Instead, he and the Comet’s defensive line laughed.

Regardless of her knowledge of ghosts, monsters, or aliens, Alice did know one thing. She'd known it since she was a teenager. And her opinion hadn't changed.

Simply put, “Humans suck.”

Alice fixed her glasses and walked around the crowd. On the grass instead of the pavement. Closer to the trees that some students were relaxed by.

She was close enough to hear a guitar playing. To look over and see a rugged senior serenading some freshmen girls. Jiji was closer than the rest of them.

Alice had almost forgotten Jiji liked men too. She could gather that the man was objectively handsome. But Alice never thought she would say, 'my girlfriend is checking out a man'.

She started to walk over. As she got closer, she analyzed his voice a little more. The man in question had something off about him. Aside from his hand’s asymmetric Greek tattoo.

He opened his mouth just enough to sing the words. Yet his projection was far enough that Alice heard him from the plaza.
His guitar looked older than he was. Polished and well-kept. But still old.

As she got closer, she could see his eyes. Blue as the ocean. With just a sliver of lavender in the corner of his right eye. A sliver everyone was looking at.

Except for Jiji. She was more infatuated with the guitar. Or perhaps the part of his chest she could see from his v-neck shirt.

Alice pulled Jiji away by her studded belt. Like a parent who just saw their toddler watching a rated R film.

Whether it was on purpose or not, Alice left the musician with a distracted audience. How’d the man recover? He sang a song about jealousy.

Jiji, obviously irritated, “So, I was listening to that.”

Alice pulled her far enough away not to have eavesdroppers. Behind a building with shade. Double-checking again before speaking.

“Are you sure you’re the only non-human here?”

Jiji pulled a small gold telescope from her shirt. Looking around like a sailor. Stopping on an extreme close up of Alice.

“I’m not the only beautiful girl here.” Jiji added, “I think you’d look good with darker make-up. We should go to the mall!”

"I think that man's an incubus," Alice said.

"Really?!” Jiji put her telescope back down her top. Vanishing it instantly. “That's awesome! How could you tell?"

"He was barely moving his lips, but his voice was loud."

Jiji knew the reason for that, "Oh yeah! Apollo mentioned that when he was a kid, he wanted to be a ventriloquist. So, oh, his name's ‘Apollo’ by the way! So, he knows how to project with as little mouth movement as possible."

"His guitar looks older than him," Alice tried.

"I'm 1,209 dating a 21 and a 22-year-old," Jiji reminded. "Also, he said it was his grandpa's guitar."

"That's not what I-nevermind." Alice pointed out the obvious, "Ok, what about his right eye? The little magic pizza slice?"

Jiji asked, "You mean his contacts? I thought it was magic too. Then he took it out. I said he bought customized ones for shows and 'cosplay'. Which is super fun! Want me to help you get a gothic outfit?”

Alice didn't even want to go to the game now. She wanted to go home. Rest and forget she ever tried to rescue Jiji from a Greek guitarist.

She plopped her defeated head on Jiji’s shoulder.

“Is that a ‘no’?” Jiji asked.

-Later-

The football game was almost over. The Comets’ battle against The Rattlesnakes had waged for hours. A constant back and forth between proud athletes.

The men hit a little harder than normal. Every catch had a sense of desperation to it. Every touchdown resulted in screams. Either of joy or pure rage.

Last year, the Rattlesnakes shattered the Comets’ hopes of going to the playoffs. By one single field goal. Tonight, their redemption was 1 single touchdown away.

Alice wasn’t thinking about the referee’s wizard-like beard. Nor how the woman behind her was chugging endless sodas. Her focus was on this last play.

Jersey dressed, Alice was on the edge of her seat. Eyes on the field. Feet drumming with the rest of the crowd.

The man-made earthquake shook the jersey-clad Jiji in her seat. The vibration rendered any attempt at taking Marilyn’s picture a blurry mess. So she sat with her arms crossed until they stopped. Wishing she was on the stable sidelines. Next to all the other cameramen.

The hike and quarterback Johnson passed. The ball would’ve gotten intercepted. But that was the plan.

A rattlesnake jumped for the ball. Leaving himself wide open for embarrassment. As a nightmare leapt in to catch it!

The team’s hope of advancing rested on Nick Waller’s speed. 5 seconds left on the clock. 50 yards to run. An entire team chasing him with a bloodlust.

Alice hated to cheer him. But she cared more about the victory. Shouting just like anyone else.

Jiji drank a soda. Watching her girlfriend have a good time.

Nick had gotten 20 yards in 2 seconds. The gap widened. Any chance of the enemy tackling him was gone at the 40-yard line. It was no longer Nick vs the snakes. It was Waller vs the clock.

10 yards with 1 second left. A second of silence. The cheers ceased. The stomps halted. Only distant inhales before the buzzer.

A buzzer, that Nick Waller, beat!

Final score:
Comets-40
Rattlesnakes-34

The eruption was as if they had won the championship! Fans rushed the field after the referees called it. Blue streamers and yellow confetti began to snow over the green grass.

Last time, Alice gave Jiji the biggest hug in their relationship to that point. The adrenaline in her soul got the better of her. Tonight was no different.

The deafening cheers drowned out Marilyn. Calling the two down to join her. Jiji just saw her girlfriend waving her pom-poms.

Marilyn directed them down the stairs like an airport runway worker. Alice was first to give her a high five. Jiji nearly tackled Marilyn in her hug. Clinging to her like a koala.

“Congratulations, Marilyn!”

Jiji gave her a big kiss on the cheek. One that Marilyn had to pull from before Jiji’s powers activated. The receipt was a lipstick mark for all to see. 

Marilyn chuckled, “Babe, the boys won the game.”

“I’m not congratulating that dick.”

‘Dick’ Waller was getting enough attention. Crowd-surfing his way to his waiting team & cheerleaders in the center of the field. He blew kisses to women that weren’t his girlfriend.

They all swooned. Except for Lana. She got a big sloppy kiss.

Jiji made an ‘ew’ noise. Marilyn tried not to judge given her recent lip activity. Alice didn’t hesitate.

“They look like two golden retrievers arguing over a bone.”

Photographers began surrounding the pair. They were all children with a new toy. Having no interest in the other action figures off to the side. Or any of the dolls awaiting their turn in the spotlight.

Ford was the only mature one. Getting the whole football team to pose without their ‘nightmare’. He even got them to make silly faces for the third shot.

The cheerleaders meanwhile all shared a single expression. One scowling, vengeful expression. ‘If looks could kill’.

Marilyn set her favorite short-stack down. She hated being the mature adult sometimes.

“One sec girls. Gotta keep Lana from being mauled.”

“Let her,” Alice suggested.

“Goddamn,” Marilyn nudged Alice, “Little Mustang wants blood today.”

It didn’t take long for Marilyn to reunite with her team. Alice kept an eye on her. Deciphering body language. Seeing each person’s posture go from violent to delighted.

It only took Marilyn a few seconds to be a leader. To get everyone lined up. To request Ford’s time.

From where Alice stood, there might’ve been a reason for all of that.

“You ever notice how people just do whatever ‘Monroe’ asks?” Alice pondered.

“Nope,” Jiji answered.

“Am I being paranoid?”

“Probably.”

Alice looked over. Thinking their eyes would meet. Jiji’s eyes were having a conversation with Marilyn’s thighs.

Nudging Jiji’s arm, “Can you stop being a useless lesbian for 12 seconds?”

Jiji stared at the pack of meaty men to the right.

Alice hooked their arms, “You really think you’re a damn comedian?”

“I’m funny enough to land two of the sexiest and smartest women in the state.”

Jiji’s tiny kiss was more than appreciated. It made Alice get a little closer. She genuinely considered getting darker clothes and make up like Jiji suggested.

Their moment was interrupted by a mixed reaction. Some in the crowd laughed at what was happening. Others were rolling their eyes.

Marilyn, the center of attention, was trying not to be.

Nick had two girls in his arms. He posed as if they were trophies. Lana had volunteered to be his right-hand lady. Marilyn tried to pry his fingers off her waist.

Protesting, “Nick, no! I have a girlfriend! Please, let me go!”

Higurashi saw red, “Oh, that son of a-Ow!”

Alice sharply pulled away from Jiji. Jinn’s skin was like an iron. So hot it stung to touch. Soon leaving Alice with a blister and a burned sleeve.

Alice could only watch Jiji leave a landscaper’s nightmare in her path. The grass wasn’t just burned to black. There was no grass left when she took another step. Literal scorched earth.

Her tattoos glowed a dark pink. Like a blaze was inside the lines. Barley being contained.

Her sneakers had melted before Jiji reached the outer crowd. Her bare feet reduced the confetti to fizzled embers.

Alice felt trapped. If she called out, other people would turn around too. With their cameras. She couldn’t stop a walking volcano. Remove the powers, and Jiji was still twice as strong as her.

Every synonym for ‘Insignificant’ bombarded Alice’s brain. She had to do something to stop Jiji from exposing her powers. To get Marilyn out of Nick’s arm.

And there was her ticket.

Alice ran as hard as she could. Bursting into a sweat. From her effort and passing by Jiji.

Alice did it. With her heart pounding and legs pulsing, she reached Marilyn before Jiji. Now, she had everyone’s attention.

Alice hooked her & Marilyn’s arm and commanded, “Take your dirty hands off my friend!”

The tension in the crowd shifted. They chattered passively. Some did the annoying ‘oooooh’ call. Lana specifically started snickering at Alice.

She leaned into her man. Eager to hear what he was going to say. Salivating to see Alice’s reaction.

Nick didn’t budge. He looked down at Alice as if she were a bug on his arm. The most emotion he had was the scoff.

“Or what?”

Alice didn’t miss a beat, “Or my girlfriend will beat your ass.”

That turned Jiji from ‘The Ifrit’ back to Jiji ‘the prep’. Like Alice had delivered some magic words. Luckily, it reached her before Jiji reached the crowd.

Nick slowly blinked, “What?”

Ford was happy to help clear a path. Alice didn’t have to turn around. She stayed on the three blondes in front of her.

Marilyn’s delight and relief. Lana’s anger and intimidation. Nick’s pure dread under continued bravado.

Jiji waltzed right up to do what Marilyn had been trying to do. She freed her girlfriend from ‘the nightmare’. Not with an ‘ass beating’, but with one motion.

“YEEEOUCH!” Nick bellowed.

Jiji didn’t break his hand. Not that she didn’t want to. But no matter how hard he claimed she burned him, not a soul believed it.

Where was the burn mark? How could bare skin do so? The only odd thing about her was that she was barefoot.

Ford got his picture: Everyone laughing at Nick’s overreaction to a girl moving his hand. Bonus was a confused Lana completely unsure what to do or say.

He kept their attention toward the ‘crybaby’ instead of the leaving polyamory.

Jiji, Alice, & Marilyn walked away. Successfully giving Nick the title of ‘Wah-Wah-Waller’. Name courtesy of a freelance photographer.

“Thanks, girlfriends~!” Marilyn said. Jiji in her left arm. Alice was still clinging to her right.

“Of course~!” Jiji mimicked.

Alice played coy, “I expect a cake as compensation.”

Marilyn gave her two different loves quick kisses on the cheek. Alice accepted hers with little fanfare. Rolling her eyes a bit. More happy about the gesture.

Alice thought Jiji was given a golden cupcake with her bright smile. She saw her girl turn so red, she worried Jiji might burn Marilyn. At least Marilyn loved it. Pulling them both in close to her sides.

Like a brick to the skull, Alice’s fear from that morning hit her. Why?

Marilyn was absolutely stronger than her. Without powers, she was probably stronger than Jiji.

Nick being stronger wasn’t unbelievable. Her not being able to break free was a surprise. However, her issue was that he didn’t budge. Not by an inch.

This woman who was strong enough to win the carnival hammer game, now wasn’t able to pry a few fingers with all of her might? Every shove was like watching her push a boulder.

Alice had a concern of what Jiji could really do. Whatever the hell Nick truly was had her worried.

Then, there were the others. The ones who found Nick’s stunt amusing. The men who were bigger than him. The women who were just as immoral as Lana.

Alice didn’t get much sleep that night.

End