Page 68 of Pixie Problems

"My dads," I said with a little smile.

That earned me one back. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure they'd both make sure you're ok. So you know, you can also talk to me. Whether it's anxiety, depression, personal risks, or anything else. If I can't help you, I can get you to the person who will. And if you don't want to talk to Liam, I do respect confidentiality." Then she wiped purple and burgundy up by my elbow.

"I've already been talking to Liam and Bracken," I said. "Mostly about the fae stuff."

"She's also friends with the court," Liam added. "They're helping her with a lot of the magical stuff. Oh, and for students who don't have a parent to give them permission, if they are under eighteen, who would you prefer takes responsibility for them? Me or Ivy?"

"Either one of you," Robin said. "We just need a legal adult to approve it. That way Silver Oaks won't get fined for any violations of the law."

"Ok, I've got some other kids I want to talk to, then. Especially since the STI treatment is so easy."

"Some kids have reactions to the plants we use for the potions," Robin explained. "That's what the colors are: plant extracts. Some are fruits, or leaves, or even roots. We do have multiple options for most of these treatments, but I'll need to do a skin test. It takes about half an hour, and I don't mind staying after class."

"I'll pass it along," Liam said.

Robin nodded, then pulled a plastic package from her tray, opening it to reveal a completely mundane baby-wipe. With that, she removed the stains from my arms, then tilted it so she could check the skin closely. Finding nothing, she turned back to her cabinets.

"The pink one is to cure any STIs," she said, passing me a small shot-glass sized bottle. "Since you don't seem to have any sensitivities, I'd prefer to give you purple for the birth control. It's longer lasting and has fewer side effects for those who are not sensitive to it."

"What kind of side effects?" I asked. "And will this even work on me?"

"Theyare fae plants," Robin explained. "Just like aspirin comes from an earth plant, these potions contain chemicals which cause a medicinal effect. The side effects of the pink - because I'm sure the fae words for these potions won't help you any - are belching, possible vertigo - but that's rare - and you will need to pee a lot tonight. It should be done in about four hours."

"Oh." Ok, that didn't sound so bad.

"The purple can give loose stools, and in some cases cause nausea. If you experience either, drink milk. That will help, and since you can, you won't need me to offer another high-calcium option."

"Got it," I said. "So, I take this now?"

"Now is good," she said.

Popping the top off the pink one, I sniffed it first, smelling something sweet but herbal. It was like a fruity tea, sorta. Not the same, but that was the closest I could get. But since it smelled fine, I sucked it back, surprised to find it tasted more like celery and rosemary than anything else I could come up with. Different, but in an ok way.

She passed me the purple, which was a little larger, and took the empty bottle. While she tossed that out, I smelled the next potion. This one was weird. It reminded me of cantaloupe and roses, with an underlying scent which was completely out of this world. Rich, though, like velvet - but also not.

Yet when I tipped the bottle up to drink, it was good. Fruit punch almost, but only if there was liquid silk inside it. Smooth, thick, and rather sweet. I liked it, and Kool-Aid should really make a drink in this flavor.

"Ok," Robin said as she took the bottle from my hand. "You're good to go. Those take about an hour to kick in, and if you have any problems, Liam can always get in touch with me. Milk if your intestines get upset, drink lots of water, and that's it."

"Wait, so no waiting seven days for the medicine to kick in? Like, in an hour I will have working birth control?"

"Yep," she said, grinning at me. "Fae chemistry is an impressive thing, hm? And yes, you are now free to go."

"Nice," I said, hopping down from the table. "Ok, this is much better than the human version."

"Good to know," Liam said, dropping his arm over my shoulders and turning me for the door. "You're good at this, Robin." Jack chattered something towards her as well.

"I'm glad it was easy," she said, cleaning up her supplies.

I walked out feeling this need to laugh. I'd expected a normal gyno exam, and those sucked. This? Oh yeah. I was a fan.

"I definitely like the fae way," I told my dad.

He grinned. "Same. But, since I have you alone, I wanted to remind you about the math tutoring. You're struggling in that class, but with everything else, I didn't want to overwhelm you. Do you think you're ready to start getting some private lessons?"

I wrinkled up my nose. "Dad..." I dragged out the word.

He chuckled. "Rain, you need to keep your grades up. As the Morrigan, you will likely have problems math will help with."