by S C Thomas
The door then opened up, her uncle standing in it, clad full in his suit. “Good afternoon, Mr. Caulderon. You’re excused. I would like to observe my niece working on magic herself.” He waved at the young man who quickly disappeared out the door, not hesitating at the entrance of the headmaster.
“Good luck.” Drake hollered over his shoulder, snickering when Emma threw him a sharp look and took off down the hall.
“Good afternoon Emma. I heard you’re starting to come around in your classes.” Marcus acknowledged, shutting the door behind him.
Emma bit her lip and nodded slowly. “Kinda, I suppose.”
He nodded and went to sit on a sit, crossing his legs and folded his hands in his lap. “Alright, show me what you’ve got.”
She shifted her feet, biting her lip. “I, um, well, the thing is- “she stammered, staring at the ground. “I really can’t show you anything.”
“No?” He asked curiously. “You’ve been working on lessons for quite a few weeks and you can’t show me anything?”
She shook her head, staring at the ground, not knowing what to say to that.
“I don’t believe that.” He accused. “Show me something Emma. Show me a levitation spell.”
She huffed and raised her head, staring at the book that Drake had left on the desk, scrunching her eyebrows together, trying to concentrate hard to get it to levitate. After a few minutes, when nothing happened, she let out a rough breath of air. Her shoulders slumped and she dropped her head, fiddling her thumbs.
“How disappointing.” He said flatly, making her want to shrink down and through the ground, away from him.
She couldn’t bear to think of him being disappointed in her. Why she even bothered caring when he obviously didn’t was beyond her, but she did. Maybe because he was the only family she had, though he sure didn’t act like it. She couldn’t help but be attached to that sole fact and it created a bitterness to tingle over her tongue.
“You’ve been at this for a while, Emma. How is that you haven’t learned a single thing?”
Frustration crept through her veins, boiling her bloodstream and she looked up at him angrily, tears budding in her eyes. Wasn’t it bad enough she knew she was a disappointment and he had to go and make it worse for her? “What?” She choked, mildly hoping she had heard him wrong.
“Maybe I was wrong in bringing you here – if you haven’t mastered any magic yet, maybe your mother just squished everything by this point.”
“I have magic.” She burst; the tears unable to be stopped as they flowed down her cheeks. “I have magic, Uncle Marcus. I’m still learning. This isn’t easy! It also doesn’t make it easy when you, my only family, refuse to acknowledge that I even exist! I’m trying here and you avoid me and the only time you see me is to reprimand my abilities and say I’m a disappointment!”
He blinked, taken aback by her sudden outburst. He stood up awkwardly. “I-I- um, Emma I’m sorry.” He stammered, taking a step towards her, but stopped when she took one away from him, refusing him to be able to reach her.
“The only thing you don’t have the same as your mother is your eyes. Those are your father’s. Everything else is the same and it makes it difficult to be around you. I wasn’t there when your mother needed me the most, I should’ve been. Seeing you everyday reminds me of how terrible of a brother I was. She needed me and I pretty much abandoned her. It’s just difficult.”
She sniffled, wiping at her face with her palms. “Then make it up to her and be here for me!” She sputtered, sniveling. “You don’t think this is hard for me, Uncle Marcus? She was all I knew, and she died, and I was brought here. I chose to come here to get out of those crappy foster homes. But I know nothing. I’m a laughingstock and I have no family. What am I supposed to do for Christmas? Stay in my dorm room because I have no family to get gifts for or receive from? Is that how’s it supposed to be? You said I could stay with you for the summer. How’s that gonna work if you don’t even wanna be around me?”
He looked away from Emma, clearing his throat. “Emma, please.” He whispered, but it was loud enough for her to hear. “I really am sorry. Tell you what – how about I take over your tutoring sessions to make up lost time?”
She crossed her arms, glaring at him. “You have to do more than that.” She stomped her foot, puffing out her bottom lip.
He chuckled. “You are just like your mother.” He shook his head and sighed, rubbing his face, scratching the scruff on his cheeks. “Alright, we can have dinner together sometime. How would you like that?”
Her face slightly relaxed. “You’d do all that for me?”
He nodded. “We can also go into town, maybe this weekend if you’d like. Do a little shopping if you want. You like shopping, don’t you?”
She nodded hesitantly. “I have plans this weekend though.” She bit her lips and her cheeks flushed with heat. “I have a date.”
His eyebrows rose up in surprise. “A date? With who?” He asked curiously, his stance shifting to a protective one. “Anyone I should be concerned about?”
She shook her head violently. “No. He’s a good guy.” She said quickly and added with he looked at her suspiciously. “It isn’t Drake Caulderon. Drake creeps me out.” She shivered, shaking her head.
He pursed his lips and shook his head, hesitant. “Alright,” he said slowly. “So, raincheck then?”
She nodded. “Raincheck.” She promised and smiled at him.
Sixteen
“So, what do you think of this?” Emma turned to face Kelyn, holding up her arms to show the outfit she had changed into.
Kelyn opened her eyes, looking over the jeans and shirt the ebony haired girl adorned, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “I don’t know.” She said slowly, biting her lip. “It seems a bit - wrong for a first date.”
Emma groaned, turning back to her wardrobe and pulled off another outfit. “The only things closest to dresses and stuff I’ve got is my uniforms and I really don’t want to go on a date in that.”
As she turned to set a different outfit down, she saw Kelyn close her eyes once again, making her pause briefly not for the first time. She looked at the girl in confusion and then shrugged it off, dismissing the fact that the girl was so shy she didn’t want to seem rude by watching her get dressed. She pulled on the new outfit and looked down at the next pair of jeans with a slightly less cute shirt.
“This won’t she either.” She huffed and Kelyn opened her eyes, tsking.
“Here,” Kelyn held up a flowery material, pushing it out towards Emma. “I brought this incase.”
Emma hesitated, eyeing it. She had seen Kelyn holding it when entering her room and had known from the start what it was, but she had been hoping she wouldn’t get this far in trying to find a decent outfit to wear. But one glance at the clock telling her that alloyed time was quickly approaching, she realized she didn’t have much of a choice. A dress would have to do, even if she really didn’t want to wear it. At least she would look nice for her date. She took the dress and once again not missing how Kelyn closed her eyes (now she thought it was out of mere respect at this point) she slipped on the dressed and smoothed it.
“There we go,” she announced so Kelyn could open her eyes and she twirled in front of the girl.
Kelyn’s face lit up and she clapped happily, giggling. “Oh, how lovely!” She gushed, bouncing on the bed.
Emma smiled and stepped in front of the full-length mirror on the back of the door, twirling so she could see her reflection. She did like what she saw but wondering if Josh would too made her palms go sweaty with nerves.
“You think Josh will to?” She said softly.
“I do. He’s going to love you in that.” Kelyn nodded and Emma met her eyes in the mirror. She grinned at Emma, giving her a double thumbs up. “You’re going to be fine; you’re going to have so much fun.”
Emma nodded and looked down at the dress, smoothing it out once again even though there was no r
eason to do.
“Oh, it’s ten ‘til! We’ve gotta get you downstairs.” Kelyn chirped and jumped from the bed, pulling Emma’s arm with her.
Emma giggled, letting herself be led from the room but made sure to pull the door closed behind them. She stumbled and then into step with her friend. Once they hit the landing of the staircase into the common room, Emma stopped her friend and turned to her, giving her a hug.
“Thank you, thank you for everything.”
“Oh!” Kelyn exclaimed, giggling as she squeezed Emma gently, patting her back. “You’re welcome.”
“I mean it, for everything. You’re my best friend Kelyn and I really appreciate it. If it weren’t for you, I have no idea how I would make it here.”
“Oh, get a room you two. Why do you have to flaunt everywhere? You two just can’t keep your hands off each other, can you?” Sherice’s called as she walked through the door of the common room.
Emma rolled her eyes but smiled gently at Kelyn who blushed furiously, looking down. “Hey, ignore her. She isn’t worth it.” Emma told her, squeezing her friend’s hand. “Just ignore her, okay?”
Kelyn nodded, hugging her friend one more time and parted ways with her as they got to the door and went their opposite ways; Emma towards the front of the castle and Emma towards the back steps up to the dorms on the fourth floor. As she descended the stairs, she saw no sign of Josh and bit her lip, nervous that he had decided to bail on her even though this was his idea. Maybe he had realized what a klutz she truly was and concluded she wasn’t worth even the time to tell he was no longer interested. He could have anyone, with how good looking he was. And any girl would swoon for him, they already made googly eyes at him when he passed, it wasn’t that hard to see. He could pick any of them, those who knew far much better Magic then them. It wouldn’t surprise her if he had decided to go after one of them instead.
But with slight hope, she pushed through the doors and stepped out onto the steps, squinting her eyes against the brightness of the sun, holding up a hand to block her eyes.
“Didn’t really take you for a dress kind of girl.” He commented, startling her.
He stepped out of the shadows, looking up at her with a grin on his face. She couldn’t help the relief that swept over her face as he stared up at her, her heart fluttering in happiness that he hadn’t bailed.
“You-you came.” She stammered and got a look of confusion from him. “Of course, you came, why wouldn’t you?” She said hastily and descended the stairs quickly to his side.
He grinned, holding his arm out for her. “You look beautiful.” He complimented, getting a blush from her and he chuckled. “I’ll never get tired of making you blush.”
Emma giggled, biting her lip as she slipped her arm through his. “Might be a good thing, you tend to do it a lot.” She half warned - half teased - him.
He laughed, shaking his head and pulled her forward with him. As she the doors reopened when they were feet away, she looked over her shoulder and saw Sherice standing on the stoop, staring down at them, her eyes wide in horror at the sight. Emma stuck her tongue out at her, smirking in delight knowing she had got something Sherice couldn’t have. She was smug, far too smug for her own delight. She turned her head, holding her chin up. Sherice didn’t haven’t a guy, it had been made official that morning in the dining hall when Drake had sat at a different table and left one side of Sherice completely empty. It had thrilled Emma more then it probably should’ve. She had a guy, something Sherice no longer had. Now if she could just get her powers under control and if the rumors were true - our power even Sherice. All she had to do was figure out how exactly how to do that.
“What’re you looking at?” He questioned curiously and she zipped her head around quickly her neck snapped forward.
“Nothing.” She said quickly. “So, this town; we’re allowed to go anytime?” She asked curiously.
“Kinda.” He looked at her curiously now. “They would prefer we do on weekends so as not to disrupt our studies, but some students like ditching.” He shrugged and pushed through the gates, holding it open for her.
She pretended to curtsy for him and orange out, inciting another laugh from him that flickered butterflies to flutter in her stomach like usual. She doubted she would ever get old of that feeling. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he bowed. “Onward we go.”
She smiled and took his arm again when he offered once, hesitating before she stepped up on her tiptoes and pecked his cheek. His pale skin flushed a bright pink, almost unnoticeable and had she been further from him, she wouldn’t have noticed. But she didn’t miss it this close up. She giggled and reached up, pressing the tips of her fingers to his cheek and felt them dip in slightly as he swallowed roughly from her touch. He reached up with his free hand and gently took her wrist between his fingers, pushing it down without even looking at her.
“What is there to do in the town?” She asked, trying to start up small talk again.
“There’s a few shops we can visit. A tea house we can stop for a quick bite you’d like. My treat,” he said quickly, eyeing the way she looked uncomfortable at the mention of it, thinking of having to pay. “I’m the one who asked you on this date after all.”
She looked up at him with a tight smile and nodded, thinking of the little pouch back in her dorm room, pushed under her pillow. She barely had twenty dollars to her name, the money left to her from her mother’s account was inaccessible until she turned eighteen. She had to make that measly twenty dollars last through until summer and maybe get a summer job to get a couple hundred to last the next year - wherever she was then. If she couldn’t catch up in her magic and failed to enter the familiar trials, she was pretty sure she wasn’t returning here. She wouldn’t be able to stand another full year of torment and ridicule.
“What’re you thinking about?” He pressed, pulling her from her thoughts, that genuine concern back in his tone.
She cleared her throat and looked up at him, her eyebrows creasing together and as was per usual when around him, her mouth betrayed her. “I don’t know if I’ll be here, at the school, next year.”
He arched an eyebrow. “No? Why do you say that?”
“I’m no good at magic.” Her shoulder slumped as the entered the sleepy little town and she let out a sigh. “I doubt I’m getting into the familiar trials at this rate. I can’t do any magic at all.”
He pulled her to a stop, turning her to face him, holding her shoulders as he looked down at her. “Now stop,” he said tartly, frowning at the way she was so down on herself. “It takes time, yes, but you’re going to get it. Even if it’s just enough to get into the trials and succeed, that’ll be good enough and this summer we can work together on your powers, alright?”
She nodded, her mouth slightly parting but a clearing of a throat made them both look up. A man who was stopped over, holding to a cane to support himself leered at them.
“Can we help you?” Josh said loudly, an edge of anger so rough that Emma grimaced - not having heard him speak that way before.
Th man snorted and turned, wobbling off while muttering beneath his breath, cane clacking on the gravel.
“My dad told me that this village mostly consists of mundane’s, people without magic.” Josh whispered, making sure he couldn’t be heard. “They think our school is for rich and snooty kids. So, when they see any of us, they treat us like rich and snooty kids.” He shook his head.
She eyed the old man, frowning in dismay at his retreating back. “That’s so sad.” She whispered, a sigh escaping her lips, her head shaking. “But I guess that’s the reward for covering our tracks.”
“They just don’t understand, they won’t ever understand.” Josh gave a one shoulder shrug. “It doesn’t matter though. We have each other.” He squeezed her arm gently and pulled her down a side road, taking her past the little shops. “If you see anything you want, anything at all you want, just tell me. My treat.” He promised,
a half smile on his lips.
She looked up at him curiously, nodding, chewing her lip. “You sure?”
“Absolutely.” He nodded, then pulled her towards a small shop tucked in between two bigger ones.
It was hardly noticeable being stuck like that. The tiny little barely reached half the size of either shop on both sides, but it seemed comfy in its spot, the peeling sign said it had been there a while and the open sign on the door said it was still in business. Maybe it was just one of those that had come with the town and when in passing, people couldn’t help but stop in and drop off a dollar or two - just enough to keep it on its feet. In the display window was an antique teapot seat, silver in color and Emma’s heart leapt in near joy. But she kept rooted to her spot, knowing full well it would be useless to try and buy it. She would have nowhere to put it, plus what was she supposed to do with it? Her mother was the one who had liked antique tea pots and their sets. She had a couple that Emma could remember from when she was younger but moving so much meant giving precious items up. Which included her precious tea pot sets. She had sold them for gas money. The one in the window looked like an exact copy that Emma remembered her having.
Could it be the exact one? No. It was probably the same type, color and everything else. But for it to be all this way out was nearly impossible. She couldn’t remember ever coming the mountains just to sell the teapot set for gas money.
“Do you like that?” Josh asked, looking down at her, his eyes searching her face and she realized he must’ve seen the longing in her eyes.
She blinked several times. “No. Nope.” She shook her head. “It just reminded me of something, is all.” She said quickly and glanced up at the shop, her blood running cold at the name.
Mama’s Tea Shop. Get all your Tea set needs and stop in for some as well. Biscuits on the house!
Something was nagging her in the back of her brain. Something seemed so familiar about the shop, but she just couldn’t put her finger on it. Pulling her eyes away from the shop, she pulled Josh with her down the street once more. “We should keep going.” She said as lightly as she could, just desperate to get away from the shop and put as much distance between it and her as possible.