"Yes. He said Mom is on the top priority list."
"Good," she replied, returning her concentration to curling my hair. I finished my makeup and after Alice was done curling my hair, she used a brush to loosen them, giving me a wave look Logan apparently loved. I didn't know where she got her info from or if her stalking tendencies had increased, but I learned early on in life to always take Alice's advice. Maybe it was familiar instincts or something.
"Put those sexy red heels with the black bows and let me have a look at ya," she commanded and I sighed, walking over to my two columns of shoes. The black piece of furniture was supposed to be a bookshelf, but if you wanted to save space, using it as a shoe rack was a perfect way. Not to mention it was stylish and made my girlfriends at school jealous when they came over for school projects.
I wouldn't say I was the popular kid, but I knew a lot of people at my school. My problem was being the girl that fit in everywhere but never had a group to call their own. In my teens, I'd craved for the fulfillment that came from being a part of a group, but I never got the chance.
Now that I was twenty-one and aiming to apply to university, I wondered if I'd end up in the same situation yet again.
I grabbed the pair of heels she suggested and slid them on my feet before turning to face her. She crossed her arms while her purple eyes looked me up and down consideringly.
"Black belt. The thin one with the red rhinestones," she suggested, walking up to my closet and grabbing the belt she was referring to.
"I don't get how you know my closet better than I do," I pointed out.
"That's because I organize it when I have nothing else to do. A familiar's life is rather boring when you're not doing anything," she commented. I lowered my gaze to the floor, staring at my shoes while she fixed my belt.
I knew if I went to a magic school like she suggested, she would feel more useful, being able to put her power and smarts to use by assisting me in all sorts of things. I felt horrible that she had to live her life more as a pet and a friend then performing the role she was supposed to, but I'd been firm with my future plans.
Alice's hand went under my chin, tilting my head up. "Don't think that just because I'm not doing what all other familiars do for their mage means I don't enjoy the life I have. Other familiars don't get to remain in human form and do what they please. They are bound to their mage's rules and regulations and aren't given the freedom you provide me. I'm happy and satisfied with my life. Please don't ever think otherwise," she declared with confidence.
I gave her a shy smile and nodded. "Thanks, Alice."
"You’re welcome. Now Logan should be here any moment. You know he's always five minutes early," she reminded.
"You're right about that," I admitted, glancing at the clock and realizing it was six minutes to seven.
I knelt down to pull out a hidden drawer built into my bed, reserved for my more luxurious handbags. I didn't use these bags often but wanted to look special for tonight.
It was our anniversary of being friends, yet neither of us could remember how long we’d known each other. He was two years older than me and I had memories of him from as young as when I was three, but our parents said we met even earlier than that.
Either way, we always liked to celebrate the day by going out for a dinner, seeing a movie, or taking a walk around town. Today we were walking around the new shopping district that opened then going out for dinner.
I got my phone, lipstick, and wallet, placing them in a red leather bag with a simple pattern of the designer logo all over the material. It was the newest trend in our town and all the girls were desperately trying to work their butts off to afford the luxury item.
I didn't need to work due to a large amount of money given to our family after Father's and Gabriel's passing. The government still supplied us money monthly because of Father's contributions to the country and because to his loyalty, we'd always receive a small amount each month.
I was in charge of the funds due to my mom's health status, but we didn't spend much so the money simply stacked up over the years. On top of that, because my mother was an educator, I received free education.
Once in a while, I liked to splurge on trending items that were unique and eye-catching but I also didn't mind casual wear. I wasn't hard to please.
My phone began to vibrate. I quickly pulled it out to see Logan was calling me. I slid my hand across the screen to answer it.
"Hey," I said cheerfully.
"Hey, Jewel. Ready to go?" Logan's deep voice questioned; I smiled just from the sound of his voice.
"Yes. Just finished. Are you outside?"
"Right up front on the ugly green mat," he confirmed.
I rolled my eyes and heard Alice giggle. "I told you that mat is hideous," she hummed.
"I don't get what the big deal is. It's just a mat," I defended. Alice had super sensitive owl hearing which carried through to her human form, making it easy for her to listen to our conversation. Logan and I had gotten so used to it, we didn't care if she joined in.
"It's disturbingly ugly," Logan declared.
"My exact words," Alice agreed.
"You two can insult my doormat later. I'll see you in one minute Logan," I reassured him.
"Alright. Bye, Alice." Logan called.
"Have fun. Make sure you kiss-" I hung up the phone before she could finish. She grinned proudly, pulling another manga book out from my other hidden drawer on the other side of the bed.
"I'm leaving. If I don't come home tonight, I’ll be at Logan's. You can come by if your lonely or bored. Logan has a bigger manga collection than me," I offered.
"I'll be fine. I'm gonna go for a night fly later once I make sure Mom takes her meds,” she hummed, relaxing on the bed. She laid down and began reading the new manga I'd bought last week with Logan. He was obsessed with Shojo manga. I thought it was for more of the female audience, but he began going on about gender equality and I zoned him out.
"Not to mention, you two need some alone time to get freaky in the-"
"Bye, Alice." I was already out the door and closing it shut. I could hear her giggle and I smiled, feeling much better than I had before. Alice always knew how to cheer me up, and I was so grateful to have her in my life.
Having a familiar was a privilege and one I never took for granted. That was exactly one of the reasons why I gave Alice the freedom to do what she pleased.
I raced downstairs, peeking into the living room to see Mom watching one of her Korean dramas. "Mom, I'm going now," I announced.
She turned to me and her expression softened. "Look at you, Jewel. You look lovely," she said softly and a wide grin formed on my lips.
"Thanks, Mom. Remember to sleep, alright? Alice will check on you later," I reassured her.
She nodded. "Alright. Night sweetheart, I love you."
"I love you more." I blew her a kiss and headed for the door. I opened it up to see Logan standing outside. He smiled as he scanned my appearance, looking satisfied with what he saw before him.
"Hey, my precious Jewel," he greeted, revealing a bouquet of flowers he had hidden behind his back. I gawked at the bundle of flowers that were in various colors, reminding me of a rainbow.
"Logan? You didn't need to get me roses," I whispered in admiration as I accepted the gift. He always spoiled me with some type of gift, but this was the first time I'd received flowers from him.
"Do you like them?" he questioned. I looked up and saw he looked amused by my joyful reaction.
"I love them! They're beautiful and perfect," I whispered.
"Just like you." he praised and I blushed.
"This is why you two should just date."
I practically jumped at the sound of Alice’s whisper. I looked over to see her standing there with the biggest grin on her face. I turned back to see Logan's flushed cheeks as he glanced away.
"Stop teasing, Alice," I mumbled and she laughed.
"I'll handle the flowers, hav
e fun tonight,” she exclaimed, taking the bouquet from me and using her hip to push me out the door.
I squeaked as I took an unexpected step forward and Logan immediately steadied me, his arms wrapping around my waist.
"Alice!" I began, but the door closed before I could say more. I groaned. "She's something else."
"At least she has character, especially for a familiar," Logan pointed out.
I nodded in agreement. "True."
I turned my head to face him and we shared a look; my gaze lowered to his lips.
"I guess we should be on our way," I suggested in a hushed tone.
"Guess we should," he replied, but his hold around my waist tightened. My body melted into his and I took a deep breath, inhaling the gentle scent of his cologne.
"Logan, I'm fine. You can let go," I whispered.
"And what if I said I didn't want to?" he countered.
I gave him a curious look and raised an eyebrow at him. "Logan Cross. Unless you're planning to date me, I suggest you-"
Soft lips pressed against mine; my eyes widened at the sudden kiss. I stared into his gold eyes before closing my own and kissing him back. I didn't know what to expect from my first kiss, but the blissful sensation that coursed through me as our lips moved at a sensual pace made my toes curl and sent shivers of excitement through me.
He released my lips after a long moment. I opened my eyes to meet his intense gaze. "Date me," he whispered.
My lips curled into a smile at his words, feeling overjoyed by his request. "You want to date someone like me who thinks a sexy male like you shouldn't be addicted to Shojo manga and ‘Shall We Date’ video games?"
Logan grinned, leaning close enough so his lips just barely touched mine. "I'm not addicted, but to answer your question, I do want to date someone like you who thinks I'm extremely attractive and secretly adores my Shojo manga addiction and video game dating apps."
I closed the distance and kissed him and he smiled before returning the kiss. This one was a little longer than the last and when he pulled away, I was left wanting more.
He chuckled quietly, leaning in to whisper in my ear. "We can kiss more later. I promise."
"I'm holding you to that promise," I remarked but knew Logan would keep his word. His hand slipped in mine and we walked hand-in-hand down the stairs of my house and down the driveway to where his car was parked.
"You drove today?" I asked. He pulled out his keys and nodded.
"I want to take you somewhere else for our date. You up for it?" he asked, giving me a playful grin.
"As long as it’s fun and involves me kicking your ass at some type of activity, I'm down," I replied. He unlocked the car and opened the passenger door, extending his hand to help me inside. I thanked him and relaxed in the leather black seat of the red sports car, watching him close my door before he came around the front and opened the driver’s side.
"Trust me, it will be fun but I'll beat you even with my eyes closed."
I gave him a confident smirk as he started the car; his gold eyes twinkled with amusement as they met mine.
"Challenge accepted," I replied.
"Are you excited or nervous?" I asked, enjoying the swaying motion of the swing.
"A little bit of both," Logan admitted as he stared up at the night sky.
Logan had taken me to the fair that was being held at the park on the other side of town. Today was the last day and everyone, both young and old, were excited to spend the end of summer enjoying a good time with friends and loved ones. After having fun at multiple booths and eating a bunch of treats, we went to a fancy restaurant.
Our attire was perfect for the occasion and I kept finding myself staring at Logan who wore black tailored dress pants and a silk red dress shirt. We enjoyed a lovely meal before driving down to this little park where we used to play at when were little. It was always nice to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere as we swung on the swings.
His shoulder-length black hair looked amazing, especially with the new addition of blond highlights he'd got done in preparation for his freshman year at Brighten Academy.
"Have you started planning for university?" Logan asked. I sighed, turning to stare at his curious expression as we swung slightly. He knew I didn't like talking about the topic, but it was only five days before he'd be off to the number one magic school and I'd be left alone.
"I'm looking into it, but they're all so far away. I don't want to leave my mom alone for so long. My neighbor is willing to check on her and she still has many friends to talk to, but I just want to ensure she takes her medication," I confessed.
"The neighbor Alice always steals jewelry from? She's super nice. I'm sure she would check on your mom with no problem," Logan suggested.
"I know. I just..." I trailed off, unsure of how to explain how I was feeling and the numerous thoughts that plagued my mind whenever the topic was brought up.
"You don't want her alone. Even if it's for school," Logan finished.
I gave him an apologetic look. "Yes. She doesn't bring it up, but I know she hates being alone. If I go to school in another town or even country, Alice would have to come with me. She can't be far from me for that long, a few days is fine but not weeks or months. I wish there was a school closer so I could come check on her on weekends."
"We can work something out. I can always come and check on her every weekend," he offered. I stopped the swing and got up to stretch.
"You don't have to. Aren't you planning to stay in a dorm there?" I asked. He smirked, patting his lap for me. I smiled, walking over to to sit on his lap facing him, crossing my arms around his neck. He placed a secure hand around my waist and stared into my eyes with amusement.
"Yes, but your mom is like family to me and I don't want you stressing when you should concentrate on your studies. The dorm has parking so I can easily drive down here and stay with her for a few hours,” he reassured me.
"You don't have to, Logan. It's not your responsibility," I whispered. He leaned up and pressed a tender kiss to my forehead.
"I want to, though."
"Thank you," I acknowledged, wanting him to know how grateful I was to have him in my life. He'd been my rock when Father died and again when I lost Brother.
It was thanks to him that the man who killed my brother, Lark Huntly, had been arrested and charged with first-degree murder. His friends were also charged for their involvement and prohibited from attending Brighten again.
I was too distraught at the time to explain what I'd witnessed so Logan took my place and stood in front of the jury to explain what he saw that day. His parents had brought him to the school since Mother had informed them of our plan to celebrate Gabriel's birthday. Logan was approaching me when he noticed the commotion in the top tower. Even though he too, tried to use some type of magic to stop brother's descent, he was too far away to be able to save him.
Since then, he'd stayed with me through thick and thin, and even though he could have gotten into Brighten Magic Academy two years ago, he had waited, wanting me to reach the age to decide which school I wanted to go to before he applied.
"You’re welcome, Jewel. Want to walk back?" he asked.
"Would it be weird for me to say I don't want to go home yet?"
"Who said you're going home?" he asked with a playful grin.
"Am I staying at your place?"
"I'd love for you to," he replied, closing the distance between our lips and giving me a sweet kiss.
For as long as we've been friends, I never thought we'd ever be more than that. Don't get me wrong, Logan's looks alone were like a fresh plate of pancakes with a glorious amount of maple syrup. His sex appeal would make any girl ready to throw themselves at him and with his family name, every girl in our town wanted to date him.
The Cross family had been well-known mage warriors for generations and continued to maintain their reputation to this day. Logan was no exception, having already surpassed his parents in mana level and his casting
speed was on par with an adult who'd trained for at least a few years as a mage warrior.
It was only because of me he'd remained in town for this long, ignoring his parents’ constant push to go to Brighten. He was already entering on a full scholarship and only had to take the entrance test because it was a requirement for all students.
Our parents always figured we would eventually date one another but never pushed it. Logan's father was more determined to have him focusing on his future career than on me, but his Mother was supportive of our friendship and the possibility of a relationship. Regardless, his parents had been extremely busy since he was six, which resulted in him growing up alone for a good portion of the year.
That led to him staying with us a lot of the time, especially during the summer when school was out. Mother wasn't diagnosed then and my early teens had some of my fondest memories, with all of us together..
I hopped off Logan's lap and he stood up to stretch, before slipping his hand into mine. "Let's go," he suggested and I nodded. We walked for a while in silence, enjoying the cool evening air. Now that summer was almost over, there weren't as many kids out playing or testing their magic.
"Jewel?"
"Yes, Logan?" We paused in our movement, only a few feet away from a large cherry blossom tree where a few kids were being adventurous and climbing its enormous branches.
"Are you sure you don't want to try magic school? Or even pursue becoming a mage warrior?" Logan questioned. I bet he didn't like the idea of me wasting my magic, just like Alice and everyone else.
I wanted to avoid the topic, but he turned to face me, his hands resting on my hips. "I'm serious, Jewel. Do you really want to forgo this chance?"
"I..." I trailed off. Logan lifted his hands to cradle my face, forcing me to look directly into his gold eyes.
"I get that what happened to Gabriel will always be embedded in your mind, Jewel, especially when it comes to using magic. I just want to make sure you don't regret this decision. You were so passionate about being a mage warrior when you were younger. Now, you avoid using magic except occasionally to ensure you don't get rusty,” he commented.
REFLECTIONS OF YOU (Brighten Magic Academy Book 1) Page 3