𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫

Magicky Stuff

 "Good morning!" A voice sang in my ear.

 I groaned and covered my head under the blankets. Which were ripped off a second later, baring me to the cold morning air. "NOOOO," I groaned, clawing at the air in an attempt to find my stolen covers without moving too much or opening my eyes.

 "You are so cute when you sleep," Koral cooed.

 "I'll let you watch me if you give me ten more minutes," I mumbled.

 "Nope! It's time to get up. We need to practice."

 "Practice?"

 Koral stole my pillow. "Yes, practice. You are so set on staying, so now you have to learn what I have to teach."

 "Ugh, nooooo. It's cold! There is no school in summer. Stop. Go away," my voice faded into incoherent jumbles of words. Koral clucked her tongue and whacked me over the head with my pillow.

 "ACK! STOP!"

 I should have known she wouldn't. The blankets were gone. The pillow too. Next went the cushion, which flipped abruptly over, throwing me face first into the dirt. I yelped before I hit the ground and rubbed my head sleepily.

 Koral beamed. "Great, you're up! Let's go."

 I looked around, finding a sky just beginning to turn gray. My jaw dropped.. "The sun hasn't even risen yet!"

 "I thought you were used to waking up early," Koral teased.

 "Not by choice," I muttered.

 Koral placed her hands on her hips. "Do you want to learn how to use your powers or not?"

 "Powers? Wait....We're learning magic?!"

 She rolled her deep blue eyes. "Yes, now that I have your attention, we are learning magic. But you have to get up!"

 "I'm up!" I cried, jumping to my feet. "Where to?"

 The only thing I got in answer was a laugh and a shake of the head. Then Koral took off down the hill, shouting at me to hurry up. I beamed. This. Was. Actually. Happening!

_____________

 Learning magic was not what I expected.

 Koral had had me doing squats for thirty minutes. Squats?! And that was after the sprint we'd taken, and the stretching and whatever other thing she seemed to come up with on the spot. Her only explanation was that I needed to be completely awake. She was sweet. But when she taught she acted like those violent dodge ball type gym teachers from the movies.

 She gestured for me to stop, and I rested my hands on my knees, panting. I had changed into a tank top and leggings that she had apparently just had lying around.

 "Okay, now that your nice and warmed up—"

 "You think?" I seethed.

 "You're annoyed. Good. Don't let it tire you. Use it as fuel."

 I didn't have the energy to reply. We had already been out here for hours. And I felt well and truly sore. Hell, I felt numb in places I didn't even know I had. If I don't wake up tomorrow with a six pack, I am never exercising again.

 Koral laughed. "It'll take a little more than one session until you wake up with one of those."

 "Good, because I didn't want one anyway."

 "Have you never exercised before?"

 "I've had better things to do."

 "Like?"