A Little Bit Stronger by Sara Evans blared through my right ear bud as I tiredly leaned my head against the bus seat window. Ryan sits next to me, asleep against the back of the seat with his mouth hanging open slightly. He had in my left ear bud which, since he was asleep, I was seriously thinking about stealing back. I’m not a very nice person when I’m tired.
This morning I was reminded how tiring magic is when you’re already exhausted. I had realized to my horror that I owned nothing of that same green color as the shirt I had worn yesterday. If I had known I’d have to wear a certain color for all times in the near future due to hiding from warlocks I would have worn blue. But alas. At least green is my second favorite color. It’s also good that I can pull this off as a legit eye color. Sometimes when I’m really not paying attention I’ll put on a purple shirt and have to make it seem like I’m wearing contacts. That’s just embarrassing. Anyway, discovering I had nothing green to wear I had put on a tie dye t-shirt (because those are my favorites especially when I can just let my eyes go tie dye and it’s super cool) that says Peace Love Hilton Head on it and some black sweatpants (because they’re just so comfy!). I then took one of my many pull over sweatshirts and it just happened to be blue. Seeing as that wouldn’t work I very carefully removed the dye from the fabric of the sweatshirt and left it a plain boring white color. After that I took the shirt I was wearing yesterday, drained it of dye and then dyed the sweatshirt with the t-shirt dye. It was probably the most I’ve thought about what I’m wearing to school in, like, ever.
Wait did I skip out on the how-the-heck-did-I-drain-the-dye-out-of-my-clothes part? Well like I said it’s magic and so, being a good witch, I’m not going to reveal my secrets to you…JK. Magic is not Cinderella’s bippity boppity boo (although that would be much easier) or Harry Potter’s Avada Kadavra (and yes I’m perfectly aware that one of those spells enchants pumpkins while the other kills people. Harry doesn’t need to mess up vegetables so there isn’t a spell for that). Magic is more like asking a friend to do something. Or frienemy. Me and my t-shirt are no longer on speaking terms. Every inanimate object has a sort of aura of personality so you just have to ask it to do what you want. Of course if you just start barking out orders, your pencil might be like, ‘What the heck? I ain’t drawin’ for you!’ and then in art class you’re screwed. It’s better to get to know your inanimate objects. I’m serious. My mom is BFF’s with the kitchen dishes and me and my school textbooks are tight. That’s why we just ask them to do what we want and most of the time they oblige. You know that part of the Disney Pocahontas song ‘Colors of the Wind’ or whatever it’s called where she says ‘every rock and tree and creature has a life and a spirit and a name’? Yeah. That’s basically it.
“Are we there yet?” Ryan groans, waking up. I open one eye to look out the window. We’re passing by an old barn with a couple of cows already out and cruising around. Every landmark on the way to school is basically a time marker for Ryan and I since we timed the bus ride which is on-the-dot punctual every day.
“One minute and thirty-four seconds until we pull into the parking space,” I predict. We both know that I’m right to the very second. Some things never change and you don’t want them to. Unless we’re two hours later for a two hour delay that we don’t have to make up. Then I say SLEEP IN!
One minute and thirty-four seconds later we pull into our parking space and I elbow Ryan in the ribs to wake him up from his dozing. He grumbles and casts me a don’t-cross-me-before-8 look as he gives me back my ear bud. He’s wearing a red t-shirt with some band on the front and black pants. I envy him for a second because I will never ever be able to wear a red shirt. I can get away with purple eyes but I’m not pushing my luck with red.
Ryan and I walk down to our lockers and I see Jaz sticking out like a sore thumb. She’s wearing a floor-length orange dress with a big black bow on the right shoulder and orange and clear sequins stuck on every inch of it. I know that she did it herself because I was there when she did it. She’s wearing two inch black heels and her hair is in a style to make it in the shape of a big black bow on the top of her head with shimmering orange streamers threaded through it. I think I need a moment for my eyes to adjust to her. Ryan rolls his eyes when he sees her but I just smile. Although we pick on each other’s style, I’m always happy to see Jaz.
YOU ARE READING
For the Love of Magic
Fantasy"We have a new student in our class today," he announces. I see Jaz's face light up at the prospect of being in the same class as one of the new students. "This is Dominico Redwind and I expect you all to make him feel welcome." I hear a couple peop...
