Natalie was on top of the world all week. It was real. Magic was real. She'd read about it in so many books, dreamed and wished for something like this. But she lived in the real world. Nothing like this ever happened in the real world.
She flicked on the lights in her room, then off again, then on again. From her bed. With her mind.
The rest of the week was spent exploring just what she could do. As soon as her dad left every morning, she called out to her new friend, and he came bounding out of the woods. She named him Scrappy, since she couldn't think of anything else and it had been the name of the pet cat in the apartment next to theirs back in Chicago. He could understand her, and in his own way, he could even talk to her. Nothing like a real conversation, but in a lot of ways, she liked it more.
Natalie learned how to move things around more reliably, after the effort spent moving the window into place. She also learned how to choke out fire, using matches (that she wasn't supposed to ever touch) as a source of fire. It was safer than the stove, she assumed, so it was probably okay. Her dad never noticed.
She still hadn't told him. Every time they sat down to eat dinner, she started to, but something held her tongue. He just seemed off, and it made her reluctant. Something was wrong, and she wasn't sure what, but she didn't want to tell him about her amazing new discovery while he was sad. It should be a happy moment, so she waited.
She waited all week, until finally, her dad started a conversation over dinner.
"Your birthday's tomorrow," he said.
"Yours too," she reminded him. They had the same birthday, just like Jenny, but he never really did anything to celebrate it. It was always about her. Natalie wanted to change that for once. She just wanted him to cheer up.
"You never left a wish for the Fairy."
Natalie shrugged. She'd totally forgotten, busy with so many other things all day. She hadn't even played a single game on her phone all week, and only opened her books to try and get more ideas for magic to try out. Most of it didn't do anything at all, but then again, the way she did magic didn't sound anything like those books anyway, so it wasn't that surprising.
"Maybe if you tell me, I can still get it to her in time."
"Can we have dinner with the Wilsons?" she blurted.
"What?"
Natalie barreled on, heedless of however he might react. "Jenny's parents are super nice. Her mom makes the best cookies, and you could be friends with her dad, and then we can hang out all the time and we don't have to be alone anymore—"
"Natalie!"
She paused for breath. "Please?"
He sighed. "Is that really what you want for your birthday?"
"Yes. More than anything."
"What about a new phone? I thought you said that one was having problems."
It was, and Natalie was getting annoyed with it dying all the time when she was out in the fort trying to look up things on the internet. "...I can wait a year."
He glanced around the room. "We don't really have a big enough table to have people over for dinner…"
Natalie shook her head. "They've got a whole big dining table and everything. Her dad made it himself. He's a woodworker with mean Mr. Harrison." She stopped, seeing his face. "Sorry… I meant, Mr. Harrison."
Her dad shook his head. "Natalie, what did I say about going into that part of town?"
"That I'm not supposed to," she repeated under her breath.
"...I guess I'm going to have to go make sure it's safe then," he grumbled.
"...You mean—"
"Do you have their phone number?"
"Yeah!" Natalie smiled, pulling out her phone. To her annoyance, it died the moment she tried to turn it on. "Stupid thing."
"Hang on, turtle." He leaned over and plucked something out of a bag on the counter. "You got the Birthday Fairy confused, so she got you two things this year." He handed her a shiny new phone, black with a pink case already on it.
Natalie grabbed it up and turned it on. "You got me—"
"Brand new, not used this time," he said, smiling. "Go ahead."
She turned it on. "...The signal's being all stupid again," she sighed. "I can't login."
He glanced over at the window. "Well… it's still light out. Do you want to go for a walk?"
"But—"
"Their house isn't that far, right? We can just stop by."
Realization dawned on her. She leaped off her chair and ran to hug him around the waist. "Thank you! Thank you thank you thankyouthankyouthankyou!"
"Slow down!" He ruffled her hair, and she laughed. "Finish your dinner first, all right?"
"Turtles are already slow," she pointed out.
"Not in the water."
"Really?"
"Clear your mouth before you talk, Natalie."
She swallowed. "Sorry."
Her dad smiled, and walked around to sit behind he, brushing her hair. "Turtles can swim faster than people. All the way up to thirty five miles per hour, if they really put their shell into it."
"Wow."
"Happy birthday, turtle," he added.
"It's not the fourteenth yet," she pointed out.
"Well, we'll just call the whole week your birthday week, okay?"
"That's silly."
"I can be silly."
Natalie laughed. "No you can't."
He made a face with the chopsticks for his rice, but he wasn't very good at looking goofy. She just shook her head and went back to her new phone, tapping through the settings to get it how she liked it.
He sighed. "Finish your dinner, and then we'll go on that walk, okay?"
"Okay."
Her dad got up and started cleaning up the rest of the room. She glanced up again, and to her satisfaction, he looked a little less depressed. It was working.
"Hey dad?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
He smiled. "I love you too, Natalie."
----------------------------------------
It took Natalie an hour to calm down. The place was quiet in the meantime. She could vaguely hear Quinn's parents talking, and Quinn was in his room. She thought about listening in, but she felt like that would be a betrayal of trust. They'd let her in, even though she hadn't managed to tell them anything. If she spied on them now, that'd be more fuel for the fire.
She could still tell when the front door opened and closed, though. The air in the whole place changed a little when that happened, and her new ears were picking up a lot more sound than they used to. Even without using any magic actively, she could tell that everyone had left.
But no one said anything to me…
She waited for a long time, but no one came back. Natalie reversed her spell on the door again, wincing as the wood cracked a little shrinking down to normal size. She inched it open, peering out into the hallway.
No one was home.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
She looked around. On the table, a piece of paper was folded into thirds, so that it made a triangle propped up, with her name in big black letters so she'd spot it easily. Well, not my name, but still. Natalie made it fly over to meet her as she plopped down on the couch, curling up with the blanket she'd left there the night before.
Jenny,
We'll be out for a couple hours at church. Help yourself to anything in the fridge (or cupboard) if you're still hungry. There's some bacon left too. Just heat it up in the microwave. (or the oven if you want it to taste good)
We'll be back around 12:30. Make yourself at home! (but don't go in Quinn's room, it's a nightmare in there)
-Annette (and Damian, the evil half of the household)
P.S. Here's my number, if you need it (and mine, because she can never find her phone)
The asides were in a different handwriting. Clearly, Damian had gotten ahold of the note afterward and added a few touches. Natalie smiled and folded it back up, tucking it into her bag. They really did seem like good people, and she really wanted to stay there.
Natalie finally got out her phone again — the same phone her father had bought her for their eleventh birthday. The week she'd awakened. The week she'd finally gotten him to open up and come to Jenny's house for dinner. The week he'd met Robert Harrison.
She quickly opened up Rachel's website before she got too lost in memories.
As expected, not a word from Kendra or Lily. Natalie wasn't even surprised anymore, and didn't bother sending anything to them either. Hailey had finally replied, with a long-winded apology and an explanation that was so vague Natalie didn't even finish reading it. There were a few warnings about the book from Josh and Cinza, but it was too little, too late really. Natalie already knew what was coming. Nothing from Alden or Hector either, since Alden was off on some crazy mission and Hector was who-knew-where.
Nothing from Rachel.
Natalie sighed and put her phone away again. She took a shower, imagining it was washing away all the invisible guilt hanging on her. Afterward, she did another quick ritual, almost rushing it. The moonstones rattled ominously before she remembered that it wasn't supposed to be as easy as it seemed for her.
After some consideration, Natalie had decided she could reverse her hair back to her natural brown. She could say it was just temporary color. The ears and the eyes had to stay though, at least for now. Looking in the mirror, Natalie realized that the tips actually poked out of her hair just a little, and more whenever she turned. They had to have seen them, just like her new eyes.
At least I like the eyes. My eyes were always super boring. Purple looks so cool. The ears, Natalie wasn't so sure of. She liked the look, and that they actually had a practical use too, but they were just too prominent. People would notice. She'd stand out.
You already stood out. The scar marked you to everyone. Embrace it.
She returned to the living room. Quinn's family would be home soon. Natalie sat on the couch, hands on her knees, waiting, but she kept fidgeting around. She'd never been good at sitting still and doing nothing. Reading for hours, sure, though she had to switch sides or move around practically every few pages, contorting herself so that her eyes never left the page.
You are afraid of them.
"No," she murmured, though she'd started to realize it hours ago as the memories kept assaulting her.
You saw what it does. Don't let it happen to you.
"Am I dreaming again or something?" she muttered. She pinched herself, but nothing happened.
Talk to them.
"And they're just gonna be okay with giving a room to a murderer?" she said aloud. It was the first time she'd said it, ever, and surprisingly she didn't hesitate for a second.
You aren't a murderer.
"I killed people. Lots of people." She shook her head. "That's what I am."
You looked it up. It was self defense. That means it's not murder, by your laws.
"That doesn't make me feel any better!" Natalie shouted at the wall. She got up, pacing around the room. "Would you just leave me alone?"
I'm not real.
"No kidding," she muttered.
The voice didn't speak up again, to her relief. Natalie didn't trust it though. She walked across the room to the keyboard, desperate for noise to drown it out if it came back. She started playing, first the songs she knew. After she exhausted all of those, she started making up notes on the spot, just like she used to with her dad. She turned it up to the highest volume it could go, and added a drum track with the little buttons, tapping the keys to the beat and losing herself in it.
Maybe this is what happened to Dad… Maybe he had a voice too, and it made him crazy. That can happen, right? 'Cause I'm his daughter?
The thought scared her even more, and she played harder. She kept at it until she was practically pounding on the keyboard, until she realized what she was probably doing to the people on the floor below. Embarrassed, she turned everything down, but she didn't stop playing. It had been so long since she got to play piano, and even though she couldn't play along with her dad anymore, it still made her feel better.
She reached into her bag and fumbled around for his drumsticks, which she set on the sheet music rest. Then, just for fun, Natalie started having the piano play itself, tapping the keys without her hands. She messed with the electricity going to the speakers to get a different sound. She'd never tried mixing magic and music before.
What if I could make music with just magic?
She kept playing, but she started to feel out the sound waves in the air as they moved, just like she did when she was listening in on people's conversations. She tried to copy them, little by little. She'd play a note, feel it out, then make it again in midair with magic. It took her half an hour, but eventually she could do one note, then two. Soon she was playing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' in midair, as if there were an invisible piano in the room. She turned back on the drum-beat, but this time, she used magic instead of her fingers to add a melody, since she could switch around so much faster and never got stuck on a key or flubbed a note.
The front door swung open.
Natalie dove for the power button on the keyboard, mashing it off just in time.
"Hello?" called Damian. He wandered in, dressed sharp. The other two members of the family were close behind. "Was that you playing?"
"...Yes," she answered.
"That was some sweet jazz, Jenny. Where'd you learn to play like that?"
"My dad. He'd drum and I'd play piano." She glanced up. Quinn was walking in too. She gave him a little wave.
"I'm glad someone's getting some use out of that thing," added Annette, setting her purse down and dropping a set of keys into the bowl on the kitchen counter. "Q gave up on it after only two lessons."
Quinn shot his mother an annoyed look. "It just wasn't my thing, okay?"
"Nah, that'd be card games," said Damian, grinning. "I'm guessing you've been sucked into Conquest by now, huh Jenny?"
"Yeah!" She latched onto the topic, since it was safe. "I beat him, too."
"Did you now?" Damian looked around to his son in exaggerated shock. "Is that how I taught you, Q?"
"She's really good," said Quinn, his face turning red.
"Well, Jenny, I think you might be our secret weapon at the next tournament then. If you're interested."
"You play too?" she asked, curious.
"Oh, the whole family does. Annette doesn't much care for it, but she knows how."
Annette sighed. "You two are addicted, and I don't have the time to keep up."
"Too many cases, Mom?" asked Quinn.
"The moment I put my name back in the hat tomorrow, the city's going to have another case ready, with another poor soul railroaded through the system." Annette sat down at the table and opened her battered laptop. "It's a miracle I have any free time at all."
"She's a public defender for the city," explained Damian to a confused Natalie. "A lawyer for people who can't afford 'em."
They're all such good people. I don't deserve this. What am I doing here?
"Well, I've still got the day off," he added. "And I gotta see how you play, if you can take down my Q."
"You know I've never beaten Tyler, right?" said Quinn exasperatedly, even as he got the decks out from a box on the bookshelves in the living room.
"He won the last five tournaments in a row," said Damian with a shrug. "We're all amateurs compared to him."
Annette glanced over as they started dealing out the territory decks. "Dear, I'm sure she doesn't feel like playing a silly game righ—"
"I want to," interrupted Natalie.
Damian grinned. "All right then!"
"And…" Natalie hesitated. You don't have anywhere else to go. Kendra and Lily still aren't answering. You're not taking advantage of them. Don't be afraid.
"Yes?" Damian prompted, while Quinn finished setting up the decks.
"I wanna… stay with you guys. If it's all right." She looked down at the floor again, embarrassed.
"Of course it is!"
"As long as you need to," added Annette firmly.
Natalie wanted to feel relieved, but it was still mixed. It's alright now, but what about Tuesday, when everything comes out? What are you going to say then?
"There's a few ground rules though," added Damian, as he started looking through the territories, planning his draft. "First, winner picks what's for dinner."
Natalie giggled. That wasn't at all what she expected. "Okay."
"I hope you like salmon, because I'm not losing," he added.
"Ugh," said Quinn, rolling his eyes.
"Second, Quinn, you're not allowed to go into Jenny's room. Off-limits, got it?"
"Huh?"
Natalie was a little confused too. She wondered what they meant by that rule. Was it what she thought, more to do with their relationship (whatever that is right now), or…
"It's her space," said Annette. "Nobody else's. Even we aren't allowed in unless she says so."
Natalie's throat swelled up with gratitude. She opened her mouth, but choked on her words. The amount of trust was overwhelming. She looked away again, feeling like she might cry.
"Although if it starts smellin' awful in there, I might call in a hazard squad," added Damian with a wink.
"I can clean up after myself," she insisted, dabbing at her eyes.
"Good." Damian looked across the board of territories, took a second to think, then picked up a market. "Third rule, no going in Quinn's room with the door closed."
"What?" asked Quinn. Natalie understood immediately though. Her face got very hot. She looked away again, embarrassed for an entirely different reason this time.
"Those are the rules."
"Plus more if we need them," added Annette.
"Thanks, lawyer-mom."
"Does that sound okay, Jenny?"
"Yes." She looked back up, and saw both Damian and Annette watching her. "Thank you."
"Excellent," said Damian. "Now pick your two, so I can show Q how it's done."
Natalie leaned forward. She had no idea how to play against him. Every other match she played, she picked based on the other person, since she had so much time to watch them play each other. Damian was completely unknown to her. She decided to play it safe, and picked up two forests. I hope you're happy, she thought, looking at Linnethea's card on the row of generals.
You should be happy. You got what you wished for, without having to tell them a single thing. You get to live with Quinn and his family, you don't have to go back to the Laushire house, you still get to go to school, and no one found out what you are. Isn't this what you wanted?
"No," she murmured.
"What?" asked Damian, about to take a wizard tower.
"Nothing, sorry." She waved at him to go ahead. He frowned, and changed his mind, drafting a mine instead.
I wanted to go home. But I'm not really any closer to that.
You have a plan. December. That's what you decided. You're going back in December. No matter what.
Natalie nodded to herself. This was just temporary. As nice as it was, as nice as Quinn's family was, as great as Quinn himself was — she hadn't forgotten her plan. There was a storm coming though. She could feel it this time, just as much as she could hear every click of the Annette's keyboard perfectly through her new ears, or read the cards on the far side of the floor upside down with her new eyes. She knew for certain that even if she made it through the week, this couldn't last.
You're crazy. They like you. Quinn likes you. You'll be fine.
I'm crazy? You're the voice in my head.
"Jenny?" asked Damian.
"I'm sorry. I got distracted."
"We can always play later, if you want."
She shook her head. I can't put things off forever. "I'm gonna win. Just watch."
"We'll see."