The rest of the week was fairly boring and normal. Aside from the fact I apparently don't need to sleep anymore. Except for on Wednesday, people started giving me funny looks and trying to subtly keep out of my way. But they seemed hesitant to actually talk about me when I was near though, so I had to ask my friends if they had heard anything. Charles and Anna were completely out of the loop but James managed to pick up on that there were some rumors going around about me, but he couldn't get any more information than that. Which is suspicious as fuck. Because if there is one thing I've learned in highschool, it's that highschoolers love to gossip.

Surprisingly there was a lack of trouble from Reina, and not just towards me, Anna, Charles, or James. Reina hasn't caused any drama at all over the last week, for anyone. I was actually starting to wonder if she died or something until I saw her in the hallway earlier today. The moment she saw me she paled a little and doubled back the way she came. I don't know what her problem is but it works for me. Ah right, her father might have told her to stay away from me. Seeing how Reina tends to piss people off and I might legit kill her. I mean, I wouldn't try to kill her, just try to make it so she couldn't talk any more.

I’ve never been popular per say, but never a social pariah either. But they way people are acting you would think I actually killed someone….. I wonder if Reina actually has been running her mouth in the background? And maybe she’s just being very careful not to let it get traced back to her since she seems to know I can fuck her shit up without breaking a sweat.

Either way, I only need to put up with this for about three more months. After I’ve graduated I’ll be able to head off to some college or another. My hope is Unitypoint University, they have an amazing Information technology program. But honestly I’ll take anything on the west coast to get away from my family and the rest of these insufferable pricks. MIT has a good program but is a bit close to home for my liking, so it's my backup hope. Though I doubt I’ll get accepted to either, millions apply to them every year. While my grades are all top scores, I’m still a drop in the bucket and an out of state applicant to boot. I walk up to my locker to grab my books for fourth and fifth period after finishing my lunch, only to find a familiar face waiting for me.

“Well, well ,well, if it isn't Charles. What has you waiting around?” I ask him.

“Hey Lucy, I was hoping to catch you. Are you free tomorrow afternoon?” Charles asks me.

“Yea… why?” I hesitantly ask, noticing the look Charles. That's the same look he has when he starts rambling about demons.

“Well, I know of a secluded spot out of town, so I was wondering if you’d be open to me taking some measurements and notes about, you know?”

There it is, I wondered how long it would take him to start pestering me about it. Honestly I’m surprised it took him almost a week to crack.

“Charles, everything about that statement was just wrong.” I say, shooting him a smirk.

“What?...... Really Lucy? You know I don’t mean it like that.” he says in an annoyed tone.

“Yea but when you fixate on demons, the part of your brain responsible for watching what you say clearly turns off. As for your question, fine. I need to learn a few things myself anyway, might as well have an expert on hand.”

“Awesome! So, when do you want me to pick you up? I can get my mom's car for the day.”

“I’m free any time. Oh, a little tidbit I'm sure you’ll like, I don’t need to sleep anymore. No sleepiness, I spend most of the night playing drg2.”

“Oooooooh, any side effects?” Charles asks while pulling out a little notebook and scribbling into it.

“As far as I can tell, nope.”

“Interesting, how does all that extra free time work out for you?

“It’s great, aside from the fact I’m running out of stuff to do. I’ve even finished all the posted homework for the rest of the semester. Now, I have an important question. Do you think we should bring Anna and show her?”

Charles immediately stops writing, clearly deep in thought for a few moments before putting his notebook away and shaking his head.

“I don’t know if that's a good idea, she’s still getting used to her disability. And, well, you heard her when she thought you died. I don’t think she’s mentally recovered from that yet.”

“I know, but I don’t want to keep her out of the loop for too long. It just… feels wrong, like I’m lying to her.”

“Yea, lie by omission. But that's not really a lie, and the truth would hurt her a lot more.”

“Yea, and when should I tell her then? Next week? Next month? Next year? Never? I just need to convince her I’m still me, I managed to convince you.”

“Yea, but I’m a dumbass. Anna isn’t, she will freak the fuck out the moment you show her.”

“Then we let her in on it slowly. I’m not going to keep her in the dark any longer. Can you pick her up tomorrow? I’ll invite her and tell her I’m gonna be practicing magic. And once we’re done I’ll actually show her some magic, that should make her happy.”

“Ugh, fine, I can pick her up if I get a time. Mark my words Lucy, this is going to go poorly.” Charles says with a hint of resignation.

“And when it does it will be on me. Anything else you need? Class is going to start soon.”

“Nah that's it, I’ll catch you later Lucy, thanks again.”

And right as Charles walked away the dinging sound indicating the next period was starting rang out over the PA system. I quickly finished stuffing the next set of books into my bag and booked it to fourth period. Fourth period was civics, where we learned about laws, taxes, and other important things we need to know as members of society. Today’s topic, was funny enough, defenders.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The teacher, cranky old man he was, ribbed the class about paying attention before even starting the lecture. Then he actually started teaching. Most of this stuff I already knew thanks to having to deal with it on Monday, but there were some tidbits I didn’t know. Like apparently you can get in trouble for trying to harass someone doing the starter tutorial, regardless of the reason, except for if they're in danger or posing a danger to others, it's a misdemeanor apparently. Likewise its illegal to interfere with a registered defender when they are performing duties such as killing demons. That's not even accounting for if they are also law enforcement or military. Basically let them do their thing. It's also illegal to have or possess a D.I.D, which is the nickname for the defender identification card, if you're not actually a defender. It's considered similar to identity theft. If you find one and it's not yours, drop it in a postage box or call law enforcement to turn it in. Huh, I remember reading something about that in the handouts they gave out at the orientation thing. My D.I.D should be coming in via the mail soon. Shit, I hope my mother doesn't get to it.

The rest of it was stuff I already knew, like you need to register, blah blah blah. Fifth period was chemistry, that was neat. I got paired up with Anna and she almost blew up the room because she couldn’t hobble over to the burner fast enough and the stuff in the beaker boiled free of the lid. Open all the windows and turn off your burners because that might be a potentially explosive fume. Why highschoolers are doing processes that may result in explosions is beyond me. But as long as I get an A and don't explode, it's not my problem. At the end of class I invited Anna to me and Charles' little outing tomorrow while helping her to her locker. I thought she was gonna explode she got so excited. We made it to her locker and then the bus in record time, on account of Anna’s new found enthusiasm. The whole bus ride back Anna interrogated me about what I was gonna practice tomorrow, but I held strong and told her she’d just have to wait and see.

I’m thinking it's been a pretty good day as I walk in the front door and start taking my coat off. Of course, I don’t even get to finish taking off my coat before my mother gets on me.

“Lucy Bretmont, come to the kitchen.” My mother says with her I’m going to scold you tone.

Oh boy what now? I don’t think I’ve done anything that should warrant her wrath. Then again the twins could have triggered it, I've caught flack for their fuckery before. Like that time they tore up the backyard and said I did it. I’m hoping it's minor and I can just get around it with a quick yes, no, or sorry mom.

That hope is instantly destroyed when I round the corner into the kitchen and see my mother holding an orange card and torn open envelope in one hand, and reading a letter with the other. Orange is the color D.I.D cards normally are……shit.

"What is this?" My mother asks while gesturing with the card and waving the letter around.

"Um, an orange card?" I ask, feigning sweetness and ignorance.

"Do not play dumb with me. How long have you had magic? Why didn't you tell me?" My mother asks me with a hard gaze and a stern frown.

Ah yes, it appears I've incurred the wrath of the inquisition of the church of the mother. I'm not going to hear the end of this, and she's going to try turning me into a pin up doll. Best part is she would only be doing it so she could tack the twins onto me to make them famous as well. I already planned to get through college on scholarships and move across the country. I can put up with a few months of hostility from her if I need to. But if she gets her claws into my 'image', I'll never be rid of her.

"Didn't seem important and I had it handled so I figured you didn't need to know." I reply feigning ignorance.

"Excuse me!? Didn't need to know? I am your mother, young lady! It is my right to know what is going on in your life! You will show me the respect I deserve! Magic is incredibly dangerous, you are a danger to both yourself and everyone in this household, that is why I need to know! What do you have to say for yourself?!" She demandingly shouts at me before crossing her arms and starting to tap her foot.

I could try and argue with her, but logic has never been her strong suit, especially when she's angry. To her a logical argument is just backtalk. I decide to just stay quiet and stare back at her. I've got some mana left so I don't need to run up to my room just yet.

Mana: 314/4224

"Well?" She asks, clearly growing impatient.

Yea, I tried to do this peacefully. But she is just going to keep escalating until she backs me into a corner and tries to make me submit to whatever god awful plan she's been concocting ever since she opened my mail. I've even told both my parents multiple times not to open my mail, just leave it for me to get later. I've let her get away with this crap too much before. oh that's a nice science project you've halfway finished for the science fair. Why don't you let the twins help, and then my name magically disappears from it. I got good at ballet? Well the twins need lessons and mine get slowly reduced until. But this, this is my magic, I'm not letting her take this from me right before I get free.

"Do you even know what magic I have? No you don't. I haven't even cast anything in the house! So stop acting like I've offended and endangered the entire family by keeping personal info to myself!" I snap back at her.

She apparently didn't expect that as a response, as she just sits there flapping her mouth open and closed for a few seconds before regaining her composure, and Oh boy is she pissed.

"That's it! You're grounded! Give me your phone! No more extra curricular activities for you! I'm taking away your laptop. Clearly those idiots you talk to online are a bad influence on you!" She yells while starting to stomp across the kitchen to me.

Idiots? She's calling Charles, Anna, and James idiots?! Any minor trepidation about opposing my mother is instantly replaced by anger as the words register in my mind. She complimented my friends plenty of times when they were over. Now she's insulting them, hypocritical bitch!

"Do not call them idiots." I snap back.

I guess all the yelling attracted Tommy's attention. Because I sense him getting ready to round the corner of the hall into the kitchen behind me. Upside of not taking my hat off until I get to my room, I can sometimes sense where my family members are and avoid them. Or say hi if it's Tommy and or my dad. I turn around and snatch Tommy up as he toddles into the kitchen, much to his amusement.

"Lucky play! Eheheh." He says while squirming around in my grip.

"Hey little man! I'll play with you later, lucky and mom have to finish talking. Why don't you go play with your logs and make a nice tower and I'll look at it when I get there."

"Yay!" Tommy screams as I put him down and he bolts back round the corner towards the living room.

"We are not done young lady! Phone now!" My mother demands from directly behind me. I turn around and find her standing there with her hand extended out in a demanding grasp, tapping her foot all the while.

"No. You need to understand that I'm not going to go along with whatever scheme, plan, whatever you want to call it. I'm going to my room, this… conversation is over. Do not follow me, I'll talk this over with dad when he gets home." Because if I keep talking with her one of us is going to blow a gasket. And in a physical altercation I would probably break her bones accidentally. I hate her guts but that doesn't mean I want to rip them out.

Unfortunately she didn't listen, and instead opted to follow me up stairs yelling at me until I closed and locked my door in her face. She pounded on it for a minute before giving up and going back down stairs. Not the way I wanted that to go, but at least she didn't try to grab me or anything. If she won't respect my boundaries I'm not going to just bend over for her anymore. I decide to get my homework out of the way while I wait. Dad will be pissed, but at least I'll be able to actually talk with him.