Raveena

It was always a great feeling, when you dread something so much and in the end it turns out to be something easy and maybe even enjoyable. Talking to Nick had been like that. I was really scared that I was going to be outed as a neophyte in the magical world when I started talking to him. But, it turned out that all the training Anna and Kate had given me over the course of my stay with them was enough to talk with a young mage who was my age. It turned out that we shared similar frustrations when it came to using our magic and I wasn’t really lagging behind on my magical education. At least, from what Nick told me about himself. It was pretty obvious to me that Nick was interested in me. I hadn’t quite figured out how I felt about it yet. But thankfully, that didn’t end up impeding any of our interactions. Probably because we liked to complain about the same things.

“So, you’re having trouble doing magic with nature energy too?” I asked.

“It’s not so much that I’m having trouble. I just can’t do it all. It’s like..It’s”

“Like trying to take a piss with a hard on” I helpfully supplied before realising what I’d just said.

‘Oh crap, I wasn’t supposed to know what that felt like’ I thought.

Nick was standing there with his mouth half open with a startled expression on his face.

“I mean I’ve heard somewhere that it’s supposed to be really difficult. Not that I’d personally know… ya know” I said, feeling like an idiot.

I stared at Nick with a slightly apologetic expression before he broke down in laughter.

“Wow, Raveena. I have to say I never expected you to say something like that. But you’re absolutely right. It is just like trying to take a piss with a hard on” he said with a smile.

I was still a bit flushed from the brain fart that I just had, but Nick’s reaction was putting me at ease.

“You can just call me Veena,” I said.

“Sure, Veena. I gotta say I’m glad we met on the way to magicis collectio. At least I’d have someone fun to talk to there. I’d only met a couple of other mage girls our age. They acted so stuck up that I was counting the seconds till I could stop talking to them. I’m really glad you’re not like them, Veena”. Nick said.

“Well, I live to entertain. Just ask Kate. But seriously, I’m also glad that you’re not one of those stuck up guys who thinks that all the girls should be prim and proper at all times” I said.

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“Prim and proper. Pfft.. You have met my mother right? I’m the kind of guy who considers himself lucky if he isn’t verbally abused by girls” Nick said with a smile.

“Ah yes. Low standards. Just what I like in new friends” I said cheerfully.

“So, have we passed that barrier where acquaintances become friends, Veena, because I’d very much like that,” he said a bit more seriously.

“I think we kind of jumped over that barrier and cleared it by a mile when I randomly started talking about erect penises” I said.

We both broke down in another round of laughter before continuing into the forest to gather food.

I managed to locate a couple of rabbits using my raven scout and Nick would kill it by hitting it over the head with a concentrated gust of air. There was a proper name for the spell, but I decided to call it an air mace. We were quite the hunting team. And before long, we were heading back with our rabbits, some mushrooms and root vegetables for our breakfast.

As we got back to our camping site, a cauldron was already sitting over the fire. The three adults were trying to look nonchalant, but we were aware of them keenly observing us. I rolled my eyes at Nick watching their behaviour while he just smiled. I realised that it was their fault that I was feeling so nervous this morning. Things flowed easily enough when it was just Nick and me. He was just a fellow apprentice mage, just like me. I left the adults to their shenanigans while I focused on helping with breakfast.

Kate

I had to admit that I was a little nervous about how Veena’s interaction with Nick would go. But it was nowhere close to how weird Anna and Maggie were acting. Anna seemed to be really jittery about Veena having some sort of mental breakdown due to too much exposure to mage boys too soon. Maggie on the other hand seemed to be mumbling something about ‘that idiot better not mess things up’ or something along the lines.

I decided to ignore them both as I focused on practising my magic. I was sure to run into a few bitches and dickheads at the gathering and I didn’t want to be under prepared. By the time I got back, I’d found Anna and Maggie engaged in deep conversation. It seemed that, in my absence, somehow they had started a conversation where Anna was praising Veena and Maggie was doing the same for Nick. They were both proud mommies and neither would be caught dead in front of their children having this same conversation.

Just as I turned around to step away from the conversation, I saw Veena and Nick emerging from the tree line. I needn’t have worried about them. They were both laughing and talking and seemed completely at ease with one another. I didn’t want to make them feel uncomfortable, so I went and joined Anna and Maggie by the fire before telling those idiots to stop gawking.

Anna seemed really happy that Veena was getting along with Nick. She must have been more worried than she let on about how Veena would fit in at the magicis collectio. Now, she could be sure that Veena would have at least one friend that she would be comfortable with. I was also happy for Veena, but I knew that she was going to make more than one friend at the gathering. I felt sure that it was Nick who would benefit more from his friendship with Veena than the other way around.

Magge seemed to have gone further than all of us and from what she was hinting, she was already hearing the wedding bells. I just hoped that she had enough sense to not say anything to that effect in front of the kids. Otherwise I’d have to follow through on my threat of burying her with my earth magic. Not all the way, just enough to cover her mouth, probably.