FIFTEEN YEARS LATER...
"Mom, I need to get ready," I announced, finishing the last of the dishes and placing them on the drying rack. I grabbed the pink towel to dry my hands and turned to face my mom who was reading the latest spell book at the table.
"Already? Are you going to see that friend of yours?" She looked up to stare at me with her gold eyes and I gave her a small smile.
"Logan, Mom. Remember? My childhood friend," I stressed, hoping she remembered Logan Cross. He'd been my friend for as long as I could remember and was dear to my heart.
"It's hard to remember all your friends, Gabriel. You're popular at school," she dismissed, returning her eyes to her book. I sighed and my smile turned to a frown.
"Mom," I spoke more sternly. She looked up at me, looking confused as to why I appeared upset.
"Huh? Why do you look so sad all of sudden Jewel?"
"You mistook me for Gabriel… again," I whispered.
"Did I? You must have been hearing things. Don't you have to meet your friend Logan now? Go get ready." She brushed off the slip up and I shook my head, walking over to her. I gave her a kiss on the cheek then went to the fridge to get her a bottle of water for her medication.
"Make sure you take your meds at nine o'clock before you sleep, Mother. I'll be home really late. Logan may come back with me, or I'll stay at his place. Okay?" I explained, walking back to the kitchen table to set her bottle of water down before reaching out for her medication organizer.
"I remember, Gabriel. You don't have to remind me every day. Also, why would you have a sleepover with Logan? Are you gay, sweetheart?" she questioned, lifting her head to stare me questioningly.
"Mom. I'm not… actually, never mind. I'm gonna be late." There was no point in arguing with her right now. Once her meds kicked in, hopefully they would help her distinguish what was reality again.
I was ready to leave the kitchen when Mother stopped me, grabbing hold of my wrist. "Sweetheart, wait a moment," she requested and I turned to give her a small smile.
"Yes, Mother?"
"If you do like this Logan boy, you can always tell me. Even if you’re gay, I'll still love you," she reassured me and I had to smile at her relaxed expression.
"Thanks, Mom. I'll keep that in mind. I'm going to get ready. I'll make sure to let you know when I'm about to head out, okay?"
"Alright. I love you." She gave me a wide smile.
"I love you too, Mom." I gave her another kiss on the cheek before I turned and left to head upstairs to my room.
When I reached the top step, I sighed. "Isn't it sad, Gabe? She really thinks I'm you," I whispered to my brother in heaven.
His birthday was a few weeks away, and the anniversary of his death. The day I couldn't save him. Since that fateful day, my mother's mental health began to decline. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and I was warned due to the trauma of my brother's death and our similarities in looks, my mom might possibly confuse me with him.
It hadn’t been bad during my high school days, but due to my athletic side and preference for sweatpants and t-shirts rather than pink dresses and makeup, it seemed to reinforce her delusion that I was indeed Gabriel. Even with how I dressed, everyone else thought I looked like a girl. I guess my brother's death was too much for my mom, especially after losing Father the year before, so couldn’t really blame her for constantly mistaking me for my brother.
I ran my hands through my long brown hair. I realized I should get ready. Didn’t want to make Logan wait.
I made my way down the hall towards my bedroom, unlocking the pink door with a quick dose of magic. I closed it behind me, locking it once more before I turned to face the woman sprawled out on my bed with a manga book in her hands.
"Before you say anything, I suggest you at least start styling your hair. Logan loves when it has that hint of curl in it," she spoke up.
I rolled my eyes but smiled at the purple-eyed female who sat up and crossed her legs. She was tall, standing at 6’0”, her height mostly due to her long legs. She had long silver hair with bangs and highlighted with a lavender purple. Her eyes were a darker shade of purple and her lips were always the perfect shade of red, making you wonder if she always wore lipstick, but I knew she didn't.
"Alice, what did I say about reading my manga?" I demanded.
"Well, I had nothing else to keep me busy while you cooked for Mom. Can't leave your poor, immaculate familiar alone with nothing to do. Before you even bring it up, I already read all three of those spell books Mother bought from the spell store yesterday," she said soothingly.
Her voice always gave me the impression of someone extremely intelligent, but her looks gave off the impression she was the next top model for a Korean magazine.
"I wasn't going to ask, but sure. I'll read them when I come home tonight." I strode over to my closet to find something to wear.
"You're coming home? Hmph. Haven't you and Logan had sex yet?"
I choked on my saliva and turned to glare at her. "Excuse me, Miss Familiar. Why are you encouraging me to have sex? Last time I checked you're younger than me. You shouldn’t be saying such things!" I stressed. She shrugged, looking unfazed as she got up and walked my way.
"Firstly, I could be older than you and you would never know. I did exist before you were born and second, just admit you and Logan Cross are a thing and date already. It's agonizingly painful to watch," she huffed dramatically and I groaned.
"Coming from my familiar, I don't know whether to be hurt or concerned by that. I need to find you a lover. Yes, I should create you a lover," I proposed and she laughed.
"And make it so I’m stuck in my owl form all day? No thanks. I’m happy being a single lady and I love being in this form. I make all the girls jealous when I go to the mall," she boasted, flicking her long hair for extra emphasis.
"Thank goodness you’re not a really girly-girl or I'd disown you," I commented, giving her a slow up and down look. We both laughed and she reached into the closet to pick one of my favorite red dresses.
"Wear this one. It really compliments your tanned skin. You should have taken more of your Mother's looks. You'd be paler," she pointed out.
"I have to admit, I would have loved to have her flawless skin. I thought the mother’s genetics were supposed to be stronger than the father’s," I mumbled.
My Mother was of Korean descent while my Father was Caucasian. There weren't many interracial couples in our area, but because of both my parents’ strength and reputation, we hadn't had any problems with people judging us. I sadly didn't take many of her Korean features and unless asked, no one would know I was half Korean.
Alice however, was the perfect representation, from her flawless skin to her perfect complexion and slim figure. The number of times she'd been asked to model while we shopped at the mall was mind boggling.
"Oh please. After puberty hit you in the face, you got super hot in a flash. Remember the final year of school? Every guy was hitting on you like you were the last female on the planet. Didn't one guy ask you to have his babies?" Alice reminded and I groaned.
"Oh ya, and then you attempted to pluck his eyes out. Ah, good memories." I chuckled, shaking my head.
She handed me the dress and I checked the standing mirror in the corner of my room to see if it would be appropriate for our meet up.
"Worth it. He really thought I would sit quietly on your shoulder for him while he tried to touch your hip like he was your man. Hmph. I really should have removed his eyes," Alice grumbled.
I laughed. "You're too much for your own good." I really loved Alice's personality.
"I'm only amazing because of you," she winked. I smiled back at her, before laying the dress on the bed. I went over to my black drawer, opening to retrieve a red strapless bra and matching panties. Since the dress was strapless, this bra would be perfect and matching panties were always fun.
"I'll switch back to my owl form before you leave," Alice reassured me, sitting back on the bed. She crossed her legs yoga style and stretched.
"You don't have to. My mana is more than enough to sustain you," I admitted, not even a bit winded. Mana was what we liked to term as energy needed to conduct magic. Higher mana you had, the easier it was to conduct spells.
"That's because you're a PRODIGY! Your magic is endless," she declared with pride. I raised an eyebrow at her as I placed my bra and panties on the bed.
"Uh huh. The prodigy that just wants to go to a normal school," I pointed out, pulling my shirt off and putting my bra on.
Everyone had been calling me a prodigy since I could crawl, due to my high mana levels. Mana was essential for a magic user to conduct spells of high caliber. The more mana you had, the stronger your magic was. It also gave you a boost in stamina. Some people had low mana but had fast recovery speed, replenishing mana at a quick pace.
In my case, I had all of the advantages: a large amount of mana inherited from both my mother and father, fast mana recovery from my mother, and high casting caliber from my father. Combined, I was a triple threat which was one of the reasons why Alice, my familiar, could stay in her human form as long as she pleased.
She didn't like staying in it often simply because she loved to fly about our little town and steal jewels from our neighbor, but she was an awesome companion, especially when I needed fashion advice.
Alice was quiet as I changed, eyeing me carefully. "Do you really not want to go to a magic school?" she questioned finally.
I frowned. "Just reminds me of my brother," I whispered.
"Jewel. You weren't the reason for his death," she reminded.
"I know. It still doesn’t stop me from thinking about it whenever I do use magic," I replied, walking over to my vanity and plugging in the curling wand.
"Then you're okay with not using your magic for good? You would be helpful to our community if you did use it," Alice acknowledged. I was silent as I combed my hair, letting her words sink in.
We lived in a small town called Natala, which was the closest town to Brighten Magic Academy. Mother and Father moved here because of the convenience and the small town was filled with many of their friends and fellow mage warriors.
Mage warriors were individuals who were sent out to different countries across the world in an effort to reduce crime and break up major organizations that used their magic for evil. We had a government and a Council in each major country, but mage warriors were a part of an international organization and it was extremely difficult to become one.
That's exactly what Father had been and everyone assumed because of my magic capabilities, I'd follow his lead. Too bad for all of them because I wasn't interested. I couldn't deny that I loved the feeling of using my magic, but each time I did, it was a reminder of how I failed Gabriel. After all these years, I still blamed myself for what happened that day. It didn't matter how many therapy sessions I went to or which psychiatrists I saw. My mind was set on the idea that it was my fault and I had to live with it.
Alice sighed, realizing I wasn't going to answer her. "How's Mom?" she changed the subject.
"Same. Mixed me up with Gabriel twice in one conversation," I revealed with a frown.
Alice took a deep breath. "She's never going to recover, is she?"
I glanced over at her, noticing her sad expression. "Hey. We never know. Maybe we'll figure out how to cure diseases with magic," I suggested.
"You'd think we'd be able to do that by now. We can heal. I don’t get how healing diseases based on mental health and nerves are excluded from that equation," Alice muttered.
"She'll get better. As long as she continues to take her meds and we just continue reminding her who I am, she'll come around. It seems at least when she sees how sad I am, she recalls who I am," I admitted.
"I noticed that too. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Didn't Logan state his parents were working on something that should help?" she questioned, uncrossing her legs and hopping off the bed to come over to me.
She reached out for the curling wand while I finished putting on my mascara. I gave her an appreciative smile in the mirror as she began to curl my hair.
"Yes. He said they're on the clinical trial stage right now. Hopefully, they will start on humans soon and can enhance the treatment with magic to speed up the effects to heal the human brain," I replied.
"Hmm. Hopefully it won’t be long then. Logan will keep us posted?" Alice asked.
"Yes. He said Mom is on the top priority list."
"Good," she replied, returning her concentration to curling my hair. I finished my makeup and after Alice was done curling my hair, she used a brush to loosen them, giving me a wave look Logan apparently loved. I didn't know where she got her info from or if her stalking tendencies had increased, but I learned early on in life to always take Alice's advice. Maybe it was familiar instincts or something.
"Put those sexy red heels with the black bows and let me have a look at ya," she commanded and I sighed, walking over to my two columns of shoes. The black piece of furniture was supposed to be a bookshelf, but if you wanted to save space, using it as a shoe rack was a perfect way. Not to mention it was stylish and made my girlfriends at school jealous when they came over for school projects.
I wouldn't say I was the popular kid, but I knew a lot of people at my school. My problem was being the girl that fit in everywhere but never had a group to call their own. In my teens, I'd craved for the fulfillment that came from being a part of a group, but I never got the chance.
Now that I was twenty-one and aiming to apply to university, I wondered if I'd end up in the same situation yet again.
I grabbed the pair of heels she suggested and slid them on my feet before turning to face her. She crossed her arms while her purple eyes looked me up and down consideringly.
"Black belt. The thin one with the red rhinestones," she suggested, walking up to my closet and grabbing the belt she was referring to.
"I don't get how you know my closet better than I do," I pointed out.
"That's because I organize it when I have nothing else to do. A familiar's life is rather boring when you're not doing anything," she commented. I lowered my gaze to the floor, staring at my shoes while she fixed my belt.
I knew if I went to a magic school like she suggested, she would feel more useful, being able to put her power and smarts to use by assisting me in all sorts of things. I felt horrible that she had to live her life more as a pet and a friend then performing the role she was supposed to, but I'd been firm with my future plans.
Alice's hand went under my chin, tilting my head up. "Don't think that just because I'm not doing what all other familiars do for their mage means I don't enjoy the life I have. Other familiars don't get to remain in human form and do what they please. They are bound to their mage's rules and regulations and aren't given the freedom you provide me. I'm happy and satisfied with my life. Please don't ever think otherwise," she declared with confidence.
I gave her a shy smile and nodded. "Thanks, Alice."
"You’re welcome. Now Logan should be here any moment. You know he's always five minutes early," she reminded.
"You're right about that," I admitted, glancing at the clock and realizing it was six minutes to seven.
I knelt down to pull out a hidden drawer built into my bed, reserved for my more luxurious handbags. I didn't use these bags often but wanted to look special for tonight.
It was our anniversary of being friends, yet neither of us could remember how long we’d known each other. He was two years older than me and I had memories of him from as young as when I was three, but our parents said we met even earlier than that.
Either way, we always liked to celebrate the day by going out for a dinner, seeing a movie, or taking a walk around town. Today we were walking around the new shopping district that opened then going out for dinner.
I got my phone, lipstick, and wallet, placing them in a red leather bag with a simple pattern of the designer logo all over the material. It was the newest trend in our town and all the girls were desperately trying to work their butts off to afford the luxury item.
I didn't need to work due to a large amount of money given to our family after Father's and Gabriel's passing. The government still supplied us money monthly because of Father's contributions to the country and because to his loyalty, we'd always receive a small amount each month.
I was in charge of the funds due to my mom's health status, but we didn't spend much so the money simply stacked up over the years. On top of that, because my mother was an educator, I received free education.
Once in a while, I liked to splurge on trending items that were unique and eye-catching but I also didn't mind casual wear. I wasn't hard to please.
My phone began to vibrate. I quickly pulled it out to see Logan was calling me. I slid my hand across the screen to answer it.
"Hey," I said cheerfully.
"Hey, Jewel. Ready to go?" Logan's deep voice questioned; I smiled just from the sound of his voice.
"Yes. Just finished. Are you outside?"
"Right up front on the ugly green mat," he confirmed.
I rolled my eyes and heard Alice giggle. "I told you that mat is hideous," she hummed.
"I don't get what the big deal is. It's just a mat," I defended. Alice had super sensitive owl hearing which carried through to her human form, making it easy for her to listen to our conversation. Logan and I had gotten so used to it, we didn't care if she joined in.
"It's disturbingly ugly," Logan declared.
"My exact words," Alice agreed.
"You two can insult my doormat later. I'll see you in one minute Logan," I reassured him.
"Alright. Bye, Alice." Logan called.
"Have fun. Make sure you kiss-" I hung up the phone before she could finish. She grinned proudly, pulling another manga book out from my other hidden drawer on the other side of the bed.
"I'm leaving. If I don't come home tonight, I’ll be at Logan's. You can come by if your lonely or bored. Logan has a bigger manga collection than me," I offered.
"I'll be fine. I'm gonna go for a night fly later once I make sure Mom takes her meds,” she hummed, relaxing on the bed. She laid down and began reading the new manga I'd bought last week with Logan. He was obsessed with Shojo manga. I thought it was for more of the female audience, but he began going on about gender equality and I zoned him out.
"Not to mention, you two need some alone time to get freaky in the-"
"Bye, Alice." I was already out the door and closing it shut. I could hear her giggle and I smiled, feeling much better than I had before. Alice always knew how to cheer me up, and I was so grateful to have her in my life.
Having a familiar was a privilege and one I never took for granted. That was exactly one of the reasons why I gave Alice the freedom to do what she pleased.
I raced downstairs, peeking into the living room to see Mom watching one of her Korean dramas. "Mom, I'm going now," I announced.
She turned to me and her expression softened. "Look at you, Jewel. You look lovely," she said softly and a wide grin formed on my lips.
"Thanks, Mom. Remember to sleep, alright? Alice will check on you later," I reassured her.
She nodded. "Alright. Night sweetheart, I love you."
"I love you more." I blew her a kiss and headed for the door. I opened it up to see Logan standing outside. He smiled as he scanned my appearance, looking satisfied with what he saw before him.
"Hey, my precious Jewel," he greeted, revealing a bouquet of flowers he had hidden behind his back. I gawked at the bundle of flowers that were in various colors, reminding me of a rainbow.
"Logan? You didn't need to get me roses," I whispered in admiration as I accepted the gift. He always spoiled me with some type of gift, but this was the first time I'd received flowers from him.
"Do you like them?" he questioned. I looked up and saw he looked amused by my joyful reaction.
"I love them! They're beautiful and perfect," I whispered.
"Just like you." he praised and I blushed.
"This is why you two should just date."
I practically jumped at the sound of Alice’s whisper. I looked over to see her standing there with the biggest grin on her face. I turned back to see Logan's flushed cheeks as he glanced away.
"Stop teasing, Alice," I mumbled and she laughed.
"I'll handle the flowers, have fun tonight,” she exclaimed, taking the bouquet from me and using her hip to push me out the door.
I squeaked as I took an unexpected step forward and Logan immediately steadied me, his arms wrapping around my waist.
"Alice!" I began, but the door closed before I could say more. I groaned. "She's something else."
"At least she has character, especially for a familiar," Logan pointed out.
I nodded in agreement. "True."
I turned my head to face him and we shared a look; my gaze lowered to his lips.
"I guess we should be on our way," I suggested in a hushed tone.
"Guess we should," he replied, but his hold around my waist tightened. My body melted into his and I took a deep breath, inhaling the gentle scent of his cologne.
"Logan, I'm fine. You can let go," I whispered.
"And what if I said I didn't want to?" he countered.
I gave him a curious look and raised an eyebrow at him. "Logan Cross. Unless you're planning to date me, I suggest you-"
Soft lips pressed against mine; my eyes widened at the sudden kiss. I stared into his gold eyes before closing my own and kissing him back. I didn't know what to expect from my first kiss, but the blissful sensation that coursed through me as our lips moved at a sensual pace made my toes curl and sent shivers of excitement through me.
He released my lips after a long moment. I opened my eyes to meet his intense gaze. "Date me," he whispered.
My lips curled into a smile at his words, feeling overjoyed by his request. "You want to date someone like me who thinks a sexy male like you shouldn't be addicted to Shojo manga and ‘Shall We Date’ video games?"
Logan grinned, leaning close enough so his lips just barely touched mine. "I'm not addicted, but to answer your question, I do want to date someone like you who thinks I'm extremely attractive and secretly adores my Shojo manga addiction and video game dating apps."
I closed the distance and kissed him and he smiled before returning the kiss. This one was a little longer than the last and when he pulled away, I was left wanting more.
He chuckled quietly, leaning in to whisper in my ear. "We can kiss more later. I promise."
"I'm holding you to that promise," I remarked but knew Logan would keep his word. His hand slipped in mine and we walked hand-in-hand down the stairs of my house and down the driveway to where his car was parked.
"You drove today?" I asked. He pulled out his keys and nodded.
"I want to take you somewhere else for our date. You up for it?" he asked, giving me a playful grin.
"As long as it’s fun and involves me kicking your ass at some type of activity, I'm down," I replied. He unlocked the car and opened the passenger door, extending his hand to help me inside. I thanked him and relaxed in the leather black seat of the red sports car, watching him close my door before he came around the front and opened the driver’s side.
"Trust me, it will be fun but I'll beat you even with my eyes closed."
I gave him a confident smirk as he started the car; his gold eyes twinkled with amusement as they met mine.
"Challenge accepted," I replied.