REFLECTIONS OF YOU (Brighten Magic Academy Book 1) by Yumoyori Wilson (4)

"Logan, I'm okay. Just drop me off at home and go see your mother," I stressed, walking over to his white dresser next to the window.

"Are you sure? I can just delay it," he suggested, as he gave an appreciative glance of me from head to toe. I grinned, rolling my eyes even as my heart skipped a beat.

I opened the top drawer to my left, the space designated for my clothes whenever I stayed over at his place. I slept here so often that all three drawers on the left half of his dresser were mine, the top containing pants, shorts and pajamas, the second for tops and dresses, and the last for my lingerie.

I picked out a pair of white jean shorts and began to slide them on. I finished pulling up the gold zipper and fastening the gold button. Then, I pulled open the second drawer and grabbed a red fitted t-shirt. I turned around to see his little frown of disappointment and laughed.

"You always have the best expressions when I'm putting clothes on," I teased. My comment made him smile as he rose off the bed. It was my turn to ogle his sculpted body from his chiseled chest and defined six pack to the faint V-lines that disappeared into his black boxers.

"I agree,” he whispered, slipping his arms around my waist and pressing me against him before his hands grabbed my ass. "I wonder what expression I would have if I took these clothes off?" he said with a husky voice and I had to force myself to remember to breathe.

Logan and I loved teasing around and surely didn't mind sleeping in bed together with just our underwear but we had never been intimate. Yet, after our first kiss last night and the kisses that followed, it seemed to have opened a door to emotions and built-up tension that neither of us had noticed till now.

He leaned in and ever so slowly kissed my lips. The taste of him excited me and the way his hands squeezed my ass made me regret slipping on these damn shorts, not wanting the barrier between us. The kiss deepened and I didn't want him to stop.

"Hoot!"

We pulled apart, turning over to see Alice perched on the headboard of the bed.

"Alice?!" I exclaimed; my face grew red while Logan smirked, shaking his head from side to side.

"Last time I checked, you were very supportive of us having alone time,” he pointed out and my face grew even hotter in embarrassment. Alice stretched out her wings, hopping off the headboard onto the polka dot sheets. Then, her body glowed a bright purple. When the light dimmed, Alice sat with her legs crossed and her head in her hands, looking annoyed in her comfortable outfit.

"I didn't want to ruin your potential sexy time," she rolled her eyes, but a mischievous smirk formed on her lips as she stared at us, Logan just in his boxers and me in my red lace strapless bra and white shorts.

We pulled apart, snapping out of our clouded daze. I quickly put my shirt on while Logan walked to his drawer, pulling out a pair of black jeans and a white shirt.

"What's up, Alice?" he asked. We both knew Alice didn't interrupt us unless she actually needed one of us to do something for our parents or out of sheer boredom.

"Logan's mom is at our place and Mom said she has something to share with you," Alice announced. Logan and I exchanged looks, unsure why his mom would be at my house or what my Mom had to tell Alice and I.

"Should we make our way there? Since your Mom is already there," I considered, looking to Logan who was putting his shirt on.

"Might as well. Let's get going," Logan suggested. Alice stretched before she moved off the bed and left the room. I was ready to follow her but arms slid around my waist, stopping me mid-stride. I smiled at Logan's caramel scent and turned my head slightly to meet his lips with my own. We shared one last kiss before I pulled back and saw his concerned gaze.

"When did you become so worried about me?" I inquired.

"I've always been worried about you. I can just show it more now that you’re my girlfriend,” he admitted, giving me a wink. I smiled at the reminder, recalling his words as he scolded the kids from last night.

"Girlfriend. Hmm. Sounds rather awesome."

"Of course. Jewel Starfire and Logan Cross. The perfect couple in the small town of Natala and the exceptional magic duo,” he drawled out, lifting his hands up in the air like our names were in shining lights.

"Impressive," I giggled, moving to the doorway. He followed my lead, grabbing his black leather jacket that rested on his wooden desk chair, before trailing behind me out to the stairs.

We made our way out the door and into the car. Alice had announced that she'd meet us back at our house and disappeared from our sight after she shifted into a bunny and hopped away.

"Alice is so adventurous. Can she shift into anything?" Logan asked.

"Probably. Haven't tried. She's stubborn and only chooses animals she obsessively loves," I pointed out.

"She loves bunnies, owls, and foxes?" Logan questioned, starting the car and pulling out of the parking lot.

"Yes. Those are her top three. I wished she'd try something abnormal like a vampire," I mumbled.

Logan laughed. "Jewel, my precious, vampires aren't animals,” he chuckled, turning onto the freeway.

"Hmph. I can always dream," I replied, yawning. He lifted his right hand to slide along my shoulder and pulled me to rest against his shoulder.

"Take a nap. I'll wake you up a few minutes before we arrive," Logan encouraged.

"Are you sure?" I inquired, my eyes already closing thanks to his verbal permission, feeling heavy. He rubbed his hand up and down my right arm and I smiled at the slow movement.

"Yes. I'm sure. I'll wake you up. Now sleep,” he reassured me. My mind was already drifting off to the world of dreams. I didn't want to wake up later when I felt a little nudge.

"Jewel? Precious, you need to wake up. We're a minute away." Logan gently nudged me and I moaned, wanting to sleep longer, pressing my face into his shoulder.

"No," I mumbled, slowly falling back to sleep. He sighed but was quiet and I fell back asleep.

I opened my eyes and noticed Alice curled up next to me in her fox form. It took me a few minutes to realize I was in my bed back home. I sat up, rubbing my eyes before running my hand through my hair. My eyes looked at the nightstand to my left, the clock display 7:15 PM. Wasn't I in Logan's car?

Alice stirred before her purple eyes opened. She stood up and stretched before she walked onto my lap and sat down, staring at me curiously. 

"Did I fall asleep in Logan's car?" I asked her. She nodded. 

"He carried me up here, didn't he?" I continued and she nodded again. I sighed, feeling bad for making him do that. I heard the beep of my phone and I looked at my nightstand again, reaching out for the red and white device. 

I slid the unlock button and noticed the little red bubble with '1' in the middle, indicating I had a new message.

I grinned at the message and Alice began poking her head between my arm and my blanket. I lifted my arms, allowing her entrance then lowered my arms back down so she was sitting right in the small circle my arms created. 

She was interested in why I had a wide-ass grin on my face. She poked her nose at the screen and I ignored her curious nature, my mind drifting to what my mother might want to discuss. She must have been wondering what school I was planning to attend. She was well aware that I wasn't planning to go to any magic school, but with her disease, I would probably have to remind her regardless. 

I looked back down to Alice who stopped poking at the screen and I lifted an eyebrow at the new speech bubble. 

"OMG! ALICE!" I screamed, immediately beginning to text as fast as my fingers could to apologize to Logan for her message. I didn't even press send before he replied. 

I groaned, falling back into the sheets and tried to calm my breathing. "I hate you, Alice!" I cried, rolling over to press my head into my pillow. I felt the magic shift in the room and the loud squeak of the bed told me Alice had changed to her human form. 

"You love me and you guys had all last night to have sex, yet here you are still woefully unsexed. I bet I'll have sex before you,” she sighed dramatically. I kicked her off the bed. 

"Mom's downstairs AND don't jinx my sex life!" I argued. 

"It's not jinxing when it's non-existent,” she countered, looking unbothered that she fell off the bed.

"I'm cursed," I huffed.

"You're blessed with an intellectual familiar who only wants the best for you and your boring life. You should have been freaky in the sheets with Logan five years ago,” she declared.

"Why are you encouraging me to have sex at sixteen?" I countered.

"Because you wouldn't be so closed off,” she argued, shrugging.

"I'm not closed off," I replied, pulling the blanket off and getting out of bed. I began re-reading my text to Logan, feeling a little irritated.

"Closed off, with no friends but your new boyfriend,” she mumbled.

"Are you on your period or something? Or did someone else steal one of the jewels you were interested in?" I grumbled. She crossed her arms, looking irritated and I rolled my eyes. I knew it.

"Stop being cranky and no more nitpicking about my life. I get it, my life is boring and closed off. I don't get why everyone’s so fucking concerned," I snapped, leaving Alice in the bedroom and storming into the washroom, slamming the door.

I bit my lip and sighed. Dammit. I walked to the sink, staring at my reflection. The image of my red eyes, tanned complexion, and loosely curled hair was projected back to me. My cheeks were flushed from frustration and my lips still looked smooth even though they felt dry.

My phone vibrated in my hand and I lifted it up to see Logan's name on the screen. I took a deep breath, hoping my voice wouldn't give myself away.

All because of my stress regarding approaching school year, Alice and I had been getting into fights over the smallest things. Not to mention she got aggravated anytime a pesky raven stole a jewel of interest before she got a chance.

I slid my finger across the phone after the third vibration, putting it up to my ear. "Hey, aren't you-" I began but he cut me off.

"What's wrong?" he questioned.

"I don't get how you always know when I get into fights with people," I muttered.

"I'll be there in a minute,” he mumbled.

"Wait, what?! Oh no Logan Cross, don't you telep-" I huffed, not wanting him to leave his family time with his mother over me.

"Too late,” he replied and my shoulders sunk. I looked over my shoulder to see Logan standing behind me, his hands tucked in the pockets of his black dress pants.

He wore a black suit; the red tie with gold stars added a pop of color. His hair was gelled back, making it hard to see his gold highlights. His gold eyes were still orange from the large magic usage he'd just expelled with teleporting here from wherever he was.

I turned around, resting against the sink and crossing my arms. "Logan, your mom is gonna be pissed."

"I won't be long and she's busy catching up with Father anyway. He just arrived," Logan explained, reaching me in two steps and opening his arms up with a cute look on his face. I wanted to be upset with him, but the other part of me was glad he was back so soon.

He'd be leaving before long, so I might as well take advantage of having him in my life now. I pushed off the sink and stepped into his arms which encircled me and held me tightly against Logan's warm body.

His natural caramel scent was masked by the expensive cologne he was wearing, but I didn't mind, the gentle aroma still having its effect, making me relax and inhale deeply.

"Did you and Alice get into another argument?" he asked but his voice gave me the impression he already knew the answer.

"Yes. Again. Over nothing," I sighed, looking up at him. He frowned, moving one of his arms and lifting his hand to brush my left cheek.

"Don't give me such a sad expression. Arguments happen, even with familiars,” he reminded.

"Logan, we just argue over the same thing over and over. I… I’m just so frustrated," I confessed.

"School?" he asked. I pulled out of his embrace, putting the lid of the toilet down and sitting on it. I ran my hands through my hair before I looked up to meet his concerned gaze.

"Everything, Logan," I whispered. "I'm twenty-one and I don't know what school to go to. My familiar is stuck at home and the only adventure she gets is stealing jewelry from our neighbor instead of working on her own magic skills, and my mom's condition is getting worse. What if I go to school and she stops taking her meds and no one notices or even cares? What if..." I trailed off, not wanting to say the words.

"Your Mom isn't going to die, Jewel," Logan stressed.

"How do you know? No one can guarantee they'll check on her daily. I only have you willing to come and check on her on the weekends, and that's just not fair to you. She's too young to be put in some elder home for watching and what if it gets worse? Much worse where she can't even recognize who I am. I'm scared that if I take my eyes off her, she'll fade away and poof! She'll be gone… just like Father and Gabriel… and I can't afford to lose anyone else I love, Logan. I don't have the heart for it," I confessed, choking on tears.

He took a step forward and knelt down before me. His hands slid to wrap around my trembling ones and he looked up at me with confidence.

"I know this has been stressing you out, Jewel. There's a reason why my mom came by today,” he revealed.

"Why?" I asked, unsure what that reason could possibly be. He gave me a small smile. "My mom wants to take a few months off from the mage warrior biz and is managing spell records and helping design incantations for newly created spells. Everything is done online so she can go anywhere around the world. Since your mom was an amazing professor in magic spellcraft, my mom thinks she can be a great assistant and offered her a position," Logan explained.

"What… but… but the doctors said my mom can't work," I pointed out.

"The doctors only suggested she shouldn't work out of concern with her performing a wrong spell or incantation. With this job, she's drawing and sketching spells before creating them on a tablet and finishing it up on the computer. Your mom was amazing at art, right?"

I took a minute to think about it, remembering that Mother did create amazing artwork, specializing in spellcrafting when she used to work.

"Yes," I replied.

"She won't be conducting any of the spells, just creating the symbols that will be attached to newly created spells. Mother explained they may be updating a few of the old magic circle designs and so on. No magic is involved, just artwork and designing. It would be the perfect activity to keep your mother occupied instead of her watching television and reading old spell books all day," Logan explained.

"I guess you have a point. The doctor said it's good if she stays in a familiar environment," I reminded and Logan nodded.

"She's familiar with this house and my house. They can alternate,” he reassured me.

"They? So wait, your mom is gonna stay with mine?" I asked, sounding shocked at his words. He grinned at my stunned expression and nodded in agreement.

"Yes. I knew you were stressed about it so I told my mom about it. She explained her change in jobs and thought it would be a great interactive idea. Our moms are best friends so it wouldn't be like she's babysitting or anything. I think it would help your mom tremendously. At least this way, you won't be too stressed about choosing a school."

I gawked at him, my mind buzzing over the idea. "Did your mom change positions for my family?" I asked.

He smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "When you’re stressed, I'm stressed. That leads to my parents thinking the world is coming to an end and that they have to do anything to prevent me from getting acne. Thus, my mom thought this would help everyone. She needed a break from work anyways and my father wanted her to rest up her mana usage. This just kills two birds with one stone. Now you'll be less stressed which makes me relieved. Everyone's happy."

The tension in my shoulders left and I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Why do you do so much for me?" I whispered.

"I do so much because you're everything to me and I'd give you the world to make you smile and live stress-free,” he replied. He stood up, gripping my hands and urging me to stand up. I rose and pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you," I spoke quietly.

"Anything for you, Jewel,” he promised, tightening his hold. I relaxed in his embrace for a full minute before we pulled apart.

"You should go back before your mom realizes you’re here instead of at home" I suggested.

"Ah. She'll know I went somewhere anyway with my eyes. Can't escape that." He sighed dramatically. I giggled, sliding my hands up his black suit and wrapping them around his neck, having to go on my tiptoes to do so.

"Kiss me," I whispered, having hidden intention with my words. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"I feel you're up to something,” he whispered but lowered his lips to mine anyway. I grinned and enjoyed the softness of his kiss, while my magic did what I intended for it to. Once I was finished, I pulled back to stare into his eyes that were now his normal gold color.

"That I am, but you can't deny kissing me," I hummed.

"Good point,” he replied, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "What did you do?"

"Check the mirror." I winked and he grinned, moving out of my embrace to check the mirror.

"Well, that works really well. Magic contacts that don't show a glimpse of magic. Smart move, Precious,” he complimented.

I giggled. "Be off, before you really get in trouble. I think your mom will be more worried that you’re taking years in the washroom,” I teased.

"I'll tell her I was taking a dump." He winked and grinned at me.

"So inappropriate," I laughed.

He chuckled, turning back to face me and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "I love you. Don't stress."

I smiled and kissed his cheek before he pulled back. "I love you too. Thank you, Logan," I replied with a relieved smile. He didn't know how grateful I was to have him and his family in our lives.

"Anytime, Precious. I'll bring you some cheesecake. See you in a few hours," he winked, putting his hands in his pockets. In a flash he was gone, remnants of gold and orange glitter sprinkled to the floor.

I stared at it, rolling my eyes. "His teleportation spells always leave glitter, yet he thinks it’s cool. Totally cool to look at but not to clean up," I grumbled, but with a wide smile. I walked around the mess and opened the door to see Alice holding a broom and the dust tray.

"Here,” she mumbled in a quiet tone, looking everywhere but my eyes. I knew she felt bad for arguing with me and so did I. We shouldn't be arguing, but the stress of everything was taking its toll on our mage and familiar relationship.

"Thank you," I replied, accepting her little peace offering. It wasn't the first time Logan had teleported here after Alice and I had fought. It was frequent enough that Alice always appeared to help me clean up the glittering mess. I knew it was her way of getting an opportunity to apologize.

"Sorry for nitpicking,” she admitted. She hated when there was tension between us and I did too. She didn't deserve to deal with my stress and I knew her intentions were good. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I've just been stressed with everything, and the lack of sleep just left me a cranky mess. I know you just want the best for me and hate seeing me like this," I pointed out. Alice nodded, still looking sad.

I finished sweeping and emptied the glitter in the small garbage bin in the corner of the washroom before I went into the hall and put the broom and tray in the upstairs closet for easy access.

I turned to face Alice. "Sorry," I apologized and she nodded.

"You feel better?" she inquired. Being my familiar, she could sense my mood with ease. I guess she could feel the shift from my prior anxious self to the more relieved feeling that pulsed through me.

"Logan's mom is going to stay with Mom while we’re at school. Logan just told me," I revealed.

Alice smiled, her face lit up with excitement. "That's good. Less stress on you wondering when she'll take her meds. Is that why we had to come see Mother?" Alice asked.

"Oh right. I didn't get a chance to ask. Let's go down. No wait, let me change first." I moved to my room and to the dresser, pulling out a pair of grey loungewear. Seeing Alice in her white sweatpants and purple crop top made me want to get out of these jeans and especially this damn bra. Boys didn't understand how exhausting it was to wear one of these bad boys to sleep.

I quickly changed into my grey sweats and tank top, then Alice and I headed down the stairs to see Mom. She was in the living room, watching television. Even though her eyes were glued to the screen, she looked bored out of her mind. When her gaze shifted to me, she smiled.

"Sweetheart! I have wonderful news for you," she cheered, rising up from the cream white lounge chair and walking over to the table and picking up a letter.

I scrunched up my face at the gold envelope with black trim and the bright red seal with a magic circle on top of it.

"Mom, what is that?" I questioned.

"Just open it!" she stressed, handing it over to me. I reached out and accepted it, flipping it over to see the multicolored Brighten Academy symbol on the front. I remembered the letter design from when I was younger and Gabriel received his magic reports in them. I always loved the symbol simply because of its appearance that reminded me of a rainbow.

"Why are we getting letters from Brighten anyways?" I wondered, opening it up with a hint of magic. The seal released, allowing me to lift up the top of the envelope and pull out the contents inside.

The letter was addressed to a Jinn. J. Starfire. I frowned at the name, wondering who this Jinn was and why hadn't I heard of this family member before.. This must be some type of prank.

I continued to scan the letter and as I reached the final paragraph, my eyes grew wide and my jaw went slack. Alice inched over, resting her head on my shoulder to reach for the letter. I could sense her calm confusion and her impatience, then she gasped, pulling the letter out of my hand to stare intently at the last paragraph like it was in another language none of us could translate. 

"Why is my name here?! Wait, no. My name is Alice, Mom. Not Ali? That's a guy’s name!' Alice whined.

I turned to face her. "Mom, who's Jinn J. Starfire? I know Gabriel liked the name Jinn and asked if he could change his name when he became a mage warrior but… he didn't. So what's with this letter saying these people were accepted into Brighten Magic Academy?" I complained.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" She cheered, raising her arms up. Alice and I stared at her like she'd lost her mind.

"What are we celebrating, Mom?! Is this letter from the future?" Alice asked.

"Oh silly, Alice. It's Gabriel's acceptance into Brighten Magic Academy,” she hummed, clapping her hands together. My jaw dropped and I needed a minute to process what she just said.

"Gabriel’s acceptance?" I repeated.

She smirked, nodding proudly. “I've been so worried about you since you haven't chosen the school you wanted to go to. Even with nine acceptances, the letters have just been sitting on the table collecting dust,” she grumbled, pointing to the pile of folders and envelopes I'd received from every university and college I applied to.

"I decided you must have been delaying because you wanted to look into a magic school. So, I pulled some strings and got you into Brighten! You remember Ms. Landsford, right? She still teaches the majority of the classes you'll have to attend, so I'm not worried at all. She said Jinn would be a better name than your given name and Ali would be better for Alice. Isn't this wonderful?!"

I stared at her happy expression, the joy that twinkled in her eyes, thinking I was her son and not her daughter. I always tried to ignore how angry I got when she forgot who I was, blaming the disease and not my mother who truly loved me somewhere inside. But this had gone too far.

She didn't hear the quiet whispers and torment people gave me over her confusing me with Gabriel frequently, or the embarrassment it brought me for years and the reason why that aside from Logan, I never brought any friends over. I was the girl who knew everything but was without a pack of her own because her Mother suffered an illness that was frowned upon in our little community so people didn’t give us support.

If I didn't keep an eye on her and without Logan's family, everyone would turn a blind eye to her, calling her crazy and retarded and waiting till she withered away.

The same people she had taught and helped whenever they needed her, abandoned her when she needed them. I wanted to be happy and play along with her delusion, but this was real. So real that my hands trembled and it took everything for me to not destroy something in that moment.

She frowned when I was silent. Her sadness only made the tears begin to fall, rolling down my cheeks.

"Jewel." Alice’s soft voice whispered and she pressed her hand on my shoulder, rubbing it soothingly.

"Did… I do something wrong? Why are you crying?" Mother asked, looking so innocent and confused. She doesn't understand. She'll never get it. Doesn't matter what medication she takes. She'll only see Gabriel and never me, Jewel.

I heard the door open and footsteps enter the house. "Jewel?" Logan's soft-spoken voice entered the room and I bit my lip. From the whiff of the air, I knew his mother was with him by the sweet floral scent of perfume. 

"Logan? Maybe you can talk to Gabriel. He's getting upset over the fact he got into Brighten Magic Academy! I had to use lots of connections to get him in and he's crying,” she huffed. 

"Charlotte, that’s Jewel," Logan's mother whispered, her voice filled with remorse.

Mother frowned, looking at me then back at her friend. "But… Gabriel-" she began. I took a shaky breath, having enough of this.

"Gabriel's dead," I whispered under my breath but was loud enough for Mother and Alice to hear.

"Gabriel! Why would say you’re dead? You're right here," Mother scolded and I lifted my head to glare at her. She froze while Alice's grip on my shoulder tightened.

"Jewel, wait,” Alice whispered but I lost it.

"I'm not Gabriel! For the millionth time, Mom! Can't you for once see me for who I am? I'M JEWEL! Jewel Starfire! Why can't you see me?" I screamed. Mother stared at me, sadness trickled in her expression.

"But…Gabriel..."

"GABRIEL IS DEAD! HE DIED! Killed at the same school you now want me to attend!" I shouted, throwing the invite on the table.

The room was dead silent and I continued to glare at Mother, whose eyes pooled with tears. 

I didn't care that I made her cry. Didn't she see my tears? My pain? At least once every day, she reminded me of Gabriel. Whether it was his color hair or the way she wished my eyes matched hers like Gabriel's.

How was I supposed to move on from the ache he left behind if every single day I was reminded of his presence, forced to remember that my magic was too weak to be this so-called prodigy and that everyone wanted to dictate what future I deserved.

I watched as the realization of her mistake settled into her expression and she tried to reach out to me. "Jewel? I'm… I'm sor-" I didn't let her finish, rushing from the room and heading for the door.

"Fuck, Jewel!" Logan called out to me but I didn't want to be with anyone. I couldn't be around anyone right now because I'd hurt them with the magic that felt my pain and agony. It sympathized with me and would do anything to protect my heart from getting hurt. I snapped my fingers and the room disappeared and I materialized in a cemetery.

I didn't delay, my legs already moving on their own as I headed to the two tombstones at the top of the hill. I wasn't in the proper attire to be paying my respects or to withstand the chilly breeze that fluttered past, but I needed to say something. To cry out my sorrows to the people I wished were still in my life.

I reached the two large marble graves, one for Father and the other for Gabriel. I knelt down, fixing my tank top and running my hands through my hair to look somewhat decent for them.

"Evening Dad. Hey Gab. Weird for me to randomly be here today without any flowers for you," I choked, using my hands to wipe away the tears that continued to roll down my cheeks.

"I made Mom cry today. I didn't mean to. Well… at the time I did. I wanted her to understand. Why can't she see me? I have your eyes, Father. I do have some similarities to you, Gabriel, but isn't it obvious that I'm a girl and you were a boy? Why don't we have magic that can cure her? Why do I have to continue living in the shadows of Gab, Father? Why aren't you both still here? Gabriel, you said you'd always be here for Mother and I. Well, I need you. Can't you come back just this once? Can't you just come and tell Mom I'm Jewel and not you? Please? If you can't, I understand… but can I at least get a hug? One last hug, from my older brother that I miss so much. Can't I listen to your deep voice, Father and have you lift me up one last time? Just once… one… more time?"

I sobbed loudly, wanting so badly to feel their love one last time. It took me years before I was able to accept both of their deaths, yet here I was crying over their graves, the pain still fresh like the day of their funerals.

Something soft brushed against my hand and I opened my eyes to see Alice in her fox form. A flower for Father and Brother was on each of their graves and she had one in her mouth for me. She lowered it to the ground and walked into my lap, lifting her two front paws up in a gesture to show that she too, wanted a hug.

I whimpered, wrapping my arms around my familiar. Her sadness vibrated through me, making me cry harder. We didn't deserve this. The action of one person who thought it would be fun to bully my brother left me broken over and over again.

Something warm fell onto my shoulders and arms encircled us both. The strong scent of caramel made me cry harder into Logan's chest as I held Alice, who whimpered softly.

"It's okay to be sad, Jewel. I'll just hold you and you can cry as long as you want," Logan comforted. I didn't deserve such a wonderful man in my life.

I felt horrible for screaming and storming out. Maybe I'd finally burned out, exhausted after years of taking care of my mother while trying to balance the life I wished to live with the harsh reality I had to deal with, whether it was from school or gatherings.

I just wanted to belong, without the worry that someone would find out about my sad past. To live and enjoy friends, school, and being able to use my magic not out of spite, but to make a positive change.

For one moment, I wished that my mistaken identity could be used to my own benefit to do things I've never had the chance to enjoy and experience. Maybe it was time I took a break and focused only on me.

Maybe this opportunity would give me just that.