A/N: I changed my mind about the concurrent timeline thing.

"Oh my goodness, Deni. You look adorable!" Bea clapped her hands. "Look Brad, my little girl all grown up. Now she's going to boarding school. Oh, sweetie!" She threw her arms around Deni with a squeal.

"Mama, come on!" Deni pushed her mother away, tugged on the navy blue dress and pulled on the shirt's collar. "I feel funny enough without you messin' with me! I don't even wanna go to this witches' school. Something just doesn't feel right." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Den," Brad said gently. "Please, you can't keep thinking that new things are bad. Being a wizard isn't a bad thing." He put a hand on her shoulder. "You should consider it an honor."

"An honor? Dad," Deni whined. "I'm a freak." She grabbed her bag and headed for the stairs. "Please, don't make me go."

Bea took the bag. "Deni, baby, this is your chance to be special. To do something we couldn't do. You can be somebody."

"I am somebody. I'm going to be an Olympic gymnast."

Brad squatted in front of her. "Den, you'll do great." The doorbell rang. "I'll get it." He went into the hallway. "Good morning! Be there in a second!" The door opened. "Oh, hello, Miss Dowling."

"Hello, Mr. Chi. I'm here for Deniella."

Deni groaned. There was something about the woman Deni didn't like. The young girl couldn't put her finger on the problem.

"Deni," Bea whispered, giving her one last hug. "Go ahead." She handed her daughter a suitcase. "See you at Christmas."

"I'm as uncomfortable with this as you are, Applegate. I'm not a big fan of Mudbloods," Miss Dowling said. "If I had my way, you're powers would be bound and you'd be a non-magical student at your local middle school. Unfortunately, that is not my decision. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Deni replied, looking the woman in the eye. She knew what her funny feeling came from. This Dowling woman had a prejudice. Deni had no idea what 'Mudbloods' were, but it didn't sound positive.

"At least you're polite," she grumbled, pushing Deni toward a van. "Don't get comfortable. We've got another pick up in Seattle."

Seattle? Deni thought. That's three hours away. Why shouldn't I be comfortable?

"What's your name?" a girl said, reaching down to help Deni into the black vehicle.

"Deniella." She stepped up and pulled her bag in after her. She had some reservations about saying her old last name, but after a heartbeat, she finished. "Applegate."

"Cristen Malloy. You can call me Cris." She looked past Deni, onto the street. "What's the name of this place? I haven't seen anything like it."

"Cashmere. It's supposed to look like the Old West. Even has a little Pioneer Village Museum thing. It's kind of boring."

"Oh."

In the silence after the girl's syllable, Deni took the time to look at the girl beside her. Her hair was smooth and so blonde, it was almost white. She was wearing it in a low pony tail and and had a head band the color of the uniform separating her bangs from the smooth pony.

Deni looked out the window, expecting to see the familiar town of Leavenworth. To her surprise, it wasn't there. In fact, it didn't even look like they were on Highway 2. "Huh?"

Cris leaned across her to look out the window. "Haven't you been on the Magelane before?"

Magelane? Deni thought. What does that mean? Instead of questioning her seat mate, she just shook her head.

"It's okay. I guess when you're only Wizard family in a town, you have to be careful. I had no idea James Applegate lived in a Muggle Community."

"James?" Deni questioned, "I don't know anybody named James. My twin's name is Johnny, but nobody in Mama's family has the name James."

"You're kidding. The Applegates have been in American since the Revolution." Cris gasped. Then she looked at Deni's face. "You're not kidding."

Deni shook her head. "I'm not from a Wizard family."

"I've never met a first generation wizard." Cris put her legs up on the seat and turned to face Deni. "What's it like?" She crossed her legs.

"It's normal." Deni really didn't see the purpose behind the other girl's question. "It can't be too different, can it? I mean, sixth grade is sixth grade."

"Girl, you have a lot to learn."

So they spent the trip talking about the wizarding world and the non-magical one.

"A lot of people call the society you come from 'Muggle'," an older girl said from behind us. "But don't use it at school. It's not nice."

The van driver, who Deni couldn't see, called back, "Gretchen, please. I know you're telling the new students the rules, but they'll hear them when we get to school this evening."

"Yes, Miss Gregor." The girl sat back.

"And you two face forward and buckle your seat belts. We're picking up three students in less than five minutes. We're getting back in the mortal lane."

Deni did as she was told with a quick, "Yes, ma'am."

Cristen Malloy was staring at the girls as if she was surprised, but followed suit without a word. There was a slight bump as the dumped onto a side street.

As if by magic, the van door slid open. Three short redheads stood on the curb. They all looked the same to Deni. As if to answer her thoughts, Cris leaned over, "The Garden Triplets. They're in our year might be in our dorm."

Dowling looked over her shoulder. "Ginger, Thyme, and Rosemary. We have them all, Penny. Let's get going."

Deni almost laughed at the absurdity of the names that rolled off Dowling's tongue, but Cris elbowed her in the side. "Oof."

With another dump, they were back on the Magelane. The triplets were the only students in the van that weren't wearing their uniforms. The one next to Deni reached over to shake her hand. "I'm Thyme Bridget Garden."

"Deniella Allyson Applegate."

"Applegate? As in James Applegate? The Quidditch player? Are you like his sister or something?"

The girl on the far side leaned over her sister, "Oh, come on, Thyme. The Otters aren't a very good team and Keeper isn't an important position. She's probably just a cousin."

Thyme looked as if she was about retort, but the driver turned back to them. "Ladies, I believe Miss Dowling wants to say something."

The other woman's voice was directed at Deni, Cris and the Garden girls, but her words probably applied to the entire van. "SIT STILL AND SHUT UP OR ALL OF YOU WILL FIND YOURSELVES IN MISS MISSION'S OFFICE TOMORROW MORNING! BELIEVE ME, IT WON'T BE THE FIRST TIME I'VE SENT OVER A THIRD OF THE STUDENT BODY TO DETENTION! IS THAT CLEAR?"Nobody replied. "I SAID 'IS THAT CLEAR'?"

"YES, MA'AM!"

Deni seriously wondered how small the student body was. A third of it would fit in a standard-sized van and assuming that everyone was five to a row, and there were four rows, there were 20 students in here, that's means there were about 60 students at Northland Girl's School. That seemed way too small.

After an uncomfortable half hour, the door opened and the students piled out. Deni was surprised at how many kids fit in the van. She counted 50. She wanted to question someone, but decided against it. It would just make her seem stupid.

Miss Dowling came over to her and handed her a small purse. "You're other supplies are all ready at the school. This is just for a wand, understood? It's the exact amount ended for a basic wand."

"Yes, ma'am." Deni took it slowly.

Cris grabbed her sleeve and tried to pull Deni toward a store, "Come on, Deniella. I'm not shopping alone!"

"Wait, Cristen," Deni said, struggling to get a breath. "Where are we?"

It appeared to be an old fashioned strip mall, a line of shops with names that Deni couldn't make sense off. Odd Family's Herbs, Creature Parts, and Cauldrons, Ulysses Black's New World Familiar and Unusual Creature Emporium, Kit and Daughters Mage Wear Unlimited, Owl Post Center, Ardent Books.

"Phoenix Square, duh! Hurry up!" She was pulling Deni toward a store with a Grand Opening Sign in the window. "Wizarding Wheeze Imports is opening a new branch! I bet George Weasley is there! He's a magical prank genius!"

Deni followed her classmate through the crowd. "Cristen, please. Let me breathe!" She hit someone. "Oops, sorry," she whispered. "Will you please excuse me?" She tried to move past the blockage, looking for Cristen.

A hand grasped her shoulder. The boy was wearing a green sweater vest over a white shirt and khaki shorts. She assumed it was another school's uniform because she saw the letters CRA on his breast, not unlike the letters NGS on hers. He looked like he was only a few years older than she was, but the look on his face told her he did not want to engage in casual conversation. "Excuse me," she repeated, louder.

"No," the boy replied. "I don't accept apologizes from Northland witches." His voice had a faint sarcastic tone to it. "Unless they're willing to transfer to Conway Ridge."

"What?" Conway Ridge? "I'm not sure what you mean."

He laughed emotionlessly. "What's you're name, witch?"

"Deniella Chi." She tried to act like nothing was wrong. "Yours?"

The question startled him slightly. He blinked and let go. "My name? Salem's grace! Why would I tell you my name?"

"I believe it's called 'a fair exchange of information'," a voice replied from behind them.

He was tall and looked like he'd been beaten up. It looked like he was wearing an eye patch over his ear, but it was mostly covered by a mass of ginger-colored hair. "You're—" The boy was so confused; he couldn't get whatever he was thinking out.

"British?" Deni offered. "We're okay, sir. Sorry to disrupt you."

He shrugged and walked back into the crowd.

Cristen saw the boy before she saw Deni. "You."

"Hello, Cristen Ma—"

"Say my last name, and you'll regret it, Paramount Lynberg." Cristen clenched her fists.

Paramount Lynberg snorted. "What are you going to do to me, Cristen? You're a sixth grader. I'm in seventh. The only spells you know are simple children's rhymes. What good would those do in a duel? I suggest you and—what was your name again?"

"Deniella." Deni replied. "Come on, Cris. Let's get outta here. Dowling all ready threatened to give everybody detention and I still need a wand." She tried to pull her classmate out of the store. "Fine! I give up!" She elbowed her way out of the store.

Phoenix Square turned out to be more than just a wizarding strip mall. It was an entire town, but Deni could not a wand shop anywhere. She saw a deli, bakery, and apartment complex, a small bus from some place called Diamondback Day School, several homes, and even a tattoo shop.

After twenty minutes of taking in the town, Deni was lost. She decided it was time to knock on a door and politely ask which direction she needed to go. She knocked at one at random.

A portly woman answered the door. "Oh, hello, deary. Are you lost?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm trying to find a place to buy a wand. Could you point me in the right direction?"

The woman looked her up and down and her smile widened. "Well, ya came to right place. Please, come in."

Deni raised an eyebrow. "Really, ma'am. I'm not sure I should. Mom told me I should never ever go in a stranger's house."

"Your ma must be one smart cookie, Missy."

"My name isn't Missy, ma'am" Deni corrected gently, "It's Deni and my mom isn't a cookie, she's some thing called a Muggle."

The woman chuckled, "Well, Deni, I think I have just the wand. Be right back." She went inside.

The woman came out with a wooden box. "This was the last wand my husband carved before he died. Alder, powdered dragon scale, seven and three quarters inches." She opened it.

Deni stared at the wand. It was sitting in green velvet. She picked it up and it sparked green. "Whoa," she jumped back.

"You got yourself a mighty good sign." The woman pointed up the street. "To get back to your friends, turn left on Potter, then right on Main."

Deni nodded and went the direction the woman indicated. Then she turned back. "I forgot to pay you!"

"Me treat, deary. Go buy yourself a cookie. Widow Holler makes a mean seven-flavor-chunk."

"There you are!"

Deni let out a breath. "Yeah, sorry. Got lost."

Cris smiled. "It's okay. I'm sure this is pretty overwhelming. Come on!" The girl started pulling Deni toward another store. This one was called Ulysses Black's New World Familiar and Unusual Creature Emporium. "I need to get an owl."

"Unusual Creature?" Deni's voice cracked. "That doesn't imply dangerous, does it?"

"I'm not sure what 'imply' means, but Mrs. Black doesn't sell anything dangerous. Mr. Black died three years ago when someone sold him a beagle that was charmed to fart fire. His heart stopped. It was unfortunate, but she can't stand the idea of selling—or killing—the poor dear. He's actually kind of cute."

Fire-farting beagle, Deni thought. This day couldn't get any stranger.

The store was packed with animals. Most of them were birds of prey, but Deni saw some cats, rats, and other rodents. The 'unusual' turned out to be a jewel-encrusted tortoise, a bunny that turned into a top hat, and Sire, the infamous fire-farting beagle. Cris walked over to the bird section.

One of the Garden triplets was looking at snakes, when she let out a scream. "THERE IS SOMETHING ON MY HEAD!"

Deni ran to the girl. Indeed, a small pure-white squirrel with a stub for a tail, was sitting in her hair, chattering. "Aw," Deni said. "It's cute."

"NO, IT'S NOT! GET IT OFF!" the Garden girl screamed again, her arms failing around. "GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

Deni gingerly picked the creature, being careful of its teeth. "You got a name, cutie?" she asked it.

The squirrel stopped chattering, jumped on her shoulder and looked at her, holding its head sideways. The look on its face said I-don't-know-do-I?

"Usually, the owner names their familiar," the teenage girl at the counter said. "But I call that little guy Blake."

Blake the squirrel started to chatter again and crawled closer to Deni's face. It jumped onto her head, and curled into a ball, content.

"I think he likes you," the girl said. "Mom would be so happy if I could get rid of him. He likes to torment the beagle."

Deni picked up the creature and set it on one of tables. "I don't have any money, sorry." She did have her wand money her pocket, but didn't feel right spending it.

The girl's smile widened. "We didn't buy him, he just showed up. Technically, he can come and go as he pleases. If you want him, he's yours. Mom wouldn't know any better." She pushed a small wire cage across the counter. "I'm not sure what he eats, other than toffee and those weird Muggle candies that are supposed to be chocolate but look like rabbit dung."

"Tootsie rolls?" Deni took the cage. "Okay, that's an interesting diet, but the ones in my neighborhood eat acorns." She opened it and put back on the counter. "Come on, Blake." She lifted the rodent off her head and tried to put him in the cage.

Blake's chattering increased in protest. He jumped back on Deni's head.

She picked him up again, and put him on the counter. "Get in, mister," she ordered in her firmest tone. The squirrel stopped chattering and looked up at Deni. She pointed at the cage. "I mean it!"

Shamefully, the little animal crawled into the cage. Deni closed the door and picked up it up, heading for the exit.

"Remind me to not get on your bad side, Deniella," Cris said, coming up behind, empty handed. "I couldn't find one I like. Maybe my folks will get me one for Christmas, or Easter."

They had walked back onto the street.

"Wizards celebrate Easter?" Deni asked, skeptical.

The blonde nodded. "Of course."

"I just thought it was a—you know—" Deni paused. "A Christian thing."

"A surprisingly large amount of wizards are 'Christian'. Some even believe Jesus Christ was a wizard."

"I thought he was the son of a god or something like that."

"They think he was very delusional, but still a very powerful wizard. Some even argue that he was the greatest wizard ever. Even more powerful than Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter? Who's Harry Potter?"

"Only one of most amazing wizards—and Quidditch Seekers—ever!" The girl took a deep breath:

"His eyes are as green as a fresh-pickled toad

His hair is as dark as a chalk board

He's so divine; I wish he was mine!

The hero who conquered the Dark Lord

"His wife wrote that when they were in school. It's kind of become his cheer. He plays for England."

Great, more I don't know, Deni thought. "What's Quidditch and who's the Dark Lord?"

Someone snorted behind them. "Cristen, your friend is stupider than a Squib. Must be a Mudblood."

Cris turned, pulling her wand out, "Dare you to say that again, Lynberg!"

Paramount Lynberg started laughing. "Like I said earlier, 'what can you do to me?'" He looked at Deni. "You are a Mudblood," he said, slowly. "Do you know what that means?"

Deni pulled out her own wand. "Something very very bad."

"Very good, but you're holding your wand wrong. How do you expect to score anything higher than an Unpleasant on your Practical AWE?" He pulled out his own. "See? You hold it like this. In your right hand."

"Does it matter if she's left-handed?" Cris demanded.

"Of course it matters. Many of the testers are biased."

"They shouldn't be," Deni said, in a matter-of-fact tone. "When they grade the WASL, they don't who you are until they're done."

"What's the WASL?"

"Washington Assessment of Student Learning. Duh. You have to take it in the fourth grade, seventh, and tenth grades. You take the Science in eighth. There's also an Idaho and an Iowa one. One of them's the ISAT, but I don't know which one. Then, there is the SAT and the ACT, for when you wanna go to college. I think the other states have them but I don't know the acronyms. What does AWE stand for?"

"You know the meaning of the word acronym?" Lynberg questioned. "What kind of Mudblood are you?"

"Stop calling her that!" Cris yelled, clenching her fist.

"Are you going to fight me Muggle-style?" Lynberg taunted. "I'd like to see you try!"

The girl launched herself at Lynberg with a growl. Deni flinched slightly, dropping Blake's cage with a bang. The squirrel started to chatter in anger. Deni squatted to pick up the cage.

"What in the name of Albus Dumbledore is going on here?"

Lynberg and Cris stopped fighting immediately, their wands drawn. Deni straightened, fumbling with the cage. "Principal Fenderson!" Lynberg yelped in surprise.

A tall bald man glared at the three children. He crossed his arms over his chest, wand loosely gripped in his right hand. "Well, I'm waiting for my explanation, children."

Cris pointed her wand at Lynberg accusingly. "He called Deniella the M-word!"

The man turned to Deni. "Is that true, young lady?"

Deni nodded, arms wrapped protectively Blake's cage. "I think so, sir." She told herself to remember that 'Mudblood' was either a curse word or a pretty ugly insult and not to use it.

"Well then," the man said. "Wands, all of you. Come on, hand them over."

"Yes, sir," she mumbled. Deni passed hers to him, slowly, and Lynberg, red faced, followed suit. She didn't want to, but she also didn't know any spells. It wasn't like she could do any good with it.

"We don't even go to Conway Ridge!" Cris protested, jamming her own wand into her pocket. "You can't punish us!"

"Have you read the MEA, young lady?" The man inquired. "Your wand." He held out his other hand.

"Northland isn't funded by the government," Cris retorted.

"What grade are you entering?"

"Sixth," Deni replied, quickly. The small brunette shuffled nervously. "Sir."

"National enrollment," the principal continued. "Doesn't start tomorrow. Technically, I have more say in your education right now than Northland's headmistress does. If I wanted to, I could demand that you be enrolled at Conway Ridge for the purpose of punishment."

"Just give him your wand," Deni whispered. "You'll get us in even more trouble. I don't think my scholarship would transfer with me."

"Your friend is right, young lady. Give me your wand right now, and you might still be able to go to Northland Girls' School."

Cris glared at him, fury burning in her eyes, but handed her wand over. She mumbled something under breath.

"Could you repeat that, young lady?" the teacher prompted. "I don't believe your articulation was correct."

Cris smirked. "I," she said, confidently. "Can see my reflection in your shiny bald head." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Sir."

Deni gasped and Lynberg hid a chuckle behind his hand.

"You can, can you?" He turned to the student from his school. "Lynberg, report to your grade's superior." His face showed no emotion, but he handed the boy his wand. "Give him your wand when you get there, young man."

The boy nodded once and left, walking at a brisk pace. He looked pale and shocked.

Deni's eyes went wide. "Oh great." She was mentally hitting herself. "We are in so much trouble."

Principal Fenderson forcibly led the girls to Northland's black van. Gregor was leaning against it. "Hello, Miss Gregor. A word?"

"Mr. Fenderson," the woman replied, sarcastically. "How nice to see you again. Mind telling me why you are gracing two of my sixth graders with your presence?"

"I am considering taking educational custody of these two young ladies. This one," he said, gesturing to Cris. "For fist-fighting and disrespect. And this one." He gestured to Deni. "Guilty by association. I need their names."

"Northland is a privately-funded institution, Mr. Fenderson," Gregor replied. "One of the students in your grasp is attending on a full scholarship. She will not be able to attend Conway Ridge unless you offer her the financial means."

"I was made aware of the fact, but the head of enrollment at Diamondback Day is also here today. It is a cost-free institution. If my superiors do not approve, he could take custody of her."

"You would have to contact her parents. They are under the impression that she is attending a boarding school."

"Simple enough. Her enrollment maybe delayed by a few days, but she will catch-up."

"They are mortals. Those with non-magical parents have a difficult time attending day schools. In fact, both the MEA and the Blood-Line Anti-Discrimination Law discourage it. Northland would not hesitate to take you to the AW. Or would you rather be court marshaled by the Mage Corps, Lieutenant Corporal?"

All the acronyms were confusing Deni, but the argument was getting heated. She opened her mouth and then closed it. It was better to keep quiet.

"I retired three years ago."

"It hasn't been five years yet, you could easily be reinstated."

"Why are you not working for the Legal Sector, Gregor?"

"Because my talents are put to better use at Northland. Last year, Salem Witches' Institute tried some thing similar, and those students did nothing wrong."

"I have friends in the Education Sector. I could easily have Northland shut down."

"Under what pretenses?"

"Ghost infestation. Poor elf treatment. Low standardized test scores. Purposeful Squib enrollment. Any number of things can be written on paper. The Wizard Senate wouldn't bat an eyelash at an excuse to close down an up-start radical institution."

"Women's equality is not a radical position. Non-magical women have had the ability to hold political offices for years now. If I remember correctly, one got extremely close to the highest office this past election." Gregor's voice remained eerily calm. "Don't you think our young ladies deserve a chance?"

"Muggles are primitive creatures, Gregor."

"They maybe far more advanced in the social/political realm than we are, Fenderson."

"It's the Wizard Senate, Gregor, not the Wizard and Witch Senate."

"You know my standing on the word 'witch', Fenderson."

"You know my standing on enrolling students whose ancestors are on the Follower's End under forged names."

Cris gasped and threw her hand over her mouth. She mumbled a quick apology.

Deni had been following the conversation like a tennis match looking from one person to the other, but her eyes fell on Cris. "Yes my dear. It does happen." Fenderson's face was suddenly soft. "It's despicable, isn't it?"

Gregor tapped her foot impatiently. "This debate is getting us no where, Archibald. I will see to it that these two are punished accordingly. If they prove to be chronic troublemakers, they will be transferred to your educational custody come next term."

"Are you willing to swear it, Penny?"

The woman pulled out her wand and held it over her heart. "Mage's Honor."

"I will still need their full names, so I can get access to their files." He let go of the girls, regretfully.

"Girls, tell Mr. Fenderson your names." Gregor ordered.

"Cristen Josephine Malloy."

Deni took deep breath and loosened her grip on Blake's cage. "Deniella Allyson Applegate."

"Applegate, you say?" Fenderson's surprise seemed genuine.

"Yes, sir." Deni confirmed. "Mother's maiden name."

"I am going to need your father's name to see your file, Miss Applegate."

"I don't my father's name sir. I'm not sure my mother even knows."

"What is your mother's name, Miss Applegate?"

"Bea Marie Chi. She's married now."

"And your stepfather's name?"

"I just call him Brad."

Fenderson sighed and started to walk off. "I'll work with what I have, then, Miss Applegate. And you, Miss Malloy, one toe out of line and you're mine."

"Yes, sir," Cris replied in an unenthused tone.

Gregor opened the van door. "Get in girls. I think you've had enough trauma for one day."

"What's all that acronym and sector stuff about?" Deni asked Cris while they waited for their classmates.

"MEA stands for Magical Education Act. I forgot what AW stands for. American Wiga-something. It's a court. There are seven sectors. Education, Healthcare, Legal, Justice, Immigration, International Relations, and Non-Magical Discovery Prevention. There are under sectors too. The Aurors. The Quidditch Authority. The Currency Unit. The Mage Corp. Mother heads the Artifact Subsector of the Non-Magical Discovery Prevention Sector. There are cross-sectors, like Social Workers, Obliviators, and the birth certificate people. There's even a History Department."

"You know a lot."

"Not really. I don't know half of it. It helps to know somebody who works in building. Mother still hasn't met everyone. You do not want to go to the inter-office Holiday party."

Deni made a noncommittal nod. There was so much for her to soak in. A thousand questions were swimming in her head. There should be a mortal-born rule book making sector, she thought. It would make this ten-times easier. "What's the Follower's End?" she finally asked.

"I don't know," Cris said, far too quickly. "Wanna hear about Quidditch?"

It turns out that Quidditch was a high-impact sport with fourteen players, six goals, four hoops and two bats played mid-air on brooms. "I'm going to make the team, even if it's just as Broom Switcher," Cris said, in a matter-of-fact tone at the end of her explanation.

Deni opened Blake's cage. The squirrel shook itself with an angry squeak.

"Sorry," Deni told him, scratching his head. "Didn't mean to drop you. I just got scared, that's all."

Cris pulled something out of her pocket. It was a cookie. She broke a piece off. "This will cheer him up, Deniella. Widow Holler's famous seven-flavor-chunk cookie."

The squirrel jumped into Cris' lap and greedily took the chunk. He jumped onto Deni's head and curled up, chattering and chewing. Both girls laughed.

Cris broke the rest of the cookie in half. "Want half, Ella?"

"Ella?" Deni had no idea where that came from. No one had ever called her Ella. In fact, very few called her Deniella. It had been Deni for as long as she could remember.

"Oh. Is there another nickname you like?"

"Deni. Like the restaurant. Expect there's an 'i' instead of a 'y' and one 'n' instead of two."

"So it's not like the restaurant, and I've never heard of Denny, the restaurant. I'm not even sure I know what a restaurant is."

"Well, it's pronounced like the restaurant, but it's spelled like the first four letters of my name. Mama says I over-think things." She nibbled on the cookie half. "Like, I can't figure why you made fun of that dude's head. We were already in trouble. Oh, and a restaurant is a place where you get pre-cooked food."

"I guess I don't trust authority," Cris said, with a shrug. "Or like it really. I don't get the whole 'sir' and 'ma'am' thing."

"I usually do it out of fear," Deni admitted. "My gymnastics coach is brutal. I should say 'was' because I'm no longer a gymnast, shouldn't I|?"

"You're a gymnast?"

"Yeah." Deni took another bite. "You know, back flips, hand springs, tumbling?"

"I know what a gymnast is, silly. I just couldn't believe you were one."

"I'd show you, but I think we're in here because we're in trouble. Why'd you hit that Paramount kid anyway?"

"Monty's a jerk," the other girl said, simply. She leaned back in her seat and took out another cookie. "What flavors are your chunks?"

Deni picked one of the chunks off of the cookie, and noticed it was changing color. She licked it, as it flashed pink. "Strawberry." It flashed white. "Vanilla." Yellow. "Butterscotch." Yellow speckles on white. "Popcorn?" her pitch rose with surprise. "What kind of people put popcorn-flavored things in their cookies?"

"Wizards," Cris replied. "Duh. You are one, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Deni said, defensively, "but popcorn-flavored cookies?"

"If you don't like the idea of popcorn, then I wouldn't suggest biting down on one when it's green."

"Why?"

"It's grass."

Deni stared at her cookie in surprise. Cristen had been right earlier. She did have a lot learn. The girls lapsed into silence, thinking about the coming school year.