Ok so here goes nothing. This will be my first attempt at writing a story. So I will plug in my iPod and hope that it helps me be inspired to create. This story is inspired by the episode "family game night". I have heard that Alex and Harpers' friendship is one of convenience or you could say that Harper is really Alex's conscience. I see it this way, that they both have feelings for each other that, being teenagers, scare them so much that they act the way they do around each other. So I will do my best to create the illusion that there is actually more to it than it seems. I will also do my best to try to stay as true to the characters as I can. I Hope you enjoy the ride and if not well the exit is clearly marked alt f4.
Chapter one
Harper sees her dad coming looking like he's been crying hard for hours.
"Dad what is it? What's wrong?"
"Harper sit down ok I've got some bad news for you."
Harper sits having never seen her dad like this, "Dad what is it? You're scaring me."
Harpers dad rest his hands on hers, barely able to keep them from shaking, after a very long thirty second silence he was finally able to get the words out of his mouth.
"It's your grandfather honey he", fights back tears, "He passed away last night."
Harper starts to cry as her dad puts his arms around her to try and comfort her. "I'm sorry honey, he went in his sleep." "Dad are you ok?"
Still trying to get his hands to steady. He is barely able to look Harper in the eye.
"I'll be fine sweetheart."
He slowly wanders off to the back porch, on his way he lights a cigarette and takes a very long slow drag while still in the house.
Harper sees her dad leave and light his cigarette.
"Mom since when does dad smoke? I mean I don't think I've EVER seen him do that."
Harper's mom sits on the couch next to her. "It's like this honey, your dad and granddad used to be so very close then something happened when your dad was about your age."
Harper sits and gives her mom her full attention. "How come I've never heard this before?"
"Well sweetie it's not something your father talks about, he and I were married almost ten years before he even mentioned it." Harpers mom pauses and gets a sad look on her face thinking about what happened.
Harper sees her mom's face change, "Mom what is it?"
"It's like this, I've known your dad almost my whole life and I remember back when they were so close and had a wonderful relationship. Then like I said when your father was about your age suddenly his dad became withdrawn started drinking and almost completely ignoring his family. His wife finally left him and took your dad with. Your father didn't hear, speak to or even see his dad up until only a few years ago, it tore your dad up that his dad wasn't even at our wedding."
Harper sitting stunned trying to take in all this new information somehow is able to ask.
"Well that almost explains it, but why is dad so upset?"
Her mom pauses again to collect her thoughts, "well it's like this a few years ago your grandfather showed up one day out of the blue, I am always grateful that you weren't here because they got into a shouting match I was sure was going to get someone to call the police. After they both got it all out on the table they were actually able to talk calmly and make peace."
Sitting almost on the edge of the couch wanting to hear more she only can ask,
"so what happened to grandpa that he acted that way?"
"Your father never did tell me and every time I would ask he'd just say,
"at least he's back in our lives let's just be grateful he is."
Harper pauses and gets a real serious look on her face,
"but that still doesn't explain why dad is SO upset."
Her mom lets out a soft sigh,
"well dear about a week ago he called and said he was going to be stopping by and he was going to let your father know everything that happened to make him do what he did. In fact he was going to be here next week to talk."
"Well I guess that explains it thanks."
"Sure thing sweetie but come on now it's time for bed".
"Ok mom".
"Are you going to be ok dear?"
"I'll be fine mom it's sad but I really hardly knew him so I don't understand why I'm so upset."
"I think you don't like seeing your father so upset."
"That must be it, ok mom good night keep an eye on dad for me ok?"
"I will dear", Harpers' mom kisses her good night.
Harper quickly drifts off to sleep. In her dream Harper is over at Alexs' house, "hey look there's the flying carpet". "Can we take it fort a spin Alex?"
"Well I don't know I mean it is really only for wizards to use I mean I'm not sure what the rules are regarding mortals and magic".
"Don't worry Alex I trust you".
"Well ok then let's take this baby for a spin". Harper walks over to the carpet and it starts to float up off the floor and move towards her.
"Wow that's weird I mean that's how I knew it was magic".
"Well I didn't do anything Alex I swear I mean after all I'm mortal but this is really cool".
"You're right about that but it's still pretty strange that the carpet reacted to you but maybe, I don't know oh well let's go take a ride."
Alex holds her hand out to take Harpers' hand and help her onto the carpet.
Harper blushes at Alexs' soft hands and gentle touch." Ok Alex what now?"
"Well now we need to make sure we're safe so here put this on", Alex hands Harper a helmet. Harper and Alex put on safety helmets. "Ok so now are we ready?".
Harper stares at Alexs' eyes as she gets the carpet ready to go." Harper are you ok? You're staring".
Harper blushes again, "sorry Alex I",
"don't worry Harper it's ok you're just nervous about flying".
"Yeah that's it I'm just nervous about flying by carpet".
"Ok Harper here we go are you sure you're ready for this?"
"No but I'm with you so I know I'm safe". Alex guides the carpet up into the New York night. Flaying high between several buildings the skyline lit up from the various windows. The carpet on it's own shakes for a second causing Harper to grab onto Alex. Alex puts her arm around Harper.
"Don't worry like I said I'll protect you".
"I know you will Alex". Harper stares' at Alex and under her breath whispers beautiful.
"What was that?"
"It's beautiful up here". Harper turns her head, just for once just have a backbone and tell her, she thought to herself. The carpet again on it's own bucks and causes Alex and Harper to switch places. "Alex! What do I do?"
"I don't know but you seem to be handling it ok".
"I am aren't I?" " I mean how is this possible?" " I thought only wizards can fly these things?"
"Well maybe it's because you're here with me, that must be it".
Harper flying the carpet every now and then can't help but stare at Alexs' hair flowing out from under the helmet she's wearing. Without thinking she does a steep turn causing Alex to slide towards her." Sorry about that Alex I'm not really sure what just happened there".
"It's ok Harper it's not like it was on purpose".
Getting lost in their ride neither notices the sound of thunder off in the distance. Harper snaps out of it and realizes it's about to rain." We should head back Alex it's going to rain".
"Yeah and dad said this is a dry clean only flying carpet"." We should switch places then". Alex and Harper switch places and Alex flies them back to her place. Before they can get there though it does begin to rain. They pull into the lair slightly dripping wet from being caught in the rain.
"Man I hope the carpet will be ok".
"Don't worry I got this," before Alex can use magic to dry the carpet, Harper chants "we took this for a spin now let the drying begin".
"Harper how did you do that?"
"I don't know suddenly it just came to me and look the carpet is DRY"." Wow this is really weird"." Well Alex I need to be getting home".
"Ok Harper I'll see you in school". Harper at home is woken up by her alarm. shutting it off,
"wow what a strange dream", she goes into the bathroom and looks in the mirror and sees that her hair is wet. "Ok that WAS just a dream right?"
"It had to be". Harper dries her hair and sits down at her desk and begins to write her daily entry in her diary, minus the part about her dream.
"Well today is my history test and I know I'll ace it, I wonder what Alex will be wearing today?" Shakes her head and erases what she just wrote.
"Come on Harper you know that road is one you'll NEVER go down. I mean it's not like she feels that way. I mean why would she?"
"I mean sure I'm smart, funny and always fashionable. Oh who am I kidding she'll take one look at me and snicker under breath like she always does".
"Well today is a new day. I mean you've only been crushing on her since, well since ever I guess. She can be sweet sometimes. I wish she'd let that side of her out more often. She can be the nicest person when she's like that. Harper you know you're not going to change that about her. If I did well then she wouldn't be Alex. She does have the whole package, I can't remember how many times she's almost caught me staring. I always make up some lame excuse like "look at that a daddy long legs how cool." Yeah how lame is more like it. I'm just glad she hasn't got a clue,"
Harper hangs her head a little at her own statement.
"Yeah no clue is right. I think I'd have to just grab her face and kiss her to get my point across,"
Harper stares at the wall for what seems to her like forever, thinking about how it would feel to kiss Alex. Shaking her head to clear it, "right like I could EVER do anything like that. Boy would she be shocked. I could just walk right up to her grab her and kiss her."
Harper takes her pillow. "Alex I've been in love with you since junior high school and it's about time you knew it," takes her pillow and kisses it.
"Wow I think that just qualified me for the dork of the year award. Well I'd better get dressed for school," Harper gets up, gets dressed, grabs the perfume that she and Alex picked out at the mall the other week and leaves without realizing that she left not only lip prints on her pillow but also left her diary open. The phrase about Alex only partially erased.
Alex sleeping is having the same dream as Harper.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."
Unable to clearly see who she is dreaming about Alex tosses and turns, wakes up goes to the bathroom and sees her hair is wet, "ha ha VERY funny Justin. Ok I'm sorry I used a highlighter to make dirty words in your chemistry book".
"Alex what are you talking about?"
"Nothing, so got big nerd plans for today?"
"Ha ha look just get ready for school".
"Wait if you didn't do this to me then how did my hair get wet?"
"Well maybe you were sweating feeling guilty for all the mean things you've done to me over the years.?"
"Yeah no that's not it," Alex, sitting on her bed dries her hair and sees that her pillow is wet.
"Wow now thatIS strange," picks up the pillow and catches the very faint scent of the perfume that Harper helped her pick out at the mall.
"I must have gotten some on my pillow by mistake." Begins drawing in her dream diary and looks at her most recent drawing of her and Harper in her book, "Wow I'm even better than I thought".
Shakes her head in approval. "Ok why did I draw me and Harper in my dream diary?"
Picks up the pencil to erase it but can't bring herself to do it.
"Nope can't do it I mean it's just too perfect. Her hair, eyes, those lips and her body are just right," shakes her head, "wait, wait a minute where in the world did THAT come from? I can just hear it now, Harper?! Alex, Seriously?! What a know-it-all. I mean really me and Harper?"
Forces herself to laugh but it quickly fades. "No, no, no, no this is Harper we're talking about. I mean she wore a salad and called it a dress for goodness sake. She sure did look tasty though," shakes her head harder, "come on now Alex snap out of it. I mean the idea of me and Harper is just foolish."
Looks at her journal, "boy am I glad I figured out the locking spell so those two geeks can't open it like last time. That's another thing why in the world did I tell Harper about being a wizard?"
"I mean it's not like I was trying to impress her or anything."
"It's not like we even like the same things, I mean we have NOTHING in common", sits on her bed thinking about how they don't like any of same things.
"Well except for scary movies,", thinks about how she and Harper came up with the funky junky hat song. "Yeah there is that too. But I mean that's it. She's always on my case to behave and don't cause trouble at school and it's not nice to make all of the school clocks run fast. I mean that was great a whole day of school in one hour, we do both love taco Tuesday at school. She did take me to see Lil' Galileo."
Sitting on her bed lost in her thoughts, Alex doesn't hear her dad trying to hurry her along to get ready for school.
"ALEX! ITS TIME TO GET READY, YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE AGAIN!"
"Sure dad I'll be done in a FLASH."
"And no using magic just hurry up ok?"
"Fine dad no magic," wait's a moment then, "today I have to be really cool so now get me dressed and ready for school." Waves her wand and is frozen, mumbles another spell to thaw out. "Ok fine lets try this then, 'if I'm late again I'll be a fool so I need to be dressed for school'", waves her wand and is dressed as a court jester.
"ALEX HURRY UP!"
"What is wrong? Ok maybe this will work 'I need to be ready so here it goes I need to be dressed in my school clothes.'" waves her wand and this time is dressed in a catholic school outfit. Alex grunts in frustration.
"Man what is going on?"
"ALEX FOR THE LAST TIME HURRY UP!"
"Ok fine I'll do this the regular way but what is up with my magic?" Alex gets dressed as quickly as she can, grabs the perfume and sprays her neck and wrists.
Ok now then off to school and Harper." Shakes her head again, "too bad there isn't a spell for that. Well time to go to, shudders, school. Wow am I going to be feeling that for the next week or so."
Comes downstairs sees Max, "Wow peanut butter and jelly scrambled eggs, dad are you sure he's not secretly adopted? I mean you can tell me I promise to keep it a secret."
"Alex I'm right here I can hear you."
"I was only kidding Max", looks at her dad and mouths "no I'm not".
"Well I'm off to school time to learn and study and all that good stuff".
"Alex save that for your teachers."
"I know dad I'm just practicing. You know getting all the bugs out before I use it, Bye."