Ever since she could remember, Emma could easily recall the day she found out she had powers...magic, all in just her tiny little fingers. She was 8, she was sitting in her elementary class, still picked on even back then for loving nature and it wasn't til this moment when she found out just why she loved the environment so much.. every potion, every spell, had to do with earth, it's water, it's plants, and it's aura.
Emma remembered tapping her pencil on her school desk, Miss Jamie, the teacher, was going through their lesson and the boys who usually picked on Emma (their names long forgotten but their faces) were throwing small rolled up papers at her and her friend since birth, Manny, while they tried to work.
Emma winced, and then clenched her fists, having had enough of this and whipped around when another item was thrown at her, but this time a pencil, "Stop throwing things at me!" she snapped in her childish manner.
The two boys looked a bit shocked, she never really stood up for herself, Manny usually did that, but then looked at another and burst into laughter. Emma clenched her fists harder and suddenly all the kids began to scream when the lights went on and off, flickering, and the sunny weather outside the windows, instantly turned to a grey sky with lots of lightning and thunder, even the room slightly shook and the teacher was even starting to get scared, yelling for all the children to take cover and run under the desks. It seemed only one out of the two boys who were bothering Emma, noticed it was her doing this, and they connected eyes longingly, he was taller than the other boy, black hair and black eyes, and his eyes widened at her as he stared.
Emma took notice, as she was doing all this, that he only had a moment of fear for a split second, then...it was something else, something she couldn't explain, but before she could stop and pretend none of this happened, one of the lights above them bursted, and the boy with the unreadable look upon his face that she just got curious about, was suddenly stabbed in the eye with one of the glass shards and another little girl to the side screamed as Emma's eyes widened in horror.
She'd never forget that day. The boy was alright, but he'd for sure have a deranged eye or at least some kind of scar forever now. Possibly blind.
Emma had been careful since that day, and working on her powers. It was bad for a witch to ignore her powers, as much as Emma wanted to, but things like that would happen. Miscontrolled magic.
You see, Manny and Emma grew up together, even in the same home, a cottage like house that was quite large and surrounded by a big garden, away from the town with the lake just in their backyard and a rope swing on their big oak tree. Caitlin, Emma's mother, would tell Emma she was a witch ever since she was born, but she'd never believe it. Manny on the other hand, Spike told her, and she was just waiting to finally get to use her magic ! Now they could.
Where were their Dad's you ask? Why, there is a supposed curse upon any witches line who were hung back in the Salem times. One of the first witches was so heart broken that one of her lovers ratted her out to the town that she casted a spell which turned into a curse for any witch who fell in love. Any witch who would love a man and try to grow old with him, would one day hear a beetle and that beetle would make it's cricket like noise to warn you that your lover is soon to be doomed and dead.
Caitlin told Emma she heard that beetle before her father died. It was a sudden car accident; Emma had never met him. Spike swears to Manny that she never heard a beetle, but Manny still questions that to this day.
Since the accident with the boy and Emma's magic, Caitlin and Spike thought it'd be better to pull the girls out of school. Everyone thought the haunted cottage like house was abandoned, but Emma's mother and Manny's just put a spell around their home to block everyone out, and home schooled the girls until junior highschool. It took Emma a bit of time to move on from what she thought she did, but now knew it was only an accident. She took her magic seriously now, only did good, and swore to hide it when Manny and Emma were finally allowed in Junior high by their mothers who thought they were ready.
Emma remembered being so nervous before her day back to school, she was 13, or 14, and her and Manny sat at their dinner table with their mothers.
Manny said giddily, "I hope I meet a boy." she laughed
"You're too young to be thinking about that already Manny." Teased Spike.
Emma giggled, playing with her little bird (Well, more like her mothers, who had gotten it today for some kind of spell), and Emma pet the dove's wings as it calmly stood on the table in front of her.
"Don't fall for any Manny." Caitlin warned, receiving a warning look from Spike but she went on, "Don't forget the curse."
Manny and Emma both looked at another, pausing for a moment, as Spike assured them, "The only in this family is sitting there at the end of the table. Your old superstitious mother." Spike teased Emma. She didn't want these girls to never love or want to be loved, maybe the curse was true, but who said it could never be broken?
Caitlins mother shook her head, "It's true, Spike. I heard it the night Tracker died and I know you heard it the day-"
"Enough." Spike told her. Emma was glancing down sadly at the dove now, hating the reminder she had no father because of this 'curse'. At least Manny had known her own for a few years.. Emma hadn't even seen pictures of her own nor would be told stories about him. Her mom was too hurt and had been forever so heart broken over it. She never wanted Emma to fall in love. She wanted to spare her daughter the pain she felt.
When the girls had gone back to Junior high, nobody remembered them, and welcomed them with open arms though did think it was strange they moved into the old cottage house that use to be 'haunted by witches and ghosts' they'd say. But, they knew it was a small town, and probably the only house left to move into. It was weird, considering their reputation when kids but now since teens, and nobody thought they were witches, Manny and Emma got pretty popular fast. Emma was uncomfortable with it, but Manny loved it. Manny had even gotten on the cheer squad. Emma stuck to her environment clubs and tried to keep out of public eye as much as she could but it was hard, for she was blossoming into a beautiful young girl, getting boys' attention.
Then, come last year of junior high, and Emma had once again wanted to be home school because her mother passed away.
FLASHBACK..
"oh Emma," Spike softly whispered, shaking her head with agony in her eyes and petting Emma's head who laid her head on Spike's lap from on her bed. Emma wouldn't even leave her room, Manny had to get her mother to come help. Manny sat on the end of the bed, sadly watching her best friends heart break. Caitlin had been gone for 2 weeks now and Emma still could barely muster the strength to go back to school.
The sad 14 year old girl let a tear slip down her cheek, her hazel eyes tired and shimmering, "Mom died of a broken heart, didn't she?" her voice cracked.
Spike's heart broken herself, "Yes honey, I think so."
I'll never fall in love, I'll never fall in love. Emma kept thinking and chanting that promise in her head, shutting her eyes again to try to sleep as Spike hummed her to sleep.
It was hard for Emma, for a long time. Manny continued junior High but Emma stayed home and while practicing more magic to keep her minds off things, she found a spell in Spikes magic book. She picked up the big book and brought it to Spike who sat knitting o the couch.
"You never told me there was a spell for this." she pointed at the page, "You can bring mom back." tears burned her eyes, "lets just bring her back."
"Oh Em." Spike looked up so sadly at the blonde, but shook her head no.
Emma's mouth fell, not believing she was saying no. Caitlin was not only Emma's mother but suppose to be Spikes best friend, "I have never asked you for anything !"
Spike stood up and embraced the sobbing girl, "Even if we did bring her back, it wouldn't be her. It'd be something else. Something dark and unnatural."
Emma shook her head, her heart breaking painfully and a lump in her throat, "I don't care what she comes back as. As long as she comes back. Please do this for me. Please!" she begged so mouse like and lost. She understood though, and she raised her arms to hug Spike back as she finally let out the tears for her lost mother.
From then on, Spike raised Emma like she was her very own as well. She had already felt like it anyway.
END OF FLASHBACK.
Now 15, and back to being home schooled, Emma smiled as she blew on an unlit candle, and fire magically popped up.
Spike turned from making dinner and laughed softly, "Very good, Emma." she said as Manny finally came in from school, and walked in from the backdoor. "You've been blessed with a gift."
Emma smiled and leaned back in her chair, and behind her, her mothers old pet dove chirped in it's cage. Manny came over to the table and rested her bags on it. Emma tucked her blonde hair behind her ears and asked, "how'd your competition go?"
"We won." smirked Manny, rolling her eyes with her Manny Santos grin, "Obviously." Emma too smiled with her and shook her head. Manny had grown quite the confidence. She'd always been a bubbly little girl but as a teen, she really grew wild, and she really did love her boys. Her trade mark was her beautiful dimpled smile and long dark brown hair, don't forget raspy feminine voice.
Emma was a bit taller than Manny, with blonde layered hair and golden tanned skin. Manny had a nice olive skin tone.
"We're having a party at Paige Michealchucks house. Want to come?" Manny asked Emma and then put on her best pout and puppy dog eyes. Emma was like her sister, they were attached by the hip, but Emma wouldn't come out anymore and it sucked she didn't come to school anymor either.
Emma even tensed up and shook her head, "No. Not tonight" She couldn't even see herself going back to school, that just wasn't her world.
Manny's shoulders dropped, "Then when?"
Emma's opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say, sadly looking away.
"Maybe you could take pointers from Emma." Spike teased Manny, "Stay home and work on your spells."
Manny muttered under her breath to Emma, "Or I could go out and meet up with my crush at Paige's."
"Jimmy?" Emma asked, wondering who the 'crush' of this week was. Manny had a big collection.
"No." she snorted, so over that boy, "Sully." she sighed romantically, "He's so cool and popular, Em."
Spike had to laugh at the girls, "You know popularity isn't what matters when it involves real love, you guys. Charm matters, and his heart-"
"Ya ya." Manny waved her off and Emma giggled as she sat down next to her, "what's for dinner?" before Spike could answer, a knock was heard on the back door that scared the girls and they turned to see a desperate woman from town tapping on the back door, waiting for them to let her in.
Spike glanced over and sucked in a breath, "oh my. Girls, why don't you go upstairs?"
Manny and Emma looked at another, then got up. But on their way to their rooms, they decided to peak and sit at the top while they watch through the stair railing.
"Come on in, Judith." Spike whispered to the women who had some tears and crept in, looking around the 'haunted house'. It seemed only adults remembered just who Spike was and what she could do.
"I need more help." Judith said, sitting down at the table and Spike sat beside her, pulling her spell book with her. "It's Tony.I want him so much, I can't think about anything else. I don't sleep." Judith looked like she could barely breath. As Emma peaked down the stairs with Manny, she shook her head while she tried to figure out why people would do these things to themselves.. fall in love. . "He has to leave his wife, Spike. He has to leave her now!"
"Perhaps you could wish for another man." insisted Spike, going through her spell book and then getting up, going to the bird cage.
Emma sat up, but tried to stay quiet. She watched Spike pick up the dove, and go back to Judith who even looked disgusted Spike would insist such a thing. "I don't want anyone else. He's all I think about. Why the hell else would I come here? To a witch?"
Spike chose to ignore that part and just held her other hand out, "Money, then?" Judith put in a few hundred dollars in Spikes hand. Then, Spike picked up a small pin needle, and handed it to Judith as she held the dove. "You know what to do." she whispered.
Judith aimed her needle at the bird who tried to wiggle it's way out of Spike's hold, but it was a part of Spike's spell to make Judiths magic work, her wish to come true. Judith stared at the dove almost viciously as she finally wished, "I want him to want me so much he can't stand it." she stabbed the bird.
Both Emma and Manny looked away, Emma shutting her eyes tight.
"I want him to love me."
Spike looked up, finally noticing the girls were not in their rooms, but now sadly staring down at her and she put the dead bird on the table, covering it with a cloth as she took the pin back from Judith who was now catching her breath, and nodding, sure with her decision.
Spike said almost taunting like, "Be careful what you wish for."
Up the stairs, Emma had to turn her head and laid it against Manny's arm as she looked distraught about the dead bird on the table, whispering out loud once again, "I hope I never fall in love. I hope I never fall in love."
Manny smiled slowly, "I can't wait to fall in love, Emma."
(((*))))
That night, rather late, Manny noticed Emma not in her room, but down stairs in the 'garden' room where they made spells, or potions, and Emma walked around in her bare feet while wearing her yellowtank top and pajama pants. Manny rubbed her cold arms as she just wore a white night gown and whispered, "Em, It's 1am."
Emma's eyes wondrously gazed at the white, red and blue roses before her that she helped Spike grow, and she held a small wooden bowl. "He will hear my call a mile away. He will whistle my favorite song. He can ride a pony backwards." as she spoke, she ripped off the pedals of a different rose each time, and put it on the bowl.
Manny followed her around the room, "What are you doing?"
Emma looked over her shoulder to Manny, and gave her a look like she should just know, "Summoning up a true love spell. called Amas Veritas." she turned back and pulled more pedals off as she thought about a guy she COULD love one day, "He can flip pancakes in the air. He will be mysterious, but kind.. And his favorite shape will be a triangle. And he'll have blue eyes."
Manny furrowed, "Thought you never wanted to fall in love?"
Emma finally sighed and turned around to face her best friend, "That's the point. The guy I dreamed of doesn't exist." she smiled almost proud of herself and looked down, shaking her head "And if he doesn't exist, I'll never die of a broken heart."
Manny couldn't help but feel her heart drop over that. Emma was so great, and the best-est friend she's ever had. Why didn't she want to love or be loved? Caitlin had really scared and scarred her for good.
That night, Manny and Emma fell asleep in Manny's bed as Manny and her hid under the covers, just talking.
"You know *I* love you right?" Manny asked her.
Emma giggled under the sheet, "That's ok. I love you and Spike like family too."
"How come you can accept our love but not a boys?"
"Because they are a curse." Emma said matter of factly.
Manny frowned, but then sat up and Emma wondered what she was doing, crawling up from under the blanket too to gasp, seeing Manny had out two necklaces with pretty small pastel pink crystals on the end. "This is for you." she handed her one, "And this one is mine." they put it on, and Manny smiled with a shrug, "I wish mine was blue."
Emma smiled and bit her lip, pointing her finger to Manny's crystal and slowly, it turned blue.
"You're really powerful." Manny had to admit, holding her pretty blue crystal now as Emma softly gazed at hers and just nodded with another shrug.
"Your magics coming along." she promised Manny.
She and Emma laid down on the pillows again, smiling up at the ceiling, "We're going to be the best witches ever."
"Witches. Best friends. And sisters." smiled Emma.
((((((**********)))))))
And that, was two years ago. Now, was senior year of highschool, and Emma wanted to finally spend her last year at an actual school. It was a school for just grade 11's and 12's, and Manny had only spent a year without Emma in grade 11, so was over joyed that Emma was coming back for senior year.
They were in for a wild ride.