Colin Chandler is late-night training at Stones of Solarization.

Which means, I am left with myself for the night. It's about 11:30 pm right now in central Wisconsin, the temperature probably something like 40 below with the windchill (explaining my natural frustration right there), so I really don't have much to do besides catch up on my writing. Of all honesty, I've been slacking off a little. I just haven't had a lot of time on my hands! With multiple tests at Swords and Dust Academy for Magical Beings, voice lessons, a few plays I was involved in, not to mention after school sports and activities. I just liked to relax after those things.

But now it's June 6th. Today was the last day of school, so us enchantresses (that's right, I'm an enchantress) were released for the summer to head back down to earth to visit our families and just be normal girls for three months.

That's a summer challenge right there.

My enchanted friends and I...we have a history of questionable decisions here on earth. I felt kind of uncomfortable coming back, though excited to see my father...plural.

Ok, so you know that show "Full House"? Yeah, my life is kind of like that. Vincent Striker is my real father, who is an ex-murderer (I actually think he still slaughters every now and then) and a dark magic creature. I can thank him for my enchantress dark magic. Then there's Mike, who I met back when my friends and I worked at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza a few years ago. He's like a father figure or an older brother to me. He's 19, and he's very overprotective of me, especially when Colin is around. I don't think Mike approves of me dating Colin, though now I am 15 going on 16 (my birthday is in six days, say yay!). Colin is barely under a year older than me.

Then there is Scott, who is also like a father figure to me. He's a few years older than Mike, but he is WAY more flexible about the decisions I make. He "ships" Colin and I together, and he trusts him. He's also told Colin and I multiples times that we were the cutest couple he has ever seen. I must say, it's hilarious to watch Mike pound his head on the wall and scream whenever that happens.

I have a crazy family.

Quinn, my cousin, is also over at my house a lot, usually with Jeremy Fitzgerald, her boyfriend, whom we also met at Freddy Fazbear's. Even though I don't believe in love at first sight, I really think that's what happened with that couple. Jeremy is so sweet to Quinn, and he's always telling her that he loves her and how pretty she is, etc.

That's kind of how Colin and I are.

Yeah sure, I'm at that age where I judge my looks too much, and Colin is always scolding me about it. I don't want him to think I am fishing for compliments (I actually hate people who do that), but everything I say about myself, I feel is true. If only I could see myself the way other people do. So that's enough about the past.

I am working on a song called "Like Love Like War", which is a little more difficult considering I want it to be like the saddest song ever written. But I get the feels every time the slightest idea spawns in my brain, which means I must be doing a good job. My iPhone is also at my side, playing a two-second electronica tune whenever Quinn texts me back. I text a lot. I'm usually texting Quinn, sometimes Britt. I don't text Ashley too often except for on school mornings, because that seems to be the only time she really responds. Danielle and I barely text at all.

I tossed my phone down on my bed after I replied to a message Quinn sent me, confirming our shopping day out tomorrow.

Yes…

Quinn and I have been waiting FOREVER to take Britt shopping with us, and now it was finally going to happen tomorrow at sunrise. I know I should probably get some sleep considering I'll be up at like five or six tomorrow, but being a teenager, I don't care. Yeah, enchantresses still have teen personalities, you know. We just have powers to go along with them. I am the Enchantress of Magical Disasters (storms, killing, wars, etc.) and Quinn is the Enchantress of Winter's Blade (snow, ice, cold temperatures, etc.). We are like polar opposites, considering she thrives cold where I go weak at it.

Knock knock knock…

I hear a knock at my door.

"Come in!" I said, without looking up from my notebook.

I hear the door open and my father strides in a few moments later. He always waits until I say he can enter, unless it's a serious emergency. They are all real good about that, except for Mike (whenever Colin is in the room he doesn't even bother knocking).

"Did Quinn say it was alright with her parents?" he asked, knowing about my shopping trip. His voice is naturally dark and creepy.

I nodded, "Quinn just texted me saying she could."

"Good," Vincent replied, grinning and showing his pearly white teeth, "Now you should get some sleep."

I groaned and rolled my eyes, "Can I stay up a little longer?"

Vincent sighed, "Sure. But I'm getting you up tomorrow, and there better not be any complaining." He started back toward my door.

"Fine by me," I replied. I picked up my phone after it went off.

That's what I love about my father. I have so many freedoms around this house and that's because I'm trusted. On school nights, I just have to be showered, homework finished, teeth brushed, etc. and in my room at 9:00 sharp, lights out. Then I can pretty much do whatever I want. Vincent just says that if I'm tired during the day, that's my problem, and I'll eventually learn to stop whatever the hell it is I'm doing wrong.

"You text too much!" I heard Mike's voice from the kitchen.

"Deal with it!" I called back, shooting a text back to Quinn saying that my father said it was fine for me to go.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Vincent pivoted back on his heels, standing up straight, "Mike, Scott, and I are heading out to the bar for the night."

"Cool!" I smirked, thrilled that I would get the house to myself.

I love staying home alone. Sometimes Scott gets worried that I get lonely, but honestly, I need all the time away from people I can get right now, considering I have plans for tomorrow. I'm one of those types of people that gets energy from being alone, which is why my night watch job a few years ago was in a way, torture, surrounded by people for six hours straight. It took all my willpower not to strangle someone.

"We've hired you a…" Scott stepped in my room. He cleared his throat, "Babysitter."

My heart sank.

"You serious?" I raised my eyebrows.

"We're just concerned about leaving you alone all night like this," Mike entered my room, too. Now all three of them stood by my bed. I sat up, swinging my legs over the edge. I still wore my black leggings from today. I hadn't changed into my pajamas yet. I also wore a dark purple crop top, which showed a pretty good amount of cleavage. The edges and tank straps were black, and silver studs lined the top. I wore a long black cardigan over it, and dark purple ankle boots. My violet hair was cut short for the summer and flipped at the ends. I had gotten bangs and my makeup was dark and smoky for the day.

"Dad, I'm 15," I looked to my father, "you can't be serious."

"We are," Vincent replied.

I sighed, now insanely frustrated.

"So who did you hire?" I asked, raising my angled eyebrows. My eyebrows are in such a way that always makes me look angry and serious. They are angled down like all those professional models' eyebrows. My arch is pretty decent toward the ends of my eyebrows.

"One of my old friends," Vincent grinned, "Eric."

Eric...why did that name sound so familiar? I knit my eyebrows.

"How come I've never met him?" I questioned.

"I haven't seen him since high school," Vincent replied, "Very nice guy, but he was never too big on humor."

"I hate him already," I replied, "so how do you know he's trustworthy?"

"He is," Scott patted my shoulder, "He's a high-ranked leader."

"A leader in what?" I stood up, causing them all to step back a little to give me room.

"Oh, just a police faction," Vincent replied, swatting a hand, "have you by any chance heard of...Dauntless?"