"Styx, wake up! We're here!"

"5 more minutes…ugggh."

"No! We're here!"

Great, my mom is a pain in the neck as it is. Now, because of this STUPID coven reunion, she's harping more than usual! My thoughts were, as usual, a torrent of cruelty aimed at the person closest. But, what can I say? It's in my nature. My name is Styx, as in hateful.

"Don't you want to meet your parents' teachers? It'll be great! The Palace Pagans are already expecting you, after hearing all about how great a student you are! It'll be great! Oh, and there's the Coven of Cauldron Bubbles! They're great loads of fun! And …." Mom just kept on babbling.

I love my mother to death, but when she gets a little stressed, or worried, she always babbles and she continually says "great". As if that's going to make anything better. Dad, however, is a totally different story. With a capital T. He never talks, and when he does, it's rarely more than a few words here and there.

I guess that being a witch isn't exactly what you would call normal. But for us, we couldn't live any other way! And I wasn't going to change that at all. Any one who wanted to harm my lifestyle, was going down! At least, that was before the big incident.

*****

"Wake up, brownie girl!"

"I'm up, I'm up! Geez! I need my beauty sleep!" 3:30 am. Oh my GODDESS! What is this unholy hour?!?! No mortal need be up at this time! Parents. Don't they know what I need?! I need SLEEP! Goodness!

I don't know how they can stand this!

"Come on, already, Brownie girl! Set up the tables! People will be here within hours!"

"I'm coming already! I just woke up! Let me get dressed, for the love of PETE!"

"Pete? Are you dating somebody? Shouldn't I know this?" Mom asked in her quiet way.

"Mom, don't hyperventilate! There is NO Pete. It's a figure of speech. I'm gonna go help Dad set up." Of all the parent's in the world! I get stuck with a quiet Mom and a demanding father! Why me?!

…

Hunh. Oh well. I still love them, no matter what their flaws.

*****

"So, I hear family will be at the coven reunion…" I hinted. It was obvious curiosity, but I felt that I might have wanted to possibly attempt to cover it up.

"Yeppers! You bet your great horsies! Your father's sister and her daughter are going to be there. Just think! Your cousin! She's fifteen, too! Isn't that great?!"

"Mom."

"What, sugar plum?"

"Chillax."

I flipped my fiery hair when I walked by, leaving her sitting there, acting as though she didn't hear me. Yeah, that's right. I'm a red-head. Pale skin. Silvery- blue-ish eyes. Only, my hair isn't JUST red. It's got white blonde highlights, and lowlights. And, it's all natural. Every model wants my hair. Mwahahahahaha!

Walking past our car, I realized that I didn't know the way to the front door. My parents hadn't prepared me for this. I don't know my way out of the parking lot! I'm gonna DIE here!

"Styx! Over here!"

"Hunh?" Whipping my head back and forth, it took me a while to see who was calling my name. "Uncle Thor?! Is that really you?!"

"The one and the only! Are you looking for the front door?"

"Ehh, well, about that…..yeah. Hahahahah!"

"Here, you can come with me. I'm assuming your parents aren't far behind?"

"Nope."

"Good. By the way, I want you to meet my daughter at the party. I'm really excited about you two, and I think you will get along just fine!"

"Okay."

*****

"There's a lot of chairs out here. Are we gonna have THAT many people! It's just a coven reunion!" I huffed, irritated at the amount of chairs I, alone, had to set up. I doubt many people are gonna ACTUALLY come.

"Geez! Stop complaining! I had to set up all the tables! These things are not light!" A guy walked up, seeming to be about my age, but you can never tell with all these lights.

Hmmm, he's kinda cute… Maybe all the people here aren't gonna be old!

"I'm Luke. And you are?" He asked, almost courteously, like he was raised in a proper family.

" I'm Eris." I replied, smiling coyly. I couldn't believe I was actually flirting, but you know, if I had some company my age, this shindig couldn't be too bad.

" I gotta go set up more tables," he spoke, walking away, " but I would love to hang out later on, at the party, maybe?"

"Sure thing. I'll see you later. Bye." I couldn't believe it. I almost have a date, and I was going to possibly enjoy the party!

Then, she walked in.

And beside my dad, too. Ugh, the nerve.

*****

I walked into the building, slightly in confusion. It was a lot bigger than I had expected, and I wasn't quite prepared for the crowded room. Then, there was my uncle, trying to usher me along. He always was one for keeping up a brisk pace, and I never did get along too well with him.

Then, I saw her.

I knew instantaneously that she was my cousin, whom I haven't seen since I was, like, a week old. We were born on the same day, in the same hospital. One room apart. And yet, we had never met, and I knew already that I had a new rival, someone who I would be attempting (successfully, I might add.) to trump until I died.

She caught my eyes, and we shared a glance, only a heartbeat long, but still enough for us to know that we each recognized the other, and saw the threat, lingering in our thoughts.

I walked by in contempt, showing off my hair, in a sad, and most likely, unsuccessful attempt to raise her jealousy, and possibly even lower her self-esteem. If she knew that I was a fighter, and a winner, right off from the beginning, she might not have been such a pain. At least, that was my reasoning.