Chapter Two
"Normal Lives"

Melinda hastily made her way down the stairs and crossed the floor into the parlour, stopping abruptly in front of the large mirror that hung over the mantelpiece. She fluffed her hair and flicked it back. Content with her appearance, Melinda spun around and headed for the front door.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Piper asked, standing at the foot of the stairs with her arms crossed, "Isn't your father expecting you?"

"I'm gonna be a little late," Melinda said, opening the door, "I just have an errand to run before heading to Magic School. See you later, mom," she quickly walked through the door and began to close it behind her.

"PRUDENCE MELINDA HALLIWELL!"

Melinda cringed and froze in place momentarily before facing her mother. "Yes?" she said with an innocent smile spread across her face.

"If I find that you 'didn't quite make it to Magic School' again," Piper said, mimicking her daughter's past excuse, "there's going to be big trouble," she gave Melinda a stern look. "There's no point in volunteering to be a member of the Magic School Student Committee if you have no intention of taking part ... even if it is still summer."

"I'm not even a student there anymore," Melinda argued, "I graduated two months ago, remember?"

"Still … you can't just let people down because you don't want to do your part to help. Trust me, I've learned that the hard way," Piper said, her face warming. "Now, gather your committee things and get your butt to Magic School," she instructed, motioning for her daughter to re-enter the Manor.

Sighing in defeat, Melinda stepped into the Manor and pushed the door to a close. Piper smiled and then made her way to the kitchen. Melinda walked down the hall and up the first few steps of the stairs onto the bottom half-landing. She pulled her cell phone from her jacket pocket and flicked it open. She dialled a number and put the phone to her ear.

"Hey," she said, smiling into the mobile device, "um, about today … I'm gonna have to cancel. I'm really sorry but if I don't go to school I'm gonna get my ass handed to me … Rain check? … Yeah, tonight sounds great. Okay, see you then. Bye," she snapped her phone shut and slid it back into her jacket pocket. "I hate Mondays…"

She extended an arm towards the wall in front of her, which followed the stairs to her left up to the first floor of the house, and said:

"School of hidden mysteries,
Reveal yourself to me."

In front of Melinda's outstretched arm the image of a large arched brown door faded into sight. Melinda twisted the old metal handle and pushed the door forwards, revealing a large, empty hallway with marble floors and wooden pillars standing firm at regular intervals along the vast corridor. Melinda stepped through the open door into Magic School and quickly walked down the bright hallway. The door swung shut behind her and its image faded from sight.

Piper stirred the contents of the pan that were cooking nicely on the stove. She hummed as she lost herself in her cooking. To her left, the door to the basement opened and out walked her son.

"Morning, sunshine," she said, smiling at her brown-haired progeny. "Did you enjoy Mother Nature's alarm clock?"

"Heh, yeah. That was quite an experience," Chris answered.

"Gosh, I haven't felt an earthquake like that since… it must have been twenty… seven years ago. Ugh, now I feel old," she joked, "of course, last time the tremor released a shadow trapped under the basement that possessed your Aunt Phoebe."

Chris' eyes darkened as he looked at his mother. "You…" he said, his voice deeper than usual. Piper narrowed her eyes as she looked at her son and tilted her head inquisitively. Realising his change of voice, Chris coughed and patted his chest. "You … still remember?"

"Yeah! It's kind of hard to forget your sister and the house plotting against you," Piper chuckled, moving to the television on the counter and turning it on. "I wonder what the news has to say about the earthquake." She used the remote control to change the channel on the TV to a local news channel.

"Seismologists confirm that the earthquake that hit San Francisco in the early hours of this morning was indeed a 4.7 on the Richter scale," the news reporter announced.

Chris looked at the back of his mother with hatred in his eyes. He looked down at his shaking hand and in it an athamé appeared in a puff of black smoke. His eyes widened and he shook his head in shock.

"What the hell?" Chris muttered to himself, eyeing the bladed weapon with amazement before hiding it behind his back.

"It was more powerful than that one a few years ago," Piper stated, "and even more powerful than the one that released the Woogyman. Thankfully he was vanquished years ago along with the Nexus. God knows what would have happened this time if he wasn't dead." Piper bent down to turn the oven on. As she did so, a live grenade with no pin appeared in Chris' free hand in a black smoke.

Chris' eyes widened in utter disbelief. He turned and headed down the steps into his basement bedroom in a panic. His tongue seemed tied as he racked his brain for a solution to his problem. Then suddenly the words seemed to burst out of him:

"I'm a witch, no grenadier
… So … make this weapon disappear!"

He threw the grenade out of the door at the back of his room and watched as fire burst from the round projectile but was quickly consumed by white light before it vanished from sight.

Piper, still bent down adjusting the shelves in the oven, carried on, "So, Chris, what're you up to today?" She received no answer. She stood up and looked for her son, but he was nowhere in sight. She shook her head and muttered to herself, "I'll never understand that boy."

In the basement, Chris stood still, amazed at what had just happened. He shuddered at the thought of what could have happened if he had held that grenade for a few seconds longer. His grip on the athamé tightened as he hid it under his pillow, as if it didn't want to be released.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked himself, finally tearing his hand away from the weapon's grip, stumbling backwards. Chris steadied himself for a moment, breathing heavily. He looked upwards as his body burst into a flurry of spiralling black orbs.

The swirling darkness condensed into a black shadow before Chris reappeared in the attic doorway, making his way to the Book of Shadows. "Maybe the Book has some answers," he muttered to himself. As he reached for the ancestral tome, it glowed with a golden light before a spherical nova of energy burst from it throwing Chris back towards the attic door.

Picking himself off of the floor, Chris stared at the book with wide eyes and a look of terror across his face. He straightened his poise and his expression darkened. With a flick of his fingers the Book of Shadows swung open. The pages struggled against Chris' telekinetic will, as if they didn't want to turn. Chris moved in front of the Book and hovered over it with both hands outstretched, pressing down on the tome with an invisible force. After a moment of shaking and fighting against Chris' power the Book lay still on its stand. A sinister smile crept upon Chris' lips as his eyes flashed a pure black once more. He waved his fingers over the Book and began to turn the pages.

Wyatt sat at his desk scanning the barcodes of the numerous books that were delivered in the morning delivery. He briefly looked up and surveyed the store that he worked in. It was a decent-sized room filled with shelves that were stacked to the brim with books on varying subjects. He looked out of the shop window and noticed the increasing number of people that began to flood into the mall even though it hadn't long opened.

A loud grumble from his stomach brought his attention to his now-obvious hunger. He gently rubbed his belly before laying down the books he was scanning. He rummaged underneath his desk for a moment before sitting back up in his chair, "Don't tell me I forgot breakfast again…" he said to himself. He closed his eyes for a moment and opened his palm, concentrating so he could summon his lunch to his outstretched arms and quench the blazing hunger in his belly. He sighed and opened his eyes. He knew it was wrong, using his powers for his own gain, especially for something as trivial as food - he worked in a mall, he could just go and buy something to eat.

A loud ringing from the back of the shop drew Wyatt's immediate attention. Moving through the 'Staff Only' door, Wyatt picked up the phone that rang loudly on the desk in front of him.

"Hello?" He listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. "The Occult? Yeah we have a few books about it … Don't worry, I'm not here to judge – it's an interesting subject … Is there any book in particular that you want? … Black and White Magic: Through the Ages, let me just check that for you," Wyatt typed and clicked away at the computer in front of him, checking the catalogues for the book in question, "aha, you're in luck. There are two copies left … Sure thing, just come by the shop and I'll have it ready for you. See you, bye." He put the phone down and made his way back to the front of the shop.

As we moved towards the front desk another pang of hunger struck Wyatt as his stomach growled once more. He clutched his belly and pouted slightly, gazing aimlessly at his desk. His vision was drawn to the mall beyond the shop window, where a young girl, most likely in her early twenties or very late teens, was setting up a small food cart that sold a variety of edible goods. He retrieved a small piece of paper from his workspace and scribbled the words "Back in 5 minutes" on it before taping it to the shop door's window. He exited the store and walked over to the food cart.

"Excuse me, are you open? Or is it too early?" Wyatt asked the girl, who was fumbling underneath the cart looking for something.

"Sorry, we're not open for another half hour," the girl replied from under the cart. As she stood up she blinked in surprise at Wyatt's tall and handsome façade. She blushed slightly and smiled, "But I think I can make an exception, just this once. What would you like, Wyatt?"

"How did you know my n-"

"Your name tag," the girl laughed.

Wyatt looked down at the tag that was pinned to his chest, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

"So," the girl said, preparing her workspace for food preparation, "what'll it be?"

"Uh … do you have anything breakfasty?"

"Breakfasty … hmm … I have just the thing!" the girl said, instantly beginning to work on Wyatt's meal. She pulled out a large bagel, cut in half and buttered it. "Oh, I just thought: are you a vegetarian?"

"Oh, no."

"Good, good."

"So, I didn't quite catch your name?" Wyatt asked.

"The name's Debbie. So, Wyatt, what brings you here so early?" Debbie enquired, retrieving two rashers of bacon from the fridge under the cart and placing them on the grill atop the cart.

"I work at the book store just there," Wyatt motioned to the shop just behind them.

"You like books?"

"Yeah, I'm quite the reader."

"A man that likes reading? What a pleasant surprise," Debbie smiled, slicing a block of cheese and applying the slices onto the bagel.

"Why are you so surprised?"

"Maybe it's just my luck, but I've been acquainted with far too many an idiot jock who thinks Playboy is the height of sophistication," Debbie said as she flipped the bacon over.

"That is bad luck," Wyatt chuckled.

"Well, I'm hoping my luck will turn around," Debbie smiled, looking up at the handsome man in front of her with her deep green eyes.

"I hope it turns around for you too," Wyatt replied, flashing her a smile.

"Speaking of luck, what're the chances of that Earthquake, eh?" Debbie said.

"Oh yeah. That was a wake-up and a half, but I don't mind earthquakes – in fact, I rather like them. It's an interesting way to shake up the day, don't you think?" Wyatt grinned as he received a smile in return.

After a moment of silence and preparation, Debbie packed the finished bagel into a toaster, "Toasting it just gives it a little something extra."

"You sure seem to enjoy cooking," Wyatt noted.

"Yeah, you could say it's a passion of mine."

"You'd get along with my mom. She loves to cook too. She's the best," Wyatt beamed.

"Oh really? It's always nice to know guys who admire their parents … Sorry if I keep doing that – I've just known a lot of bad boys," Debbie sighed.

"It's okay – in fact, maybe it's time that you got to know a good guy?"

"Well, I certainly hope so," she smiled as their eyes met. The toasterdinged, drawing her eyes away from Wyatt's as she packed up the bagel into a paper bag. "A toasted cheese and bacon bagel – with a bit of cheese and chive spread for an added kick. Oh!" she opened the fridge door and whipped something out of it, placing it on the counter, "and a carton of orange juice."

"Very breakfasty," Wyatt smiled, paying for the bagel and juice. "So, I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah. See you around."

Wyatt walked back towards the shop with a large smile across his face as he felt Debbie's gaze follow him to the door. He stepped into the shop and removed the sign he had put up minutes before.

Sitting down at his desk, Wyatt tore into the paper bag to retrieve his new breakfast. He took a bite out of the bagel and sighed with delight as the flavours washed over his tongue. Wyatt glanced over at Debbie once more and noticed she was busying herself with preparing the food cart for business. He set the bagel down and reached for his pen and paper, writing a message onto the paper scrap. He motioned his hand in an effort to make the paper disappear then suddenly stopped himself. He hesitated. He knew it was wrong, but this was a now-or-never situation... Finally he gave into his desire and waved his fingers, making the piece of paper disappear in a wave of dim lights and reappear on the food cart.

Debbie stood up from rearranging the contents of the fridge to see the piece of paper on the worktop. She picked it up and smiled as she read the message written on it:

"Thank you, Debbie x
- Wyatt"

Debbie laughed as she saw Wyatt's cell phone number written on the back of the note. She glanced over to Wyatt sitting at his desk and found him already looking at her. "How?" she mouthed.

"Magic,"Wyatt mouthed back with a smile.

Debbie turned away from Wyatt and brushed her hair over her face to hide the beaming smile she was wearing. She continued with her food cart preparations, but not before slipping Wyatt's note into her pocket.

The brightly lit rooms of Magic School seemed to wear heavy on Melinda as she sat in a room with the other dozen students who made up the Magic School Student Committee. She sat with her face slumped in her palm, barely paying attention to the meeting at hand. The discussion was about how the next academic year at could be made more interactive and 'fun'.

Despite her outgoing and upbeat personality, the seating arrangements in the room would suggest that not many people liked Melinda at all. She was sat by herself while the other students sat in groups or at least pairs. On more than one occasion Melinda caught them talking about her, usually in hushed whispers followed with quick glances filled with judgement and sometimes fear.

"Melinda!" Leo said cheerfully, startling his boredom-stricken daughter, "any ideas you'd like to share?"

"Melinda's been as useful as a Fairy against a Fireball," a voice cut across. The voice belonged to Doug Truman, a male witch and member of the Committee, "It was her amazing idea to practice the summoning and conjuring spells in class – and look what happened there! A lion on the loose in the school isn't what most people call fun."

"At least I had the balls to conjure something dangerous like that lion! What did you conjure? A goat? Real freakin' adventurous there!" Melinda snapped back.

"Now, now." Leo said, raising his hand slightly, "Doug, while your opinion is duly noted, I was asking Melinda of her opinions on the subject matter and not yours," Leo turned to Melinda and smiled, "Anything you'd like to suggest, Mel?"

Melinda smiled at her over-protective father and said, "Well, I do have a few... Here goes: instead of trying to cram every ounce of magical knowledge into every student I think that the lessons should be tailored to the individual student's needs. Like, having students with passive powers learn to master and appreciate their own gifts before trying to emulate the more active-oriented powers that other students have.

I know how jealous I used to be of my brothers when they could fling demons everywhere and all I could do was stop them in their tracks. Also, maybe having more guest visits and lectures from people with related gifts – say, a student with the power to control plant life could gain experience from working with Nymphs … things like that. I mean, my power to freeze time would have been difficult to master if I hadn't had mom to help me with it for all these years – I couldn't exactly get Tempus to help me with it … Though I could still use some more practice of keeping my power from the better of me," Melinda smiled nervously, her vision set on her hands as she fumbled with a vial of purple liquid.

Having an explosive potion in her possession was often seen as questionable by the other students, but Melinda prided herself on always being prepared and not being caught off guard. Simply having it in her hands kept her at ease, especially at this very moment when all eyes were on her.

"Maybe having more simulations of situations of fighting against evil and saving innocents could stir up enough enthusiasm from the students, since they'd be more involved with the magic and the problems of everyday life, should an innocent need saving or a demon need vanquishing." Melinda cast her gaze back to the rest of the Committee who were in utter silence gawking at her - some open-mouthed. " … What?"

The sound of a bell ringing echoed across Magic School. "Alex," Leo said, pointing at another male-witch who was controlling a feathered pen with his fingers, quickly writing on a piece of long parchment, "did you get all that?"

"Yes, sir," the witch replied.

"Good, good. Right then, the session is over - you're all dismissed. Go and get some lunch," Leo instructed.

As the rest of the Committee left the room Leo moved over to his still-sitting daughter. "Melinda?"

"Yeah?"

"What's the matter, honey?" Leo asked, sitting next to Melinda. "… You don't want to be here, do you?"

"It's not that I don't want to be here …" Melinda began. Leo raised an eyebrow, "Okay, maybe I don't really want to be here anymore. The thing is … I'm not sure what I want at the minute. I think I just need to find myself. I mean, Wyatt has the book store, mom has the restaurant and the club, you have Magic School and Chris … well … Chris is a bum."

Leo laughed. "You just need your own space - I understand. I'll tell you what. How about I find someone to take your place on the Committee? Then you'll have the time to do whatever you need to find your own place in the world."

Melinda's face lit up. "You mean it?"

"Of course," Leo said, drawing his daughter into a hug.

"Thanks, dad."

"No problem," Leo said, kissing the top of Melinda's head before releasing her from the embrace. "Why don't you go home and see your mom? It's her day off after all."

"Only because you make her take days off," Mel chuckled.

"Well, you know your mother. She loves that Restaurant so much it might just be the death of her," Leo said, smiling back at Melinda, "Anyway, I have some wonderful paperwork I have to take care of. I'll see you later, honey." Leo kissed Melinda on the head again and then left the room.

With a delighted smile across her lips, Melinda picked up her things, slipped the potion into her pocket and followed her father's footsteps across the classroom and into the hallway before eagerly heading for home.

A swirl of dark orbs descended from the sky as Chris faded into view. The sun shone brightly as he stood in front of a small stone structure that had steps leading up to a gated entrance. Chris looked around him and saw the rows upon rows of grave stones that lined the area around him.

Chris' attention returned to the stone structure. He moved towards it and stood on the first stone step. As his foot made contact, a circular wall of a pink light that encased the stone building barred his way and made him stumble backwards. His eyes flashed black and he flung his arms out before him, forcing his will upon the light. At first, the wall of pink light stood firm but as Chris strained his mind and pushed forwards, the light began to bubble inwards towards the building's gated entrance at the strength of Chris' invisible will. The witch's arms trembled furiously against the resistance of the wall of light in front of him. Finally, the pink light bounced back against Chris' power, launching him backwards away from the structure. Chris picked himself up off of the overgrown grassy floor as his eyes flashed black once again.

"You've won this time, Astrid. But I'll be back," Chris said in a deep, echoing voice before he disappeared in a mass of spiralling black spheres.

Author's Note:

Romance in the air, soul searching, a mausoleum and a woman called Astrid. What could this mean for Wyatt, Chris and Melinda? Stay tuned to find out!