Chapter 3

"Did you maybe want to come home to Thanksgiving with me?" Justin asked her after a few months. They had been talking about their plans. Tana didn't have the extra money to fly home, or a car to drive her, and she was going to be staying at the college dorms over their break. "My parents will love you. You can stay in my sister's room, she's…relatively clean. Just…stay away from Max's room…it's toxic."

She laughed, "I don't know..."

"I'll drive us there," he said. "It's a long drive, we can quiz each other on the way…they really want to meet you. They want you to come."

"Um…okay," she agreed.

Justin walked through the door of his family's home, holding Tana's hand. "Justin! Oh, I've missed you," his mother said, running forward and hugging him, kissing him on the cheek. "And this is Tana, oh I've heard so much about you, come here!"

Tana was surprised when his mother pulled her into a hug, but returned it.

"My college man," his dad said and leaned forward, "Sure she is human?"

"Yeah, Dad," Justin said quickly.

"I'm Theresa, this is my husband, Jerry. This is our daughter Alex, and our youngest son Max."

"Aw, look at her, she's cute," Alex said. "I totally did not see that coming."

Justin's family was friendly and happy, mostly. After Thanksgiving they got a little more accustomed to her presence and got a bit more into their habits. Alex was sarcastic, and picked on Justin quite a bit, not always in good humor. But she could tell he was glad to be back home.

It was Saturday, the night before they would make the drive back to college, right after dinner. The sandwich shop below was closed, but she heard Justin and Alex talking down there. She walked down the stairs, and saw something that was impossible.

"Watch your wrist," Justin instructed, performing the spell again. The chair they were practicing on lit up and changed into a desk. He turned it back. "Try again."

"Alright," Alex said.

"Better. You've gotten better since I've left."

Alex chuckled, turning the chair back, "Figure while you are busy learning useless stuff I better hit it where it…" Alex's face fell as she saw Tana watching from the stairs, her eyes wide and her mouth open. "Uh oh…"

Justin turned, his face mirroring his girlfriend's shock. "Oh…uh…I can explain this!"

"This isn't good…" Alex muttered, walking away slowly. "So…yeah, I'm going to leave."

Tana blinked, "I just…what…"

"Um…Tana, that was…a…magic…trick?"

She looked at him severely and started backing up the stairs. She turned, and ran the rest of the way.

Justin pounded on Alex's door where she had ran into, "Can I talk? Please?"

"Justin, Alex just told me…" Jerry said. "She's in shock, she needs some time."

Justin hit his head against the door, "What am I supposed to do?"

Jerry put his hand on his son's shoulder and led him away, "Do you trust her?"

"Yeah."

"Tell her the truth," he said.

"Dad…"

"Justin, I had to tell your mother. If…if she becomes a threat of exposure we'll have to erase her memory. Do you want to do that to her?"

"No," Justin said quickly.

Alex's door swung open and Tana came out with her bag over her shoulder, running quickly down the steps with Justin running after her.

"Wait, please, wait," he begged her.

"I just want to go back to college…I…What the hell, Justin!"

"Okay, we'll go back…"

"I…I don't think so. Not with you. I need…some time to think."

"You don't need to think, I'll explain. The truth," he promised her. "I want to show you something. Please, just trust me."

He took her by the hand and led her to the Wizard Lair behind the sandwich shop. "I know that you are a rational person, you have a scientific mind," Justin began. "But there are things that defy science. Like magic."

"It is an impossibility…" she began.

"I know, but magic defies logic. I am a wizard. I actually have…magic powers."

And he went on to explain how his father had been a wizard, and that his siblings were also wizards. He was the most skilled out of them. And in a few years he would compete among his siblings for the ability to be a full wizard and the right to their family's magic. He showed her a few spells. Told her the importance of keeping the secret. And finally told her, "I'm sorry. This is a big secret to hide, but I've been required to hide it my whole life. Very few mortals know about it. I'm telling you this, not because you caught me, but because I want you to know. I want you to know me."

She laughed, "This is insane. I can't believe it. Those weird books you hide in your dorm?"

"Magic books," he admitted.

She laughed, "I thought they were dirty novels or something you were embarrassed about."

He laughed with her, "Are you…okay, with knowing this?"

"It's just…all unnatural. And huge. And…amazing, too, I guess. And no one else can ever know about it."

"That's right," he nodded. "I trust you, Tana."

"Even if you didn't no one would believe me," she laughed.

He smiled, "You know that movie we're supposed to watch, on the Titanic?"

"Yeah," she said.

"Take my hands," he said. She did. "Trust me?"

"Yes," she said.

His whispered something, and she felt a pressure, a change, and they were in completely darkness. "Of course," he grumbled, then muttered another spell. The area around them became illuminated.

She looked around, holding his hands tightly. They were in a bubble, under the ocean, and could see the wreckage of the Titanic just below them. "Oh god!" she gasped, grabbing him and wrapping her arms around him.

"Don't be scared," he said, feeling her heart pounding against his chest. "I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"This is impossible!" she screeched. "Oh, wow!"

She was breathing hard, laughing occasionally, shocked and surprised and giddy with the experience. Holding her close he kissed her.