All rights reserved to J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, and Paramount Pictures.
Chapter 3
Melinda
"And then Chris over here gets himself knocked out while I nearly avoid an energy ball, then I vanquished one of them but the other got away. I figured that we had done enough damage for one day though so I orbed us home and healed Chris."
I tried to seem interested and proud like my parents as we all listened to yet another Wyatt and Chris super hero story during dinner. But to be perfectly honest, they saved the world probably every week so it was pretty much old news and I was starting to think that Wyatt just liked to hear himself talk.
"Well I'm glad to hear that you both got out safely", said Piper. "I really don't like it when you go down to the underworld looking for trouble though."
"Mom, these demons have been hunting down young witches all along the west coast for months. We had to do something", Chris responded.
"That may be true, but you said these were Noxon Demons right?"
Both boys nodded in response.
"Well if I remember correctly, Noxon Demons are a hired-gun. Which means that there is probably a powerful upper-level demon behind these attacks. And you two hunting down these demons might draw him out, and he'll come after you."
"I'm sure we can handle it", said Wyatt with a smirk.
Piper sighed frustrated, and looked at Leo.
"I think what your mother is trying to say is that you two really don't need to go looking for trouble. Trouble comes to find you, and all of us, eventually."
After my father's words were spoken, Wyatt and Chris laid off the heaviness of their demon hunt.
"So girls, how was school today?" asked Leo.
"Fine", Lily and I said in unison.
"How was practice?" he asked my sister.
"Tough", she responded. She then went on to describe her practice in detail but I wasn't listening.
I was thinking about my conversation with Lily in the car. What I told her was true, I don't see myself going down the Halliwell life path. I don't see the point if I did. Not only are my older brothers' basically the Wonder Twins on steroids, but my cousins all surpass me in the supernatural world as well. Phoebe's three daughters, Prudence Johanna, Parker, and Pamela, are all half witch and half cupid. While Paige's kids, Tamora, Kat, and Henry, are all like their mother, half whitelighter and half witch. What would the Greater Good need with me, a witch with one active power, when it has the rest of my family to protect it? But then I feel guilty when I think of my sisters. I know that they both struggle daily with the magic they have. Lily in particular. What she said in the car is just what my mom and aunts guess she is. A witch with no active powers. Though they have always thought that maybe one day she would grow into her powers, like the rest of us have. But she never did, even though she is clearly magical. The only reason we all know she is a witch is because she can read spells and make potions. But I know that she feels lost because she remembers nothing of her life before us and has no answers as to what she is.
Just then, Renesmee came in through the back door, breaking my train of thought.
"Hey Nes, how was your day?" asked Leo as he got up to put his dish in the sink.
"Pretty good", she answered as she walked over to the island and set her backpack on it. "I've got two tests and a paper due this week though so I'm stressing a little."
"Well I'm sure you'll do great like always honey", said Leo as he kissed the side of her head.
"Thanks Dad", she smiled.
"How was the library then Nes?" I asked.
"Huh? Oh yeah, the library. It was fine, pretty crowded actually."
As she said this I noticed her mind wander off somewhere else. I wonder why she was confused by my question? Oh, she must've gone hunting…
I feel bad for Renesmee too, being half vampire, and having to live in a world where she must be completely human. Even though she lives in a house with several magical people, I know that none of us can understand her daily struggles. Nes has told me more as I have gotten older about what she goes through. About how sometimes she wishes she didn't have to hide her abnormal strength or speed on a daily basis. Or how she has to pretend that she doesn't hear every single thing not only in the house but in the next four houses down. And her worst fight of all, with her thirst. Nes says that she only struggles with certain people. Being half human, she really doesn't crave a lot of human blood as she has never wanted the blood of anyone in our family, but every once in a while when she hasn't hunted, she feels like she could lose it. It could be the mailman, or one of her professors, or a store clerk, but she always has to fight it and get herself out of that situation as fast as she can. As much as I love Renesmee, I'll never be able to help her with this. I'll never be able to help her with her urge to kill people.
"So Melinda, how's that history grade doing?" my mother asked all of a sudden.
"Oh, um, its doing alright I guess."
"So then did you bring it up like you said you were?"
"Well no, not exactly", I mumbled.
"Why don't you guys go upstairs? Your father and I need to have a talk with your sister", she then said to my siblings with a sigh.
Uh oh.
"Melinda, I know that dance is important to you, but you will never have a future in any career if you don't go to college", Piper lectured me when it was just the three of us in the kitchen.
"I know that Mom."
"Do you?" she asked
"Yes."
"Cause it seems like you don't as your grades have been getting worse, not better."
"Look I know, and I'm sorry but I just think that dance needs to be my main concern right now as it is my future."
"What about college?" Leo asked.
"I don't really have to go to college to be a professional dancer."
"So what then? You'll just drop out of high school and move to L.A.?" Piper asked, clearly annoyed with my choice of a career.
"Why not? It's not as if I'm needed around here anyway?" I snapped at her.
"Melinda what are you talking about?" she demanded.
"Oh come on Mom. You're not upset that I wanna move to L.A. and not go to school. You're mad that I'm not going to stay here in the house killing demons for the rest of my life just like every other Warren witch has wasted her life doing!"
Right as I said that, the blender exploded.
"Piper calm down, she didn't mean it like that", said my father.
Piper was staring at me in shock while I stared at the blender with the same look.
"That wasn't me", she said to him.
"It was me", I whispered.
