Humming to myself, I made my way out of the classroom. School had just ended, and I was making a beeline for my room. I had to drop off my stuff and grab a shower; the Muses knew how badly I needed one. One would think being at a boarding school we'd have time to shower after gym classes, but apparently that was a luxury that we were still lacking. Oh well, at least the done was done so I could go see my new friends, and hopefully sneak a peek at that new CD they had.
"Hello Musa, how was your day, sweetie?" I heard Flora call, her footsteps speeding up as she caught up with me.
"Hey, it was good meeting some girls after I grab a shower. How was yours?" I said, smiling at her as she matched my strides.
"I'm glad to hear you are having such fun, my day was good, I'm actually heading out soon too. I made friends with this girl Katy and she told me about this amazing pet shop!" she gushed, her sage eyes glittering in her excitement.
I laughed good-naturedly, hoisting my bags over my shoulders. "Sounds good, if you need somewhere to hide the pets, my rooms available," I said winking, making her chuckle.
"I'll keep that in mind, though I might get a new succulent," she said, her lips pursed in thought.
"From what I heard I don't think you need any more plants, girl," I chuckled, reminiscing about this morning. Apparently Princess Drama Mama didn't share too well, especially with plants.
A light pink erupted on her cheeks, and she nervously played with her bangles. "I apologised for that, that species just really likes colours…" she trained off birth her lips.
I just chucked and bumped her with my hip, winking at her to show her I meant no ill will. She smiled at me, seeming to relax a bit. We chattered about our day until we reached the door. I stood in front of the door, placing my palm on the door. A light violet aura surrounded me as I imputed a little bit of my magic into the door, making it open with a soft click. I looked at Flora, stepping aside and dipping into an exaggerated bow. "After you, fair maiden," I said, mimicking the sound of my female friend who lived on Melody.
She giggled, her hand covering her face. She moved her hands to her long brown skirt, pulling the cotton either side of her in a deep curtsy. "Why thank you kind sir," she said, amusement lacing her voice.
We both broke out of our gestures and caught each other's eyes, dissolving into giggles. "Would you like tea?" she called to me as we entered the dorm.
"Ooh, what flavours do you have?" I asked, collapsing on the plush white couch with buttery yellow throw pillows. "You know, I paid little attention to this room, but it is pretty sick," I said, looking around the room.
The room was spacious; the door opening into a little foyer with a skinny side table attached to the wall. It opened into a spacious lounge, slightly rectangular shaped. At one side of the room, there was a small kitchenette with white cabinets and dark grey counters with pink specs in it. On the other side there was a cosy lounge, with 3 plush white couches on each of the three walls, a large bookcase, and a circular rug with a coffee table. There was a large domed shaped entryway in the middle of the room, not taking up the entire wall, that entered a medium-sized room with a large bay window\French doors with a dining table that doubled as a desk, a bookshelf, and a few random items, most of which were covered in plants. The large windows overlooked the courtyard with a small balcony. Attached to that room, there were two doors next to either side of the room, leading to the dorms. It was kind of shaped like a fat T, and everything was decorated in subdued tones, with colours like white, yellow, and pale pink being the most prominent.
"Yes, we are very lucky aren't we, and I have Jasmine, peppermint, lavender, chamomile, mixed fruits and a berry tea on hand," Flora called from the kitchenette.
"Berry, please," I replied, pulling my legs up under me.
"Coming right up," she called back, not bothering to raise her voice as she knew I'd hear her.
I hummed to myself, trying to muster up the energy to get up. During class I had received a text from Francine telling me they wouldn't be able to meet me until about 5, giving me plenty of time to chill out with Flora and get to know her better. I watched her as she worked, quietly humming a song I could distantly recall as a Linphean folk song. She seemed so engrossed in her musings I didn't want to disturb her, so I waited patiently until she made her way over.
"There you go, I hope you enjoy," she said, perching on the crouch to my left.
"Thanks, girl, this looks delicious!" I said enthusiastically, taking the delicate cup.
I blew on the surface, watching as the deep red rippled. I took a sip, sighing when I tasted the explosion of flavour on my tongue. "That is so good, hands down the best tea I have ever had," I said, grinning at the flush that coated her cheeks.
"That is very kind of you, I am enjoying my peppermint too," she said, sipping it.
She opened her mouth to speak when her phone buzzed, making it dance across the table in a jerky motion. I glimpsed the word Nadine, raising my eyes as Flora fumbled and quickly turned the phone off, her face practically radiating heat.
"Don't you need to get that?" I asked, leaning back into the sofa. Man, I loved Alfea, we had the best couches.
"Oh err… no she will be okay to wait," Flora stammered, tapping her tidy nails against the cup.
I raised my eyebrows but decided not to push her. She will tell me if and when she wanted to, pushing now would be hypocritical. I knew I wasn't ready to divulge my past and my secrets so I would never force her to do the same. I could see the nervousness tattooed on her face as I quickly wracked my mind for a change of subject.
"What time are you meeting that chick… Kathy?" I asked, screwing up my face as I tried to recall her name. Normally I had a great memory for spoken things, but right now, it eluded me.
"Katy, and not until about 5.30, she has some work to do first," she said, sending me an appreciative smile, clearly seeing through my attempt at nonchalance.
"Sounds chill, speaking of people though I had best go have a shower, I stink." I said, screwing up my face when I caught a whiff of my BO.
Flora giggled; the tension drained from her eyes. "Okay Musa, leave your cup I will clear it up." she said, as I bent down to pick up my cup.
"You sure?" I asked, feeling bad that she had made the tea and was now cleaning up. Seeing her nod, I thanked her and trotted off to the entryway, so I could get to my room. I had just reached my door when her voice reached me, only able to be heard because of my sensitive hearing.
"Thank you, Musa." I smiled despite her not being able to hear it and dashed into my room, heading straight for the bathroom.
By the time I exited my dorm room Flora was gone. In her place, Bloom and Stella sat giggling on the couches, their 'whispers' grating on my ears. As soon as stella saw me she wrinkled her nose, her gaze scanning my outfit before looking away with a distinctly unimpressed expression on her face. Bloom saw where she was looking and looked over at me, a shy smile on her face.
"Hey Musa, how was your day?" she asked, a forced upbeat tone to her voice.
I raised my eyebrow but gave her a small smile back, not in the mood to get into a fight. "It was chill, I'm actually heading out now with some girls from class. You guys got much planned?" I asked, deciding to be polite.
"Stella is off to Red Fountain soon to see her boyfriend and I've got some work to do," Bloom said, before glaring at Stella when she snickered.
"Don't you mean you are going to call Andy," she said, a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she practically sang the guy's name.
"I can't Stel, you know that!" Bloom hurried to say, her face as red as her hair. "I need to get Tecna to help me with the device first before I can call him," she mumbled, playing with the end of her hair.
"Ooh maybe Ed and I could tag along with you to Earth one day, so I can meet this man of yours,'' Stella squealed, her eyes lightening up at the mention of a double date.
I shook my head, tuning them out. Or trying to anyway, the girls were loud.
"Stell, you know he thinks I'm in England doing a year abroad," Bloom said, making the blonde pout at not getting her way.
"Okay girls, have a good night, I'll catch you later," I said, giving them my signature two fingered wave before darting out the door, not wanting to get embroiled in useless goodbye's.
I fished out my phone pulling up the text. "Meet at Charm Boulevard at just after 5.30," I muttered, nodding to myself.
I passed a few students on my way out, but I didn't bother to react. I saw my gym teacher, Miss Vanderlay and nodded at her, out of respect. Eventually, I made it outside and jagged to the date, feeling the magical whoosh as I exited the barrier. I walked down the street; my hands jammed in my pocket towards the bush station a few meters down the road. There was no one there, and I frowned as I checked the table.
"Dammit, no more buses till 5.30. Guess I', flying," I sighed, feeling the fluttery feelings of excitement fizz in my chest.
I strode down the street, admiring the bright clear sky that was dotted with puffy pale blue clouds. There was a slight breeze that danced around me, scooping up scraps of sound and bringing it to my ears. I blocked them out, not wanting to intrude on people's conversations. Once I was far enough away from the school, I closed my eyes, pulling on the strings in my heart that played the melody of my transformation.
"Magic unleash, Basix!" I called, feeling magic swath my form.
I always loved this part, feeling the sound wrapping around my body like a glove. the way the magic consolidated against my skin, slightly fizzing where it made contact. The feeling of the durable but soft outfit against my skin and the hum of my wings always made me grin. This was what it meant to be a fairy, and goddamn did I love it.
Without another word I used a string of my magic to change the song in my headphones to the new rock song I was jamming out to earlier. I pushed a glaze of magic into my wings, making them vibrate and buzz behind me. I pushed off the ground, ricocheting into the sky. Letting out a whoop of joy I fluttered my wings, making a beeline to Magix.
By the time I touched down in the landing zone for fliers I was panting. A thin layer of sweat coated my hairline and the muscles used to flap my wings had a dull ache. I let myself catch my breath before letting my transformation melt away, leaving me clad in my ripped black skinny jeans, navy cropped band shirt and my black doc martens, my hair in its signature bunches. I stretched out my muscles, enjoying the feeling of the lactic acid melting away at my movements.
"I really need to hit the gym more," I muttered, wincing when I felt my muscle pull. "I better get going, I don't know how patient these girls are and I'm not too keen to test it today,'' I muttered, ignoring the weird looks I got for talking to myself.
I rolled my eyes and headed out of the square. People scuttled around the streets, their melodies mixing to create the song of the city. The muted colours of the town were different from Castor, but I still liked it. There was a slight sci-fi vibe to the city, though I had to remind myself this was nothing compared to Zenith. A frown slid its way onto my face, remembering the time I went there with my parents before I lost the meaning of music.
Fortunately for me, my phone buzzed, breaking me out of my bittersweet thoughts. I pulled it out of my pocket and couldn't help but smile when I saw my cousin's name on the holographic screen. I pressed the accept button and put my headphones on, knowing the sound would come through simply fine.
"How is my fav cousin?" she called her joy infectious.
"Hey Anth, how is the witch life treating you?" I replied, dodging past a man in long robes who glared at me like had stolen his puppy.
"Oh, you know, we just finished our satanic ritual and murdered small puppies," she said, a healthy dose of sarcasm in her tone.
Funny we both thought of puppies.
"Oh nice, that explains the whimpers I hear," I teased back, looking around for the sign I needed.
"Oh no darling, Bas and Raff came over and-"
"Do not finish that sentence," I interrupt, unable to keep the disgust out of my voice.
"You don't even know what I was going to say!" she whined, her childlike petulance shining through.
"Oh, I do know, you are nasty and perverse, and I don't need to hear it," I said firmly, but the amusement I felt snuck in despite my attempts to reign it in. "What can I do for you, my sister-cuz?" I asked, expertly changing the subject.
"I know you have your dumb back to school ball this weekend, but I was wondering if you'd like to come hang out with me and my girls on Friday? Grab some pizza and just chill," she said, and I immediately grinned, probably scaring people with the wideness of my smile.
"Ye girl, that would be great. What time?" I asked.
"Hmm, say around 7?" she said, and I nodded, mentally thanking the Muses that our Friday and Saturday curfews were extended till 1am.
"Perfect now I better go, Zeph and I are heading to Inca Town for dinner," she said happily, and I quickly wished her a good night before hanging up the phone.
I slipped it back into my pocket, humming to myself as I entered Charm Boulevard. I had to admit, it lived up to its name with an elegance that seemed mismatched with the rest of the city.
"Musa, over here!" I heard Francine call out, waving like a mad woman across and down the street.
I waved to let her know I had seen her before I checked both ways. Seeing it was clear, I darted across, walking diagonally so I could reach them. "Hey girls, get everything you needed to do done?" I asked, smiling as Francine gave me a side hug which I returned swiftly.
"Yup, all sorted. Our roommate Kimmy needed our help," she said, rolling her eyes fondly.
"Musa, you should be more careful crossing the street, what if you get hurt?" Ortensia asked, frowning at me.
I was about to reply when Francine beat me to it. "Oh, lighten up Tenny, she's fine. You're not her mother," she said rolling her eyes.
I unconsciously flinched at her term, but if noticed they didn't comment. "Come on, there is this super cute dress shop called Picture Perfect that I want to check out!" Francie gushed, grabbing the wrist of each of the girls and tagging them behind her.
"Girls relax, where's the fire?" I asked, suppressing the grin.
Instead of replying she pulled faster, and before I knew it, we were standing in front of a cute store, with a blemish-free white sign with the words Picture Perfect in forest green cursive. Letting us go, Francine grinned before darting in the store, leaving Ortensia and I shaking our heads fondly.
"Come on, let's go in before she buys the entire store," Ortensia sighed, making me chuckle and follow her into the store.
By the time they had their dresses, we had been through 3 stores. Francine found one she liked in Picture Perfect, but they didn't have her size. Ortensia couldn't find anything that took her fancy, so Ortensia recommended we check out another store that she liked, a cute boutique called Dove Collections. Unsurprisingly, the girl found her dress there, and even I had to admit it was cute. It was a long dress, plum-colored that had a slit up the center to just above her knees, making it open as she walked. The top was tight with a scalloped strapless neck, with a thick black belt across her waist.
"My dad will hate this," she had said, even though she grinned as she checked herself out in the mirror.
"Get it!" Francine and I had said, smirking at each other.
After that, Francine had dragged us to another store she liked, called The Ripple. It was a chill store, with a slightly beachy vibe. She had found her dress there, a short dark blue sheath dress, that had no straps and had a see-through chiffon material that covered it, attached from the top and flowing down, ending an inch below the other fabric. She had a purple-blue belt holding the top layer that was an empire waistline.
Overall, they both looked gorgeous.
Now we were sitting in the pizza place, with the girls demanding I get an outfit.
"I told you, I already have stuff I can wear," I said, rolling my eyes before taking a sip of my chocolate milkshake.
"Oh, come on, you need a new dress. This is the best and only chance we have to impress the Red Fountain boys; you have to take it!" Francine pleaded; her eyes comically wide.
"Oh yea, because the height of my life ambition is to impress a dude wearing a dorky cape," I snorted, rolling my eyes at the insanity of that idea. If that was all I aspired to my mother would be rolling in her grave. She had raised me to be more than that.
"Okay fine, ignore the guy part. Don't you want to dress up, just for one night? Hell, you can even rub it in Princess Stella's face with how pretty you look!" she continued, grinning evilly, and rubbing her hands together like a cartoon character.
"Look, I don't like dresses, they make me uncomfortable," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "Besides Francine, I think you are the one who wants to make her envious, not me," I pointed out, making her pout.
"Who said it had to be a dress? Just a nice new outfit that you feel comfortable in, come on girl, it'll be fun!" Ortensia said, smiling pleadingly at me.
I groaned, staring up at the orange umbrella above me. I knew I'd cave, but I also knew I didn't have endless resources to spend frivolously either. Sighing, I looked at them both, my mind made up.
"Fine, but on one condition," I said seriously, and they squealed before grinning at me, nodding their heads, and repeating yes repeatedly.
"I need to find a job; will you help me look for one Sunday after the dance?" I said, and they fully agreed, big megawatt smiles on their faces.
"Of course, girl, we can come here and find you one. There's this cool music store, called Beats that might be looking for staff?" Francine said, looking over at Ortensia, who shrugged.
"Can't hurt to ask, but either way we can help you, I can even ask my dad if he knows of any work," Ortensia said, smiling kindly.
"Okay then you sold me, let's go that shop I saw down on Majesty Street, I think it was called Rocker Chic?" I said, and they nodded, knowing exactly what I was talking about.
"Perfect, let's go!" Francine said, and we all stood up.
It didn't take long for us to find the shop. It was a bit more rockeresque than the other ones, and I even caught a witch or two in there. Francine shifted a little and averted her eyes when she saw them but did not comment. Ortensia was better, just nodding when they caught her eye before turning back to the racks.
"What sort of outfit are you looking for?" Ortensia asked, moving the hangers to look at the outfits.
"Hmm dunno, nothing in particular," I replied, shrugging noncommittally.
"Well, what about colour?" Francine asked, her voice drifting from a few rows over.
"Black or red preferably, though I don't mind Navy or some yellow," I said, and she nodded, diligently looking through the rows.
I was near giving up. My feet were aching, my ears were ringing, and I was just plain sick of looking at clothing. I don't know how girls did this all the time; didn't they get bored?
I groaned and turned away from the rack. I stroked over to Francine, moaning, and resting my hand on her shoulder.
"I still think that pretty yellow dress from Picture Perfect would look great on you," she said, a coaxing quality to her voice.
"Yea, no. That was way too far out of my comfort zone. It's fine, I don't need a new outfit, I can grab something I already have," I said, smiling and trying to push down the disappointment. Despite myself, I was excited to get a new outfit and get all dolled up and had forgotten my usual staunch attitude towards this kind of thing.
I was about to give up and head home, dying to put on a horror movie and snuggle up under my blanket when Ortensia called out.
"Hey Musa, what about this?" she called, pulling something from the hanger.
I turned around, fully intending to tell her to put it away. I was getting crabby from the soreness in my body, and when I got like this, I got stubborn. Though when I looked, properly looked at the garment she was holding up, all protest dissolved in my mouth and I just stood there, grinning at the outfit she had pulled out.
"That's the one!"
Hey! I hope you guys enjoyed this update. The next chapter will be the dance. I hope you enjoyed the relationships between Musa and Flora, and Musa with Francine and Ortensia. She isn't close at all with Bloom and Stella but that will soon be changing!
I wanted to thank my reviewers; your kind words keep me motivated. I've finished my assignments for now meaning I have a lot more free time. I'm going for a more realistic high school experience here, so Bloom is still dating Andy, her parents have helped her craft the story of her going to England- kind of taken from Fate, not going to lie.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this update, and I'll update again when I can. As always, stay safe and happy reading!
The Blank Page.