Life is Strange with Magic
Chapter 4
May 8th, 2010
Harry looked around the parking lot to make sure he was alone after Joyce and Chloe had entered the school. Once satisfied he pulled out his wand and cast a series of spells that allowed him to eavesdrop on the meeting in the principles office. He smiled when he could hear a few people making idle chatter. A few minutes later the meeting started, and Harry could tell where this was headed long before Wells expelled Chloe. He knew Chloe was protecting Rachel and he understood and respected her choice to do so even when the risk where high. He'd known people like Wells during his travels especially at some magical universities in Asia. So many magical people so little opportunity for a magical education so of course corruption was rampant. The few he'd met lived in palatial mansions while the teachers and other staff barely made enough to live. The fact that the man was at least marginally corrupt would make getting Chloe reinstated easy, that was if she wanted to return to Blackwell. The meeting was coming to an end, so he canceled the spell before getting out of the car.
Harry moved around the car taking a seat on the trunk before thinking on the last day. Rachels sudden magical powers no matter how short-lived was nothing new. It was a form of accidental magic brought on by extreme emotions and an abundance of raw magic which the convergence provided in abundance. As for the girl herself, she was in perfect health and after she'd burned thru her gifted magic that would still be true. The fire, of course, was a concern sadly it had spread and become newsworthy so he could do little to stop it without breaking the law. He looked up hearing footsteps and saw the Amber family around a rather nice car. He looked the way Joyce and Chloe had gone and stood to meet Joyce as she came to stand before him. He hugged the worried woman rubbing her back gently.
"She's been expelled I can't believe it." she paused and with a huff continued "I do believe it what are we gonna do?"
"When Chloe gets here we'll go to my- our house and discuss it." Harry offered as she pulled away from him.
The pair waited only a few minutes before the teen joined them at the car. Harry could see the fire had left the girl who'd give up a lot to protect her friend.
"Chloe I just don't understand how you could throw away your last chance for some girl you hardly know." Joyce started not quite able to hold off her disappointment.
"Could we just not do this today," Chloe replied unevenly.
Joyce deflated after a second unsure how to deal with this version of her daughter. She started to speak but faltered when her phone rang.
"So what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Harry asked as Joyce took her phone call.
Chloe shrugged before offering a simple answer. "Take a walk, visit a friend."
"I'm sorry both of you," Joyce said as she ended her phone call. "Linda had to go home her boy's sick I've got to cover the rest of her shift."
"Here," Harry said pulling out his car keys. "I'll walk down later have dinner and drive you home."
"Are you sure?" Joyce asked before taking the keys.
"Sure. Chloe said she was going for a walk I think I'll tag along for a few before heading back home." Harry replied.
She took the offered keys before looking at Chloe. "Please try staying out of trouble for the rest of the day." She shook her head at her daughter's shrug before getting into the car.
Harry watched Joyce drive away before following Chloe who'd already started walking. He slowed when he caught up with her not bothering to speak for the first few minutes. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but you were asleep last night when I brought up finances with your mother. I-"
"I was serious I don't want to talk about it today, please." Chloe interrupted hotly.
"Are you giving up on school, an education? That is all I want to know today." Harry replied and continued after the teen remained silent. " You know better than most that your mother might not always be there to support you. You know this without an education your options would be limited you don't want that do you?"
"Why do you care so damn much?" she replied after a minute or so.
"Hermione would tell you I have a "saving people thing" and of course she is always right."
Chloe sighed. "No I'm not giving up, but I just burnt my bridge to the best high school in the county. I'm doing horribly in all my classes. And I don't know what to do about it."
Harry nodded along. "If I talked Wells into allowing you back. Would you be willing to put in the work with tutors to catch back up for next year?"
"Yeah okay." was the soft reply
"Stay out of trouble call me if you don't," Harry said before turning back the way they'd came. It only took a few minutes to walk back to Blackwell and a few minutes after that to find the principle.
"Can I help you?" Wells asked as Harry met the man in the schools parking lot.
Harry put on his best politicians smile and offered his hand to the older man. "Principle Wells my name is Harry Potter it is a pleasure to meet you."
Wells shook his hand. "Hello, what can I help you with Mr. Potter?"
"I understand you've expelled Chloe Price. I was hoping we could talk about reversing that."
Any goodwill Wells had vanished. "I'm sorry that matter is already settled."
Harry let his smile fall away looking the man in the eyes. "I tried asking nicely, so I'll just get to the point. You'll reverse her expulsion and suspend her for the rest of the year as you originally planned, and she will return in the fall semester. In return, she'll go off financial aid, and I'll match her yearly tuition in donations to the school."
Wells looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'll allow it for thirty-five percent of the donations and with the express understanding. That if she continues to be a troublemaker and her grades don't improve by the end of next year she will not be returning the following year."
Harry felt slimy as he shook the man's hand again half an hour later after ensuring he'd keep his side of the deal. He hated abusing the system in such a way. Still, he wasn't ignorant of how the world worked, and money comes with privileges no matter how shady they might be.
Chloe felt the hollow feeling in her chest return full force after the Brit left her on her walk to American Rust. Somehow it hadn't been so bad while she was with Joyce and Harry and then Rachel had made her feel almost normal. It didn't hurt that she'd gotten to give Wells some shit, but she knew it was nothing more than an act on her part. A part of her wanted to slip back into that act. Just to make the hurt fade into the background so she could ignore it. She didn't think she could do that now that she'd seen her mother's face this morning. She only hoped Rachel would understand and that she'd still be her friend. She walked on for a few more minutes nearly at her destination when she heard and felt her phone buzz.
Frank: Price where are you
Chloe: What do you want Frank.
Frank: I need a favor. You pull it off, and your debt is cleared.
Chloe: American Rust
Frank: I'll be there in a few hours don't disappear on me.
Chloe: I'll be there later.
Chloe sighed well at least she could clear her debts with the drug dealer hopeful it was an easy job. With her phone in her hand, she scrolled down to max's messages or lack thereof. Of the two people whose losses had driven her to this place, Max was the only one she could actually talk to.
Chloe: Max, if our friendship meant anything to you, would you please just talk to me.
Chloe looked at the message for a minute teary-eyed before putting her phone away. She wasn't expecting a message back and that hurt so very much, but she had to know if holding out for her friend was even worth the effort anymore. By the time she'd made it to the junkyard, she was more than ready for the distraction examining the rusty place would bring. The first rescued item was a discarded handheld radio which still had batteries and worked. So it was she spent the next hour and a half listening to music as she explored. She'd found an old rusty truck that was unbelievably close to being drivable. The engine hadn't seized and after a little interior decorating the thing was perfect. It would take tools to fix the engine tools she didn't have today so the rest of the repairs would have to wait. The rusted yet wonderfully priced car wasn't the only find of the day. A concrete shack if a little drafty was a perfect hideaway. It also appeared she wasn't the first to think so. The building was already filled with makeshift seating and a few other items including an elephant motif drapery and a dart board sans darts. With nothing else to do she settled into the driver's seat of the truck and lit up a cigarette. She reached for the radio but knocked it off the channel she was listening too before landing on another station. She paused when the lyric started instantly recognizing the voice of Bob Dylan. Folk music was more of a dad genre it seemed as both Harry, Ryan, and William had all listened to it from time to time.
And take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time
Far past the frozen leaves
The haunted frightened trees
Out to the windy beach
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky
With one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea
Circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate
Driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow
Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning, I'll come following you.
She clicked the radio off placing it back on the dashboard before taking a drag from her cigarette. The verse hadn't converted her to enjoy
folk music, not in a million years, but it did remind her of winter. She spent a few more minutes in silence smoking before she put out the butt and stepped out of the car. Her phone buzz and she tamped down any hope that it was Max before opening her phone.
Frank: I'll be there in half an hour meet me out front.
Chloe: Half an hour gotcha
Chloe started to put her phone away when she got a call. She didn't recognize the number but answered anyway.
"Hello," Chloe said when she answered the phone.
"Hey Chloe." replied a voice Chloe hadn't heard in years.
Chloe's slipped to the ground. "Max it is so good to hear your voice again."
There was a sob from the other end as Max started to cry. "I'm so so sorry Chloe. I should have written or called you I know I should have. It's just been hell here without my best friend, and the only way I could keep going was to pretend I was happy to leave. I-"
Chloe was crying now unable to hold it back any longer. "Max how bad is it?"
Max was silent for a beat or two. "It's getting better I made a few friends but. I don't know it just isn't the same."
"Max promise me you'll not shut me out again, please. We'll never be as close as we use to be, but you're still my friend." Chloe begged although she would hate to admit it.
"I promise Chloe. I'll send you an email tonight I swear, but I've got to go run errands with my mom. I- I missed you so much, Chloe."
"Ditto, Max we'll talk later I promise, bye." Chloe heard the other girls goodbye before ending the call and started crying all over again. Suddenly slim arms wrapped her up in a hug that stilled her after a minute or two. "I'm sorry Rachel its just been one hell of a day."
Rachel just smiled at the other teen before pulling her up and softly wiping away her leftover tears with a facial tissue she'd pulled from her pant pocket. "I was going to ask if you were okay, but clearly not," she said keeping her warm smile that soothed Chloe's tortured psyche.
Chloe felt a warmth spread thru her she hoped she wasn't blushing to badly. "Oh I don't want to bother you with my troubles, I was just glad I could take the heat off you earlier. I'd hate for you to miss the play because of me." She said smiling.
Rachel didn't look convinced but let it go. "Nice wheels does it run?" she asked changing the subject.
"Not yet but with a little elbow grease and the right tools, who could say," Chloe said taking the other girls hand leading her to the passenger side opening the door for her.
"Why thank you," she said taking the offered seat before Chloe jogged around taking the driver's seat.
They were silent for a moment before Chloe asked. "You said you knew about Harry. He hasn't really shared a lot with us yet. What do you know?"
Rachel thought for a minute making sure she remembered all the stories her grandmother had told her. "He was a war hero fought in the second blood wars, whatever that is. Her second husband was British, and he still had the papers delivered to their LA house. I think she might have had a crush on him if I'm honest."
Chloe laughed at the image of a geriatric elderly woman chasing Harry down the street. "Is that all you know?"
Rachel nodded. "My dad's bought a few of his books, but I've never seen them. How is he treating your mom?"
Chloe shrugged. "He treats my mother like a goddess, I've never seen him even look cross at her."
"Hmm, that's good." Rachel said slipping over wrapping an arm around the other teen. "How does he treat you?"
Chloe melted into the one-armed embrace her heart beating a little faster. It wasn't fair that the other girl's simple touch made her react this way. "An adult I guess, someone who can make their own choices."
The two sat there for another ten minutes before Rachel moved away. "I've gotta head home, come to see me before the play okay?"
"Sure, I'll be there," Chloe answered smiling as the other girl exited the car.
Rachel waved before she turned and disappeared behind a pile of rusted junk.
Chloe could have fallen asleep in the other girl's arms but before she could stretch out her phone buzzed again.
Frank: Five minutes don't leave me hanging
Chloe: Calm down I'll be there in a minute
A/N
Enjoy it, I know I had a blast writing it.
The three songs I listened to while writing is as follows.
Fleetwood Mac - Gypsy
Stellaris OST Luminescence – If you've never heard it do yourself a favor and find it on Youtube.
Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine man
Yohnos - Thank you again
Aaron Leach - Somehow I always want to call you Aaron A Aaronson. Thanks for the review.
ellainaparks - I'm glad you're enjoying the story.