STARBUCKS

Westchester, New York

4:30 PM, July 30th

"Do we have to?" Claire Lyons pouted. Telling the girls that she and Massie got into a prestigious british "boarding" school together would only put another degree of separation between their relationship. There were already too many to list, and adding another might just send the stack toppling over and end their friendships. It was teenage girl nature to get jealous, and the fact that your best friend & the semi-outcast are leaving the country together certainly qualified as reason enough.

"No. Let's leave the country in the middle of the night and nawt tell them." Massie scoffed. "Of course we're telling them. They're our best friends."

"I just don't understand why we can't tell them we're magical."

"My mom says muggles aren't supposed to know about magic." Massie pushed the glass entrance doors open, welcoming a blast of cool cinnamon-scented air conditioning out into the warm air. Even equipped with her cute khaki shorts and multicolor Miu Miu knit top, the heat was unforgiving on her hair. She quickly lifted a hand to smooth the kinks out.

"Is there any chance they could be magical too?"

"Zeee-ro." Massie breathed, shocked at Claire's ignorance. "Didn't your parents tell you? There are like, so few magical people in the western world. They hate america. So they stay away."

"Leesh's parents are from spain!" The blonde came back with a sharp retort.

"Have you seen a spanish wizard?" Massie sighed. Claire parted her lips, about to snap that she hadn't seen a wizard, ever, when Massie spotted Alicia in a booth at the back of the cafe and drifted off.

"Hey!" The latina waved them over.

"Hola!" Massie giggled as she slid into the seat beside Alicia.

"So why are we here?" Alicia asked, pursing her lips. "I had to leave jazz early for this, you know."

"We have an announcement." Massie said lazily, casually picking up a latte from the group of four in the center.

"Really?" Alicia's brown eyes widened. "I kind of have an announcement too."

"No way." Claire widened her eyes at Massie. It could happen! her blue eyes seemed to say. In response, Massie gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head.

"Major?" Massie added onto Claire's statement, just so she could seem interested. Honestly, she loved her friends, but she was going to have new magical friends soon, and maybe even a new Pretty Committee.

"Yeah, kinda." Alicia glanced at the door, a warm glow expanding on her cheeks. "Dyl and Kris are here." She was quick to add. It's so awkward Has the PC already began to shun me? Alicia thought.

"Hi!" Dylan bustled forward, overtaking Kristen.

Kristen rolled her eyes as she caught up with Dylan, who was heaving breathlessly. "Seriously, Dyl, it's not a race. We all-"

Dylan waved her off with her hand. "But I have a humongous announcement to make!"

Claire looked at Alicia and Dylan. "What? So we all, minus Kristen, have announcements?" She looked at Massie with a glint in her eye.

Massie shoved Claire playfully. "Ahem. Leesh, you can go first."

"Wait! I have an announcement too!" Kristen paused the conversation, nervously un-braiding and re-braiding her hair. Her blue-green eyes widened, staring straight at Massie.

"Okay?" The alpha looked around confused. Almost never did everyone in the clique have something huge to tell everyone else at the same time. "I have an idea. Let's go around and rate how important our news is 1-10."

"10." Alicia said immediately.

"10!" Dylan and Kristen cried.

"10. Not life or death, but serious." Claire answered for the two of them.

"Okay. Let's just... um... say it, I mean, them all together?"

Taking a deep breath, every girl prepared herself to spill what she thought was the most important secret since like, ever.

"I'm moving to england... Me and Massie are going to a english boarding school... Claire and I are going to a school in London... I'm spending the rest of my school years in europe." Everyone mumbled.

"I'm MAGICAL!" Dylan cried, over the cacophony of voices. Everyone looked at her with a mixture of shock and curiosity clear in their eyes.

"So, this morning-"

"You got a letter." Massie's voice was hushed. "We all got the letter, didn't we?" Claire was too shocked, too gleeful to even punch Massie.

"No, actually, first, this creepy old man showed up in my house-"

"You're kidding me. You got the letter." Kristen stared intently at the girls, obviously trying to convey something words can't."

"The one having to do with what Dylan just shouted?" Massie monotoned. "Then, yes."

"Whoops."

Kristen pulled out her phone, obviously not comfortable with saying more out-loud.

SexySportsBabe: Hogwarts. The letter?

Massikur: wht r u tawking abt

Massikur: jk

Clairebear: yes, u?

Holagurl: obvious much? yes... owl was attacking my maid earlier today, delivered letter for me

bigredhead: same! w/o maid part tho

Massikur: so that's wht my parents were tlking abt!

Massikur: we can talk out loud again.

"So, when are you guys leaving?" Claire proposed the question, stirring her latte with a happy glint in her eye. She didn't have to leave her other best friends behind. Life was good.

Alicia pulled out an itinerary from her oversized hobo. "The thirteenth. Eleven PM."

"Same!" Claire looked utterly shocked by the coincidence. Massie rolled her eyes. Would the girl ever be able to think on her feet?

After all, she was a witch. When was she going to start acting like it?

Who typed this? Guess!

So anyways, the next few chapters will be pre-hogwarts, with the probable time of sorting around chapter 8 or 9.

Who do you think deserves to be in what house?

Reaching for the Stars

(thanks for all the awesome reviews!)