July 30, 2014

Gwen's House; 3:13 pm

Breath in.

One. Two. Three.

Breath Out.

Gwen felt her mana flow throughout her body. She spoke the incantation and followed the flow of magical energy as it led to her hand, but as soon as it reached her fingertips, it fizzled away, causing her mana to become rampant.

It'd been almost a month since she accepted Charmcaster's proposal to be her teacher, but she hadn't made any progress. Within the first week, she mastered the understanding of magic theory. Gwen could write an entire thesis on how components work in a spell, but without the ability to perform said spell, she may as well be talking about a video game.

Gwen looked at the clock and decided it was time for a break. She'd been holed up in her room all morning and figured a change of scenery and lunch couldn't hurt. So she opened her garage, and as the door lifted off the ground, Charmcaster came rushing in.

"Close the door!" Charmcaster screamed. Gwen, unsure of what was happening, did as she was told. The garage came back down, and not long after, the sound of police sirens passed by.

"What did you do!?" Gwen screamed. She was about to lecture Charmcaster when she noticed a red spot on her shirt. "You're bleeding!"

"It happens when you rob a bank," Charmcaster said. "Do you have a first aid kit?"

Snapping out of her daze, Gwen rushed upstairs to grab the first aid kit and a new shirt. When she returned, Charmcaster was leaning against the kitchen island, nursing her wound.

"That looks really bad. We need to get you to the hospital." Gwen was panicking.

"I've dealt with worse," Charmcaster handed Gwen a knife. "Today's lesson is on how to treat a bullet wound."

"Oh no no no! You can't be serious."

"It's not that big a deal, Gwen. I can use healing magic to close the wound, but if I don't get the bullet out, it will cause problems down the line. So you can either help me take it out or continue to watch me bleed all over your lovely kitchen."

Gwen was going to vomit. She wanted to tell her no and drag her to the hospital, but she was a wanted criminal, and the last thing she wanted was for both of them to get arrested.

"Can't you just use magic to remove the bullet?" Gwen questioned.

"I can but can you? Last I checked, you still couldn't keep a light conjured for longer than two seconds. Can you really trust yourself to pull a bullet out without hitting anything vital?"

No, she couldn't. Gwen tried to think of another alternative, but this seemed to be the only way. She wanted to ask why it had to be her, but the answer was obvious. This was a lesson, and the best way to learn is through first-hand experience.

Breath in.

One. Two. Three.

Breath out.

"Take off your shirt."

Charmcaster snickered and made a few raunchy comments, but Gwen was too focused on the task to care. After putting on some gloves and laying out some towels, Gwen began the procedure. With Charmcaster's instructions, they were done in a few minutes.

"See, that wasn't so bad. Now sew me up." Charmcaster demanded. Gwen was ready to protest, but if she stopped now, she'd throw up. So instead, she grabbed the needle and thread.

"Don't complain if you end up looking like a ragdoll."

"Don't you know how to sew? I thought all prissy girls knew how to- OUCH!" Gwen dug her thumb into the wound, causing Charmcaster to scream. "Sadistic bitch." Gwen gave her a warning glare which was enough to keep her quiet.

Once Gwen finished, Charmcaster cast the healing spell. There weren't any flashy lights or anything like that. Gwen would have thought it didn't work if she hadn't noticed the line where she had sewn shrink slightly.

"We can remove the stitching in a few days, and there shouldn't be a scar. Not bad for your first patch job." Charmcaster ruffled Gwen's hair. Gwen would have gotten upset, but with her adrenaline dying down, nausea returned in full force. "Head upstairs and get cleaned up. I'm pretty sure you have more blood on you than I do."

Realizing how she must look, Gwen rushed back up the stairs stripping down and throwing her clothes into a bag before turning on the shower to its hottest setting. It was scalding, but it didn't feel hot enough. She still felt sticky and dirty even after the last of the red went down the drain.

Gwen sat on the floor, letting the water wash over her as the events of the operation replayed in her head. When she was younger, she'd been covered in alien goo and watched people die in front of her, but this was different. Those were fantastical adventures while this was reality. She performed surgery on a woman with her own two hands. Soon the water turned cold, and she decided to finally wash herself.

Feeling more refreshed, Gwen got dressed, making a note to throw away her bloody clothes before returning downstairs. However, what she saw when she got there sent her anxiety through the roof. Charmcaster was sitting on your couch across from her mother and brother.

"Gwendolyn. You didn't tell me you had company over." Her mother said with a faux smile. It was the smile reserved for family gatherings; she hadn't seen it before Ken was born. "Your friend here- what was your name again?"

"Hope," Charmcaster said. Gwen was taken aback; she had never considered asking about Charmcaster's real name.

"Right," Natalie continued. "When I got home, Hope was cleaning our kitchen and wearing your shirt. I was ready to call the police before she said she was your friend."

"Yeah, sorry, we were out jogging, and then her shirt ripped, so I let her borrow mine until she got back to her place." Gwen felt like she was shaking but was too scared to check in the mirror.

"Of course," Natalie turned to Charmcaster. "How old are you, Hope? You look too old to be in college, so I can't imagine how the two of you met."

"Twenty-two, ma'am." Gwen was stunned at how polite Charmcaster was acting. She could almost forget that this was the same woman who had tried to kill her on multiple accounts. "We met about six years ago. I was traveling with my uncle and had run into her and her grandpa a few times. So since I was in town for business, I figured we could catch up."

"What exactly do you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all. I'm a traveling tattoo artist." Charmcaster lifted her hand to show off the intricate pattern running up her fingers to her wrist. She had explained to Gwen that it was to help with ritual magic, but she never told her that she had done it herself. "I have a client wanting a fully colored sleeve which would require multiple sessions, so I'm staying at a hotel for the time being."

Ken, the ever-curious three-year-old, ran across the living room before his mother could stop him from looking at Charmcaster's tattoos. She happily allowed the boy to poke and prod her arms, completely fascinated by it.

"I post some of my work online if the clients are okay with that." Charmcaster pulled out her phone to show Natalie her Instagram account. It was all too detailed for it to be a lie which only piqued Gwen's curiosity. Natalie, however, seemed disinterested in it all.

"Gwen, would you mind helping me grab the groceries from the car?" Natalie still wore her faux smile. The two went into the garage, neither saying a word until the door was closed. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

I just performed surgery in our kitchen. Charmcaster is a wanted criminal that has tried to kill me multiple times. I have magic powers and have fought aliens and gone to space.

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked.

"I'm just going to come out and say it. Gwen, are you a lesbian?"

Gwen stared at her mother, unsure of what she had just heard. She could feel the gears turning as she processed the words and their meaning.

"You think I'm a lesbian!?" Gwen said louder than she meant to.

"Well, Hope is a very attractive young woman, and you always were a bit boyish when you were younger. I just worry that she's a little too old for you."

"Oh my god, mom! We're just friends. I don't even like girls like that."

"And that's perfectly fine. Whether you like girls or not is entirely up to you. Anything's better than-" Natalie stopped herself, but Gwen already knew what she was going to say. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you and that you can tell me anything."

I wish I could.

"Okay, mom."

Natalie hugged her daughter. She'd been showing her family more affection lately, but to Gwen, this may as well have been a slap to the face.

"Now help me get the groceries inside. The ice cream's melting."

The tension in the house died down. Natalie invited Charmcaster to stay for dinner. When Frank arrived, he showed genuine interest in Charmcaster's tattooing and received some knowing looks from his wife. Even Ken loved all the excitement and having someone new to play with. Gwen, however, felt suffocated and couldn't wait for the night to end.

They continued to talk for another hour after dinner ended. Once Ken fell asleep, Gwen took the opportunity to call it a night. Natalie gave her daughter the car keys telling her to drive Charmcaster home.

"Be careful going downtown," Natalie warned. "There was a bank robbery earlier." Gwen and Charmcaster shared a look before the two said goodbye.

The drive was a quiet one. The two had been talking for hours, and neither seemed interested in starting another conversation. Eventually, they reached an excessively long red light, and Gwen cracked from the awkwardness.

"So, Hope-"

"Don't call me that," Charmcaster cut her off. "Only my friends call me Hope."

"But my parents call you Hope," Gwen said, confused.

"That's because your parents are cool. Besides, I can see where you get it from."

"Get what?"

"Your potential, your mom has it too. And your cute butt."

"Don't even go there," Gwen slapped Charmcaster's arm. "My mom already thinks you're my secret girlfriend."

"If we get married, does that mean I can call her mommy?" Gwen was now punching her. Luckily there were no other cars around them. "Seriously though, your parents are awesome. I wish I had someone that supportive."

"They weren't always like that." Gwen was quiet now. She knew why they changed, but it didn't hurt any less to think about.

"Maybe they're just asking for a second chance." They were both quiet for the rest of the ride.

Natalie was waiting for Gwen when she got home. Gwen handed her mother the keys and was about to head to bed when Natalie stopped her.

"I think we should talk."

"I already told you, mom, I'm not a lesbian." Gwen was tired of talking and just wanted to go to bed.

"I know, sweety. But this isn't about that." Natalie motioned for her daughter to sit with her. "I know I haven't been the best mother, and I know that you've been hurting for a long time, but You've changed in the last month. You've got a glow around you that I haven't seen in a long time, and I think I know who caused it. Whether she's your girlfriend or not doesn't matter. I'm glad she brought my daughter back to me, and I fully support you seeing her.

Gwen couldn't deny her mother's words, but it wasn't the whole truth. She could never tell her mother why she felt the way she did or what brought about this new vigor inside her. But if it makes her mother happy, she'll continue the act.

"We're going out this weekend," Gwen said.

"That's great, sweety." Natalie hugged her daughter. "Just be careful out there, okay? You're a smart girl, so I know you'll do the right thing, but I can't help but worry." Natalie kissed Gwen on the head before leaving.

Gwen climbed into bed but couldn't fall asleep. Her mother's words kept replaying in her head and what those words meant. Rather than facing the problem head-on, Gwen decided to dive into practicing her magic. Sitting cross-legged and with an outstretched arm, she prepared to control her raging mana.

Breath in.

One. Two. Three.

Breathe out.