I Am Totally a Real-Life Wizard (Not Clickbait, I Swear!)

Khalil looked up at Cody. “Can I hold you? Please?” Xe sniffled. “Just for a little bit?”

Wormy sighed.

Amy poured the ash on the table and smoothed it. “In the beginning, there was just three of us. José, Guy, and me. Wormy came next in a few months, Otto about a year later.”

"Of course, my star." Cody's eyes watered as he held out his arms to Khalil, and xe wrapped him into a hug.

Valeri took a seat at the table and listened to Amy's story. Dawn and Dusk hovered nearby.

Khalil lifted him onto his lap, cradling him so closely they were almost one being. “I love you. I love you. I love you. Only you. It’s only ever been you. Say it back. Say that I love you. Please.”

Amy started drawing a pattern in the ash. “José’s parents were movie stars, famous for their shapes-shifting. Guy’s parents were anti-magic naturalists. And my parents-“ She sighed, erasing the pattern in the ash. “-weren’t too happy that their previous daughter could set things on fire with something as harmless as confetti.”

"I love you, now and forever, from here to the ends of the universe. I love you, Khalil, I love you. And I'll say it a million times if that's what it takes for you to come back to me." Cody rested his head on Khalil's shoulder and whispered, "I love you. I love you. I love you."

Valeri winced. Yeahh, that seemed like a dangerous ability. They could guess how Joe must have taken advantage of each of the WANNABE's struggles with their parents.

Khalil choked on xer tears. “I’m here. I’m back to you. He can’t control me anymore.”

“So, when Josephinzo-“ She cringed. “Joe, just Joe now, told us that he thought we were trainable and useful, we all fell for it. Everyone after fell for it. I was angry when you didn’t too. Because if you were right and Joe wasn’t good, then that was years of my life that I had been wrong. Years that I could’ve been better.”

Wormy shook her head, settling a hand on Amy’s shoulder.

Vendetta sighed. “No. That’s not how I see it.”

All the strength seemed to leave Cody's body, and he sagged into Khalil, sobbing. "G-good. I w-won't let anyone separate us again. I love you, I love you, I love you..."

Valeri took a deep breath, trying to control her rage. They knew Joe had manipulated the WANNABES, but seeing this firsthand account... he was despicable. She tried her best not to punch the table. She'd save that energy for Joe's face.

“I love you too, my star. My galaxy. My universe.” Khalil pulled Cody impossibly closer. “And anyone who dares to try and take me away from you again will regret it.” He kissed Cody’s forehead, and then his ear, and then anything he could reach.

Vendetta put their hand over Amy’s. “I think that all of those years were you trying your best. And no one is to blame for you being manipulated except Joe.”

Cody pressed himself into Khalil until they were quite literally inseparable, kissing xem back as their tears slowed.

Amy plucked another piece of confetti from her hair and frowned at it as it ignited. "The WANNABES were the first real home I knew. And now... was it all a lie?"

Wormy shook her head and gently squeezed Amy's shoulder.

Dusk tapped Dawn and gestured to the lover birds, glowing a deeply satisfied purple.

Otto shook his head too. "Su evah llits uoy. Eoj tsuj naht erom SEBANNAW eht."

Vendetta squeezed Amy's hand. "It's never too late to build a new home. And you can start here, with us."

Dawn glowed a lovely shade of pink and did a little twirl.

Amy glanced at Vendetta, then at Wormy and Otto. She nodded slowly. “But what about José and Guy?” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not particularly a fan of Guy, but José’s always been a nice person.”

Vendetta sighed. "Maybe they'll come around. Maybe not. All we can do is hope for the best. Those two did, and look at them." They pointed back at Cody and Khalil, who were still kissing each other like an annoying couple in high school. "Either way, it's going to be okay."

"How can you say that?" Amy groaned. "You have no idea if that's true."

“Sometimes, the best you can do is believe.” Dawn glowed a positive yellow.

“Or you can seize fate by the throat and shake it until things turn out your way,” Valeri added.

Dawn said, “Ahem.”

“Without harming it, of course,” amended Valeri.

Dawn sighed. "I don't see how you can seize anything by the throat without harming it."

Amy shrugged. "Very gently?"

Vendetta snorted. “I don’t think so.”

Valeri threw her hands up. "Fine! Give fate a pat on the head and then nicely ask it to do as you want, then." They scowled for a moment, then lightened up so the others knew they were joking.

Vendetta was the first to laugh, being very used to Valeri's brand of humor. "Yeah, that should work. But no head pats with Dawn. I still remember what you threatened to do to David Rogers in eighth grade."

Amy blinked. "Is there a story behind that?"