Joanna Cribari
It was magic. Real magic. The air around me changed the minute James stepped up to the items. It felt like there was this barrier between me and magic that was now flooding over. A form of ecstacy rushed through my senses as if I had been asleep my whole life, and was just now waking up. I could tell I wasn’t the only one feeling this, but I could also tell some others still had their doubts. After James, Connor, and Kadie presented their gifts, a few of us got up to take our turn. A few others succeeded, but some of us who weren’t so quick were left feeling barren after nothing happened.
Mrs. Whitaker assured us that it doesn’t always appear the first time we touch the items. Some of us will actually need to build some simple magic before our specialty will appear. It’s slightly disheartening, but just the thought of being able to wield magic boosts my mood a bit.
“Core elemental magic is the first step in all of your magical careers. No matter your class or specialty you will be able to wield elemental magic.” Mrs. Whitaker lifts her hands removing the items from the table and in their place appears four bowls to represent earth, water, fire, and air. “Sometimes your specialty grows from these simple magics. For example, Kadie-” She turns to her.
“You appear to specialize in electric waves, and you manipulate them to allow yourself to move at an above average speed. This is an elemental mix of air and fire.” She smiles turning back to the rest of us. “And surprisingly, psychic students use elemental ability to define their powers as well. No matter who you are or what you do,you’ll have elemental magic to guide you.”
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“That was amazing!” I say excitedly grabbing onto Kadie’s arm as we leave the lecture hall. “Can you believe this? Our whole lives are going to be different now.” She laughs slightly.
“You’re really happy?” She says squeezing my hand.
“Should I not be?” Kadie stops and turns to me doing her typical mom friend thing. Ever since Ben she’s always made it a habit to check up on me.
“To be completely honest you looked crushed after your specialty wasn’t revealed.” She says looking down. I sigh.
“Look don’t feel bad because your specialty was revealed. I am so happy and excited for you! To be completely honest I was upset at first. But that was before I could do this...” I wave my hand up conjuring a small flame into the palm of my hand. We both smile at its warmth. “I may not know what I can do yet, but I feel it in my bones. Something’s there.” I brush the flame away.
“Hey Kadie! Joanna!” We turn just in time to see James run down the steps after us. Almost immediately my hands start sweating as he looks over at me with a smile. I quickly notice that the color has returned to his face. I’m not quite sure what happened in there to him, but I know it hit him like a brick wall. He isn’t fully back to normal, but he is sure as hell putting up a fight to seem like he is.
“You guys up for some burgers or something? I think we all kind of deserve something after all...that.” He slightly laughs, but you can tell it’s forced.
“You two go ahead.” I suggest. “I have work tonight anyways.”
“You have work every night. It’d be really cool for you to join us.” James says. I swallow hard as he looks down at me with those green eyes.
“Honestly. Can’t you just ask you dad or something?” Kadie asks. I turn to her looking away from James. I can feel my cheeks heat up. “They are the owners you know.” She adds.
“Sorry guys. I really can’t.” I take a step back. “I think I’m just gonna head back to the dorms to grab my stuff. You guys have fun.” I walk off hearing Kadie mumble something under her breath. I don’t make it 15 yards before my phone buzzes in my pocket.
Why do you always do that? Anytime James talks to us or we hang out with him you shut down.
...
What is your deal? Do you not like James or something?
…
Wait a sec.
…
I shove my phone into my bag and keep walking.
When I make it back to the dorm, I unlock my door and throw my stuff, including myself, onto the bed once I’m inside.
“Are you okay?” Startled, I sit up quickly noticing Nadia across the room sitting on her bed. In front of her is a laptop and a scattered array of papers and books. “Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.” She apologizes.
“No it’s fine.” I laugh gingerly. “Just didn’t want to be late for work. How could you possibly work on homework after what we just went through.”
“I actually...haven’t been able to do anything yet.” She says quietly.
“But today she taught us the flame spell. No one seemed to show concern or have troubles with it.” I think back.
“I think some people just didn’t voice theirs. It’s not exactly easy knowing you can’t even do the basics. Let alone find your specialty.” She shuts her laptop with a huff. “What if the book made a mistake?” She questions disappointingly.
“I think with a book like that it’s kind of impossible for it to make mistakes.” I smile at her, but her gaze stays on her lap. “I mean, yeah it kind of sucked knowing that not everyone is suddenly gifted and special. But on the bright side Mrs. Whitaker assured us that it would come eventually. Not just our specialty, but everything. We just learned about it today, so it's not the end of the world. Heck it’s not even the end of the day yet.”
“You’re oddly optimistic?” She inquires with a slight chuckle.
“I have my moments.” I smile.
“Thanks...” She smiles back at me, but I can see the slight shade in her eyes showing that she’s still worried. I know she doesn’t want to talk about it anymore so I stand and smile continuing my attempt at packing up for work.
Now that I think about it, we’ve never really had any long or deep conversations. I suppose that might change now that we have something so important in common. I just pray that she can find her place in it all.
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Later that evening
The clock ticks as 4:50 pm strikes and I check my watch. Cribari’s dinner shift starts in 10 minutes and Cindy forgot to light the candles in the far dining room again. The lunch crowd has cleared out, and I still have to cut lemons while I simultaneously prepare to train that new guy tonight. I take a deep breath tying my hair back into a ponytail.
I have time.
I walk back behind the front counter to grab a lighter from the top of one of the cabinets. I click it a few times to ignite the flame, but nothing happens. I blow a strand of hair away from my eye, and try igniting it a few more times. Still nothing happens.
“Shit.” I toss the lighter into the nearest trash can, and walk towards the far dining room making the mental note of discussing Cindy’s prep work with her. I approach the first candle and look at the cold dull wick. “Please don’t let me catch anything on fire, or blow anything up.” I turn my head over both shoulders. The far dining room is empty for the most part as my family and other servers prepare their setup for the Saturday night rush. If I place myself strategically, then even if someone passes through the dining room I should be okay. I scope one more time, and prep my hands in front of me. Following the hand movements Mrs. Whitaker gave us, I form and shape my fingers into the final flick of my hand but nothing happens. I scrunch up my nose and shake out my hands prepping to start another time. I try again with more fluidity and once again it fails. I sigh loudly throwing my head back.
“Come on.” I breathe. I fall into the motions one last time, and with the flick of my hand a flame appears. “Yes!” I smile. The next few wicks light with ease as I walk from table to table.
“You’re having fun.” I whip around to see the new guy in the doorway. He’s holding his apron in his left hand, and I quickly take note that his shirt is one size too big.
“What- What did you see?” I ask unconvincingly. He looks at me a moment, his smirk not faltering. I sigh. “How much did you see?”
“I got here around the third candle.” I look down quickly cursing under my breath. “Yeah one day with magic and it’s already addicting. It’s best just to be careful like Mrs. Whitaker said.” I look up and raise an eyebrow at him.
“I was at the book club meeting you know.” He confirms.
“You were?” I ask slightly embarrassed.
“Oh wow.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Yeah I was. I was next to my sister Nadia.”
“Nadia? Sister? Wait what?”
“Wow you really aren’t observant, but I guess I can’t blame you considering what was going on.” He holds out his hand. “I know we already met but something tells me I should probably give you my name again. Aidan.” I don’t know why but I actually laugh.
“Joanna.” We shake hands. “And I’m sorry.”
“No worries. So what’s first boss?”
“What’s first is that I’m not your boss. And what’s second is cutting lemons.” I say jokingly, and he smiles.
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It’s the end of the night, and I’m carrying two large trash bags to the dumpster out back.
“Hey, let me help you with that.” Aidan quickly runs up behind me grabbing one of the bags from my hands before I even have the chance of refusing.
“Uh thanks.” I say opening up the back door and trailing out into the alleyway. I look up at the dark and cloudy sky and notice the rumble of thunder in the distance.
“Looks like it’s gonna rain.” He says speaking my thoughts.
“It’s weird. There was nothing about thunderstorms on the forecast.”
“Must’ve changed in the last few hours.”
“I guess.” We reach the dumpster and throw our bags in simultaneously they echo a crash mimicking the thunder above. I look up as a small drop of water lands on my cheek. “Well here comes the-” Before I can even finish my sentence the rain begins to pour seemingly out of nowhere. We start off running back towards the restaurant. I look over to Aidan who is laughing despite the chill he probably feels.
“What?” He asks looking at me. We now stop just before we reach the door. “Might as well enjoy it since we’re gonna be soaked now anyways.”
Suddenly there is a deafening crash and flash of white light that sends us falling to the ground. I blink up at the red sparks left behind as my ears ring. The old metal fire escape above us creaks as the hinges burst from there places in the wall. I try to scream something at the disoriented Aidan but he does nothing. The structure begins to fall upon us and I raise my hands above me expecting the impending pain and injuries. However, nothing comes.
I slowly open my eyes to see the metal structure now above us...hanging in mid air. My eyes widen as the metal structure seamlessly comes apart into fragments no larger than a ruler. The fragments float around me morphing themselves into these small unrecognizable shapes. As the fall to the ground they surround me forming the same shape on the ground. My body feels numb and I can’t move. Across from me Aidan sits baffled just as confused and shocked as me at the sight in front of us.
“Holy shit.” I breathe out. I crouch down slowly and pick up one of the small pieces of metal. It is warm in my hands and it shutters lightly with life. “I think I...I think I just discovered my specialty.”
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