The Eversworth Family

Chapter 1: The child

In exactly one week from today the ceremony that dictates my whole life will take place. I know this because it affected everyone in my family in different ways. The twins were average witches, Nyx was a below average witch and Marina was one of the best witches of our generation.
The excitement of my 10th birthday was overshadowed with the immnet fear I will score low on my magic test. Nyx said scoring low would doom me to a very bad fate, but he didn't elaborate. Just said, It's nothing to worry about, you won't end up like me. His vagueness was very stressful! I mean I've never even been allowed out of the house until today. Marina didn't really say anything, just smiled a bunch and kept throwing out phrases of vague encouragement.
"You got this." 
"Don't worry you'll be fine"
" I believe in you!" Which were even more vague and even more stress inducing. I mean it's not much, but it's better than Mom and Dad who haven't even acknowledged the fact my magic day is coming up, or that it's my first day of real school!
Gone are the private teachers and tutors. Real school. Fun school.
Or at least I hope it's fun. I overhear Oya and Nyx speaking of it like some sort of battle ground. Marina speaks of it like it's some sort of magical heaven. Si doesn't speak much ever. Mom says it will define the very rest of my life (Oya says that's because she peaked in highschool, but I don't know what that means) And Dad, well he never talks to me so I don't know what he thinks. He must like it though. I mean he owns the school so, he has too, right?
I mean movies make it seem really cool, but I haven't gotten a straight answer from anyone. But today I find out! I could feel my heart tip-tapping in my chest. Bread crumbs fell into my sweater as I munched on toast. I've never really been much of a breakfast person, but this is a special occasion.
There was a bing-bang coming down the stairs. Oya practically crashed into the room. Her hair was half straightened and already beginning to curl again. Her outfit was the usual pick-up-the-first-things-you-see-in-your-dresser. Oya was her usual mess of herself.
She snatched a piece of toast off my plate, gave my hair a quick ruffle, mumbled a thank you to Si for making breakfast and off she went. Oya's always out doing things. I don't know what she does, but she always leaves early.
Si was next out the door. He left two plates for Mom and Dad as usual and left. He was like me, not a big breakfast person. Despite being so tall it was easy to miss it when he entered or left a room. Si was like a shadow. He's usually there, but you don't often notice.
Finally, Marina, Nyx and I left the house. I fully embraced the warm air on my face. I turned around to stare at the mansion. Not looking from the house. Looking at the house. My heart pit-pattered a little faster and my cheeks flushed with excitement. We weren't even outside the gardens yet and I could already feel the excitement.
Up ahead Nyx was teasing Marina about something. He did that thing he only does when he's picking a fight. He always leaned in a little bit. A slight bend at the waist. Marina did the thing she always does in response. Pulls herself up just a bit. A little tip toe. She never does it when Oya jabs at her. I think it's because Oya often ends up being mean with her jabs while Nyx's taunts are more playful and lighthearted.
"Verna, You coming, we're going to miss the bus"
"Yeah I'm coming!" I skipped up to them. My feat swish-sawshing through the neatly trimmed grass. When we finally reached the iron gate that separated I felt my body pause for a moment. I'd never stepped outside the house before.
"Verna?" Marina asked with worry. She stood outside the gate, on a little gravel path that led down to the city. Oh wow. I'm really going. I'm going to the city. I took a step outside with a smile stritch-stretching on my face.

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I never realized how far the city was. We weren't even halfway down the hill-no mountain and I was already dying.
"Why didn't...We...Use brooms?" I complained through labored breaths. Nyx stiffened a little at the question. Marina shot him a quick glance then turned to me.
"Because exercise is good for you." Marina said, picking up the pace. Which wasn't fair because she was definitely using a magic spell to make herself lighter because she was practically floating. Nyx wasn't, but he had long legs.
"But you're cheating so it's not fair" I groaned
"Magic is not cheating, you'll use it too one day" Marina said matter of factly.
"But If you're floating, You can't run!" Nyx took off full speed. Marina grabbed my arm and we floated up. As my feet lifted from the ground my body moved with the wind. Marina seemed to have good control, but I was twisting back and forth letting out little squeaks like a wind chime.
"Oyn" Marina casted a shortened version of a complex wind spell. I often snuck a peak at her spell books. They made zero sense to me. She really was one of the best of our generation.
We passed Nyx easily. He gave us a quick glance and picked up the pace, but it was already too late. The wind Wish-Wooshed harshly in my ears. Marina said something, but the wind snatched up her words and ran off with them. I shouted as loud as I could
"WHAT?!" But the wind took my words with it as well. Marina smiled at me. Her smile held enough words on it's own. It was gentle and kind and confident and all the other good things inbetween. She pulled me in closer and tilted downward. The wind howled against my ears.
Marina did a little flip before landing us gently. She stared at me for a moment and I stared at her. We both burst out laughing. Her hair was a frazzled mess, running my hand through my hair I could tell mine was the same. Marina moved her hands in a strange pattern as my hair floated upwards.
"How about blue!" She beamed. The tips of my previously well combed brown hair began turning blue.
"No, I'm thinking red." The blue began darking shifting to red, but before it could Marina shouted.
"No Purple!" And started giggling. My hair had become a dark purple and I kinda liked it. Marina fixed her hair quickly and then raised her hands to turn my hair back.
"Wait," I said with a smile "I wanna keep it!" I looked up with her with the biggest, puppy doggiest, pleading eyes I could. Marina stared back, she narrowed her eyes a bit, but she knew better than I did I was winning this one.
"If you're sure-" Nyx ran between us. Marina looked a little startled. As soon as he reached the sidewalk outside the front gate he turned around and threw his arms in the air. He let out a breathless,
"I win," Before folding in half with his hands on his knees. Marina stepped out the front gate and onto the sidewalk.
"And I got second," She said.
"For the first time in your life" Nyx mumbled. They started teasing each other again. I gave my surroundings one last look. The large pine trees, the overgrown weeds and flowers all of it was so unlike the house within the upper gate and yet it was still my home. Or really the thing I looked at from out my window.
As the bus scritched-screeched to a stop I stepped out onto the sidewalk without even pausing. I could tell this was going to be a great day.