(x) Irregular Magic

chapter 4 - the nobodies of Cavmoire School for Losers

No one, least of all Mattie, could have known exactly the events would unfold. By chance, a magical had passed by the meeting place and recorded everything on a memory-prism. In almost no time at all, Mattie's speech had spread all over the Wizgrid. In a week's time, it had been viewed and downloaded no less than five hundred thousand times. Once, Mattie had used the Witchgrid to promote a school event. They had advertised for months, and the view tracker had only reached five thousand.

Not that this newfound fame was in any way good. What the Cavmoire student government team had been planned as a way to help the school cope with Heather's suicide was suddenly interpreted as a means of rebellion against the magical population.

It was almost terrifying how quickly she was being recognized on the streets. People she had never seen before whispered about her. She was called an inciter, rebel, "that normie bitch," among other things. Worse still were the mages who planned nasty tricks for her—a raincloud that followed her around and lasted hours on end, black ink that obscured her vision, a disgusting pile of something brown—she suspected dog poop—in her locker.

To some extent, her speech had reached the people she wanted. What had happened in Nipon didn't happen at Cavmoire, much to her and Ren's relief. Heather's suicide didn't spread, and her friends became Mattie's bodyguards in both body and spirit. They walked with her to school and home after. The wicked pranks they encountered seemed to only harden their resolve. Every time something happened, the number of her "bodyguards" seemed to increase. Mattie was glad for their company, and it also let her keep an eye on the girls.

It was hard to know what Ren thought about all of it. Generally, it was hard to know what her boyfriend was thinking as a rule. Rather than getting angry like she had expected, Ren seemed to only grow more sullen. His moods, already so hard to predict, became erratic. Mattie guessed the tricks put on by some of the magicals were starting to take a toll on him. Yet, sometimes she thought she saw a flicker of a smile. Usually she loved to see Ren smile, since it was so rare and usually adorably awkward, but for some reason these secretive smiles unsettled her.

Mattie stretched her tired arms and turned off her tablet. It was already one in the morning. She stood up, and her desk light shut off automatically. Even though it was late, Mattie decided to wash up and then get back to studying after waking up some. Exams were coming up and she couldn't afford to slack. After all, she would have to be a model student now more than ever.

All through her early school years, she had ranked number one in the school. In recent years, with the increased workload as student body president and her numerous club activities, she had lost her place as top student. She hovered in the top fifteen, but there was definitely room for improvement. She couldn't let Cavmoire's name be disgraced by mediocre grades.

Tara was lying on her bed, reading from her tablet and eating a bag of Yum-chips. Mattie eyed her with irritation. It was hard to be motivated about working hard when her younger sister bounded ahead of her without trying.

"You better not get crumbs on my bed," she said passively.

Her younger sister said nothing. In fact, Tara didn't even look over. With a flick of her hand, she—and the bag of Yum-chips—floated several feet off the surface of the bed. With a sweeping motion, Tara blew the crumbs off the bed. She remained free-floating, eyes still glued to the tablet.

"You wouldn't have to listen to my nagging if you were in your own room," Mattie told her pointedly as she headed to the bathroom.

Tara heaved a sigh. "But no one else nags me. Not even my teachers. Mom said Aitenwall would be a challenge, but really. They're all just pushovers. Why does no one nag me like you do?"