Magicae

Chapter 20: True Friends

It had been a couple days since the food fight, and Juliette was still trying to forget about it.

The perfect distraction came in the form of Penny catching on fire once again.

Juliette had already breezed through English and math classes, and was eagerly awaiting her science specialty class. But before that could happen, she had to get through magic class.

And it was looking more and more likely that it wouldn't happen.

Flames were flickering up Penny's arm, and Juliette had a sense of déjà vu as Penny stared at it in terror.

Juliette sighed. Why didn't the other girl just drop and roll like she had the first time?

Emma offered to freeze the flames, but the door opened, and a pale boy with long dark hair and yellow eyes entered. "No."

When he saw Penny his eyes widened, but he continued to speak in a calming voice. "Okay, take deep breaths. I know you're scared, but you can't let the fear control you. If you let your emotions rule you, then so will the fire. Breath."

Penny inhaled, and the flames retreated slightly. The boy continued speaking to her until the fire was gone, and the tension went out of the room.

Then Penny looked at the boy for the first time. "Al?" she asked.

The boy grinned. "Hey, Nickel."

Mrs. Amicus approached. "You two know each other?" she said with surprise.

Penny nodded slowly. "We... we used to be best friends. We lived next door to each other until last year, when Al moved away to go to a different school. It... it was here, wasn't it! You moved here!"

Al, or Bane, or whoever he was, nodded. "Yeah."

Mrs. Amicus smiled. "Well then. Bane, or Al, I guess, you can help Penny with controlling her fire."

The boy nodded. Penny tapped his shoulder as Mrs. Amicus walked over to help Alex with flying. "Why did she call you Bane?"

Bane shrugged. "I don't know. One of my friends here thought Al was a weird name, and thought my last name sounded cooler."

"Bane," Penny said slowly. "I don't think Al is weird."

"You're welcome to call me Al," Bane smiled. Penny laughed.

"How 'bout Albane? Or Banal?"

Juliette smiled and turned away from the laughing friends, almost running into Emma, who was standing there with her arms crossed.

"Juliette."

"Yes?" Juliette was confused. "Um, do you want something?"

Emma sighed. "Have you used your power at all?"

"No, not yet. I've been trying, but I've not been able to yet." Juliette was careful to keep any defensiveness out of her voice.

Emma groaned and rolled her eyes, drawing a few glances from their classmates.

"Juliette, I like you. You're smart. But I can't be seen with someone who's a power dud."

"A what?" Juliette had never heard the term before.

"A power dud. Someone who can't use their magic. I made it up," Emma said as she waved away Juliette's confused expression.

It was getting harder to keep from getting defensive. "You think I'm a 'power dud' because I've not used my magic yet? Emma, this is my first time ever trying! You can't blame me for not doing it yet! Even Alex hasn't done it yet, and he's from a Magicae family!"

Emma shook her head. "Sorry, but we can't associate until you're able to teleport." With that she walked away, her dark hair swishing down her back.

Juliette stared after her. What had just happened? Had her first-- and to be honest, only-- friend just ditched her because Juliette had yet to successfully use her power?

Someone came up from behind Juliette and tapped her shoulder. "You know, you can come practice with us. Albany New York's power may not be teleporting, but I'm sure he can still give you some good advice. He helped Geneva too."

Juliette turned to see Penny, smiling. "Who's Albany New--" Juliette was cut off by Bane face palming and Geneva laughing.

"Shut it, Nickel. I told you that was a too confusing nickname!"

Juliette laughed. Penny smiled again and gently dragged her over to join the other two.

Although Juliette still hadn't managed to teleport by the end of class, she had more fun than she'd had in a long time. At one point, she felt Emma's icy stare in her back, but ignored it as she laughed with the others.

Juliette felt like she finally had friends.