Southern Charms

An Ally

 Dawn broke on a morning as cool and crisp as any you could find in December. Only it was September, and while Mississippi might enjoy the rare, pleasant day as summer tipped into autumn, I'd never experienced such a drastic shift in temperature this time of the year. It was unnatural, and something sour tainted the breeze, turning my stomach as I stepped out onto the sagging front porch.

"Here ya go," Willow whispered as she came up behind me and pushed a mug into my hand. Dark, fragrant liquid sloshed in the white ceramic cup, and I held it to my nose, more to cleanse the stench from my nostrils than to savor the robust aroma of fresh coffee.

"Where did you get this?"

Willow wiggled her tan fingers. "Magic of course. Well, magic and the instant coffee someone left in the cabinet."

"Oh, good," I replied, sipping on the bitter brew and wrinkling my nose as it seared my taste buds, "we're drinking the coffee of vagrants."

"Nope, just cheap teenagers. They throw parties out here fairly often, and when things get too out of hand, we sleep it off in the shack. This is probably from the last party."

I nodded, blowing on the drink and keeping my eyes on the trail of mist it cast into the air. If I turned to look at Willow she would see the hurt in my expression. Hurt that was dumb and childish considering the circumstances, but I couldn't help but feel even more ostracized from this life and these people. Of course, it made perfect sense that the local witches and warlocks had places to party. They were teenagers, no matter how much power they had, but I'd lived here my entire life. This was the first I heard of this.

"We should probably wake the others."

"You get any sleep?" Willow asked, neither of us making a move toward the inside.

"A bit. Yeah."

Once Ash joined me, curling his long, lanky form around mine. His heartbeat pulsed against my ear, drawing me into slumber. When my eyes fluttered open, he was still at my side, his heavy arm draped over my waist and his face buried in my back.

"I didn't think I would sleep at all, but once I laid down, I was out. Hope Flannery managed to get a few hours in. Today is going to be draining for her."

"You'll take care of her, won't you? I know you two don't really get along, but-"

"We'll make it work. I think we're just a little territorial where you're concerned, but today isn't about that."

"Territorial?" I scoffed.

"Yes, we each only get a part of you, and it's hard to share."

"What do you mean by that?"

Willow drew in a deep breath and exhaled. "I can only speak for myself, but I'm guessing it's a bit how Flannery feels. Especially now that she knows the truth about your double life. But, I've always felt like I'm missing out on part of who you are. You're this whole other person in St. Augustine. It's like an entire life I don't get to be a part of."

"That's just-" I stopped myself from saying silly. If there was anything I knew anything about, it was feeling left out. "I'm sorry."

"It is what it is. We probably have a lot more in common than we're willing to admit, considering we're friends with you. Maybe we'll get to see it today."

"That's very mature of you."

And not at all like the girl I knew. Willow was volatile. Dramatic. Dynamite in a small package and all that jazz. When she turned to me, I saw what caused the change. Apprehension and anguish swirled together, turning her brown eyes almost black.