Experimental Magic ✔

Finals: Part I

"Finally," Millie sighed as she threw her back pack over her shoulder. 

She had been waiting at the kitchen table for what seemed like an hour. 

"I still say we should've just left without her," Millie said. 

"The Tarby Coven leaves no one behind," Misty said.

"Well then what about Markos?" Meadow said.

"He left us, we didn't leave him. I haven't broken our values. He has," Misty said. "Now enough of that. We have a big day ahead of us. We need to focus."

With no intention of discussing it further, Misty's heels clicked right out the door. She didn't turn to see if her sisters were following her. She knew they would be. She lead them deep into the woods behind their ancient, broken down house until they reached a circular clearing. 

She didn't need to direct the girls. They already knew the drill. Millie placed three white candles dripping with wax and speckled with black ash in a triangle. One by Misty, one by Meadow and one by her. The girls knelt on the ground, each taking one hand of the other. They placed their free hand on the candle and began their chant until the wicks burst into flames. The second they did, the ground beneath them disappeared and sent them plummeting downwards. They fell in a free fall until they were abruptly hit by a cold, hard marble flooring. Misty and Millie stayed perfectly on their feet while the impact made Meadow fall flat on her butt. She never could get used to that.

"Get up," Misty said while she and Millie yanked her onto her feet. "Someone might see you."

Meadow shook off her sisters and dusted herself off and pushed back the messy curls that had fallen in her face. She looked at all the people bustling about. Every boy had the same perfectly pressed black pants, black knit sweater with a red and gold school emblem and the pristine white collar of a button-down shirt poking out around their necks. All the girls had on their pleated black skirts with red and gold ribbing along the bottom. They wore black opaque tights and the same sweater as the boys. They all looked the same. Every single one of them. 

Seeing the sea of people made Meadow's heart sink. There was nowhere she felt more alone than at school. Everyone had their clique, their tribe and she had no one except her bossy, bitchy sisters. She was an outcast. No one wanted to talk to her or try to be friends. To them, she was nothing more than the sister of a traitor and the daughter of parents that were serving a life sentence unconscious and frozen for their crimes against the rules set by The Assembly. No one dared talk to her for fear of being shunned themselves for associating with her.

Misty looked out at the crowd of people and took a deep breath. She knew no one wanted them there, but she didn't care. She knew if she just worked hard enough to excel, there's no way they could not pay attention. She would prove she belonged no matter how hard it was or how long it took.

"Are we ready girls?" She said.

Both girls gave silent, but affirmative nods. Meadow was a little nervous, but not as much as Millie. It made perfect sense that Millie would be more anxious than Meadow. As a third year, expectations for her were much higher. Since Meadow was still an underclassman, she only had to take written exams, most of them essays or multiple choice. Millie on the other hand had to take practical exams. They couldn't just write what they knew, they had to prove they could do it. 

But no one had more pressure on her than Misty. Misty was in her final year so the stakes were high. Like Millie, she has had practical exams rather than written exams. But unlike Millie, her exams didn't take place in the class room. She had to prove herself in the Arena. Each senior student went one by one into a stadium filled with the entire student body and perform various spells, potions and whatever else was thrown at them by The Assembly themselves. 

As a spectator in years past, Misty had seen even the strongest students run out of the Arena in tears. It wasn't just the strongest students who crumbled, it was the beloved students. The ones everyone cheered for and encouraged. The ones who everyone wanted to see succeed. Misty was not one of those students. She never had been. Not after what her parents did. And especially not after word got out that Markos had become a teacher at that rag-tag school for Experimental Magic. Misty knew the second she walked into the Arena she'd be meet with taunts and deafening boos. 

Despite all this, she wasn't scared. In her mind, she had no reason to be. To the disappointment of everyone at school she was a strong and powerful witch. She had received near perfect marks  since her first year. There was no doubt in her mind that she would succeed.

"Millie, remember what I told you," Misty said. "Speak clearly and with confidence."

"I will," she said.

"Straighten up now," Misty said as she pulled Millie's shoulders back. "You can do this."

Millie took a deep breath and smiled. The encouragement from her sister gave her a major boost in self-esteem. 

"Meadow," Misty said. "Don't mess this up. If you are anything less than perfect they will eat you alive. You hear me?"

Meadow nodded solemnly. As much as she hated to admit it, Misty was right. Every time she gave a wrong answer in class or did poorly on an exam, they entire class laughed at her and teased her mercilessly. She didn't want to go through that again.

"I hear you," Meadow said.

"Good," Misty said. "Millie, your exams will be over before Meadow's. The second you finish, wait outside her classroom for her and escort her to the Arena. You have to stick together no matter what and don't arrive even a second late."

"Got it," Millie said as she grabbed until Meadow's arm. 

"Okay girls," Misty said. "Let's do this."