My (Not So) Charmed Life

Stories and Secrets

Hi guys! Sorry it's been so long since I updated, but it's finals time and that means that my brain cannot function to do more than go to work and study :( There's only one more day of classes though! Here's the new chapter!

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The next few days were pretty normal, with a few small exceptions. One was that Lacey had been leaving me alone, and not coming up to me randomly trying to bully me. I never came outright and told her that I’d pulled the prank, but I think going a full week with bright green hair had humbled her a little bit.

The other exception was Bradley. He had come up to me at lunch the day after we pranked Lacey, and asked me out on another date. I had anticipated this, but I really didn’t like him that way. It was like having a crush on a celebrity: you don’t know them at all, and you’re obsessed with them, but when you meet them in real life, they’re not always the same as you pictured them to be.

I had told him, in as nice a way as I could, that I wasn’t interested. The conversation had gone like this:

“I had a really good time the other night, Liza. What do you think; want to go out again?”

“I, uh, I think you’re great Bradley, I do, but I think we would be better off as friends,” I said softly.

He looked vaguely shocked, but I forced myself to not retract my words. He was gorgeous, yes, but the sparks and connection that I had expected to feel when I was with him were nonexistent. He glared at Ryan, who was sitting next to me.

“Are you sure?” He asked this with an expression that clearly showed that he believed that I’d burst out in laughter, announce that I was kidding and beg him to take me out.

“Sorry, Bradley, I really am,” I said sincerely. He looked sullen and angry as he walked away without another word.

I felt awful as I watched him stalk back to his usual table, but couldn’t restrain the leap in my chest when I saw that Ryan was giving me a proud smile. At least I’d made one person happy.

That night was my second magic lesson. After the breakthroughs I'd made in the last one, I was nervous to see what the full unleashing of my powers could do. We met at Ryan's house this time instead of mine. As we headed there after school, I asked him whether or not Sylvia was really his mom.

He chuckled. "Not technically. But my mom... Let's just say that Sylvia is more my real mom than anyone else I know." I didn't know what to respond to that, and it looked as though he didn't want me to pry, even though he was acting as though the question didn't rattle him.

"So does she give you a curfew?"

"Nope! I get to come and go as I please, which is handy considering that I spend half of my time roaming the streets at night trying to find whoever was stalking you," he laughed.

"Are you serious?" I exclaimed. He shook his head.

"No, don't be scared. I just can't sleep so well so I usually walk around the block a few times. It makes me feel a little calmer," he said. I got the feeling that he wasn't being entirely truthful, but again, I didn't want to pry too far.

I loved hearing him talk about himself, because it was something that happened so rarely. I was afraid of saying something that would make him stop. Whenever he spoke about his personal life, he got this adorable wistful look in his eyes, and I wished that I could read his mind, to understand who he really was.

"Maybe next time you should invite me," I remarked. Oh my god.

I wanted to stuff the words back into my mouth. Did I just say that? He was going to think that I was obsessed with him! Maybe he walked around alone on purpose because he didn't want any company. I needed to learn how to keep my mouth sh-"

"Yeah, I think I'd like that."

I was so grateful that it was dark out, this to the fall, so that Ryan couldn't see how red my cheeks were. He actually wanted my company when he couldn't sleep! I had to restrain myself from letting out a squeal of happiness; there was a limit to how insane I would let him think I was.

When we got to his house, we headed up to his bedroom. I was still so freaked out by the idea of being alone in a boy's bedroom alone with a boy. Aside from Max, who I'd known forever, I had never entered the bedroom of any boy. I didn't have any other siblings, so it wasn’t as though I had much experience with the living habits of the opposite sex.

I stood there awkwardly looking around, until Ryan gestured to the desk chair. I sat down and waited.

Ryan looked at me, running a hand through the thick strands of his hair.

“Okay, stand up,” he directed. I got up and smoothed out my olive green top over my dark wash jeans.

“Take off your shoes,” he continued, so I kicked off my off-white Converse sneakers and stood there in my black-socked feet.

He did the same, and stood facing me. “Now imagine yourself in a relaxing place….”

I closed my eyes and tried to calm my body. I pictured a peaceful tropical island with sun and sand, and breathed out through my mouth steadily.

“Put your hands out with your palms up, Macarena-style, and focus all of your power into your palms.” I did what he told me, feeling my palms heat up just like they did the first time.

“Now, imagine that there are intruders in your happy place,” he said, and I envisioned ninjas appearing from all around to attack my beach. “You need to defend yourself. Push out the power in your palms to get rid of them!”

I opened my eyes and felt my power surge out from my palms. Ryan flew back, falling backwards onto the bed.

I looked in horror down at my hands. “Ryan, are you okay? Oh my god, I am so sorry!”

Ryan’s shoulders were heaving up and down, and I freaked out. He was crying! I hurt him so badly that he was crying in pain. “Ry, I don’t know why that happened! I can’t believe I flung you across the room!”

He lifted his face so that I could see that he wasn’t crying in pain. He was shaking with hysterical laughter.

“Oh my god! You thought I was dead! Hahahaha!” My cheeks burned.

“How the hell was I supposed to know that you weren’t hurt? You freaking flew across the room after I used my power!” I defended myself.

“I landed on the bed, dummy, of course I wasn’t hurt!” He continued laughing until it petered out into light chuckles.

“Well, you mastered it pretty well,” he said, once he had gotten his laughter under control.

“Mastered what?”

“The ability to fend off enemies. If someone attacks you, you use this technique to ward them off; think of it as magical self-defense,” he explained.

I felt pretty good about having mastered a new skill in magic.

“Okay, enough for today. How about some ice cream?” Ryan asked. I smiled at him.

“Sounds like a plan.”

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Hello my loves! Did you like this chapter? Did you hate it? Do you have no feelings whatsoever towards it? Let me know!

What do you think is going on between Bradley and Liza? Is there a future for them, or is Liza giving up on him too soon? Is Ryan all he seems to be?

Can we maybe pretty please with a cherry and sprinkles on top get MNSCL to 1.6K reads before the next upload? It would make me all kinds of happy :)

Until next time, stay cool and remember to VOTE, COMMENT AND FAN!