The Fifth Descendants (ON HOLD)

Chapter 13

SENIOR YEAR HAD ONLY been around for two months, but things got boring really fast for Leon. He usually watched Carol play tennis, practiced swimming every weekend, and hung out with Finn and Brody. Ever since he found out that he was a warlock, he couldn't act normally. He hated the sight of Ryder and Carol walking together, turned around when someone from the swimming team called him, and barely spent times with two of his friends.

He was an all-around mess—and he had nothing to blame but his parents.

Leon saw how Henry Salander invited them for dinner to discuss magic stuffs, or how Jack Groves paid full attention in his son's magical journey. Jealous was an understatement when his own mother, who was born with Glenda's blood, barely even looked at him.

Maybe she truly hated him. Or maybe she quietly cared about him. Even though Mick told him that his mother came to Mick's father to express her worry, Leon still wouldn't give a damn. The only thing in her head was how to keep her husband safe.

That being said, Mick came with a theory that Ezra Chandler's wife was a Descendant. That would make Ryder, their nephew, a Descendant as well. Words couldn't even describe Leon's feeling that time. They didn't know which descendant Ryder would be, but Mr. Salander said anyone with warlock or witch blood could faintly detect their kinds, even though they didn't have magical powers to begin with.

A wind roared through the school's yard. Trees moving fiercely, students were startled and holding on to something. The tennis players shrieking as the balls were bouncing around. The thought of Ryder being born with magic blood angered him somehow. It wasn't enough that he took Carol, now he would take the only pride he had.

Leon tamed himself before it became chaos. He couldn't just be mad out of nowhere because the nature just listened to his heart.

Well, funny how Mother Nature listened to him more than his own mother.

Leon walked closer to the tennis court, where the team resumed their practice after the short disturbance. Ashton was working on his forehand by hitting the ball against the wall. Carol was jogging around the court with the other girls. Ryder was washing his towel in the nearby sink.

Of course, another idea of pranking his arch-nemesis turned up in his mind.

Leon approached the court fence until he could see Ryder clearly. He held his hand up, but was halted by the thought of how he tried to prank Ryder the last time. Mick said he almost burned the guy down. Leon threw that thought far away, and chose to use water instead.

He concentrated on the running water in front of Ryder while curling his fingers into a fist. And then, when he opened his palm, the water burst out and hit Ryder in the face.

Ryder was panicking, trying to turn the faucet off, but he couldn't see and tried to gasp for air because of the water attack. He was drenched in no time. Leon stopped the water while trying so hard to hold his laugh.

Ashton, who was done with his practice, came to get water and found drenched Ryder, standing bewilderedly.

"Are you feeling hot, Ryder?" Ashton asked. "Why don't you just go and take a shower?"

Ryder stopped Ashton from turning on the faucet. "Don't! It's broken—the water spurted out everywhere!"

Ashton ignored him and proceeded to turn it on, but obviously, the water ran just fine.

"B-b-but—it was—" Ryder was loss for words, and Ashton just rolled his eyes and walked away.

Leon was cackling silently. He would definitely roll around the grass seeing Ryder's stupid face if only there weren't any students walking past him.

"Mick's gonna kill you." Ashton's voice appeared in Leon's mind. "No powers in public, remember?"

Leon looked at the tennis court—Ashton was staring at him with his arms folded on his chest. Leon teased, "Don't lie to yourself. You enjoyed his reaction too, didn't you?"

"Well..." Ashton chuckled. "He deserved it, but what if he knew it was a warlock's doing? He's a Descendant, after all."

"Allegedly," fended Leon. "I'm sure we can hide it well. He probably knows about magic, but he can't exactly identify one, right?"

"We should always be careful, Leon," told Ashton.

"Yes, Mom," mocked Leon before he cut the telepathy and left the court.

The biggest irony was Leon hadn't said 'Mom' for months now. He ate dinner in silence, sometimes in his room, and would miss breakfast the next day on purpose. He would slip a slice of bread or an apple into his pocket if he got a chance. It was like living in a strangers' house, and nobody—he meant not one single soul in that house—felt weird about it.

When he got home, his father Remy was sitting on the couch in front of the TV, reading his tablet. Leon wasn't really a sentimental person, but he really did miss the time when three of them would have a movie night every Saturday. He missed his father's a dad jokes that he got from his fellow lawyers. He missed his mother's random cooking that always satisfied his belly to the point that he couldn't move for a swim practice.

He missed the Alcotts as a family.

Leon scoffed the thought away as he strode to his room.

"Leon?" Remy turned his head around. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"What?" It just came out crudely, even though Leon didn't mean it.

"Uh... The Mayor invited me to his wife's birthday party tomorrow night. I'd like you to come as my plus-one," offered Remy.

This was the most effort his father made for him nowadays. Usually it would just 'hi', 'good morning', or 'how's school' repeated every day like a broken record.

Leon lifted his shoulders. "Where's your usual plus-one?"

"She... can't come. She has to do a catering for this hotel opening."

Leon sneered. "Did she put you up to this?"

"No. I want you to come with me."

"I'm going to study at Finn's tomorrow." Yeah, like anyone would believe that.

"Leon," Remy called pleadingly. "There will be professors and coaches from some good universities. I'd like to introduce you to them."

"Oh? Is that your only reason?" Leon calmed himself down before he went mad. Even the slightest rage could destroy stuffs around him. Afraid that his emotion would take over, he just ignored his father's request and walked away. But suddenly, Mick's voice slipped in the telepathy.

"Go with him," he said.

"It's none of your business, Mick," replied Leon with his mind.

"Ezra Chandler and his family will be there," said Mick. "It's a good chance to get to know them."

Leon halted his steps. He was contemplating, and finally, went back to the living room.

"Fine," Leon said to both Mick and his father. "I'll be there."

Remy's eyes glowed with excitement, probably the first time in months. Seeing the reaction softened Leon's heart. For a moment, he felt his heart filled with warmth that went up to his face. Before his father realized a change in his expression, Leon turned around and rushed to his room.