The Undiscovered Witch

Chapter Three: Breakfast Of Champions

Arya knew something was different the moment that she woke up. Her entire body felt like it was buzzing and her head was spinning. It took everything thing she had just to sit up in bed and when she did, she had to quickly grab her bin before vomiting into it. She had no idea why she would be doing any of this, she didn't drink last night and the only thing she had was her bottle of water. She was lucky everyone else had already left the house. Arya's family always went out for breakfast on New Year's, but she told her mom she would be there a little later because she didn't get enough sleep due to the party last night. Her mom was always okay with things like that, she even expected her to do more than she did.

As Arya found the strength to get out of bed she heard her phone ding. It was a message from Mark.

Mark Ayers: Feeling any better?

Arya paused for a moment wondering if she should tell him the truth or just tell him that she was fine.

Arya Smith: Not really, but I think I will survive, thanks for asking.

She heard another ding from her phone but decided it would be best to give herself time to get ready before answering it. Arya knew that her family never really dressed up for breakfast so she checked her hair to make sure it didn't smell like a bar and took a quick shower. She put on a bit of conclearer and mascara before grabbing a pair of dark wash jeans and a burgundy hoodie to throw on. She brushed her hair and put it into a high ponytail before slipping on a pair of grey Vans.

It had been about half an hour before she finally looked at her phone again.

Mark Ayers: Let me know if you need anything.

Ayra Smith: Thank you

Arya smiled as she saw a text saying "You're welcome" come in. When she looked at the time she realized that she was right on schedule. She might have been thirty minutes late but by the time she arrived her Aunt Linda and Uncle Jean would just be getting there. They were always arriving late to family gatherings and everyone had just gotten used to it over the years. Arya got into her black 2007 Ford Mustang and drove to the small family breakfast joint in the middle of town called Jo Ann's.

Jo Ann's had been serving the best breakfast in Creeksdale since 1956 and it still looked as if it belonged in the 50s. The restaurant was only a five-minute drive from Arya's house and was one of the only restaurants in town. She could count on one hand the number of restaurants in town, but it didn't matter too much because most people would take quality over quantity and this place definitely had quality food. Arya was never disappointed when she had to come to Jo Ann's for a family meal and her family had been going to Jo Ann's since it opened so they got a discount on occasion.

When Arya arrived at Jo Ann's, there was still no sign of her Aunt and Uncle so she took that as a victory and walked in to see her family sitting at a corner booth at the other end of the restaurant. She sat down at the end before saying hello to her family and a waitress came over with a menu and asked for her drink order. She ordered a coffee and waited for her family to start talking again. Before they could start talking Aunt Linda and Uncle Jean walked in.

They were a bunch to look at for sure. Arya's mother, Denise, didn't look a day over thirty standing at 5'1" with dirty blonde hair and green eyes. Most people were surprised to find out she was 45 at the time and had two kids above the age of 20. Then there was Arya's father, Aaron, he was a man that stood tall at 6'1" and had red hair and blue eyes at the age of 46. They were both worked at his construction company, Smith construction, him as the owner and foreman and her as the bookkeeper. Their firstborn daughter Mahalie was 25 and was an interior designer. She had her father's hair and eyes and was 5'7" with a model like body. Arya of course was their second born who was 20 years old and still in college, only working part-time.

Linda Howell was Denise's older sister and she was 47 years old. Linda was five foot nothing and was known for her platinum blonde hair and green eyes. Jean Howell was 49 years old and had gone to the same college as Linda before getting to know her and eventually marrying her. He was 5'9" with blue eyes and black hair that was getting white streaks in it. They had been married for 25 years and they never decided to have children which seemed to make them both very happy.

By the time that the new arrivals were getting their drinks, everyone else was getting their food. The conversations had started flowing quickly after the arrival of Aunt Linda. She was asking about what everyone was doing, how grades were, and what had been going on with everyone's jobs while Uncle Jean was silently smiling at his chattering wife. Arya felt a surge of joy looking at the two, she wanted to have something like that one day, the happiness that came with loving someone else so much. Of course, it seemed better to look up to their version of love rather than her parent's version. They might still be married but her parents were not head over heels for each other, to say the least. They had been on the brink of divorce for years and it was just a matter of time before they actually went through with it.

Life is not always as it seems. Denise and Aaron Smith looked like the perfect couple with two photocopy kids, but when they were out of the public eye it was like every glance turned into a screaming match. Every snide comment turned into the cold shoulder and loving words were laced with venom. Everyone that actually knew them was just waiting to witness the final straw that would break the camel's back. Breakfast that morning was fine and ended on a cheery note as Aunt Linda and Uncle Jean left, giving them hugs and kisses.