Chapter Three Young Adult Fiction Novel Moon Magic
Are you reading the YA Fiction Novel, Moon Magic? If not, start here: Moon Magic starts here. This is Chapter Three of Moon Magic online. In Chapter Two, Aurora attended a football game. It wasn't a pleasant experience. That weird guy followed her to the band room. She thinks he's a weirdo, but there is something about him that she finds intriguing. What is it? Find out in Chapter Three of Moon Magic. Enjoy!
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Moon Magic: Unfulfilled Wishes
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Copyright 2017
Moon Magic: Chapter Three
Everywhere Aurora went trouble followed. Pig Pen was surrounded by a cloud of dust but a cloud of woe surrounded Aurora. Her Mother said it was all part of being a ‘normal’ teenager. Was there such a thing?
Aurora hopped off the bus and headed straight to the back porch. She wanted to collapse in the hammock, think of nothing, and talk to no one. No luck. Her mother was on the deck with a glass of wine and a paintbrush in hand. Before Aurora could get comfortable, her mother started with the usual line of questioning.
“Aurora, how are things going in school?” she prodded.
Aurora didn’t think this was any of her mother’s business. It was like church and state. Keep home life separate from school life. Her mother didn’t agree. Aurora wanted to puke. She hated the tone her mother used when she was trying to parent.
Wriggling out of the hammock, Aurora sat up, stood up, and headed for the French doors, mouthing off on the way. “None of your business. Not Mom stuff!” she shouted.
Serenity dropped her paintbrush. Gasping, she followed Aurora into the kitchen. “Are you still having trouble with those mean girls? Aurora, you need to talk to a teacher- it’s their job to look out for you. I bet you could do it on the sly so the teachers could watch out for you without any of the other the kids knowing about it.” After she spoke, she stood there with hands on her hips awaiting a response.
Aurora stiffened her shoulders. “You said it’s their job to watch me anyway. So why do I have to say anything? Aren’t they omniscient?”
Serenity Waters rolled her eyes. It was going to be one of those afternoons. The kind that made her cry inside, but seem angry on the outside. She was a parenting fail. “Well, of course, they keep an eye on things. I’m just saying, maybe they need to pay a little extra attention to you.”
Aurora watched her mother for minute, but Serenity didn’t make eye contact. Aurora needed the last word, no matter how small. “I’m good,” Aurora snapped.
Standing at the kitchen sink, staring out the window, and splashing sudsy water on the dishes with a dish rag that had seen better days, Serenity’s mind was preoccupied with her daughter’s future. Things needed to be said, but she just wasn’t ready. Not today, anyway. She was waiting for Aurora’s birthday to drop the big bomb. A birthday surprise of sorts. But every time something odd happened, it chipped away at her resolve. She turned slightly in Aurora’s direction. “What! Has something happened at school?” she shouted.
Aurora laughed, “Nope.” ‘Nope’ always seemed less of a lie than a big, flat, ’No.’
Apparently, her mother didn’t feel the same way. “Aurora!” snapped Serenity.
After what had happened at the football game the other night, Aurora did want to talk to someone. Being a loner and hating all of the other kids in school made that difficult. Sometimes she confessed to the school bus driver. She had told him all about that day in English class, but this felt more like girl talk. She hated girl talk.
Aurora was lonely. Strange things were happening in her life. Neither Google or Siri could find the answer. Teachers were off limits. They felt sorry for her. If there was one thing she hated more than girl talk, it was adults who clearly wanted to help. Sickening.
Aurora hated Serenity’s parenting style only slightly less. Against her better judgement, she decided to share. “Nothing really… There’s this new kid at school. I've talked to him a few times.” Aurora took a deep breath, stared at her tennis shoes, and let it go.
Serenity stiffened and turned back toward the kitchen window. She didn’t dare seem too interested. "A new kid?” she nudged.
Trying not to sound too excited, Aurora mumbled. “Yeah, just someone in my class.”
But, Serenity wasn't so skilled at controlling excitement. “Aurora, that’s code for boy! Is he cute?” she cajoled.
“Yep, he’s a boy– last time I checked.” Aurora snapped.
“You better not be checking,” said Serenity, wishing she hadn’t!
Aurora nodded in silence. Serenity had gone too far. As always, Aurora wished her mother would just choose a side. Was she a parent or a confidante? She couldn’t be both. She sucked at both, and Aurora sucked at ignoring her. “Right, ‘Cause I’m speaking literally. Anyway, it’s all good- I guess.” she spat.
“You guess? Is there a problem?” Serenity’s voice took on a higher pitch.
“No, Mother!” Aurora snapped back. Serenity hated it when Aurora called her mother. Suddenly, Lucas’s slow smile flashed through Aurora’s mind. She shivered again. She couldn’t shake the lurking feeling that something was different about him.
“Auri!” screamed Serenity.
Her mother’s screech interrupted the unwelcome feelings. She screamed back even louder. “What, Mother?”
Her mother’s screech interrupted the unwelcome feelings. She screamed back even louder. “What, Mother?”
Serenity sensed that Aurora’s emotions were about to come center stage. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. She wouldn’t let her own emotions get the best of her. “Where’d you go?” said Serenity sheepishly. Without a response or even a sigh, she tried again. “I can tell this is clearly about a boy. You like him. I hope he’s respectable.”
Aurora looked up at her mother. Staring her straight in the eyes, she said, “Hmm… Don’t know about that.” She couldn't think of a better way to get her mother to stop talking. A smart mouth with death ray glares always did the trick.
Serenity slapped the washcloth into the sink. As the water splashed her in the face, she sighed and decided to change the subject. “On another note, how have you been feeling?” she cooed.
“I feel fine. Why? Do I look pale? Do you think I’m love sick?” Aurora snorted. Game on. Aurora placed her hands over her ears, bobbed her head from side to side, and ran in place. That had always worked when she was five years old. The look on her mother’s face was the perfect award for her dramatic display of immaturity.
But, Serenity didn’t take the bait. Someone needed to act like an adult. A year ago, she might have lost it. The last year had mellowed her emotions. She had grown quite skilled at ignoring Aurora’s antics. She was coming into her own with this parenting thing. It might not be perfect, but it was a good start.
After an extended deep breath, serenity was able to speak calmly. “What’s with the attitude today? I‘m just curious about your emotions. Have you noticed anything unusual or exceptional yet?”
There it was again. After making the best of a tired yawn, Aurora snapped, “Nope, Mother.” No way were they going to argue about this now. This argument had run its course.
Serenity, covered in dirty dishwater, and tired of arguing, stared blankly as if she were trying to win a blinking contest. She blinked, reached into the greasy dishwater, pulled the plug, and headed to her room. She had lost the battle, but the war wasn’t over yet.
What Aurora wasn’t talking about weighed heavily on her mind. She couldn’t change the channel. The recent interactions at school with the scary girl and Lucas were driving her mad. She didn’t know how to handle either situation. Both incidents had made her feel uncomfortable. Feelings were sticking around. Normally, she could shake off any concern for others. Something was different this time. She constantly felt uneasy, like something as about to happen.
Lucas and the girl weren’t like the others. It seemed liked she was being forced to notice them. Forced to pay attention for some reason. They’d been getting a lot of grief lately- a lot. She felt... She felt, that was the problem. Aurora didn't like to feel things.
The mean girls were brave girls. They had no fear. Apparently, beauty breeds inappropriate confidence. The cuter the girl, the more perfect her hair, the bigger budget she had for clothes, the meaner she became- pure evil. Maybe they had just had enough and decided to push back. Who knows. Maybe Aurora was just a little jealous of their fearless courage.
She hated being a total coward. Fear was her biggest fear. That’s why she always ran to the bathtub. It was her safe place.
The mean girls were brave girls. They had no fear. Apparently, beauty breeds inappropriate confidence. The cuter the girl, the more perfect her hair, the bigger budget she had for clothes, the meaner she became- pure evil. Maybe they had just had enough and decided to push back. Who knows. Maybe Aurora was just a little jealous of their fearless courage.
She hated being a total coward. Fear was her biggest fear. That’s why she always ran to the bathtub. It was her safe place.
At George Washington High, pure evil wore short skirts and fancy leather sandals. The click of mean girls had decided to tag team the scary girl. During passing period, everyone shuffled through the narrow corridor, they smiled sweetly and innocently batted their eyelashes as they surrounded the scary chick.
The entire student body stood at attention. In a choreographed move, the girls had dropped their backpacks onto the floor and made a big production out of bending over to retrieve them.
Risking serious personal injury, they carried out their evil scheme. Scary Girl had been longingly looking at a Marc Jacobs bag draped over one of the girl’s shoulders when suddenly the cutest little girl you’ve ever seen, kicked her in the shin. Scary stumbled forward trying to keep her balance. A roar of laughter echoed off the lockers and filled the hallway. Everyone laughed, even the teachers who were leaning against their classroom doors on guard duty. They struggled to hold back grins, but it was a losing battle.
The entire student body stood at attention. In a choreographed move, the girls had dropped their backpacks onto the floor and made a big production out of bending over to retrieve them.
Risking serious personal injury, they carried out their evil scheme. Scary Girl had been longingly looking at a Marc Jacobs bag draped over one of the girl’s shoulders when suddenly the cutest little girl you’ve ever seen, kicked her in the shin. Scary stumbled forward trying to keep her balance. A roar of laughter echoed off the lockers and filled the hallway. Everyone laughed, even the teachers who were leaning against their classroom doors on guard duty. They struggled to hold back grins, but it was a losing battle.
For a minute, Aurora had considered feeling sorry for Scary Girl, but everything in life was a choice and Scary Girl had made a lot of bad choices. Aurora let out a puff of breath and remembered what her mother had always said, ‘What comes around goes around.’ That’s Karma in its simplest form. It had felt a lot like the other day when she had ran to the window rather than to the aid of her teacher. She was such a lame.
* * *
The questions Serenity asked had floated around in Aurora’s head for days. ‘So it is a boy and you like him.’ Aurora had only just met him. The friendship seemed to be taking flight, but did she like Lucas? She had been avoiding meeting him for weeks. He always lurked around like her shadow. She always knew he was there, but ignored him. She was afraid. Feelings were at play. Feelings were terrifying.
Sure, she was drawn to his smirky smile and musky scent, but he was the weirdest kid in school. Wasn’t he? Did the other kids think she was the odd one? She’d been writing about it in her journal hoping to sort it all out.
Sept. 21
Creepy kid watched me again today. Does he think I don’t see him? Out of 1321 students, he had to pick me? I know it’s strange but I kind of feel a little safer knowing he is there lurking around every corner like a dark angel watching over me.
Sept. 29
Today, that creepy kid got brave and waited for me at my locker. I almost pretended that I didn’t see him. If I could’ve gotten through Geometry without my book, I would’ve skipped the trip to my locker.
My heart was pounding so loud that it blocked my brain from remembering my locker combination. He touched my hand and butterflies fluttered all through me. Like magic, my fingers suddenly went straight to the correct numbers. I guess had I had known it all along.
Lucas is his name.
Oct. 1
Lucas witnessed one of my most humiliating moments at the football game tonight. He pretended like it didn’t happen, which was good. He keeps claiming that we’re the same, but I barely know him. A tiny part of me feels like we have known each other forever. The bigger part of me tells me to forget I ever met him.
Oct. 4
Lucas sat with me at lunch today. As if I didn’t already have enough cafeteria trouble. Some of the kids at my table stack their trays on mine in a huge, leaning tower of mess. I am a stickler for rules. I never just walk away. I always take the whole tower of trays up when the bell rings. I’m weird like that. I know they’re watching me- hoping the tower of trash will tumble to the floor and give them another excuse to laugh at me. My face always turns pomegranate just thinking about it. The Cools and the Mean Girls smirk whenever I pass by them in the halls.
Now this? I might as well tattoo a scarlet letter ‘L’ on my forehead. Loser alert.
And get this… Lucas never said one word to me all thru lunch. He is such a lame.
Oct. 5
He did it again. Fabulous. Today, he started muttering like a madman. I could barely make it out for words. I think he may have actually asked me out.
My first date, well, if I say yes.
He said something about Oct. 31. Maybe he wants to take me to a Halloween party. I guess it could be fun. I like Halloween. He does have smoldering, crystal blue eyes. I wonder if he knows it‘s my birthday?
Oct. 13
Okay, so Lucas is becoming my friend- I guess. We sit at the same table at lunch everyday. People stare at us because we never say much. He likes my hair. I like his shirt, just small talk. I know we're friends because when the girls (Scary and her entourage) stack their trays on mine, Lucas removes them one by one and carries my tray to the conveyor belt for me. I grab his and go too. I’m not going to sit alone with all the empty trays around me.
Nobody ever says anything to him. Why would they? He’s so bizarre. I think that’s what I like about him.
* * *
Aurora’s locker was sandwiched between Gloomy Gus and Peppy Patty. It was definitely a ‘No Aurora Zone,’ seriously dreadful. She’d slink by it several times a day to see if the coast was clear, and when it wasn’t, she’d keep going dragging her raggedy backpack along the corridor.
This time, as she was heading around the corner, she noticed someone waiting. Probably another one of Patty’s would be suitors. Maybe, If she moved quickly she could get in in and out without anyone noticing.
With eyes focused on the wheel lock, Aurora slid up to the locker door and got straight to work on the combo.
“Ugh.” said the boy. “Am I really that invisible or are you just that dense?”
“Oh, excuse me,” said Aurora sarcastically without looking at him.
“Aurora, you are one odd female.” snapped the voice.
The voice was irritated. Aurora turned to say something smart. She wondered how he knew her name or why he cared to know it. His icy gaze glistened with fervor. His breath warmed the back of her neck. Her knees buckled a little.
“‘Oh, it’s you. I didn’t see you standing there,” she lied.
“You didn’t see me standing here? Right, here,” Lucas prodded.
“No, I didn’t- that’s what I said. Do you hear an echo?” she said when he finished.
“That seems like a stretch even for you, your weirdness.” he smirked.
“I saw you! I just didn’t see YOU,” she shouted!
“Again with the invisibility thing, I didn’t realize I had such sought after powers.” said Lucas as he leaned back against the locker.
Aurora straightened her cruddy backpack and patted down her stray hairs.“I saw a guy standing at my locker, but I thought you were someone else,”she snapped.
“Okay, better- I guess,” Lucas said leaning forward.
“Aren’t you going to be late to class?” she snapped.
“Late- Yeah, no one really seems to care about that.” he chuckled.
Lucas glanced down at his shoes then took a deep breath, “Tomorrow is October thirty-first.”
“Thanks for the calendar lesson,“ she said, pretending not to remember the significance of the date. Of course, she had remembered. She had thought of little else since he mumbled it thirty days ago. He seemed angry. Not the irritated angry, but the ‘I'm going to pop something’ kind of angry.
“Are we going out or what?” he said, as he leaned back against the locker again.
“On a date?” questioned Aurora.
“Nooo- just outside,” he growled. “I guess some people might consider it a date, but I call it research.”
“Great, I’ll let my Mom know. Research- she’ll love it. This Goth guy at school wants to take me out Halloween night for some research he is doing on females.”
He breathed almost menacingly, “Don’t tell her anything.”
“Yep- That’s a good way to start a relationship,” she slipped.
Wait, what had she just done? “See, that’s why I like to keep quiet- speaking leads to trouble.” Aurora said.
“Only for you,” Lucas laughed.
“Wow,” she said and then stood and stared at Lucas for a minute. It was a recovery tactic. “I mean, my mother- She’ll think...“
“Yeah- I get it,” he said flashing an unusually white smile. “So do you want me to meet her? Like make introductions and all?”
“I don’t know. Do I?” Mulling it over, Aurora wiggled her nose. “I don’t want you to meet her, but she’ll want to meet you- maybe after school? We could get it over with today so I don’t have to dwell on it. I guess you could eat food with us too.”
Lucas grinned. “Wait, now you’re inviting me to dinner? Awesome,” he smirked.
“Didn’t say dinner, Did I? she snapped.
“You said it not me,” he grinned.
Wiping the floor with the sole of her shoe, she tried to plan her next move. Butterflies filled her belly. She felt weird when Lucas was around- but in a good way. Maybe she felt like a normal person?
“So, I ‘ll just come by to eat food with you and your Mom around 6:15?” said Lucas easily ignoring her antics. “Sounds delightful.” he chimed.
“Doesn’t it?” Aurora groaned. Her head filled with images of pumpkins smashing against the wall of the house.
Raising his brows he said, “I guess you should meet my mom too. Let’s see how this goes.” Then, he let out a belly laugh.
Aurora laughed too- as if she got the joke. This time, she tried to disappear before he did. Scurrying off, she lugged her old backpack down the hall with that cloud of anxiety still lurking over her head.
***
Dinner came all too quickly. The doorbell rang. Serenity opened the door to a dark figure holding a pot of purple Mums. A silly scarecrow peeked out from the foliage. “You must be Lucas? Are these for me?” she quipped.
“Yes; Mrs. Waters, I thought-” Lucas looked like a ghost. All of the color had drained from his face.
As Serenity looked at Lucas, Aurora thought she saw a flash of recognition. “Do you know each other?” Aurora shouted.
“Huh? No, no, no. Of course not. We haven’t met have we Lucas?” she said distracted.
Lucas seemed to take his cue from Serenity. Looking at Aurora he said, “No, I don’t know you, Mrs. Waters.”
Weird. Aurora gave her mother the side eye. “Maybe it’s just me, but I feel a weird vibe.” Her cloud of woe hovered again. She tried to shake it off. Feelings were a bitch.
They ate food standing around the kitchen island. It wasn’t dinner. Aurora had demanded only healthy snacks. Lucas grabbed a handful of carrots and dipped them into blue cheese. Aurora dipped celery into peanut butter, and Serenity chowed on tomatoes caprese. It was appetizers at best.
Lucas was the first to bring up the date. “Well, Mom, I’d like to take Aurora to the haunted trail ride on Halloween night.” Then, he said without hesitation, “You can come too!”
Aurora’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “Don’t you dare!” she shouted at her mother. Serenity looked like she was about to faint. The color hadn’t returned to her face when she managed a little laugh. “Aurora, I wouldn’t go on your first date. I wouldn’t want to embarrass you in that way!”
“No, but this way is just fine!” Aurora stared out the kitchen window. She knew her face was flushed. Serenity didn’t know the first thing about not embarrassing her daughter. Lucas had a leg up– he knew he was her first date. Could this get any more humiliating? Of course it could, and it would.
Serenity turned to Lucas. “Do you have a driver’s license?” she questioned.
“Not yet, circumstances beyond my control, but my Mom has agreed to drop us off.” Lucas chirped.
“Oh, alright, that’ll be fine,” Serenity smiled.
Aurora turned toward her mother. “It will? You don’t want to meet her first? You don't want to have the F.B.I. run her prints?" What madness was this?
Serenity stumbled across her words. “Oh- yeah, of course- I’ll have to meet her. Can you excuse me, Lucas? I’m feeling a little queasy.”
“Sure. My mother would love to meet you, Mrs. Waters,” Lucas said flashing a Cheshire grin.
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