Casey woke up, nerves already bunched tight in her stomach. Any normal Magical would be nervous, but Casey had an extra reason: she wasn't magic. Her parents had assured her multiple times that she would be fine, she was smart, that she was magical. But even if they had forgotten, she sure hadn't. Technically, she wasn't even theirs. Adopted from a human orphanage when she was 5, Casey had never really shown any magical aptitude. She was just...normal. Which, of course, set her apart from all the other children. This was going to be her first year at McAster Magic and Spell School, as an omega, and the best opportunity to find out if she really was a Magical. Her parents had helped her go over the electives two nights ago, but they weren't supposed to be turned in until after the magical aptitude testing. They sounded fun, but...what if she really couldn't do them? The first actual magical assignment was the summoning of a familiar. If that failed, Casey really wouldn't be a Magical. The first week was just for getting used to the schedules and layout, with the weekend and then the Summoning on Monday. Casey swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat, and slid out of bed. Her clothes lay on the stool next to her desk, complete with a large mirror and jewelry drawer. She walked over and plopped the pile on her bed, before unfolding it. A creamy, loose blouse, some loose pants tied at the bottom, a belt, a cape… As she shook it out, a tiny charm tumbled to the ground. Picking it up, Casey realized it was an omega pin. She smiled at her parents preparedness and traced the upside down horseshoe. Leave it to them to take the optimistic side of things and get her ready for magic school even if there was a possibility she wasn't. Changing quickly, Casey attached the pin to the clasp of her cape. Peering in the mirror, she felt comforted that it didn't look too bad. Briefly she thought about tying her hair up, ut decided that natural was better, especially on the first day of school. She hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen for breakfast and was warmly greeted by her parents, who were making sausage and eggs.
“First day of school, huh?” Bayard Rostfeld said, looking up from the paper spread out on the table. His coffee mug steamed nearby.
“Our baby’s growing up so fast!” Kaaja Rostfeld squeezed Casey in a hug before she could escape.
“Mom!” she cried, embarrassed. “I’m thirteen. Besides,” she added, “I might not even be a Magical.”
“Of course you won’t,” her mom said, startling her. “At least not on an empty stpomach!” Which her mom cheerfully loaded up Casey’s plate, she sat and sifghed dehjectedly.
“Relax, hon. You’ll be fine. Besides, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of cute guys to make it all betterf.”
“Dad!” she groaned, and started eating so she could avoid any more embarrassing conversation. Even so, she was at least a little bit grateful for her parents attempts to cheer heer up. Who knows, she mused, maybe I am magical. Yeah, rifght, her mind immediately chatised her, and she sigjhed again. McAster was close to her home, so Casey was stuck walking. It was a bright day out, and the sunligjht shining on her face lifted her spirits. She was just turning on the dirt path that led to McAster when someone suddenly crashed into her. With a cry, Casey fell down, the other person on top of her.
“Kae!” a male voice cried, and Casey lifted her head just as a short, sandy-haired boy reached them. “Get off!” He grabbed the girl that was on top of Casey and shoved her away. “Are you okay?” he asked, and Casey realized he was asking her.
“Oh, um, yeah, I’m fine. Are you going to McAster?” sjhe askedd, noticing the Omega pin ion his cloak.
“Hmm? Yeah. I’m Maverick, and this is m twin sister Kae. I’m sorry she fell on you.” He helped Casey up, ansd she got a good look at the twinsd. They boy had the same sandy hair and brown eyes, but Kae was a few inches taller than Maverick, which casey found funny. She was dusting off her cloak, which had picked up a fair amount of dust from her crash with Kae.
“I’m Casey. Twins are rare with Mgicals, right?” Both twins nodded in unision.
“Hey!” Kae cried. “Wanna walk with us?! Cool! COME ON!” She grabbed Casey’s jhand and started dragging.
“Is she always like this?” Casey asked, to which Maverick nodded, taking up the raer. “You should see her when there’s boys.” As they neared the school, Casey saw countless other students streaming down the pathways. She swallowed when she spied a group of Alphas. Someday, I might be like them.
Says the person without an inkling of magical ability, her mind snapped back. Casey swallowed and tried to keep up with Kae as she ran forward.
“YAY!!!” Kae cried, whipping around to give Casey a hug. “We’re here!” Casey stopped and looked up...and up. The school towered above her. To Casey, it could have easily touched the clouds. She didn’t realize the gates had opened until Maverick tugged on her sleeve. Following him, she walked insiode, which was even more spectacular than the outside. Hallways stretced every which way, and a huge staircase rose upto the higher levels. Btright orbs floated, giving off a warm, yellowish light.
“So what teacher do you have?” Maverick asked, casing casey to jump.
“Oh, uh...Mr. Lingren.”
“Hey, me too. Too bad Kae’s not in our class.” He looked sadly at his siter, and Casey wondered what it would be like to have a sibling. “Well, c’mon,” he said, grabbing jher wrist and pulling her along. She followed, waving goodbye to Kae as she took a different hallway. “So what familiar do you think you’ll get?”
“Huh?” Casey hadn’t been paying attention, too overwhelmed with everything.
“Your familiar. What do you think you’ll get?” Maverick repeated.
“Oh, um…” Casey waved her hand dismissively, hoping Maveric didn’t see through her guise. “We’ll see, I guess. What do you want?”
“Well, I was thinking maybe like a hawk or somwething. That would be cool. Or an owl. Kae’s hoping for something fluffy.” He stuck out his tongue. “Girls.” Casey ignored the fact that he was talking to a girl and smiled. Maybe McAster wouldn’t be so bad. At least she already had some friends. “Here’s Mr. Lingren.” Maverick pulled open the dfoor, and Casey followed him in. The desks were arranged in groups of five, and names hovered above the empty desks. Casey galnced aroyund until she spotted hers. A girl with curly, brown hair and olive skin was already sitting in the group, and Casey hesitantly made her way over.
“Hi, I’m Casey,” she said, but the girl didn’t look up. She waas readinga book, her eyes moving wickedly fast behind pink thicvk-rimmed glasses.
“Eva,” she muttered. “Omega. Low magical aptitude. Sociasl outcast. Nice to meet you.” Not knowing what to say, Casey sat. She spied Maverick across the room and waved when their yees met. She fidgeted at heer desk, not knowing what to do. Suddnly, a small explosion went off in the hallway.
“Aaron!!!” Mr. Lindgren bursat in the door, holding formly onto the arm of a dark haired, grinning boy. “Sit!!!” He realeaed the boy and Casey looked up to realize that his name was floating above the desk next to hers. Great. She smiled shyly as he sauntered over.
“Hey, sweethearts. Ho y’all doing?” Eva didn’t even look up.
“Er, good,” Casey replied, giving her best smile. He winked at her and plopped into the chair.
“My goodness,” she heard Mr. Lindgren mutter.
“First day of school, huh?” Bayard Rostfeld said, looking up from the paper spread out on the table. His coffee mug steamed nearby.
“Our baby’s growing up so fast!” Kaaja Rostfeld squeezed Casey in a hug before she could escape.
“Mom!” she cried, embarrassed. “I’m thirteen. Besides,” she added, “I might not even be a Magical.”
“Of course you won’t,” her mom said, startling her. “At least not on an empty stpomach!” Which her mom cheerfully loaded up Casey’s plate, she sat and sifghed dehjectedly.
“Relax, hon. You’ll be fine. Besides, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of cute guys to make it all betterf.”
“Dad!” she groaned, and started eating so she could avoid any more embarrassing conversation. Even so, she was at least a little bit grateful for her parents attempts to cheer heer up. Who knows, she mused, maybe I am magical. Yeah, rifght, her mind immediately chatised her, and she sigjhed again. McAster was close to her home, so Casey was stuck walking. It was a bright day out, and the sunligjht shining on her face lifted her spirits. She was just turning on the dirt path that led to McAster when someone suddenly crashed into her. With a cry, Casey fell down, the other person on top of her.
“Kae!” a male voice cried, and Casey lifted her head just as a short, sandy-haired boy reached them. “Get off!” He grabbed the girl that was on top of Casey and shoved her away. “Are you okay?” he asked, and Casey realized he was asking her.
“Oh, um, yeah, I’m fine. Are you going to McAster?” sjhe askedd, noticing the Omega pin ion his cloak.
“Hmm? Yeah. I’m Maverick, and this is m twin sister Kae. I’m sorry she fell on you.” He helped Casey up, ansd she got a good look at the twinsd. They boy had the same sandy hair and brown eyes, but Kae was a few inches taller than Maverick, which casey found funny. She was dusting off her cloak, which had picked up a fair amount of dust from her crash with Kae.
“I’m Casey. Twins are rare with Mgicals, right?” Both twins nodded in unision.
“Hey!” Kae cried. “Wanna walk with us?! Cool! COME ON!” She grabbed Casey’s jhand and started dragging.
“Is she always like this?” Casey asked, to which Maverick nodded, taking up the raer. “You should see her when there’s boys.” As they neared the school, Casey saw countless other students streaming down the pathways. She swallowed when she spied a group of Alphas. Someday, I might be like them.
Says the person without an inkling of magical ability, her mind snapped back. Casey swallowed and tried to keep up with Kae as she ran forward.
“YAY!!!” Kae cried, whipping around to give Casey a hug. “We’re here!” Casey stopped and looked up...and up. The school towered above her. To Casey, it could have easily touched the clouds. She didn’t realize the gates had opened until Maverick tugged on her sleeve. Following him, she walked insiode, which was even more spectacular than the outside. Hallways stretced every which way, and a huge staircase rose upto the higher levels. Btright orbs floated, giving off a warm, yellowish light.
“So what teacher do you have?” Maverick asked, casing casey to jump.
“Oh, uh...Mr. Lingren.”
“Hey, me too. Too bad Kae’s not in our class.” He looked sadly at his siter, and Casey wondered what it would be like to have a sibling. “Well, c’mon,” he said, grabbing jher wrist and pulling her along. She followed, waving goodbye to Kae as she took a different hallway. “So what familiar do you think you’ll get?”
“Huh?” Casey hadn’t been paying attention, too overwhelmed with everything.
“Your familiar. What do you think you’ll get?” Maverick repeated.
“Oh, um…” Casey waved her hand dismissively, hoping Maveric didn’t see through her guise. “We’ll see, I guess. What do you want?”
“Well, I was thinking maybe like a hawk or somwething. That would be cool. Or an owl. Kae’s hoping for something fluffy.” He stuck out his tongue. “Girls.” Casey ignored the fact that he was talking to a girl and smiled. Maybe McAster wouldn’t be so bad. At least she already had some friends. “Here’s Mr. Lingren.” Maverick pulled open the dfoor, and Casey followed him in. The desks were arranged in groups of five, and names hovered above the empty desks. Casey galnced aroyund until she spotted hers. A girl with curly, brown hair and olive skin was already sitting in the group, and Casey hesitantly made her way over.
“Hi, I’m Casey,” she said, but the girl didn’t look up. She waas readinga book, her eyes moving wickedly fast behind pink thicvk-rimmed glasses.
“Eva,” she muttered. “Omega. Low magical aptitude. Sociasl outcast. Nice to meet you.” Not knowing what to say, Casey sat. She spied Maverick across the room and waved when their yees met. She fidgeted at heer desk, not knowing what to do. Suddnly, a small explosion went off in the hallway.
“Aaron!!!” Mr. Lindgren bursat in the door, holding formly onto the arm of a dark haired, grinning boy. “Sit!!!” He realeaed the boy and Casey looked up to realize that his name was floating above the desk next to hers. Great. She smiled shyly as he sauntered over.
“Hey, sweethearts. Ho y’all doing?” Eva didn’t even look up.
“Er, good,” Casey replied, giving her best smile. He winked at her and plopped into the chair.
“My goodness,” she heard Mr. Lindgren mutter.