***
I cried as I walked in to my new apartment. My best friend Ebby had been kissing another girl, and she was in skimpy clothing no less. Why was his bothering me? I couldn’t understand, only act. I had mailed my departure notice, and had called another man from the rent board.
Seeing as I had a job, my landlord didn’t even want to meet me. He just told me to pick up the keys at City Hall, and all I had to do was send him the monthly bill. I had taken the keys, and gone to the apartment. What I found when I arrived was not a pretty sight.
The old tenant must have been furious, because there wasn’t a single piece of furniture or plumbing in the house. I had to spend my small amount of savings on my new apartment, just so I’d have furnishings.
There was no joy when I stepped in to my new apartment. No sense of a new beginning. Only loss.
***
I went weeks without speaking to Ebby. Maybe since he had already been ignoring me, he didn’t notice. But I did. Every day when I got my mail, I hoped for a letter from him, or something. Instead, one day, I got a book.
I was surprised enough they made it fix in my tiny mailbox. However, it was inscribed on the inside.
‘Your mother has been hiding secrets from you. Magical secrets. Read on, and soon you will find reason to join me.
Queen Evarrine’
I stood still for a moment, trying to process the situation. The queen of Brendale sent me a book about Magic? Here is Bridgeport? And what would my mother possibly hide from me?
Still, I pondered and became curious. My mother had hidden me from the world, so what else would she hide from me? Was the queen magical as well or simply wanted the power of magic?
I took the precious book up to my room to read. Sitting on my newly acquired chair, I delved in to the novel.
Oh, it was so fascinating! I couldn’t believe how much knowledge I lacked. I learned about how the dream had been correct.
Sorcerers and Sorceresses with Multi-colored were more powerful. That is, with the exception of Seers. I wondered how I would find these unique magical sims, without seeming crazy.
The book explained even more, like how certain hair colors gave certain powers. Mine was supposed to give the power of gardening, but I wasn’t sure. I had never wanted to learn to garden, nor had I ever tried.
Still, this book mentioned nothing about cross-breeds, like a vampire sorceress. It barely had any information about children between two magical beings.
For some reason, thinking about kids made me think about Ebby. Maybe it was related to the bar scene. I don’t know. But what I did know was there was no doubt in my mind that he wasn’t a seer. He would know I was magical if he was.
As if on cue, my phone rang, interrupting my reverie. I glared hatefully at the piece of technology, preparing to snap at the caller. Looking at the ID, I saw that it was Ebby.
Immediately, my head was flooded with a million thoughts. He had called! But he had hurt me, and I couldn’t let that go. As I picked it up to answer the phone, I changed my mind. I clicked ignore.
***
As I got in the taxi after a particularly long day at work, and smiled. I had finally been promoted, after offering to stay late when the Line Cook caused an entire gallon box of saffron to spill on the floor. Not only was most of it ruined, costing the restaurant hundreds of dollars, I had to be very careful to attempt to save some of it.
At the end of being bent over for two hours picking up each individual thread, I had finally been able to leave work, but not before Odine stopped me at the door.
“Congratulations Saffron,” she had said. Noticing the confused look on my face, she continued. “After tonight’s accident and your dedication to fix it, you’ve been promoted to Line Cook.”
I stood shocked for a moment, processing that I had just taken someone’s job. Before I could insist upon changing it back, Odine calmed me, insuring the former Line Cook had only been demoted, not fired. I still felt ill, but a promotion was a promotion.
The taxi ride home was quick as usual. However, there was something different I couldn’t put my finger on as I went up the elevator.
However, I was not prepared for what I saw when I walked in.
Ebenezer Clavier was sitting on my couch, watching a football game.
“You ass hole!” I screamed. “What are you doing here?”
He leapt off the couch.
“Look, I’m sorry, I needed to-”
“I bet you did, you Son of a bitch! It wasn’t enough to be a jerk, but you had to rob me?” I was cussing like a sailor, and screaming at him, but I felt like I had no control over it. All the evenings I had spent worrying over him and being angry at him was coming spilling out.
I ranted and raved for a good fifteen minutes, spewing words I don’t think my mother knew I knew.
At last, I stopped and huffed. Seeing I had stopped, he took this opportunity to speak.
“Just hear me out, okay?”
He had called in a few favors, and had gotten my landlord, V. Schlick, to give him the key to my apartment. After fiddling with the call box, for forty-five minutes, he had gotten in.
He had come in the entrance, and walked in the first door, the one leading to the living room. The first thing Ebby had noticed was the magic book placed precariously on the coffee table. He had sat down, and started reading.
“You read my book? I can’t bel-”
He kissed me and cut me off.
“Just let me finish.”
He had proceeded to skim the book, finding out enough to know that I was a sorceress.
“I understand now. But I didn’t understand why you live in an apartment it you’re supposed to love gardening?”
I explained my pet theory, as he listened quietly, taking in all the information. When I finished, he spoke at last.
“Thank-you Saffron. I hope this won’t come between us anymore.” He turned to leave, heading out the door.
“Wait!” I said, and rushed up to him.
“Ebby…” I said in a whisper. Then I lost the bit of control I had retained why he spoke, and started sobbing on his shoulder, apologizing over and over again.
He only pet my hair, and shushed me. When I finished, he lifted my chin, and our eyes met. He kissed me softly and walked out the door.
***
Shortly after he left, I had taken a shower, and got myself together. I had brushed my hair, and calmed down.
I donned the dress I first wore to the Plasma 501, and admired myself. I didn’t know what was going to happen between myself and Ebby. He had kissed me, and had acted like nothing had happened.
I didn’t know how to react, so I wasn’t going to. I was going to head out to a club, any club, just to get my mind off everything. I even tried to make conversation with the cab driver, but he had studiously ignored me.
He pulled up to the Plasma 501. Huh, I guess I was going here. As I walked in to the club, I was plagued with the same feeling as when I walked in to Waylon’s Haunt when Ebby was kissing she-who-shall-not-be-named.
Tonight, I couldn’t trust my feelings. I walked in, anxious to forget it all.
The Adaire Chronicles 