Defending Character

After leaving the forest to return home, I am greeted by a berating mother.

"Where have you been?! I thought that you were just going to talk a walk around the block! That doesn't take that long to do! We have a get-together to be at in a couple of hours! What would we do if you went missing? We are going to look like horrible parents!"

Ah yes... the reputation... Something that is more important than their daughter.

I feel something warm in my hand, so I look down to find Zaku settling in my palm's darkness glaring at my mom. I couldn't help but accidentally smile a little at the idea of someone getting mad for me.

"Do you think this is funny?!" my mother continues to shout, waving her hands in the air as if she is about to hit me.

Remembering that I have someone by my side, for the first time in my life, I take a stand against my mother. "You know that I would never get kidnapped. This is a safe neighborhood, and you know that as well. There are multiple police officers who live here, so kidnapping someone here would be a dumb move."

"Are you raising your voice at me?" My mom's face turns darker as she realizes that I'm not holding back my tongue.

"I'm not raising my voice. I am still speaking normally. I am just simply telling you the facts. Instilling fear into me will not work anymore."

"Why this little-" My mom raises her hand to slap me, but I immediately stop her.

"Sleep" is all I say, and my mom drowsily falls asleep, so I catch her before she lands onto the floor. "You better be lucky that I still care enough to not see you get hurt," I mutter to myself as I drag my mom onto the couch.

"You are very kind. You know that?" Zaku comments from my shadow.

"I'm not kind. It's just that she's my mom. I still have some sort of affection for her since she gave birth to me." I gaze down at the woman who is uncomfortably sleeping on the recliner. "The least I can do is prevent her from getting hurt."

Zaku doesn't say anything after my comment. He silently watches me from my shadow as if he's assessing me. "You should get ready for that get-together. I'm going to be busy compiling the information on the people the man listed down, so I might come out often. Just call my name if you're in trouble, and I'll return to your side immediately."

"I got it," I plainly respond while making my way up the stairs.

"I love you, Lillian," Zaku slides in before disappearing into the darkness.

I scoff to myself before smiling like an idiot. Hearing those words from someone who means it feels so much warmer and different than from people who say it out of obligation. "I love you, too, Zaku," I whisper to myself before closing the door to my room.

---

"Don't stop! Make it drop! Dj blow my speakers up...."

The night fills with music as the infamous karaoke session starts up at the get-together, and I sit in the kitchen with the other extended cousins as we talk about what's been going on with our lives.

"Hey Lily," one of the cousins around my age calls. "I heard something about you from one of my friends that goes to your school. I couldn't believe it when he told me about it, so I wanted to ask you about it."

"What is it?" I ask before taking a sip out of my can of soda.

"Are you the new school bully?" she promptly asks without skipping a bit.

Surprised by the sudden remark, I nearly spit out my drink over my little brother who sits next to me. "What?! Who told you that?"

"It was hard to believe knowing your nature and all that. Is it true?"

By this time, all of the other cousins intensely wait for my answer as if they are about to crawl over the table just to hear me say it. "Wha- no! No, of course not! You know that I can't bully anyone."

"But he said that there were girls telling everyone that you used magic or something to put the entire football team to sleep and how you scared away two people during your breakfast thing," she continues to lay on.

"You know that I'm too kind to be mean to others," I jokingly laugh off. "I couldn't even start to do mean things even if I wanted to. I wouldn't know where to start."

"Lilly has a point," another one of the cousins chime in. "In all of my years knowing her, she has always been super kind. Maybe your friend got the wrong person."

The girl fervently shakes her head. "He couldn't be wrong, though. He clearly said Lily's name, and he is aware that Lily and I know each other, so he wouldn't make up a lie like that to me."

While the two cousins argue about my character, I feel a slight tug on my shirt. I look down and see my little brother trying to get my attention. "Lily, do you really have magic powers?" he whispers to me.

"Dude, you don't really believe that, right?" I giggle as I rub the top of his head. "Aren't you old enough to distinguish fantasy from reality?"

"But wouldn't it be so cool to defy reality?!" he excitedly defends. "Imagine. You are the only person in the entire world that has magic. That would be so cool because then you can give some of that power to me."

"Aren't you 15 already?" I tease as I grab my can of soda.

"It doesn't hurt to believe in that stuff sometimes. Who is to say that magic isn't real? Maybe the people who have magic powers are keeping it a secret so that they won't get kidnapped by the government which is why it's not known that magic is real."

[Could I really tell my brother about this power? No... no absolutely not. What kind of dumb idea was I thinking?]

I don't say anything more and just laugh it off. However, another cousin who is sitting at the other side of me nudges my shoulder.

"Hey, do you think you can help me out with something," he whispers into my ear before walking away.