Carlos wrapped his sweater around my sopping dress. We ate quietly, in the hazy distance where the water merged with the ocean, in the clear line of fog there was a big, beautiful ship.
"Who is that?"
"Audrie"
"Audrie has a boat?"
"It used to belong to your father, who is a pirate, like your sister. She sails the high seas in it."
"Cool!" I picked at a slice of strawberry flavored cake.
"Who made it?"
"The headmistress"
"Why?"
"She adopted me after your mother killed my parents."
"Thank you for telling me all the bad stuff my bad mom did."
"I didn't mean it that way, you asked I answered."
" I overreacted."
"You do that a lot."
"Why, thank you"
"Sorry, whatever I say you take it the wrong way." Carlos stood up
"I am a teenager. I am supposed to be doing these sorts of' stuff."
"and" Carlos mimicking my voice, "My whole life was overturned in one hour."
I laughed "Pretty good!"
"It is a good excuse."
A horn blasted from afar.
"We should go," Carlos snapped.
"Why what is wrong?"
"We have to go," he repeated, more tense and edgy. He forced me up.
"Come. Now."
He grabbed the picnic blanket and basket as a dark cloud spread across the sky.
"We need to move."
"Why, the rain?"
"No!"
"What is the problem, Carlos," I asked once over the bamboo bridge and back in the woods at the back of the school.
"Your mother is here."
"I spelled her."
"I guess it did not work. She is enormously powerful."
"So, my mom is her"
"Yes!"
"Not cool Carlos, seriously? What are you, A freak?"
Carlos gaped at me.
"I was afraid."
"That's what I said, why are you afraid? I mean you can be afraid, but you need to deal with it. You cannot hide, that is what bravery is all about. Knowing you are afraid and still going ahead and doing what is right. You can't run away from her fears."
"Why are you so mad?'
"Because instead of doing things that do not make me mad, all you do is do them. I mean how can I not be mad at you. A seventeen-year-old that is supposed to be a ruler, a king of a kingdom, who is a loser and freak and a two-year-old.
"I don't."
"You do, Carlos."
He clenched his teeth.
"How will you be a king if you're such a freak…you freak out at every little thing you'd lose a fight to an alley cat. People here need a strong leader after what they have been through. They need a man that follows his heart, who stands up for what's right. You follow your heart as far from the problem you can go?"
Carlos buried his hands in his pockets even deeper. I guess even boys cannot take criticism.
"Sorry Carlos, but it is true."
"All people here are afraid."
"A bunch of scaredy-cats huh? They need a leader like the one, you can be when you learn to embrace your fears. I believe in you and the people do too. We are going back and defeating my mom. Let us do this."
............................
I watched mom walk around in the woods, from behind a tree. I glanced at Carlos, Carlos looked at me, neither of us ready to make the move.
"Mom, hi!" I wanted it to sound strong and sure, but it was hoarse, laden with emotion.
Mom turned around her short brown hair framing her slightly pointed chin.
"You're a liar, you wrecked all my dreams, and all the things I believed in all my years were a lie."
"No point in denying it, you obviously know what there is to know."
I looked in her grey eyes, always warm with affection, were now housing sparks of hatred and evil.
I placed my hand on my temples and concentrated my other hand at the portal Carlos opened.
"You have got to get her through the portal. Don't let your emotions block you."
I nodded "Got it, Mom I am doing this."
"Go ahead and try, but I won't go down if you don't baby. This will be a fair trade-off."
"No, Mom, I learned my magic in one week, yours took thirty-five years. It won't be fair I will make sure of it."
"Baby, don't get your hopes too high."
"Duck, she is transforming." Carlos cried.
A strong green light filled the woods. Thunder cracked and out of the light appeared a dark forest green dragon.
"That's my Mom"
"Yeah"
"She is ugly."
"She will breathe fire. Duck. Control the portal and envision her through. Lock it once you are done."
"Kind of hard, but why should I lock it? I won't be able to see Jaden, Dave, and even Mom."
"But she will stay out, and won't be able to come back in."
"But I am going to lose my whole past, my whole life."
"Focus"
I focused on the dragon.
"Don't look her in the eye. She will try to make you evil, repeat this spell after me, 'the strength of evil has no power at all when stands before two hearts good at will���."
I nodded. Mom's eyes turned green.
"The strength of evil has no power at all when stands before two hearts good at will- "
It did not work. I was getting hot. The trees and grass merged, that is when I realized I had been crying the whole time.
"You could do this!" Carlos said from a distance or was I already dead.
The dragon swooped down breathing fire; I fell back.
"Don't worry, I am here for you." Carlos squeezed my hand,
"I am here for you, will always do this"
I stood up. "The strength of evil has no power at all when stands before two hearts good at will- it's not working. Blood surged up to my head. I felt faint, she was taking my magic, and making it evil.
"The strength of evil- " A large sob escaped my mouth. A purple fog enveloped me, and suddenly I was flying.
"You're a dragon," Carlos screamed, "breathe and mean it!"
I faced my mom's dragon eyes locked. I exhaled for everything I had bottled inside, for everything I said and did. I exhaled for Dave, for leaving Jaden, for the lies I have lived with, for my dreams, and carefree life robbed from me, for being mad at Carlos for living lies.
With all my strength, I pushed and flew and exhaled. It was like my heart had taken control and leading my magic. Whatever I was thinking was sidelined. I was out of control, there was an explosion of light and I fell through the air sinking, falling.
I blinked twice, everything hurt.
"You were great! Do not talk, you are very weak. Relax."
Carlos stroked my hair and hummed softly.
"Did it work?"
"She is on the other side locked."
"You stayed and helped me. You are amazing, I knew you could do it!"
"Shh. Don't talk." His cheeks flushed a bright pink.
Boys are hopeless, they cannot take critics and compliments.
"I can believe it, I had a great teacher, slightly mad."
"So how did I turn into a dragon?"
"So, I guess your magic felt it was needed, and felt it was being changed, it was the only thing it could do."
"Thank you for coming back with me."
He rubbed his neck awkwardly "Can you walk?"
"With help, I could."
He picked me up and walked back "This might not be the best time to tell you this, but now that you have manifested your magic, everyone will know your Melb's daughter."
"How?"
"Your hair is finally …purple"
How do you think Diana's schoolmates will react?
Do you think they'll hate her or trust her?
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