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Chapter 1

          If you choose to jump into the air without looking where you're going and you fall and break something it's you own damn fault. My mother always made a point of reminding me whenever she thought I was doing something stupid. Which when I lived with her was fairly often. In my mind it's ok to play the fool every now and again. Life without risk would be pretty boring. I'd always been the child who needed adventure and a thrill, even though it drove my mother crazy. She'd prefer if I lived in a bubble. Things are different now though. My life is full of the supernatural. Let me just say there's nothing super or natural about it. I enjoy trouble as much as the next girl but this is too freaky and I don't want any part of it. "Hey Katrina wait up!" I look behind snapping out of my daydream me to see my best friend Michael running through the crowded halls to walk to lunch with me like he does every day. "Hey Mike. Watch out" I say and grin when he trips over his own feet. He's the biggest klutz I know. It would almost be sad if it weren't so funny. The ironic thing is the Michael is the quarter back of the football team. On the field he moves with agility and grace, off the field is a whole other story. Mike's daily rush to catch up followed by his enviable klutz attack give me a feeling of normalcy. Though I know in my life is anything but.
          "Let's eat outside today. It's so nice out." Mike says. I nod and follow along lunch bag in hand. We find a spot under the shade of a large oak and watch the other students laugh and talk as if they haven't a care in the world other than school and whatever other drama is going on in their social circle. I give a contented sigh and bask in the simplicity of it all as I nip into a shiny red apple. "So who's making you so downcast this time?" I ask as I lean over and try to see the text Mike is sending. He looks up innocently and a few strands of his shaggy brown locks cover his deep blue green eyes. "Who me?" He asks batting his hair away. "Now what makes you think I'm feeling down?" I give him a big hug. We've been over this a hundred times already this weekend but it's my duty to remind him. "Well rumor has it that you caught Cassie getting overly friendly with the foreign exchange student Jose. Then you got into a huge fight with her. You came over to my place and we decided that you're better off without her. While we indulged in calling her bad names and eating raw cookie dough until our stomachs imploded "
Mike's eyes meet my sea blue ones and he smiles though his eyes are still sad."Yeah and thanks again for that Kat. It's just…." He sighs again and looks down at his droid phone his lunch forgotten. "She keeps apologizing and asking me to take her back." I feel the twist in my gut and ignore it by saying "Well do you want her back?" He continues to stare at the ground now absently fingering the brown green grass. He looks so sexy sitting by me while the cool breeze toys with his hair. "Part of me does, but the other part is smarter than that." The release of the knot in my stomach triggers the guilt and denial.
        Truth is that not only is Michel my best friend and the best looking and smartest guy in the senior class but whenever I'm with him my stomach does flip flops and sometimes I have to remember to breath when he's talking to me.  It hasn't always been this way. We have been friends for as long as I can remember. It was just returning senior year. I had missed him so much while he was away at summer camp. Then when he did return I couldn't stop starring and noticing all these things that I had never seen before. I'm completely convinced I have an illness or something. So whenever I start thinking weird I tell myself that it's nothing and force myself to go about my business.
      This particular time I throw my arm over his shoulder and give him a friendly squeeze. "Hey cheer if you up, you could have any girl in school all you need to do is smile and you'd have them swooning." Mike laughs and playfully pulls my hair sending my lunch into tumbles in my stomach. "Look who's talking little Miss mysterious."  I shrug and smile as if I don't know what he's talking about. "Let's get going Mr. Stud the bells about to…" My words get lost, as the bell rings and the students start moving toward their lockers and classes.
After school I go through my ritual. I stay late with one of my teachers. Normally Mr. Trinburg who is my English teacher, he's my favorite teacher and not only that but he's the school director for the plays and musicals.  Not to brag but I'm his biggest star and favorite student. I take deep pride in my abilities as an actress. It's what I want to do for the rest of my life. If only certain things would stop getting in the way. The 10th period bell rings and I'm forced to go home until rehearsal starts at 7pm. It's a 10minute walk home which means I have 3hours, 30 minutes and 25 seconds until I can return to my haven until then I have to suck it up and deal.
         I grudgedly drag my feet though the door of the girl's home, sign in and trudge slowly upstairs to my room where I know she is waiting. Sure enough the second I walk through the door Kate my resident ghost stalker and unwanted mentor floats over to me. Now I know what you're thinking and yes I said I have a ghost stalker. At least in my mind she's a stalker seeing as unless I'm in school she's always by my side. I do my best to ignore her by pretending she's not there and walk straight through her and flop on my bed. "Now is that anyway to greet me after all I've done for you?" Kate bitches and sits next to me. I grunt and roll over.  I know she's still talking to me but I just tune her out. I'm still mad at her. She's the entire reason I'm in this dump to begin with.
           I guess I should probably explain a few things. Unlike what you may be thinking I'm not a troubled teen or come from a bad home or anything. Kate has been with me for as long as I can remember she was born in 1843 she was 17 when the civil war began. Despite her parents protests she cut her blond hair to look more boyish and joined the union army. She was killed in battle in 1862. I didn't really listen to the rest of her story I didn't care to know at the time. This is when I still lived with my mom. I think of her often. We had a normal relationship we fought often but there were times when we'd eat ice cream together and just laugh. Nobody could make me laugh like my mom or could irritate me like her.
        The reason Kate is with me is because I'm a witch in training. It's not like the Sabrina The Teenaged Witch, or the pointy hat wearing kind. See I have to learn how to master the elements and protect the earth. In a way it's like that Nickelodeon show The last Airbender, only I'm not the only one. Yes there are others (supposedly I have yet to meet any other witches.) Our mission is to protect the Earth because unknown to most the human population there is a dark force plotting to control the world and yada, yada. Tell me you haven't heard this lame plot before.
I don't believe the Earth is in peril and if it is I would much rather be blissfully ignorant and have the other witches worry about it. I have my own issues to deal with. Like who will be taking to me to the senior prom? Or what college will accept me? When the hell will I go home to my mom and when will this stupid ghost realize I'm not the person for this job.
       I never really thought about discovering I was a witch. It was as simple as knowing that I'm a girl and some people are boys. When I was younger Kate would teach me simple things like how to stir the air or how to make a quarter disappear. Simple pallor tricks, with each year I became better and better but still struggled with control. It wasn't something I ever took seriously. I really just did it because Kate told me to it never occurred to me to question it.
Like I said before Kate is the entire reason I'm in a girl's home. It's like this, part of witch training is to make certain nobody knows I'm a witch (they'd think I was crazy) my mother doesn't even know nor do any of my friends, nor does anyone know that I have a ghost instructor. Yet due to this rule often Kate and I would sneak out to practice. Most often we would go to the local park, which is right down the street. On this particular night were we're trying to teach me how to conjure fireballs. It was kind of cool until my mom realized that I wasn't home.  She seemed to have this super mom sense or something to know when I had snuck out and she always comes around 2am to haul my butt home from the park. She came running out in her mint green night robe calling my name and starting to lecture me for being out past curfew again. I heard her and panicked the blue ball of fire momentarily forgotten. The moment my focus was broken the flame ball erupted out of my grasp and shot out straight into an oncoming SUV.  I tried to pull it back but it was too late.
          The driver became so startled by the blue flash of light and panicked. The driver swerved and bumped up on the curb hitting my mother who had just stepped onto the sidewalk. She was taken to the emergency room and had a lot of broken bones but she hit her head on the concrete and has been in a coma since. That was 3 months ago. The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries and has no recollection of the incident (I didn't want them to suffer any of the guilt I was feeling.) That night was the last I will ever practice magic.
          "So no one told you life was going to be this way. Your life's a joke, your broke, your love life's DOA…" The theme song from F.R.I.E.N.D.S blares as my alarm on my cell goes off.  Finally time to return to school. I quickly brush my hair fuss a bit with my clothing and makeup. I grab a cherry pop tart and I'm out the door. When I enter the auditorium I'm a bit surprised that I'm not the first one there. I wander down the aisles to go greet my fellow member when the hello that had been on my tongue freezes. Kate sitting there with her ankles crossed and looking extremely pissed off. I immediately give her the smuggest look that I can muster and stalk off to the front row. She follows of course and when she opens her mouth to tell me off or whatever she's planning I pop my ear buds in and blast Eminem as loud as he can go on my MP3.
       Fortunately for me other students begin to arrive and soon the auditorium is full. This semester our fall musical is WICKED.  Tonight is the start of auditions and I have my heart set on playing Elphaba. Just as Mr. Trinburg walks in Kate floats up on stage spreads her arms wide and suddenly everybody is frozen in place, all but Kate and myself. "What the hell have you done?" I scream at her as I shake my friend Abby, trying to get her to snap out of it. "What I should have done a long time ago." Kate yells back. "Your fellow classmates will all be fine. Time has only stopped temporarily. This is about you and your strike against magic. It's high time you stop all this woe is me crap and start fulfilling your responsibilities. The longer you stop practicing the more you'll lose and frankly time is growing short. As much as I hate to admit it, the other witches need you. The darkness is getting stronger and closer to Earth than ever before. I'm my estimate is correct we only have until mid May until it strikes and by then you need to be ready to fight. So you have a choice we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You have 60 seconds to choose."  She says as she taps he combat boots and looks at me then the clock. All I can do is sate at her; I can feel my face begin to redden as my anger grows. I take a deep steadying breath and let all my pent up anger fly.
       "What the hell do you know? It's your damn fault my mother is in a fricking coma. It's your fault that I have to live in that dump. You were supposed to teach me control! If I hadn't snuck out with you to learn all this witch nonsense then my mother would still be with me! I don't want anything more to do with magic. I just want to be normal. I want to go to parties, to date boys, to not have to sneak out under the cover of night to practice voodoo. I want to have my life back where I control what I do and it's not a damn prophecy when I fall in the damn hall way. I don't want any part of this! "I hadn't noticed at the time but as my little rant at Kate had been going on I was glowing a bright white. I mean really glowing, not like a soft dull glow, more like someone had dunked me into a vat of nuclear waste and then Superman hit me with an electric volt.
I was so angry and fed up with everything then without even thinking about it I centered all my strength into my hands and let it all go. Everything I was feeling into one strong burst of energy.  It hit Kate and she flew through the air tumbling right into the backdrop. The backdrop rattled and then fell on top of her and then everything was silent. I was momentarily stunned; I looked down at myself and saw that I was no longer glowing. I forgot all my anger and rushed up on stage. "Oh my God! Kate I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened, are you ok?" As I reach her I notice she's fine, in fact she's more than fine. She's grinning at me and looking very smug. "It's about time you showed your true power." I can't do anything but stare my mouth hanging wide open like a firkin idiot.
      "Now I'll see you at home." Kate says as she bushes herself off and then vanishes into thin air. As I look around everyone is in motion again as if nothing happened and everything is hunky dory. There's no remnant of damage on the backdrop that Kate hit or anything. I have to force my emotions down and return to my seat as if I'm one of them. As I look at my watch I notice that only 5 minutes had passed. I can't help but feel completely exhausted and for once can't wait to go home and go to bed. The order for auditions is whoever volunteers first goes. Although I had made a special request to go last. I'm only slightly nervous. More than anything I can feel my strength flagging with each moment.  Most sang without music not wanting it to distract them. I had already asked Mr. Trinburg to accompany me on piano; my choice of song was Defying Gravity.
         Due to the difficulty of the song only a few others even attempted it, most singing way off key. When everyone in else had done his or her piece I climbed weakly up on stage and nodded at Mr. Trinburg. As my gaze shifted through the crowed auditorium my breath caught for just a moment. Mike was the very back of the auditorium, when his gaze met mine he smiled and held up a hand in greeting. I could feel my heart being in time with the keys Mr. Trinburg played. "Something has changed within me." I begin in my sweet soprano. "Something is not the same. I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game. Too late for second-guessing, too late to go back to sleep, It's time to trust my instincts to close my eyes and leap. It's time to try defying gravity; I think I'll try defying gravity and you can't pull me down…" As I finish the room erupts into cheers. I mimic a curtsy and take my seat grateful that I can take a few minutes to gather some strength for the walk home.
       Mr. Trinburg is beaming with pride as he takes his place at the front of the room. "I'm happy to announce that this year we have had more students try out than we've had in the last six years. Tomorrow will be the acting portion of our auditions. You all will be placed into groups and given a random seen to act out. Friday after 10th period the casting list will be posted outside my office. You must sign next to your name if you accept the part in which I place you. Well done today everyone. See you all at seven tomorrow."  I grab my bag and try to be nonchalant as I scan the room for Mike. Not finding him I sigh and turn to my friend Abby when a pair of hands comes down over my eyes. "Guess who?" Mike says, I pretend to think a moment then say "Will Smith?" For that Mike playfully punches my shoulder. "No geez, why would Will Smith talk to you?" I can't help but grin as I reply "because I'm going to star in a movie with him one day where we kick alien butt together and fall hopelessly in love. If I can't have him in real life I'll be his on screen lover. "For that I receive another punch in the shoulder."Creepy stalker much?"
         I just ignore the comment and walk out into the cool night air. I take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. I feel so peaceful yet all I want to do is collapse. "So what were you doing here tonight I thought you had football practice?" I ask as we walk. Mike luckily live 2 streets away from me so normally we walk home together but since he's the star quarterback for our football team we haven't in a while. "We finished late so I figured I would stick around the school and watch your audition. You were amazing," He leans in and pulls me in for a hug. I weakly try to wrap my arms around him and he seems to notice I'm not feeling well and he hugs me tighter. "Thanks. I'm really glad you were there it meant a lot." I say as he releases me. We continue to walk with is arm thrown carelessly over my shoulder. We walk the rest of the way to the shelter in silence simply enjoying each other's company.
         Mike is very traditional and he walks me to the door like he always does only this time when he hugs me good night he pulls me in close and kisses my cheek softly. "Good Night Katrina. See you tomorrow." I'm too dumbstruck to do anything but to reply "Night thanks for seeing me home and coming to my audition" With that he's gone. When I reach my room I fall into bed face down, dazed, weak and still dressed. I end up staying there until the sun comes up the next morning. The next day passes in a blur. I haven't seen Kate since the episode last night and don't really even think about it. I'm too wound up in tonight's audition and seeing Mike again. I really want to know if he thought anything about kissing me or if it was just a friendly thing. The problem is I have no idea how to ask or even if I should ask or just play it off as if it doesn't mean anything. I didn't see him this morning because I didn't wake up on time and was 10 minutes late to homeroom. The only class we have together is lunch. So all through homeroom, English, Math, Gym and History all I can focus on is what will happen with him. Then because I kept thinking about him I got really mad at myself for thinking about him in that way. I mean he's my best friend; I have no right to be thinking romantically about Mike.
        Finally the bell rings for lunch so I head to my locker and grab my lunch bag and put my books away. "Hey Katrina wait up!" Mike yells and as I turn I freeze in place. Directly behind Mike around the corner I see what can only be described as a black mass radiating evil inside and out. It's impossible to tell if it's a person or what. It laughs at me as if he can sense my fear then it speaks to me. "So we finally meet White Guardian..."  Its voice sounds like its throat is raw and like its mouth is full at the same time. It laughs again at my blank confused stare when I realize what it said. . "So you haven't been told, no matter, know this Guardian he comes the night of the full blue moon. With numbers far greater than your own. You don't stand a chance." With that it vanishes into thin air its cool laughter trailing behind. I look around frantically, on alert for any lingering effects. Yet it seems as if nobody else had seen or heard it.
        By this time Mike was next to me and I assume has been for a few minutes. "Hello earth to Kat. It's your home planet calling." Mike says fairly loudly in my ear. I manage a nod but can't seem to stop staring at the spot where the dark mass had been lost in my own thoughts. I'd I thought there could only be a blue moon or a full moon what did he mean full blue moon? Then what did it mean when it said "White Guardian?" I can only imagine he meant my powers as a witch. Then with a gasp I remember how last night when all my power had build up and had me glowing bright white. Is that what he meant?  I still don't understand what me glowing has to do with anything. I finally look to Mike but can't find any words. All I know is that I need to get home and talk to Kate and fast. "Hey Kat you ok?" Mike asks and gives me a worried look. I allow him to take my bag and set it down. Then puts a hand to my forehead checking to see if I'm ill. "Kat you look really pale do you want to go to the nurse and lay down?" I slowly shake my head no. "I'm sorry Mike but I have to go." Without waiting for a response I grab my bag and run as fast as I can out the doors heading home.
       "Hey Kat, Wait, Stop!" I hear Mike chasing after me but I can't make myself stop running. Yet no sooner had I hit the main road do I sense him right behind me. He's not the quarter back for any reason. Suddenly I feel his arms grip my waist and tackle me to the ground. "Sorry Kat but I'm not an idiot and I know when something up and you're not telling me. I want to help you so you had better spill." He gets up off me and helps me up. I take a moment to get the air back in my lungs. "Ok look your right something is up. It was standing right behind you for God's sake. Don't tell me you didn't feel it?" "Um Kat did you hit your head or something when I tackled you?" He asks with a smirk but the concern in his eyes is genuine. Sighing I pick up my fallen lunch bag then spend a few moments examining it before I turn back to him and meet his blue green eyes.
          "I'm sorry Mike for running off like I did." He opens his mouth to reply but I hold up a hand and continue, "I can't explain what happened back there. I can say though that it's nothing you need to worry about. I can handle it and this is something you can't help me with. I do have to go though. It's very important. I'll still be back tonight at 7 for auditions." I manage a weak smile to try to convince him as much as myself that all is well. "Well alright. Can I at least walk you home?" "Yeah sure."  For a few moments it's too awkward between us and we both try to ignore it by gazing at the scenery. Mike breaks the silence first. "So are you going to come to the homecoming game this Friday night?" "Yeah of course. Have I missed a game yet?" I smile genuinely this time. "Okay well after the game there's going to be a party at Dustin Sobers place. His parents will be out of town for the weekend. Want to go with me?" I'm a bit surprised by the question. I knew about the party it was a hot topic at school but hadn't even considered going actually going let alone going with Mike. Still it did sound like fun.
       By this time we were standing outside the door to the home. "If you get a note from your mom saying its ok and that I'll be with you at your place then I can go." "Oh yeah." He manages sheepishly. "I forgot you have to get special permission to leave here. Hey why can't you just come and stay with me and my folks. You know my parents adore you for reasons I can't begin to fathom." At that I give his shoulder a good punch. It doesn't even faze him. "You know I would but…" I let my words trail off. We've been through this before when my mother was first admitted into the hospital. I just can't make myself impose on his life that way. "I have to go now. I'll text you later Kay?" With that I turn to walk in but just as my right hand grips the doorknob he grabs my left and pulls me to him. "Kat?" he says against my hair. "Just remember that there's nothing I wouldn't do for you." I try to pull away but he just adjusts so that he's still holing me but I'm looking up at him.
        "Umm thanks Mike, I would do the same for you" I reply. I can actually feel the blood rushing to my cheeks and my heart beating like it's in a race as he stares into my eyes. Feeling really uncomfortable now try to pull away again. He reluctantly releases his grip on me but not before he kisses me on the cheek again and the butterflies in my stomach get even worse. "Go get'em baby" he whispers in my ear. Then the next thing I know I'm staring at the spot where he had just been. "Mike?" I ask aloud looking for him. "Come on Kat, Focus got talk to Kate" I hear Mike's voice whisper in my ear. Rather than sit around and wonder why I'm hearing things I listen to the random voice and run inside without bothering to check in. I burst into my room frantically searching for Kate too agitated to notice that she's sitting in the only chair in the damn room. "Kate!" I exclaim and rush up to her.
             Completely forgetting that I have to try to be calm and cool in order to tell my story. "Kate I need your help! There was this thing at school only it wasn't a thing it was a large black mass. And he laughed at me! And not like in the ha ha funny way but more like the Mu ha ha evil way. Then he was talking about the white guardian like I'm supposed to even know what the hell that is and he says we only have until the full blue moon. Is that even possible? I mean I thought there could only be a full moon or a separate blue moon? Mind you during all this the entire hallway seems frozen and not like ice frozen like it's just me and this thing. Nobody even heard him and it felt like we had a full on conversation. Well it really wasn't a conversation as much as me standing there and it talking. What?" Kate was standing there looking like she wasn't sure if she was trying to suppress a laugh or if she wanted to hit me. Finally she takes a deep breath to steady herself. "Okay Kat let's try this from the top. Without you adlibbing tell me exactly what happened." With that she crosses her arms over her blue button up jacket from her army days. So following her example I breathe in deep more to calm my already jittery nerves. Then I retell what happened in the halls of school. To my own credentials I only sped up a few times and got off topic twice but with a stern look from Kate I was back on track.
Even before the story was finished Kate was firing up the ancient Dell that sat on my desk. The thing hissed and sputtered as if trying to refuse the request to turn on then blinked the main screen. Kate impatiently waited for the dial up system to load. I know dial up. It's the 21st century why can't this dump get WiFi? Finally Kate was able to load Google and look up the full blue moon.  The full blue moon is apparently extremely rare and only occurs once every 200 years or something cheesy like that. I can't help but roll my eyes and feel like my life is some really stupid soap opera. It wouldn't even be nominated for a Soap Opera Digest award.
Drifting out of my own thoughts I realize Kate has been snapping her fingers in front of my face for God know how long. "What? I'm here geez." I bitch at her. Kate's response is to glare at me. "Will you get you head out of the clouds for three minutes please? This is important. The black mass you described is where our enemy is from. It's called an Imp. It's a descendent of the titans like you read about in Greek Mythology. "She said as she pulled up a photo off Google to show me. "I assume this is the creature you saw?" she asked looking over her shoulder. I manage a nod while staring at what is an identical picture of what had been at my school. "So what exactly did it mean by full blue moon or the white guardian crap?" "Well the full blue moon is a fairly rare occurrence that happens maybe once every few hundred years." At this I try to suppress a groan.  Of course its once in a life time why wouldn't it be? "The blue moon will occur on May 21st 2011, or the judgment day." I peer open her shoulder and notice a page in big bold letters that says "And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man." Revelation 9:5
I shake my head not understanding what in the world any of that means. Kate doesn't seem bothered by it so I guess I should be either. "So what about the White Guardian thing?" I ask again thinking that's a bit more important because it's actually relevant to me in a way. "The White Guardian is the only one who can gather the power of all the other witches and destroy the enemy. She has power that no others can even begin to imagine." Kate answers and then rolls her eyes "of course the White Guardian is also a myth." With that she returns to the computer. Not satisfied with that answer I jump up and turn her to me. "So why the hell did the imp think I was the White Guardian?" I demand.

Description
Chapter 1

          If you choose to jump into the air without looking where you're going and you fall and break something it's you own damn fault. My mother always made a point of reminding me whenever she thought I was doing something stupid. Which when I lived with her was fairly often. In my mind it's ok to play the fool every now and again. Life without risk would be pretty boring. I'd always been the child who needed adventure and a thrill, even though it drove my mother crazy. She'd prefer if I lived in a bubble. Things are different now though. My life is full of the supernatural. Let me just say there's nothing super or natural about it. I enjoy trouble as much as the next girl but this is too freaky and I don't want any part of it. "Hey Katrina wait up!" I look behind snapping out of my daydream me to see my best friend Michael running through the crowded halls to walk to lunch with me like he does every day. "Hey Mike. Watch out" I say and grin when he trips over his own feet. He's the biggest klutz I know. It would almost be sad if it weren't so funny. The ironic thing is the Michael is the quarter back of the football team. On the field he moves with agility and grace, off the field is a whole other story. Mike's daily rush to catch up followed by his enviable klutz attack give me a feeling of normalcy. Though I know in my life is anything but.
          "Let's eat outside today. It's so nice out." Mike says. I nod and follow along lunch bag in hand. We find a spot under the shade of a large oak and watch the other students laugh and talk as if they haven't a care in the world other than school and whatever other drama is going on in their social circle. I give a contented sigh and bask in the simplicity of it all as I nip into a shiny red apple. "So who's making you so downcast this time?" I ask as I lean over and try to see the text Mike is sending. He looks up innocently and a few strands of his shaggy brown locks cover his deep blue green eyes. "Who me?" He asks batting his hair away. "Now what makes you think I'm feeling down?" I give him a big hug. We've been over this a hundred times already this weekend but it's my duty to remind him. "Well rumor has it that you caught Cassie getting overly friendly with the foreign exchange student Jose. Then you got into a huge fight with her. You came over to my place and we decided that you're better off without her. While we indulged in calling her bad names and eating raw cookie dough until our stomachs imploded "
Mike's eyes meet my sea blue ones and he smiles though his eyes are still sad."Yeah and thanks again for that Kat. It's just…." He sighs again and looks down at his droid phone his lunch forgotten. "She keeps apologizing and asking me to take her back." I feel the twist in my gut and ignore it by saying "Well do you want her back?" He continues to stare at the ground now absently fingering the brown green grass. He looks so sexy sitting by me while the cool breeze toys with his hair. "Part of me does, but the other part is smarter than that." The release of the knot in my stomach triggers the guilt and denial.
        Truth is that not only is Michel my best friend and the best looking and smartest guy in the senior class but whenever I'm with him my stomach does flip flops and sometimes I have to remember to breath when he's talking to me.  It hasn't always been this way. We have been friends for as long as I can remember. It was just returning senior year. I had missed him so much while he was away at summer camp. Then when he did return I couldn't stop starring and noticing all these things that I had never seen before. I'm completely convinced I have an illness or something. So whenever I start thinking weird I tell myself that it's nothing and force myself to go about my business.
      This particular time I throw my arm over his shoulder and give him a friendly squeeze. "Hey cheer if you up, you could have any girl in school all you need to do is smile and you'd have them swooning." Mike laughs and playfully pulls my hair sending my lunch into tumbles in my stomach. "Look who's talking little Miss mysterious."  I shrug and smile as if I don't know what he's talking about. "Let's get going Mr. Stud the bells about to…" My words get lost, as the bell rings and the students start moving toward their lockers and classes.
After school I go through my ritual. I stay late with one of my teachers. Normally Mr. Trinburg who is my English teacher, he's my favorite teacher and not only that but he's the school director for the plays and musicals.  Not to brag but I'm his biggest star and favorite student. I take deep pride in my abilities as an actress. It's what I want to do for the rest of my life. If only certain things would stop getting in the way. The 10th period bell rings and I'm forced to go home until rehearsal starts at 7pm. It's a 10minute walk home which means I have 3hours, 30 minutes and 25 seconds until I can return to my haven until then I have to suck it up and deal.
         I grudgedly drag my feet though the door of the girl's home, sign in and trudge slowly upstairs to my room where I know she is waiting. Sure enough the second I walk through the door Kate my resident ghost stalker and unwanted mentor floats over to me. Now I know what you're thinking and yes I said I have a ghost stalker. At least in my mind she's a stalker seeing as unless I'm in school she's always by my side. I do my best to ignore her by pretending she's not there and walk straight through her and flop on my bed. "Now is that anyway to greet me after all I've done for you?" Kate bitches and sits next to me. I grunt and roll over.  I know she's still talking to me but I just tune her out. I'm still mad at her. She's the entire reason I'm in this dump to begin with.
           I guess I should probably explain a few things. Unlike what you may be thinking I'm not a troubled teen or come from a bad home or anything. Kate has been with me for as long as I can remember she was born in 1843 she was 17 when the civil war began. Despite her parents protests she cut her blond hair to look more boyish and joined the union army. She was killed in battle in 1862. I didn't really listen to the rest of her story I didn't care to know at the time. This is when I still lived with my mom. I think of her often. We had a normal relationship we fought often but there were times when we'd eat ice cream together and just laugh. Nobody could make me laugh like my mom or could irritate me like her.
        The reason Kate is with me is because I'm a witch in training. It's not like the Sabrina The Teenaged Witch, or the pointy hat wearing kind. See I have to learn how to master the elements and protect the earth. In a way it's like that Nickelodeon show The last Airbender, only I'm not the only one. Yes there are others (supposedly I have yet to meet any other witches.) Our mission is to protect the Earth because unknown to most the human population there is a dark force plotting to control the world and yada, yada. Tell me you haven't heard this lame plot before.
I don't believe the Earth is in peril and if it is I would much rather be blissfully ignorant and have the other witches worry about it. I have my own issues to deal with. Like who will be taking to me to the senior prom? Or what college will accept me? When the hell will I go home to my mom and when will this stupid ghost realize I'm not the person for this job.
       I never really thought about discovering I was a witch. It was as simple as knowing that I'm a girl and some people are boys. When I was younger Kate would teach me simple things like how to stir the air or how to make a quarter disappear. Simple pallor tricks, with each year I became better and better but still struggled with control. It wasn't something I ever took seriously. I really just did it because Kate told me to it never occurred to me to question it.
Like I said before Kate is the entire reason I'm in a girl's home. It's like this, part of witch training is to make certain nobody knows I'm a witch (they'd think I was crazy) my mother doesn't even know nor do any of my friends, nor does anyone know that I have a ghost instructor. Yet due to this rule often Kate and I would sneak out to practice. Most often we would go to the local park, which is right down the street. On this particular night were we're trying to teach me how to conjure fireballs. It was kind of cool until my mom realized that I wasn't home.  She seemed to have this super mom sense or something to know when I had snuck out and she always comes around 2am to haul my butt home from the park. She came running out in her mint green night robe calling my name and starting to lecture me for being out past curfew again. I heard her and panicked the blue ball of fire momentarily forgotten. The moment my focus was broken the flame ball erupted out of my grasp and shot out straight into an oncoming SUV.  I tried to pull it back but it was too late.
          The driver became so startled by the blue flash of light and panicked. The driver swerved and bumped up on the curb hitting my mother who had just stepped onto the sidewalk. She was taken to the emergency room and had a lot of broken bones but she hit her head on the concrete and has been in a coma since. That was 3 months ago. The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries and has no recollection of the incident (I didn't want them to suffer any of the guilt I was feeling.) That night was the last I will ever practice magic.
          "So no one told you life was going to be this way. Your life's a joke, your broke, your love life's DOA…" The theme song from F.R.I.E.N.D.S blares as my alarm on my cell goes off.  Finally time to return to school. I quickly brush my hair fuss a bit with my clothing and makeup. I grab a cherry pop tart and I'm out the door. When I enter the auditorium I'm a bit surprised that I'm not the first one there. I wander down the aisles to go greet my fellow member when the hello that had been on my tongue freezes. Kate sitting there with her ankles crossed and looking extremely pissed off. I immediately give her the smuggest look that I can muster and stalk off to the front row. She follows of course and when she opens her mouth to tell me off or whatever she's planning I pop my ear buds in and blast Eminem as loud as he can go on my MP3.
       Fortunately for me other students begin to arrive and soon the auditorium is full. This semester our fall musical is WICKED.  Tonight is the start of auditions and I have my heart set on playing Elphaba. Just as Mr. Trinburg walks in Kate floats up on stage spreads her arms wide and suddenly everybody is frozen in place, all but Kate and myself. "What the hell have you done?" I scream at her as I shake my friend Abby, trying to get her to snap out of it. "What I should have done a long time ago." Kate yells back. "Your fellow classmates will all be fine. Time has only stopped temporarily. This is about you and your strike against magic. It's high time you stop all this woe is me crap and start fulfilling your responsibilities. The longer you stop practicing the more you'll lose and frankly time is growing short. As much as I hate to admit it, the other witches need you. The darkness is getting stronger and closer to Earth than ever before. I'm my estimate is correct we only have until mid May until it strikes and by then you need to be ready to fight. So you have a choice we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You have 60 seconds to choose."  She says as she taps he combat boots and looks at me then the clock. All I can do is sate at her; I can feel my face begin to redden as my anger grows. I take a deep steadying breath and let all my pent up anger fly.
       "What the hell do you know? It's your damn fault my mother is in a fricking coma. It's your fault that I have to live in that dump. You were supposed to teach me control! If I hadn't snuck out with you to learn all this witch nonsense then my mother would still be with me! I don't want anything more to do with magic. I just want to be normal. I want to go to parties, to date boys, to not have to sneak out under the cover of night to practice voodoo. I want to have my life back where I control what I do and it's not a damn prophecy when I fall in the damn hall way. I don't want any part of this! "I hadn't noticed at the time but as my little rant at Kate had been going on I was glowing a bright white. I mean really glowing, not like a soft dull glow, more like someone had dunked me into a vat of nuclear waste and then Superman hit me with an electric volt.
I was so angry and fed up with everything then without even thinking about it I centered all my strength into my hands and let it all go. Everything I was feeling into one strong burst of energy.  It hit Kate and she flew through the air tumbling right into the backdrop. The backdrop rattled and then fell on top of her and then everything was silent. I was momentarily stunned; I looked down at myself and saw that I was no longer glowing. I forgot all my anger and rushed up on stage. "Oh my God! Kate I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened, are you ok?" As I reach her I notice she's fine, in fact she's more than fine. She's grinning at me and looking very smug. "It's about time you showed your true power." I can't do anything but stare my mouth hanging wide open like a firkin idiot.
      "Now I'll see you at home." Kate says as she bushes herself off and then vanishes into thin air. As I look around everyone is in motion again as if nothing happened and everything is hunky dory. There's no remnant of damage on the backdrop that Kate hit or anything. I have to force my emotions down and return to my seat as if I'm one of them. As I look at my watch I notice that only 5 minutes had passed. I can't help but feel completely exhausted and for once can't wait to go home and go to bed. The order for auditions is whoever volunteers first goes. Although I had made a special request to go last. I'm only slightly nervous. More than anything I can feel my strength flagging with each moment.  Most sang without music not wanting it to distract them. I had already asked Mr. Trinburg to accompany me on piano; my choice of song was Defying Gravity.
         Due to the difficulty of the song only a few others even attempted it, most singing way off key. When everyone in else had done his or her piece I climbed weakly up on stage and nodded at Mr. Trinburg. As my gaze shifted through the crowed auditorium my breath caught for just a moment. Mike was the very back of the auditorium, when his gaze met mine he smiled and held up a hand in greeting. I could feel my heart being in time with the keys Mr. Trinburg played. "Something has changed within me." I begin in my sweet soprano. "Something is not the same. I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game. Too late for second-guessing, too late to go back to sleep, It's time to trust my instincts to close my eyes and leap. It's time to try defying gravity; I think I'll try defying gravity and you can't pull me down…" As I finish the room erupts into cheers. I mimic a curtsy and take my seat grateful that I can take a few minutes to gather some strength for the walk home.
       Mr. Trinburg is beaming with pride as he takes his place at the front of the room. "I'm happy to announce that this year we have had more students try out than we've had in the last six years. Tomorrow will be the acting portion of our auditions. You all will be placed into groups and given a random seen to act out. Friday after 10th period the casting list will be posted outside my office. You must sign next to your name if you accept the part in which I place you. Well done today everyone. See you all at seven tomorrow."  I grab my bag and try to be nonchalant as I scan the room for Mike. Not finding him I sigh and turn to my friend Abby when a pair of hands comes down over my eyes. "Guess who?" Mike says, I pretend to think a moment then say "Will Smith?" For that Mike playfully punches my shoulder. "No geez, why would Will Smith talk to you?" I can't help but grin as I reply "because I'm going to star in a movie with him one day where we kick alien butt together and fall hopelessly in love. If I can't have him in real life I'll be his on screen lover. "For that I receive another punch in the shoulder."Creepy stalker much?"
         I just ignore the comment and walk out into the cool night air. I take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. I feel so peaceful yet all I want to do is collapse. "So what were you doing here tonight I thought you had football practice?" I ask as we walk. Mike luckily live 2 streets away from me so normally we walk home together but since he's the star quarterback for our football team we haven't in a while. "We finished late so I figured I would stick around the school and watch your audition. You were amazing," He leans in and pulls me in for a hug. I weakly try to wrap my arms around him and he seems to notice I'm not feeling well and he hugs me tighter. "Thanks. I'm really glad you were there it meant a lot." I say as he releases me. We continue to walk with is arm thrown carelessly over my shoulder. We walk the rest of the way to the shelter in silence simply enjoying each other's company.
         Mike is very traditional and he walks me to the door like he always does only this time when he hugs me good night he pulls me in close and kisses my cheek softly. "Good Night Katrina. See you tomorrow." I'm too dumbstruck to do anything but to reply "Night thanks for seeing me home and coming to my audition" With that he's gone. When I reach my room I fall into bed face down, dazed, weak and still dressed. I end up staying there until the sun comes up the next morning. The next day passes in a blur. I haven't seen Kate since the episode last night and don't really even think about it. I'm too wound up in tonight's audition and seeing Mike again. I really want to know if he thought anything about kissing me or if it was just a friendly thing. The problem is I have no idea how to ask or even if I should ask or just play it off as if it doesn't mean anything. I didn't see him this morning because I didn't wake up on time and was 10 minutes late to homeroom. The only class we have together is lunch. So all through homeroom, English, Math, Gym and History all I can focus on is what will happen with him. Then because I kept thinking about him I got really mad at myself for thinking about him in that way. I mean he's my best friend; I have no right to be thinking romantically about Mike.
        Finally the bell rings for lunch so I head to my locker and grab my lunch bag and put my books away. "Hey Katrina wait up!" Mike yells and as I turn I freeze in place. Directly behind Mike around the corner I see what can only be described as a black mass radiating evil inside and out. It's impossible to tell if it's a person or what. It laughs at me as if he can sense my fear then it speaks to me. "So we finally meet White Guardian..."  Its voice sounds like its throat is raw and like its mouth is full at the same time. It laughs again at my blank confused stare when I realize what it said. . "So you haven't been told, no matter, know this Guardian he comes the night of the full blue moon. With numbers far greater than your own. You don't stand a chance." With that it vanishes into thin air its cool laughter trailing behind. I look around frantically, on alert for any lingering effects. Yet it seems as if nobody else had seen or heard it.
        By this time Mike was next to me and I assume has been for a few minutes. "Hello earth to Kat. It's your home planet calling." Mike says fairly loudly in my ear. I manage a nod but can't seem to stop staring at the spot where the dark mass had been lost in my own thoughts. I'd I thought there could only be a blue moon or a full moon what did he mean full blue moon? Then what did it mean when it said "White Guardian?" I can only imagine he meant my powers as a witch. Then with a gasp I remember how last night when all my power had build up and had me glowing bright white. Is that what he meant?  I still don't understand what me glowing has to do with anything. I finally look to Mike but can't find any words. All I know is that I need to get home and talk to Kate and fast. "Hey Kat you ok?" Mike asks and gives me a worried look. I allow him to take my bag and set it down. Then puts a hand to my forehead checking to see if I'm ill. "Kat you look really pale do you want to go to the nurse and lay down?" I slowly shake my head no. "I'm sorry Mike but I have to go." Without waiting for a response I grab my bag and run as fast as I can out the doors heading home.
       "Hey Kat, Wait, Stop!" I hear Mike chasing after me but I can't make myself stop running. Yet no sooner had I hit the main road do I sense him right behind me. He's not the quarter back for any reason. Suddenly I feel his arms grip my waist and tackle me to the ground. "Sorry Kat but I'm not an idiot and I know when something up and you're not telling me. I want to help you so you had better spill." He gets up off me and helps me up. I take a moment to get the air back in my lungs. "Ok look your right something is up. It was standing right behind you for God's sake. Don't tell me you didn't feel it?" "Um Kat did you hit your head or something when I tackled you?" He asks with a smirk but the concern in his eyes is genuine. Sighing I pick up my fallen lunch bag then spend a few moments examining it before I turn back to him and meet his blue green eyes.
          "I'm sorry Mike for running off like I did." He opens his mouth to reply but I hold up a hand and continue, "I can't explain what happened back there. I can say though that it's nothing you need to worry about. I can handle it and this is something you can't help me with. I do have to go though. It's very important. I'll still be back tonight at 7 for auditions." I manage a weak smile to try to convince him as much as myself that all is well. "Well alright. Can I at least walk you home?" "Yeah sure."  For a few moments it's too awkward between us and we both try to ignore it by gazing at the scenery. Mike breaks the silence first. "So are you going to come to the homecoming game this Friday night?" "Yeah of course. Have I missed a game yet?" I smile genuinely this time. "Okay well after the game there's going to be a party at Dustin Sobers place. His parents will be out of town for the weekend. Want to go with me?" I'm a bit surprised by the question. I knew about the party it was a hot topic at school but hadn't even considered going actually going let alone going with Mike. Still it did sound like fun.
       By this time we were standing outside the door to the home. "If you get a note from your mom saying its ok and that I'll be with you at your place then I can go." "Oh yeah." He manages sheepishly. "I forgot you have to get special permission to leave here. Hey why can't you just come and stay with me and my folks. You know my parents adore you for reasons I can't begin to fathom." At that I give his shoulder a good punch. It doesn't even faze him. "You know I would but…" I let my words trail off. We've been through this before when my mother was first admitted into the hospital. I just can't make myself impose on his life that way. "I have to go now. I'll text you later Kay?" With that I turn to walk in but just as my right hand grips the doorknob he grabs my left and pulls me to him. "Kat?" he says against my hair. "Just remember that there's nothing I wouldn't do for you." I try to pull away but he just adjusts so that he's still holing me but I'm looking up at him.
        "Umm thanks Mike, I would do the same for you" I reply. I can actually feel the blood rushing to my cheeks and my heart beating like it's in a race as he stares into my eyes. Feeling really uncomfortable now try to pull away again. He reluctantly releases his grip on me but not before he kisses me on the cheek again and the butterflies in my stomach get even worse. "Go get'em baby" he whispers in my ear. Then the next thing I know I'm staring at the spot where he had just been. "Mike?" I ask aloud looking for him. "Come on Kat, Focus got talk to Kate" I hear Mike's voice whisper in my ear. Rather than sit around and wonder why I'm hearing things I listen to the random voice and run inside without bothering to check in. I burst into my room frantically searching for Kate too agitated to notice that she's sitting in the only chair in the damn room. "Kate!" I exclaim and rush up to her.
             Completely forgetting that I have to try to be calm and cool in order to tell my story. "Kate I need your help! There was this thing at school only it wasn't a thing it was a large black mass. And he laughed at me! And not like in the ha ha funny way but more like the Mu ha ha evil way. Then he was talking about the white guardian like I'm supposed to even know what the hell that is and he says we only have until the full blue moon. Is that even possible? I mean I thought there could only be a full moon or a separate blue moon? Mind you during all this the entire hallway seems frozen and not like ice frozen like it's just me and this thing. Nobody even heard him and it felt like we had a full on conversation. Well it really wasn't a conversation as much as me standing there and it talking. What?" Kate was standing there looking like she wasn't sure if she was trying to suppress a laugh or if she wanted to hit me. Finally she takes a deep breath to steady herself. "Okay Kat let's try this from the top. Without you adlibbing tell me exactly what happened." With that she crosses her arms over her blue button up jacket from her army days. So following her example I breathe in deep more to calm my already jittery nerves. Then I retell what happened in the halls of school. To my own credentials I only sped up a few times and got off topic twice but with a stern look from Kate I was back on track.
Even before the story was finished Kate was firing up the ancient Dell that sat on my desk. The thing hissed and sputtered as if trying to refuse the request to turn on then blinked the main screen. Kate impatiently waited for the dial up system to load. I know dial up. It's the 21st century why can't this dump get WiFi? Finally Kate was able to load Google and look up the full blue moon.  The full blue moon is apparently extremely rare and only occurs once every 200 years or something cheesy like that. I can't help but roll my eyes and feel like my life is some really stupid soap opera. It wouldn't even be nominated for a Soap Opera Digest award.
Drifting out of my own thoughts I realize Kate has been snapping her fingers in front of my face for God know how long. "What? I'm here geez." I bitch at her. Kate's response is to glare at me. "Will you get you head out of the clouds for three minutes please? This is important. The black mass you described is where our enemy is from. It's called an Imp. It's a descendent of the titans like you read about in Greek Mythology. "She said as she pulled up a photo off Google to show me. "I assume this is the creature you saw?" she asked looking over her shoulder. I manage a nod while staring at what is an identical picture of what had been at my school. "So what exactly did it mean by full blue moon or the white guardian crap?" "Well the full blue moon is a fairly rare occurrence that happens maybe once every few hundred years." At this I try to suppress a groan.  Of course its once in a life time why wouldn't it be? "The blue moon will occur on May 21st 2011, or the judgment day." I peer open her shoulder and notice a page in big bold letters that says "And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man." Revelation 9:5
I shake my head not understanding what in the world any of that means. Kate doesn't seem bothered by it so I guess I should be either. "So what about the White Guardian thing?" I ask again thinking that's a bit more important because it's actually relevant to me in a way. "The White Guardian is the only one who can gather the power of all the other witches and destroy the enemy. She has power that no others can even begin to imagine." Kate answers and then rolls her eyes "of course the White Guardian is also a myth." With that she returns to the computer. Not satisfied with that answer I jump up and turn her to me. "So why the hell did the imp think I was the White Guardian?" I demand.