Chapter One - Airports and Radishes

It was a fact, and had been for some time, that Justin Timberlake’s life was painfully boring. He had become aware of this sometime after his twenty-second birthday, when his girlfriend had bought him the new Caverns of Doom computer game and he was so excited that he was nearly moved to tears. It occurred to him at this point that if the strongest emotion he felt was in relation to a computer game, then perhaps his life was slightly lacking in the excitement department.

They say that realizing you have a problem is the first step to recovery, and so this epiphany should have been very helpful. However, it did not prove to be particularly helpful, because the fact is that it wasn’t Justin himself that was the problem. He was an arguably interesting person, with a wide range of interests, and many unfulfilled dreams, including one in which he both baked and ate the world’s largest cake in record time, which was slightly absurd and yet strangely appealing all at once. Nevertheless, it is difficult to lead an interesting life when one is a college dropout who works at a video store, survives on a diet of pizza and beer, and has a girlfriend who frequently cries and asks where this relationship is going as if she’s afraid it is going to grow legs and run away at any given moment.

It is also difficult to lead an interesting life when one is almost entirely oblivious to unusual goings on. For instance, Justin had once passed a tall, raven-haired girl in an airport who was saying to a smaller, blonde girl: “It’s just fascinating, isn’t it? Look at the way they all let themselves be hurled into the air without one bit of magic to protect them. It’s like death doesn’t scare them in the least. I admire that.� A perceptive person might have found this conversation strange on many different levels. Justin, however, merely noted that the girl who was speaking had a rather nice pair of legs and went about his business.

Fortunately for Justin, and even more fortunately for those of us who are doomed to write and read his story, his life did eventually become more interesting, if only by accident. It all began when his girlfriend called him one day and told him that she felt as though their relationship wasn’t going anywhere and they should probably just end it before either of them became too attached. Our hero probably would not have minded this too greatly (he was more attached to Caverns of Doom than he was to his girlfriend, anyway), but when it came to his attention that the real reason for this break up was that said girlfriend was leaving him for his manager at the video store (a 40-something man with glasses and far too many pairs of plaid pants for anyone’s comfort), he was a little upset. He also quit his job which, in retrospect, was a little rash, but at least rash behavior added a little spice to life.

In the days immediately following the break up and the end of his career as a Video-to-Go employee, Justin was feeling quite good about life. This, he decided, was a turning point. This was the event that was going to prompt him to go out and make something of himself. This was it. And so it was that after much deliberation, he decided to return to film school and his original goal of becoming the next Steven Spielberg.

Despite what you may have guessed, the weeks following this decision were also very, very boring. However, as fate would have it, one day in late May, Justin’s cousin Isabella (henceforth known as “Izzie�), with whom he shared an apartment, noticed that he had been quite mopey since the Breakup and suggested that he get off his fat ass and join her at the grocery store. And that is where our story truly begins.

***

“Izzie, what the hell is that?� Justin eyed the melon that his cousin had just dropped in the shopping cart.

“That is called a cantaloupe,� she replied, drawing the last word out slowly as though speaking to a small child or someone who had just begun to learn English.

“Why do you think either of us is going to eat a cantaloupe?� he inquired skeptically. As far as he was concerned, the “fruits and vegetables� food group requirements could easily be fulfilled by tomato sauce and pineapples on pizza.

“Because one of us is not a caveman who only believes in eating those things which can be killed and dragged home bleeding. I don’t want to name names.�

“Good idea. This conversation could get ugly.� He picked up a kiwi from a shelf to his left, decided he liked the look of it and tossed it in the cart carelessly.

“So you’re befuddled by cantaloupe, but kiwi should naturally be a part of our diet?� Izzie asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow as she followed Justin down the aisle.

“Well, yeah,� he responded matter-of-factly. “It’s all fuzzy and shit. Like food should be.� Izzie snorted.

“Yeah, okay. So, anyway, like I was saying, you need to stop pouting and go find yourself a new woman,� she returned to what had been the topic of conversation before she had wandered off in search of the perfect melon. Justin rolled his eyes, entirely unhappy with the subject matter.

“Izzie, I don’t need a new woman and I have not been pouting,� he reiterated for the thousandth time. He had, in fact, been pouting, but it was more due to his lack of interest in life than his lack of a significant other. Izzie was not hearing it. She had very few girlfriends to harass and force into talking about their feelings, and as such was subjecting Justin to the sort of pep talk she would give such friends if she had them. Never mind the fact that he did not want or need it. That was not important.

“Look, I know you’re just wanting to get your life together now and make it exciting or whatever, but a little sex couldn’t hurt. That’s all I’m saying.� Izzie put her hands up in surrender and paused to look at the various types of granola bars available at Safeway. Justin snorted.

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that,� he informed her, though a large part of him secretly agreed with the sentiment.

“Speaking of which,� Izzie whispered, glancing back into the aisle they had just left and jerking her head towards two girls (one tall with jet black hair and deep blue eyes, the other more petite with short blonde hair and brown eyes) who seemed to be sniffing the radishes. “Those two chicks behind us are pretty bangin’.�

“It is extremely weird that you just said that to me.�

“Just look.�

“No.�

“Look!�

“No, I already saw them.�

“You know who I’m talking about?�

“Yes, I do.�

“Hot, right?� Izzie grinned at him and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Why are you so odd?� Justin inquired. “I used to think my life was boring, but I just realized that you are strange enough to change that in about 2.2 seconds.� He paused. “But yes, very hot.�

“Good. Which one do you like?� Izzie moved into the next row so that she could peek out into the aisle of the hot girls (who were now laughing hysterically about something) inconspicuously.

“Oh my God, Izzie.� Justin pushed the cart into the aisle where she was hiding and rolled his eyes. It wasn’t that he was against finding a new girlfriend, but having his cousin play matchmaker in the grocery store was not exactly his idea of a great way to start a relationship.

“It’s a simple question, Justin. A baby could answer it. Which one do you like?�

“Neither of them!� he hissed impatiently. Izzie blinked at him.

“What, are you gay now? Come on, which one do you like?�

“Izzie!�

“Justin!�

“The tall one is gorgeous, okay?� This was clearly the only way to shut her up.

“Good! Go ask for her number.� Izzie was practically bouncing up and down from excitement, which prompted her companion to think that perhaps she was the one lacking excitement in her life.

“I am not going to ask for her number,� he replied irritably.

“Why not?� The brunette frowned at him.

“Because I am not going to try and pick up a girl in a grocery store. I am not that desperate.�

“Oh please,� Izzie scoffed. “That’s not desperate, it’s practical! This way you both know you have something in common!�

“Like what? We both eat?�

“Exactly. Go ask for her number,� she prompted again.

“No.�

“Yes.�

“No!�

“Yes!�

He probably would have yelled another “no!� if it weren’t for the fact that he had chosen that moment to step backwards and run straight into someone who had been turning the corner, knocking a sack of radishes from that someone’s arms.

“Aw, shit. Sorry!� he exclaimed, immediately scrambling to pick up the radishes and return them to their owner.

“Oh, it’s no problem,� a soft, feminine voice replied with a laugh, bending down to take the red vegetables from him.

A more perceptive person may have recognized the voice, hair, and eyes and recalled a day in an airport a few months earlier when two girls had discussed the admirability of those unafraid of death. Justin, however, merely noted that the owner of the radishes had a rather nice pair of legs and went about his business.

Chapter Two - Relatively Normal

To the untrained eye, Mina McKinnon appeared to be nothing short of a normal 23-year-old woman. She was perhaps a little more friendly and easily impressed by people willing to travel by airplane than your average American woman, but to the random passerby, she looked like your average young, bouncy, strapped for cash graduate student. And in many ways, she was. For example, on an evening in late May, Mina could be found at a small French bistro somewhere in Los Angeles, on a date with a rather attractive young man by the name of Bob Smith.

“So, what do you do for a living?� Mina inquired, as people typically do on first dates.

“I’m in construction.� Bob took a drink of his water so violently that the man seated at the table next to them stared. Mina just assumed the question had been difficult for him to answer and he had needed to rehydrate as quickly as possible.

“Uh huh. Interesting.� She pulled out a notepad and pen and quickly scribbled Bob’s name, height (6'3), hair color (brown), eye color (brown), and the word “construction� on it, something that people do not typically do on first dates. Her companion’s brow furrowed slightly, but he let the odd behavior pass, due to the fact that he hadn’t been on a date in at least a couple of weeks and Mina had nice legs.

“Yeah.� He paused to grunt. “What do you do?�

“Oh, well, actually I’m in grad school right now, working on my Master’s.� She pursed her lips together and eyed her date pensively as though contemplating which question would be best to ask him next.

“Oh yeah? What are you studying?� Bob seemed genuinely interested, which shocked Mina slightly. She took note of his interest on her notepad.

“Non-magic studies with an emphasis in magic/non-magic relations,� she informed him nonchalantly, taking a sip of her own water and glancing over her cup to observe the reaction of the man seated across from her.

“Oh.� His brow furrowed again in confusion. “What does that mean, exactly?�

“It means that I study the relationships between people like myself, that is to say, witches and wizards and other magical creatures, and people like you who, well...don’t have an inclination towards the magical, I guess.� She said all this as though it were pretty straight forward and self-explanatory. Bob frowned for a moment, then chuckled.

“You almost had me for a minute there. ‘Non-magic studies with an emphasis in magic/non-magic relations.’ Good one.� He shook his head and laughed a bit more before taking another gulp of his water. Mina was unfazed, her face still completely serious.

“I wasn’t kidding,� she informed him simply. “I’m a witch and I am studying magic/non-magic relations at Wigglseworth University. �

“Yeah. Right.� Bob grinned. “And I bet you went to Hogwarts too, huh?� Mina finally laughed along at this.

“Don’t be silly. Hogwarts isn’t a real place. I went to Evans Preparatory School for the Magically Gifted.� As she finished talking, Mina realized that the man at the table next to them was staring at her, apparently eavesdropping on their conversation and looking just as baffled as her date. She smiled brightly at him and turned back to Bob, who had lost his smile once again.

“You’re not kidding,� he realized aloud. She shook her head.

“Nope.�

His face went white. She jotted a few notes on her notepad.

***

“Ivy! I’m back!� Mina called to her cousin as she stepped into their first-floor apartment. A short blonde emerged from the kitchen, her hair tied back and hands clad in yellow rubber gloves.

“Wow, you’re back early. Want to clean the kitchen for me?� she requested immediately.

“Sure.� Mina pulled her wand out of her purse and flicked it in the direction of the kitchen. The dirty dishes immediately began cleaning themselves as the broom swept itself across the floor. Ivy sighed in relief.

“Thanks. Your way is so much easier.� She lowered herself down onto the couch next to her cousin who had just done the same. “How was your date?�

“Well,� Mina began with a sigh as she pulled her strappy black heels off her feet. “Kind of a bust, really. I guess it was successful from a research standpoint, but it’s kind of getting boring how every guy reacts almost exactly how I expect him to. It would make this whole thing a lot more interesting if at least one of them was like, ‘Witch, huh? That’s cool.’� She did her best impression of a male voice, prompting a giggle from her companion. “Seriously. They all freak out like I just told them I was planning to eat their children. Which is exactly what I expect them to do.�

Mina attended a university on a small island off the coast of Maine, but she was spending the summer in Los Angeles with Ivy to conduct research on romantic relationships between witches and wizards and their non-magic counterparts. Her original hypothesis had been that the longer a couple was in a relationship before the non-magic one found out that their significant other was a witch, the less likely they were to abandon the relationship. For the past few weeks she had been testing this hypothesis by dating men for various lengths of time and then informing them that she was a witch. So far they had all reacted the same way: they freaked out and never called her again. It was very predictable.

“Well, people are afraid of what they don’t understand,� Ivy reasoned with a shrug. “And it’s not like any of these guys even know witches exist before you tell them you are one. It’s natural for them to be a little disturbed.�

“I guess,� Mina conceded, rolling her deep blue eyes. “Maybe I just need to find one guy and stick with him for a long time before I say anything. Then maybe he’ll fit in with my hypothesis and not dump me at the first sign of magic.�

“Doubtful.� Ivy snickered, tossing her blonde hair behind one shoulder. “Listen, we need some food. Want to go grocery shopping with me?�

“Sure. Just let me get out of these clothes and into something more comfortable.�

***

“Radishes are a weird color,� Mina observed, squinting at the vegetables in her hand.

“They’re red,� Ivy replied, clearly not understanding what her cousin found weird about this.

“Right. But name one other vegetable that’s red. Hmm? You can’t, can you?� She tapped her temple knowingly.

“Tomatoes.�

“Tomatoes aren’t vegetables, technically. They’re fruit.� She paused to smell the radishes, a pensive expression on her face. Ivy looked about ready to burst into laughter.

“What are you doing?� she asked, suppressing the smile that was fighting to appear on her face.

“Uhhh...smelling them,� Mina replied in an obvious tone. “I think they’re kind of dodgy. Have a smell.� She stuck the vegetables in her cousin’s face and this was too much for the blonde. She exploded into giggles, prompting Mina to first look insulted and then join her in her laughter. “I don’t know why we’re laughing,� she admitted through her giggles.

“Because you are weird. Even for a witch,� Ivy replied, sticking her tongue out at her raven-haired counterpart and grabbing the radishes from her as her laughter subsided. Mina just shrugged and they continued down the produce aisle.

“You say I’m weird, but you want know what’s weird about these people?� she inquired of Ivy as she snatched the radishes back with one hand and gestured towards the other customers around them.

“A lot of things, but I bet you’re about to tell me what you think is weird about them.�

“They’re so oblivious,� Mina stated and she pointed to a red-headed woman across the aisle from them who was looking through her cart seeming befuddled. Mina lowered her voice to a whisper. “Like that lady right there. I put a Vanishing Charm on her lettuce as I passed just to see if she would notice, and look...she’s just assumed that she never had one and she’s getting another. It doesn’t even occur to her that it’s just disappeared.�

“That’s so mean!� Ivy exclaimed in disbelief.

“It’s not mean, it’s science.�

“How is that science?�

“Social science, you know. Studying people and stuff.� Mina nodded as if this settled the matter. Ivy shook her head.

“No wonder non-magics are scared of witches.�

“Because we vanish their lettuce to study their behavior?�

Ivy seemed ready to respond with a witty quip, but the conversation was abruptly interrupted by a tall man with curly hair who chose that moment to walk backwards, bumping into Mina and knocking her radishes to the floor.

“Aw, shit. Sorry!� he exclaimed, immediately scrambling to pick up the radishes before Mina or Ivy had much of a chance to react.

“Oh, it’s no problem,� Mina finally replied with a laugh, bending down to take the red vegetables from him. Their eyes locked briefly and she got the sudden feeling that he was staring at her for an unnecessarily long amount of time. She smiled and stood up. “Thanks.�

“Yeah. Sorry,� the man apologized again. The brunette next to him was smirking, Mina noticed.

“It’s okay,� she assured him once more before she and Ivy passed him and continued on their way.

Chapter 3 - You Don’t Know

“Okay, no.� Izzie stated firmly, her arms folded across her chest as she entered the living room to find her cousin planted on the couch and watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind, as he had been doing for at least three days straight.

“What does it mean?� was the only response she received, and it came from the television screen rather than the bum seated in front of her.

“Justin!� She exclaimed, and again received no response from him. “Holy shit. Okay, seriously. Enough.� She decided to take matters into her own hands and switched off the TV. This finally garnered a response.

“What are you doing?� Justin protested, not budging from his spot on the couch. “I have to find out what it means!�

“You know what it means! You have watched this movie at least twenty times in the past three days! You need to stop and get out or something. This is getting ridiculous.� Her exasperation was more than apparent in her voice.

“I want to be a film maker, and to make good films, you have to study good films,� Justin reasoned calmly, knowing full well that Izzie would not under any circumstances buy this excuse.

“Yeah, films,� the brunette emphasized the plural. “Not the same film over and other. That’s not studying to learn, Justin. That’s wallowing in self pity because you didn’t get accepted back into film school and don’t think I don’t know that. I’m not as stupid as you look.�

This comment resulted in a stony silence from Justin, who had been doing his best to avoid discussing this subject with anyone since the day he had received the rejection letter. At first he had just been pissed at the bastards for not immediately recognizing his natural talents, but anger had soon been replaced with a strong sense of sorrow and self-loathing, which had given way to the undeniable desire to sit on his couch watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind over and over again. Somehow he had been under the impression that Izzie hadn’t noticed until this very moment, when all of his dreams were shattered once again.

Both cousins stared silently at one another, arms crossed and eyes narrowed in an eerily identical manner, and neither willing to be the one to break the silence. Justin did not want to admit that Izzie was right, and Izzie wasn’t about to leave him alone. Finally, the elder of the two cracked.

“I’ll do what I want,� Justin mumbled, his lips forming a pout as he directed his gaze back to the now blank television set. Izzie snorted.

“Sure, if what you want is to get off the couch and get out of the house. You are driving me crazy.� She sighed and sat down next to him on the couch. He scooted away from her like a 4-year-old who was determined to pout and ignore his mother until she did what he wanted. Izzie rolled her eyes, but rubbed her cousin’s arm soothingly. “Look, I’m really sorry that you didn’t get readmitted to film school. But it isn’t the end of the world, okay? And sitting her pouting and watching the same movie to the point where it begins to drive me insane isn’t going to help. Why don’t you go out and shoot some stuff, just to get back into practice? Come up with a project that you want to film or something. You can reapply soon, yeah?�

“I hate life,� Justin responded, his voice echoing the pout that remained on his face. Izzie couldn’t help chuckling as she put and arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze.

“I know. But you want it to be exciting, right? So go make it exciting.�

“Your idea of exciting is attempting to force me to ask out girls at the supermarket,� Justin reminded her, finally cracking a smile.

“True,� Izzie agreed with a nod. “But it could have been exciting if you’d given it a chance. Maybe she was an assassin or something.� Justin interrupted with a snort and Izzie smacked him on the arm. “You don’t know.�

***

For a man who could be, as his ex-girlfriend had frequently put it, “infuriatingly oblivious,� Justin Timberlake was an extremely observant person when he wanted to be. It had been one of his biggest strengths in film school prior to his dropout.

This particular afternoon in early June as he sat seated on a park bench, taking pictures of children playing with their parents, couples walking their dogs, and teenagers playing frisbee, he noticed all of the little things about them. The way the sunlight brightened a woman’s features didn’t escape him as he took a picture of her, the loving glance one dog-walker threw to another became implanted in his mind, and the way toddlers giggled while being chased by their father was like an important scene in a movie he had yet to make. He took pictures to remember the way things looked and experiment with angles, later to be turned into stories and frames that he could film. For once, he was glad that he’d listened to Izzie and come out to do this. It was therapeutic.

As he gazed around the park looking for another moment to capture for future reference, his eyes fell on a mane of dark hair cascading down a delicate pair of shoulders a few feet away. The vaguely familiar woman was seated on the grass with her back leaning against the trunk of a tree, at least three books, various piles of paper, and what looked to be a cup of coffee from Starbucks surrounding her as she wrote furiously in a notebook. Justin brought his camera to his eye and looked through at her for a moment, watching as she bit her lip and adjusted the way her back was positioned against the tree. He didn’t know why she looked so familiar to him, but he was sure he’d seen her before.

The moment he snapped the picture, her head shot up and her eyes darted to him as he immediately dropped the camera from his eye. They both looked at one another for a moment, her seeming startled and he embarrassed that he had been caught in his somewhat voyeuristic creative endeavors. He glanced away sheepishly, trying to determine how to react. This had never happened before. Somehow people always seemed totally oblivious to his taking pictures or filming them. Either that or perhaps, he realized, he had always been too oblivious to realize that they noticed. Looking back up, he realized that the woman was still looking at him and he shifted uncomfortably before finally deciding to stand up. He did so and his long legs carried him over to the tree across the way.

“Hi,� he greeted her, trying to appear nonchalant.

“Hello,� she replied, smiling warmly at him in response.

“Um, listen, I just wanted to say...uh...� his voice trailed off and he fingered the strap that held his camera around his neck. She raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Yes?�

“Well, I’m sorry if I startled you just then. Taking your picture, I mean.� He found himself sitting down on the grass, feeling strange towering over her the way he did when he was standing and she sitting. She smiled again.

“It’s okay, I was just kind of surprised and-“ She paused momentarily, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her right ear. “Why were you taking my picture, exactly?�

“Oh, see, I’m trying to get back into film school and taking pictures of random people kind of helps get my creative juices flowing, so I’ve just been sitting here watching people and taking pictures of whomever catches my eye,� he explained smoothly. As he spoke, his eyes drifted over the books and piles of paper that sat near him. Several Harry Potter books and what appeared to be notes with headings such as “Positive portrayals of witches� and “Fictional relationships between wizards and non-magics� stared back at him, as much as books and paper can stare. The woman’s deep blue eyes followed his gaze and her hand slowly covered the notes from his view as though in direct reaction to his looking.

“And I caught your eye, huh?� she asked with a chuckle and Justin immediately averted his gaze back to her, simultaneously forgetting the words he had just read.

“Well, yeah.� He shrugged. “You looked really into whatever you’re doing here.� He paused briefly before voicing the question in the back of his mind. “What are you doing here?�

“Oh, you know, just studying.� She slowly gathered all of her notes up and brought them into her lap in order to fully obstruct Justin’s view of them. Most people may have found this strange, but Justin barely gave it any notice. He nodded.

“You’re a student then?�

“Yeah. Yeah, I am.�

“What are you studying?�

“Uh...� She paused as though this were a question that required a lot of thought in order to respond. “Sociology. Grad work. It’s fascinating, but difficult to explain.� She smiled and laughed almost apologetically. Justin grinned.

“I can imagine.�

“Yeah.� She bit her lip and glanced down at the papers in her hands briefly before returning her gaze to her companion and extending her hand to him. “I’m Mina, by the way.�

“Justin.� He shook her hand cordially, only now realizing that they hadn’t already exchanged names. The conversation had been flowing so smoothly that it seemed as though introductions should have been far in the past.

“Nice to meet you, Justin.� She began to smile, but her eyes suddenly widened and she shook her head ever so slightly at something behind Justin. He turned to see what she was looking at, but there was nothing besides the two teenage boys he had been watching play Frisbee earlier.

“What?� he inquired, confused. Mina shook her head and smiled to indicate that it was nothing important.

“Nothing, I just thought the flying...disc...thing-“

“Frisbee?� Justin supplied in amusement.

“Yeah, that.� She waved a hand dismissively. “Anyway, I thought it was going to hit a child that was playing near by, but it didn’t, so...yeah. That’s it.�

“Close call.�

“Yeah. Hey, I have to go.� She began to gather the remainder of her books and notes into her arms, silently refusing any help from Justin as she stood. He followed suit. “It was really nice meeting you.� And she hurried off.

“Hey, wait!� Justin called after her before she’d had time to take more than a few steps in the other direction. Mina turned back towards him, an inquisitive expression adorning her features.

“Yeah?�

“Do you want to maybe go out sometime?� he questioned as suavely as possible. She stood silent for a moment, contemplating the request.

“Sure,� she finally agreed with a nod. “You should just...call me. The last name’s McKinnon, it’s under my cousin Ivy’s name, you should be able to find us in the...what do you call it?�

“Phonebook?�

“Yeah, that.� She smiled, seeming pleased with the turn of events and gave him what small semblance of a wave she could muster with her arms full of books, notebooks, and paper.

***

“Hey, kid,� a bodiless deep male voice startled Mina as she entered the apartment, causing her to drop her books on the floor in surprise.

“Jesus Christ, Avery,� she muttered in contempt, kneeling to pick up her books as a head of bright red hair was revealed in the corner, followed soon by the rest of a 25-year-old male body.

“I prefer just Avery, if you don’t mind.� He grinned and flopped his tall figure down onto the couch, putting his feet up on the table. Mina rolled her eyes and sat down next to him.

“What are you doing here? And why are you scaring the shit out of me? And what in God’s name do you think you’re doing just popping up in the middle of a park in broad daylight? Someone could have seen you!� she scolded her older brother.

“No worries, little sis, no one saw me. I’ve had practice. Who was that guy you were with?� Avery wasted no time getting to the subject he was most curious about.

“No one, just someone I met at the park,� Mina replied nonchalantly. She decided to willingly supply the rest of the information before he tried to pry it out of her. “We’re going to go out sometime.� Avery raised his eyebrows.

“Wizard?�

“Nope.�

It was one simple word, but the heavy silence that followed testified to the effect that one simple word could have on a conversation. Mina stood and picked her books up, bringing them into her bedroom and letting out a sigh before returning to the living room and her brother. He was still sitting on the couch, looking decidedly unhappy, when she returned.

“Mina,� he began. She shook her head.

“Don’t start with me, Avery,� she warned him. She knew what he was going to say, she had known the minute he had asked her about the guy in the first place.

“It’s playing with fire, kid,� he told her, his voice labored with a combination of worry and aggravation at a younger sister who seemed unwilling to listen to anything those older than her had to say. She was obsessed with people different from herself, convinced that there was more to the non-magic world than those in her world thought. He suspected it had something to do with her close relationship with Ivy, who was the only McKinnon in generations who had not inherited the gift of magic. They all loved Ivy, but she came from their family, so it was different. Mina did not seem to make the distinction.

“Okay, one, don’t call me ‘kid,’ I hate it. Two, it’s a research project. And three, if it weren’t a research project, don’t you think that your attitude towards witches and wizards dating non-magics is a lot of the reason these things don’t work out?�

“No, I don’t, I think-“

“It’s called prejudice, Avery. It happens on both sides and it is bad.�

“It’s not prejudice, it’s a fact. These things don’t work out, Mina.�

“Sometimes they do,� Mina replied stubbornly. “That’s why I’m studying it, anyway, to find out why it does or doesn’t work. And maybe if you were a little more open-minded-“

“You don’t know,� he interrupted her, equally as stubborn. “This has nothing to do with being open-minded, it has to do with the facts, and the facts are that these things do not work, because guys who are not wizards do not want to deal with the fact that their girlfriends can use magic and do not understand that witch does not equal evil. However,� he held up a hand to stop her from interrupting as she clearly wanted to, “If it’s just a research thing...�

“It is.�

“Fine. But I don’t know why you waste your time with this shit. When the results are exactly what I’ve just told you, don’t be surprised.�

She shook her head in irritation. Secretly, Mina was worried that Avery was right, but she was determined to find something different, and this Justin person seemed like the perfect person to help her do so. He seemed just easy going enough for it to work.

Chapter Four – The Amazing Bouncing Bowling Ball

Mina would never have admitted it - particularly not to either of her brothers or her mother, all of whom would give her very distinct “I told you so� looks if she did - but moving to Los Angeles, even if just for the summer, had been difficult for her. Mina prided herself in not being afraid of people different from her, but she had never before sought to spend so much time with them, and even with Ivy around, it was easy to get lonesome for her parents’ house or Wigglesworth, where everyone had at least one thing in common - magic. It was this typically human longing to feel at home that brought Mina to a small brick building in West Hollywood at least once everyday.

The Daily Brew could only be found by those who knew where to find it. It appeared to those outside of this group of people to be nothing more than a deserted old building on the corner of quiet intersection. Inside it was cozy, but larger than it looked from the outside. A fire was always burning and the temperature was always comfortable, regardless of the weather. Overstuffed armchairs were situated around coffee tables across from a coffee bar with unusually comfortable bar stools. Ivy had worked at this shop since she first arrived in LA a few years prior to her cousin’s arrival, and Mina felt more at home there than she did in her own apartment. It was here that Mina found herself the afternoon of her first date with her new research subject.

“We’re going bowling,� Mina responded to the inquiries of two very curious Daily Brew employees, Belle and Ralph.

“What is bowling?� Belle looked as though she couldn’t decide between being confused and disgusted.

“Hang on, I think I’ve heard of that!� Ralph exclaimed before Mina had a chance to respond. “That’s the game where you wear funny shoes and toss heavy balls about, yeah?�

“That’s the one.� Mina laughed in acknowledgment. “I’ve never played, but I read about it in a book once.�

“I saw it on TV,� Ralph explained his knowledge of the subject. Mina and Belle both looked at him curiously and he shrugged. “Sometimes there is nothing good on any of the wizarding channels, okay? And I am compelled to turn to the very few non-wizarding channels included in my cable package.�

“Do you find that bowling makes for good television, Ralph?� Ivy asked in amusement as she approached the side of the bar where Belle and Ralph were standing neglecting their jobs.

“Well, sure. Have you seen the shoes?�

“You bring up a good point.�

“What? What about the shoes?� Belle was beginning to feel distinctly left out of the conversation.

“Hilarious,� Ralph informed her succinctly.

“Well, I’m looking forward to it,� Mina stated, swirling the few remaining drops of hot chocolate around in the bottom of her mug. “It should be an interesting experience if nothing else.�

“What’s it like dating a guy who isn’t a wizard?� Belle wondered aloud.

“Pretty much the same as dating a wizard except they don’t slip truth potions in your drink because they think you’re cheating on them,� Mina replied, a hint of bitterness creeping into her voice as she recalled her last boyfriend, Michael, who had done precisely that. Ivy couldn’t help chuckling.

“Not that that’s ever happened to you,� she joked with a smirk.

“No, of course not. I would never be dumb enough to date a psycho like that.� Mina rolled her eyes and slid off the barstool she was sitting on.

“I definitely want to hear more about this,� Ralph requested eagerly.

“Have Ivy tell you.� Mina nodded towards her cousin. “I have to go figure out what one wears bowling.�

“At least they pick out the shoes for you,� Ivy reminded her, grinning. “That’s the hardest part right?�

“Right,� Mina laughed. “See you guys later.�

“Let us know how it goes!� Belle called after her as they all waved goodbye.

***

“Which one?� Justin asked Izzie. She was sitting at the coffee table in their living room looking through the photos he’d just gotten developed as Justin stood bare-chested, holding up two shirts and waiting for her to make a decision for him. She glanced up briefly.

“Beatles,� she replied, her eyes returning a picture of a child in the park playing with a dog.

“Izzie, you hardly even looked,� her cousin whine.

“Oh my God.� She was irritated with him and his feminine ways, as usual. She looked back up and stared at the two shirts for an annoyingly long time. Justin rolled his eyes.

“Come on…�

“No, I have to take them in,� she told him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I wouldn’t want to miss some important detail and give you the wrong advice, now would I?�

“I hate you.�

“Shhhh.� She paused again, furrowing her brow dramatically. “Beatles.�

“You’re such a bitch.� He glared at her as he plopped down next to her on the couch, pulling the Beatles t-shirt over his head.

“Thank you, asshole,� she replied sweetly, her eyes remaining on the photos. Suddenly she stopped flipping through them and frowned, picking one up and showing it to him. “Who’s this?�

“Oh, that’s Mina. The girl I’m taking out tonight.� He grinned proudly, but his expression quickly dropped when Izzie burst into laughter. “What?� he inquired defensively.

“You’re taking out the girl from the grocery store!� she exclaimed through her laughter.

“No, I’m not,� he protested, though he realized she might be right. He knew he’d seen Mina somewhere before. Izzie shook her head.

“Justin,� she began, holding the picture up again. “Didn’t you recognize her? It’s the same girl I told you to ask out when we were at Safeway.�

“No it isn’t,� he insisted. His basic goal in life was to never admit that Izzie was right about anything. She tended to get a big head if he did.

“Yes it is, dumbass!� She gave him a hearty smack on the back of his head before returning the picture to the pile. “Man. When I’m right, I’m right.�

“What are you talking about?�

“I told you to ask her out and you did,� she reminded him, standing up and grinning from ear to ear.

“Well, I didn’t ask her out at the store because that is just stupid and desperate.�

“Whatever. Not the point.� She continued to grin obnoxiously, hands resting on her hips. “I know everything. You should listen to me more often. Oh, wait. You already do!�

“Shut up.�

***

Mina stood in the parking lot, staring up at the big brick building in front of her, the words “Super Bowl� flashing in neon lights. She didn’t know why, but she was nervous. She had been the entire time she’d been getting dressed at home and now here she stood, unable to bring herself to actually enter the building. She felt the usual excitement about beginning with a new research subject, but there was something about her decision to try and stick with this one for a while that made it more intimidating than usual. Taking a deep breath, she strode towards the front door, making mental notes of everything she passed along the way – the cars, the trash in the parking lot, the little kids screaming at their parents that they don’t want to go home yet – anything could be important.

“Hey, there you are!� Justin greeted her mere seconds after she stepped foot in the loud, smoky building. He had offered to pick her up, but Mina had insisted on walking since the bowling alley wasn’t that far from her apartment.

“Hi,� she returned the greeting with a smile, her eyes drifting to the man and woman accompanying Justin. She’d known it was going to be a double date, and she made a note in her head to observe how this affected their interactions.

“This is Trace and Elisha,� he introduced his best friends quickly, gesturing to them as he said each of their names. “And this is Mina.�

The three greeted each other, exchanging handshakes and “nice to meet you�s before the group headed to their lane.

“You look really nice tonight,� Justin told Mina quietly as they walked slightly behind Trace and Elisha, who were arguing loudly about which of them had beaten the other the last time they’d gone bowling.

“Thanks. So do you,� Mina returned the compliment sincerely. He was just wearing a baggy pair of jeans and an old Beatles t-shirt, but somehow the way the clothes fell on his lean figure made him look really good to her. She wished she had her notebook with her, but she had to settle for recording the image of him in her head as he smiled down at her.

“Okay, I’m gonna go get some food and beer,� Trace announced as they arrived at their lane. “Justin, wanna come help me?�

“Sure.�

“So.� Elisha smiled at Mina as the men retreated in search of pizza and beer. “How’d you and Justin meet?�

“Oh, um…in the park. He was taking a picture of me.� Mina slid into one of the chairs as she responded. Elisha nodded.

“I have to tell you, I am so glad he met you. Trace and I were really happy when he called and asked us to come along on this date. It’s the first one he’s had since he broke up with his girlfriend,� Elisha informed Justin’s date, not thinking about the fact that this was probably more information than he wanted her to know at the moment.

“Oh, really?�

“Yeah. He’s been so bummed out about life lately too. No girlfriend, no job…he’s finally working on getting back into film school, though. I guess that’s why he was taking those pictures.�

“Yeah, probably.�

***

“So…how do I do this?� Mina inquired, biting her lip when it was finally her turn and looking back at the table of expert bowlers who accompanied her. They stared back at her incredulously.

“You’ve never bowled before?� Justin replied faintly, as though overwhelmed with the shock of this realization. He had never met a person his age who hadn’t been bowling before.

“Nope.� Mina shook her head. “Sorry.�

“No, that’s okay,� he assured her quickly, standing up and abandoning his pizza to stride over to her. “It’s just…what have you been doing all your life?�

“You don’t want to know,� she replied with a laugh.

“Fair enough,� he chuckled and rested a hand on her shoulder as he instructed her. She was wearing a tank top, so the shoulder was bare and he stopped briefly to register the softness of her skin. “Okay, it’s really easy. All you do is aim for those arrows. Those are the pins. Take a couple of steps and, I dunno…let it roll.�

“Okay,� she acknowledged his advice slowly and he looked down at her.

“You got it?�

“I think so.�

“Okay, go for it.� He stepped back to let her do it.

Mina furrowed her brow in concentration and stepped forward slowly. She focused on the arrows as she’d been told to do and released the ball from her grip. She stepped back as she watched it go straight for the gutter and groaned.

“It’s okay,� Justin assured her from where he was standing. “First times always-“ He cut himself off, his jaw dropping as the ball bounced out of the gutter and back into the lane, heading straight towards the pins. “That is…unusual.�

“Yeah,� Mina agreed, turning around to face him, her face showing a small amount of either fear or embarrassment. “Weird. I, uh…have to go the rest room.� And with that she rushed passed Justin, leaving him and both of the others to marvel in silence at the unusual bouncing behavior of her ball.

***

“I’m sorry I suck so much,� Mina apologized to Justin as they walked away from the bowling alley and towards her apartment. He had insisted on walking her home and she had given in, not able to think of any reason why he shouldn’t. After the initial incident of her ball acting in a distinctly magical manner, she had made an effort not to repeat that, and as such had pretty much played the worst game of bowling seen to man.

“Hey, that’s okay. We can’t all be good at everything, right? I’m sure you have your strong points.� He grinned down at her as she laughed.

“You were very good,� she observed in response.

“Yeah, at least we know I’m good at something.�

“Oh, come on. I’m sure you’re good at other things too.�

“Yes.� He nodded. “I am very good at eating.�

Mina laughed again and shook her head. “Elisha told me you’re trying to get back into film school. So there’s something, yeah?�

“’Trying’ is the key word there,� he informed her. “I’m not sure I’m so good at that.�

“I bet you are.� She nudged him encouragingly and he glanced down at her, smiling.

“Not really, but thanks for the vote of confidence.�

“Anytime. And this is my place.� She stopped in front of the door of her and Ivy’s first floor apartment, turning to face her companion.

“So this is where you live, huh?� He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he looked up at the pastel blue colored building.

“Yep, this is it. Home sweet home. For now, anyway.� She nodded in affirmation.

“It’s nice.�

“Thanks.�

They stood silently in the moonlight as Mina tried to decide what to say and Justin’s gaze returned to her. He let his eyes linger on her thin frame and dark, moonlit hair since she was looking at her keys as she fiddled with them in her hands.

“I had a really good time,� he told her finally. She looked up, her face breaking into a smile.

“So did I,� she replied, almost surprised at the truthfulness of her words. She had almost forgotten to keep taking mental notes on the evening for her studies.

“We should do it again.�

“We should. We definitely should.�

“Yeah.�

The silence returned. Mina could tell from the way he was looking at her, his eyes slowly drifting down to her lips and lingering there before he realized he was staring and looked away, that he wanted to kiss her goodnight. She didn’t think she should let him. He was her research subject and normally she would allow it as part of the research, but a nagging voice in the back of her head told her it would be unprofessional in this instance.

“Well, I better get inside,� she said softly.

“Yeah.� Justin nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you probably should.�

“Goodnight.�

“’Night.� He gave her a little wave before she disappeared inside the apartment.

Chapter Five – Honestly, I’m Lying

In his day, Justin had been a bit of a player. He was never what Izzie liked to refer to as a “man whore,� but he’d had his share of short, not so chaste relationships that were lacking in meaning. He’d even been known to have a few of said relationships at the same time. It was not something he was necessarily proud of, but it was something he was known for and it was this knowledge that caused Trace to stare at Justin blankly the next day as they and Izzie played a game of pool.

“So, wait.� He paused after sinking a ball into one of the pockets and handed the stick to Izzie. The two of them had teamed up against Justin and were systematically kicking his ass. “You didn’t kiss her?�

“Nope.� Justin shook his head and stared at the pool table thoughtfully, trying to decide what the easiest shot for him to make would be.

“And…why?�

“Because he’s a pussy,� Izzie interjected before her cousin had a chance to respond. Justin glared at her briefly, then returned his attention to the pool table, bending down to aim his shot.

“No.� He paused to miss the shot and kick the table in frustration. “I don’t think she wanted me to kiss her.�

“What’d she do? Punch you in the face and tell you to get away from her?� Trace inquired sarcastically. “Because I was sitting across from the both of you all night, listening to all the talking and laughing, and I’m pretty sure she didn’t hate your dumb ass or anything.�

“I never said she hates me,� Justin retorted, his tone reflecting how annoyed he was by this conversation. He was definitely regretting having told Izzie about the lack of a goodnight kiss after his date with Mina, as she had quickly forgone a “hello� and greeted Trace with, “Justin got less action than a nun last night.�

“Then why didn’t you kiss her?� Trace asked again, still unable to grasp the concept. In his world, if a date with a hot girl went well, you were supposed to kiss her. He had always thought that he and Justin were on the same page on this matter, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t wrap his brain around the fact that his best friend had forgone to opportunity to mack on a girl as beautiful as Mina.

“Pussy,� Izzie reiterated in a singsong voice.

“Isabella, what the fuck are you doing?� Justin exclaimed in exasperation. Izzie was circling the pool table as they talked and had yet to take her turn.

“I think you know what I’m doing, Justin,� she replied in a knowing tone, stopping on the other side of the table, frowning, and then continuing to circle. “And don’t try to change the subject. My pool stick gets more action than you, okay? And that is not right.�

“Hey, I get plenty of action sometimes.� Justin held up a hand in protest as he spoke. He was getting a little tired of his friend and cousin acting as though he had announced his plans to join the priesthood simply because he’d gone on one date without a goodnight kiss. It wasn’t that he hadn’t wanted to kiss her. He certainly had. But Mina’s body language had stopped him. She had kept one arm folded across her and didn’t hold eye contact with him for more than a few seconds at a time. Those were not the actions of a woman who was waiting to be kissed. He should know.

“It just wasn’t the right time that’s all,� he continued to explain to his friends in vain. The disbelieving looks they shot him were not helping his self esteem.

“Pussy.� This time the statement came from Trace, who was shaking his head in disgust.

“See?� Izzie looked at Justin pointedly and finally stopped circling the pool table, having apparently found the perfect angle for her next shot.

***

“So, let me get this straight,� Ralph began, his dark brown eyes sparkling with more than a hint of amusement. “You bowled a gutter ball, so you made it bounce up out of the gutter and bowl a strike?�

“Yes.� Mina nodded as she took a sip of her iced tea with lemon. She was back at the Daily Brew, surrounded by Ralph, Belle, and Ivy. The three had finally been able to take a break from their other customers to hear her relate the story of her first date with “New Research Guy,� as they called him, seemingly unable to remember Justin’s name.

“Okay, so I’ve only watched a few games on TV, but I’m pretty sure that’s not how the game is supposed to work.� An amused smirk adorned Ralph’s dark features and Mina glared back at him as the other two women laughed.

“Well, I didn’t do it on purpose,� she insisted. “It was just one of those things, you know? I was concentrating too hard and I lost control. It happens.�

“Yeah, it happens,� Belle agreed skeptically. “But the last time it happened to me was when I was 15. I’ve never heard of something like that happening to a witch of your age and talent, Mina.�

“It happens,� Mina repeated with a shrug. She didn’t want to admit that she’d had the very same thought when it had happened. She could barely remember the last time she’d lost control of her magic. It was probably the time she’d accidentally blown up Avery’s broomstick when she was 12. He had refused to give her a turn on it one too many times, and she’d just lost it. It had never happened again.

“Maybe she just really wanted to win the game, you guys,� Ivy broke in with a mischievous grin. “I haven’t done much bowling of my own, but I hear it’s very humiliating to lose.�

“You are a very supportive group of people,� Mina observed sarcastically. “I’m so glad to call you my friends.�

“You know we love you,� Belle told her with a laugh. “So, are you going to see him again?�

“Well, sure.� Mina shrugged nonchalantly, glad to finally have the focus off her bowling ball incident. She had worried about it enough without them harping on it. “I mean, that’s the whole point of this. To stay in a relationship with him long enough that when I tell him I’m a witch it won’t be such a big deal.� She paused. “I hope. Or else my whole thesis will be about how much I suck at coming up with hypotheses.�

“This is so exciting,� Belle squealed. “I wish I’d gone to University so I could do fun things like date non-magics and write papers about it.�

“Well, there’s still time,� Mina reminded her, ever the advocate for going to college. She tapped her iced tea with her wand, turning the glass into a Starbucks to go cup in order to make it appear more normal to the outside world. She hopped off her stool, brushing a piece of black hair out of her eyes. “I’ve gotta get going, but I’ll see you all later.�

Her three friends said their goodbyes and turned their attention back to their other customers as Mina strode towards the door. She was on her way to meet her first interviewees for her thesis. Andrea and Fred were a couple whose relationship had survived Andrea’s confession that she was a witch. Mina had met them through Ivy and she was extremely excited to pick their brains.

No sooner had Mina stepped out of the Daily Brew and into the bright sun of Los Angeles than she heard a male voice speaking her name. She slipped on her sunglasses as she turned towards the voice, confused.

***

“Mina?� Justin asked, surprised to see her walking out of an abandoned building down the street from the pool hall. She turned to look at him, her full lips turned down in a confused frown.

“Oh. Justin! Hi.� The frown turned to an awkward smile as she greeted him.

“Hi,� he replied, returning the smile. “What are you doing here?� He gestured towards the brick building on the corner that had been deserted as long as he could remember.

“Oh.� Mina turned towards the building, looking at it as though it were the first time she’d ever seen it. “Well, my cousin Ivy and I are looking into…buying this building and turning it into a shop. You know, sort of an investment for the future.�

“Oh, interesting.� Justin nodded, genuinely interested. “What kind of shop?�

“Hmm?� Mina seemed confused by the question.

“What kind of shop?� he repeated.

“Oh, you know. The kind where people buy things…like books. And things of that nature.� Mina stumbled over her words. She took a sip of her iced tea and silently congratulated herself for wearing sunglasses so that Justin was unable to see the way she was avoiding eye contact, a sure sign of lying.

“A book shop?� Justin suggested with a smile.

“Perhaps.� Mina nodded, returning the smile. “We’re still working through the details.�

“Sounds good.�

“Yeah. Listen, I’m on my way to an appointment, so I’ll talk to you later.� She turned to continue down the sidewalk, but stopped when Justin reached out and touched her arm lightly.

“Where are you headed? Maybe I could give you a ride.� He nodded towards his car, which happened to be parked right in front of the abandoned building in question.

“Oh, that’s not necessary,� Mina replied, shaking her head slightly.

“No, come on. Where are you going?�

“Jefferson Park.�

“Great. I’m headed that way anyway. I can just drop you off on my way,� he insisted. Mina bit her lip uncomfortably.

“I don’t want to put you out or anything.�

“It’s no problem, I promise,� Justin assured her, flashing a winning smile and suddenly Mina didn’t really feel like arguing anymore.

“Well…okay,� she finally conceded. Justin grinned.

“Great!� he exclaimed, trotting over to open the passenger side door for her. Mina thanked him and slid inside, looking around the inside of the leather furnished car as Justin walked around to the other side and got in.

“This is only, like, the third time I’ve been in a car ever,� Mina admitted absentmindedly as Justin turned on the ignition and pulled out of his parking spot.

“Really?� he asked incredulously. “No bowling, no cars. Good God, woman, were your parents some kind of crazy hippie flower children or something?�

“Yeah, something like that,� Mina replied. She laughed but she was silently cursing herself for saying something that so easily drew attention to her abnormalities. She hastily covered her tracks with a lie. “Yeah, they made my brothers and I walk everywhere.�

“Wow.� Justin shook his head in disbelief. “What about school? Didn’t you ride the bus or anything?�

“No, I went to boarding school,� Mina told him truthfully.

“Really? Where?�

“Canada.�

“Harsh.�

“I really liked it, actually.� Mina laughed at Justin’s response. The affection she had for her school was apparent in her voice when she continued talking about it. “Both of my brothers went there and most of my cousins, so it wasn’t like I was cut off from my family or anything. And I learned so much there.�

“That’s actually really cool.� Justin took his eyes off the road briefly to smile at her and he saw that she was smiling to herself, clearly reminiscing about her school days. “I’m sorry to report that my schooling wasn’t nearly as interesting, though. I went to public school, was in the middle of my class, and spent all breaks devising new ways to trick the girls on the playground into kissing me. I didn’t even have hippie parents. Just call me…normal guy.�

Mina chuckled involuntarily. “Well, I think there’s something to be said for ‘normality,’� she assured him. “There’s something charming about the whole picket fence, football, prom queen thing.�

“Unfortunately, I was not the prom queen,� Justin sighed.

“That is unfortunate,� Mina agreed, her faux serious tone destroyed by the giggle that escaped from her lips.

“Can’t have everything I guess. And here we are,� he announced as he pulled up in front of the very park where he had first officially met the woman in his car. “What are you doing here?�

“Oh, I’m interviewing some people for my Master’s thesis. Nothing particularly exciting.� Mina opened the door and turned to Justin before sliding out. “Thanks for the ride.�

“No problem,� he replied with a smile as she got out and swung the passenger’s side door shut behind her. “Hey, can I see you again sometime? Like, on purpose?�

“Of course,� Mina told him with a smile. “Call me.�

“Oh, I will.�

***

“Honesty,� Andrea stated matter-of-factly, responding to Mina’s question of what made her relationship with Fred work. “Definitely honesty. I told Fred the truth about me the minute I had even an inkling that he was getting serious about me. And even before that, I made a point to never really lie to him about things, so when he did find out he didn’t feel like I’d been pretending to be a completely different person or anything.�

“Do you agree with that, Fred?� Mina inquired of the male half of the couple, her pen flying hastily across her paper of its own free will.

“Absolutely,� the small man agreed with a vigorous nod of his head. “Obviously I was still a little freaked out at first when she told me, because who wouldn’t be, right?� He paused to share a chuckle with his wife. “But once I realized that she was still my Andrea and that she had been as honest with me as she could, I was okay with it. It’s been an adjustment, but I don’t even think about it anymore really. It’s pretty convenient having a witch around the house.�

Mina nodded and smiled at the happy couple in front of her. It was people like these that made her want to continue pursuing her current field of research; they were different, but they loved each other, and there was no reason they shouldn’t be together.

“Did you two have to deal with any sort of prejudices from your friends and family?� Mina asked her next question. “Andrea, for dating a non-wizard? Fred, for marrying a witch?�

“Oh, definitely.� Andrea rolled her eyes, showing her complete disgust with the memories that she then proceeded to relay. Mina took a sip of her iced tea and listened intently as her pen took everything down in excruciating detail.

Chapter Six – It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

It was raining outside, an unusual occurrence for summer in southern California, but Mina appreciated it as she sat at the kitchen table, going through the notes she’d made on various dates, interviews, and non-magic media since her arrival in the Los Angeles. The raindrops pounding against the window created a steady rhythm, mixing with the soft voices drifting out from the radio to her left as she concentrated on the observations and data spread out in front of her. If the rhythm of the rain and pulse of the music coming from the radio hadn’t been creating such a lulling effect, Mina probably wouldn’t have been quite so shocked when a deep male voice behind her greeted her with an ominous, “Hello.� As it was, she nearly jumped out of skin, causing the dark-haired man behind her to become consumed by a fit of laughter.

“Holy God!� Mina exclaimed, glaring at her oldest brother, Charlie, as he slid into the chair across from her.

“Avery’s right,� Charlie observed through his laughter. “That is fucking hilarious.�

“I swear to God, I’m going to have to put some sort of blocking spell on this place so you two can’t keep scaring me out of my wits.� Mina placed a hand over her heart as if to demonstrate just how scared out of her wits she’d been.

“Aw, come on, Mina, you’ve been away from wizards for too long if a little thing like random appearances of strange men in your home while you’re alone and vulnerable scare you,� Charlie scolded her with a teasing grin.

“Yeah, that’s definitely only started scaring me recently.� Mina rolled her eyes at her brother, but allowed a small amount of laughter, as she could tell he was only joking. Charlie had always been the more tolerable of her two brothers. “What are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn’t you be in London?�

“Eh, I had some time off, so I thought I’d stop in and check on my little sister, see how the research is going.� Charlie shrugged nonchalantly. He worked as a doctor at a magical hospital in London, and he was usually so busy that Mina rarely saw him. Despite his chosen method of entering the apartment, she was actually quite glad to see him. “And if your five million pages of notes here are any indication, I’d say it’s going pretty well.�

“It’s not too bad,� Mina replied with a shrug. Her brother laughed, his eyes smiling at her.

“Glad and relieved to here it,� he stated with a grin. “Avery tells me you’re dating some poor chump so you can write about it in your thesis.�

“He’s not a chump, he’s actually a pretty nice guy,� Mina responded, immediately on the defense. “And please don’t tell me you’re going to start with the whole ‘dating non-magics is trouble and your entire graduate education is a total waste of time’ speech.�

“Hey, I’m not gonna knock it.� Charlie raised his hands up as a sign of surrender. He reached into the bowl of pistachios Mina had sitting next to her on the table and tossed one into his mouth before continuing. “A colleague of mine at the hospital has been seeing this non-magic girl for a couple of months now. Most rewarding relationship he’s ever had.�

“Good to know.� Mina couldn’t help laughing at her brother’s means of support. A thought suddenly dawned on her. “Ooh, can I interview him? Does the girl know he’s a wizard?�

“I don’t know.� Charlie frowned as though this were the first time the question had occurred to him. “You know, that’s a really good question. I bet she doesn’t. This changes the whole situation for me.�

“Yeah,� Mina sighed. “People are so scared to let their significant others know about their true selves, you know? It’s sad that this rift exists between our communities.�

“Indeed.� Charlie picked up a few more pistachios thoughtfully. He quickly deserted any questions Mina had brought into his mind about the propriety of social norms as he slid one into his mouth. “So when are you seeing this guy again?�

“In a couple of hours. We’re going to some fair or something down by the beach.�

“Outside?�

“Yeah.�

“It’s raining.�

“I’m aware.� Mina pulled the bowl of pistachios out of Charlie’s reach. He would eat them all before the end of the conversation if she let him. He responded by pulling out his wand, but she had retrieved hers and muttered a few words to send his flying out of his hands before he had a chance to do anything.

“Bitch!� he gasped playfully.

“I paid for these,� she replied, solemnly pointing to the bowl of pistachios that she was now holding protectively.

“How do you get men to like you?� Charlie inquired as he stood up to retrieve his wand from where it had fallen on the floor.

“Feminine wiles,� Mina replied with an innocent grin.

***

“Yeah, next Thursday at 3 is perfect,� Justin confirmed into the phone. “Yeah. Yeah. Great. Than you so much, Mr. Delaney. I really appreciate this. Absolutely. ‘Bye.�

“Who was that?� Izzie inquired curiously, intrigued by the way her cousin was grinning like a maniac as soon as he hung up the phone. He was practically dancing with excitement and it was more than enough to make her look up from her magazine and stare at him until he responded to her inquiries.

“I just got a job interview to be a personal assistant to John Delaney,� Justin informed her, his voice filled with excitement.

“Who?� Izzie’s confused response was not what Justin had been hoping for. Personally, he felt that jumping around and screaming would have been more appropriate, so he punched her in the arm.

“What do you mean ‘who’? John Delaney is like, the most fucking awesome independent film director around right now!� he exclaimed, appalled.

“Oh!� Izzie’s face lit up as Justin explained and she stopped rubbing her arm where he’d punched her. “That’s awesome! How’d you pull that off?�

“I ran into my friend Brian from film school while I was out at the bar the other night and we were talking about how I’m kind of down and out right now, so he told me about this position he’d heard about, made some calls for me, and got me an interview. Is that amazing or what?�

“That’s really amazing,� Izzie replied, giving her cousin what was probably the only sincere response she’d given him in years. He rarely deserved it, but for once he did. She was even moved to stand up and wrap her arms around him in a hug.

Justin couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this happy about something. His last relationship had stopped being happy and exciting long before it ended, and the events that followed the end of the relationship were even worse. He’d felt like a worthless bum for a long time, and for once he finally felt like he might be able to get things together enough that he wouldn’t feel like a loser every time he went to play Caverns of Doom.

“Well, I better get going,� Justin admitted as he released Izzie from the congratulatory embrace.

“Oh, yeah?� she inquired, raising an eyebrow. “Where to?�

“I’m taking Mina out again,� Justin replied, trying to sound unaffected, but he was really looking forward to this almost as much as he was looking forward to his forthcoming interview.

“Well, you better kiss the damn girl at the end of this one is all I’ve got to say,� Izzie stated, returning to her chair and her magazine. “Because if you don’t, then you’re a god damn pussy and I can’t tolerate that sort of thing in my family.�

“Thank you for the encouraging words,� Justin responded sarcastically. “I really appreciate all the support you’ve given me.�

“Hey now, support is for the weak.�

***

By the time Charlie had disappeared back to London, Ivy had arrived home from work, and the doorbell of the McKinnon residence rang, the rain had slowed down considerably. The hard but steadying pounding against the window panes had changed to a light pitter patter and the lightning which had previously lit up the sky was becoming less and less frequent. Mina was grateful. She enjoyed the rain when she was sitting at home protected by four walls and a ceiling, but she wasn’t much for going out in it. She gave herself the once over in the mirror, decided she looked decent and trotted towards the front door.

“Hi!� she greeted Justin brightly, opening the door and letting him into the shelter of the apartment. He smiled back at her and gave her a quick hug as a greeting.

“Hey. Sorry I’m late, people are driving like maniacs today. It’s like they’ve never seen rain in June.� He shook his head with disdain.

“They probably haven’t,� Ivy’s voice drifted over from the kitchen, where she was cooking pasta to enjoy by herself that evening.

“True,� Justin agreed with a laugh.

“This is my cousin Ivy,� Mina interjected, realizing the two had never actually met one another. “Ivy, this is Justin.�

“Hi, Ivy,� Justin greeted the redhead, smiling warmly.

“Hi.� Ivy smiled back, giving Mina an approving look before returning her attention to her pasta. “You two better get going before the rain starts picking up again.�

“That’s true,� Justin concurred, turning his attention back to Mina. “Shall we?�

“Absolutely.�

“You look really nice, by the way,� Justin commented as he held the door open for the woman in front of him, allowing her to walk through before he did the same. For all of his faults, it could never be said that he lacked manners.

“Thanks,� she replied. She was surprised to find that the compliment seemed genuine, as she hadn’t exactly dressed up for the occasion. A trip to the fair hadn’t seemed like something that required much more than the pair of jeans and maroon peasant top she was wearing. “You too.�

“So, I was thinking that since it’s still kind of drizzly out, maybe we should skip the fair and go to the aquarium,� Justin suggested as they headed towards his car. “You’re kind of new to L.A, right? Have you been there yet?�

“Nope.� Mina shook her head as they approached the black Chevy Cavalier that Justin had owned since he was 21. “That sounds like fun.�

***

“Okay, this damn place only has one soda machine and that is ridiculous,� Justin informed Mina as he handed her the bottle of Coke she’d requested and took a seat next to her. She was sitting in front of an exhibit of jellyfish, just watching them glide through the water. It was almost hypnotic, and she barely looked up when Justin returned.

“Thanks,� she remembered to say briefly.

“No problem.�

Justin sat in silence next to his date and watched her watching the jellyfish. The way she was staring made him smile. It was like she was mesmerized by the way the spineless animals just seemed to drift through the water, as opposed to other fish who were clearly making a conscious effort. She looked the way he imagined he had always looked when his parents brought him here as a child and he would refuse to leave the jellyfish for hours.

“They’re pretty beautiful, aren’t they?� he finally broke the silence as he opened his own bottle of Coke. Mina was brought out of her trance and glanced over at the man sitting next to her.

“Yeah. They’re amazing.� She nodded, taking a sip of the soda he’d brought her. “I wonder what it must be like to be an animal like that. No cares, no human drama. It must be strange, but so peaceful.�

Yeah.� Justin mimicked her nod of the head in agreement. “I always used to love coming here as a kid. Watching the jellyfish was my favorite thing ever. I was kind of obsessed.�

“A decent thing to be obsessed with, I suppose,� Mina replied with a laugh.

“I guess.� Justin joined in her laughter before taking a sip of his own soda. “Then it was jellyfish, now it’s Caverns of Doom and taking pictures.�

“Caverns of Doom?� She raised an eyebrow in amusement, placing a lot of emphasis on the last word of the title. Justin chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s a video game. Pretty stupid. I don’t know why I thought it would be a good idea to bring it up.� He directed his attention back to the jellyfish, his cheeks turning a lovely shade of crimson.

“I’ve never played a video game,� Mina commented lightly.

“What?� Justine exclaimed before he remembered she’d only been in a car a few times as well. “Oh, that’s right. Crazy hippie parents. Wow, what a childhood you must have had.�

“It’s not as interesting as you might think, trust me.�

“Try me.�

“Okay,� she began with a labored sigh, trying to decide how she could relay some of the details of her childhood to him without including things like broomstick races and getting trouble for experimenting with new spells. “Well, I have two older brothers who liked to torment me mercilessly. I spent August through May being obsessed with school and learning, and the summers wandering in the woods around our house trying to find something new and exciting and very rarely finding it.�

“Sounds fucking awesome to me,� Justin admitted enthusiastically. Mina was more than a little surprised at the response. Most people found such a description of her childhood profoundly boring and depressing. “You lived near woods?�

“Yeah. Our house was surrounded by them. Well, still is. My parents still live there.� She smiled, thinking fondly on her parents house, hidden up in the foothills of northern California where people who wouldn’t understand their magical habits couldn’t find it.

“I always wished I lived somewhere like that. Especially when I got to be a teenager. I got really into photography and the city offers a lot of great material, but nature is so much more aesthetically pleasing sometimes.� He couldn’t believe he’d actually just used the phrase ‘aesthetically pleasing’ on a date. His last girlfriend would have looked at him like he was crazy, but Mina seemed really interested in what he had to say.

“I’d like to see some of your pictures,� she told him. “You should show them to me sometime.�

“Sure,� Justin complied, trying not to sound too thrilled about the concept. It implied that she wanted to see him again, which was a difficult thing not to sound too happy about.

They both fell silent again, sipping their respective bottles of Coke and watching the mesmerizing movements of the jellyfish. Justin was the one to break the silence again.

“Do you want to get out of here?� he asked finally when he realized they’d been in the aquarium for about two hours. “We could go grab some dinner or something.�

“Sounds good,� Mina agreed with a smile, casting her eyes towards one of the large windows facing the ocean. She groaned when she saw that the rain, which had stopped briefly, had started up again and was falling harder than ever. “Oh, it’s raining. I don’t want to go out in the rain.�

“What? Afraid you’re going to melt or something?� Justin teased. Mina’s focus shot back towards him the moment the words came out of his mouth. There was a strange look in her eyes that he couldn’t quite place, something between anger and fear.

“What’d you say?� she asked him quickly.

“Uh, nothing. Just a little Wizard of Oz reference there,� he replied uncomfortably.

“God,� Mina huffed, standing up and heading towards the door without even waiting for him. “I hate that book.�

“Sorry,� Justin apologized immediately, getting up and following her. It wasn’t difficult for him to catch up within a few long strides. “I didn’t mean to offend you or anything.� It seemed like a strange thing to be offended by; there were plenty of books he didn’t particularly like, but he didn’t generally get upset when others mentioned them.

“It’s fine,� Mina accepted his apology with a wave of her hand, stopping to face him as she continued. “It’s just that books like that perpetuate this black and white view of evil, you know? Like you’re wholly good or wholly evil and there’s no in between, which is ridiculous. Kids should not be taught that! And there’s a good witch and everything, but no one ever remembers that. All they remember about witches is that they’re green and cruel.�

“What, are you afraid all the real witches in the world are going to be hurt by that?� Justin joked.

“No,� she replied almost too quickly. She hoped he didn’t notice the way her skin had paled at the question, particularly as she realized she’d about to say “we� in reference to witches instead of “they.� She was not being careful enough. She chuckled in what she hoped seemed like a lightly amused manner. “Of course not.�

Chapter Seven – Cell Phones and Goodnight Kisses

“Sorry I’m late.� Justin approached Mina with his customary greeting. She was sitting at a table on the sidewalk outside a café they’d agreed to meet at for lunch during their last date.

“It’s okay,� she replied, as usual, taking a sip of her iced tea and peering out at him from behind her sunglasses. Justin sat down across from her and took a deep breath. He’d been going non-stop since 9 o’clock that morning and it was nice to finally sit down and take a break.

“I stopped by the photo shop on my way here to pick up some pictures I dropped off about a week ago,� he explained.

“Ooh, pictures! Can I see?� It had been about a week since she’d first asked to see some of his pictures and he had yet to deliver, so she was anxious for the opportunity. Justin pulled an envelope out of his messenger bag and slid it across the table to her in response. “Thanks. You look really nice, by the way. How’d the interview go?�

“Thanks. I do look good, don’t I?� he teased with a grin. Mina laughed and shook her head, though her eyes lingered briefly on the black slacks and white dress shirt he was wearing. He’d loosened his tie and rolled the sleeves up, giving him that messy after work kind of look. It worked for him, she had to admit. “And I think it went really well. Mr. Delaney seemed really impressed by my resume and my knowledge of his films. I feel good about it.�

“Good.� Mina glanced up from Justin’s photos briefly to smile at him. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.�

“Thank you kindly.� Justin paused to order a ham on rye from the waiter who had approached their table before turning his attention back to Mina, who was completely focused on the black and white photographs in front of her. “What are you doing tonight?�

“Um, I’m not sure exactly,� Mina replied, her gaze not shifting. “Ivy’s been complaining that she hardly sees me anymore with all the studying and research that I’ve been doing lately, so I think I’m going to hang out with her or something.�

“Oh.� Justin frowned slightly, though Mina didn’t notice. “Well, my friend Trace is having a party, so if you two want to stop by, you’re more than welcome.�

“Yeah, maybe,� Mina agreed distractedly. “I’ll see what Ivy wants to do.�

“Okay.�

In the week since their date at the aquarium, which had ended surprisingly well despite Mina’s outburst about the Wizard of Oz, Justin had been out to the movies three more times. Twice to dinner and a movie, and once to the pool hall that Justin frequented with Trace and Izzie. He had enjoyed himself all three times – Mina was easy to talk to, and had a great sense of humor – but he was beginning to feel as though he was just hanging out with a friend rather than going on dates with the woman in question. Every date ended the same way, with unwelcoming body language from Mina and with Justin leaving without a goodnight kiss. He’d stopped talking to Izzie and Trace about it, since he didn’t think his ego could handle any more of their taunting. He wasn’t willing to give up on her just yet, though.

“Justin, these are really beautiful,� Mina finally spoke to him again as his food arrived and she grabbed one of his fries. “Have you ever thought about just doing something with photography? Career wise, I mean.�

“I don’t know.� Justin bit into his sandwich pensively. He’d been so set on film school that the thought of pursuing photography full time had never occurred to him. Photography had always been his first love, but he’d always figured there was more of a future in movies.

“Well, you should think about it,� Mina told him seriously. She returned the photographs to their envelope and slid them back across the table to her companion. “I mean, I’m sure you’re good at film stuff too, and if that’s what you want to do then you should do it, but you’re really good at this photography thing, Justin. Really.�

“I’ll think about it,� Justin agreed as he fingered his French fries thoughtfully.

“Good.� Mina nearly jumped out of her skin as a loud ringing came from the general direction of her purse. “What the hell is that?�

“I think it’s your cell phone,� Justin informed her, trying to suppress the laughter that was threatening to escape his lips. “Damn hippie.�

“Oh. Right.� Mina began rummaging in her purse trying to find the offending object. Ivy had bought it for her a few days earlier, and she still was not used to having it. She had never needed a phone before since most people she knew had more distinctly magical means of communication. “Hello?�

“Mina?� a familiar male voice yelled.

“Yes. Who is this?�

“It’s Charlie! Awesome. I can’t believe this is really working,� Mina’s oldest brother exclaimed, his voice reflecting a child like excitement.

“Charlie? Why the hell are you calling me on a phone?�

“How else would he call you?� Justin muttered from across the table. Mina ignored him, not able to think of a response quickly enough.

“Ivy told me how to do it, so I thought I’d try it out. Pretty freaky, huh?�

“Yeah, freaky,� Mina sighed. “Is there something you wanted or can I go?�

“You can go, I guess.� Charlie sounded slightly dejected. “I just wanted to try it out.�

“Okay,� Mina replied with a laugh. She couldn’t help shaking her head at him despite the fact that he couldn’t see her. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?�

“Fine. Bye.�

“Bye, Charlie.�

“Who was that?� Justin inquired as she hung up.

“Just my brother. Listen, I have to get going, but I’ll try to convince Ivy to come to your friend’s party tonight,� she assured him as she stood up. Justin looked crestfallen.

“You’re leaving already? I just got here!�

“You were late!� Mina pointed out, sighing when the only response she got was a pout from Justin. “I’m sorry. I’d stay, but I have an appointment. I’ll see you later okay?� She leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek before heading down the sidewalk.

***

“Okay, let’s get started,� Mina began. She was about to start another interview, this time with a witch named Anna, who had been dumped by her non-magic boyfriend a few months earlier. They were sitting at a table in the Daily Brew, and Mina’s pen was positioned above her paper waiting for relevant information to record. “How did you and David meet?�

A small smile immediately appeared on Ana’s face and a distant look came into her eye. “It was a total fluke meeting, actually. I’d just moved to Los Angeles and I was totally lost. I ended up at this bookshop and David was working there. I asked for directions to Beverly Hills because I had a friend there I was supposed to be meeting and he told me he’d only tell me how to get there if I gave him my phone number in return. I of course had no phone number to give, which I told him, and he thought I was lying, but he gave me the directions anyway. He was really charming and I couldn’t stop thinking about him, so I came back the next day to thank him and we went out to coffee. It was all downhill from there.�

“And how long were you guys together?�

“Four months.�

“And you didn’t tell him you were a witch at all during those four months?�

“No.� Ana shook her head fervently to emphasize. “I kept wanting to, but I didn’t think he’d understand, you know? I’d heard all these horror stories about how much non-magics hate witches. You know, it’s been a problem for centuries. Witch burnings and all that, and now just the complete denial that we even exist. I didn’t know how to tell him, or if he’d even believe me. So I just kept my mouth shut and didn’t let him meet any of my friends. I think he thought I was anti-social or something.�

“But other than that, everything was good? I mean, you guys didn’t have any other major problems?� Mina inquired as Ralph brought her another glass of iced tea. She was quickly becoming addicted to the cold beverage.

“No, we didn’t have any other problems. Things were great. We had a lot in common. We both loved the outdoors, reading, stuff like that. He was really caring and affectionate. He’d buy me flowers, come by my house just to see how my day had been. He was the nicest guy I’d ever dated. I think I might have even been in love with him. I could have seen myself spending my life with him.�

“So how did you finally tell him?� Mina asked, biting her fingernails in subconscious suspense. Listening to the woman recount how good her relationship had been made it hard to believe that the simple confession that she was a witch could have destroyed it.

“Well.� Ana paused to take a deep breath. She seemed on the verge of tears and Mina pulled a package of Kleenex out of her purse. “I decided one day that if the relationship was going to work, I couldn’t keep lying to him. I mean, we couldn’t get married or something if I was keeping a huge part of myself from him. So I invited him over, made him dinner, and then I told him that I had something really important to tell him. I think he thought I was going to announce that I was pregnant or something.� She laughed a little, wistfully. “And I told him.�

“How did he react?�

“At first he started laughing. He thought I was kidding. Then when he realized I was serious he just thought there was something wrong with me. He thought I was on drugs, then he suggested that we get me psychiatric help. It was awful. I finally had to pull out my wand and do a few random spells for him to believe me.�

“What did he do then?�

“He totally freaked out. He wouldn’t let me come near him, he kept asking me what I was, like I was some sort of alien or something.� A few tears trickled down her cheeks as she spoke, and Mina handed her a tissue. “Thanks. Um…eventually he just bolted out of the house and I never heard from him again. I tried to go to his work, I tried to call him, I tried everything. He won’t talk to me. I don’t even know where he is anymore.�

“I’m sorry,� Mina commiserated softly. The pen slowly stopped flying across the page as the conversation hit a lull. Mina took a deep breath and the pen prepared itself to continue. “Do you think you should have told him earlier?�

“I don’t know how it would have helped.� Ana shrugged. “I mean, he was always going to think I was some sort of crazy freak, right? I don’t think telling him earlier would have done anything, except that I wouldn’t have been so attached to him yet. I dunno.�

“Yeah.� Mina nodded thoughtfully. She wanted to think there was something that could have been done for Ana’s story to end differently, but she didn’t know what. It seemed as though nothing could have been done to change David’s mind.

“Can I be done now?� Ana asked, her voice sounding quiet and small. Mina had a few more questions that she wanted to ask, but she didn’t want to make Ana talk more if she didn’t feel up to it, so she nodded.

“Yeah. Thanks so much for coming.�

“No problem.� Ana stood up, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think I would get so emotional over this. Maybe we can talk more later if there’s more you want to know?�

“Yeah, that sounds good.� Mina smiled at her and thanked her as Ana headed back out into the big unaccepting world.

“That looked intense,� Ivy commented, sliding into the seat Ana had left unoccupied when she left.

“Yeah.� Mina nodded, biting her lip thoughtfully. She quickly shook herself out of her pensive state to look across the table at her cousin. “What’s up?�

“Oh, Ralph, Belle, and I were talking about going to the Howling Werewolf tonight and we want you to come along.�

“The Howling Werewolf?� Mina raised an eyebrow skeptically.

“Yeah, it’s some club they like.� Ivy waved a hand dismissively, though she was secretly excited about going. She didn’t always get invited to the wizard clubs. Most people were okay hanging around with her at work, but didn’t want to be seen with a member of a wizarding family who couldn’t do magic.

“It’s called the Howling Werewolf?�

“Yes.�

“Why would someone name a club the Howling Werewolf? Last I checked werewolves weren’t exactly a favored race. Although, I do have some feelings about that if you would like me to share.�

“No, I do not want you to share.� Ivy rolled her eyes in open irritation. “Do you want to come or not?�

“Sure.� Mina shrugged. “Could be fun. Oh…wait. Justin’s friend is having this party tonight and I told him-“

“Mina!� Ivy whined. “The whole point was for you to spend time with us and away from research.�

“I told him I’d try and I don’t have to go, so I will go with you guys,� Mina finished.

“Good.�

***

It had been a long time since Mina had been to a wizard’s nightclub. She hadn’t realized just how long until she’d stepped foot in the Howling Werewolf and been nearly knocked over by the noise and smoke. She had only been to a non-magic club once, and it was pretty similar, the only difference being that places like the Howling Werewolf came complete with ghosts floating around among the living, bar fights included curses flying out of wands, and live entertainment often included dancing leprechauns. Mina had learned the hard way in her first year at Wigglesworth that it was a bad idea to join the leprechauns in their dancing unless you wanted two days to pass without even realizing that it had been more than two hours.

Belle, Ralph, and Ivy headed straight for the dance floor, but Mina settled on a barstool, not quite ready to enter into the masses of sweaty people.

“What can I get for you, love?� the bartender, a tall, blonde wizard with a gold tooth, asked the moment she sat down.

“Jack-O-Lantern, please,� Mina ordered her favorite drink. She hadn’t had it since she’d left Wigglesworth.

“Coming right up.� He flicked his wand towards two bottles and a glass and the finished drink soon slid itself in front of Mina.

“Thanks,� she thanked him with a smile as he turned to another customer who had just sat down next to her.

Leaning back and taking a sip of her drink, Mina surveyed the club. A witch across the room was shouting at a ghost who had apparently floated straight through her, which, she assured him, was very rude indeed. A mass of people on the dance floor gyrated to the sounds of Toil and Trouble, a very popular rap duo who had been on the top of the wizarding charts for weeks, according to their number one fan Ralph, who often told Mina more about them than she really needed to know. As she sipped, Mina found herself wondering whether Justin could ever fit into this world. She thought he could. She thought he might even enjoy it. He seemed easy going enough.

“Excuse me,� a deep male voice broke Mina out of her thoughts and she turned to see a dark-haired wizard with creamy caramel skin sitting next to her.

“Yeah?� she responded, surprised that a stranger was already talking to her. It usually took a while before anyone approached her.

“Did you go to Evans Prep?� the man asked and Mina nodded. He had to yell to be heard over the music.

“Yeah, I did,� she confirmed, trying to remember if she had known this man in high school. She didn’t recognize him, but she had only had a few close friends at school that she would have recognized immediately. “Did you go there too?�

“Yeah.� He nodded, flashing a set of perfectly straight, pearly white teeth. “You’re the girl who started Students for the Equal Treatment of All Magic and Non-Magic Peoples, right?�

“Oh my God,� Mina groaned. She didn’t think anyone other than her remembered that group. It had only lasted one year since she couldn’t find anyone other than her best friend to join. “Yes, thank you. I’m glad my failure is still remembered by all.�

The man laughed. “I always wanted to join, but my friends made fun of me so I didn’t,� he confessed. “I’m Adam, by the way. I think you were a year below me.�

“Adam Jones?� Mina asked as she took his hand and shook it. He nodded, confirming her suspicions. “You were captain of the broom racing team! All the girls in my year were in love with you.�

“Good to know,� Adam replied, chuckling.

“Oh, and I’m Mina,� she added, realized that she had been rude and omitted her name. “Wow. It’s so weird to see you.�

“Thank you. It’s weird to see you too.�

Mina laughed. “No, I just mean…I never talked to you in high school, but all of my friends talked about you all the time and…weird. I would never have thought I’d run into you here. What are you doing in L.A.?�

“Oh, I’m actually working with the Magical Equality Commission. We’re working on equal rights for werewolves right now. It’s kind of an uphill fight, but it’s a good cause. I believe in it.�

“Wow.� Mina’s voice reflected how truly impressed she was. She would have never expected the biggest jock in high school to be working for equal rights. “That’s awesome.�

“Thanks,� Adam accepted the compliment with a sincere smile. “What are you-“

Mina’s cell phone suddenly began its shrill ring, cutting off the question that Adam had been about to ask. As usual, she jumped before she realized what it was. “I’m sorry,� she apologized quickly as she once again fished the electronic device out of her purse. “Hello?�

“Mina?� Justin’s voice came floating across the line.

“Justin?�

“Yeah! Hey, guess what? I got the job!�

“What?� She was having difficulty hearing him over the noise in the club, but she was pretty sure he’d just said “I got robbed.�

“I got the job!� he repeated. “Where the hell are you?�

“You got the job?� She ignored the question.

“Yes!�

“That’s awesome! Congratulations!�

“Yeah!� Justin exclaimed and Mina could hear the excitement in his voice. She smiled as he continued talking. “Listen, I’m at Trace’s party but it’s kind of lame and I was wondering if you wanted to meet me somewhere to celebrate?�

“Well,� Mina hesitated, glancing at the man sitting next to her who was probably wondering why she was talking on this distinctly non-magical device. “Sure. Just tell me where and I’ll be there.�

“Venice Beach.�

“Where?� she yelled over the music and the yells of a man running by after a flock of pixies.

“Venice Beach!�

“Okay. I’ll take a cab and meet you there in twenty, okay?�

After receiving confirmation from Justin, Mina hung up the phone and tossed it back in her purse. She turned her direction back to Adam. “I’m really sorry to cut this short, but I have to go. Hopefully I’ll see you around, yeah?�

“Yeah.� Adam nodded, looking slightly confused. “See you.�

***
“So then I had to spend the rest of the day in my gym shorts because I had laughed a little too hard and soiled myself,� Justin finished his story quickly and with a distinct air of solemnity. Of course, the fact that the woman next to him was collapsed on the sand in a fit of laughter slightly ruined the solemn effect. He shook his head at the amount of amusement she got from his 10-year-old pain and took the bottle of champagne that she passed to him. They had met at the beach with celebratory champagne and cheese and crackers, and had been sitting there talking for the past hour. “Okay. Your turn.�

“My turn?� Mina repeated, raising her eyebrows and sitting up to lay a piece of cheese down on a Ritz cracker. “Who said I was going to take a turn?�

“Um, those are the rules of the game, Mina. I tell an embarrassing story, and then you have to tell me one.� Justin took a sip of champagne from the bottle, glancing over it at Mina as she pondered what he’d said.

“What game is this?�

“The Embarrassing Story Game,� he replied in exasperation. “Come on, now. Why you gotta be so difficult?�

Mina couldn’t help giggling at his apparent frustration, a good half of which she suspected was all in good fun. “I don’t recall agreeing to play this game,� she continued until Justin threw up his hands in exasperation.

“Okay, this is how it’s going to be? I’m going to tell you about how I pissed my pants in the 5th grade, and you are going to give me nothing in return? Okay, fine. I’ll just keep the champagne to myself then.� He took another swig of the bubbly liquid as a pout formed on Mina’s lips.

“Oh, come on,� she whined, turning her pout towards him and giving him her fool proof puppy dog eyes. “The punishment does not fit the crime.�

“Oh, it does,� Justin assured her. “It most certainly does. Please pass the cheese.�

“Yeah, right. No champagne for me, no cheese for you. That’s how it’s going to be.�

“Okay, fine, fine, fine!� Justin threw his hands into the air again, the amount of alcohol he’d consumed contributing to the unusual amount of gesticulation he was doing. “Here’s the deal. I get cheese, you get champagne, and we start a new game.�

“What kind of new game?�

“Um, an awesome one called…What’s in Mina’s Purse?� He snatched up the medium sized bag that sat between them before he’d even finished the sentence, not giving Mina time to protest.

“Hey!� she protested after the fact.

“It’s either this or you tell me an embarrassing story,� Justin issued his ultimatum, clutching the purse to his chest so that Mina couldn’t grab it away from him.

“Fine,� she agreed, grudgingly. “Pass me the bottle.�

Justin obliged, handing her the champagne as she passed him a few slices of cheese. He slid one of the orange squares into his mouth as he began rummaging through her purse. There was the usual – a package of Kleenex, a wallet, keys to her apartment…and a stick. Justin held it up to her.

“Why do you have a stick in your purse?� he questioned, his amusement apparent on his face.

Mina’s eyes widened slightly in response when she realized he was holding her wand and she nearly choked on the sip of champagne she’d just taken. She swallowed quickly and shrugged. “Because every woman needs some wood in her life.�

“Dirty!�

“You know what I mean.� Mina gave him a playful shove as she rolled her eyes at him.

“No, I don’t.� Justin shook his head. “Enlighten me.�

“Well,� Mina began slowly, her mind working wildly to try and come up with a believable explanation. “It’s for protection.�

“Protection?� Justin repeated, raising an eyebrow. “So, if someone tries to attack you, you just poke ‘em in the eye with your stick?� He demonstrated by poking the stick at the air, and Mina held her breath as a few red sparks flew from the end. Justin didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy being proud of his wit.

“Give that to me before you hurt yourself,� Mina ordered, holding her hand out for it.

“Are you worried I’m going to poke myself in the eye?�

“I wouldn’t put it past you,� she teased him as she grabbed the wand from him and set it on the other side of her where he couldn’t reach. The last thing she needed was for him to realize that it was not just a stick.

“Okay, okay.� Justin raised his hands in surrender. “I’ll stop questioning the Stick of Protection. Apparently it’s a touchy subject.�

“Apparently,� Mina replied with a laugh.

“Where did you say you were before I called tonight?� Justin changed the subject as he began rummaging around in his messenger bag for something.

“At a club with Ivy,� she reminded him, leaving out any details, as she had the first time she’d answered this question.

“Well, you look very nice tonight.� He was slightly drunk, so his words slurred together a bit as he complimented her, but the sentiment was not lost. Mina was still wearing her going out clothes, but she’d put one of Justin’s sweatshirts on over the backless top she’d been wearing. It was chilly now that the sun had gone down.

“Thank you, sir.� She paused to frown as Justin held something out to her. “What’s this?�

“It’s half of my iPod’s headphones! Just take it!� Justin exclaimed. He was beginning to find it odd that he had to explain these things to her. “ ‘What’s this?’ I swear to God, woman…�

“Sorry! I can’t know everything!�

“Do you know what music is at least?�

“Oh shut up.� She glared at him, only partially serious, as she lodged the thing in her ear. The alcohol they’d had that evening was certainly serving to loosen both of them up and make them more comfortable around each other. Mina actually liked it. She was enjoying herself more than she’d thought she would when she’d left the Howling Werewolf to come meet Justin.

Justin hit play on his iPod and they both laid down on the sand, letting the sounds of the Plain White T’s drift into their ears. Neither spoke for a while, just listening and gazing up at the stars as the music played. Mina’s toes began to tap softly to the beat.

Well I don't mind waiting 'til you're comfortable with me
But what's it gonna take to prove that I'm for real?
'Cause you know how I feel about you
You know I can't live without you
I just wanna stay and make it real

“I have a job,� Justin’s awed voice finally broke the silence. “A good one that I might actually like.�

Mina turned her head to look at him, grinning. “I know!�

“That’s never happened to me before.�

“Well, it’s happening now,� Mina assured him, reaching over to give his arm a squeeze. “And a drop of rain definitely just fell in my eye.�

“Mine as well,� Justin observed, sitting up and pulling his side of the headphones out of his ear. He looked up at the sky as it slowly began drizzling. “What is up with this weather anyway? It’s June in California, guys!�

“Who are you yelling at?� Mina laughed.

“The gods,� Justin replied succinctly as the rain began falling a bit harder.

“Of course.� Pulling her legs up to her chest, she pushed herself off the sand to stand up. “Let’s get out of the rain.�

“Oh, fine,� Justin sighed playfully.

“I’ll race you back to the car.� She took off running as well as she could across the sand without even giving him a chance to respond. Justin thought this very unfair.

“Hey! Wait!� He gathered the remains of the champagne and food into his arms and took off after her. The combination of his inebriation and the loose sand under his feet made it difficult for him to run quickly, but he soon caught up with Mina at the car.

“So unfair,� he informed her immediately as he approached, trying to catch his breath.

“I am very wet,� she replied matter-of-factly, as though this countered his claim that it was unfair. The rain was continuing to pour down, effectively soaking both of them to the skin.

“True. You are. But I have sand in my pants.�

“I’m sorry.� The statement was undermined by the way Mina then proceeded to burst into a fit of laughter similar to the one she’d experienced after Justin’s embarrassing story earlier in the night.

“Okay. Good. Just laugh. That’s nice. Thank you.�

“Sorry!�

“Mina?�

“Hmm?� Her laughter began to die down as she glanced over at Justin, standing in the middle of the parking lot with her and looking something like a drowned rat. He just stared back at her as she waited for a response.

The response finally came in the form of Justin setting the champagne and food down on the hood of the car and grabbing Mina’s hand. “C’mere,� he muttered softly, pulling her towards him and lightly placing his lips on hers. There was an immediate response as Mina closed her eyes, increasing the pressure of her lips against his and sliding an arm around his waist to pull herself closer to him. His hand slid into her soaking wet hair and he felt her smile into his mouth as he moved to deepen the kiss, rainwater sliding down both pairs of lips and mingling together.

Chapter 8 – A World Away

It shouldn't have been possibly, but it simultaneously seemed like a brief second and an eternity before Mina's lips slowly parted from Justin's. Their hands, which had slowly entwined at some point she couldn't remember, remained linked and their faces remained a mere inch or two apart as they stood speechless and breathless in the dark, rainy night.

"I'm cold," Mina finally muttered softly just to fill the silence.

"You are?"

"No." She paused, realizing the she was not, in fact, cold and she really had no idea where the comment had come from. "I don't know why I said that."

Justin smiled softly and closed the small distance between them once more to further ensure that she would remain warm. Mina's lips responded to his without even thinking about it while her mind briefly wondered why this was starting to feel a little too much like real desire.

Suddenly, a shrill ringing sound erupted from the small bag that was sitting forgotten at Mina's feet and she pulled away from Justin abruptly.

"Don't answer it," he implored in a whisper.

"Uh," she stuttered, briefly considering obeying before her mind took control again and she removed her hands from his, bending down to pick up the bag. "I have to, it could be important."

Justin sighed, understandably disappointed by this development. "It could also be not important."

"I'm sorry." Mina's face echoed the words, her brow creasing apologetically as she silenced the ringing of the telephone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Mina?" Belle's yelled response came from the other end, sounding confused and upset.

"Yeah. Belle?" Mina mimicked, also confused. She couldn't figure out why or how Belle would be calling her on a telephone.

"Yeah. Where the hell are you?"

"Uhhh...out. Why? What's going on? You sound a little shaken."

"Um, yeah." Belle's voice was hesitant as she responded. "Look, we're all down at St. Merlin's. There was this big fight at the Werewolf and, well, you just better come."

"Wait, what?" A note of panic crept into Mina's voice at the mention of the largest wizard hospital in California. "What do you mean? What's going on? Are you guys okay? Is Ivy there too?"

"Yeah, we're all right. Ivy and Ralph had to be admitted and everything and...Jesus, this thing is freaking out like a pixie in a cookie jar. I've gotta go. Just come okay?"

"Belle, wait," Mina protested, but it was too late. Belle's voice cutout and there was a dull silence echoing on the other end. She pressed the "end" button on her phone and shoved it into her bag frantically. Looking around, she tried to figure out the best course of action. She needed to get there as quickly as possibly and normally she would just use magic, but there was a vague voice in the back of her head reminding her of the man standing straight across from her that told her she couldn't.

"I have to go," she told Justin succinctly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, concerned. "What's going on?"

"Uh, my, uh...my cousin's in the hospital. I have to go." Her hands found their way to her head in desperation as her mind continued to work frantically to figure out the situation.

"Oh my God!" Justin exclaimed. "Well, get in the car I'll drive you, which hospital is she at?"

The question just served as further reminder to Mina that she couldn't tell him the full truth of what was going on. Not now. Not yet. "You can't drive, you've been drinking."

"Well, then you drive, and I'll just come along," he suggested, unusually rational for a drunk person.

"No, I'm a little buzzed too. And I don't know how to drive."

"I'll call you a cab."

"I can't wait." Mina did the only thing she knew to do and began walking away before he could respond.

"Mina, come on! You can't walk the whole way!" he called after her.

"I really can't wait!" she called back, picking up her pace to put as much distance between herself and Justin as she possibly could.

He stood dumbfounded by her insistence and could offer nothing else but a weak, "Mina," in protest. As soon as she was out of eyesight, there was a sound like a strong rush of wind and she was gone.

***

"What the fuck is going on?" Charlie exclaimed as he and his little sister simultaneously arrived in front of St. Merlin's Hospital. Neither had known that the other would be there, but they strode up to multi-story, ivy-covered brick building together as though they had planned to enter at the same time.

"No idea," Mina told him truthfully, hurrying up the many steps to the entrance as fast as her legs could take her.

"I just get this freaky call at like 6 am in the fucking morning on that fucking whatchamadinger that Ivy gave me and what's-her-face is all like, 'Come to L.A. Ivy's in the hospital, so I came and you don't even know what the fuck is going on?" Charlie ranted, trailing behind his sister only slightly.

"No, I wasn't with them, I just got the same call from Belle. And what is with the language?"

"I'm stressed."

Mina merely shook her head at him and wearily pulled open the gigantic wooden door that marked the entrance to the hospital. The front lobby was buzzing with activity, all manner of magical people and creatures wandering around with various ailments, some more discernible than others. The woman standing directly next to Mina as she entered the lobby seemed to have a particularly nasty form of flaming hiccups and Mina had to jump out of the way to avoid getting singed. It became immediately apparent to the two McKinnons that they had no idea where to find their cousin.

"Uh, did Belle say anything to you about what exactly is wrong with Ivy?" Mina inquired, glancing at the directory that listed the locations of the various medical departments.

"Nope. Or if she did, it was sort of hard to discern through the weeping." Charlie's handsome features fell into a frown. "They have a whole wing for extra limbs? Jesus, we only have like two of those a week at my hospital in London. Maybe I should move to LA."

"Thank you for focusing." Mina couldn't help rolling her eyes at him exactly as she had done countless times as a teenager. She was about to suggest that they ask about their cousin at the front desk, but was interrupted by a voice that she still recalled vaguely from earlier that night.

"Mina?"

She turned around to see Adam Jones looking at her, brow furrowed in concern, and hands full with what appeared to be two hot chocolates. It took a moment for her mind to register who he was and how she knew him, but she soon remembered running into him at the club earlier in the evening. It seemed like it was at least a week ago by now. She didn't get a chance to respond, however, as Charlie immediately recognized the man standing in front of them as well.

"Adam Jones? How are you, man?" Charlie inquired, incredulously. He would have probably pulled Adam into a manly embrace if it weren't for the scorching hot beverages he held. He had been three years ahead of Adam in school, but the younger man had been the youngest member of the broom racing team at the time, so the older students had welcomed him more readily than they might have otherwise.

"Not bad." Adam offered a warm smile in response, recognizing Charlie easily. He had always respected the eldest McKinnon, though he hadn't made the connection between him and Mina until he saw them standing together right at this moment. "So you two must be looking for Ivy and Ralph, yeah?"

"Yeah," Mina confirmed hastily, anxious for any information that Adam may have.

"Follow me." Adam turned towards the elevator and jerked his head indicate the direction in which he was leading them. "I'm on my way up there anyway."

Mina and Charlie followed obediently, both glad to find someone who knew something about what was going on. Neither could wait to ask questions.

"So, I don't suppose you could tell us exactly what's going on?" Mina inquired as the three squeezed into the elevator along with two nurses and a wizard with an unnaturally small head.

"What floor?" A deep booming voice came from the unnaturally small head.

"Seven," Adam replied with a gracious smile before turning back to Mina. "Yeah. I was there, but I only saw snippets of what happened so you'll have to get the others to fill you in on the details later. Basically, this guy some how found out that your cousin can't do magic and started getting on her case, calling her names and giving her shit. She tried to just ignore him, but finally he called her an immunda-"

Everyone in the elevator gasped as the word left Adam's mouth and he was forced to pause to accommodate their shock as the doors to the elevator opened and they emerged onto the seventh floor.

"He did not!" Charlie exclaimed angrily, his hands forming fists so tight that his knuckles were turning colors human flesh should never turn. Adam nodded as he began to lead them down a hall filled with witches and wizards that Mina recognized from the night club - some had huge, seeping boils all over their faces, some couldn't seem to stop dancing, one had an extra arm sticking out of his head.

"He did. Anyway, so as you can imagine, that really pissed Ralph off and he immediately pulled out his wand and started shouting curses at the guy. It somehow erupted into a club-wide thing and as you can see," he gestured to the arm headed wizard, who seemed to be feeling pretty down about his situation, "A lot of people ended up here."

"I am going to kill him, Ivy. I am going to fucking kill him." Mina recognized Ralph's voice far before they arrived at room 702, where Ralph and Ivy were both laying in beds, both looking fairly unscathed compared to some of the others they had passed, as Belle looked on from an overstuffed dark green chair in the corner.

"How do you have the energy to still be this mad?" Ivy's weary voice responded as her cousins entered the room. A small smile appeared on her face when she saw them, but she seemed too tired for much more than that. "I am so glad that you guys are here."

"God, Ivy, I'm so sorry I left," Mina apologized the minute she could, making a beeline for Ivy's bed and dropping a kiss on her forehead. "Are you okay? What happened? What's going on?"

"I'm fine. I had some weird equilibrium issues for a while there, but I'm feeling a lot better. The doctor said he thought it was just my body's reaction to having about 50 curses hurled at it at the same time."

"Oh, yeah, that happens," Charlie offered his weak professional opinion from where he was standing, leaning against the doorway.

"I'm okay, though." Ivy nodded. "These things happen."

"These things do not just happen!" Mina's voice seemed much louder than she had intended in contrast to Ivy's calmness. Everyone the room looked at her in shock, Belle and Adam stopped the hushed conversation they'd been having behind her to listen. "People don't just randomly harass people for being different. He called you the worst possible thing he could think to call you and he doesn't even know you! That doesn't 'just happen.' Why are you not more upset about this?"

"Thank you!" Ralph agreed from his bed. He would have thrown his hands up to emphasize his exasperation, but it was just then that Mina noticed one of his arms was in a sling and the anger she'd been feeling only slightly began to boil more intensely inside of her. "This is what I've been saying from the beginning. Like, 95 people ended up in this hospital tonight because some asshole can't handle the idea that not being a witch doesn't automatically make you less than."

"Exactly."

"You guys," Ivy interjected, a little bit of laughter unexpectedly entering her voice. "I have been dealing with this shit my entire life. If I got mad every time someone called me a name or gave me a dirty look, I would never have time do anything else. It happens. Trust me. It does just happen.�

Mina was silent, just gazing down at Ivy sadly. She knew her cousin must be right. This sort of thing must happen to her all the time, it was just more noticeable when an entire nightclub got involved. Without saying a word, she took a few steps backward and slid into the remaining chair next to Adam.

“Come on, guys, don't be so morose,� Ivy requested earnestly. “It's really not a big deal.�

“Sure,� Belle appeased her friend with a smile. “We should probably go soon anyway. You guys need to rest.�

Mina couldn't help frowning in response, deep in thought. Adam reached over and rubbed her back comfortingly and handed her his untouched cup of hot chocolate. She accepted it wordlessly, the life she'd been living earlier in the night with Justin seeming a world away.

Chapter 9 – Common Ground


There were many things that could be said about Isabella Timberlake - she was blunt, a little rude, ambitious, and oddly shy around people she didn't know very well. It could not, however, be said that she had trouble saying what was on her mind. Whatever else she was, Izzie was honest and forward. Which is why Justin was not the least bit surprised when he padded into their kitchen on Friday morning and was not greeted with a "hello" or "good morning," but a rather blunt "Where the hell did you get off to last night?"


"You're so charming," Justin responded to this greeting with a yawn. His head disappeared into the refrigerator as he searched for milk for his breakfast.


"Thank you. Answer the question, please." Izzie made a concerted effort to be a bit more polite.


"I called Mina after I got the call about the job and we went to celebrate."


The simple response required a lot less prying than Izzie had expected and she was pleased. Her cousin was usually a lot more difficult, and she could only hope this meant she had finally broken his spirit.


"Celebrate?" Izzie repeated, waggling her eyebrows suggestively as seemed only right in such a situation.


"Yeah." Justin sat down across from his cousin at the kitchen table and began shoveling cereal into his mouth unattractively.


"Finally kissed her?"


"Yeah."


"Seriously?" Izzie's eyebrows rose unnaturally high, nearly disappearing behind her bangs. This was not the answer she had been anticipating. So many jokes were going to waste because of it.


"Yep."


"How was it?"


"Uh, great." He paused to wipe a bit of milk that had spilled down his chin. "Until of course, someone called to tell her something about her cousin being in the hospital or something and she ran off without even really bothering to explain or let me do anything for her. You know, aside from that, it was an awesome night."


"Hmmm." Izzie frowned pensively. "I sense sarcasm."


"Well, you know, I'm getting kind of frustrated! It's like, first things are going at a snail's pace, and now we finally make a break through and she just runs off. I know there was an emergency or whatever, but she wouldn't even let me call her a cab. She's, like, semi-psychotic."


"Nice! Psychotic, such a flattering description!"


"I just…I don't even know what this is. I want to know where we stand. I want to know what this relationship even means to her."


"What are you, a girl?" The pride that Izzie had been temporarily feeling for her cousin finally getting some tiny semblance of action quickly vanished and was replaced by her usual accusatory tone. Justin ignored the question.


"I'm gonna go get dressed and go see her," he decided out loud and he stood up and placed his now empty bowl in the sink.


"'Kay." Izzie was barely paying attention anymore. "Bye, girl."


***

It had been the longest night of Mina's life. She could not remember the last time she had been so stressed out and gotten so little sleep, but it had probably been sometime during her undergraduate education at Wigglesworth. Finals had almost always managed to get the best of her. But that was nothing compared to sitting in a hospital room all night with a member of your family. It was, to say the least, not exactly the most enjoyable experience. It also didn’t help that Charlie had been called away halfway through said night, leaving her without the comfort and support of her big brother. Fortunately, there was Belle, who stuck around too. And, strangely enough, Adam, who had not only stayed the night with them but was now at the McKinnon apartment, having helped Mina magically transport her cousin and now helping them get settled.


As helpful as Adam had been, Mina was still a little surprised to find him in her kitchen making breakfast as she emerged from Ivy’s room, having just gotten her cousin settled.


“What the hell are you doing?� she inquired amicably, hand on hip and a slight smile on her face as she watched the man in question directing a few pancakes to flip themselves over.


“I thought you might be hungry. I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen you eat a single thing in the past ten hours,� Adam replied.


“You don’t have to do that.� Mina slid wearily onto one of the barstools that sat next to the counter, her stomach grumbling in contradiction to her words.


“I know.� He smiled at her and sent a plate gliding over to her with a flick of his wand. “How’s Ivy? Hungry?�


“No, she just went to sleep. But I’m sure she’ll want something when she wakes up.�


“Well, we’ll leave some food for her.�


A couple of pancakes joined the gliding plate, settling in front of Mina and followed by a bowl of strawberries. She couldn’t help digging in the minute they stopped moving. She hadn’t realized until this moment quite how starving she was.


“Thanks,� she thanked Adam simply. “You really didn’t have to do this. You barely know us…but thanks.�


“Hey, no problem. I have a bit of a savior complex.� He grinned at her before settling down next to her with his own plate of food. “Plus, you know, I feel like I kind of owe you for not supporting Students for the Equal Treatment of All Magic and Non-Magic Peoples in high school.�


“Yeah, well, maybe if I’d shortened the title…�


“To what? SETAMNMP? Impossible. No one would have been able to pronounce it.�


“You’re so right.� Mina couldn’t help laughing. Adam, the most popular boy in her high school and thus the complete opposite of everything she had been at that age, was probably the last person that she would have expected to be sitting here with her in her apartment after the events of the night before. But for some reason, he felt like the perfect companion.


Adam opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the shrill and unexpected sound of the doorbell ringing. Mina’s brow furrowed as she wondered who it could be and she excused herself to go answer the door.


“Justin,� she greeted the man standing on her porch, a bit surprised to see him. In fact, she had almost forgotten about him in the hours that they had been apart, with so much on her mind. “What are you doing here?�


“I just came to check on you,� he replied, though he wasn’t being entirely truthful. “You left so quickly last night and gave me so little information…I was worried.�


“Oh, you didn’t have to-“


“I know that,� Justin interrupted her, something resembling irritation seeping into his voice. “I know I didn’t have to, I know you don’t want to tell me things, but I wanted to, okay?�


“Okay,� Mina replied softly, a little taken aback by the tone of his voice. She stepped out onto the porch with him, shutting the door behind her without even thinking about it.


“So, are you okay? Is your cousin okay? What happened?�


“Yeah, she’s fine; it was just a little accident. Nothing to be too worried about. And I’m sorry about last night, I just freaked and-“


“It’s okay.� He interrupted her again, and Mina was once again taken aback. There was something different about the way he was talking to her. Something like anger or frustration, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint it.


“Justin, is something wrong?� she ventured. “You seem a little upset.�


He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, the universal sign of frustration. “Yeah. No. I mean…I don’t know, Mina. I don’t want to bug you or whatever, I’m sure you’re tired and shit, but…�


“But what?� she urged him to continue.


“I guess I’m just confused about this thing we’re doing. Are we friends? Are we just casually dating? Are we more than that? I don’t have any idea what you’re thinking.�


“Oh.�


“I know this is 100% feminine of me, but it’s just been bugging me. I really like you, okay? You’re fucking weird, and I don’t know why I like you, but I do. And last night, I felt like we were finally getting somewhere and I was finally getting to know you a little bit more, and then…I just feel like you open up a little and then you shut me out. Like you’re hiding something from me, or you don’t really want any sort of relationship or…I don’t know. I just want to know what’s going on, and whether I should even waste my energy on this any more.�


“Oh,� she repeated. She was having trouble coming up with a more substantial response, as her heart had effectively dropped into her stomach when the phrase “like you’re hiding something from me� came out of his mouth. She had not been expecting to have this conversation this soon in the game and she wasn’t really sure what to do with it. Of course she was hiding something from him, but she wasn’t ready to tell him that. He wasn’t even really her boyfriend yet.


To her simultaneous relief and horror, Mina was rescued from really having to respond to the question when the door behind her opened and Adam appeared in the doorway.


“Hey, what’s going on?� he inquired innocently and Mina’s mouth dropped open slightly as she saw what looked like realization appear in Justin’s eyes.


“Oh,� it was his turn to say. “Right. So I guess that answers that.� And he turned to leave.


“No, wait!� Mina’s voice came out of her unexpectedly in an effort to stop Justin from leaving. She grabbed his arm and gently turned him back around to face him. “No, it’s not what you think. This is Adam, he’s just a friend from high school who helped me out with Ivy last night. That’s not why…he’s not…he has nothing to do with the fact that I’m weird, I promise.�


“That’s true, she’s weird on her own,� Adam concurred in response to Mina’s pleading look to him for help.


“Okay, so random guy from high school gets to help you, but I’m not even allowed to come along or know what’s going on?� Justin’s response was not quite as complacent as Mina had hoped.


“I’m gonna go back inside and let you guys work this one out,� Adam offered and disappeared back into the apartment before anyone had a chance to respond.


“No. Justin, come on,� Mina pleaded wearily. “I didn’t mean anything by it, I just freaked and had to leave, okay? It means nothing, I promise.�


“I mean, I know I’m not exactly your boyfriend or anything, but I thought we’re at least friends, it wouldn’t be so horrible for me to be with you when you’re having a hard time…� He didn’t even seem to really be paying attention to anything she was saying.


“You’re right, okay? You’re right. You are my friend. I should have let you in, I just have a hard time with that. I’m sorry. Okay? I’m sorry.�


There was a brief silence before Justin finally responded with a short, “Okay.�


“Okay,� Mina repeated. She rubbed her hand over her face wearily, a little unsure how this argument had begun with someone she’d only been dating for a few weeks. “Now, do you want to come inside? We have pancakes.�


***


“To Kill a Mockingbird,� Justin stated succinctly. “Easily.�


“Really?� Mina was a little surprised. “I never would have guessed that.�


“Yeah, I know, I don’t really seem like the ‘classics they force you to read in school’ kind of guy,� he conceded. “But I read it when I was like fourteen and it just stuck with me, you know? It taught me a lot about the world and prejudice and all the shitty things that people do to each other. It remains my favorite book to this day. The movie was great to. Gregory Peck is amazing.�


“Definitely,� Adam agreed enthusiastically. “I saw that movie a couple of years ago and it really moved me. What a world we live in, huh? And it still kind of rings true today, which is the sad part.�


“So true.� Justin nodded as Mina stood and began to clear the dishes from the table. It was a good two hours after she’d invited Justin in, and she was kind of shocked by how well he and Adam were getting along. She’d expected to spend the whole time trying to keep Adam from saying anything incriminating, but he had seemed to understand the situation immediately and stayed away from any topic that might have given away her little secret. And yet, they all still seemed to have so much to talk about. They’d covered sports – apparently Adam was the only man in the magic world who actually followed basketball – music, and were now onto books. She of all people shouldn’t have been surprised at how easily their worlds mixed, but she was.


“What about you, Mina?� Mina was knocked out of her thoughts by Justin’s inquiry.


“What about me?�


“What’s your favorite book?� he clarified.


“Oh, I don’t know.� She shrugged, tipping the dishes into the sink, intending to wash them later when he was gone and she could use her wand.


“Come on, you’ve got to have at least one,� Adam prompted her. “I know you were little miss bookworm in high school.�


“Yeah, such knowledge you have of my life.� Mina rolled her eyes playfully. “You didn’t talk to me even once in high school.�


“No, but I knew who you were,� he reminded her.


“You knew of me, you didn’t know me,� she retorted, rejoining the men at the table. “So how could you possibly know how much I read?�


“Touché.�


“Wait, I thought you said you guys were friends in high school,� Justin interrupted.


“Ah, well, not exactly,� Mina replied truthfully. “I said he was a friend from high school. He is a friend, and he is from my high school, but we weren’t friends then. Adam was Mr. Popular Jock Guy in high school, and I was weird nerdy activist girl. We didn’t exactly hang around the same people.�


“Ah. So how are you friends now?�


“I became weird nerdy activist guy after high school,� Adam explained with a chuckle. “So now it’s a little more socially acceptable for me to be seen with her, I guess.�


“Ha, yeah right.� The set of chocolate brown eyes rolled again out of habit more than anything. “If there were anything socially acceptable about me and the people I hang around with, you wouldn’t even be here right now.�


“You are correct again,� Adam conceded once more. “And I better get going. I’ll check on Ivy on my way out.�


“Okay.� Mina nodded. “Thanks again for everything.�


“No problem.� He flashed a million watt smile and disappeared down the hall to check on Ivy. The next thing they knew he was gone from the premises completely and it was just Mina and Justin alone in the kitchen.


“He seems like a cool guy,� Justin finally broke the silence.


“Yeah, he is.�


“So are you ever going to tell me what happened last night, or is just going to remain a mystery to me forever?� he asked carefully.


“Um, well…� Mina sighed, trying to figure out how she could put this into terms he’d understand without her really explaining it to him. She stood up and returned to the sink, deciding to begin washing the dishes by hand. “It was a bar fight, basically. There was this guy who called Ivy a name and her friend Ralph got really mad and attacked him, and it just turned into this huge thing where a whole bunch of people got hurt. Totally stupid and out of hand.�


“Ah.� Justin nodded, seeming to understand. Then, of course, he had to ask a question that Mina wasn’t entirely sure she should answer. “What’d he call her?�


“What?�


“The guy at the bar. What did he call Ivy? Slut? Whore? Butthead?�


“Uh…� She paused, trying to decide how to proceed. “It’s an insult you wouldn’t understand. It’s sort of specific to the group of people that we grew up with.�


“Try me.�


Mina set the dishes down and turned to face the man who was still sitting at her kitchen table. He was looking at her inquisitively, and she wasn’t sure why he was so interested in this, but she didn’t really feel like she could lie to him about it. So she didn’t. “Immunda.�


“Gesundheit.�


“I told you you wouldn’t understand,� Mina laughed.


“So explain it to me.�


“So persistent today!�


“I’m intrigued! I love adding new insults to my vocabulary. I’d love to have one that I could use on Izzie without her understanding.�


“Okay, well, if I tell you, you have to promise to never use it. It’s really, really bad. It’s essentially the equivalent to a racial slur.� Mina had suddenly become very serious and when Justin nodded in agreement it was equally serious, so she felt she had to keep her word and answer his question. “Immunda is Latin. It means foul or impure. In the community that Ivy and I were raised in it’s used to describe people who are…sort of a lower class, you know? Like, not being in the same social class means that you’re essentially trash. No one who has any sort of respect for other human beings would ever use it, but unfortunately…sometimes it still gets used.�


“Okay, I get it.� Justin nodded as Mina turned back to her dishes. He wanted to ask what kind of community she was raised in where people used Latin insults, but as he saw a tear fall down her cheek he realized this probably wasn’t the best time. So he just stood up and went to join her by the sink.


“I’m sorry,� she apologized when she realized her one tear was beginning to turn into real crying.


“Hey, don’t worry about it. I understand.� He instinctively wrapped his arms around her and her head fell onto his chest comfortably. “People are assholes. When I was a kid we pretty much had no money and I used to get made fun of all the time for coming to school with holes in my shoes and stuff. Being different can be hard. I get it.� He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and squeezed her a little tighter.


“Thanks.�


“Of course.�


They were both silent for what seemed like an eternity, just standing by the sink with their bodies pressed together in an intimate, but strangely comforting way.


“Hey,� Mina’s soft voice finally broke the silence.


“What?�


“C’mere.� Shifting slightly in his arms, she tilted her head up towards his and silently but firmly pressed her lips against his.

Chapter Ten – If You've Ever Been a Lady to Begin With

In the days following the incident with Ivy at the nightclub, Mina found herself hiding out from the magical community. Not a day had gone by since she'd moved to LA where she hadn't stopped by the Daily Brew for a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea, but with Ivy still at home recuperating, she didn't really feel like going there anymore. It didn't help that word spread fast in the tiny magical community and a trip to any magically owned business meant thousands of questions from fellow witches and wizards about her cousin's condition. For Mina, the only thing worse than having someone she cared about attacked was having people ask her about it every five minutes. So she spent a lot of time at home and in the non-magic world, not really talking to anyone other than Ivy, Justin, and Adam, who was visiting regularly.

It was a week later, only a couple of days before Ivy was going to be allowed to return to her job, that Mina finally ventured back to the coffee shop. She was desperate for something to keep her awake, and non-magic coffee didn't seem to do it for her. So she took a deep sigh and stepped into the Daily Brew, more than prepared for the stares that greeted her as she did so. She was quite aware of the whispers that followed her as she proceeded to the counter, but she tried her best to ignore them.

“Hey,� Belle greeted her, a tone of obvious surprise in her voice. “Haven't seen you in a while!�

“Yeah, I haven't really been in the mood for...you know...� She nodded towards the wizard behind her who was reading his newspaper upside down as a disguise for eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Yeah, I figured.� Belle nodded. “It's been a weirdly big deal around here, you know? Everyone's been talking about, 'cause they all know Ivy and love her, and I guess a lot of people didn't even know about her...difference. And it's sparked all this debate about how much that matters and prejudice and there have been all these rallies at night...it's weird.�

“I know, I've been reading the paper.� Having been avoiding talking to most of her magical friends, Mina had turned to the papers to keep her up to date on the happenings in the community. Adam had also been a big help in this way, giving her daily reports on the rallies he'd been involved with. And he was involved with a lot. She was kind of impressed.

“Crazy, yeah? This stuff happens a lot and people normally don't make such a big deal about it. I mean, I'm glad, but still...why now?�

“I dunno.� Mina shrugged nonchalantly. “There's no telling when and why the public is going to react to something. Could I just get a coffee? A big one?�

“Oh, sure.� Belle turned right to the coffee in question and began to pour, realizing that she had totally forgotten to even ask Mina for her order. “How is Ivy, by the way?�

“She's okay. Pretty much fine, really, just resting and stuff. She should be back here really soon.�

“Good.� She handed Mina the coffee and took the money offered in exchange. “And you? How are you holding up?�

“Fine,� Mina sighed. It was mostly true. The whole experience had been kind of emotional for her, as much as she tried to hide that from Ivy, but she was learning to live with it. These things happened all the time, she had to keep reminding herself. Every day in fact. Somehow that only made her feel worse. She glanced at her watch and realized how late it was. “Hey, I've gotta get going. Thanks for the coffee.�

“No problem. See you again soon?�

“Yeah, probably.�

“Good. Give Ivy my love.�

Mina agreed to pass on the message and hurried out the door, this time completely unaware of the multiple pairs of eyes that followed her.

* * *

Justin Timberlake was a very lucky man. This was not something that he had realized much, since it had been a long time since things had been going his way. But on his first day at his new job working for John Delaney, it hit him – he was lucky and his life was awesome. Granted, he had spent most of his day getting coffee for people, delivering scripts to trailers and making sure that the director was comfortable at all times, but it was the most thrilling thing he'd ever done anyway. The few minutes when he got to just stand and watch filming were worth the hours of running endless errands.

“Cut!� Delaney called, snapping Justin out of the trance he'd been in watching the scene that was being filmed. “That's a wrap! Thanks, everyone, see you tomorrow!�

And that was that. The first day was over, and within seconds everyone was leaving the set, heading to trailers or the parking lot. Justin just stood rooted to his spot for a moment, looking around and letting the scene around him sink in. It had been his goal for the day to not let himself take anything for granted, and even this ending moment counted.

It was again John Delaney who interrupted the moment, stopping to clap Justin on the shoulder on his way out. “Hey, good job today, kid. What's your name again?� he inquired.

“Ummm...uhhh...I'm...not sure,� Justin stammered in response, shocked that the director was actually addressing him directly. Delaney laughed.

“Well, try to remember before tomorrow. I'll ask again.�

He left and Justin stood in awe for a few moments before finally moving himself towards the parking lot. He was fairly certain that his jaw had remained wide open in amazement as he headed out to his car, but he didn't really care how ridiculous he looked. He was a very lucky man. Even despite the fact that it was now nearly 10 pm and he was just now leaving his job. Some things were worth it.

Approaching his car, Justin spotted a figure leaning against it. At first it startled him a bit, but as he got closer, he recognized the figure and it startled him even more. There Mina stood, her back pressed against the side of his car, long legs crossed in front of her, and each hand holding a paper coffee cup.

“Hey,� he greeted her, trying not to let his shock at her presence show. Even since what had seemed to be a break through talk at her home a week earlier, she still didn't really tend to initiate getting together with him, so a surprise visit was just that – an extreme surprise.

“Hi.� She sounded a little tired, but the smile that appeared on her face as she held one of the coffee cups out to him was entirely genuine. “What's up?�

“Uhhh...not much.� He accepted the coffee and took a grateful sip – it was only 10, but he was exhausted. “What are you doing here?�

Mina shrugged. “I knew you were getting done late and I wanted to see how your first day went. Plus I figured you'd be hungry.� She gestured the bags that he'd just now noticed sitting on top of his car, which he now assumed contained food.

“I am!� Justin's energy seemed to be picking up very quickly as he grabbed one of the bags and settled himself down on the hood of the car to open it.

“What are you doing?� she asked with a laugh, picking up the second bag, which she'd packed for herself.

“Uh, eating,� he replied obviously. Digging through his bag, he pulled out a small container of potato salad. “This is my favorite!�

“Here?� Mina looked around the quickly emptying parking lot where the only light was coming from the street lamps, since it was a new moon.

“I'm really hungry.�

“Fair enough,� she conceded, hopping onto the hood next to him and opening her own bag. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until that moment and she began to dig into her own potato salad as Justin finished his and went for the sandwich she'd made him – corned beef.

“Also my favorite,� he commented before taking a bite.

“I know.�

“How could you possibly know that?�

“I can read minds,� she said teasingly, although on a good day she actually could. It wasn't one of her most highly developed skills, however, and thus was not how she had gotten the information.

“Ah, that explains it.� Justin accepted this explanation, no questions asked. He'd discovered that with Mina, it was sometimes better not to ask questions. He was still kind of curious how she had known, though. He was fairly certain he'd never told her.

“So,� Mina prompted. “How was your first day?�

Justin practically dropped his sandwich in response. “Fucking amazing. Kind of horrible and tedious and boring, but...fucking amazing.�

“That makes no sense,� she laughed.

“I know, but it doesn't have to does it? When you love something, it's not always supposed to make sense.�

“Yeah, I guess that's true.�

“I mean, I spent half my day running around doing stupid ass shit tasks for God knows who, but then there would be these little moments where I would get to just stand and watch what was going on and it was the greatest thing ever. Because, John Delaney is a fucking god and watching him set up just one shot is worth five hours of getting coffee for people. I can't even explain.� His eyes fell on Mina for the first time since he'd started talking and he stopped, realizing that she was staring at him with a small smile on her face. “What?�

“Nothing, it's just I can see how much you love it. Your eyes just lit up like a thousand watts and it's...it's really awesome that you have that much passion for something. I wish I did.� She took a swig from the soda she'd included with her food, wanting something other than Justin to focus on.

“You don't love sociology?�

“No, I do...or I did, or...I don't really know.� Mina laughed a little uncertainly, the confusion she'd been feeling in the past week or so coming out in her voice. “It's interesting, but it's...just hitting a little too close to home lately, I guess.�

“Ivy?� Justin asked sympathetically. He was a lot more perceptive than she gave him credit for.

“Yeah.�

“How is she?�

“Fine, but I'm...just kind of depressed.� She shook her head, realizing that this conversation was not going in a direction she wanted it to. “We are not here to talk about me. We are here to talk about you and your new job and...�

“No.� Justin shook his head, having finished the last of his food. He tossed the bag into a nearby trash can and hopped down off the hood. “You need fun. Come on.�

“Where are we going?� This whole planned had backfired. It had been her intention to come help him unwind after his first, long day at a new job, and here he was trying to cheer her up instead. Mina decided that she sucked at the whole actually trying to have a relationship with someone thing.

“Get in the car and you'll find out.� He rolled his eyes when she just stared at him blankly, pausing as he opened the driver's side door. “You know, I'm going to drive whether you get in or not, so it's really just a matter of where you'd rather be sitting when it happens. I'd suggest inside, it's way more comfortable.�

* * *

The mystery destination turned out to be a party at Trace's place, which happened to be not very far from where Mina herself lived. When they first arrived she was a little skeptical – she wasn't sure that the best way to break her self-induced hibernation was by spending it with a bunch of drunken strangers, but since Justin seemed to have decided that this was exactly what she needed, she kept her mouth shut and went along with it.

There were a series of whoops and hollers when they entered the apartment and various guys clapped Justin on the shoulder in greeting as he passed them, Mina trailing behind him with her hand firmly attached to his. There was music blaring at what could only be described as a deafening level and bodies were gyrating on a dance floor that really wasn't big enough to be holding as many people as were on it. Mina was a little amazed at how quickly and skillfully Justin pulled her through the crowd and onto the back patio, where it was a little quieter and a much smaller number of people were crowded around patio furniture talking and laughing and playing cards.

“Hey, bro!� Trace greeted his best friend enthusiastically as the couple approached. They hugged quickly and Trace immediately offered both Justin and Mina beers, which they accepted.

“Mina, you remember Trace, right?� Justin asked, gesturing to his friend.

“Of course. How are you?� Mina asked politely before taking a sip of her beer.

“Great, good to see you again!�

“And you remember Elisha?� More pleasantries were exchanged. “And, this is my cousin, Izzie. Izzie, this is Mina.�

“Hey, it's really nice to meet you. I was beginning to think you didn't really exist!� Izzie teased, shaking Mina's hand cordially.

“Oh, yeah, well...I do!� Mina responded, her laugh sounding a bit more awkward than she'd intended. “I've just been a little anti-social lately. Working on research for grad school and stuff...you know...�

Izzie nodded. “Yeah, school is a bitch. That's why Justin dropped out. He can't handle pressure.�

“Thanks, Izzie.� Justin gave her a good smack upside her head in response to this comment. She immediately retaliated with a punch to his arm.

“I'm just kidding. Don't be a baby.�

“Hey, why don't we get back to our game?� Trace suggested, gesturing to the table with a deck of cards sitting in the middle. He sat down in one of the chairs and both Mina and Elisha followed suit. The cousins were too busy arguing to notice.

“I'm not a baby. Why are you such a bitch?�

“It's genetic.�

“Will someone please distract them?� Elisha asked with a groan.

Mina had never seen Justin with his cousin, but judging by their friends' reactions, this seemed to be typical behavior. She took action by grabbing Justin's arm, which was barely within reach, and pulling him down forcefully onto the chair next to her. He looked shocked, but Trace and Elisha just laughed appreciatively.

“Nice work,� Trace commended Mina.

“We're playing a game,� she informed Justin matter-of-factly, and he couldn't help joining his friends' laughter.

“Okay, thanks for the memo. What's the game?� Justin inquired as Izzie joined them.

“Bullshit,� Trace replied succinctly.

“Awesome! I rock at this!� Justin exclaimed.

“Not as much as I do,� Izzie reminded him.

“Have you played before, Mina?� Elisha asked the newcomer amongst them kindly, not wanting her to feel left out.

“Yeah, a couple times.�

“We add a little drinking element to it, too,� Justin explained. “If you're caught bullshitting, you have to take a drink and if you accuse someone of bullshitting when they aren't, you have to take a drink. Also, the person with the most cards left at the end of the game has to take a shot.�

“Got it,� Mina confirmed with a nod as Trace began passing around cards.

Mina had played the game numerous times with her brothers and cousins, though as children they called it “I Doubt It,� and had almost always won. It was a little different with magical kids, though, since the option of mind reading and changing your cards when they were in your hand existed, so it often became more a test of who could use their abilities most inconspicuously. In this situation, she soon found out, it wasn't quite as easy to prevail. Justin won the first two rounds – he was nearly impossible to read. At the end of the second round, it was Mina who had the most cards left.

“Shot!� Izzie exclaimed.

“You don't have to if you don't want to,� Justin told Mina as Trace poured her a shot of whiskey.

“Of course she does!� Izzie contradicted him immediately. “If you play with the Timberlakes, you have to play like a Timberlake!�

“I don't mind,� Mina laughed, taking the cup from Trace. She downed it in one gulp, not even flinching at the strong taste. “So are we gonna go again or what?�

Justin gaped at her. He had never dated a girl who could shoot whiskey like that. “Nice. That was impressive.�

“What was impressive?� Mina asked, feigning innocence. Justin just shook his head at her in amazement and turned his attention to the cards he'd just been dealt.

The next round of the game began much as the first two had – no one seemed able to call Justin's bullshitting correctly and they all ended up with far more cards in their hands than he did. It wasn't until the middle of the game that it began to take a turn. Justin only had one card left in his hand and there were about 10 in the middle – the rest were distributed amongst the other four people sitting at the table. Justin laid his card down.

“1 Ace,� he stated.

“Bullshit,� came the immediate response from the woman seated next to him. She hadn't even bothered to look at him before saying it, her eyes focused solely on the cards in her own hand.

“Excuse me?� Justin stared at her incredulously. Everyone else at the table was silent. Most of them had given up trying to catch him in a lie at this point, and even Izzie seemed to be wearing down.

“You're kind of a liar, Timberlake,� Mina responded, looking up at him with a twinkle in her eye.

“Oh really?�

“Um, yes. Really.�

“You do realize that there hasn't been a single ace played this entire time and it is entirely plausible that's what I just put down?�

“Ummm...I do realize that, yes.� Mina frowned and gave a slight nod of her head. “But I also think that your arrogance kind of faltered that time, so I think you're lying.�

“Well I'm not.�

“You're not making eye contact with me right now. Your eyes are all darty,� she observed.

“Now you're just making shit up. Darty isn't even a word.�

“Can you just flip over the damn card and show us if she's right?� Izzie interrupted irritably. She had a feeling she was going to lose again, and it was not a feeling that she appreciated. “If you don't do it, I'll do it for you.�

“Fine, fine,� Justin complied, flipping the damn card over. It was the 9 of diamonds. The table exploded with exclamations as Izzie, Trace, and Elisha realized that Mina had finally broken Justin.

“Mina! You rock! You're amazing! I love you!� Izzie exclaimed triumphantly. “Not as much as I'd love winning, but still. Justin's not going to win! HA!�

“I could still win,� Justin protested with a pout as he gathered the cards from the middle into his hand. He glared at Mina playfully. “Happy now?�

“Extremely,� she replied with a wide grin.

* * *

“I can't believe you beat both me and Izzie,� Justin marveled, stumbling slightly as he walked down the sidewalk next to Mina. “That has never happened in the entire history of Bullshit.�

“I'm a history maker,� Mina replied with a giggle. She was probably even more intoxicated than Justin, whose walking pattern was betraying his fairly drunk state, and she was holding on to him for support as they stumbled down the street towards her apartment. Fortunately, it turned out that Trace didn't live that far from her and they were nearly to her apartment already.

“Y'are!� Justin exclaimed, not really realizing that this was not an actual acceptable contraction. “Congratulations!�

“Thankyou! I'd like to thank the Academy and...God...and that guy who invented self-brewing cauldrons and-�

“What?� he asked, bursting into laughter as they reached Mina's front door. “Did you just say self-brewing cauldrons?�

“Maybe.� Mina's response was slow and she tried to look around shiftily, but her eyes didn't seem to want to move back and forth the way she wanted them to. She settled for sticking her key in the door and opening it carefully. “Wanna come in?�

“Sure.�

“Gotta be really quiet,� she whispered. “Ivy's prolly asleep.�

So they tiptoed inside, crashing into things in the dark every now and then and giggling, but remaining at a fairly low volume. Justin settled onto the couch and Mina headed for the fridge in search of some refreshments. Finding a bottle of Seventh Heaven champagne, she poured some for both herself and her guest and joined him in the living room.

“Mmmm, this is good,� Justin stated after taking his first sip of the champagne. He'd never tasted anything like it, and as he was about to discover, he had never experienced anything like it either.

“Right?� Mina had decided that the living room was not for her and was instead sitting on one of the bar stools next to the kitchen counter. It had taken a moment for this to register with Justin and when it did, he did not seem pleased.

“What'reya doin' over there?�

“Sitting.�

“Sit over here.� He patted the spot next to him on the couch.

“So far,� she whined.

“Fine.� He gave a labored sigh, finished off his champagne and made his way over to where Mina was sitting. Positioning himself between her legs, he smiled at her goofily. “Hi.�
“Hey.� She gave him a kiss on the cheek in response and then returned to her glass of champagne, which she had not downed nearly as quickly as he had.

“Did you have fun tonight?�

“Yes.� She nodded sloppily, downing the last drop of her drink. “Thanks.�

“Welcome.�

“You want to know something funny?� Mina giggled in what she thought was a whisper.

“What?� Justin's tone mimicked Mina's almost exactly.

“When I first met you, I thought you were kind of weird,� she confided, still giggling.

“Really?� His laughter increased. “It's funny, 'cause the other day, I told Izzie that I think you're kind of psycho. And I still kind of do.�

“I am!� Mina exclaimed, her laughter increasing as well, giggles evolving into guffaws and all thoughts of not waking Ivy up a little far from her mind.

“I know you are! And I'm weird, and kind of a loser!�

“What a pair!�

They both dissolved into laughter, holding onto one another with support. Mina's legs were wrapped around Justin who was still standing in between them, his head now resting on her shoulder as he laughed hysterically. Her head rested against his as tears began streaming out of her eyes, she was laughing so hard.

“God, what is wrong with us?� Mina finally managed to say through her laughter. Justin opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Mina, oddly, crashing her lips into his. Not that he was complaining.

He slid his hand to the back of her head, twirling the hair between his fingers and bringing her a little bit closer to him. She soon had no choice but to join him in standing, their lips never breaking and tongues finding one another simultaneously. Her arms wrapped around his neck, wanting to touch more of him and before long Justin felt like he was floating. Had he not been so drunk and so into what he was doing, he might of realized that this was because they actually were floating – one of the more unique effects of Seventh Heaven Champagne. They hovered a few inches above the ground, lips exploring each other hungrily, and feet not hitting anything solid again until they reached the foot of Mina's bed.

Chapter Eleven – Screw the Plan

When Ivy woke up on Saturday morning, she was a little surprised to find her cousin in the kitchen, dressed in sweats and a tank top. Those were her “stay at home clothes� and normally by this time of the morning (it was almost 11:30), Mina was dressed and out somewhere. “Somewhere� usually being the library or a coffee shop or somewhere else she could pore over her hundreds of pages of notes and read books with titles like: If You Don't See Us, We're Not Here: Non-Magic Relations in the 21st Century. But this morning, here she was, standing in the kitchen rinsing off a couple of plates and clearly not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. This was also strange – Mina never did dishes without magic if she could help it.

“Morning,� Ivy greeted her with a yawn, heading straight for the refrigerator in search of yogurt for her breakfast.

“Hey!� Mina looked up from her dishes briefly to greet her cousin brightly.

“You're very chipper this morning.�

Mina shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.�

“What time did you get in last night? I went to bed around midnight and you still weren't back,� Ivy informed her inquisitively. Usually when Mina was out that late, Ivy knew where she was. She'd been a little worried.

“Oh, I'm not sure. Two or three, I think.�

“Oh. Where were you?� She sat down at the counter with her yogurt and a box of granola.

“You know...just out.� Mina shrugged evasively and turned her attention back to the dishes.

Ivy, curious as always, was about to ask another question, but was shocked into silence when Justin appeared in the kitchen, having apparently just come from Mina's bedroom. Ivy froze, mouth wide open and her spoon in the air as Justin walked past her nonchalantly.

“Hey, Ivy,� he greeted her with a smile as he approached her cousin.

“Hi, Justin,� she replied, trying not to let her shock seep into her voice. She wasn't entirely successful.

“How are you feeling?�

“Better, thanks.�

“Good.� He turned his attention to the woman standing next to him, sliding an arm around her waist and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I've gotta go, I'll call you later, okay?�

“Okay.� She paused to give him a peck on the lips. “See you later.�

“Bye. Bye, Ivy,� he added as he headed towards the front door.

“Bye.� Ivy allowed her jaw to drop open in shock as Justin disappeared from the apartment. Mina was purposely avoiding eye contact with her. “Mina...�

“Don't.� Her cousin to turned to look at her, shaking her head sheepishly.

Ivy gaped at her. “Did you-�

“Yes.�

“Are you supposed to-�

“No.�

“Oh.� There was a long pause on Ivy's end as she tried to decide how to react. She had barely even heard Mina talk about Justin as anything other than a research subject, and now here she was, waking up to find that he had spent the night. She couldn't think of anything to say. “Mina!�

“I know,� Mina groaned, sitting down next to her cousin. She was a little appalled with herself, to say the least. There had been a plan from the beginning – date the guy, tell the guy you're a witch, see what happens. Sleeping with Justin had definitely not been part of the plan.

“Is that even, like...ethical?�

“Not really, no. It wasn't supposed to happen. But we were having fun and we were both kind of drunk...and you know how I can be when I've been drinking.�

“Apparently very slutty.�

“Hey!� Mina elbowed her cousin in protest and Ivy laughed.

“Mina Andromeda McKinnon!� an angry female voice interrupted their conversation unexpectedly.

“Oh God,� Mina groaned. She glanced over in the direction the voice had come from and found her mother's face glaring back at her from the television set. “What's up, Mama?�

“I am very disappointed in you, young lady!� Evelina McKinnon's voice rang out full of irritation as her daughter walked over to the television and settled down on the couch in front of it.

“Why, what did I do?� Mina frowned. She was fairly certain her mother hadn't heard the conversation she'd just been having with Ivy, and to her knowledge she hadn't done anything else disappointing recently, but it would be just like her mother to dig up something she didn't know about and make sure she felt bad about it.

“Can you please explain to me why I had to find out from Hazel Wicklow that my niece had been attacked when my own daughter is living with her and more than capable of keeping me informed about such things?�

Well, there was that.

“Oh.� Mina's frown deepened as she realized her mother was probably right – Evelina had in many ways been even more of a mother figure to Ivy as had her own mother and Mina should have known she would want to be told immediately about her niece's state. “Yeah, it's just been so crazy around here since it happened, I haven't really had a chance to-�

“It takes two seconds to send a note, Mina. Quite literally, two seconds,� her mother interjected. “And come to think of it, I haven't heard from you in months. Is something wrong? Have you been eating? Avery tells me you've got a new boyfriend and he looks untrustworthy.�

“Oh, how would Avery know?� Mina huffed. “He just doesn't like him because he isn't a wizard. Like wizards are so trustworthy. Who attacked Ivy in the club the other night? A fucking wizard.�

“Well, I wouldn't know because my daughter didn't bother to tell me about it.�

“Besides, that he's not even a real boyfriend, he's just...� Mina had continued on her rant as though her mother hadn't attempted to interrupt, but was stopped short when she came to this familiar part of the rant. She'd been about to say “he's just part of my research,� but her mother had an uncanny ability to force her to be honest and as she wasn't entirely sure this was true anymore, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

“He's just what?� Evelina said.

“Hey, Auntie.�

Mina was extremely grateful that her cousin had chosen this moment to enter the room. Ivy had been hanging back into the kitchen, invisible to the limited eye of Evelina, but she now settled down right next to Mina on the couch, a serene smile on her face.

“Oh, hello, dear.� The accusing tones immediately turned softer as the head in the television set turned to look at the new arrival. “How are you?�

“I'm fine. So much better. And you mustn't blame Mina for not letting you know about what happened. It really has been ridiculously crazy around here. She had to stay up all night at the hospital with me and then get me home and then she's been dealing with all the aftermath of taking caring of me and fielding people's questions...we figured Charlie would have told you.�

“Yes, of course, I understand sweetie.�

Evelina beamed at both of the girls, shooting Mina a proud look that her daughter could only assume was in response to the fact that she had spent the past week taking care of Evelina's favorite niece. Her face fell again as something Ivy had just said registered.

“Charlie knew?�

“Yeah.� Mina nodded vigorously. “He arrived the same time I did but had to go back to London soon after. Didn't he tell you?�

“Obviously not! Well, if you'll excuse me girls, I have a son to visit. Take care of yourself, Ivy. You too, Mina.�

And without even waiting for a response from either of the girls, there was a loud popping noise and the television screen suddenly went blank. Mina turned to her cousin, slightly awed.

“Well done. That was like a record time turn around.�

“I do what I can,� Ivy laughed.

“You are very good at what you do.� Mina sank into the couch, realizing that she'd been sitting on the edge of it during the entire conversation with her mother. “Honestly, that woman drives me crazy. Even things that are in no way my fault somehow become my fault. I don't know how she does it.�

“She means well,� said Ivy. “And anyway, she's way better than my mother. At least she's concerned. I'm kind of surprised my mom hasn't sent me a letter saying, 'tell that guy at the club I said “well done.� I think he's got the right idea about you.'�

Mina frowned at the way Ivy laughed as she said this. She shook her head.

“That's not funny, and also not true. Your mom cares about you. I know she gives you a hard time sometimes, but she would never wish any harm upon you.�

Ivy shrugged. It was a well known fact that it had been a great disappointment to her mother that her first daughter had turned out to have no magical abilities, and it was widely believed that the six born after her were the result of a desire to compensate. Ivy had always felt that she was her mother's least favorite and Virginia McKinnon had never done quite enough to squash those feelings.

“Maybe not, but you know if she hadn't had me as a daughter and she heard about a case like mine, she would think nothing of it,� insisted Ivy. “My mother is not exactly the most tolerant person in the world. It's the whole reason your dad didn't want my dad to marry her.�

“Then I guess it's a good thing she got you as a daughter. You've helped her realize how wrong she was about non-magic people.�

“Yeah, maybe.�

Her tone told Mina that she was not even close to being convinced, but she didn't want to argue about it anymore. As if to ensure that there was no hope of Mina pressing the issue, Ivy changed the topic as swiftly as possible.

“So what are you going to do about Justin, then?�

Mina rolled her eyes. It seemed hardly possible that she could have forgotten about Justin, but the unexpected appearance of one's mother in the television set could sometimes be distracting.

“I don't know. I guess I either have to tell him or break up with him. Neither is according to plan, but it's the right thing to do.�

“I think you've made a wise decision.� Ivy patted her cousin consolingly on the leg and stood up. “I've been feeling tons better, so Belle, Ralph and I were going to go out for some coffee or a drink or something later. Something quiet, of course,� she added hastily when she saw the apprehensive look on Mina's face. “And we were thinking of inviting Adam too, if you want to come. I think you should.�

“Sure.� Mina agreed with a smile, only half paying attention to what she was agreeing to as her thoughts drifted to the decision she was now faced with. In the day after consummating her “relationship� with the man who was supposed to be mere research for her thesis, was it better to admit to him that she was a witch and the whole relationship had, from the beginning, been an attempt to secure the highest grade possible in a graduate university course or to simply break it off with him, claiming that she didn't see how the relationship could be going anywhere?

It was the toughest decision she'd had to make in a while.

* * *

“And where the hell have you been?� Izzie greeted her cousin as he appeared on the very patio they had been sitting on the night before.

It was nearly 9:30 in the evening, and Justin had not been seen or heard from since he'd disappeared from the party the previous night. If it weren't in her nature to not really care where he was, Izzie might have been worried. Trace had been a little.

“Yeah, I second that question,� the latter piped up from the other side of the patio, where he was sitting trying to tune the guitar he was learning to play.

“Work,� Justin replied simply. “I know it's not something that either of you are particularly familiar with, so let me explain-�

“Oh, shut your fat face, you didn't come home at all last night and you weren't at work then, were you, smart ass?� Izzie have him an obligatory smack upside his head as he sat down next to her.

“Nope.� Justin shook his head, trying to suppress a grin. “I was definitely not at work.�

“You're grossing me out.�

“Just answer the damn question, Timberlake,� Trace chimed in irritably. He could not get the guitar to sound right no matter what he did.

Justin stood up and walked over to where Trace sat, despite the fact that he himself had just sat down. He seized the guitar from his friend and took over the task of tuning, which he was immediately far more successful at.

“I was at Mina's.�

Izzie choked on the unsightly gulp of water she'd just taken and Trace's jaw dropped in an extremely unattractive manner as Justin played a few, perfectly tuned chords on the guitar.

“Excuse me?� Izzie finally found her voice to say. “You were where?�

“At Mina's,� Justin repeated slowly, handing the guitar back over to Trace who stared at it with a mixture of awe and aggravation.

“What'd you do, drug 'er?� Izzie asked.

“Of course not! What the hell is wrong with you?�

“I'm just sayin', it took you how long to get her to even kiss you? And suddenly she's Miss Come Over to My Place? Seems doubtful.�

Justin gaped at Izzie, completely baffled by what he was hearing. His cousin spent so much time bugging him and telling him that he needed to get laid, and now he finally did, she did all in her power to completely ruin it.

“I don't even know what to say to you, woman.�

“Look, I'm not that surprised,� Trace said.

“Thank you!�

“I mean, the girl obviously digs you. Don't ask me why,� he added, giving Izzie a significant look, which she returned with a nod. “But I kind of figured that's where you'd got to. You were both pretty hammered, anyway.�

“So how was it?� Izzie had clearly overcome her shock and now moved onto the next order of business. Justin didn't even bother being appalled or trying to refuse an answer, as a small part of him did want to talk about it. It had been bothering him a bit.

“It was...kind of weird.�

“Weird...good? Or weird...I don't want to know?� Trace asked as Izzie frowned.

“Just weird. Like everything was going fine and everything, but there are just these little things that have been bothering me, you know? Like I distinctly remember falling off the bed, but I don't remember hitting the ground...and I remember the light going out, but I don't know how. Mina just liked waved her hand and it was all dark all of a sudden and-�

“Justin,� Izzie cut him off, raising a hand to stop him talking any more. “You were very drunk. This is all probably due to a very foggy memory. And here I thought he was going to tell us she wanted to tie him up or some shit...�

“Seriously,� Trace muttered.

“Maybe.� Justin seemed unconvinced. “And then this morning, when I was waking up I heard her kind of freaking out. She kept saying, 'oh shit, oh shit, oh shit' and 'I'm horrible' and things like that. Like she'd made some huge mistake or something.�

“Well, she kind of did...by waiting so long to do it with you,� Izzie added at the last minute upon a stern look from Trace, who did not think this was the time to be teasing Justin.

“I dunno. Maybe I'm making too much out of it, because she made me breakfast and everything and she seemed perfectly fine and happy then...�

“I'm sure you're just overreacting,� Trace assured him.

“I'm inclined to agree,� Izzie stated grudgingly.

* * *

To Ivy's great annoyance, though everyone else proved quite oblivious, Mina was not great company that afternoon. The two girls, accompanied by Belle, Ralph and Adam had found a wizard pub is West Hollywood that was rarely visited due to the fact that it was owned by an old dwarf who was quite disenchanted with wizards and was known to hurl insults at any who entered his bar. As a result, it was mostly other magical persons and creatures who frequented the bar, and Ivy could easily sit in it without being questioned about being attacked. They had all ordered their drinks of choice and, eager to get away from the barman who had promptly told Ralph and Adam that he reserved the right to refuse service to them if they made any cracks about his height, quickly retreated to a table in the corner across from a couple of friendly looking wizards who, Adam commented, looked like they were probably werewolves. Mina had barely said a word since.

“You know, Ivy,� Adam was saying between sips of a beer with a strangely minty smell. “If you ever wanted to stop working at that coffee shop, my office is looking for a new non-magic liaison, and I think you'd be perfect for the job. I find that non-magics who grew up in magic families are the best at the work, because they have an understanding of both sides, you know? I think you should consider it.�

“Don't you need a degree in non-magic studies or something?� Ivy asked. She looked extremely skeptical at the prospect of working in any environment much more magical than the coffee shop. And Ralph and Belle were looking a bit insulted at the suggestion that their place of employment was not good enough for Ivy.

“Well, usually,� Adam said. “But your life experiences more than qualify you and I can certainly put in a good word for you if you're interested.�

“I don't know...that sounds more like something that Mina would be good at.�

Mina,who had been stirring her drink absentmindedly looked up at the mention of her name. “What's that?�

Ivy glared at her. “Adam thinks I should try and get a job where he works. Non-magic relations or something like that. I just said it sounds much more like your cup of tea than mine.�

“Oh no, sounds great for you. I'm not so good at that stuff,� Mina said glumly.

“Oh, will you stop sulking and just go see your boyfriend?� Ivy's irritation finally betrayed itself in her voice.

“Sorry?�

“If you're just going to sit there ignoring us and pouting because you screwed up your research, then go see Justin and get whatever it is you have to do over with. Then come back and tell us how it went.�

“Oooh, what happened?� Belle piped up eagerly. She was always more than ready to live vicariously through Mina. “Are we ever going to get to meet this boyfriend, incidentally? I'm really curious about him. Oooh, maybe we could go bowling!�

“She slept with him.�

“Ivy!�

“What? You did. The people want to know.�

Mina gazed at her cousin, in shock that Ivy would put her personal business out like that, while everyone else at the table was looking at her with an equal amount of shock. They certainly hadn't expected Ivy to say what she had even more than Mina had.

“She slept with Justin last night and now she has to either tell him she's a witch or break up with him, in both cases prematurely ending her little experiment, because she crossed the line,� Ivy explained to the others in a professional manner.

“I should say so,� Belle agreed.

“Jesus,� muttered Ralph.

“Oh, and don't you have anything to say about my personal life which is none of your business?� Mina snapped at Adam when he remained silent, simply gaping at her as though he'd never seen her before.

“No,� Adam said. “I mean, normally I would be furious and say that I think you've greatly abused your position as a researcher, but this seems so unlike you that all I can think is...you must have had your reasons.�

“Well, I didn't. I had no reasons. I just did it, because I'm a horrible person. Is that okay with you all?�

She downed the rest of her drink in one gulp and stood up, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

“Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go fix it.�

* * *

Justin had come across a cheeseburger, which was possibly the tatiest cheeseburger in the universe...and he was going to get to eat it. He really couldn't recall the last time he'd been so excited about something, so he took it into his hands and brought it towards his mouth eagerly. Just before he could take a bite, it started muttering at him, “oh shit, oh shit, oh shit...I'm a horrible person!� He was a little freaked out, so he dropped it and next thing he knew, there was a pounding coming from somewhere and Izzie's voice was yelling, “Justin, will you get the door? Who the hell is knocking at this time of night?�

He opened his eyes and realized that he was lying on the couch in his apartment, having fallen waiting for some film to develop in the makeshift dark room he'd made in the walk in closet down the hall. Then he realized that someone was, in fact, pounding on the door, and he rolled off the couch in an effort to get to it. It proved a very efficient method and seconds later, Mina McKinnon was standing, looking frazzled and tired and as though she'd been walking for hours.

“Hey,� he greeted her, rubbing his eyes. “What are you-?�

“Can I come in?� she asked before he could finish his question.

“Sure.� He glanced at his watch as she hurried into the house and he shut the door behind her. “Mina, it's 1 am.�

“I'm aware.� She was looking around the room as though trying to make sure that there was no one there to hear what she was saying, and when she finally made eye contact with Justin, she didn't seem quite convinced. “I need to talk to you.�

“Apparently.�

“No one can hear what I'm about to say to you.�

“It's just Izzie here and she's upstairs, so...I think we're okay.� He frowned slightly, a little confused by Mina's manic behavior. He hadn't been wrong when he'd claimed she was a bit psychotic, that much was certain.

“Are you sure?�

“Pretty sure.�

“No, not pretty sure, I need you to be sure.�

“Look, we'll go in here,� Justin gestured to the door that lead to the dark room. “She definitely won't be able to hear us in there.�

“Good.�

Mina followed him silently into the room and shut the door behind them. The pictures had finished developing, and were hanging from where they'd been drying all around the room. Mina glanced around at them, but didn't really seem to see them, merely using them as a means to not look at Justin as she spoke.

“Listen, I'm about to tell you something and you have to promise me that you won't freak out or yell or call me names or anything like that okay?�

“Okay.� The slow way he said it was a stark contrast to the lighting fast speed with which Mina was speaking. She was scaring him a little and he was sure that he was about to tell him that she was secretly married or a murderer or something equally awful.

“Do you remember last night, when I turned the light off and you asked me how it happened because I hadn't touched the switch or anything?�

“Yes.�

“Well...here's the thing.� She turned to face him, but stopped talking as her eyes fell on a picture hanging behind him. He'd taken it the night they'd gone to celebrate his new job. It was the first time they'd kissed and the night Ivy had ended up in the hospital. She was huddled next to him and his arms were stretched out, taking the picture of both of them grinning widely. Her voice caught in her throat and she didn't continue.

“What?� Justin prompted her after several minutes of silence. She'd seemed so anxious to talk before and now there wasn't a single sound coming from her mouth.

“I...� her voice trailed off and then she changed her tactic. “Look, that really has nothing to do with why I came here. I just came to say that...I don't like people, Justin. Not really. I just study them. I look at people like they're books for me to read and glean information from. It's not the same thing as liking them, you know? But...I kind of like you, and I don't know why, because you're not...I mean, you're not the kind of person I thought I'd like. But I like you a lot and last night...I was really happy. I don't remember the last time I was that happy with another person when I wasn't taking notes about them.�

“Oh.� He couldn't think of anything else to say. After the opening about lights switching off unexpectedly, this was not what he had expected.

“Does that freak you out?�

“No,� he replied, surprised that he meant it. “No, not at all.�

He reached his arms out to her and pulled her into a hug, placing a quick kiss on the top of her head and he could have sworn he heard her mutter, “It will.�