Traces Of Magic

~Chapter 9~

Sage runs over and grabs him by his shoulders while Jarron watches with a worried expression. "What's going on? Is he okay?" Jarron looks at me before coming over to me and wrapping his arms around my shoulders. His voice is calming. "He's having another vision."

Sage's voice floats over to me. "It's the second one today. He doesn't have them that frequently." Derrick pushes Sage away gently before speaking. "Or this aggressively either." Jarron lets go of me and goes over to Derrick's side. He goes on Derrick's other side as he rubs his forehead. "What was the vision this time?" Sage speaks softly. I stay still, feeling like an outsider. Derrick shakes his head. "I'm not sure Sage. It was tidbits of an event."

Sage's face goes white. "That's not normal either Derrick." He motions for her to calm down with his hand. "I know." Jarron speaks up. "Well what were the visions of?" Derrick closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before continuing.

"I was in a forest talking to someone. And Mandy was with me." They all look over at me. I look from one to the other. "What...what was I doing there?" I move closer to the three of them. "I...I don't know Mandy, but you had a worried expression. Then it went black. The next thing I see is me throwing a lightning bolt at something, but it stays on my fingers, like a beam of light or energy, and I struggle to keep it there. Suddenly, there is a flash of bright light. Then it went black again. The last thing I see is me swimming through a lake or a pond searching frantically for something. I sense I'm running out of time, but then the vision ends."

I watch him intensely. Sage breaks the silence. "Well what do you think is going to happen?" "Or when it will happen?" Jarron adds on. Derrick looks down and takes a deep breath again. "I don't know, you guys, but I feel like it's going to happen soon. Real soon, and that it isn't something good at all."

Derrick looks up at me and we lock eyes. I stare at him for a moment before getting embarrassed and looking away. Trying to ease the stress of what we just heard. I ask a question I've been wanting to ask since I met all of them.

"So what do you guys call yourselves?" Derrick's eyes light up. "We call ourselves 'The Radicals'." Sage smiles. "Pretty cool, huh?" Jarron smiles too. "I helped come up with that. The name."
Sage rolls her eyes. "Yeah, if you consider doing nothing 'helping'." Jarron retorts back. "Hey! If you guys would have given me another minute to think, I would have came up with it."

She shakes her head at her brother. "Yeah right..." He crosses his arms defensively. "I would have..." Derrick sighs. "Guys! Seriously! Act your ages! Sage, quit doubting your brother's potential, and Jarron, quit bothering your sister." Sage crosses her arms and turns her back to Jarron, who rolls his eyes and does the exact same thing.

I giggle. "You sound like my father Derrick." Derrick chuckles softly. "I'm not surprised that I sound like a dad. I feel like a dad to the two of them, since they always fight. Normally, I scold and separate them." He smiles as I laugh. "Do not!" Sage shouts out. "Do too!" Jarron shouts back. "Do not!" "Do too!"

Derrick gestures to them as they go back and forth at each other. "See what I mean?" I nod my head as I giggle. He smiles before getting up and sitting down beside me.

"You have a really cute laugh Mandy." I stop and blush slightly. No one has ever told me that before. "Thanks. And you have really pretty eyes Derrick. Your black hair really makes them pop." He looks away as he blushes slightly. "To be completely honest Mandy, I've never met a girl as cool and sweet as you are, and I really mean that." I blush harder as he pulls me closer to him.

He gently wraps his arms around me and places his lips on mine. My lips tingle as I make out to the taste of cinnamon.  Slowly, he parts his lips from mine. "I'm sorry Mandy. I...I just couldn't help myself. I just think you're really pretty and..." I cut him off by locking my lips with his again. He wraps his arms around me tighter, and I wrap mine around him, too.

A warm sensation washes over me, making me feel so good and free. Free from dealing with my life. Free from dealing with my powers. Free from dealing with Adam and my parents. Free from dealing with Lexi and Grayson. I pull away from Derrick at the sudden thought of Grayson. I look down and blush as Derrick moves away from me and blushes, too. Jarron's sarcastic voice breaks the silence between Derrick and I.

"Having fun over there you two lover birds?" I quickly move farther away from him. "Does the strong and mighty Derrick actually have a heart? How surprising." Jarron laughs and rolls his eyes at us. I feel my cheeks growing red, and Derrick seems to notice. "Well, look at the time. You should be getting home Mandy." "Yeah..." I nod my head as Derrick and  I stand up. "Hey Jarron! Where did your sister go?" Jarron lays back down on the couch. "She went to her room. Guess she got tired of me." He smiles and winks at me before shutting his eyes.

"Yeah. Who would have guessed..."Derrick mumbles under his breath as he walks to the door. "Where are you going Derrick?" He opens the door while answering me. "Where do you think? I'm taking you home Mandy." "Oh Derrick. You don't have to do that. I can get home on my own." He walks through the door and back into the cave, leaving me no choice but to follow and let him take me home.

"Tell Sage I said goodbye for me Jarron." I look over at him to make sure he heard me, but he is fast asleep already. I sigh before following Derrick.
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We don't speak until we get out of the forest and on the sidewalk. Derrick looks down both sides of the sidewalk, trying to decide which way to go. I pull out my phone and check the time. It is later than I expected. I put my phone back in my pocket and deal with Derrick.

"Do you even know where I live Derrick?" "Totally." He shakes his head no. I roll my eyes. "I can make it back home from here without your assistance. Besides. I have to go get my brother." He looks at me and pouts. "But I wanted to see where you lived." I punch him in the shoulder playfully. "Yeah, well too bad." "Alright. So I'll see you here bright and early tomorrow." I look at him.

"What? Why?" "Don't you want to learn how to better control your powers Mandy?" I nod my head. "Then be here tomorrow. I'll be waiting." He winks at me before disappearing back into the woods. I sigh before heading to go pick up Adam from Lexi's house.
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I knock on the front door, praying that Lexi doesn't answer it. Luckily, it is Mr. Hallagan that answers the door. "Hi Mandy? What can I do for you?" I rub my arm. "Hi Mr. Hallagan. I'm here to pick up my brother Adam." He scratches his slight beard before answering. "Your brother is around back." I smile. "Thanks. It was nice to see you Mr. Hallagan." He smiles back. "Nice to see you too Mandy."

He closes the front door as I head around back to get Adam. When I get back there, Adam and Ryan are sitting at a picnic table having a snack. Adam's eyes light up when he sees me. "Hey buddy! Are you ready to go home!" He nods his head before getting up and running over to me to hug me.

"Hey Mandy. Do you think you could carry my tricycle home for me? My hands are going to be full with my snack." "Sure. No problem Adam." He smiles before running over and grabbing his snack as I find his tricycle and pick it up. "Bye Ryan!" Ryan waves as we leave and head back to our house. Adam runs up the stairs on the porch as we get home. I set his tricycle down as I pull out my keys to unlock the front door.

Adam runs inside as I open the door. I laugh and roll my eyes as he goes into the living room and collapses on the couch. I close the front door and take his tricycle around back and put it away. When I come back inside and check on him, he is fast asleep. I smile and kiss his forehead before ascending the stairs to my room. I close the door behind me and hang my jacket up on the doorknob. I cross over to my dresser and change into my pajamas. As I do this, I hear Adam come up the stairs and go into his room. I guess my kiss woke him up. I smile before getting into bed. As I pull the covers over me, I hear my phone ding repeatedly. I yawn as I get out of bed and go back over to my dresser and grab my phone. I walk back over to my bed before checking it.

Five new messages from Grayson. 

I shut my phone off and place it on my nightstand. I yawn again before taking off my glasses and place them beside my phone. I get back in bed and pull the covers up over me. I think about Derrick, Sage, and Jarron and all of the exciting things I did and learned today. I reach over and turn off my lamp, roll over on my side, and fall asleep.