Experimental Magic ✔

Runaway: Part I

"Seriously?!" Meadow stormed inside and slammed the door behind her. "Crows?! I could've been killed! I could've had my eyes gouged out! Are you insane?!"

Misty wasn't threatened by Meadow's rage, not even a little. Rather, she found it quite amusing.  The way her face scrunched all up and her voice got all high and shriek-y. It was cute. 

"Not so fun when it's you, huh?" Misty said as her lips curled into a smug smile.

Meadow could feel her temperature rising as her face grew hot with anger. It took all the restraint she had not to slap that stupid grin right off her face.

"I was treating you the way you treat me!" Meadow shouted. "I was giving you a taste of your own medicine!"

"Yes," Misty said, keeping her voice calm and even. "And we were returning the favor. You always did like the taste of bubble gum cough syrup."

Misty folded her hands under her chin, tilted her head to the side and gave Meadow a big fake cheery smile. As if she was doing her a favor. Meadow exhaled deeply through her nose, fuming. Misty and Meadow locked eyes, battling it out with angry glares. 

"You're such a bitch," Meadow said curtly without breaking eye contact. 

Millie smacked her lips and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. Her little sister was really overreacting. It was clear she could dish it out, but she couldn't take it.  

"Just face it Meadow," Millie said with a satisfied sigh. "You'll never be as good as us."

Meadow shifted her glare to Millie, then back to Misty. Both of them stood there smiling their fake smiles. They really thought they had her. But she wasn't done yet. She knew exactly what to say to really push them over the edge. 

"And you'll never be as good as Markos," she said with just as much satisfaction. 

Misty's face immediately fell. She knew Meadow was just trying to agitate her, but she still fell for it hook, line and sinker. She was so sick of Meadow acting like he was so perfect. He was the reason they didn't have parents. He was the reason she had to struggle to raise two sisters who were barely older than she was. He was the reason for all of this. He created this mess and then left her alone to deal with the consequences. And to think he left to practice the very same magic that was responsible for their struggles was such a slap in the face. 

 But did he care? No. He'd get so caught up in his work he barely called. He didn't check up on her. He wasn't there. But still, he got to swoop in when it suited him and be the hero because he wasn't the one who had to make the hard decisions. She was the one trying to be a parent while he was busy playing fun Uncle. 

"You really think he's so great?" Misty sneered.

"Yeah I do," Meadow said. "Better than you, that's for sure. At least he's nice to me."

"Then where is he?" Misty said, gesturing to the empty space he used to occupy. "Huh? Where is he?"

Meadow opened her mouth to answer, but Misty didn't give her the chance.

"Oh that's right. He's not here!" Misty said, her voice raising. "Because he left, Meadow. He could be here with us right now, but he's not, is he? No. He's too busy with his all important 'work.' When are you going to wake up and realize that he chose experimental magic over us. Over you."

"You made it so he had to make a choice!" Meadow shouted back. "It didn't have to be like this! For years you've been treating him like shit. You've done nothing but hate him, and argue with him, and put him down. And for what? Because he doesn't think exactly like you do? Honestly Misty, did you really expect him to stick around?"

If only Meadow knew what she knew. They wouldn't keep having this argument. Meadow would see it wasn't simply a matter of differing philosophies. It was so much more. She would see her side. She would understand why Misty was so angry. The temptation to spill all his secrets had never been so strong. But even at her angriest, Misty would never tell. She made a promise to Markos. And she would never go back on her word.

"He had an obligation to this family - " Misty said.

"Yeah well," Meadow spat. "Maybe if you treated him like family he would've stayed."

Meadow's words punched Misty in the gut and knocked the wind out of her. Nothing hurt Misty more than having to stand face to face with the part she played in all this. It was easy to lay all the blame on him. To believe that he betrayed them and turned his back on his family was a convenient truth, but maybe it wasn't entirely the truth. 

Maybe it was all her fault. Maybe she had driven him away.  Even after everything that happened, she still wanted him around. She may have hated what he did and maybe even hated him, but there was comfort in him being there. To her, his presence showed that even though there were cracks, they were still holding it together. They were still a family. But once he left, there was no denying how broken they really were. 

Misty knew she could've ended it there. She could've admitted she was wrong and apologized. But, Misty was too full of hurt and too full of pride to apologize.

"Why don't you just leave then?" Misty said coldly.

"What?" Meadow sputtered out weakly.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Yeah they fought and got under each other's skin, but they were sisters. That's what sisters do, they fight and they make up and then they fight again. It had never gone this far. Never. Misty telling Meadow to leave was seriously crossing a line.

"You heard me," Misty pushed forward. "You really want to be like him? Then do it. Leave. Go be his problem."

"You can't be serious," Meadow uttered, still unwilling to believe she'd really go there.

"I am," Misty said. 

Meadow nodded slowly as it  began to sink in that Misty wasn't messing around. She really did want her to leave. But then again, Meadow started to think, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. Why should she stay and endure their torture? Chances were she'd be much happier with Markos anyway.

"Fine," Meadow said with a shrug. "I'm gone."

"Good," Misty said. "Have a nice life."

And with that, Meadow snapped her fingers and disappeared into thin air.