Music of the Day
The Old Bridge by Derek & Brandon Fiechter
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THE weekend passed by too quickly for the two women. Bella was over at the cottage for the next two days. She wanted to learn so much, and Cynthia was more than thrilled to be her teacher. A witch taking on a pupil is a very big deal. Grandmother Rowena would be so proud.
It was now Monday, Samhain. Or Halloween. Cynthia was already at Bella's house with Charlie. Bella's monster of a truck wouldn't start this morning, so Cynthia drove her to school. Now, she was just waiting to head back up there to pick her up. When the clock read 1:45, she headed down to the school.
Cynthia made it to the school before the last bell, so she waited on the hood of her truck. She brought out her journal, working on a beginner spell for Bella. She noticed a few students who spilled out of the school, sneaking out early, she assumed. The few students gawked at her for a moment, remembering the rumors of the town weirdo.
Of course there were rumors about Cynthia. She was almost nonexistent, considering no one knew where she lived, other than the police department, city council and the telephone company. Then, of course, Bella and Charlie. Well, she supposed the La Push pack knew now, too. Just like with Charlie, Cynthia was very open about her practices. That made her an outcast in the town. Some civilians didn't mind it, like Bella and Charlie. However, there are always those prejudice people who fear the unknown. She blesses them, because she feels sorry for them.
The shrill ringing of the bell jolted her to reality, her eyes snapping to the front doors of the school. The students shot out like bats out of hell. She finally spotted Bella, walking with a taller girl. She had light brown hair, with streaks of honey. She wore glasses; Cynthia thought they were adorable. She wondered if that was Angela. Cynthia flagged Bella down, a huge smile on her face. Bella noticed a crazy person waving erratically. When her eyes landed on Cynthia, she waved back just as erratically.
Bella jogged -slowly- with Angela in tow. A contagious smile appeared on Bella's face, she yelled in excitement, making some students whip around.
"Hey, Cyn!"
Cynthia slid off the hood of her truck, leaving her journal there. "Hey, Bells. Care to introduce me to your victim?"
Bella's cheeks flushed red, she sputtered a bit. "Sorry, Ange."
Angela smiled kindly. "It's okay, Bella."
"So, uh, Angela, Cynthia. Cynthia, Angela."
Cynthia offered her hand. "Nice to meet you, Angela."
Angela shook Cynthia's hand, smiling shyly. "You, too."
Bella, Cynthia and Angela talked for a little bit by the truck. Cynthia felt the magic around her grow curious; it was curious about Angela. She wondered, briefly, if the magic had plans for Angela. She was invited by Cynthia to celebrate with them, but Angela, unfortunately, had to pick up her twin brothers from school and watch over them.
The Swan residence smelled like an autumn bakery. The two girls were giggling nonstop, covered in flour and other things. Bella definitely had dough in her hair.
Charlie, Bella and Cynthia laughed together, just talking gibberish. The two pies, apple and pumpkin, were nearly all eaten. Who knew Bella could put away food like that? It had been a long time for her, bouncing back to her old self. Bella watched Cynthia and her father, with a fond smile.
Bella's smile widened as she came to her realization. She was happy again. She could think about Edward, and the rest of them, without wincing. Sure, it still hurt. And she still missed them, but she could move on. Her mind sneered back at her for just a moment. What if they come back? What if Edward comes back? Bella shook her head, still all smiles. She would cross that bridge when she came to it. There's no point in dwelling on the future. Live in the moment. Cynthia taught her that.
"You okay, Bells?" Charlie asked suddenly.
Bella jumped a bit at his voice, she had gotten so lost in her thoughts that she forgot where she was. She merely nodded, smiling. "I'm good. I'm actually really good."
Cynthia smiled brightly at Bella. Charlie smiled, as well. He was so glad that his daughter was better. He still worried, of course. It wasn't long before Cynthia had dragged Bella out of the house. They headed to her cottage.
Bella sat in comfortable silence while Cynthia drove. She gazed out the window, feeling serene as the trees whizzed by. Cynthia was prattling on about something, not gaining Bella's attention. Bella was daydreaming, something she hasn't done in a very long time. She wished to see Faeland. Something about it was practically screaming her name. She wished to see the birth place of Edgar, Faelynn and Bayard. There was a warm, fuzzy feeling in her heart, making her smile.
"Bella?"
Bella jolted, her head snapping to Cynthia. They had parked; they were at the cottage. Bella blinked.
"You're over there thinking mighty hard. Are you sure you're alright?"
Bella nodded. "I was just daydreaming."
Cynthia raised a brow. "You never do that."
Bella shrugged. "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" Cynthia grinned.
Bella chuckled, shaking her head. She slipped put of Cynthia's truck and headed to the cottage.
Bella was met by Edgar bounding out of the cottage. He immediately jumped into her arms, and Bella easily caught him. Cynthia scoffed. "Traitor."
It was late in the afternoon, the sun was beginning its descent. There was a buzz in the air. Cynthia could feel the anticipation within the Fae. Bella noticed that all the Fae were flying about, setting things up. They giggled with glee, zooming around and squeaking out orders.
"What are all of you doing?" Bella asked aloud.
Faelynn flitted to Bella. "Setting up for the celebration, of course!"
Bella furrowed her brows. Cynthia walked up to her, chuckling. "They make the sabbats big celebrations for me. Tonight is a full moon, so they're making it extra special."
"So, it's a party?" Bella asked hesitantly.
"Oh, yes, but don't worry. The party will go by your pace," Cynthia smiled.
Edgar piped up from Bella's arms. "I've brewed some of my favorite ale. That'll loosen ya up." And he hopped down.
"What? Ale?"
Cynthia laughed loudly this time. "It's okay, Bella. I'll take care of you. And you don't have to drink if you don't want to."
Bella looked at Cynthia and knew she was telling the truth. She knew Cynthia would take care of her. They were now sisters, after all.
It wasn't long before the celebration started. The Fae had gotten their instruments out, food was placed, the bon fire had grown three times its size. Cynthia baked treats for her and Bella, and the Fae had made their own food.
*Cue party music! You can listen to Awakening the Forest by Antti Martikainen*
Cynthia was right. The celebration went by Bella's pace. They all knew that she wasn't one for parties; surprise parties for that matter. So, the celebration started off slow. Bella talked with various species of Fae; water faeries, night faeries, fire faeries, pixies, gnomes and dryads. Cynthia wasn't kidding when she said that they go all out.
Bella had never seen so many Fae in one place. She felt... safe. Pretty soon, Bella was giggling and dancing with the Fae, her cheeks flushed with intoxication. As the music picked up, Cynthia and Bella were waltzing around the bon fire, laughing and singing.
They ate until their hearts were content. There was so much wondrous food, tiny sparkling cakes, a dish that produced bubbles, and so much more. The Fae fluttered about around the girls, now that they were lounging in the grass. The fire faeries stayed near, warming the girls so they wouldn't freeze outside. The music still played, only much softer.
"Did you have fun?" Cynthia asked of Bella.
Bella nodded, her head swimming from Edgar's ale. She giggled. "I actually had a lot of fun."
Cynthia stared up at the sky, gazing at the stars. She looked over to a sleeping Bella, thoughts of Alice flooded her mind. Cynthia missed her sister dearly. She whispered up to the sky, hoping Alice would hear her from heaven.
"I miss you, Alice. I wish you could have met Bella."