Residue.

With my legs crossed on the pavement I leaned over and swiped my finger through the shimmering powder. I brought my hand up closer to my face and rubbed my finger against my thumb, feeling the texture of it as it reflected beautifully in the sunlight. My brows furrowed slightly as I noticed there wasn't any particular scent that wafted from the substance, I expected it to smell like candy or something. But well, I'm not really sure of anything at this point.

It's been almost a week since Alex explained to me how he was different and that our “accidental meeting” wasn't so much of an accident after all. I was totally confused and wondered if he was on drugs through the entire conversation, but he straight up told me the truth of it all over a cup of coffee in the corner of our Indy coffee shop in down-town that is really placed in the middle of nowhere (seriously, good luck finding it on a map if you ever plan to visit), and I just burst out laughing thinking he really needed to come down from his high. That same night though, behind my barn that sits right next to an endless cow pasture, he literally blew my mind and proved to me that he—in fact—was sane, and since then everything in my life hasn't completely been the same.

You see, there is a point in this world where reality ends. Not many people get the special opportunity to go beyond its ending point, but it seems that I have. This is where Alex comes into play—and I guess myself counts too as of recently. I knew there was something different about that kid when I realized his clothing always carried a slight coating of luminescent residue on it. It didn't matter what he wore, it was constantly there on every fabric he owned. That was before I got a look into his room for the first time and observed the same quality about all his possessions. I would have asked about it, but I figured it was just my eyes deceiving me. But it was no mind game. What was the real reason for this you ask? Magic.

Yes, you heard me correctly. Magic exists and it is used for good and evil just like many things in this world. It is a tool and a gift, and now I know why every since the age of twelve sometimes I'd get this urge to change things and a sense that something was off like I just never ticked the same as everybody around me, until Alex walked into my life. That feeling is why I credit a part for us clicking so well at the beginning, but the other part of it was the fact he sought me out. Magic attracts other magic, meaning I possess it too and that is something. Ever since I discovered this knowledge I have felt this flame within me burn like wild fire, like I've been awaken. It all baffles me completely.

The first time I ever dabbled in my ability was two days ago. Alex had me change my hair color. This was partially due to him getting sick of hearing me complain about my dying need to have perfect pastel purple hair. You cannot believe the joy I felt when I realized I could do this for free with a snap of a finger, well it took many snaps in this case, you know, with it being my first time and all. Actually, it was terribly difficult for me, almost painful. The first few tries, I ended up making changes to the texture of it. My usually straight hair does not look good with tight curls. I literally almost shit myself when this happened, but Alex assured me it was all fixable. When I finally accomplished the task, it felt like the most exhilarating experience I have ever had, and everything until that point had not made any sense. You would think the logic would be reversed in this case, since magic really isn't heard of, or like because everyone knows it doesn't exist, but it does. The color turned out exactly the shade I pictured in my head. I even liked the glimmering residue of the magic adding to the purple tint, too bad it did wash out. It made me feel like a fairy.

This is why I do refer to the residue as pixie dust, looking like it came straight out of Peter Pan. Alex said that when you use harmless magic it produces this chalky residue, which is currently the substance resting upon my fingers that I am examining closely. It shines brightly in light. There is not much known about why this happens (obviously science has not touched on the subject), but he did mention that I didn't want to see what occurred after magic was used for evil and wrong doing. His mouth went into a firm line and he shook his head, never going into further detail after that.

I flicked my fingers several times to rid them of the dust, looking up at Alex who was a few feet away, skate boarding down the street of my neighborhood. The sun had begun to quickly set behind him, and it was quite a sight.

Alex and I thrive in the night, we are authentic night owls. We lay in my backyard on warm summer nights and watch the stars pass by. We are obsessed with the cosmos and galaxies, curious as to what other life forms there must be. We feel more connected to them than we do our friends.

Alex made a loop, turning around in my direction, coming down the opposite side of the street. He looked to me for just a second, full concentration on his face, and then back straight ahead. Alex is my mentor, and I've come to find out he's super extraordinary as well. He has many years of experience above me when it comes to his ability. He never ceases to amaze me. He is so complex in such a simple existence. That is the only way of describing him. He made my life turn a one-eighty, but I am absolutely thankful he scouted me out, may it be for the magic calling out to him that he followed or what had seemed like a coincidence. I want to know everything there is to know about the world outside of reality. I thirst for more knowledge.