Sprinkle of Magic

When the sunlight streaked through the windows and onto the closed eyes of the multi-color haired girl in the bed, causing her to wake, she found herself jumping right out of bed. For the first time in years, she was actually excited to go to school. It would be her first day rehearsing her solo for the concert the following week, and she was more than excited to hear how it would sound with the choir backing her up. After checking the alarm clock by her bed she hopped into the shower, knowing she had to make it quick. She wanted to be out and ready before her alarm went off, so she could surprise Ailbe by making breakfast. Luckily for her, she was out of the shower in seven minutes. She wrapped a towel around her hair then shimmied into the dreaded school uniform, though she did it with a smile on her face today. Just as she was towel drying her hair, the alarm went off. She switched it off and furrowed her brows at her reflection in the mirror. She wouldn't have time to dry her hair, but she was okay with that. She didn't have to attempt to look alright all of the time. She just shrugged as she pulled her tie over her head and adjusted her collar. She held the tie back so it didn't get into any of her makeup while she applied a quick line of black under her eyes before she grabbed her shoes and bag and ran downstairs.

She was happy to see that Ailbe wasn't awake as she set her shoes and bag on a chair at the dining table. Once again, she flung her tie over her shoulder so it wouldn't get in the way, as she started breaking eggs into a bowl to mix them up. By the time Ailbe finally woke up and stepped into the kitchen, Maerin was flipping over the bacon. "Oh! You're awake! And you're...Cooking?" The girl held up a finger before she flipped over the last piece of bacon. She set down her fork and turned around to grin at the house keeper who stood in her bathrobe looking completely shocked. "Alright. Spill. What's got you in such a good mood?" Ailbe moved to take a seat at the table while Maerin filled up a cup of tea and placed it in front of the woman.

"We're going over the arrangement for my solo today. I'm just, excited I guess. This is my first concert. I've never been around somewhere long enough to do one." The more she spoke, the more her smile fell, but the simple thought of all of those people hearing her voice made her perk right back up again. Ailbe had a grin of her own as she reached out and patted Maerin on the arm.

"That's great! I'm so proud of you for getting that solo. I know you'll do great." Maerin grinned in return as she turned off the stove, and made Ailbe and herself plates. When she sat the plate down in front of the woman, Ailbe grinned. "This smells amazing. I didn't know you could cook." That wasn't entirely true. Maerin had helped cook on many occasions, but it was just little things.

"I cook a lot, actually. When mam and I were always moving around, I was the one that did the cooking." She shrugged at her own statement as she sat down, digging into her own breakfast. It felt nice to wake up and have an actual breakfast instead of just tea and toast. It felt normal. "I can always ask Granda for time off from the bakery so I can cook dinner once and a while. I'm here now, so you don't have to do everything." Ailbe's smile softened, and she reached out to take Maerin's hand.

"Thank you, love. It's been so wonderful having you here. Your Granda seems so much happier, and I like having you around the house." Maerin's smile softened as she gave the woman's hand a squeeze, before she went back to her breakfast. She may have woken up early, but she still had to get to school with enough time to spare so she could go over her essay due for Literature. While trying her hardest not to get a single bit of food on her, and failing miserably, Maerin shoveled the food into her face. Ailbe laughed at her the entire time, but the girl had no time to slow down.

As soon as the last bit of food was off her plate and into her stomach, and stood and set the plate into the sink. "I have to go, now. I need to check over my essay for first hour." She skipped to the woman and kissed her cheek with a grin. "Don't take anything out for dinner, I'll cook tonight. We'll have breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, waffles, the whole shebang!" Both girls laughed as Ailbe gave her a quick hug. Maerin then wasted no time in stuffing her feet into the uncomfortable shoes, slipping into her jacket, grabbing her bag, and running out the door.

As soon as she was outside, she mentally cursed. It was getting so cold, she would need to invest in a new jacket. Sure, the leather was warm, but it just wouldn't cut it when it started to snow. At least she wouldn't have to worry about that for another month or two. Of course, she didn't really know when the snow started in Ireland. Back in the States, it would sometimes snow in October. She cringed at the thought as she hopped into her car and drove off to school. For once, she rolled her window down and lit up a smoke when she got to the first stop sign. She even turned up her music. She'd found a station that played American music from the '90's, so she felt right at home as she cranked up the volume and sang at the top of her lungs.

As soon as she pulled into the parking lot, she turned the music down and pressed out her smoke before she climbed out of the car, making her way to her classroom. She didn't even bother stopping at her locker, she needed to get this done. Much to her dismay, the door was locked, her teacher no where in sight. She grumbled a bit before she slid down onto the floor, leaning against the wall next to the door. She pulled out her notebook and a pen, and instantly started going over the essay.

She waited another twenty minutes before the teacher arrived and opened the door. Maerin followed him in, went to her desk, and got right back to work. "You don't have to put so much pressure on yourself, you know." The sound of his voice caused Maerin to jump. She'd almost forgotten he was there. He had approached, and was leaning up against a nearby desk when she looked up.

"I...I like to do well. It's the least I can do. I know I'm not the best person to have in class. I try to make up for it with my work." She shrugged at her own statement, but he just shook his head, chuckling.

"Are you mad? You're an absolute pleasure to have in my class. You speak your mind, you bring a little life into this boring classroom." He gave another laugh before patting Maerin on the shoulder. "Just don't put too much pressure on yourself, Miss Curruthers." Maerin gave him a small smile in return before she lowered her head back to the paper in front of her. It was odd. Teachers would always complain about Maerin being too quiet and sheltered. She shook the thoughts from her head as she got back to work.

After the bell rang, signaling the start of class, Maerin found herself glancing at the empty seat in the front row periodically. Halfway through the class, she began to worry. Niall still hadn't come in and taken his seat. The last time she caught herself staring, she frowned at herself. Why did she even care if Niall hadn't showed up? He was just some stupid boy who couldn't take a hint. Though he was an extremely sweet boy. He'd even tried to protect her when the light shattered because of her stupidity. She found her frown deepening when the bell rang and she walked the halls to her next class. The first half of the day she would find herself glancing out of classroom doors, trying to spot that familiar blonde hair, or straining to hear his laugh. By the time lunch rolled around, she thought she was going insane.

She was sitting at the back table she'd frequented since she'd arrived. She was ignoring Talia's sneers and comments from the nearby table as she stared down at the salad in front of her. She was so confused with everything going on in her head that she had no appetite. "You know, you really should eat something." The voice caused her head to snap up, shock written on her face.

"Ardan! What are you doing here?!" She hissed out the words to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him down to sit next to her. He simply chuckled, setting his tray on the table.

"Isn't it obvious? I go here, now. I was going to surprise you this morning, but when I got to your house, Ailbe said you'd left." Maerin brought her hand to her temples, rubbing softly. She felt a migraine coming on. Of course, her fingers hit the butterfly bandage, and she gasped in pain. Instantly, Ardan moved her hand away, examining her head.

"Stop that! I'm fine! And what do you mean you go here? You're like...Ancient, why do you need school?" Her frustration was getting to her. She knew she had to calm down, but with Niall being gone, and now Ardan showing up out of no where, it was getting harder to control herself.

"Just because I'm only a guardian of the Tree doesn't mean I can't protect my friends." His words instantly made Maerin feel guilty. She gave a sigh and lowered her head, running a hand through her hair. "Now, I know that face, what's wrong?"

She was wary to tell him, knowing full well that he would be angry, but she couldn't just lie to him. "Niall." Ardan's brow instantly furrowed. "He's not here. After finding out about his cousin yesterday...Well..I just keep thinking the worst." Ardan's features softened when he heard the concern in her voice. His lips turned up in a small smile as he pulled her into a hug.

"He's fine, Maerin. I just know it. And if he's not, you can blame me later. But you need to stop worrying yourself. You can't control yourself, and it could be bad." Maerin nodded against his shoulder as she gave him a small squeeze before pulling back.

"Thank you, Ardan. You always know what to say." He gave her a cheeky grin in response, and Maerin playfully slapped his shoulder before finally digging into her salad. Even with knowing that he was pretty much there to be a babysitter, Maerin was happy. She would finally have a friend in the school, one that she could actually stand.

"Awe, look at this! The freak finally has a friend!" Maerin raised her head slowly when Talia's voice hit her ears. She instantly tensed up, and felt Ardan do the same.

"What do you want, Talia?" Her hands had clenched into fists on the table. She didn't need Talia's crap right then. She had enough on her plate already.

"Awe. Did I make someone a little mad?" She spoke in a baby voice before she busted out in laughter. Maerin did all she could to keep her cool. Ardan noticed how had she was straining herself, and put a comforting hand on her back.

"Don't you have something better to do?" Maerin was surprised when Ardan spoke up. Hearing his voice so...Hostile. Talia looked taken aback, but the look only stayed for a moment.

"No. Not really." Ardan narrowed his eyes at the girl, but she stayed where she was.

"Just go away, Talia. I don't have time for your shit." Her own words and voice surprised her. She never cursed in front of people. Both Talia and Ardan were surprised. "I've got enough to worry about. I don't need you standing here rubbing your apparent hatred for me in my face. All I've ever done was be your friend. I took care of you when you were sick. I was there for you when your da left. Yet here you are, acting like I'm the plague. Frankly, I'm sick of it. And I'm honestly glad I was only here for summers, I would hate myself if I turned into a heartless bitch along with you." With every word, her anger rose. She kept her eyes on the table, though. Talia's gasped at her words, but Maerin had enough. "Walk away, Talia." She hissed the words out, her anger finally getting the better of her.

"Maerin, calm down." Ardan whispered the words, but she wasn't listening. It was only two weeks into the term, and she was already sick of everything. The anger poured out of her, turning the air heavy. All she felt was anger, until she heard the crackling in her ears. Ardan's head snapped to her.

"I'm sorry." She whispered before a light somewhere in the cafeteria shattered, causing students to scream and flee. Maerin's eyes went wide, and she shrunk into Ardan's arms, pretending to be afraid of the light, and not of herself. "I'm sorry." She continued to repeat the words until Ardan finally helped her stand, running her out of the room, leaving a stunned Talia still standing at their table. By the time Ardan got her out into the hall, her eyes were shining with tears. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't handle it. I just got so angry. I'm sorry." Her words were muffled by Ardan pulling her in for a tight hug. She instantly buried her face in his neck, trying to compose herself as he rubbed comforting circles on his back.

"Shh, take it easy, Mae. You're fine, now. You have every right to have a bad day once in a while. Hush now, everything's fine." He whispered the words of comfort into her ears, but she could barely hear him over the screaming in her head. The little voice in her head was screaming at her, telling her how stupid she was. "Come on, let's get your some air." Maerin nodded and allowed the guardian to lead her through the front doors, to the smokers pit. He helped her light one up, and after the first couple drags, her breathing had returned to normal, and the tears were gone from her eyes.

"I let you down." She finally whispered after a few moments of silence. Ardan instantly shook his head, but she wasn't going to have him interrupting her yet. "No. I did. You tried to stop me. I keep letting my emotions get in the way." Ardan gave her a sad smile and put his hand back on her back.

"You have to remember something, Mae. You haven't even started your training, yet. You still don't know how to handle everything. You didn't let anyone down." He placed a kiss to the top of her head and smiled. "Will you be okay if I go back in? I have a class soon." Mae gave him a small nod, trying to stop her hands from shaking. "I'll see you in an hour. Just remember, it's not your fault." He gave her a tight squeeze before he grabbed his bag and headed back into the school.

Maerin had to make up some excuse to her free hour supervisor on why she didn't have a pass from the smokers pit, and he thankfully believed her. The next two hours went back agonizingly slow. After her free hour, she had class with Ardan, which was actually nice, then it was finally time for the one class that pushed her out of bed that morning. Much to her surprise, Ardan was taking the class with her.

After the bell rang, everyone got settled in, and Maerin was called up to rehearse first. She was a bit nervous as she stood in front of the microphone. Since Niall wasn't there, Ardan took up the task of playing the guitar for her. Everyone behind her had the sheet music, ready to come in with the background vocals when they were needed. She took a deep breath after Ardan plucked out the first notes, and she started.

She was halfway through the second chorus when she saw it. The Shadow. It hovered in the back corner of the auditorium, the menace rolling off of it. Her voice caught in her throat, causing everyone behind her to mess up. She couldn't even mutter out an apology. Her breath was coming out in short gasps. The students started to panic when she fell down to her knees, her eyes still glued to the Shadow. Arden's gaze flickered to where Mae's eyes were, and he instantly tensed. "Come on, Mae, breathe. You're alright. Nothing can hurt you, just breathe." The instructor was panicking. "Freaking out like that isn't going to help her. I'm going to take her home." Without waiting for an answer, he picked the girl up bridal style and carried her out of the school after grabbing their bags. He took her straight to her car, laying her down in the back seat. "Just keep breathing, Mae. I won't let it hurt you." He kept trying to calm her down, but nothing was working, and he was growing more and more worried. He didn't know what to do. If he took her home, her grandfather would worry even more about her going to school. He cursed loudly as he hit the brakes, turning the car around and speeding back towards the town. He knew someone who could help.

Once he parked her car, he pulled her from the back seat. Her breathing had calmed down a bit, but the tears were still streaming down her cheeks. Seeing her like that broke something in him, and his actions grew more frantic. He pushed open the door to the small shop fiercely and carried her inside. "Ah. Ward. Back so soon?"

"Now's not the time, Celia. Where's your cousin?" He barked out the words, leaving the girl behind the counter stunned.

"He's uh..He's at home. He's sick. Why? What does Niall have to do with- Oh. She's the girl." Knowing flashed through her eyes, but Ardan wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of indulging her. He left the shop without a word, getting back into the car. Every time he glanced at Mae to make sure she was alright, his heart broke. She was curled up in the fetal position, silently sobbing while she tried to get her breathing under control.

"Just hold on a little longer." He whispered to her as he whipped into the driveway of a large blue house. He stopped outside the gate and punched in the security code before pulling straight through. He ignored the help as he parked right outside the door, kicking it open as soon as he had Maerin out of the car. "Niall?" He shouted while he stood inside the doorway. He was getting impatient. The girl's breathing had sped up again while they were at the gate, and her face had gone pale. He didn't have to wait long, though.

"You? How do you know where I- Mae?" Niall's nasal voice went from angry, to concerned, as soon as he saw the girl Ardan was holding.

"I didn't know what to do. Her Granda would freak out if I took her home like this. I can't calm her down. She told me you helped her once. Do it again." The worry in Ardan's voice caused Niall to nod instantly, and he led the boy into a room to the left of the doors. Ardan put Maerin down on the couch, and Niall instantly knelt down next to her, brushing her sweat drenched bangs out of her face.

"Mae? Can you hear me? I'm here, Maerin. Just calm down. We're not going to let anything bad happen to you, I swear. Whatever happened, it isn't worth it. Take your deep breaths, Mae. Just like last time." While he spoke, her breathing started to change. She struggled to take deeper breaths. In a moment of her weakness, she reached out and grabbed his arm. Niall smiled softly before he placed his hand over hers. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you, but I'm here now." It took more whispered, and gentle squeezes of his hand, but Maerin finally calmed down. When she did, she was both confused and mortified.

"Why did you bring me here?" The question was pointed at Ardan, who had finally just calmed down himself.

"I didn't know what to do, Mae. If I took you home, who knew what your Granda would think." She knew exactly what he would think. He would say the school wasn't safe for her, pull her out of it, and Maerin didn't want that. She liked that school. She liked the teachers, she liked her classes, she even liked some of the people.

"It's alright, Ardan. Thank you." The boy nodded in return, and Maerin took a deep breath. "We should go.." Ardan nodded and stood from his spot on the floor. "I...I'll be out in a minute." He gave a knowing nod and left the room, going back to the car. Niall was still kneeling in front of her on the floor, relief flowing through him. "Thank you, Niall. I don't know what made Ardan bring me here, but thank you." She smiled softly at him before she finally took in his features. "You look like Hell." They both laughed at her words before she surprised them both. She pulled the boy in for a hug. He hesitantly returned it before pulling away, ruffling her hair. "Get some rest so you can get back to school tomorrow. Literature wasn't the same without our daily argument." He smirked at her words as she stood up, walking out of the grand house.

She was so confused. She hated Niall, but hearing his voice had calmed her down more than her own protector. With a frustrated groan she shook her head and climbed into the car with Ardan.