Realistic or Modern the magic within

[Walliver]

“I’ve made a big mistake, haven’t I?”

Oliver finished off wrapping bandages around his brother’s neck, helping him up. “I know there’s something wrong with Estrella, but she hasn’t told me anything.” he led Vincent down the hall and sat him down on a bed. He grabbed Oliver’s arm.

“You know what I think?”

Vincent looked pale, so pale. “I think I need a glass of apple juice, and for you to stop being this way. Estrella is your friend. You are her friend. Now either man up and ask her out, or be there for her with whatever this is.” talking seemed to drain him even more. “Apple juice, Oliver, now.”

Oliver smiled. “Alright, big brother. I’ll get you your apple juice.”

 

[demonology]

Leola ordered her daughter's favorite- tacos from the Mexican restaurant down the street. Estrella tried to quell any anger she felt towards her mother, and she smiled with a strained feeling to her lips. "Thanks, Mom."

Her dad sat at the table, but he got up to kiss her on the cheek. "Happy Birthday, dear." His glasses poked into her temple, but she paid it no mind. If anything- she found it comforting. She had spent the few minutes before dinner crying over her sister and the overwhelming information she learned last night.

The dinner table was oddly silent as they ate together. They exchanged small talk, but there was too much to skirt around in order to make dinner not-so-awkward. In order to ease the tension, she told her mom, "I liked the things you set on my desk." She paused, thinking. "Wanna maybe teach me how to use to use the tarot cards after dinner?"

It was a peace offering, given the day's events. Estrella decided that she needed to feel closer to her sister, and this was the way to do it. The least she could do was get some help from her mom in order to do it.

 

[Walliver]

Things were not much better in the morning. And by “not much better”, Oliver meant the killer headache he had when he woke up. Still, he pushed himself out of bed and into the kitchen. Determination would go a long way, but some pain pills would be better.

After taking some much needed medicine and changing into real clothes, Oliver went upstairs to Vincent. “Are you doing better, Vin?” he brushed the hair out of his brother’s face. The older boy chuckled. “Yes, little brother. You didn’t kill me yet.”

 

[demonology]

A few days had passed without consequence. Estrella and Henry began talking more, even texting during the evening. She also continued to worry about Oliver, who looked sickly some days and looked healthy others. It was strange, the way he was acting, and it began to worry her. She had planned to talk to him about it after class on Friday, but then Henry came up to her to ask when he should come over. Estrella answered his question and just barely missed Oliver, who simply waved good bye on the way out of the building.

On Saturday, Leola and Julius decorated the house in pastel pink for Estrella's party. It was a bit childish looking, but at least Leola didn't get a Costco cake with a fairy princess on it. Instead, the cake was tiered and mostly white with pink roses. It was exactly what Estrella thought should be at an 18-year-old's birthday party. Though, to be fair, the party was going to be no rager. She expected, of the 20 people she invited, to see maybe 10 actually show up. Two of them being Oliver and Henry.

Sitting on the couch, her dress poofed around her. She had a crinoline underneath it that made the white vintage dress poofier. On her shoulders, she had a fuzzy pink sweater that she recalled getting while going shopping one day with Oliver. It reminded her of him, hence why she wore it. Estrella stuck her feet together, clacking the heels of her burgundy mary-janes. Now, it was time to wait for the guests.

 

[Walliver]

The past few days had been a nightmare. Starving all the time, except for once a day when Vincent was able to give. Then, starving again. It was like a black hole inside of him, eating into himself and more. But that day was Estrella’s birthday party, he couldn’t think like that. Not that day. For a few hours he could pretend everything was fine.

Maybe he would work up the courage to tell her his secret. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t have to rush out of there in a panic. He straightened his shirt, fixing the collar one last time. “Are you ready or not, Romeo? I’m not waiting forever!” Vincent called into the room again.

“Okay, fine, fine, I’m coming.”

The drive didn’t take long, they both knew it well. “Okay, so if we stay on schedule, I’ll pick you up in about four hours. If not, just call me or have Estrella call me. Let her know I said hi.” Vincent opened the door for Oliver to get out. “Thanks, and I will.”

“Knock knock, bestie.”

 

[demonology]

Looking up from her shoes, Estrella landed her eyes on Oliver and smiled. "Oliver!" she exclaimed, jumping up she threw her arms around him. It had been a while since they'd hugged (meaning they hadn't hugged since her birthday). His arms felt soft, yet weighted, around her waist. Her head tucked into his shoulder, and she held on longer than necessary, especially because Henry walked in at that exact moment.

She stepped back awkward from the embrace, her eyes zeroed in on Henry. "Oh hi!" she said to him, her attention split between her boy toy and her best friend. "Uhm well..." She didn't know how to tackle the two boys at the same time. Thankfully, her other friends began to arrive and she had a moment to think things through, and to avoid the weird tension she felt about both of them being in the same room together.

Plopping back on the couch, she patted the seat next to her while looking at Oliver. "We can all watch something or play Jackbox," she announced to the whole group.

 

[Walliver]

Oliver didn’t miss the look that Henry gave him. ‘Not trying to steal your girl, buddy, but she was my best friend first.’ he shrugged, sitting down next to Estrella. He didn’t really know what Jackbox was. Hopefully nothing like Blackjack, or anything to do with a real jack-in-the-box.

“What are the options for something to watch?” Oliver asked.

 

[demonology]

Fiddling with the remote, Estrella turned on the TV and began to look at the various streaming apps she had lists on. "Well we can watch a movie." She announced this to the whole group of approximately 5 people. She figured it should be easy enough to find something that appealed to everyone. Scrolling through some movies, she found a comedy film that might interest everyone. "How does Mrs. Doubtfire sound to everyone?" It was one of her favorites, and it was essentially just Robin Williams doing impressions. "We could also watch 21 Jumpstreet?" It was a pretty popular movie a few years ago, and she figured maybe everyone would enjoy that.

 

[Walliver]

Oliver was feeling dizzy already. ‘It’s because you’re close to Estrella. You can hear the blood thumping through everyone’s veins. Red, warm, delicious...’ he shook his head. ‘No, keep it together.’ he told himself.

The feeling was sickening. Like placing a water bottle in front of a thirsty man and telling him he couldn’t have it. It was torture. But he forced himself to shrug. “Whatever you guys want, I guess.” he struggled with the one sentence. He was trying to swallow his teeth, push his fangs back.

 

[demonology]

Pressing play on 21 Jumpstreet, Estrella settled further into the couch. Her mother popped her head in to announce that there were snacks in the kitchen. A few party-goers stepped away to get some chips and dip, but she remained on the couch, engrossed in the film.

Turning towards Oliver, she smiled. "I'm glad you're here." A part of her had been a little afraid he wouldn't show up, given he was going home sick a lot these days. "It wouldn't have been my birthday without you." She softly knocked her shoulder into Oliver's.

 

[Walliver]

The slight jostling felt like a linebacker ramming into him. Oliver yelped, pausing in his efforts to hide his fangs. “Ah, sorry. Actually haven’t been feeling great today. But like you said, it wouldn’t be your birthday without me.” he chuckled weakly.

“Uh, nice film you picked out.” he tried to change the subject, figuring it would settle the upset in his stomach to be talking about her. “What’s it about again?”

 

[demonology]

Estrella's heart warmed at Oliver's talk of him not feeling very well. She appreciated him being here anyways, though she was tempted to tell him to go home. However, this didn't last long. She quickly moved on to talk about the film. "It's these two cops who end up going undercover at a high school. They look ridiculous and of course, trouble ensues." With a little bit of sheepishness, she continued "I thought everyone would like it."

Despite wanting to keep Oliver here, she couldn't ignore the way he looked sick. She finally broke, asking, "Are you sure you don't need to go home? You can go lay in my bed, if you'd like."

 

[Walliver]

“I don’t want to ruin your party. I know you need me here, especially with that wolf Henry around.” he said the last part sarcastically. Henry couldn’t hurt anyone even if he tried. “But if you think I should go home...you’ve always been the one with better judgement.”

 

[demonology]

Estrella was a little sad, hating that he was going to go. However, she tried to be understanding. "Yeah, of course. I don't want you to be sick and not having fun." Her tone was a little saddened, but she tried to keep herself from saying about it. It was totally okay that her best friend was flaking on her again, but she knew that was unfair. "Well, I hope you feel better soon!" Estrella started to stand up, knowing she should probably see him to the door. However, once he left, she knew she wouldn't really want to participate in the party otherwise. Except maybe to hang out with Henry.

 

[Walliver]

Oliver shook his head. “Nope nope nope, I know that tone. You’re telling me it’s fine when it is not fine, and you are not supposed to be doing that anymore.” he started to stand up as well, head spinning. He blacked out for a few seconds, falling back to the couch.

 

[demonology]

Estrella quickly invaded Oliver's personal space, grabbing his wrists. Ignoring what he said, she studied his face, which was somehow paler than usual. "Jeez, you really are sick." She paused for a moment. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather just hang out in my room? I'll even ask everyone to go home if you'd like. They'll understand!" Her voice was soft and sweet. Seeing her best friend like this made her hands shake a little, though anxiety was certainly something she was familiar with.

 

[Walliver]

Oliver shook his head. “I can call Vincent to come pick me up. I’m not ruining your party. I’ll call him, and I’ll be fine. You’re shaking, come on, sit down.” he patted the space on the couch beside him. “You’re going to have an amazing party, I know it. Don’t let one bad thing ruin it.”

 

[demonology]

Sitting down, Estrella still held onto Oliver's hand. She bit her tongue when she thought of a snarky response to what he said, wanting to tell him that her party wouldn't be the same without him. Instead, she just looked at him and soaked in the last few moments she'd have with him on her birthday. "I'm alright and I'm sure my party will be fantastic," she said with an attempted bubbly tone. "It's you that I'm worried about."

 

[Walliver]

“I’ll be fine. Just haven’t been doing well these past few...” he contemplated counting it out on his fingers, but that would just make her worry. “...weeks, I guess. I wish I would get better, so I can hang out with you more often. You’re my best friend Estrella, and I don’t like being the friend who’s always flaking on you.” he sighed, running a shaky hand through his hair. “And I’m trying, I really am, but I feel like that’s not good enough.”

 

[demonology]

Ever the affectionate one, Estrella rested her head on Oliver's shoulder. "It's okay, Oli. You're the best friend ever." It was true, even if he had been flakey lately. It was obvious he was dealing with something he didn't want to talk to her about, given she didn't buy the excuse for a moment. If it was anyone else, she'd probably pitch a fit and write them off as being unworthy of her time. Yet, this was Oliver, and his loyalty to her made her equally enthralled with him. "What you're doing is good enough," she encouraged. "I get it." Unfortunately, she did, and she was just starting to realize that. Her mom already told her about what happens tonight, and how The Coven is throwing her a special birthday party to induct her. Things were changing, and all Estrella wanted was to keep Oliver in her life.

 

[Walliver]

Oliver heard the sound of a car rolling up to the house. His phone buzzed in his pocket. “That’s Vincent.” he sighed after checking the text. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stay for longer, but happy birthday Estrella.” he kissed her forehead before walking out and getting into the car

 

[demonology]

A week had passed since Estrella’s birthday party. Things passed normally, though Estrella was secretly dying inside. Since her induction into The Coven, her powers had started coming up more and more. Her abilities with greenery were easily enacted by even the slightest change in her emotions. Happiness brought about peonies, while prickly roses would grow if she was angry. Leola, her mother, was trying to help her keep these things in check, but only her father could seem to help. Despite being human, he understood his daughter better than anyone. Helping her control her powers was surprisingly easy for him. On top of this, Estrella had witch homework on top of schoolwork. Frequently, she’d get so tired that she’d start writing about measurements for potions instead of her pre-calc work. Her few friends, including Oliver, could tell that she hadn’t been sleeping right. Estrella was far more irritable and quick to snap at strangers. The easy-going gal was a rare appearance these days, except when it came to Henry, who she went on a date with earlier in the week (even though she turned in her essay for Lit late because of it).

It was just another morning before school. Estrella had just managed to control her magic enough to craft a little bouquet of flowers. She had made two before school and carried them with her to her locker. One was for Henry and the other was for Oliver. She stood, awkwardly holding both bouquets, while she waited to see one of them.

 

[Walliver]

Oliver had been doing some research. Some had been on himself, some had been on Estrella. The way she was acting...it scared him. So easily irritated by the simplest things. She seemed less and less like herself each day. He did a bit of internet scanning, a bit of book skimming, stumbling across a page of religious reasons for such odd behavior. A word on the page stuck out to him: Wicca.

So, knowing the well-rounded bookworm she had been, Oliver searched through his mother’s own journals. “Witches are enemies of all vampire kind. Dragur, vampyr, and moroi all are considered evil spirits to the Wiccans, usually being cast out by a spell or ritual that results in the vampire’s death.”

Armed with that knowledge, Oliver was determined to find out if Estrella really was a witch. His mother’s journals pointed him to the apothecary across the street. “I seek counsel with the witches.” he spoke quietly to the woman across the counter.

“Oh, you’re Estrella’s friend! She was telling us about you. Come on in, I’ll give you a cup of tea.”

Garlic tea tasted terrible. As did nearly getting a wooden stake through the heart.

“Go, Vincent, drive!” he screamed at his brother.

Oliver did not like witches, not at all.

 

[demonology]

Still very innocent, it hadn't occurred to Estrella that there were other supernatural beings. At least, she knew this until she got a call from her mother, who sounded frantic. A member of The Coven, someone she barely knew, was being rushed to the hospital due to an altercation with a vampire. Estrella turned to face the inside of her locker, setting the bouquets down. "Mom, what the hell are you talking about?" Her heartbeat started jolting out of her neck, blood pounding. Hands shaking, she tried to focus on the picture of her and Oliver that she'd hung up in her locker.

"Jessie owns an apothecary, and for some reason, a vampire popped up and asked to speak with the Council. I'm on my way there now." Leola paused for a second before continuing, "I know you have a lot of questions Estrella, but I need you to keep it together. At lunch, come home. I need you to keep your father distracted." Estrella narrowed her eyes at the mention of her dad. It frustrated her, especially because she had a test to take.

Confused and suspicious, she kept her eyes focused on the polaroid. "Fine," she said quietly. "I hope Jessie's okay," she mumbled. There wasn't much else to say, so Leola hung up. Head blurry, Estrella's eyes started to well with tears out of being overwhelmed. Clearing her throat, she looked back over at the flowers, which were now dead. "Dammit," she whispered.

 

[Walliver]

Oliver stumbled out of the car, moving as fast as he could. Vincent slipped an arm under his shoulders, helping him up to the door. “Quickly. I need to get to mom’s journals. She should have a page on barrier enchantments.” Vincent unlocked the door, getting them inside. “So, our mom was a witch too?”

“Sort of.”

Oliver rushed upstairs, wheezing. The effects of the garlic were setting in. Luckily, it had only been a few sips, but he’d still suffer. He supposed it was only fair. He had nearly killed the woman that attacked him.

Oliver read off the ingredients for the barrier to Vincent. His older brother looked more like his mother, maybe he had more of her powers. It was a high level spell, apparently only for talented witches.

“The enchantment is set. Only close friends and closely related family can enter.”