Embracing Mayhem, Magic, and Mates

"Move your ass, Grey!"

The sound of a horn shook me out of my thoughts as I watched a floating horn disappear out the door. I was still sitting on my bed in the room of the Grey House that has been mine since I was twelve. The air was thick with the scent of nostalgia and anticipation as I stared at the sea of cardboard boxes. Each was filled with cherished mementos, stacked and labeled as 'Giveaways.' I knew leaving would be bittersweet, but I also felt a mix of excitement.

I moved to the window. "Alright, Grace! Mystical Academy is not going anywhere!"

I yelled at my cousin, Grace, who proceeded to lay on the horn in her car. I shook my head and finished packing the last of my things. I couldn't help but reminisce about my time here. The room, once filled with the lively chatter of sleepovers and the laughter of teenage dreams, now echoed with the quiet hum of packing tape and the rustle of papers. At least, these were the memories I could still recall.

I don't remember much before coming here. I lost all my memories in a car accident when I was twelve. When I woke up from my coma six months later, the only thing I knew was the face of my mom. Everything else was gone, and it almost felt like being born again. According to the doctors, it was a miracle that I survived the crash with a few cuts and bruises. They wanted to keep me for observation, but my mom quickly got me out the moment I was mobile. She brought me here to the Grey House to recover, and it has been my home ever since.

I stared at the dragon and werewolf plushie my mom gifted me when I first moved into this house. It was the second present she gave me when we moved here. I picked up the plushies and hugged them to my chest. The scent of her perfume filled my lungs, and it made it seem she was right next to me.

'So you will never feel alone when I'm away.'

She would say this every time she left on one of her "missions." I never knew what her missions were, but I knew that she always came back to me no matter what. Except a few years ago, she didn't come back, and I was stuck, trying to keep moving on.

"You should take them with you."

I turned towards the voice of my Aunt Cassie, who was leaning against the doorframe. Aunt Cassie was shorter than my mom, standing under my 5 feet 6 inches stature. Her dark auburn hair was pulled into a messy bun with sticks and twigs poking out in different areas. She had soft features with a face that said, 'I just pulled a fresh batch of cookies out of the oven. Have your fill.' However, right now, a hint of sadness lingered in her eyes as she watched me finish packing the last of my things.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Aunt Cassie. I don't need plushies to comfort me."

Aunt Cassie laughed. "Maybe you're right, but sometimes taking a bit of home with you is good."

Aunt Cassie placed the plushies next to my suitcase before sitting on my bed. She looked around the room, and I saw the mist over her eyes.

"Don't start," I warned her.

"I can't help it," Aunt Cassie admitted, her voice tinged with both pride and sorrow. "It's just so hard to believe you're all grown up and heading off to my alma mater."

I smiled, a mixture of understanding and empathy. "I know, Aunt Cassie. It's surreal for me, too. But this is what I've been preparing for, right?" Aunt Cassie nervously wrung the hem of her skirt as she looked away. "You don't have to worry, Aunt Cassie. I'll be safe, and I have Grace, too."

Aunt Cassie scoffed. "That doesn't soothe me at all. That girl has been a constant thorn in my side since I had her. Nothing is ever good enough for her. She gets that from her father's side, you know. Never trust a pixie whose conversation leads to drinking pixie dust all night."

We both laughed. "Well, I'll keep my eye on her, then."

Aunt Cassie moved over to a photo on my desk. She picked up an old photo album, flipping through pages that unfolded stories of our epic adventures, high school dances, and lazy Sunday afternoons spent learning about potions.

"Do you remember this?" Aunt Cassie asked, holding up a faded picture of my mom and me making mint julep in the kitchen.

"How could I forget? I confused Mint with Salvia."

"The craziest trip I, well, we ever had," Aunt Cassie reminisced with a smile.

I traced the outline of the picture. "Mom was so mad and couldn't help but laugh about the situation."

Aunt Cassie placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. Her smile faded as she looked down at my acceptance letter to MAAC. It was unexpected for all of us since my cousin was the only one who applied. I was actually ecstatic. MAAC, Mystical Academy for All Creatures, had all the fantasy creatures and the best magic users in the world. I was a hybrid witch, so the prospect of learning magic from the best was a dream come true.

However, my mom was against it. She felt she could teach me all I needed to know right here in Grey House. Though, I knew it was because she wanted me to be safe. The older I got, the more I realized that the car crash was no accident, and I'm very aware that she never talked about my dad. I figured he was the one trying to kill us. At least, that's my theory. So, I never applied. I tried to forget about it, but it kept calling to me. Still, I wasn't the one who applied, and since the school year just started, they decided to let me enroll.

Aunt Cassie sighed before placing the photo album down. "Are you...sure about this, Dessa? There's a reason your mother didn't want you to go and-"

"It doesn't matter now, does it," I cut her off. "She's not here anymore. Maybe whatever we were running from got to her. I have to prepare if that time comes for me too. I won't go down with a fight, Aunt Cassie."

Aunt Cassie grabbed my hands. "I know, dear girl. You're going to do amazing things there, and I'm just going to miss having you around."

Another horn blasted through the windows as Aunt Cassie made her way over to the window. "Cool your jets, Gracie Ann! The whole town is going to know how much you want to leave here."

I picked up my bags and headed down the stairs, with Aunt Cassie following behind. I took inventory of all the things I was going to miss about this place. The vibrant color walls were adorned with memories captured in photographs, tables covered with trinkets and weird-looking herbs, the smell of patchouli misted in the air, and bubbling from the cauldron with mystery liquids inside. I was going to miss this place. My eyes misted with emotions when I felt my aunt's hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, you know you always have a place here, right?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. "I know."