“We have satellite T.V. and Netflix at the Pole you know? I mean, hello!”
“You have expensive taste,” I said climbing in and admiring the super car that I knew had an equally super price tag.
“So my dad keeps telling me.” She said dismissively and put her hands on the wheel, “Okay, which way?”
“Oh, you think you’re driving?” I chuckled.
“Well I am the one behind the wheel.” Nichole raised a perfectly arched brow at me.
“You sure about that?” I waved my hand in the air and the Aventador lifted up off the street and hovered in the air.
Nichole’s arms reached out, looking for something to hold onto as gravity became obsolete for the car. As if it were on an invisible road I leveled the car out in the sky and she got her bearings. “Nice trick,” she turned and smiled at me.
“Got it from my mom. Broom, car, it’s all relative,” I chuckled and gave her back one of her signature shoulder shrugs. I was trying to fake an air of chill around me when I realized it was snowing in both realms which seemed peculiar. Instead of searching for a reason why I ignored the snow. I was too focused on the smiles she kept giving me. Smart, beautiful, and wanting to spend time with me over Kringle Jr.? Yeah, I was a goner.
“What is that smell though? It’s like holiday cookies or,” she said looking around for the source.
“Buttercream frosting?” I offered.
“Yeah, that’s it,” she whipped her head toward me and giggled as she realized that my conjuring magic smelled like dessert. “Oh, Chris, that’s got to be miserable for you. I’m so sorry.”
I couldn’t help but stare into her blue eyes. They had the prettiest gold flecks in them I had ever seen, almost the same color as the magic realm itself. “At the moment, it’s actually one of the best things in the world.” She turned away, but not before I saw the bluish tint in her cheeks turn a soft pink. “So where to?” I asked trying to lighten the mood.
She turned back towards me and smiled, “Suddenly I’m in the mood for cupcakes with buttercream frosting.”
I laughed. “Well you’re in luck, I just happen to know a place about ten blocks from here and I bet there’s a parking spot right up front with our name written all over it.”
“I bet you’re right.”
“So, it’s a date?” I couldn’t believe the words just blurted out of my mouth like that. This girl had me unhinged.
“It’s a date,” she said, surprising me even more.
*
With the flick of my wrist, I lifted the car a little higher into the air and propelled us forward. We watched in awe as our car’s reflection jumped from mirrored window to window of the buildings we passed. Humans were working at their desks typing and writing away as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on right outside and ten stories up. Our cruising speed was a comfortable forty miles an hour when all of a sudden another magical car came out of nowhere. It was right in front of us by mere inches. Nichole and I were still just kids and had no idea what the rules of the magic road were. We were going to hit head on. I could see the whites of the other driver’s eyes as he tried frantically to steer around us at the last second. We may be magical, but would a car crash kill us? Thousands of thoughts and memories ran through my head before I acted.
“What the--,” I read the other driver’s lips.
I flicked my wrist and slowed time as I concentrated all my power on avoiding the crash, but it was too late. The cars were still on a slow motion collision course. I sped our car up to normal speed and tried to move it out of the way, but it wasn’t fast enough. We were going to hit. Within inches of metal crumpling against metal I protectively reached over and put my arm in front of Nichole. Under my touch, she instantly became aware of our surroundings and the slowing of time all around us. Her survival instinct kicked in and in a flash she reacted. Somehow she yanked our car out of the crash zone so fast that I missed it. We sped off at what seemed like the speed of sound, leaving behind a disoriented driver, and an area still stuck in slow motion. Still protecting Nichole with my arm I looked over my shoulder and flicked my other wrist speeding time back up. As he came to, I saw the other magical driver look around in shock from not having hit us. He wasn’t the only one in shock.
“Chris, how did you do that?” Nichole shook her head as she clenched the wheel. “Controlling time, that’s a power only the heavy’s usually have; your Reagent, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Santa, even I don’t--,” she slammed the magic car’s brakes before we reached the ocean. Palm trees and sandy beaches were the only things below us now, but curiously it was still snowing. We had only been traveling for a few minutes but we were obviously no longer in New York.
“Nichole?” I drew her name out slowly. “Why is it still snowing in what I’m presuming is the southern tip of Florida?” I evaded her question. Looking around I shook my head in disgust. Even the palm trees were decorated with Christmas lights and the lamp posts were adorned with giant stockings made out of tinsel. Couldn’t there be one place not barfing up Christmas? I mean come on!
She crossed her arms over her chest as the car hovered above the trees. “Well since you saved my life, I guess I’ll tell you my secret if you tell me yours.” She didn’t seem pleased at the prospect of sharing her secret, which to me meant that she really wanted to know my secret. When I didn’t say anything she leaned her chair back and put her feet on the dash, “Guess I’ll just work on my tan then.” With a twist of her hair she conjured a pair of oversized sunglasses and a floppy hat. The snow was hitting her glasses and melting. It was the most adorable thing I’d ever seen. “Good luck getting us back to New York in less than eighteen hours without my help.” Then she conjured a timer that replaced the entire front windshield. It began counting down the hours until we were due back at school the next morning.
I wondered how she knew how long it would take to get home without the use of her super speed ability. Time seemed almost instinctual in her. I weighed my options mentally. Even if I slowed time I’d only be able fly the car home at a normal speed. I needed her help and her speed. If I tried to get us home without her help there was nothing keeping her from dropping the veil and exposing my magic to the human world. I was screwed. She had me at a disadvantage and she knew it. If I wasn’t back home by morning, not only would I be grounded, I’d definitely be kicked out of another school. And I couldn’t let that happen. I was trying to get back into coven school. I had no choice. I had to tell her, but more than that, I wanted to tell her my secret.
“Okay,” I sighed.
She popped up and listened intently. “You first,” she insisted as her sunglasses, hat, and timer disappeared.
“Ha! I knew you’d make me go first,” I chuckled. “Well, my great great grandmother is kind of famous. You may have heard of her,” I paused intentionally. The way she was looking at me made my heart beat faster. She was so damn beautiful, I didn’t want the moment to end. “And I’d rather not have anyone else know that I’m related to…”
“Yes, yes?” She looked like she wanted to punch me in the arm for making her wait.
“Mother Nature,” I whispered.
Nichole gasped. “You’re related to Mother frigging Nature? No shi--,”
“Sshh!” I looked around, but we were alone.
“Oh relax, humans can’t see or hear us. And there’s no one here. Okay, besides the car we almost hit, but that was like so five states ago,” she laughed. “Mother Nature really?” she whispered.
I nodded, almost forgetting that she had a secret as well, almost. “And why is it snowing in Florida?”
She sighed, “My name’s not Nichole Frost.” She looked at me with those mesmerizing glacial eyes of hers, “It’s Nichole Claus.” And then it hit me. Her mannerism when she used magic; curling her hair around her finger, the way the snow followed her, and the speed she could travel. She even popped up at school claiming to have been there for weeks when I knew she hadn’t. As
she said the words I knew they were true, “Santa Claus is my dad.”
*
“So does that mean Kringle Junior’s your brother?” I asked. The words left a bitter taste in my mouth. She was too exquisite to be related to the walking poster boy for a teen cologne commercial.
Nichole laughed, “Ewe gross, no! There is no Kringle Junior. Well, I guess technically I’m junior. But Barry’s great at playing the part, don’t you think? He’s one of dad’s most trusted and loyal elves, and I get a chance at a normal life.” She shrugged off all the questions I knew had to be all over my face. “I just want to feel normal. Not hovered over like you saw today because of who I am. No one knows me here. Here, I can be anyone I want.”
I lowered the car to the ground and moved it to an un-occupied parking space across from the beach. Nichole lifted the veil of the magic world and the sounds and smells of the human world hit us. A light sprinkling of snow was coming down, but still, it was coming down in a place I knew it wasn’t supposed to snow, like ever. I knew we couldn’t stay here long. Apparently her growing adolescent powers were accompanied by snowfall like mine had the smell of buttercream frosting.
“I know the feeling.” I smiled somberly at her. “So Barry’s your smoke screen, or snow screen I guess?” I teased pointing up to the sky.
“Exactly.” When she smiled back it took my breath away. “Hey look!” She gestured towards a human bakery with of all things, cupcakes displayed in their window. “Imagine that,” she laughed.
“Ha! What are the odds I wonder?” The bakery looked like the most inviting place on earth. It was called Witches Brew and Devilish Delights and was all decked out in Halloween decorations. It even had an animatronic Santa dressed as a witch stirring a large cauldron coffee cup. It was fantastic! I felt my face flush as I remembered I had called this adventure a date, “Shall we?”
Nichole shook her head, “Chris, the snow, I can’t.”
“Hmm, I have an idea. Put the veil up for a minute.” She scrunched her eyebrows together and looked at me curiously. “No underage magic in the human world, remember?”
“Okay, teacher’s pet,” she teased, but put the veil in place anyway.
I got out of the convertible and went around to the driver side. My heart was beating faster and faster at the prospect of what I was about to do. I took a deep breath and concentrated. Reaching into the sky I flicked my wrist and slowed time just above us within a quarter mile in every direction. I didn’t dare go farther out than that for fear of a human seeing a bird hovering in midair or something crazy like that when Nichole dropped the veil. I knew I was pushing the limits of the no-underage-magic-in-the-human-world thing. But, I only cast the spell in the magic world. It wouldn’t be my fault if it carried over into the human world. Would it? I know, I know, I was pushing it. Those deep blue eyes had me under their spell. I was willing to do almost anything to make her happy, even use magic where I wasn’t supposed to.
As if she read my mind Nichole dropped the veil to the magic world and looked into the sky. Her eyes glistened with happy tears as she looked at the snowflakes hovering, but not falling. I opened her car door and asked again, “Shall we?”
“Most definitely,” and she took my hand.
*
“Here we go. Two witches brew white hot chocolates and two devil’s food cupcakes with extra buttercream frosting.” Nichole and I smiled at each other at the inside joke. “Can I get you anything else?” The owner of the Witches Brew asked us.
“No, ma’am, this is perfect thank you.” Nichole said grinning so wide at the normalcy I thought she’d burst into happy tears.
“Please call me Julie, and thank you. I haven’t had any customers in here all day. I may just have to shut down early,” Julie shrugged her shoulders. “Open back up after the holidays, if I can.”
“Why? This place is great.” I said. “Anywhere that celebrates Halloween in December is my kind of place.”
“Aren’t you sweet, but around Christmas is my slowest time of year. Guess most folks want everything pumpkin spiced and peppermint frosted,” she chuckled. “You kids holler if you need anything.”
“We will, thank you,” I said as Julie went back behind the counter.
A wall mounted clock in the form of a witch’s hat cackled on the hour and the napkin holder on our table was a house. It even had tiny wicked witch legs sticking out from underneath of it decked out in black and white socks and ruby slippers. Decorations that depicted a poor witch being crushed by a house usually made me cringe, but being here with Nichole made them perfect. Julie had even put short bread cookies in the shape of brooms on the saucers of our white hot chocolate.
“I love this place! I’ve never seen anything like it.” Nichole said, as she sipped her drink.
“I guess you haven’t, have you?” I stated, realizing just how little of the human world she had gotten to experience. “Even though Christmas is my birthday, Halloween is my favorite time of year,” I added, wanting to share new experiences with her, anything to see that beautiful smile of hers.
“Christmas is your birthday?” She quizzed. “No wonder you hate it so much.”
“I don’t hate it hate it.” I joked. “I’m beginning to see some good qualities in it,” I said looking into her blue eyes.
“I’m beginning to really like Halloween too,” she blushed and looked down at her plate.
My attention was drawn to the T.V. which began reporting the weather. The radar was showing a huge cold front coming off the coast right where we were. They were calling it a highly unusual winter storm. Nichole must have seen the shock on my face and turned to the T.V. “We should probably go soon,” I said deflated. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted this day to last forever.
“You’re probably right,” she nodded her head and turned back to me. “Thank you, Julie, it was nice meeting you.” Nichole seemed sad as she got up from the table.
“Thank you, Nichole, it was lovely meeting you both as well.” Julie came to our table with to-go cups and a box for our cupcakes. “It’s probably best that you’re getting ahead of this crazy storm. I’ve never seen anything like it. But you two come back anytime, you hear? You are always welcome at Witches Brew.”
Nichole looked up and smiled warmly, “Thank you, I’d like that very much.”
As we walked out of the Witches Brew and Devilish Delights shop Nichole seemed to deflate. “I’m not going to be able to go to school, not like this,” she said pointing to the storm collecting along the coastline. She curled her hair around her finger and returned us to the magic realm. Its golden hue making the sunset a brilliant yellow against the greenish blue ocean. I flicked my wrist and returned the air above us to normal time. The storm dissipated and snow began to fall into both realms again. “I can’t hide who I am with snow always falling around me. Barry’s visiting the school again tomorrow, but then that’s it. He’s got to go back to the Pole.”
“So yours isn’t just when you use magic it’s--,”
“It’s all the time,” she finished my sentence. “Why are you smiling?”
“Because it’s a good thing you met a witch today.” An idea had hit me and I was grinning ear to ear. “Meet me after school tomorrow. I may just have a remedy for your problem. Or should I say, potion for your problem?”
“You seem different today, Chris. Happier.” Miss Bell stopped flying around her chemistry lab and looked at me. “Did you meet someone?” She smiled.
“Miss Bell.” I got embarrassed and didn’t answer.
“You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry, it’s none of my business,” she said and examined my new concoction as it cooked. “If it works, this potion will be an amazing feat of magic. It’s far more advanced than your years. I mean a potion that can hold Mother Nature at bay? Unbelievable!” Miss Bell was shaking her head in disbelief. “But who’s it for? And why would they need such a thing?”
Crap! I couldn’t lie to Miss Bell, but I also coul
dn’t reveal Nichole’s secret. “A friend of mine’s magic tracker follows them into the human world even without them using magic. It’s quite disruptive to humans and it has the potential to reveal us all.” There, that wasn’t a lie and it didn’t have to mean that Nichole was Santa’s daughter.
“Well, sounds like your friend is very lucky to have you.” Miss Bell buzzed around the class room checking the Bunsen burners and the drip tube levels. The potion was slowly filling up a test vial with an ice blue liquid the color of Nichole’s eyes. I’d added that touch of color purely for my enjoyment alone. Miss Bell added a new vial below the drip tube and gingerly floated the vial with the test liquid to her desk. She waved her hand and a large glass jar glided off one of her shelves and landed on the table next to the test vial. I poured the liquid into the large jar and stood back. With another wave of her hand Miss Bell activated the liquid and it turned into a benign explosion of snow above our heads before vanishing for good. Miss Bell nodded at me with pride in her eyes, “You better head to your next class before you’re late. I’ll keep an eye on your potion for you.”
“Thanks, Miss Bell. See you after school.” I rushed to my next class thinking only of Nichole. I couldn’t wait to share the good news with her. She didn’t have to go back to the North Pole. She could stay here with me. The potion worked!
*
“I, I don’t know what to say.” Nichole looked at the blue luminescent liquid as it swirled in the vial.
“Say you’ll stay,” I smiled. “The potion works here and in the human world.”
“Are you kidding? Of course I’ll stay!” She took the vial from my hand and wrapped her arms around my neck. “How can I ever thank you for this?”
“Come with me to Witches Brew to celebrate?” I’d done it again. I asked her out without even thinking about it, but I didn’t care. I liked spending time with her even if she was the guy in the red suit’s daughter. “And to field test it, of course.”
She laughed. “Of course.” But was she saying ‘of course’ to the field testing or yes to going out with me? I was confused until she rolled her eyes and held up a learners flying permit with her picture on it.