Melody's Whispers (discontinued for a rewrite)

Learning and Lies

    "did you ever in your life think you'd see something as breathtaking as this?!" Oh, it was breathtaking alright. But not in the way Ma was depicting it. The smell, agh. The sound of busing flies, agh. This situation as a whole, agh.
    "I don't like this..." I seconded Luz's statement. Ma called the trash slug inspiring. I call it revolting, an assault on the senses.
    "it makes a home, a life from what others have thrown by the wayside," Ma explained. "Until BLAM! It gets blasted by a wave and croaks from all the salt!"
    "I am NOT picking junk from THAT. I'd rather my chances cleaning Hooty thanks," I grumbled. "This is disgusting."
    "aw come on guys, it's not every day you get to go to the dump and pick apart a garbage carcass!" I barely noted the sarcasm in King's voice as he spread his ducky towel on the sand.
    "aw, nuts to the lot of ya. Mel, you used to LOVE doing this as a kid." I shuddered at the thought. I most certainly did not. I'd rather walk barefoot across wet sand than pick this guy apart, I hate the feeling of wet sand between my toes.
    "What if we tried some new lessons for my apprenticeship?" Luz asked. "You know, like how to read ancient scrolls or mix potions?"
    "That sounds like a bunch of magic school junk." Luz perked up at the thought of an actual school for this stuff. "Yeah, what's worse is they force you to learn magic 'the proper way'," Ma added. I shrugged my shoulders. It wasn't all bad. "Magic isn't proper. Is wild and unpredictable. That's why it's so beautiful." I glanced back to the garbage carcass she stood on.
    "yeah this sure is 'beautiful'," I sighed.
    "I didn't finish school, and look at me! Who wouldn't envy where I am right now!"
    "I can think of a hundred places I'd rather be. You know like playing in the market square. I don't see why you made ME join this little expedition. I could be making some side cash right now." Ma didn't like my arguing.
    "we'll here's a lesson. A great witch is resourceful, like this!" Ma took Luz's hand a dragged her to the carcass she has already ripped a hole in. And shoved Luz's hand right in there. I gagged a little in my mouth. I wasn't for this. Luz pulled out a gross slime ball. "Use your slime ball wisely, young witch. Your turn Mel!"
    "nope, I'm outta here." I pulled my arm free and took to River's staff. "I'm... I'll be at the market."

I wasn't going to the market. I walked the track with River on my shoulder.
    "Hey Mel, wait up!" I stopped still hearing Luz call out to me. "Where are you going? The market's in the other direction." I shrugged my shoulders at Luz.
    "Believe it or not it's none of your business," I told her bluntly. "Besides you'd be in deep trouble if Eda found out. And I'd be dead if she found out I took you." Luz looked at me puzzled. "I sneak into a magic school just up the road to practice my magic, okay? If you haven't realised, Eda isn't a reliable teacher. In recent years, everything I've learned I've either taught myself or learnt at school."
    "oh, I'm sure that's not true." I raised my eyebrow at Luz.
    "and recently she's paid more attention to you. The only time she cares about what I'm doing is if I'm learning from school. I don't mean to harbour a poor relationship with you, but I can't help but feel jealous... you're like a hatchling... and Ma doesn't want you to get yourself eaten."
    "MA?" Luz seemed shocked by this. "Eda's your mother?!" I nodded slowly.
    "Yes. It's not obvious? I'm a carbon copy of her... aside from my eyes... apparently."
    "you never call her 'mum' or anything." I shrugged at Luz. "You've always just called her 'Eda'. Or literally anything else."
    "Eda's a little touchy on the whole mother thing. She takes it in her stride but uh... from what I know, her partner broke up with her when they joined a coven... right before Ma realised she was pregnant. She doesn't like to talk about it. And before you ask, no I don't know who they are. I don't care to know either." I started marching forward. "Don't follow me. I may like the attention it gives me. You don't need it."

It's not like I want to be angry at her. But in the moment I was furious. I was jealous. I slipped into the school using my usual route. These hidden entrances wormed right throughout the school it was like a maze. I took an unusual stop at the abomination class. Something had spiked my interest. Some kid by the name of Willow called to present their homework. No one seemed pleased, everyone was calling her 'half a witch', people can be so cruel. But it wasn't this girl who sparked my interest. Rather who her homework was.
    "uh... Abomination... rise." I watched the pile of purple muck rise from its pot and let out a low growl.
    "Luz." She must have met this kid on her wonders after I left her and formed a plan to sneak into the school. "Great Ma's gonna have my head." I didn't stick around after that. I didn't need to see how the class played out.