Mystical (Mystical #1) (Revising)

Chapter Three ☆

Eliza maneuvered her car into a tight parking spot outside her condo, her parallel parking skills falling short of perfection. She stepped out of the vehicle, taking a moment to survey her surroundings before making her way inside. As she entered the house, a distinct aroma invaded her senses, filling the air with the scent of burnt cooking.

In the kitchen, Eliza's mother stood over a pot, wrestling with a long, thick spaghetti noodle. With a swift motion, she placed the noodle on a plate before grasping the bunch in her hands and effortlessly snapping it in half. 

The broken strands plopped into the boiling water, adapting to fit the constraints of the pot. Glancing up from her culinary task, Eliza's mother revealed her happiness through her brimming blue-grey eyes and flowing, wavy brown hair that cascaded over her shoulder. Her white, straight teeth formed a radiant smile as she looked up at Eliza.

"Hey, jellybean. How was your first day of adulthood?" her mother cheerfully greeted.

"I hate school," Eliza replied, her attention shifting to the noodles bubbling in the cauldron behind her mother. "Spaghetti?"

Dawn, Eliza's friend, descended the stairs from her room, playfully raising both eyebrows as she acknowledged Eliza's mother. "Isn't she just the greatest cook? Sorry, Liz, I forgot to text. I was shopping online."

"I wanted to surprise you! I got off work early, so, duh...had to see you guys' condo," Eliza's mother proudly proclaimed.

Eliza rolled her eyes, setting her purse down on the sleek granite table. "It's okay, Dawn. I'm happy to see you, Mom!" she mimicked her mother's infectious energy.

Her mother gracefully moved to the side of the kitchen, reaching for a nearby cookbook. Flipping through the pages, she soon located the desired recipe and emphatically pointed at the picture in the center.

"You..." Jared's voice rang out as he leaped through the kitchen window, having miraculously found his way back home. "I can't believe you left me at a place filled with disgusting humans. How could you do that to me? I will remember this forever." And with that, he swiftly darted away, disappearing deep into the confines of the condo.

"He'll get over it," Dawn nonchalantly remarked, her mouth full of a thick noodle.

"Eliza, really. How could you forget Jared at school? And no, it's not spaghetti. It's fettuccini, thank you very much," Eliza's mother corrected with pride.

"Mom, since when were you so interested in cooking?" Eliza muttered, making her way toward the kitchen table. She glanced at the cooking instructions. "You never cook. Let's just order Chinese food."

"It's a nice, warm welcome to your place! You two are grown women now. It's the least I can do."

Dawn was privy to Eliza's secret; she knew that Eliza was a witch. It was one of those secrets that couldn't be kept hidden from a friend who was always by her side. Moreover, Dawn's sharp intellect would have inevitably uncovered the truth about Eliza's magical abilities, even if Eliza hadn't revealed them herself.

Dawn was the only non-witch whom Jared allowed to see him. At first, Jared's frequent outbursts and flirtatious demeanor used to startle Dawn, but now she had grown accustomed to his mischievous ways.

Dawn's curiosity had always been a force to reckon with, often spiraling out of control. At this moment, her knowledge about Eliza was limited to the fact that she was a witch and possessed the ability to cast spells. Eliza, however, decided to keep it that way for now, realizing that she needed to learn more about being a witch before delving into discussions with Dawn.

Eliza's mother, on the other hand, had a habit of evading the topic of their kind. She would often claim that it gave her headaches, but Eliza suspected that there was another reason behind her reluctance to disclose more information about being a witch.