Blood and Magic

Chapter 28 - Why Does Everyone Know More Than We Do?

Master Of Tides - Lindsey Stirling

Peyton

I'd been dreading this all day. All week really.

I glowered at the outfit hanging on the closet door.

Jade came over earlier and helped me pick it out, I should have been leaving to go meet her at her apartment to get ready, but I didn't want to leave my bed. In my bed I was safe from other people, there was no anxiety and constant fidgeting to make sure every piece of me was perfect at all times. There were no short skirts and exposing shirts.

But tonight was the party that the famed warlock, Caspian Steel, was hosting that Mayline was forcing us to go to.

I grunted and reluctantly pushed away from the covers and got up.

I tugged on my sneakers and grabbed my bag of shoes, jewelry, and makeup, and the hanger of clothes.

I walked down the hall and stopped when I heard Mom and Dad bickering in the living room.

I turned and walked into Auggie's instead.

He was laying his stomach on the floor, his legs crossed as he scribbled an orange crayon on a piece of paper.

He looked up and gave me a smile when he heard me come in. He was missing one of his front teeth, and he knew that it added to his cuteness, so he made sure he smiled at everyone lately.

"Hey Buddy, mind if I hide in here for a second?" I asked setting my stuff on his race car bed.

"Only if you sharpen my crayons," He smiled and looked at his big pack of crayons, each one was short and stumpy.

I smiled and nodded.

He has hated sharping his own crayon ever since he accidentally cut his finger on the blade, now he makes us do it.

I grabbed his sharpener and started on his crayons, he went back to his scribbles.

"So," I start with a raised eyebrow. "How long have they been fighting?"

Auggie didn't look up as he answered.

"Mommy says they don't fight. She says that Daddy just likes to give her a hard time,"

I rolled my eyes, of course, she did. I guess you can never be too young for her gaslighting.

"Fine, how long had Dad been giving her trouble?" The words were ash in my mouth.

"Uhhh, like two to fifteen minutes,"

I looked over at him with a blank expression.

"Thanks, buddy that was super helpful," I muttered and grabbed a new crayon.

He looked at me over his shoulder with his toothy smile.

"Your welcome! I've been getting a lot better with time! Hey, what's that,"

He jumped up and went to my stuff.

"Just clothes," I muttered, and put the crayon back and drew a new one.

"Why are you leaving with clothes? You already dressed,"  He stated as if he were the smartest person in the world.

I gave him a fake stink eye.

"Well, Einstein, they are party clothes, but I need to go to Jade's first and I can't walk down the street in them,"

"Why not? They're just clothes," Auggie picked up the shirt and scrunched his nose then set it back down.