Harmione's Charmed Life Chapter 1

August 2032. It was my first day of high school. Dad made me change at least three times before I could even go to school. I understood why, but I wish he'd lighten up a bit. I turned 14, seven months ago and he still treats me like a baby. Speaking of babies; Jesse and Justice are in 2nd grade now. They are possibly the best and brightest of anyone in their year.

How can I describe my brother's? Childish, playful, free, and fun. They really know how to make me laugh. Jesse looks just like mom, and Justice looks just like dad. They don't seem like they want to be their own person yet. They are still young so, mom says that will change. But for now they do everything together. They even finish each other's sentences. They tease me on a daily basis.

Like this morning, when Dad dropped me off they called me 'Marshmallow butt.'

I don't know about you, but the first day of high school is pretty huge. Anything can happen that can brand you for the rest of your high school career. Being called 'Marshmallow butt' for the next four years was not about to happen.

Bellwood High was a fairly large school. It had about 37 classrooms, 12 offices, a library, one large cafeteria, a gymnasium, and a soccer field. My family and I attended student orientation last week. I've pretty much got my class schedule memorized.

It's hard for me to tell if I'm over confident or extremely nervous. I'll decide at the end of the day. I met up with my best friend in the whole world Deanna. Deanna is an only child. She's 7 months older than me. She has brown hair like me, but brown eyes. To my surprise she dyed her hair black for the first time ever this year. Deanna and I have been best friends for almost 10 years.

As her soul sister it is my job to remind her of her beauty and greatness as our bond transcends time, space, and distance. As she has done the same for me. The friendship she has bestowed upon me is one I do not deserve. She has ethics, and sense of morality

You'll never find another one like her. It has taken her great courage to stand by me as she does. She never fails to make me laugh. Through fate or some other circumstance we stick together. And I have no doubt in my mind we always will. She's the only person I've ever told about my powers. We were in the 4th grade. It was bound to happen sometime. I let it slip out that if she fell off the monkey bars I'd catch her. Well, when she fell I used my magic to prevent her from falling.

She was afraid at first, but when she saw how I afraid I was of telling her we both got over it. She wanted to know the ends and outs of it all. My parents don't know that she knows. I plan to keep it that way for a little while at least.

As for using my powers, Dad wants me to live a normal life. As normal as we can make it. He doesn't want me to be a Plumber, or even help him and mom with the alien stuff. One day though; Dad says he'll take me to get training to become a Plumber.

Between high school and alien fighting, I think I'd rather fight aliens, but I'm content with being normal until that day. Dad said he didn't have much of a childhood. He was hoping I could truly live out my high school years alien free.

To be honest, I miss using my powers. I feel trapped sometimes, then other times I feel very grateful to be living a normal lifestyle. It's hard to balance both but I'm trying my best. It was lunch time and Deanna and I had trouble finding a table. The upperclassmen had already claimed a lot of the good tables.

When we finally found one, Deanna and I began to talk about our morning classes. A girl named Sierra came over to our table. You could say she was your sterotypical popular girl. Her uncle was the school's superintendent. She thought she was so popular she should have our lunch table. It was a small booth close to the vending machines on the far side of the cafeteria. It was clean and spacious and of course she wanted it.

"You can sit and eat with us." I told her.

"No...are you stupid...besides if I did that where are my friends supposed to sit?" She asked.

"I don't know...sounds like a personal problem to me." Deanna spoke out.

"Shut up." Sierra replied sharply. "I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to Harmione.

"Well if you don't want to sit with us, then you can't sit here." I replied.

She scoffed.

"I have 4 friends Harmione, you only have her, and you are taking up what could be a great booth for 4 people...you're so unethical."

"We aren't moving Sierra...you want to sit here, get here before us next time."

Sierra walked away glaring at us. From that moment forward everyday would be a race to lunch for that table. Deanna and I were up to the challenge.

"I can't stand Sierra..." Deanna mumbled.

"Well she's been picking on us since kindergarten...only 4 more years and we're done with her."

"So...what clubs are you thinking about joining?" Deanna questioned me before drinking from her water bottle.

"Let's see..."

I pulled out a list of clubs and activities from my binder.

"Biology Club, Chemistry Club, Economics, French and Spanish...Science and Math..." I began reading aloud.

"Har...let's find something non academic to invest our time in...let's leave the school work in school."

"Yeah...you're right...so like art, drama, music, or media right?"

"I can't draw or sing too good...I doubt I'm any good at acting."

"Well all that's left then is JROTC, and sports."

"Hmmm...what does it say for sports?"

"Umm...soccer...that's my Daddy's favorite...uh...basketball, softball, track and field...martial arts, and cheerleading."

"That's the one!" Deanna shouted.

"What is?"

"You and I should go for cheerleading."

"Seriously?"

"Come on...matrial arts would be too easy for you, so it wouldn't be fun, same with me in track, we're not that great a basketball, softball or soccer...even though I know you're dad played it...but dancing and screaming on the sidelines could be pretty fun."

"I don't know Deanna."

"You and are both pretty athletic...it could help us stay in shape...and the cheer contests...we could ride the bus together...we could really have a lot of fun."

"Oh...okay I guess it could be fun.."

"Yes!" Deanna shouted and fist pumped the air. "When's tryouts?"

"This afternoon at 4:30."

Throughout the day I couldn't tell the difference between 8th grade and 9th grade. It was like same song different artist. The school was bigger but it didn't really bother me. It takes a lot to bother me actually. I'm not one to get upset about the small things. Mom dropped me off for cheer tryouts.

"Thanks Mom." I hugged her.

"No problem."

I had a quick snack, changed clothes and came back for the tryouts. I don't think jeans are good for cheerleading so I changed into a t-shirt and pair of shorts.

"Good luck sweetie."

"Thanksss." I said shyly. "Mom...this is okay right?"

"Sure pumpkin...just go have fun and whatever happens we love you...and he might not say it, but you're Daddy would be very proud if you made the squad...its the short skirts he hates."

I snickered.

"I know."

"I'll be here."

I shut the car door and waved. As I entered the gym there were about 20 other girls there and a couple of guys, not very many. A woman with a blonde bobbed haircut was sitting in the bleachers looking down at a clipboard. I looked around.

"Harmione!"

I looked up. Deanna was sitting in the bleachers near the middle, she waved excitedly. I smiled and waved back. I made my way over to the steps and began to climb when all of a sudden someone's foot stretched out under mine. I tripped on the first few steps. I heard laughter as I hit the ground hard.

"Are you okay?!"

It was Deanna's voice. She helped me to my feet. Upon standing I came face to face with Sierra and her friends.

"Aww...it's gonna be hard to be a cheerleader with two left feet." She said and pouted then laughed again. Her friends joined her.

"Yeah...it'll be even harder with two black eyes and swollen face Sierra Elizabeth!"

"Shut up Deanna Makenzie!"

These two often insulted each other with their middle names as they both hate their own middle names.

"Forget it Deanna...I'm fine."

I walked past her, up the bleachers rubbing my elbow. Deanna glared at Sierra and followed me. Tryouts finally started and it seemed to be going very well, the blonde woman was Ms. Tina. She was the coach. We watched the upperclassmen perform a few routines and then we had to do them. After we performed them, we each did it by ourselves along with a showcase of our own skills.

Sierra was actually really good. I didn't understand why her uncle bribed the coach to be put on the team when she had the talent to make it on her own. Though it wasn't any of my business. Deanna went after her, and she did surprisingly well. When it came time for me to perform I noticed no one was really paying attention to me.

I did what I could. I've been capable of doing back flips, and cartwheels since I was little. When I had Juju, I used to do circles around him. I love and miss Juju everyday. As I began to do a few more cartwheels, I noticed that everyone began to look at me. I had a flash memory of playing in the yard with Juju. I normally don't get upset but it brought a tear to my eye.

When I finished up, I wiped my eyes and sniffled a bit. I'm still hoping I can recreate Juju someday. I haven't been able to because as Mom explains it, I have trouble recreating the same rock creature twice. I haven't given up hope though. I will see my Juju again.

The squad was narrowed down right then and there to 10 people. Four of them were Sierra's friends. One was Sierra. We miraculously had three guys, and lastly Deanna and me. Sierra and her friends hated that we made the squad, but Deanna and I didn't care in the slightest. It was our time in school, we were prepared to paint the sky and make it ours. Nothing was going to bring us down.

I entered the house, Jesse and Justice were sitting at the kitchen table coloring.

"Jesse, Justice guess what?!" I shouted.

"What?" Justice asked.

"Yeah what?" Jesse said after.

"I made the cheerleading squad...your big sister's kinda cool right?"

"No." They said together.

I scoffed.

"Why not?!"

"You're still a dork." Jesse answered.

"Thanks guys...I'm glad you're proud of me...don't jump up and down too much you might break a crayon."

"Shut up sissy." Justice said and continued to color. I heard the door open and close. It was Dad back from work. I ran in and hugged him tightly.

"Hey baby girl, how was your first day?!

He pulled my hair behind my ear revealing my blue sapphire earrings.

"I have a lot of great teachers, Deanna has black hair now, I don't think 9th grade is any different than 8th grade and I made the cheerleading squad!"

I hugged my Dad again, he pulled away.

"What do you mean made the cheerleading squad?"

"It means she's a cheerleader now Ben." Mom's said as she entered behind Dad. She leaned against the door frame with her arms folded.

"Yeah...but...you know they wear those skirts that-"

"Honey don't start..."

"Yeah but-"

"This is what Harmione and her little friend Deanna wanted."

Dad sighed and looked at me.

"I'm proud of you baby."

He kissed the top of my head.

"Keep your skirt pulled down during the games okay."

"Ben!"

"What?!"

"Leave her alone."

"Yeah...but Angel..."

"Don't Angel me...I'm not having this conversation again with you.

"Hope listen a minute though-"

Dad followed Mom into the living room. Their conversation blurred into the background of my mind. I didn't have any homework for the first day of school, so I sat with my brother's and colored happily. Justice smiled and shared his box of crayons. Jesse smiled and poured his box out for all of us.

"You are cool sissy." Justice mumbled.

"Yeah...very cool...I was gonna say that Justice!" Jesse blurted out.

I smiled and wrapped my arms around them.

"Thsnks guys...you're both pretty cool too."

"Sissy's trying to be mushy again Jesse."

"Yeah...I know...mushy like a marshmallow butt!"

They laughed. I continued to color. That joke was still funny to them. You know, maybe being called Marshmallow butt by my brothers for the next four years wouldn't be so bad if it made my brother's happy. I know hearing them laugh made me happy. I noticed Mom and Dad had gone slient. When I peered into the living room, Mom was sitting in dad's lap watching TV. I found my happiness, I hope to fine love like that someday. But today, today was my first day of high school; and it was charming.