MariatheWitch

Marialearnedherfirstspellattheageofninewhenshedaccidentallysether
fathershaironfire.Itwassupposedtobeasimpleilluminationtechnique,butitended
uplookingandsmellingmorelikeanelectricalfire.Shehadsaidthewordscorrectly
andherhandshadbeenintherightformationshecouldhavesworntheyhadbeen,at
least.Hermotherassuredherthateveryonelearnedattheirownpaceandthatshe
wouldsomedaygetthehangofit.Herfatherassuredherthatthedamagetohishair
wasminimal,althoughheappearedtobequiteshakenupafterward.Fromthatday
forward,hishairlossseemedtogainmomentum.Mariaquietlygaveuponlearning
illumination.
Itwasntthatshewasbadatmagic.Notexactly.Mostwitchesmakeamistakeor
twowhentheyrefirstlearningaspell.ForMaria,itwasmorethatthemistakes
themselveswerealwaysandincreasinglyproblematic.Explosions,fires,andother
damagetoschoolpropertyhadledtheteacherstodecidethatsheneededspecial
instructionandsomelimitations.Sheendeduptakingremedialclasseseverydayafter
school,buttheydidnthelpmuch.Thelimitationsrequiredhertohaveaninstructor
presenttoperformanyelementalortransformativespellsonschoolgrounds.Shewas
gladtohaveanexcusetoavoidcastinganything.
Herparentswereawareofthis,andalthoughtheyalwaysacted
supportive,Mariacouldtellthattherewasahintofdisappointmentintheirtones.It
wasnttheirfault.Forgenerationsherfamily,knownastheRoses,hadaplacein

magicalhighsociety.AlmosteveryRosewitch,includingMariasmother,hadbeena
prodigy.Asanonlychild,theexpectationswerehigh.Shehatedvisitingher
grandmother.GrandmawasaveryproudRosewitch,andshewouldalwaystellMaria
thestoriesoftheirfamilytimeandtimeagainuntilshegrewsickofhearingthem.Roses
werewellknownfortheircoolheadeddispositionwhichallowedthemtocastaccurately
andwithouterror.GrandmawouldalwayschideMariaabouthercasting,asifwhatever
mistakesshemadewereeasytofix.Itwasfrustrating,andGrandmacouldnthidethe
disappointmentinhereyes.Mariawasntbadateverything,though.
Shewasverygoodatmath.Itwasntflashy,anditwasntmagical,butshe
lovedthefactthatshecouldalwaysfindtheanswer.Therewasnothingsubjective
aboutmath.Therewasnochanceforhertostartafireorhurtpeople.Hermath
teacher,Mr.Carltonlovedthededicationtohisfield,andencouragedher.Hegaveher
higherlevelproblemstosolveafterclass,andshelovedtakingthetimetofillthemout,
andcheckalloftheanswersonebyone.Itwasheronlychanceatschooltofeelsmart.
Itwaswhileshewasfinishingaworksheetinhermathclassthatshewas
approachedbyPatriciaMills.Patriciawasalwaysastarstudentandtheteachersall
lovedher.Shehadneverseemedlikeaverygenuineorniceperson,though,andMaria
hadoftenwitnessedhermakingsnidecommentsaboutpeoplebehindtheirbacks.She
didnotwanttotalktoher,butsawnoopportunitytoleavetheroom.Everyoneelsehad
leftalready,andMr.Carltonhadsteppedouttodosomething.
Patriciaglidedoverandclickedhertongueindisapproval.Whatsthis?
Homework?

Mariadidntknowhowtoanswer,soshestayedsilent,andbegantoput
herpapersintoherbag.Patriciaslammedherhanddownontheworksheet,stopping
her.
Dontjustignoreme.Iaskedyouaquestion.Whatisthat?sheasked
moreaggressively,signalingtowardstheworksheet.
Uh,math?Mariarespondedcautiously.Thishadtobetrickquestion.It
hadtobesometricktomakeMarialookstupid.
Butyourealwaysdoingthese.Theycantallbehomework,canthey?
DonttellmeaRoseisdoingmathforfun?Patriciaseemedalmostlikeshewas
recitingalineshehadpracticedbefore.
Whydoyoucare?
Patriciastiffenedupandseemedgenuinelyangryatthis.Idontcare!I
justthinkitsstupid.shesaid,crossingherarms.
Okay.Mariatriedtopackawayherthingsagain.
Likeabrokenrecord,Patriciaslammedherhanddownontheworksheetagain.
Dontignoreme.
Ididntignoreyou.
Youbasicallywere.
Whatdoyouwant?
Patriciapausedforamoment.Itseemedlikeshehadntconsideredthis
question.Thenshesettledbackintoherusualselfassuredexpression.Ijustwantto
knowwhyaRoseissobadatmagic.

Mariasighedandgrabbedherworksheet,whichPatriciahadletgoof.NowIm
ignoringyou.
Atthis,Patriciasnatchedthepaperoutofherhands,crumpleditupandthrewit
ontotheground.
Mariaglaredather.
Illtelltheteacheronyou.
Ibetyouretooscaredto.
Watchme.
Ibetyouwont.Yourealwayssuchachicken.Youneverdoanythingbutmath.
Shutup.
Ibetyoucantevencastaspell.
Shut.Up.
Mariasmotherhadalwayswarnedheraboutbullying,andsaidthatitwasbest
toignoreitandtrytotakethehighroad.Mariahadalwaysthoughtthatwaseasiersaid
thandone,andsheconsideredthisasPatriciacontinued.
Youresuchacoward!
Atthesewords,Mariafeltafamiliarenergycoursingthroughherveinsandshe
shuthereyesinconcentrationtryingtostopherself.Silence.Shedidntfeelanything.
Slowly,sheopenedhereyes,expectingtoseesomekindoffire.Shedidntsee
anything.

Patriciawasgone.Mariawasintheclassroomalone.Horrified,shewonderedif
somehowshehadcausedPatriciatovanish.Thisthoughtwasinterruptedbyastrange
sound.
Ribbit.
Patricia!Whereareyou?Mariaturned,tryingtofindthesourceofthenoise
Ribbit.
Shelookeddown.Therewasasmallgreenfrogthatseemedtobestaringupat
her.
Ribbit.
Patricia?
Thefrogturnedinafullcircle,asifunsureofitsownsurroundings.Itstopped
andlookedbackatMaria.
Ribbit.
Ohmygod,Iturnedyouintoafrog.Mariacollapsedtothefloorandlookedat
thesadlittlecreatureinfrontofher.
WhaWhathaveIdone?Whatarewegoingtodo?
Patricia,nowafrog,lookedjustaslostasMariafelt.IfMr.Carltonwalkedbackin
shewouldbeinhugetrouble.Maybeshecouldquicklyreversethespellshedidn't
knowhowshehadcastitinthefirstplace,butshehadtotrysomething.
"Okay,Patricia.Justholdon!"
Mariashakilyliftedherarmstryingtorememberthemotionshermotherhad
alwaysmadebeforesheputoutthefiresthatMariacaused.

Awarm,pinkishglowseemedtoemanatearoundMaria'spalms,andPatricia's
formbegantoshift.
Theformgrewbigger,andthenabruptlystopped.Maria,whohadshuthereyes
outofnervousnessfinallydaredtoopenthemagain.
Therewasaslightlybiggerfroginfrontofher,aboutthesizeofacat.Thingshad
gonefrombadtoworseveryquickly.
Assheheardfootstepscomingfromthehallway,MariagrabbedPatricia,who
wasnowsurprisinglyheavyandtriedtohideherinherdeskcubby.
"JustholdonI'llturnyoubackinasecond."
PatriciadidnotseemtoagreewiththisplanandforcefullyshotoutofMaria's
handsandintothehallway.Mr.Carltonwalkedinthedoorwithraisedeyebrows.
"Wasthatyourfrog?Maria,myclassroomisnotforscienceexperiments.Please
dotheminthelab."
Mariadidn'tknowhowtorespondandnoddedasshedashedoutoftheroom.
Shedidn'thavetolookfartofindPatricia,astherewasalreadyacommotion
downthehallway.MaybePatriciawastryingtogettothestairwell.
Mariarandownthehallasquicklyasshecould.Althoughsheavoidedrunning
intopeoplesheapologizedpreemptivelytowardeverybodyasthoughshewassurethat
atanymomenttherewouldbeacollision.Thegreenmassoffrogwasgettingcloser.
"Wait!Patuh,hey!"ShestoppedherselffromyellingoutPatricia'sname.

Asshewasstumblingoverherwordsherlegsstumbledtooandshetrippedand
felltotheground.Patricia,nowonlyacoupleofyardsawayturnedaroundtolookat
her,andifafrogcouldlaughMariawassureshewouldhave.
PatriciacontinueddownthestairsandMariarecoveredandfollowed.Thislevel
ofthebuildingwasmuchlesscrowdedthantheprevious.Patriciaseemedlost,andshe
hoppedaroundnonsensically.
"Alright,Patricia.Hey,comeon."Mariapanted,outofbreath."Ijustneedtotry
again.Icanfixthis."
Patriciastoppedhoppingaroundandturnedtofaceher,makingstrangenoises
whichmusthavebeenanattemptatcommunication.
Thehallwasquiet,andasMariabreathedshefeltanewcalmnesssurrounding
her.WasthiswhatGrandmahadalwaystoldherabout?LookingatPatricianow,Maria
feltatwingeofguilt.Allthistimeshehadbeenworriedaboutwhatwouldhappentoher,
notevenstoppingtothinkabouthowterrifyingthesituationmustbeforPatricia.She
tookadeepbreath.
"Look,Iknowit'sallmyfault.Ijustgotsoangry."Marialookeddown."I'mreally,
reallysorry."
It'shardtoapologizetoafrog.It'shardtotellwhatthey'rethinkingorfeeling,let
aloneifthey'veforgivensomeone.Marialookedbackup,expectingthatconfusion.
Instead,anormalhumanPatriciastood,lookingbewildered.
Sheblinkedacoupleoftimes."I'msorry,too."