It suddenly dawned on him and he blurted out, "Wait! You don't have to tell me. That's why all the guys dropped out, right? They started getting really good just before they got their powers. Let me guess what you're going to tell me: there's not going to be any time for basketball right, not while I'm training to be an angel. That's why those guys dropped out, because there wasn't any time?"

"No Zach, it's worse. We're not allowed to play. "

"What!" Zach stopped dead in his tracks in shock over what she just said.

Lauren turned to him and placed her arm on his forearm to turn his body so he could see her face. "I'll explain, but I need to do something first." She lowered her gaze and waved her arms while muttering words under her breath and turned them in a complete circle.

Zach would have laughed, but for the smell of magic in the air. He was beginning to realize it had its own scent. Her's smelled like lilies and ozone. Zach sucked in a shocked breath when all of a sudden the air pressure changed and all the outside noises of traffic dissipated. The sound of horns honking and siren's in the distance was replaced by silence.

Zach looked at Lauren as she smirked and said, "What?! Get used to it, Angel Boy."

"What did you do?"

Lauren just laughed again and began her slow meander towards the school. "I cast a spell. It's a minor one. It won't be noticed by humans, so it's totally legal."

The confused teen stood on the spot for a moment as Lauren walked away, but he quickly realized he had to start moving, because the spell seemed to have included him, and if he didn't he was about to get dragged along unbidden.

"Hey wait up," Zach called. "What kind of spell is this?"

"It's an anti-eavesdropping spell." Lauren said matter-of-factly. "Anyone passing us on the street won't hear what we're actually saying, they'll only hear us talking about mundane things like music and TV. This kind of spell is called a glamour, and glamours are some of the first kinds of spells you learn as a wielder."

"We use glamours all the time to hide from the human world,"she continued, "In fact I use a glamour in order to look human, and don't ask, cause I won't show you, but someday if you're a good little Angel Boy, I might."

Lauren smirked at him before becoming deadly serious.

"Zach, even the school uses a glamour to hide the magic wing where our magical classes are held. In fact there is even something similar to a glamour spell placed on the school. It's called an aversion spell. The school uses it to drive away non magical creatures. So parents don't drop in unexpectedly and see something they shouldn't."

"Yeah right, the school has a magic wing," Zach scoffed. "How come I've never seen it?"

"You have."

"I've what now!" he sputtered, "I couldn't have. You'd think that would be something I'd remember."

"Yeah you'd think so huh? What If I told you that you were made to forget, anyone who stumbles upon it is? There's magic for that too."

Lauren took his hand and sat him down beside her on a low stone wall that encompassed the front entrance of an old Edwardian home and said with a sigh, "Zach's we're not allowed to play on the human teams after we become enlightened, not because there's no time, it's because they're afraid we'll reveal ourselves to a crowd of people. More people than they can wipe and then our world will be in jeopardy. It's not the middle-ages any more. Everyone has access to a video camera on their phone. They could video tape you flying through the air and have it on Youtube in seconds. It would go viral and we'd be outed. "

"But I wouldn't," he pleaded," I don't even know how to fly and you heard the council I might never do anything remotely magical." He kicked a rock on the sidewalk to punctuate his frustration.

"I know, and it sucks, but the point is it could happen. You could be so engrossed in scoring that winning basket that you'd do anything and you wouldn't even mean to do it. Don't you see? That's why we're all made to come here, because we don't have any control."

Lauren slapped her hand on the hard stone in frustration and continued, "Fullbloods are born with their abilities; they have years to learn to control them. They also have magical parents to teach them, usually two, we halfbloods have only one or none of our magical parents and even if we do they are sworn to secrecy.

"They can't teach us a damn thing," she bit out, "because we may never get our powers and they have the mother of all gag orders on them."

"Don't you see what a mess that makes? My mom couldn't tell me even if she was talking to me . . . to anyone."

Lauren sounded lost and Zach wanted to make her feel better,"Hey maybe that's why your mom retreated." He interjected hopefully.

"Pssh as if . . . I wish." Lauren punctuated her statement with a roll of her eyes, "I'm a halfblood Fae Zach." My mom's a fullblood Faery. Do you know what that means?"

"You have wings and can fly," Zach said jokingly.

When she looked at him sternly, he shrugged innocently and continued, "Hey new guy here remember?"

Lauren just sighed and said, "I guess you're going to find out sooner or later, so I might as well be the one to tell you. We're not exactly well liked in the magical community. Some species of magical creatures, expel, shun or even kill their own kind for being with humans and making us. My mom's people the fae, turn a blind eye to it; because frankly they'll get busy with any species, but they would never allow us in the faery realm."

Lauren let out a low growl of frustration as Zach watched her jaw work angrily.

"Zach they pretty much ensure that our fae parents leave us, because if they stay here in the world of iron, cement and electricity they slowly die of iron poisoning. It's a kind of sickness that drives them crazy and slowly kills them. The only way to reverse it is to go back to the faery realm and be healed by an elder."

"Sounds simple enough, right? But it isn't Zach,"Lauren looked at him her eyes glistening with unshed tears, and continued with a quivering voice,"It takes years to be healed, but time passes differently in faery. If she went there she may never see me again in this lifetime. That's why she won't go; she won't abandon me. I've begged her, but she just won't do it."

Lauren hitched in a breath while Zach rubbed her back to try and comfort her, but instead of sagging against him and crying, she shot up like a rocket, and started stalking  her way angrily towards the school.

He jumped up too and fell into step beside her. They walked in silence for a while. Zach didn't know what to say. What do you say when your friend comes to you and explains that because of prejudice her mother is dying?

"I'm sorry Lauren. That's gotta suck."

She just sighed and said, "It does. It sucks big-time Zach. I just wish I'd been born a fullblood then my brother wouldn't have died."

When Zach looked at her quizzically, she explained, "Zach fullbloods don't get sick with human diseases, and my mom wouldn't be sick either, hell maybe my dad wouldn't even have left," she sighed dejectedly before saying, "but it is what it is."

"It's not going to be easy for you either Zach,"Lauren continued, "Principle Tuma's going to call you into the office today to tell you at some point during the day you'll have to quit the team, he's also going to hand you a stack of books that will make your eyeballs fall out." She said with a giggle,"You've got two years of catch up to do on magical studies."

Zach groaned.

"Sucks to be you! "She laughed again.

Zach jabbed her in the arm good naturedly as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"It took you long enough too. You're the last person to get your powers in our homeroom. Everyone is going to be so stoked. It's the first time in decades that there's been a full manifestation."

"Oooookay . . . What the heck is that?" Zach interjected.

"That just means that all the members of our class are Enlightened. Which means no more hiding, because someone was taking his sweet old time in getting with the program, " She teased. "We thought for sure you'd never make it. "

Zach piped in and said," Let me guess that's what Quinn meant when he said 'called it' yesterday. The guys were betting on me. When or whether I'd get my powers? Did you bet?"

Lauren, looking sheepish, and trying desperately not to smirk at him, started to giggle.

Zach deciding that he had enough of their serious conversation, decided to lighten the moment and did something his best friend hates with a passion. He tickled her and she ran screaming and laughing in front of him trying to avoid his fingers.

He laughed in turn, but his heart wasn't in it.

He just couldn't help thinking.

This world was going to completely suck: No basketball, conscription after graduation, and a lifetime of discrimination.

. . . Yup that about summed it up.

Lauren was right he was called into the office immediately when they both showed up late. Tuma was apologetic but firm. He did hand him a stack of books so tall that it almost made him cry. He also told him that he could start his magic classes on Monday and to take the day and the weekend to acclimatize to the new arrangement. He informed him that the council had not gotten back to him about his mentor yet, so in the meantime he could feel free to sit in on the training session after school today. He ended the conversation by telling him he had a week to pick a trainer, a martial artform for hand to hand combat, and a weapon of his choosing.

Zach thought with a grin after he was dismissed for class.

Weapons?

         Martial Arts Training?

                      And hand to hand combat?

Huh . . . Maybe this wasn't going to suck so much after all. 

This chapter is dedicated to @Animalover0721P...  Thanks for all your kind words and support when I was feeling down, and @greggerguy you truly are the best.

Ooooooohhhhhhhh . . . what do you think training's going to be like?

********************THANKS FOR READING***************

If you liked this chapter Vote, Comment, add, this book to your reading list, or suggest it to a friend. It's my goal to make it to 1000 reads by the end of the month.

Stay tuned, because you're going to want to read more; soon Zach's going to be introduced to the deadly training tactics at the school and the noxious troll bile they are given to heal their wounds. 

Would it be too cringe worthy if I suggest at this time that Zach's going to find it hard to stomach the changes in his life?