Reaching Venus

Celebration

Venus

It took me 2 months of our strict schedule for me to consistently have my fire magic under control. It wasn't as fun for me as the other types of magic and sometimes I still started to feel angry but I was able to work through it. Surprisingly Ian's patient and calm demeanor really helped with that.

On the night of our last training session we were sitting in the grass. I had been able to make hundreds of tiny orbs of light by separating the aspect of fire that was light from that which was heat. They looked like stars or stings of Christmas lights.

Ian sighed and said, "I guess this is it then. I'm going to miss you V."

He sounded sad. I wanted to reach over and comfort him. I had come to think of him as a friend over the past couple months, but I knew I shouldn't cross that line.

So instead I said, "You act like I'm moving to a new country. I'll still be around. I mean do you really think Molly is going to let me stay away for too long."

He smiled but it seemed like he did it so I wouldn't be upset nit because he wasn't. I hated that I was hurting him but I had to stand my ground.

Still I broke down and offered, "Hey um my friends and I were going to go out to celebrate me finally getting all this under control. You should come. I couldn't have done it without you, Ian. You need to celebrate with us."

"I'd love to, but I have plans with Amber tomorrow night..."

"Invite her too. She worked so hard trying to help me. Yeah she should be there too!"

Ian nodded, "OK why not"

-----

Ian

It turns out Venus's idea of celebrating was karaoke in the next town over. Amber was all for the idea. I had assumed she would say no or that she would be bitter that she wasn't the one to help Venus. But she just seemed really happy for her. I was in a mood the entire day because I knew this would be the last time I saw Venus. For the past 2 months I had looked forward to every time we worked together. I thought when she said we couldn't be friends that things would be all business but every time I felt a deeper connection growing. Some nights she was happy and carefree and others she was expressing her deepest feelings to me. As she got more and more control I was able to spend the nights marveling at how beautiful she was. So there was no way I was going to turn down one more chance to spend time with her, but I didn't like that it was surely the last.

When we got to the karaoke place Venus went up to the stage and signed up for slots. She had told me that she did this with her friends pretty often. Amber asked if I wanted to give it a try but I told her that if she wanted to make a fool of herself on stage she'd have to do it alone.

We had been there for about 15 minutes when Venus and Maverick were announced as the next singers. Her roommate, Fern, pulled a pink feather boa and a fake mustache out of her bag. I watched as Venus tied her long hair back and stuck on the mustache while Maverick dramtically wrapped the scarf around his neck. The song they had chosen was some cheese duet from a musical. Maverick solung the girl part in a squeaky, high pitched voice while Venus tried to act all macho and made her voice deeper. They had an over the top choreographed routine that went with it. Then entire room howled with laughter. I was jealous that she was so at ease with Maverick, not that I wanted to be up there myself, but I wanted to be with her.

When the song finished the two of them skipped over arms linked. Venus was doubled over laughing. I couldn't hear it at first over all the other noise but as she got closer to the table it filled my ears. I couldn't help but smile. Nothing else matteres in that moment. I would have done anything to hear her laugh for the rest of my life. And it hit me, I had been born out of Venus's first laugh.

My phone started to buzz in my pocket but I couldn't have been less bothered. I'm sure I was grinning like an i***t. As my phone stopped ringing Venus pulled hers out and answered it. Her face dropped suddenly and I could feel mine do that same. Whatever she heard on the other end of that phone call upset her. My blood started to boil. How dare anyone upset her.

She pulled the ar away from her ear and firmly stated, "We need to go."