Prologue: Secret
I, like most teenage girls, have a secret, it's huge too. I mean you cannot tell anyone about it. It's really important that you don't tell a soul. It is a matter of LIFE and DEATH. If you tell anyone you could destroy a whole entire civilization.

So now you're really curious. Right? Well my homogeneously huge secret is that I am a witch. It's not what you were expecting. Was it? I'm Emerald but just call me Emma. I've been in foster homes and orphanages for as long as I can remember.

I'm just asking for you to try to understand. I don't want your pity. My life changed on May 16th, 2008.The day of my twelfth birthday.

It was a beautiful Friday morning. Clear skies and the Sun was shining bright. I woke up and got dressed while I hummed happy birthday to myself. 'I brushed my hair and teeth. I then put on my ballet flats and went downstairs.

When I reached the landing I saw Mrs. Watts. She was head of the orphanage I was now staying in. 'Emerald, there is a couple in my office. They seem very interested in meeting you. You should go and talk to them,' she said. A couple interested in me? She's got to be kidding. That never ever happens to me. 'Um OK. I'll go and meet them right now,' I said. I walked into her office and I saw the couple. Then I fainted.
Chapter one: Birthday
'Ugh, my head hurts,' I said. I woke up and I was in the infirmary. 'You fell when you fainted. You hit your head against the floor,' said the woman.

I knew why I had fainted now. The couple reminded me of a picture that I always had close to my heart. It was a picture of my parents. I wore it in a locket around my neck. It was silver in the shape of a heart. It bore my initials EA on it. It always hung from my neck. My mother had golden blond hair and green eyes. I always wished I would look like her when I was older. I however had my father's hair. Light Brown with lots of blond highlights. Well his was darker but that doesn't really matter. I had blue-green eyes, a mixture of my parents. I however wore glasses unlike either of them.

My mother was crying and my father was trying to comfort her. 'Don't cry Mom. Seriously, please don't,' I said. I was trying to get her to calm down and to look at me.

'You know who we are?' She asked. 'Duh, If I didn't would I really call you Mom?' I asked.

She ran over and hugged me. She was hugging me so hard I could barely breathe. 'Can't'.. Breathe'Mom' I made out. She let go of me and kissed my forehead.

'Where have you been these past eleven years? I've been led to believe that you were dead! Why did you leave me here? How can you waltz back into my life now? Tell me why I was stuck here! TELL ME!' I screamed. It had killed me to say all of that. I saw the pain that I had caused and I felt remorse for what I had said.

My mother's lip quivered but she said 'Sweetheart, you know why we had to do this.' 'No, I don't know why I was left here 11 years ago. All I know is that I've been in foster home after foster home and I've been abused. That's what I know!' I yelled. I was letting my hormones get the better of me. But I could not face the truth.

'What? Aunt Sheryl was supposed to take you away to be specially trained. You're not supposed to be here living this lie!' My father yelled.

'Who's Aunt Sheryl? What training? And What Lie? I've been living like this for as long as I can remember. I'm just Emma. Weird, abnormal, girl-who's-the-odd-girl-out. Just Emma. The girl who has bad luck. I make weird things happen, Mom. Look I've got school. I've got to go.' I said.

I ran out of the infirmary and up to my room. My
When the bus finally showed up, I got on quickly. A few rows back was my best friend Vanessa or Nessa as I call her. She was waving her arms frantically at me.

'Emma, come here! You'll never guess what happened. Wait, what's wrong birthday girl?' she asked. As she said those words I could here her enthusiasm shrink.

'It's just' My Parents are alive,' I said. 'Then why are you sad?' she asked. She wouldn't understand. She hadn't been living a lie like me.

'It's just, how can they waltz back into my life now? I've been lied to my whole live and I've never truly been happy. They expect me to know why they left me. Now I just have more expectations to live up to,' I said. Nessa stared at me deep in thought. She finally opened her mouth and said;

'You don't have to live up to anyone's standards. They are your parents. I think they'll be proud of you no matter what. Besides, you're the valedictorian! Who isn't proud of you?'

I knew she was trying to make me feel me better but it somehow made me feel worse. 'So what was I not ever going to guess?' I asked I knew Nessa didn't get this excited over petty matters so it must be major.

'Will asked me to the dance! And I said yes! Can you believe it? Me and Will at the dance together! I have been waiting for him to ask me for like forever!' she said. As long as Nessa was happy I was some what happy.

'That's fantastic! I'm still not going though. No dress, no date, and no dance for me.' I said. I was a nerd and no one wanted to go to the dance with a nerd.

'You don't know that Emma! Come on have some fun! It's your birthday. I wish you could be happy. So let's get off this bus and have a good day,' she said. For such a small person she had a ton of determination.

The first half of the day was spent doing math. Uggh' Algebra. At least it was easy for me. But I still had sit through Mr. Ripley's rerun speeches. Again and Again and Again. Mr. Ripley was old and slow. He droned on yet again on the same subjects.

At lunch Nessa got me a cupcake with a fake candle on it. I made a wish that I would always be accepted. During our spare time at lunch I went to help out Ms. Carr, the music teacher.

She was always in need of help in picking music and anything related to music. So when I had free time I would help her. But when I arrived down at her room she wasn't alone.


James Thorburn was there. James was the most popular guy in my school. He saw me and gave me a smile that made me go weak at the knees and my heart melt like butter on hot popcorn.

He said 'Hey, Emma come and help us!' I, of course walked over and offered my assistance. 'I need to pick out a person to do the national anthem at graduation. I was going to use Gianni but he doesn't want more Publicity so to speak. Mallory, knowing her she probably wouldn't show up. Tiffany has already done so many solos. That's kind of unfair. So who do I pick?'Asked Ms. Carr.

I stood there for a moment in silence trying to figure out a person whom I respected enough to do this. I would recommend Nessa and someone else. Zoe would probably be a good choice too.

'How about Vanessa or Zoe?' I asked. 'No Zoe and Vanessa are announcing the person who is singing as part of the honor guard,' replied Ms. Carr.

'What about you? Emma, you could do it! I mean you're a good singer. I know you can do it,' said James.

'WHAT? ME? Are you even serious? I mean I couldn't ever do that. I'm to shy. In front of all those people? Are you nuts? It's not enough that I have to make a speech but now you want me to sing. Please don't make me do that.' I cried out in desperation.

'Emma just sing it for us. I just want to hear it. Please? I promise I won't make you!' said Ms. Carr.


What could singing hurt? I just sang out the lyrics with no effort. I didn't want to sing this at graduation. I finished on a nice long high note. When I looked on James face I had to admit I was kind of shocked.

'That was flawless!' James said. He had a smile on that was so bright. I knew I was in love with his smile.

Ms. Carr was on the phone with the main office or so I could only guess. She was trying to get hold of the principle Dr. Maguire.


'Yes I found our singer Doctor. Yes, Emerald Alitrex. Such promising, talent' I assure you doctor'. Good day Doctor.' She said into the phone.

'What did you just do Ms. Carr? Please do not tell me you did what I just think I did.' I said.

'You are going to be singing our national anthem at graduation. You will and that is final,' she said.

'Emma have some more confidence in yourself. You've got talent girl.'James said.

'You two! Go back to class! I don't want Mr. Ripley and Ms. Voonan busting me for this,' said Ms. Carr.

James and I bid her farewell. As we started up the stairs, James and I started to talk. 'So are you going to the dance with anybody?' he asked. 'Oh no. Why do you ask?'I replied
'Well will you go to the dance with me?'He asked. HE ASKED ME TO THE DANCE!
'Yes, I would like that,' I said calmly.
'Great, and would you like to go out with me next weekend?'He asked.

I wanted to run screaming through the halls 'JAMES THORBURN ASKED ME OUT!' but I didn't do that. Instead I said calmly 'I'd love to James.' Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as a birthday as I thought it would be.
'That's great! I'll see you later then,' he said. By this time we had already reached my classroom.
'Bye James,' I replied. I walked into my classroom and apparently we were having free time.
Nessa was waving me over. 'Why were you talking to James Thorburn? Tell me the juicy gossip!'She said.
'So he um' asked me out and to the dance.' I blurted out.
'He what? No way! I'm so happy for you. You've liked him for like forever. So when are going out?' she asked.
'Next weekend. OMG what will I wear? Help me V!' I said.
'I am totally giving you a makeover!' she said.
'Back to your seats class,' said Mr. Ripley.
Mr. Ripley then went into a boring lecture about the Ancient Greeks and their culture. It was super boring because I already knew this from prior research.
But I took notes anyway and sat through it dutifully (Not like I had a choice). Then Mr. Ripley asked me 'Who wrote the Iliad and The Odyssey Ms. Alitrex?'

'The famous Greek Poet Homer, sir,' I replied. He thought I wasn't paying attention.

Then we went and did science. IT was very boring Human anatomy. We did definitions for the rest of the day.
I finished the definitions quickly and read my book. It was a modern day twist on Cinderella. Then it was time to leave. Thank God it was Friday.

The class packed up and we went through the cafeteria to catch the bus. Nessa chattered about Will the rest of the way home but I had my mind on other things.

I was thinking about what I had said to my parents earlier that day. What I had said had really hurt them. I needed to apologize.

The bus stopped at my stop first and I got off. Nessa waved at me through the window and she mouthed the words 'Call Me.'


The rest of my day was spent getting packed up and out of the orphanage and meeting my family. You can always expect me to have a different life. Life in the day of a teenage witch is not a easy as it sounds.