The Magic Between

By J.D. Hart

“You must be a witch, too."

When Clarissa hears those words from her new classmate, Saige, she knows her ordinary teenage life is over. Her troubles fade when she learns of her magical powers, but as they practice and her capabilities grow, so do her feelings for him.

Clarissa learns that everything she knows about her past is far from the truth. If only her mother were alive to teach her about the world she never knew existed. When her aunt and uncle appear in her life, there is a potential for answers, but terrible dangers reveal themselves.

With the help of her friends and an old spell book, Clarissa’s powers develop to a level she never believed possible.

The Magic Between creates a world of wonder, where one girl’s journey into adulthood proves that determination can make anything possible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.D. Hart
• Release date: May 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463486719

J.D. Hart

"The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why." -Mark Twain

Book preview

Dedication

For all those whose magic remains hidden

Part I

1

ChapterArt.png

Freshman year was not going the way Clarissa had expected. Not at all. Last year, she had friends, a life, and she was happy, but that had fallen apart. Her friends had all moved on to become popular, leaving her behind.

Currently, she was in math class, listening to Mr. Krastner drone on. If he weren’t mildly attractive, she probably would have fallen asleep. They were seated in rows, all facing forward. To her right was her former best friend, Laila, whose perfect blond hair and blue eyes made her look more like a Barbie doll than a fourteen–year–old girl. As Clarissa looked at her, Laila looked over and scoffed before turning away.

On her other side was another former friend, Kat. Her black hair cascaded down her shoulders, half covering her face. Her ebony skin made her self–conscious about her Cajun roots, but Clarissa thought Kat was naturally beautiful. When Kat caught Clarissa’s eye, she gave a half smile before looking away. They were neighbors, so they were forced to get along, but Clarissa silently wondered how long that would last.

A couple of seats in front of Clarissa was her former crush, Max, who was now dating Laila. His brown eyes had always drawn Clarissa in, but it was the nerdy–with–an–edge vibe he radiated that had made her fall so hard for him. Laila had never liked Max until the start of the year. She knew, of course, how Clarissa felt about him.

The humid heat from the Louisiana morning trickled in through the window and did nothing for Clarissa’s boredom. Her eyelids began to droop, but the bell rang before she had a chance to completely zone out.

Grabbing her things, she walked out to the hall. There was nothing special about her high school. Aside from its New Orleans charm, she really couldn’t see the appeal. Football banners were spread across the hallway, creating a sea of green and orange. The colors almost blinded her as she walked to her next class.

When she walked into Mrs. Cline’s English class, someone who was coming out smacked right into her.

Watch out! Oh, hi, Clarissa.

Kat paused for a moment, seemingly contemplating whether or not to help Clarissa pick up her things. But then she glanced down the hallway, swung her hair over her shoulder, and walked away without saying a word. Clarissa watched as Kat headed toward a group of girls, all huddling around Laila, who had a wicked grin on her face. As Clarissa turned back to her things, which were now scattered on the floor, she silently wondered what excuse Kat had given Mrs. Cline to get out of class this time. It had become a new thing with her this year, and her mom was still none the wiser.

Once she’d picked up her things, Clarissa entered the classroom, trying not to let her embarrassment reach her cheeks as she looked down at the floor. She took a seat and looked at the empty chair next to her, reminding herself there was a bright side to Kat’s new habit of being absent.

All right, class, Mrs. Cline said. "Please turn to page 194 in your books. Today we will finish analyzing The Scarlet Letter. You will need to write a paper about it over the weekend, due Monday, before we continue our lesson with Moby Dick next week."

Clarissa did as she was instructed, flipping open her book to the final pages of The Scarlet Letter. Her eyes glazed over as she read through the sentences in her book, hardly taking in a word.

* * * * *

The bell rang at the end of the day, and her classmates exited quickly, leaving her behind.

Have a good weekend, Clarissa.

You too, Mrs. Cline.

Everything okay with you? I haven’t seen you hanging out with a lot of people so far this year.

Yeah, I’m okay. I just get more done by myself.

All right. See you next week. I look forward to reading your paper.

Clarissa nodded and left the room, heading to her locker for her things. She had already begun writing the paper in her head by the time she went to catch the bus.

The bus ride home was even more miserable than usual. It was a constant reminder that she didn’t have the social life she used to. The bus seemed to take forever before dropping her off in front of her house.

It was not a large house, or even moderately sized. However, with two bedrooms, it was the perfect size for her and her dad. Sure, the white paint was peeling, and corners of the single–story house were settling, but it was home to her. It had been since her mom had died ten years before. Clarissa could hardly remember her now. Her dad kept only a few photos around the house and rarely talked about her.

She went straight to the dining room table to begin her homework. It was a rule of her dad’s that homework be completed by the time he got home, which was usually close to bedtime.

After working on the essay for English and a few equations for math, she put her folders away. Getting up and walking to the fridge, she grabbed the supper her dad had left for her: leftovers from the night before.

Once she finished, Clarissa washed her dishes, cleaned off the table, and brushed her teeth. In her bedroom, she removed her modest jewelry, her shirt, and her pants before changing into her pajamas. As she was getting into bed, she heard the front door open. Throwing on a robe, she went to greet her dad. He opened his arms for a hug. She was a little old to be a daddy’s girl, but old habits die hard.

He smiled. Hey, kiddo.

The childish nickname had not yet been retired—not that Clarissa minded.

Hey, Dad.

How was your day?

It was good. I got a B on that history test I thought I bombed.

Good job. I’m proud of you. Any lasagna left in the fridge?

Yeah. Hope you had a good day, too.

It was good. Same as most days.

Clarissa pretended she couldn’t hear the exhaustion in his voice. They had pretty much the same conversation every day, mostly small talk. It had been some time since they had spent more than a few minutes together. Even on weekends, her dad was often gone, doing odd jobs. The year before, she would hang out with friends on the weekends, so their paths rarely crossed.

That’s good. Well, you’d better be off to bed. I don’t want you to be late for school tomorrow. Goodnight, he said as he kissed her forehead.

Her dad’s dismissal brought her back to the present.

Goodnight, Dad, she said as he moved into the kitchen and out of sight.

When Clarissa went back to her room, she passed the mirror in the hallway and stopped. Her wavy red hair settled around her face, emphasizing her blue eyes. Her lips were pouty and smudged with the lip gloss she had chosen that morning. The light mascara that usually adorned her eyes was now faded, making her eyes look more tired than she was.

She crawled into bed. Goodnight, Mom, she said to the picture on her nightstand.

Irene Sparks smiled at the camera, holding her four–year–old daughter. The pair looked like one another with their matching hair and smiles. When Irene died, her husband went through the house and removed most pictures of her, in an effort to mask his own pain, but Clarissa had refused to let her dad put this picture away in storage with all the others.

She heaved a sigh and threw her hair into a bun. A short while later, she drifted restlessly off to sleep.

2

ChapterArt.png

Another day passed, then another and another, each more exhausting than the last. Between avoiding Laila and her gang and avoiding Max at all costs, Clarissa’s days were stressful and tiresome. She wished something would happen to brighten her life—something that would give her a reason to smile again.

Excuse me, Mr. Krastner? Principal Taylor’s voice interrupted Clarissa’s thoughts.

As the math class looked up, the principal continued.

You have a new student who was supposed to begin class with you today. However, it seems he lost his way.

The look on Principal Taylor’s face made it clear she didn’t believe that was the case. She was uncharacteristically silent in her skepticism as she stepped aside to allow a boy to enter the room.

At first, there seemed to be nothing special about him. He looked like your typical tall, athletic teenager with an attitude problem. But when he looked around the room and met Clarissa’s gaze, she felt there was nothing typical about him. His icy green eyes sliced through her, chilling her to the bone. With that one look, she felt exposed—as if he knew everything about her, as if her secrets were written all over her face. She gasped for air when he looked away. Her natural warmth spread through her again as soon as he broke eye contact.

The principal introduced him as Saige Wilson before she left the classroom, shutting the door behind her. Mr. Krastner instructed his new student to find a seat before continuing his lesson on algebraic equations. Saige found his way to the only empty seat in the room, the one directly behind Clarissa. When he walked by, she met his gaze once more. But this time, instead of a chill running through her, she felt strangely calm, as though she didn’t have a worry in the world.

She heard him drop his backpack as he sat down in the chair. She remained facing forward for the remainder of class, for fear of what would happen if she caught his eye again.

* * * * *

When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Clarissa quickly gathered her things and headed out the door before anyone else could do the same. It didn’t take long for her to reach her locker, which was just down the hall from Mr. Krastner’s classroom. As she was putting her books away and gathering the ones she needed for her next class, a weird feeling passed through her.

When she turned around, she could see Saige standing at his locker, a few spaces down from her own. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, but he wasn’t even looking at her. He, too, was getting his books for his next class, but it was as if he had been looking at her a moment before. For several seconds, the bustle of the crowd between classes didn’t exist; the noise around them was on mute.

As he turned to walk away, Saige locked eyes with her. A shock went through her body as she once more absorbed the intensity of his green eyes. The corners of his mouth turned up in a half smile. When he looked away, the dull roar of the crowded hall flooded back into her ears.

She hoped he wasn’t in her next class. But as she walked into the English room, a pit formed in her stomach when she saw him standing next to the teacher’s desk, talking to Mrs. Cline.

Clarissa made it a point not to walk anywhere near Saige as she took her seat. Only sheer determination prevented her eyes from wandering in his direction as Mrs. Cline called the room to attention.

Class, we have a new student today. This is Saige Wilson. Some of you may have met him already. She pointed at an empty chair. Saige, take that seat in front of Clarissa.

Don’t look at him. Don’t look up. Focus on your books. Clarissa repeated the commands over and over in her mind. Only when she heard his bag fall to the floor did she know it was safe to look up. His brown hair was messy, and she watched as he ran his fingers through it. She couldn’t help but look at his neck. It was so close she could almost touch it.

With a shock, she realized that her hand was moving toward the back of his neck. With a snap, she pulled her hand back to her lap, where she squeezed it between her legs to ensure it stayed put.

During the remainder of class, she focused on the literature as best she could. They were reading passages from Moby Dick and writing an essay about any themes they found. It was hard enough to do as it was; she didn’t need any other distractions.

The bell rang at the end of the day. Clarissa stood at the same time as Saige, nearly knocking him over.

Sorry… her voice shook as she spoke.

It’s okay. It was my fault.

He smiled, and she quickly looked away. As she finished picking up her things, she could feel his gaze on the back of her head. Hastily, she left the classroom without looking back.

* * * * *

When she walked into her house that night, she went about her usual routine, setting her things on the table in preparation for homework. Supper in the fridge was a tuna casserole her dad had cooked the night before. After heating it up, she took the bowl to the table and began her homework.

Her dad came home a couple of hours later, looking exhausted.

Hey, kiddo.

Hey, Dad.

Without getting himself supper, he collapsed on the couch, grabbing the clicker and turning on the TV. As a history show blared in the background, Clarissa went into the kitchen and warmed his supper. However, when she came back into the living room, her dad’s snores rang out louder than the TV.

After doing the dishes, Clarissa put away her belongings that were scattered all over the table. Looking at her dad on the couch, she felt her heart strings tug. She silently stepped toward him, grabbing a blanket from the living room chair on the way. She draped it over him gently, careful not to wake him. His work hat was still on his head, sitting askew as his head slumped to the side. She removed it and kissed him on the forehead before setting the hat on the coffee table.

Goodnight, Dad, she said softly.

She walked down the short hallway to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. The room was barely big enough for her queen–size bed, one nightstand, and a small desk, with her dresser stored inside the closet. The room was messy, but she knew where everything was.

Collapsing onto her bed, Clarissa tucked herself into the covers. It was her favorite moment of the day. Sinking down beneath her sheet and blanket, hugging them up to her chin, she closed her eyes.

Immediately, they flew open again. The green eyes she had seen earlier in the day were right in front of her. She knew Saige could not possibly be in her room, yet it felt so real, as though he were lying with his head on the pillow next to hers.

Tentatively, she closed her eyes again—more slowly this time, expecting to see Saige’s eyes again. When she didn’t, she drifted off into a sound sleep.

3

ChapterArt.png

When Clarissa woke the next day, it wasn’t to the sound of her alarm, which was odd. It was bright out, so she knew it was morning, but a look at the alarm clock told her she still had ten minutes to go before she needed to get up.

She closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep. As she lay there, she tried to recall the dream she’d been having. All that she remembered was feeling calm and relaxed. It was the best sleep she’d had in a long time.

Her alarm sounded, and as she got out of bed, she heard the TV from down the hall.

Dad. DAD! she called as she walked into the living room. It took shaking him to get him to wake up.

What time is it? he asked, startled.

Six. My alarm just went off for school.

Shoot. I gotta go, kiddo. Have a good day at school.

With a kiss on her forehead, he headed out the door.

* * * * *

After getting ready, Clarissa headed toward the bus stop. She was the first one to arrive and preferred it that way. She lived in a neighborhood with a lot of younger kids, and they usually annoyed her with their questions and giggling. As she waited, tunes jammed through the earbuds that were attached to her iPhone. It wasn’t fancy, but her dad wanted to be sure she had something in case of an emergency.

It was hard for her not to dance along. Clarissa loved to dance and sing, but never in public. Music was a way for her to escape.

After a few minutes, the other kids started showing up, followed shortly thereafter by the arrival of the bus. She stood back to allow all the younger kids on first. The driver nodded in greeting as she stepped on. The back four seats were reserved for high school students, and she was relieved she could take advantage of that this year. It put more seats between her and the younger kids.

Her music continued to play in her ears as the bus made the rounds to all its stops. As Clarissa looked out the window, she mouthed the words to the song that was playing—at least until the bus made one of its last few stops. Through the window, she noticed Saige standing there, waiting for the bus. Her stomach did a flip.

When he disappeared from view, she knew she had only moments before he would climb the steps into the bus and see her. She could feel him coming closer, then felt the whoosh of his backpack as he swung himself into the seat next to hers. The bus lurched as it continued moving once more.

Suddenly, her iPhone stopped playing music. She took it out of her pocket and saw it had died. How was that possible, when she had taken it off the charger not even an hour before? The earbuds seemed useless, now, so she slowly pulled them out of her ears, aware that Saige was watching her every move.

Once they were out of her ears, she wrapped them around her phone before putting them away in her backpack. Now that she didn’t have anything to block out the noise of the bus around her, she realized it was quite loud. But as soon as Saige opened his mouth to speak to her, the noise vanished.

Hey. It’s Clarissa, right? he asked, his voice casual.

Yeah. She felt pathetic.

I’m Saige.

I know.

He smiled. This was physically painful.

Do you live around here?

Yeah. Oh my gosh, what was wrong with her?

My mom and I just moved here from Texas.

What brings you here?

It was just time for us to leave. Something mysterious passed over his face.

But why here?

This is where my mom is from. We have deep roots here that go back generations.

Clarissa nodded, not really knowing what else to do.

What were you listening to? he asked.

A little bit of everything.

Like what?

Well, I like Skillet and Three Days Grace. But I also like to listen to Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line, and Chris Young. Plus the Chainsmokers, Halsey, and Cardi B on occasion.

All great choices. However, I would add more greats to the list.

They launched into a discussion about current music as well as past favorites, their conversation continuing until the bus stopped in front of the high school. Clarissa stood, breaking their connection, and the noise from the other passengers reappeared.

As she was walking down the aisle toward the front door of the bus, it gave a jolt, and she fell backwards into Saige’s outstretched arms. As soon as he touched her, she felt a bolt of electricity pass through her. When she found her footing, he released her. As soon as he let go, the shocking feeling evaporated. She wondered if he had felt it, too, but when she looked back at him, he didn’t show any sign that anything strange had happened.

After getting off the bus, Saige fell into stride next to her, but their conversation was at a standstill until they approached their lockers.

See you in class, Clarissa.

Right. See you in class.

He continued walking when she stopped at her locker. As she gathered her things, she looked sideways to find him staring at her, leaning against his own locker door. She pretended she didn’t notice, but when she looked back, her view was obscured by none other than Laila and her gang of girls. Her proximity to Saige’s locker allowed her to overhear what they were saying.

Saige, is it? Laila asked.

Yes…

I make it a point to get to know all the new kids in school. I want to give them…a proper greeting. As she continued talking, Laila inched closer to him, pushing her chest farther out. I can show you around if you need me to. There are many nooks and crannies inside this school. I wouldn’t want you to get lost.

Clarissa tried hard to shrink into the shallow depths of her locker. Her fingers felt clumsy as she fumbled with her books. Finally, gathering all she needed, she made her way to class, not daring to look back and see if her relationship with Saige was over before it had begun.

She took her seat in history class, eager to get their lecture on World War II over with. Laila and Kat came in and sat in their seats in front of her. Laila had a smug look on her face as she spoke.

Kat, you know that new kid, Saige?

Kat glanced back at Clarissa.

Yeah. What about him? Kat asked, grinning.

I offered to show him the school, and he accepted. I was thinking of showing him everywhere, if you know what I mean.

Kat giggled as Mr. Coon called the class to attention. His grouchy voice strained to be heard above the roar of voices around him.

Class, quit hollering and please find your seats. Prepare to take notes.

Clarissa was grateful for the interruption. She withdrew her notebook and pen from her pile of supplies on her desk, preparing to take notes. Laila and Kat were still smirking, but they also did as they were told.

The projector screen came up, showing what was on Mr. Coon’s computer. The PowerPoint slide was titled, World War II: How Does It Affect Us Today?

Mr. Coon droned on as the class took notes. Clarissa found it hard to concentrate as Laila and Kat texted back and forth, unnoticed by the teacher, giggling with each message they sent or received.

* * * * *

Clarissa had almost forgotten about Saige since that morning, but seeing him enter Mr. Krastner’s class ahead of her that afternoon made her stomach sink.

When she walked into the classroom, she found him already seated at his desk. He looked up at her as she entered. Their eyes met, and her worries from the morning seemed to float away. As she made her way to her desk, she locked eyes with him again, and an even stranger feeling came over her. Her mind felt as though it was being read like a book, with pages from the day flashing before her eyes. She tried to will it to stop, but it was only when she swung into her seat and broke eye contact that the movie stopped.

When Mr. Krastner asked them to pull out their books, Clarissa chanced a look behind her at Saige. He smiled at her— not in a sly or rude way, but warmly. He leaned forward.

Are you riding the bus home again today? he whispered to her.

Yeah. Why?

Save me a seat. We can talk more about expanding your limited taste in music.

She ignored the playful jab, and her mind traveled back to the morning. But Saige interrupted her thoughts.

You don’t need to worry about Laila, Clarissa. I turned her down. I’m not interested in superficial Barbies who pretend to be something they’re not.

Clarissa stifled a laugh and nodded, agreeing to save him a seat on the bus.

At the end of class, Laila and Kat approached Saige’s desk, nearly pushing Clarissa out of the way to get there.

Saige, Laila said in a sultry voice, I was hoping I could show you around after school today. Want to meet me somewhere after the bell rings?

As I told you this morning, no. I’m not interested.

The embarrassment on Laila’s face was evident as Saige gathered his things and stood.

See you in English, he said to Clarissa and walked away.

Clarissa could feel the anger as Laila pushed her way out of the classroom. Laila wasn’t used to being rejected by boys, and Clarissa was confident this wasn’t over.

Clarissa waited as long as she dared before following Kat and Saige to English class. When she entered the classroom, she saw the two of them seated next to each other, talking. Clarissa made her way through the chatting students as Mrs. Cline stood to silence the class. Saige smiled at Clarissa as he turned to get his books.

* * * * *

When the final bell rang, Clarissa made sure she was the first one out of the classroom. She didn’t want to stick around to hear what bullshit Kat was going to feed Saige about Laila.

As Clarissa waited for the bus, Saige was nowhere to be seen. She silently wondered if she should even bother saving him a seat, but when the bus arrived, so did he, seemingly out of nowhere.

Sorry I was late, he said as they found their seats in the back of the bus. I was talking to the coach about football.

You play football?

Yeah, I loved it at my old school. I’m a decent quarterback.

Clarissa nodded as she tried to picture it: Saige, in a football uniform that hugged every part of his beautiful body. As she pulled herself back to reality, she looked up to see his green eyes looking inquisitively at her.

Did you get lost for a minute there? he asked.

Something like that.

When the bus arrived at Saige’s stop, he stood. When he leaned down to whisper in her ear, chills went down her spine and landed as butterflies in her stomach.

You should come watch me play. I would enjoy showing off for you.

He winked, then walked down