Chapter 14: Celebrations

Richard got settled into the house and found a job in a tire shop. Being held back in school, he was already sixteen. With the help of Wess’s Lawyer, Richard went to court to be emancipated. He dropped out of school and earned his GED. Richard had the house fixed up and even got a cheap car. It wasn’t in the best condition, but it ran well.

Over time Wess and Richard became good friends. Wess couldn’t believe that this was the guy who tormented him through childhood. He was glad that he gave him a chance. Richard healed up, but it turned out that the bullet grazed his spinal cord as it got lodged between the bone.

Lucky for him, he didn’t become paralyzed, but it did cause him pain now and then.

“Now, it’s time to learn advanced magic,” Bobby said. “Everyone, join me in the main study.” Then, he walked down the hall towards the great study. They all followed Bobby to their first of many lessons.

Wess, CJ, and Nina continued learning advanced magic from Bobby. He taught them light magic and dark magic. He even helped them combine spells and convert them to silver magic. Bobby also taught them the history of magic and their past lives, explaining that they wouldn’t get their full past life memories until they were eighteen. The reason for that is every incarnation is their own person. They basically carry the memories and contain the power of their past selves.

Additionally, you don’t want to suddenly wake up as a baby with the memories of an adult.

“Happy Birthday, Nina,” Wess said after another long day of magic lessons. Wess had wanted to say it sooner but didn’t get a chance. Bobby had them separated all day for another series of magic tests. CJ soon caught up with them and approached Nina with the same birthday greeting.

“Thank you both,” Nina said. “But let “‘s wait until your birthday to give me presents. I want to open them all together.”

“Okay,” CJ said. “But we still have to celebrate it.”

They all agreed and went upstairs to celebrate. But the celebration didn’t last too long before everyone had to sleep. Bobby kept them on a tight schedule. The only time they could do anything other than work or study was during the summer, when Wess and CJ’s birthday happened to fall. Soon, it was that time again. The three could now get some much-needed rest and have a chance to celebrate. Wess’s mind was occupied with thoughts of CJ’s and his birthday. Tomorrow they turned sixteen, just as Nina had a few months ago. But soon, he was overcome by the need to sleep and drifted off as his head settled into the welcoming comfort of his pillow.

Nina was sitting in her room alone, contemplating the passage of time. Two years seemed to come and go so quickly. CJ, Wess, and she were as close as ever. When they first met, she and Wess had become boyfriend and girlfriend by word. But in two years, they never made it completely official. They were best friends for sure. And they were both best friends with CJ. Everything was good, but they didn’t have a romantic or intimate side to the friendship. They were in love, but they both also loved CJ and didn’t want to make her feel bad.

At sixteen, she craved and even dreamed of a more romantic relationship with Wess. They held hands a lot, but they both held hands with CJ just as much. They never went on a date, kissed, or held each other romantically. So, the title just faded away. Nina has gained more memories of her former incarnation in the past two years. She knew that she would gain memories of all of her former incarnations in another two years. She could remember Weston and how much she had loved him in her former life. It made her want to be with Wess even more.

Nina also noticed that as Wess gained more memories, he also gained more of Weston’s better traits. This helped her remember more of her past lives. Then, the realization hit her. Nina and Weston were in love in their last past life, but they had never met before then. It could happen, but it’s extremely rare. Usually, there’s one soul in and out of a Wessier’s life that bonds with and shares a piece of their soul. It prevents them and any other partner from loving each other so deeply. Who was his original soul-bond, and what happened to her?

The only way a Wessier can take a new soul-bond is if the previous soul-bond wasn’t reincarcerated. But in his last life, she was his soul bond. So, who was her original soul-bond? This line of thought was getting confusing. The more she thought about it, the more questions came up. She would have to do a lot of research if she hoped to find any answers. But right now, it was getting late. So, Nina slipped into bed, drifting off to sleep.

Wess sat up in bed. Morning already? He thought. He slipped out of bed and was greeted by Art.

“Good morning, art,” he said. Art telepathically returned his greeting along with a birthday wish.

Then, Art busied himself with the task of making Wess’s bed.

As Art was finishing the bed, Wess went to the bathroom to get ready to start his day. Nina was finishing her hair in front of the mirror when Wess walked in. “Good morning,” Wess said as he entered.

“Good morning, and happy birthday,” Nina said with a smile and set her hairbrush beside the sink.

“Thank you,” Wess replied, reaching for his toothbrush.

Wess began brushing his teeth. Nina gathered and put away everything she had been using. As she was about to leave, Nina paused, taking one more step. She turned around. “Wess?” She asked.” She waited for Wess to nod. Knowing she had his full attention, she continued. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Wess finished by rinsing his mouth with water and sat down his cup. “You can talk to me about anything,” he said. “What’s on your mind?”

“Well,” She hesitated, searching his eyes for an answer before speaking. She hoped that he felt the same way she did and looked for reassurance. In those cool silver eyes, what she saw was the answer for which she had been searching. She saw a spark, a glimmer of love she had found there those two years ago. It was that which convinced her to trust him in the first place. “What happened to us? I mean, you asked me to be your girlfriend, but we never went beyond being friends.”

“I know. You’re one of my best friends, and I love you more than words could even express.”

“But you’re worried about CJ?” Nina shifted to her other foot, raising her right hand to run her fingers through her hair. “I worry about her too. I know you two were close before we met.”

“That’s true, but it’s not the only reason.” Now it was Wess’s turn to fidget. “Between magic training and all the other surprises, I guess it just got put on the back burner. I want to move forward. Maybe exchange promise rings. But...”

“But, you’re worried about CJ?”

“Yes,” Wess admitted. “I love her too. I don’t know how, but I love her just as much. It’s as if our souls are connected somehow.”

“You mean like a soul-bond?”

“Exactly!” Wess exclaimed. He suddenly felt his cheeks flush and shifted his eyes to the floor, as he could no longer look at Nina for fear of looking into her eyes. Wess didn’t know if he would find pain there, but he couldn’t stand the thought of it. Wess found it easier to just stare at the floorboards. “But how could that be? You were my last soul-bound. No one ever had more than one.”

“I love her too,” Nina said, also staring at the floor. “She’s like a sister to me. Maybe more than a sister. I feel like I have a similar bond with her, like our souls are also connected. I know that this isn’t your fault, but you still have to choose.”

“I already made my choice, and even CJ was okay with it!”

“She was okay, but you have to tell her how you feel,” Nina said. “She is your original soul-bond, so I will only be with you if She gives her consent. Otherwise, I will step aside so she can take her rightful place.”

“Rightful place?” Wess asked with a chuckle. “Are we in a fairy tale now?”

“You know what I mean!” Nina said, trying to suppress a giggle.

“I do, but don’t worry about it. We’ll figure it out,” Wess assured her. “I’ll talk to CJ. I promise!”

“You better!” Nina scowled, then continued. “It’s only right that CJ decides who your soul-bond will be since she was your first.”

“I decide who my soul-bond will be.” The calm confidence in his voice helped put Nina’s mind at ease. She knew that he would make the right decision and that they would all be happy with it.