Becoming Justine March

PROLOGUE

Justine March sat on her unmade bed in her untidy room, thumbing idly through a teen magazine. She paid no attention to what she was doing, as she wasn't actually reading; she was just bored as usual. Also, she didn't really care for teen magazines.

On the blue velour armchair across the room laid new clothes and school supplies. Jaye wasn't thrilled with the new acquisitions, nor was she thrilled with the prospect of starting junior high. She didn't like school very much, mostly because she felt like an outsider. Her classmates didn't care much for her, and she was getting to the point where she didn't care much for them, either. Her preference for books over boys and gossip were probably what set her apart from her peers. Jaye also seemed to attract strange happenings- things would just suddenly explode whenever she was angry. Most people tried to chalk it up to coincidence when this happened, but Jaye secretly felt that there was more to it than that.

Jaye laid the magazine aside and pushed her limp, straight brown hair out of her eyes. The heat and humidity of Nashville in August were getting to her, as they did every year since she had moved here with her family almost four years ago. She rose from her bed and slouched over to the old vanity. A look in the mirror confirmed that she was still as awkward-looking as ever (though not unpleasant.) Her shoulder-length hair lay atop her head- she didn't even bother styling it today. Jaye's pale face with pleasant features was mostly obscured by huge, plastic tortoiseshell eyeglasses. The braces on her teeth and the pimples were not helpful to her self-esteem.

Jaye scrutinized the clothes in the chair again- almost a whole new wardrobe made necessary by the fact that there had been, over three months, some drastic changes to her physique (changes that she was NOT comfortable with,) changes brought by her "coming into womanhood," as her mom put it. She sighed and ambled over to her battered bookshelf to look for something decent to reread.

The near silence was broken by the bleating strains of her sister Chrissie's boom box blaring from the next room. Chrissie was, like many other pre-teen girls, absolutely mad about a boy band called "New Kids on the Block". Jaye didn't share her younger sister's fondness for popular music. She flopped on her bed and moped about, among other things, the fact that she wouldn't be allowed to take French for at least two years.

She was interrupted mid-reverie by a soft rapping on her bedroom door.

"Enter," she responded. Her mother Elaine poked her beautiful curly head in the door. Elaine looked even more mystified than usual.

"Jaye, honey," she said, "You need to come downstairs. There's someone here to see you." Elaine sounded vaguely agitated, which was definitely not normal for her. Jaye was surprised- she was unaware that they were expecting anyone that evening. She had another look in the mirror and decided that while the big white shirt and faded blue Levi's 501's were passable, she should maybe at least run a brush through the limp mess on her head. This accomplished, she slid her feet into her black Doc Marten boots and headed downstairs.

Seated in the living room were her parents, Elaine and Terry, along with a strange man. (By strange, I merely mean that she had never met him before.) He was dressed in a crisp blue shirt, navy blue trousers, and deep brown deck shoes. He had short, light brown hair, large green eyes, a really prominent nose, and a neat moustache. He had a cheerful no-nonsense air about him that made her take notice of him immediately.

"Jaye, this is Brian Parrish," Elaine said to her rather hesitantly. Terry looked completely out of it, as usual.

Brian Parrish seemed to look at her appraisingly as he spoke. "Justine. It is indeed a pleasure to meet you." He sipped at something in a large, thick blue glass. "Mrs. March, this is the most extraordinary iced tea. Peach, is it?"

Elaine shook her head slightly, still seeming to be at a loss for words. "No, Mr. Parrish, it's apricot."

Mr. Parrish smiled warmly at Elaine and sipped his tea at length. "Heavenly," he murmured. After a moment, he turned back to Jaye. "Well, Justine, it is my guess from speaking to your parents that you have no idea why I am here." Jaye acknowledged that she did not. "I am here to offer you a place at my school- The Peasegood Academy of Witchcraft and Wizarding Science."

Jaye very nearly choked on her own tea- she hadn't taken this pleasant young man for being mentally ill. She understood her mother's loss for words, as she was at a similar loss herself. Mr. Parrish continued to sip his tea for a moment; then he spoke to her again.

"Justine, let me cut to the chase. Haven't you noticed that strange things seem to happen to or around you sometimes, especially at highly emotional moments?" Mr. Parrish had touched on a nerve. "Justine, you are possessed of magical ability- a great deal of it, if my observations are correct. You have a tremendous thirst for knowledge, and I assure you that you will learn a great deal at Peasegood."

Jaye agreed. She decided, despite her reservations, that this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

"Okay, Mr. Parrish," she said. "Count me in." Justine knew things were about to change. She had no earthly idea just how much.