Chapter 5 - Practical Things

"Are you ok?" Miranda asked once they were outside. "You seem a little off this morning."

"I'm fine," Mariah said with an air of confidence.

Miranda knew her well enough by now to not have any of it. "No, really... are you OK?"

Mariah sighed. "Bad dream."

"There's a bench over there," Miranda said gently, "if you want to sit down for a bit."

Mariah nodded. She knew Miranda understood. Miranda had nightmares of her own that she wasn't ready to talk about. They had each agreed to listen, when the other was ready, and not to press until then.

"So," Miranda started, "I met my other roommate. Her name's Gabbie. She seems nice."

"How are you handling the roommate thing?" Mariah asked.

"I don't know yet," Miranda said. "You?"

"Well, I haven't strangled Angela yet," Mariah allowed, "but it's only been two nights." 

"So," Mariah continued, "other than roommates, what's the weirdest part of dorm life for you?"

"The microwave," Miranda replied without hesitation.

"The microwave?" Mariah laughed. "What's weird about the microwave?"

"I've never used one before," Miranda admitted.

"What?" Mariah blinked. "How have you never used a microwave?"

"We've never had one," Miranda said. 

"Really?" Mariah couldn't quite fathom the idea, and Miranda's answer wasn't any less surprising.

"Well, we didn't need one," Miranda said. "We're witches... if we want fast, hot, not-very-good food without cooking, we just conjure it."

"Seriously?!" Mariah blinked. "Just <snap> and you've got food."

"Not very good food," Miranda repeated, "Usually, I'd rather cook."

"I still can't get over that," Mariah sighed. "The 'witch' thing. Like you're an actual witch with magic and everything. Apart from that disappearing/reappearing thing... which is amazing, don't get me wrong... I've almost never seen you use magic."

"Well," Miranda hesitated, "The small magics, you don't always notice and the big or flashy spells aren't much called for. I mean, sure I could set that bush on fire... but why?"

"Because it would be awesome!" Mariah said, looking at the bush.

"Yeah," Miranda laughed, "when I was first learning we had a lot of charred shrubbery around the house but in the end that's all it gets you... a charred plant."

"So," she continued, "mostly the magic we do is practical."

"Like what?"

"Well," Miranda considered, "you stay at the vacation house with us most of the summer. It stayed nice and clean, but did you ever see anyone do any housework?"

Mariah considered that, "Seriously?"

Miranda snapped her fingers, "Easier than vacuuming."

"So, you can teleport," Mariah said, "do housework and make food with a snap of your fingers, and set fire to random shrubs at will... but you can't work a microwave."

"Pretty much," Miranda laughed. "It's one of the reasons I'm here - I mean, apart from the whole college education - learning a little more about how to live in the mortal world. So, no teleporting, no snapping away chores... no magic. Also, no monsters, no gangsters, no magical battles... none of it. I'm just a nice, normal, mortal college girl."

"Right," Mariah said. "How long do you think that will last?"

"I pretty much figure we'll have an alien invasion by midterms."