The Perk, evening

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

Feeling restless in the dorms, Meg decided to take advantage of the nice evening and go exploring in town. Since the evening was cool, she decided to stop by the coffee shop she'd heard and see what they offered. A few minutes later, she took a seat at one of the tables to enjoy her pumpkin latte and the latest issue of Newsweek.

Reading about this election cycle was fascinating.

[For all your Perky needs]

Comments

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

Chris walked in to the Perk, having promised to pick up coffee and baked goods for Summer.

While he waited for his order, he glanced around and noticed the girl he had seen around. He gave a smile and a little wave.

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

Meg was still not used to friendly guys without an agenda. At least she hoped he didn't have an agenda. "Hey," she said, smiling back.

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"I'm Chris Halliwell," he said. "I've seen you around school."

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"Meg Powers," Meg replied. "I think I've seen you as well. Maybe...There's been a whole lot of new people to remember."

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

Chris chuckled. "Yeah, I remember what that was like. Are you settling in okay?"

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"So you're not new then?" She shrugged and took sip of her coffee. "I'm doing okay. My roommate's pretty cool. She did an awesome mural on wall for me."

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"No, I've been here for a year and a half," Chris said. "And it's been a wild ride."

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"Let me guess, more stories of ghosts and other weirdness?" Meg grinned. "I can't decide if it's all true, or everyone here has very vivid imaginations." Not that would explain the unicorn or the robot.

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"Oh, it's all true," Chris said. "I met an alternate universe teenage version of my mother and my aunt."

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

An alternate, younger, version of her mother...

"Oh my god that would be hell."

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"It's actually kind of cool," Chris said. "My grandfather raised me and my brother, so it was nice getting to know a version of her."

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

Gee, that foot was tasty.

"I can see where that would be cool then," she said, trying not to sound as mortified as she felt. "My mom. Well, I doubt a younger version of her and I would get along."

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

Chris realized that she was embarrassed.

"Hey, it's cool," he said. "My parents and my aunts had to fake their deaths because Homeland Security wanted to out them and make their magic public. But we found out about a year ago that they aren't really dead."

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"Homeland Security? Magic? Seriously?" Meg asked. For the moment she was too caught up in the implications of Homeland Security being involved in something like magic instead of just tormenting people on the no-fly list. "I'm going to have to ask my mother about that."

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"Is your mother a witch, too?" Chris asked, drawing the totally wrong conclusion.

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"Life would certainly be simpler if she was," she replied, amused at the thought. "No. She's, um, president."

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"Oh."

Chris couldn't remember there ever being a female president. "Um... you're not from Alaska, are you?"

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

Meg had read enough about the current election to be horrified.

"OH HELL NO!"

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"Oh, good," Chris said. "I had to make sure you weren't from some weird parallel dimension."

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"Not as far as I know," Meg promised. "I think it's one that finally came to it's senses since they elected my mom to clean up the mess made by that twit."

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"Well that's something at least," Chris said. "And there's no magic where you're from, huh?"

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"Nope. And the Roswell crash was just a weather balloon," she said. "So no aliens sadly. Unless the conspiracy theorists are right about Area 51 after all."

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

Chris laughed. "My brother's girlfriend is from Roswell. And, yes, she's an alien."

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"Of course she is," Meg agreed as her brain tried not to break. "Does she go here to? With the unicorn? And the robot? And the guy with a mom who's a witch?"

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"As a matter of fact, she did," Chris said. "She and my brother just graduated in May. I'm sure they'll be around for Homecoming though. I can introduce you."

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"That would be interesting. I can just imagine telling my mohter," she grinned. "Gee, you might want to check out those files after all."

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"Well, it might be different in your world," he pointed out.

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"Apparently. So if your mom's a witch? What does that make you?" Meg asked. "A warlock?"

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"No, warlocks are evil. I'm a witch. Well, half witch and half whitelighter."

He knew what question would inevitably follow that up. "Whitelighters are guardian angels to witches. And they can do this."

Casting a quick glance at the two burly men in suits who were sitting in the corner and hoping they wouldn't shoot him, Chris orbed from his spot and ended up right next to Meg.

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

They didn't pull their weapons, but they were sitting up much straighter and radiating alertness.

Once it was apparent that Chris wasn't going to do anything else, they relaxed.

A tiny bit.

"The hell?" Meg boggled.

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"That's one of my powers," Chris explained. "I can also do this."

He concentrated and moved her coffee mug away from her with his TK.

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"That is so cool," she grinned. "I'd love to be able to do stuff like that."

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"It does come in handy," he admitted. "I took my girlfriend to Paris for her birthday last month. Saved a ton of money on airfare."

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"And it's environmentally friendly to."

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

Chris laughed. "I never thought of it that way."

The barista called his order then. "Oh, hey, that's me. I should probably get back to the dorms before Summer's coffee gets cold. Otherwise I might end up in trouble."

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"And you can't have that. It was nice meeting you," she said.

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"You too," he replied. "We're in 306, if you ever wanna stop by."

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

"Just down the hall in 319. So the same goes for you."

[neurotic-witch.livejournal.com]

"Cool, have a good night."

He nodded in the direction of the agents, a silent thank you for not shooting him, and then grabbed his order and headed out.

Using the door, thank you very much.

[meg-powers.livejournal.com]

Meg had half expected him to disappear again and grinned when he didn't.

Jim and Ryan, her agents for the evening, just shook their heads. "This place is too weird."