�The twins aren�t the only ones with magic powers. I�ve got one too. I have the power of invisibility. Only no one knows but me. It�s a secret. But someday I�ll show them all when � poof � just like that, I�ll disappear. I�ll prove them all wrong then.�
* * * *
�Lucrezia and Dominic are home again. You would think they were royalty the way they�re treated. It�s ridiculous. The last thing I want to do is watch everyone else fawn over them. I found a place though that I can hide very well though without being noticed. Not bad. Anyway, I found a stash of food so I figure I can stay holed up in here for like a week.�
* * * *
�Funny. You would think at some point that they would catch on. They don�t though. I figure as long as I don�t disappear too much I�m okay. Make an appearance, smile, and think to myself that they can just go fuck themselves for all I care. At least until the opportune moment arrives and I can sneak out. If Jen is around, then I�ve got some entertainment for the night. If she�s not, that�s okay, because I found good old dad�s whiskey stash. Not bad stuff. It looks like it will have to be the whiskey tonight. No complaints here.�
* * * *
�So much for that idea. I�ve been banished to my room for all eternity. So what? Why should I care? Maybe I like my room. And Lu was humane enough to at least sneak me some food and something by Dickens. Appropriate. The old man was pretty pissed off. Probably because I was drinking the good whiskey. If I had stuck with the cheap stuff I would be fine right now. Let�s face it, he doesn�t give a damn if I�m hiding, at least then I�m out of his hair. Bastard. Maybe someday he�ll finally pop a vein and I�ll be rid of him forever. I can�t wait until I go to Wellington in the fall. I�ll be away from this place for a while and he damn sure can�t lay a hand on me then.�
* * * *
�So, first day and it�s not bad at all. In fact, I like it. I mean, I�m free to do whatever I want. Mostly. And I think I�ve learned enough at home to figure out how to do the stuff I�m not allowed to anyway. It�s okay though. The other students aren�t bad at all. My roommate seems okay. Some guy named Leoder, or Leo. He�s older and a little more serious� okay, maybe a lot more serious, but he�ll be okay, I think. And the classes aren�t so bad yet.�
* * * *
�I really like it here. It�s pleasant. No parents, no siblings. I should have gone away to school sooner. Even the classes are okay. �You�d be a really good student if you didn�t have such an attitude problem,� Lt. Morgan said to me. Personally, I�d say I�m a pretty good student even with the attitude problem. Sort of. Anyway, it�s nice, that�s all. The other students are great (most of them) and a lot more fun than the twins.�
* * * *
�I was going to stay at the school for Christmas, but, oh no, apparently I�m not supposed to do that. You know, since I�m such a valued member of the family. I am strongly encouraged to get my sorry ass home. God. Shoot me now.�
* * * *
�Okay, okay. So I wasn�t supposed to go to the party. I was supposed to stay up in my room and do something productive, like study. Well I didn�t want to go anyway. All those snobby Thaumaturs . . . who wants to be at a Christmas party full of them? But I figured a little peek couldn�t hurt. Boy. Am I glad I peeked. There was this girl there, Anastasia. Black hair, violet eyes, drop dead gorgeous. She�s really something. I should have just left it alone, but I couldn�t resist. She was like one of those sirens in the old Greek myths, you know? I mean, she can run me up on the rocks any day. So, anyway, to my credit I at least waited until I knew I could talk to her without being seen. In retrospect, that still was not the smartest idea. She could have been just another Thaumatur elitist and, who knows, she might have known I was just a lowly Sansorce and told my parents all about my presumptuous attempt to talk to her. Actually . . . I think she might know. I guess maybe sometimes it might pay to take a chance.�
* * * *
�I hope this isn�t a bad idea. I mean, kids from two different sides of the tracks getting involved in relationships usually don�t work out real well, do they? No, they don�t. Well damn. But it will be a fun ride while it lasts, won�t it? I really like her . . . I mean, I really do. I must be crazy.�
* * * *
�Forgive me Father for I have sinned. And I don�t regret it one bit.�
* * * *
�I guess the good thing about being a slacker is no one really pays attention when you skip classes, right? Especially if I�m not even on campus. I was supposed to meet Anna tonight but . . . well, I guess I�ll just have to call and cancel, tell her I�m sick or something. There�s no way I can see her now. I wish I could though. I�m falling head over heels for this girl, you know. I�m such an idiot. But God, I love her.�
* * * *
�He told them. That little shit told them all about us. I don�t know how Dominic could have even known, but he did. I could snap the little bastard�s neck right in two, I swear. I didn�t even see it coming. So they told me to get home so we could talk. It�s not the first time. I figured they just wanted to talk to me about my Latin grade or my bad attitude or something. Nothing like a good slap to the face to line out an attitude problem, let me tell you. I never would have dreamed they knew about Anna. Did we get careless? I just don�t know. And the things he said about her . . . I could have killed him. And they�ll tell everyone. They�re not lying about that. I know them. They really would. Then, everyone else would just say the same things. And they�d make her give up her magic. She�d have to give up everything. For a stupid kid like me? I should have known better than to ever get involved with a Thaumatur. I really am a stupid kid. I just wish . . . I wish things could be different. But I don�t know what to do. I�ll just pull my disappearing act, like I always imagined I would as a kid. I�ll miss her. She�ll probably move on with her life and forget about me in no time at all, though. After all, who am I but a pathetic Sansorce kid?�
* * * *
I found some of my old journals when I was looking through my junk. Yeah, I used to keep a journal sometimes when I was younger, believe it or not. Full of stupid ideas. Like the entry about being invisible. I guess it came true though. I disappeared, just like I said I would. I was a crazy kid. I haven't read it in years. I don't know why I've still got it even. I nearly burned it more than once. It�s got a lot of memories in it . . . bad ones. My parents, and Anna. Actually, except the entry before I left, the ones about Anna were the only reason I didn�t burn it. When you read it, it�s like you�re there again, and being with her, even if it�s only in my memory, is more than I could ever ask for. That�s the happiest I�ve ever been, those days when I was with her. I know now that leaving her was the biggest mistake I�ve ever made.