The text Marie had promised came shortly after Luc got off work, along with a recap of the jobs she’d taken throughout the rest of the day. That wasn’t something Luc had asked for, but she shot back a response just the same, saying she needed to step up her game.

  After stripping and showering to get the lingering sticky feeling off, Luc dressed into something comfy and slipped into bed, then checked out the app.

  Once it downloaded and opened, she stared at it, anger growing in her chest. If she’d had access to this months ago, she wouldn’t have wasted nearly so much time going to the mage commission herself and begging for jobs. She could have just signed up for jobs here, let her magical monitor track her progress, and never need to go into the building proper.

  Why hadn’t they given this to her?

  She could go down to the mage commission tomorrow and demand answers, but where would that get her? Mrs. Oscar wasn’t likely to give her a straight answer, and it wasn’t like she could go to the commissioner. Whatever the reason was, she’d just have to live without knowing it.

  Job listings weren’t the app’s only functions. They also had the mage store with seemingly endless amounts of tools and clothing available to buy.

  Luc scrolled through the options idly, mind going back to Marie’s suggestion earlier that day. A magical girl outfit that looked more like her.

  She didn’t care about brand image. It wasn’t like she had a brand she needed to uphold, just her own self. Having an outfit that was more comfortable would be nice, though.

  Her shirt could use replacing, after how torn and beat up it had gotten. She’d never been a fan of the skirt either, but it was the cheapest item in the catalogue, which meant she had to go with it. But she had money now.

  Money I should be saving, she reminded herself, and got out of the app. Once she had more money, she’d be able to get herself a nicer outfit, but her priority right now was saving.

  She shut the app off and turned over to go to sleep.

  ******

  There weren’t many grade one magical girl jobs that called for two magical girls, meaning Marie and Luc had to split up more than she would have liked.

  It was good for experience, Marie was sure, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.

  Her drone settled back onto her shoulders as she pulled out her phone. She should be looking for her next job, but first she had to update the scoreboard.

  Luc picked up on the second ring, and Marie grinned into the phone. “First job complete!”

  “Good for you,” Luc said drily. “I’m already onto the second.”

  Marie cursed, then caught herself. She probably shouldn’t be cursing while working. “Don’t you have work today?” she asked instead.

  “Nope.” The word seemed to pop from Luc’s mouth, and Marie knew she was grinning.

  Marie scowled. “Where do you work anyway?”

  “Oh, I’m not telling you,” Luc laughed. “You should probably get onto that second job now. I’m almost done with mine.”

  The call ended with a click and an echo of laughter as Marie scrambled to find a new job to take and catch back up with her rival.

  ******

  Tobias pulled up in front of his own house, and found his girlfriend’s car in the driveway.

  Maisey hadn’t said anything about coming over, but he certainly wasn’t complaining.

  He hopped out of the beat up pickup truck and all but sprinted up the front porch steps. His legs shook, muscles tired from basketball practice, but he pushed through it to get to his girlfriend faster.

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  Her voice reached him as he stepped through the front door, kicking off his shoes in the entryway before going any further. He found her in the kitchen with his mom, hair tied up into a bun at the back of her head, a few pieces working their way free and falling around her face. An ancient apron was dusted with flour, as were her hands and arms, and a smear across her cheek.

  She was gorgeous.

  “I must be the luckiest guy in the world,” Tobias said, smirking at her as he walked into the kitchen. “Coming home to my beautiful girlfriend baking for me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Not baking for you, and I’m really here for your mom.”

  “Is that so?” Uncaring of the flour across her front, he wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her close and kissing the white smear on her cheek.

  “I’m helping her get ready for the harvest festival, since I probably won’t be here to actually help you set up.”

  Her words slowly clicked into place as he kissed her again on the neck, his eyebrows drawing together. “What do you mean you won’t be here?”

  She shuffled slightly in his arms as she stared pointedly at the countertop. “The next authorization test to become a magical girl is the day before opening day, and they don’t have another one scheduled for several months, so…”

  “So you’ve decided to actually do it?” he asked, holding her tighter. The moment Maisey had gotten her powers, he knew she’d become a magical girl, no matter what she said. She wasn’t the type to just sit by and do nothing when she could help. It was one of the things he loved most about her. Honestly, it was shocking that she’d managed to last this long.

  She nodded.

  “That’s awesome,” he said, squeezing her tighter.

  She let out a little yelp. “You’re not upset?”

  “Why would I be upset? You’re amazing. I just have to tell Mom I won’t be able to help with final preparations either.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I have to be there to support you, obviously.”

  Maisey let out a sigh and leaned back against him. “That would be nice.”

  He kissed her again on the neck, and that was the moment his mom chose to walk back into the kitchen.

  ******

  Luc ran out a set of plates, delivering them to a table with a smile. Before she retreated back to the kitchen, she checked in with everyone, refilling waters, getting sauces, ensuring all was well.

  With everyone in the dining room happy, Luc walked back to the kitchen, letting her smile drop. In terms of business, it had actually been a better day, which meant Penny was in a better mood. That mood probably wouldn’t stick, but this was Luc’s opportunity to talk to her without immediately getting shut down.

  Luc stepped into the kitchen. Penny leaned over a pot on the stove, stirring and occasionally tasting before adding another bit of seasoning. She was developing a new recipe for soup, as if they didn’t have enough soup recipes.

  “Mom?”

  The woman didn’t respond.

  Luc tried again, raising her voice. “Mom.”

  Penny jumped, flinching back from the pot. On the other side of the kitchen, Malachi made a tactical retreat, slipping out of the room.

  “What is it, Lucky?”

  Luc gritted her teeth, swallowing her own protests against the name. “I need next Saturday off.”

  “What? No, you always work Saturdays.”

  “Which is why I’m telling you I need it off. I’m not going to be here next Saturday.”

  Penny froze, staring at her. Luc’s heartbeat sped up, drumming against her temple as she did everything she could to ignore it. “Why do you need Saturday off? You know I need you here.”

  “Because I have a life, Mom,” Luc said, standing firm even as her mother’s expression darkened. “I have somewhere to be on Saturday, so I’m just letting you know, I can’t be here. That’s all.”

  She spun around, leaving the kitchen before Penny could say anything and checking back in with her customers. They were probably getting annoyed at her hovering, but her mother couldn’t say anything so long as she was working. So long as she stayed busy, she was free and clear.

  ******

  Luc sat down at the end of the lunch table, brushing Marie’s elbow as she did. The girl shifted to the side, giving her a bit more room.

  Even with a jacket on, Luc shivered. They’d probably have to move inside soon, with autumn steadily on its march. That, or she’d stop sitting with them. She had no desire to freeze her ass off outside without reason.

  Maisey picked at her sandwich not really eating anything. Luc shot a look at her but chose to ignore it; it wasn’t like she could really throw stones about eating well. Her own apple and peanut butter crackers were staring at her from her lunch box, not all that appetizing.

  “What is everyone doing Friday?” Maisey asked, not looking up.

  Luc shrugged. “Work.”

  “Jobs,” Marie agreed.

  “Just practice,” Mason answered.

  Tobias remained silent, a smile on his face.

  “Why?” Luc asked, frowning at Tobias’s smile. They weren’t planning something, were they?

  “Because I’m taking the grade one mage test on Friday, and I was hoping you’d come to support me…” She trailed off, laughing nervously.

  “Oh my god, you’re going to do it? That’s so exciting!” Marie exclaimed. “Absolutely, I’ll be there.”

  “That’s not really the sort of thing where you can watch, though,” Luc pointed out.

  “That’s not the point,” Tobias said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “The point is, being there to cheer her on. Whether we can watch or not. So, are you coming or not?”

  Protests on her lips died as Luc looked around the table and let out a sigh. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

  Luc didn’t get a chance to retreat before Maisey all but leapt across the table and captured her in a hug.