Family Reunion SOLO

date: June 16th 2023 (backdated to Kora's first instance of magic)!
time: lunchtime
interacting/mentioning: no one!
OOC note: several months of trying to finish this finally paid off

“Kora! Come on!” I shouted up the stairs to my sister. “Everyone will be here soon!”
My step-mum, Cassie, looked at me. “Why don’t you run up and fetch her? I think I heard a knock.”
I hurried up the stairs. “Kor? Are you okay?” I found my step-sister lying on her bed on top of the covers. She was pale, sickly looking.
“Yeah,” she mumbled. “Just an upset stomach.”
“Well, come on then. The family is here.” I led her to the backyard, adorned with picnic tables and games for the kids.
To my surprise, everyone was already there. Cassie was talking to Aunt Marietta, Aunt Sofia, Uncle Tyson, and Uncle Joseph by the tree. My cousins Ane, Amelia, and Bowen were running around and playing with the games. Aunt Regan was sitting on one of the picnic tables sipping lemonade and watching the kids play. My father was nowhere in sight, thankfully.
“Remind me why I have to do this again? They aren’t my family,” Kora complained as we sat on the porch steps.
I shrugged. Truthfully, I didn’t quite want them there either. They hadn’t done hardly anything to help when my mum died, nothing for me after I got out of the hospital or when Cassie, Kora, and I had to leave home. “I don’t know, Kor. I guess Cassie just wants us to see them before I go off to school.”
Kora sighed. “Whatever.”
“Why don’t you go play with the cousins?” I offered.
“Why don’t you do it?” Kora whined.
“Girls, why are you just sitting over here? We have family over! Kora, go play with the cousins. Sage, you go get more lemonade,” Cassie said in a hushed voice, waving us in opposite directions.
I stepped inside and squeezed lemon juice into a pitcher, watching the juice trickle down slowly. Around five minutes later, I stepped back outside and I rushed to put the pitcher down on a table and looked around. Cassie was still talking to the adults and Kora and the cousins were huddled around a table, sipping lemonade in quick gulps.
All the forced enjoyment came to a screeching halt when a huge clatter came from the table by the kids. Sticky puddles of lemonade were dripping all over the place and soaking the food. The kids took steps back, horror on all their faces. It was like they’d seen a ghost.
The adults started to walk over, casting worried looks at their kids.
“Oh, my God!” screamed Bowen.
I hurried over to them. Something was happening.
“Who did that?” Amelia roared.
Before I could ask what happened, Kora darted away to the side of the house.
“She must have done it. Hex,” spat Ane.
I ignored my cousins and followed Kora. “Are you okay?” I asked when I found her curled up into a ball on the side of the house.
“No,” she gasped. “I did it.”
“Did what?”
“I spilled the cups. It was me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Everyone was holding their cups. I made them spill and . . .” Her voice stopped as she brushed tears out of her eyes. “I didn’t mean to. It's just that they were saying mean things about me, about Mom, about you . . .”
“Kor, are you saying you did magic?”
She nodded, eyes wide.
“I’ll get Cassie.” I stood and rushed to my step-mom, but someone else was there already.
“Long time no see, Sage!” My father smiled at me. “I hear you’ll be attending boarding school this year? Finally got sick of homeschool? I imagine it wasn’t that good anyway.”
I gaped at him. “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t want to see us anymore.”
He laughed. “What, a father can’t see his daughters? Where’s Kora, anyway?” He looked around the yard.
I caught Cassie’s eye when he wasn’t looking. I waved for her to follow me, and she complied.
“What happened?” Cassie cried when she spotted her daughter.
“Magic.”
“You-”
“Similar to mine, she made some cups float then spilled them,” I interrupted.
Cassie smiled. “I’m proud of you, Kor. We’ll talk about this later, but I need to get everyone out of here. Specifically Christopher.”
I nodded. “I’ll take Kora inside.”
Cassie brushed herself off and walked to escort everyone out. “I’m terribly sorry, everyone. Kora’s just gotten sick. We’ll have to cut this short. It was nice seeing you all even if it was just for a bit.”
My aunts and uncles smiled knowingly and guided their children to their cars.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Christopher offered.
Cassie frowned. “No.”
“‘No?’” he repeated. “But I’m her dad!”
“But you kicked us out. Now, I’m doing the same to you.”
Christopher frowned, but left.
Cassie turned to me and smiled. “A house of witches, huh? This will be fun.”