Excerpt: Magic Tails

Levitating Sensei
This is just a quick blurb from about two years ago. I used it to get a "feel" for Jordan and Sensei, even though I don't plan on using it in the novel.

“Hey Sensei, I think I’m starting to get the hang of this levitation stuff,” the young sorcerer apprentice said with a smirk, waving his hand up and down to control the various items floating around the room.
“Just keep practicing,” the beige tabby cat muttered from the bed. Her golden eyes were shut, the cursed sorceress trying to sneak in a nap. “You know what they say, practice makes perfect.”
“Yes Sensei,” Jordan said dully. ‘All that lazy cat talks about is practicing, that and taking naps,’ he thought to himself. Hazel green eyes twinkling, the fourteen-year-old thought of a new fun way to “practice” his levitation spells. Quickly muttering the incantation, he wiggled his fingers at his teacher. Waving his hand up and down as in conducting an orchestra, he giggled as the cat began to rise.
Sensei, feeling things weren’t right, lifted her head up and looked around sleepily. Seeing she was hovering a good foot above the bed, the sorceress yawned before curling back up, sure she was merely dreaming.
Now laughing, Jordan began to wave his hand up and down more violently. “Sensei, is this good enough?” When the tabby didn’t respond, her apprentice turned his hand upside down, causing the cat to float on her back. “Sensei!”
“How many times have I told you?” She asked him crossly, “Never wake me up during a nap!”
“But Sensei,” he said jokingly, “I just wanted to show you how well I’ve been practicing, have a look for yourself.”
Sensei gave Jordan a glare, then looked around one more time. Gazing down, she muttered, “That’s funny, I don’t remember falling asleep on my back…” Suddenly, a flood of realization hit her. “Jordan!” She roared, “I see you’re really coming along.” Her voice was calmer, but heavily laden with sarcasm.
Jordan almost dropped Sensei as he was succumbed by a fit of laughter. Lips curled up in a wide grin, his freckle adorned nose emphasized, he chuckled, “Well Sensei, as they say, practice makes perfect! I guess all those hours of practice really did pay off!”
Not looking the least bit pleased, Sensei, her voice now cool as ice, told him, “Yes, apparently it has. Ok, you’ve had your fun levitating your teacher in midair, but could you please put me down now?!?” As her temper flared while concluding her sentence, her volume raised.
“I would Sensei,” Jordan said, laughing even harder now, “But I forgot how!”
“You what?!?” She shrieked, trying desperately to swim through the air like an astronaut in zero gravity. “Why would you try to levitate anything if you didn’t know how to stop?!?”
“I didn’t think about it,” he said quickly, afraid of the sorceress’ wrath. Beads of sweat formed on his pale brow. He swiped a hand through his greasy black hair.
“You didn’t think about it?!? Oh Jordan, you’re impossible! When I get my claws on you…” The cat trailed off as she tried even more franticly to swim across the room towards Jordan.
In the kitchen, Jordan’s foster mom had been cooking supper for the small family of three. She let out a sigh as the muffled sounds of Sensei and Jordan’s feud wafted through the house. She never could understand that boy, always locking himself in his room for hours with that cat, doing who knows what, and then yells always emanated from the room. Putting down the bowl of salad, she worriedly paced back to the threshold of the teenager’s room. Lifting her fist to the door, she rapper upon it three times, then called, “Jordan, it’s about time for you to get washed up for dinner.”
Startled by the sudden noise, Jordan’s concentration was broken. He brought his hands down quickly, sending all the levitating items crashing to the ground. Sensei let out a sharp yowl as she landed in a heap on the floor, giving Jordan an icy glare when he muttered, “Well, you did say you wanted down.”
Opening the door when she heard things crashing down, his mother gasped at the state of the room. “Oh Jordan, this place looks like a disaster zone. Clean your room up and then you can come join us for dinner.” Turning, she quickly walked back to the kitchen before any more could be said.
Looking at the cat, Jordan whispered, “Could you give me a hand picking this stuff up? After all, it was your lesson that caused this mess.”
“I’m sorry,” Sensei whispered sarcastically, “But a cat can’t clean a room, it’s just not natural.” With a snicker, she continued, “And besides, why should I help you after you spent an afternoon levitating me around the room. See you later Jordan!”
“Thanks a lot!” He yelled as the cat pranced out of sight. “Great, what a help she is,” he muttered before starting in on the task of picking up his room.