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A high school student finds a grimoire that shows how to make magical disguises. |
Previously: "Business Before School"  "Jesus, Will, what was that about?" Autumn murmurs as you resume putting on your makeup. "Tell you about it later," you murmur. The first flush of anger is still building, and you have to overmaster it before you can add, "You have fifth lunch?" "Study hall." "I'll tell you then. Let's meet out at the bleachers." Autumn only nods an acknowledgment, but you notice her watching your reflection carefully as she works on her own face. * * * * * First period is Computer Applications II, with Mr. Boykin. It would seem an odd choice for a tomboy-athlete like Ella, but her mother insists that she take some software-related vocational training. Maggie Crenshaw, captain of the softball team (and number two if not number one on yours and Sydney's to-be-replaced-with-a-doppelganger list), is Ella's great friend in there, but she's also very friendly with Justin Lovejoy, who is a handsome and sweet-tempered player on the JV basketball squad. But as you breeze into the classroom, you can't resist giving a side-eye at another basketball player who is in there: Jeremy Richards, who was one of your friends back in middle school before he had a growth spurt and decided to become both a jock and a jerk. "Hey, morning, sleepy-head," you tease Maggie when she staggers in five minutes later. You've already got your monitor booted up. She only grunts as she collapses into the chair next to yours, and stifles a yawn. "God, I only woke up, like, three minutes ago." If she came here straight from bed, she looks good for it. Maggie has long, straight, golden-blonde hair that pours smoothly over her shoulders like a waterfall. She's not the prettiest girl in school, and she's a little chunky in the hips. But she makes up for it with charisma. "Then you must'a drove fast to get here," snickers Justin, who is seated on the other side of her. "I was asleep until I turned into the parking lot. God, I hope I didn't run any red lights." "I hope you didn't run anyone over," you retort. "Did you stay up late or something?" "Stupid chemistry homework. I was up until two AM!" "Oh hey!" You snap your fingers, remembering. "Cameron's in there, right? How're his grades?" "Better than mine!" "Well, me and him were talking on the bus today about getting a bunch of us together to work on stuff. I need so much help with my math, and if you need help with chemistry—" "From Cameron?" "Well, whoever. He was talking about getting Reece Palendech to come out—" "What kind of party is this supposed to be?" Maggie asks with some suspicion in her voice. "Homework. Tutoring. I don't know! Something like that!" "Well, I just know how those kind of things turn out, especially when you get those kind of guys at them." "Well, you don't have to come! And if Cameron's grades are okay, he could help me with my chem! God, maybe you're having trouble with Chem II, but I'm still stuck back in Chem I!" "You're taking Chemistry I?" Justin asks, leaning forward to address you past Maggie. "I didn't even want to take it!" you protest defensively. "Well, I'm taking Chem I. AP. If you need any help—" "He wants to have chemistry with you, Ella," Maggie says. Justin withdraws, turning very, very red. * * * * * Second period is one of the high points of your day, not because you like Algebra II/Trigonometry, but because Jenna is in there. Jenna is your "long-lost sister." That's been the joke since tenth grade, when the two of you met while trying out for the softball team. It isn't just that the two of you look so much alike that you could be sisters. It's that you were instantly sympatico. Like Ella, Jenna has a tomboyish air, and her she wears her thick hair down around her shoulders. It is dark blonde whereas yours is brunette, and is naturally curly. But she doesn't like curly hair (she thinks it doesn't suit her) and so chemically straightens it out. But it never straightens out flat, so that there are always shallow kinks in it. Ella has told her how envious she is of that, that those little kinks give her hair so much more "character" than if it were either flat like Maggie's or curly like Haley's. Speaking of whom, Haley Cordero, one of the two black girls on the team, is also in there, and both of them seem perched alertly, as though waiting specifically for you, when you waltz Mr. Van's classroom. Jenna leaps right to the point. "Do you have a date for Wednesday night?" she eagerly asks. You gasp. "What do you know about Wednesday night?" Jenna glances back at Haley. "Ungh!" you exclaim, and reach past Jenna to slap at Haley, who giggles. "You weren't even supposed to see that text!" "But I saw it, girl!" she exclaims. "And I saw the one where you said you wanted to go with Jeremiah!" Jenna wheels onto Haley. "Jeremiah?" she squeals. Haley gasps at you, but you tell her, "Now we're even!" "Oh, we're more than even, honey," she retorts. "I'm gonna get you!" "Wait, are you going to this music thing thing too?" Jenna asks her. Haley looks past her at you, inquiringly. "You can come if you want," you tell her. "I don't know why you'd want to, I don't. But Christine wants me along—" "Is Patrick going with her?" Jenna asks. "That's why!" she exclaims before you can answer. "Why, am I supposed to keep Patrick off her?" you ask. Patrick Currier is one of the handsomer guys at school (in Ella's opinion) but no one knows that about him because he's in the orchestra and doesn't go to the right parties. "She wants to know what you think of him, Ella!" Jenna explains. "Well then you can come too!" you say. "You and Nathan." Jenna makes a face. "Nn-nn, I'm not gonna jump into the crocodile pit that you fell in to!" You make a face at her and start to turn around to unpack your bag. But Jenna pokes you. "So, who are you going to the concert with?" she demands. "I don't know!" you moan. "Cameron says he'll be my 'emergency date'— Actually, he says he'll go with me, but he doesn't want to and I don't want to make him—" "Who's going besides Christine and Patrick?" Haley asks. "Nathan and Madison. And Danielle. If it's them, I bet there's—" "Nathan and Danielle?" Jenna whips around to look at Haley, before turning back to you. "No, Nathan and Madison. Danielle's just going too—" Jenna covers her hand to stifle a hard snicker. "Did Nathan set all this up," she asks, "just so's he could go somewhere with Danielle without it looking—?" She snickers again. You feel your eyes going very round. "What are you—? No! Nathan and Danielle? Are they—? Behind Madison's back?" "No! I mean, I don't know. Maybe?" Jenna's eyes glint. "Well, what makes you say—?" "Yeah," Haley interrupts as she leans forward. "What makes you say—?" "Oh, I don't know anything! I'm just thinking—" Jenna grins and traces a fingernail over the surface of her desk. "After Kendra dumped Nathan, maybe he's thinking—" Now you have to stifle a shriek and a giggle. Kendra Saunders, the only black girl on the cheerleading squad, broke up with Nathan over the summer. So Jenna is implying that Nathan might be on the hunt for Danielle Davis, another (and very pretty) black girl at the school. Haley's mouth also drops as she does the math. "No, I don't know anything!" Jenna insists as your trio giggles. "Don't tell anyone!" * * * * * So it's hard to keep a straight face in third period, which is a study hall that you take in the library with Tara Weston and Bonny Trask and ... Danielle Davis ... for company. You do ask Danielle who her date for the recital is. She sniffs that she hasn't got one and isn't planning to take one because she's just going for the music. That puts you out of temper, both for the implied rebuke and because you wish you had the same excuse: that you are going for the music (which you most definitely are not). After that, fourth period—Ella's deadliest, because it is Chemistry I, and there is no one in there that she cares to talk to—is actually a relief, an oasis from gossip shared and gossip stifled. Then comes lunch. * * * * * You are already on the bleachers overlooking the athletic field when Autumn comes out to join you. "So, how's your first day at school, Ella?" she lilts. "Great!" you lilt back. "How's yours, Autumn?" "Awesome! I got hear how you and Cameron are going on a date tomorrow night!" She giggles, and you cover your face with your hands. "Could he be the one, Will? I mean, Ella?" "I just need someone to go with me," you reply through gritted teeth. "He's my emergency date." "An emergency date is still a date! And it'll give you a closer look at him, in case he, um, piques your interest." She starts taking her lunch from its sack, as you do you. And when you're got your lunches out and are eating them while watching freshmen and sophomores jogging around the field perimeter, Autumn says, "So what was that about in the bathroom this morning? You said you'd tell me." You've been dreading this, but you spill it all out, as Sydney quietly listens: Of Blake O'Brien and his friends, and David Kirkham, and maybe others by now, threatening to fuck up "Will Prescott" on account of he's dating a girl out of his league. And of how Will hasn't got any friends anymore on account of they feel that he tricked Caleb out of having a chance with her. When you're done, she is silent for a good few minutes, before she says, "So do you want to do anything about it?" "Like what could we do?" "Like we could turn some of these assholes into Brothers. Brothers that you could be." Vote on how to continue the story: "BoM Poll: "Morning, Ella"" |
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