Jen sucks in a breath trying to build up her courage. “I have a confession to make, I’ve never ditched before.”
When she mentioned her concern about her grade point average, I had a feeling she was a bit of a goody goody. “Really, never?”
She nods. “Yeah. I have the worst luck. I’m sure I’d get caught.”
I desperately need to take her under my wing, or she will never meet her potential. Looping my arm through hers, I say, “Don’t worry, you’re with a pro.”
She shifts back and forth on her feet. I’m going to have to be more patient with her.
“Sorry, I think I’m going to have to pass.”
I let go of her arm. “Okay, no pressure. Just thought you might want to have some fun.” I’m so not going to accept defeat. Racking my mind, I try to come up with the perfect spell, but come up empty.
Jen’s face suddenly lights up like she’s discovered a secret. “I’ll ditch class if you can explain what this is.”
She shoves her hand in my face. I look closely at her fingertip knowing the protective ankh mark is long gone. “I don’t see anything.”
Her brow furrows. “Oh, come on. You know what you did.”
It’s too soon to reveal my powers to her. I shrug my shoulders. “No, I don’t.” I take a hold of her finger. “All I can see is that you need a manicure.”
Jen sucks in a breath. “How did you do that? Are you a magician or something?”
If she only knew I’m a witch and my Zoomer driver is a wizard. “I wish.” Obviously, she needs a little push. I scroll through the spells once again in my mind, and this time I come up with a winner. Under my breath I whisper the incantation.
Jen’s face suddenly changes into a huge smile. “Okay, I surrender. I’ll go to the beach with you.”
My spell worked! I jump up and down like I’ve transformed into the Energizer Bunny. “Awesome! We’re going to have so much fun. I’ve got to hit the ladies first. Grab your backpack and meet me by the bleachers in five.”
I smile and wave when I see Jen walking toward the bleachers. Part of me wonders if my little spell will have any staying power. I still haven’t totally mastered the art of doing spells on the fly.
Jen stands next to me, apprehension showing by the sweat on her brow. Guess that’s my answer. The spell is fading already. “Don’t worry. I promise you won’t regret this.”
She gives me a weak smile. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
I point toward the back of the football field. “There’s a hole in the fence next to the scoreboard. Just follow my lead.”
She nods and sticks close to me as I work my way down the side of the bleachers and dart for the fence. Making sure Jen is still right behind me, I concentrate on the hole in the fence. I stop in front of the opening and pull the cut links back. The links dig into my skin as I yell out, “Jen, hurry!”
She races next to me and then points to the right side of the field. “There’s a guy over there. He’s heading our way.”
I take a quick glance over at the guy. “Crap. He might be a truant officer. We better run.”
Holding the sides of the fence open even further, I wait for Jen to get through. One of the links scrapes her leg, but she keeps running. I follow right behind her as the guy is gaining speed on us. If he’s a truant officer, he’s undercover. He’s dressed in the usual male student uniform of worn faded jeans and a logo T-shirt.
By the time we hit the large hedge at the far end of campus Jen collapses on the grass exhausted. I’m going to need to get her in better physical shape.
She sucks in a breath. “Brooklyn, can we take a break? Maybe that guy isn’t really a truant officer.”
I glance over my shoulder to see if the guy is still following us. Thankfully, he’s disappeared. “Let’s keep going. Just in case.”
“Brooklyn, I appreciate you being cautious, but I can barely catch my breath.”
I reach into my black tote bag and hand her a water bottle. “Guess you’re not much for working out at the gym.”
She laughs and takes a big swig of the water. “Nope.”
A gym membership is another thing I need to add to my to-do list of Jennifer improvements. I take the bottle from her hand and tuck it back in my bag. Maybe if I get some good food into her, she can handle the long hike to the beach. “I know a great little place where we can have lunch. It’s a two-mile walk to the beach. Think you’re going to need some food.”
With a bit of effort, Jen pushes herself up off the ground and gives me a weak smile. “You know me well already.”
I push through the thick hedge with ease. Many students have used the route to ditch school—including me. As much as I promised my mother that I’d be good and tough it out at Jefferson High, I find the beach much more alluring. Besides, a simple spell will take care of my grade point average. I lead Jen past the hedge and down a labyrinth of residential streets until we hit the main drag south of campus. I point out my favorite boutique, a great bookstore, and the best coffee spot as we make our way to our lunch destination. I know every nook and cranny of the neighborhood around school. It’s something I learned while living in New York, Brooklyn in particular. Home doesn’t feel like home unless I know the local storeowners by name.
I stop in front of a tiny hole-in-the-wall burger joint called Veggie Bliss. The stucco storefront is painted a cheery yellow. “It may not look like much, but they have the best vegan burgers in town.”
Jen’s eyes grow wide. “I’ve been down this street dozens of times and didn’t even notice it.”
A typical LA girl. They drive everywhere and favor malls over cute little shops. Thy LA people never walk anywhere. Another reason why she is so out of shape. “Ah, but if you stopped and got out of your car, you wouldn’t have been able to resist—would you?”
She breathes in the aroma of garlic and onions pouring out of the restaurant’s vents.
“Nope.” She pulls open the bright red door to the burger place. “I’m starving. I want the whole menu.”
The place is so small it only has bar seating. Looks like they have switched up the décor since my last visit. Funky tie-dyed sarongs from Tahiti are tacked up on the walls. I like it. They remind me of when Dad took us to Hawaii as a Christmas present when I was ten. Back in those days, when he was the perfect father—not the jerk he is now.
I grab an empty middle seat and Jen sits down next to me. She eyes the waitress behind the bar wearing the bohemian uniform of a printed peasant top paired with floral patterned leggings. The waitress tosses us a pair of menus.
I stuff back a laugh as I watch Jen cruise the food selections. With only five things on the menu she really could eat the whole thing. I point to number three. “This one is my fav. The gorgonzola works perfectly with the strong flavor of the mushroom. The garlic fries are a nice accent to the burger.”
Jen gives me a thumbs up. “Sure, order us both number threes!”
I hold up my hand to get the waitress’s attention as she checks the supply of fresh oranges and wheat grass next to the blender. “Sunshine, you heard my friend. Two number threes.”
Sunshine nods, causing her frizzy blonde hair to dance around her face like a halo. Jen stares at Sunshine fascinated. It’s like she discovered a new form of human. Boy, she must live in the burbs. Of course, I should talk. I don’t live in Brooklyn Heights anymore. My beloved Brooklyn Bridge is just a fading memory.
I smile when I see Jen is still following Sunshine’s every move. “She’s pretty groovy, right?”
Jen laughs. “Wow, I knew they were bringing back the late sixties in fashion, but not the slang too.”
I shrug my shoulders and act innocent. I’m really testing Jen to see what her boundaries are. “Guess I’ve been hanging out here too much.”
Sunshine returns with our portabella burgers. The surprised look on Jen’s face tells me she can’t believe how quick the food came out. “Talk about vegan fast food.”
&nbs
p; I grab one of her garlic fries. “The best in town.”
We both dig in and it’s my turn to stare. Jen can really put it away. A look of sheer pleasure crosses her face as she takes another bite of the burger. Juice drizzles down her chin, but she doesn’t reach for a napkin. Instead she takes her finger and licks it right off. She’s a foodie after my own heart. The door creaks open, but I don’t bother to look to see who it is. All my stomach cares about is digging into my garlic fries.
A familiar clanking sound makes my witch senses stand alert. I instinctively reach for the wand inside my tote bag. The reason becomes obvious when I spy a familiar man dressed in a police uniform. He waltzes past us and sits at the end of the bar.
I nudge Jen with my elbow and whisper, “We need to go.”
The officer orders a coffee and then he turns and glares at me. His ridiculous mustache forms a U shape around his mouth. “Isn’t it past lunch period? Shouldn’t you two be in school?”
Just my luck the truant officer would come when I bring Jen here. I thought my spell to keep him away would have lasted longer. I really need to ask my mother and the coven for some tips.
The officer sneers at us. “Brooklyn, I gave you a warning last time. I won’t be so understanding now.” He reaches for his handcuffs locked over his belt.
Just like in an action movie, Sunshine leaps over the counter and blocks his path with her body just long enough for us to bolt off our seats and race for the front door.
I grab Jen’s arm as I run toward the back alley. “Over here. We need to hide!”
I run down the alley making sure Jen is sticking close to me. I duck behind a dumpster and point to a hatch door at the base of the brick building. Hopefully she realizes that’s where I want us to hide out. Tucked temporarily behind a brown dumpster, I wait for her to join me. Strange, I don’t hear any footsteps. What is she doing? This is no time for her to chicken out. I tentatively stick my head out from behind the dumpster to find Jen standing in the alley frozen like a statue not knowing what to do. This is the perfect time for her to transform. Why isn’t she shifting into the building or even one of the dumpsters?
The officer is only fifty feet from Jen when he yells out, “Stop! I’ve already called for backup!”
A garbled mechanical voice of a walkie-talkie fills the air. Terrific. I’m going to have to text Derrick to come and get us ASAP. Every bone in my body tells me to do something to help Jen, but I’m too far away to cast a spell. Jen continues her imitation of a marble statue as the officer stops and answers his walkie-talkie. While the officer is distracted, Jen finally springs into action. She races over to the blue dumpster next to mine. She stares intently at the dumpster and I throw my hand over my mouth as I watch the dumpster metal begin to undulate like waves in the ocean. The metal surface has turned liquid, as if a blow torch melted the metal sheeting. Jen’s human body quivers like Jell-O and then shoots toward the dumpster like a fire hose. I stifle a gasp as in seconds the whole shifting process is complete, and the dumpster returns to its metallic form. Yet, I know it isn’t metal at all—it’s Jen. My heart thunders in my chest—a delayed reaction to what I just witnessed. Her power is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. The sheer beauty of the transformation will stick with me forever.
I watch as the officer turns to face where Jen used to be standing and yells out, “I know where you’re hiding!” He races over to the blue dumpster. The officer climbs over the side and disappears.
It’s like watching a movie as he trudges around in the dumpster throwing trash everywhere. He’s looking for the illusive girl he was trying to apprehend not knowing he is actually standing on her. The coven isn’t going to believe me when I tell them the story. We are all used to witnessing werewolves and vamps transform into wolves and bats. But this type of shifting is far more profound. To turn from one living thing into another is miraculous, but to watch someone turn from a living thing into an inanimate object, like a dumpster, is truly mind blowing.
After only a couple of minutes, the officer pops up from inside the dumpster and shakes off the fast food wrappers stuck to his hands. He circles the dumpster for one more look. Then he kicks at the front wheel just as two officers race up to join him. “So where is the girl?”
The officer takes his hat off and tosses it on the ground. “I don’t know how she did it—but she’s gone.”
6
Witch Magic
I watch as the police head around the corner, shoulders hunched, looking defeated. The officer who chased us hangs back for a second and looks around the dumpster. He takes one more peek inside the blue dumpster and asks himself, “Where did she go?”
If only he knew he was looking right at her—just not in the form he expected. I bet Jen can’t wait until he leaves so she can return to human form. Being a stinky dumpster has to be no fun at all. Yet, as I stare at the dumpster, I have to admit part of me still can’t believe what I saw. The irony is not lost on me, being a witch. But when I witness mind blowing magic for the first time, I am just like anyone else—a bit disbelieving. Veteran witches like my mom take these types of magic skills in stride. In a way I hope I never do. The wonder of magic should always be front and center—even for a witch like me.
The officer pounds on the metal of the dumpster causing the sides to shake. I hope Jen can’t feel it. But if the metal is her new skin, she probably does. If the cop tries to hit her again, I’ll have to stop him.
The cop picks his hat up off the asphalt and smiles. “Man, pulling that all-nighter has really thrown me off my game.” He laughs. “Yep, you’re talking to yourself.”
He trudges back around the corner and disappears. The sound of a revving engine echoes down the alleyway.
Making sure the officer is truly gone, I squeeze out from behind my hiding spot and walk over to the blue dumpster. “Jen, are you all right?” I gently tap the side of the container. “It’s safe. Return to human form so I can see you.”
At first there aren’t any signs of life. The blue dumpster sits in the alley full of trash just like on any other day. Then heat starts to radiate out of the dumpster and the metal sides turn to liquid again. I stand and watch the whole transformation process in reverse. I have to admit I’m just as astounded by Jen shifting abilities the second time around. Where there once was a solid metal container, now human arms and legs begin to emerge. I blink and most of Jen’s body has returned—except her hair. My eyes grow wide as the hairs on her head sprout one by one like in a time-lapse movie. I stand in front of Jen smiling, thankful her secret is officially out in the open. “That was awesome. I knew you were special. You’re like a girl chameleon.”
Jen’s hands are trembling, and she takes a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Her nose twitches and she tries to shake off the slight whiff of rotted garbage that lingers on her body. “I don’t think being a stinking metal container full of trash is all that awesome. But I do like being called the girl chameleon. I should get a T-shirt made.”
We both laugh. I hand her my water bottle. “You do have a slight eau-de-garbage fragrance. Why don’t you wash yourself off?”
She splashes some of the water on her face and arms.
“Thanks.” She smells her arm. “I don’t stink quite as much.
I smile knowing her nose must be shot. She still has the stench of garbage on her. “Hey, let’s head to the beach like we planned. You can take a dip in the ocean. Wouldn’t that be awesome?”
Her face brightens. “Sure. Soaking up some rays sounds like the perfect way to relax after our crazy afternoon.”
Grateful that she’s taking things in stride, I lead her down another labyrinth of alleys to make sure the truancy cops don’t spot us again. The intense afternoon sun beats down on my head and I have to admit living in a warm dry place does have its benefits. This time of year in New York City it’s already pretty muggy. Despite the slight ocean breeze, Jen looks fried and exhausted. By the time we spot the ocean, her hands fly to her s
ides because her lungs are pumping so hard. Shifting has to take a lot out of her.
She bends over struggling to get some air. “Let me catch my breath. I forgot you said it was a two-mile hike to the beach.”
I dig through my tote bag and shove the water bottle in her hand. “Polish it off.” Pointing to the steep hill that leads down to the sand I say, “We just have a quarter mile to go.”
She lets the water drip down her neck to cool off. “Fine. But we’re so taking the bus back.”
I scrunch up my face. “No, we’ll take Zoomer. My guy has a Beemer.”
Jen gives me a weak smile that tells me she doesn’t have the spare cash to ride in style. I pull out my phone text Derrick.
The meeting with Jen is on. We’ll be hanging out at marker twelve in about an hour.
Derrick texts back: I’ll be there!
By the time we finally hit the sand, Jen is barely standing. I have to practically drag her to a good spot on the beach right by the water. I open my bag and throw down my bright blue beach towel with two huge palm trees plastered on the front. When I spied it at Target, I knew I had to buy something so quintessentially Californian. I pull off my black gauze shirt and unzip my strategically torn at the knee jeans.
Jen takes one look at my pink and black striped bikini and smiles. “You must have been an amazing Girl Scout.”
What is she talking about? “Huh?”
“Looks like you knew you were going to the beach.”
“Oh, got it.” I smile knowing today was a total set up. Jen really never had a choice of not coming once I cast the spell. “Always be prepared to ditch school for the beach is my motto.”
I stretch out on the towel ready to catch some rays, as they say in California. My skin has the deepest golden glow when I’m tan. Guess it’s my Egyptian side coming through. Back in Brooklyn, the only sunbathing I did was on the rooftop deck of my friend’s building.
Jen sits down on the warm sand next to me. She rolls up her shirtsleeves and folds back the legs of her jeans until they’re up to her knees. “I’m obviously not prepared at all. I’m going to have some pretty ugly tan lines by the end of the day.”
How to Snag a Shifter-The Book of Brooklyn Book One: A Young Adult Paranormal Romance Witch Series (The Book of Brooklyn Witch Series 1) Page 5
