Everly Academy

by V. B. Marlowe

  “Can you call my mother and tell her I’m okay. Just tell her I haven’t been able to reach her, but that I’m fine and I’ll contact her when I can.”

  Molly could only imagine the look of confusion on Denise’s face. “You haven’t spoken to your mother all this time?”

  “No. The reason why is a long story. Can you deliver the message for me?”

  “Yes, yes. Give me her number.”

  Molly did that. She was relieved that she could at least give her family something, so they wouldn’t think she had vanished into thin air. They discussed a few more details about Dru’s arrangements before hanging up.

  Molly stared at the phone in her hand. There was nothing stopping her from dialing her mother’s number just then. Her mother would feel much better hearing her voice than receiving a call from Denise. She thought about the promise she had made to Bea and how Bea trusted her. Molly didn’t want to break that. She also had to think about her mother. What would she even tell her? Hey, Mom, sorry I haven’t called, but I’m stuck in a school full of fairy-tale characters I can’t leave until I help them break the curses an evil coven of witches has set on them. That would only freak her out and make her think that Molly had lost her mind.

  Molly sighed and took the phone back to Bea. It was decided that Drusilla would leave the house the following night. That gave the girls a little over twenty-four hours to say goodbye to their friend. With that settled, Molly needed a mental break that she could only get from a certain blue-eyed groundskeeper.

  23

  Molly jogged over to Owen’s cottage and knocked on the door. This was usually around the time he and his father took their lunch break. The door swung open, revealing Donald in a pair of dirty overalls.

  He grinned as if he knew why she was there. “Why Ms. Dillinger, nice of you to stop by our humble abode.”

  “Hi, Donald. Is Owen here?”

  “He sure is.” He called over his shoulder. “Owen? Ms. Dillinger is here.” He turned back to Molly. “Come on in. Have a seat and make yourself comfortable. We were just about to have some lunch. Feel free to join us.”

  “No, thank you. I have to be getting back to the house.” She knew there was going to be a lot to do getting Dru prepared to leave Everly Academy.

  She took a seat on the love seat while Donald pulled cold cuts from the fridge and a loaf of bread from the bread box. Molly wondered why they ate so simply when they could have anything they wanted from the house.

  Owen emerged from one of the back rooms, wearing a tight, white undershirt. Molly tried not to look at his muscles straining underneath the tight material. “So, you made it back,” Owen said. “You’re smiling, so I take it you were successful.”

  Molly wasn’t even aware that she was smiling, but she nodded. “Yes. We got the elixir. Or should I say, the girls got the elixir. I can’t take credit for much.”

  Owen grinned. “I’m sure you pulled your weight. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You did your best for a person with no magic who hasn’t been training for this for years. Anyways, that means I owe you a home-cooked meal. How’s tonight?”

  Dru’s goodbye dinner wasn’t until the following night, so Molly thought that would be fine. “Tonight is perfect.”

  “Good. Then you can tell me all about this adventure you’ve been on.”

  Donald dropped the butter knife he had been using to spread mayo on his sandwich, causing a loud clanking sound. Molly had forgotten he was even in the room.

  “Okay,” Molly said. “See you tonight. What time should I come?”

  “Seven,” he said, “and wear something hot.”

  Molly froze in the doorway and turned to him. “Excuse me?”

  He turned red. “I said seven. I can’t wait.”

  Molly turned to head back to the house in order to conceal the fact that she was blushing.

  Back at the house everyone was buzzing about Dru’s unexpected departure. Jolie, Gretchen, and Oriana were busy making decorations in Dru’s favorite colors—blue and gold. Tress, Lily, and Allison were making her gifts. Isleen was nowhere to be found. Scarlett was occupied with helping Dru pack and telling her all about the outside world. Since Scarlett was not like the other girls and she had only been at Everly for six months, she very much knew what the modern world was like. A pit formed at the bottom of Molly’s stomach. She worried about Dru and how she would adjust even though she knew Denise would take very good care of her.

  Molly made her way to Dru’s room to tell her what she and Denise had spoken about. She and Scarlett were placing Dru’s beautiful dresses into garment bags.

  “Hey, Dru. Can I speak to you for a minute?”

  Scarlett lay a short, green dress across Dru’s bed. “I’ll go help the girls with the decorations for tomorrow night. See you, Dru.”

  “See you.”

  Molly sat on Dru’s tall bed. She’d had to climb a small ladder to get up there. Molly patted the area on the bed beside her, indicating for Dru to come have a seat. Dru settled beside Molly.

  “How are you feeling?” Molly asked.

  Dru shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not sure how to feel. A lot of emotions are going through my head right now. On one hand, I’ll finally be able to sleep at night without being in extreme pain or my skin bruising at the slightest touch. I don’t even remember what that feels like. On the other hand, I’m scared out of my mind. I have no idea what the world is like now. Scarlett tells us a lot, but it’s not the same as experiencing for yourself. She says that I’m really smart so I’ll be fine, but I have to be tough too.”

  Molly silently agreed. Being street smart was a lot different than being book smart.

  “Also,” Dru continued, “I still can’t believe I’m not going to be here anymore. Waking up every morning and not being in my bed is going to be so strange. I’m going to miss Lily and Izzy’s fights. Getting all dolled up in the Glam Room. I’ll even miss Ms. Halifax’s evil stares. I’m going to lose my family all over again.”

  Molly patted her knee. “I’m so sorry, Dru.” She couldn’t imagine how it would feel to leave the people she’d lived with for so long. “I know that will be the hardest part, but at some point, we are going to break all the curses and everyone will be able to leave. Someday you will begin your own family. The witches meant for this place to become your tomb, but I’m not settling for that. You just happen to be the first one to leave, and this place is not going to be the same without you.”

  Dru seemed to think Molly’s words over for a moment. “I guess you’re right, but I still can’t help but to think that I’m crazy for volunteering to be the guinea pig. What if I hate it out there?”

  “I know it’s scary, and I’m going to be honest with you. It will probably be very overwhelming at first, but I don’t want you to worry about that. I have a very good friend named Denise. She’s a professor at the university I attended, and she’s been a great mentor to me over the past couple of years. I spoke to her, and she’s going to help you get signed up for school and find you a place to live. She said you could even live with her. She’s great. You’re going to love her, and she’s going to love you.”

  That seemed to ease Dru’s mind just a little, but there was still some fear there. Molly couldn’t blame her. She would be afraid too. “Also, Bea will be checking in very frequently with Denise to make sure that you’re doing okay.”

  Dru took Molly’s hand and squeezed it. “Thanks for everything. We would have never figured out how to find the elixirs if it wasn’t for you. Dr. Meyer would still be poisoning Allison, and we’d all still be . . . stuck. I know you didn’t want to be here in the first place, but thanks for that.”

  Molly felt a stab of guilt even though her feelings about being lied to and essentially imprisoned were certainly justified. Although she still wanted to leave the academy, a part of her didn’t—the part that had grown attached to the girls; the part that was now more than ever determined to find every author’s pen; the part th
at wanted to get to know Owen better. “You’re welcome,” Molly said. “I’ll leave you to your packing. Let me know if you need anything.”

  Dru nodded, and Molly left her alone to prepare for her departure.

  That evening Molly paid a visit to the Glam Room. She hadn’t been there in a while. Ember grabbed her and pulled her over to her chair as soon as she walked in. “Ms. Dillinger, I’ve been wondering when you were going to grace us with your lovely presence once again. I was beginning to think that you didn’t like our work. What will it be today?”

  “Uh, just a little makeup, nothing too heavy.” She turned to Cinnamon who spun around in an empty salon chair, reading a magazine. “And I’d like a dinner dress—something little and black.”

  Cinnamon clapped her hands and hurried over to her area. “A little black dress coming right up!”

  Anais exited a small side room carrying a cup of makeup brushes. “And why do we need a little black dress?”

  Molly hadn’t been prepared to discuss that. She just wanted to get herself done up for her date. The three women watched her with eyebrows raised. “Well, I sort of have a date tonight.” Molly couldn’t help but grin, and she realized she’d missed having girlfriends to talk to.

  “Oh,” Ember said as she used her fingers to fluff out Molly’s hair. “So, Owen finally made his move, huh? Or did you ask him out?”

  Molly’s jaw dropped. “How do you know?”

  Anais giggled. “This estate is huge, but it’s also very small. Do you think anything happens here that we don’t hear about? He is hot, I’ll give you that.”

  Ember sighed as she went to work on Molly’s hair. “At least someone here has a shot of love. Please keep us posted on all the juicy details. Otherwise romance novels are as close as we’re going to get to a true love story.”

  True love story? Molly was not ready for that at all. She liked Owen a lot, but her last true love had broken her heart and she still wasn’t over that yet. Molly told them the details of her last lunch date with Owen. The women oohhed and ahhed as if it were the most scandalous thing they had ever heard.

  In no time Molly’s makeup was flawlessly done. After giving Molly’s hair a slight trim and a curl, Ember produced a beautiful silver hairpin which she slipped just above Molly’s right ear.

  Molly stood in the full-length mirror and twirled around. She liked what she saw. Cinnamon brought over a pair of black pumps for Molly to slide her feet into. The heels were a little higher than what Molly was used to, but her legs looked killer in them, so she would endure.

  She thanked the stylists then hurried off to her room to spray on her favorite perfume. At five minutes after seven, Molly slipped from the estate and made her way to Owen’s cottage. She was grateful that everyone else was occupied with dinner. Molly didn’t want to have to explain why she was dressed the way she was or where she was going, even though everyone would find out eventually.

  Molly raised her fist to knock on the door, but it swung open before she could. Had Owen been watching her walk over? She hoped not because the thought made her feel extremely self-conscious.

  Owen’s eyes grew wide as he took in Molly, and she couldn’t help but to blush. “Wow. I was only joking when I said to wear something hot. You look great. Come on in.”

  Molly stepped inside and was surprised to see that Owen had pulled all the stops. His father was nowhere in sight. The kitchen table had been covered with a white tablecloth. Two plates sat on either side of the table, which was lit by several tall candles. Whatever Owen had made smelled heavenly.

  He pulled out Molly’s chair and then took his seat. Molly had almost forgotten what it was like to be in the presence of a true gentleman.

  Owen filled their glasses with a deep-red wine. “I know it’s not up to the caliber of what you’re used to at the estate, but it’s my best dish.”

  Molly looked down at her plate. “Are you kidding me? This looks amazing.” Owen had made a pot roast, baked asparagus, and baby potatoes. Molly hadn’t realized how hungry she’d been as she dug in. Everything was tasty and tender. “Who taught you how to cook this way?”

  Owen stared at the flickering flame of a candle. “My mother before she passed. She always said she refused to raise a man who couldn’t clean and cook for himself.”

  Molly gave him a small smile. She could tell by the way he spoke of her that Owen had really loved his mother. “Well, she did a great job.” Molly thought about her own mother. She had tried to teach Molly to cook, but Molly was just no good at it.

  “So, what’s going on with you?” Owen asked.

  Molly really wished that she wasn’t so preoccupied that she couldn’t enjoy the moment, but that wasn’t the case. All she could think about was Dru and even more so the girls who still needed to have their curses broken. Dru was just one victory. They still had a long way to go.

  Molly sighed. She told Owen about everything that had happened on their journey.

  Owen took a sip of his wine. “I don’t get it. You accomplished what you set out to do, didn’t you? You defeated the first witch and got an elixir. Dru will be freed. So why exactly are you so glum?”

  Molly thought twice about spilling all her feelings out to him, then she figured she didn’t have anything to lose by doing so. “Well, a couple of reasons. One, that wolf was difficult to defeat. I almost died. The girls had to save me. How are we supposed defeat six more villains who are probably stronger? Second, I’m worried about Dru. She has no idea what the world is like outside of these gates, and she’ll be out there without anyone she knows.” Molly told him how she had arranged for Denise to take care of Dru.

  “I can understand why those things could be bothersome. I don’t believe in crossing bridges before you get to them. As far as those other wolves are concerned, you got this. Have the girls teach you how to fight and use weapons.”

  “I used to take jiu-jitsu,” Molly said.

  Owen chuckled. “Those villains have no idea what they’re up against.”

  Molly laughed at the thought of her using jiu-jitsu moves against a crocodile, but then she got serious. “Owen, I like Bea and I know she thinks she’s doing her best by the girls, but I think she’s doing them a huge disservice.”

  Owen frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “By not allowing them to adjust to the modern world or have any contact with the outside, then suddenly once their curses are broken, they’ll get thrown out into a world they don’t understand, yet they have to survive.”

  “I understand that, but she has to keep them within the barrier because of the witches.”

  “I get that too, but I think letting them out here and there will be okay. The girls have proven that they can take care of themselves.”

  Owen raised an eyebrow. “So, what do you want to do? Pile them in a van and take them to the mall?”

  “Kind of,” Molly replied. “They deserve to live their lives and have some type of normal experiences. We could go to the movies, or I could teach them how to shop. Things like that.”

  Owen shook his head. “What about Marina? You can’t exactly take her to the skating rink with you.”

  Molly had thought about that too. “Marina’s different. When her curse is broken, she’ll go back to her world in the ocean, so she doesn’t have to be concerned with how we live on land. She still has her family and a kingdom of people who love her.”

  Now that Molly had officially broken the romantic mood, she wanted to get this dinner date back on track. They talked about what Owen’s life had been like before Everly. She learned that he loved the water and had especially loved fishing trips with his dad. “I would give anything if this place had a lake or a stream, so we could drop a line.”

  Molly felt bad for him. At least there was plenty of room for her favorite pastime—running. It would suck if she wasn’t able to do that. Owen served himself and Molly a slice of the chocolate cake he had made. Once dessert was done, he walked her back to the esta
te.

  The pool and backyard were empty. Peeking through the glass doors that led into the house, Molly could make out the faint glow of the fire. She figured everyone was in the sitting room for story time. “Owen, thank you for a great night. I really needed this.”

  He smiled, revealing his perfect white teeth. “Anytime.” Before Molly could reach for the door and head inside, Owen was pressing his warm, soft lips against hers.

  Butterflies fluttered through Molly’s body like she had time-traveled back to the seventh grade when she’d had her first kiss. Pulling away, she stared into Owen’s eyes one last time before slipping into the house. He stood there watching her leave. Although Molly liked the kiss, she wasn’t ready for the girls or anyone to see them together in that way.

  When she stepped into the living room she expected to see everyone, but there was just Isleen propped up on the sofa with her arms folded across her chest. She stared coldly at Molly. “We missed you at dinner tonight.”

  Molly didn’t know why she felt like a little girl getting scolded by her mother, but she did, and she hated herself for it. Even though she and Isleen were only five years apart, she was the adult. “Uh, yes. I had other plans.”

  Isleen smirked. “I bet you did. Just so you know, Ms. Bea does not allow fraternizing of any kind.”

  Molly straightened her shoulders. “That’s funny because Bea has never mentioned such a thing to me. Besides, we’re just two friends sharing a meal. There can’t be any rule against that.”

  Isleen balled her fist, and Molly could see the spoiled little princess coming out of her. “Stay away from him. I saw him first. You can’t just waltz your way in here and snap up all his attention.”

  The last thing Molly was going to do was argue over a guy, and she definitely wasn’t about to argue over a guy with a teenager. “Isleen, Owen is a grown man. He is surely not interested in you in that way. I know you’re used to getting what you want, but he is one thing you cannot have.”

  Molly could barely believe the words had come out of her mouth, but they were already spoken and couldn’t be taken back. Totally unprofessional she knew, but she wasn’t sorry for them. Isleen stood, looking prepared to throw a fit, but Molly left the room before she could say another word.