Bittersweet Sixteen (A Dodie Jenks Novel)

by Lexi Witcher

  While I’d been upstairs napping, the foyer had been turned into the dance area and when we reached the bottom Leopold twirled me around before we began to dance to the song. Brody and Sasha joined in as well as a few others. The next time I looked up everyone was dancing. It felt like that scene in Princess Diaries when Mia accepts being a princess and her birthright as the Queen’s heir at the state dinner. And for about a half hour or more I was just a regular teenager, having her sweet sixteen birthday party. That is until I needed to take a break and get a glass of punch.

  Leopold left my side to get us both a glass and I found two vacant chairs in the living room to wait for him. I had yet to talk to Callie and Lisa, but it was on my list as soon as I quenched my thirst.

  “Happy Bithday, Dodie” Anson startled me, appearing at my side as if he’d been lurking in the shadows. I sure hadn’t seen him when I’d selected a place to sit. If I had I would have looked for another.

  “Thank you for coming. I hope you are having a good time.” I tried to be polite even though the very sight of him made me apprehensive since the black cat incident.

  “Yes.” He nodded and looked around awkwardly. “Can I talk to you?”

  “Of course.”

  “Alone?”

  “We are.”

  “Not really. There’s a house full of people around us.”

  “That’s true, but it is my party. I can’t leave to have a private conversation with you. Whatever you have to say can be said here.”

  His nose scrunched up making his nostrils flare as it was clear he didn’t like my answer. “Very well.” He rolled his eyes. “I feel something went wrong between us after I made those comments about Leopold. I know I apologized and you accepted it, but our friendship has suffered. You’ve been very distant and rude, if I must say so. Thanksgiving night you wouldn’t even hang out with us downstairs. I’d like to bury the hatchet and get to the way we were when we first met, before you met Leopold.”

  I sighed. “I don’t know, Anson. You don’t seem to be able to accept Leopold and he is very much a part of my life.”

  “He’s your tutor. Brody said you were finished with your studies here and you’d be leaving to go back home.”

  “That’s yet to be determined.”

  “But Brody said—”

  I stood up. “Brody doesn’t know everything. Okay? I want to stay here with Grandma. I haven’t given up on making that happen.”

  A smirk formed at his mouth and his attitude changed. “So does that mean you’ll enroll at the local high school if you do stay?”

  “I don’t know.” I saw Leopold making his way through the crowd from the dining room where the refreshments had been set up. “Listen, can we talk more about this later? Maybe tomorrow? I need to mingle with the guests.”

  “Sure.” Anson did an about face and I sighed again, sinking back to my seat.

  “Sorry it took so long. I got cornered by the caterer who was having an issue in the kitchen. And I couldn’t find your grandmother.”

  “That’s okay.”

  He handed me the punch and I drank it down in one big gulp. “Slow down. You don’t want to get choked.”

  “But I’m so thirsty. It’s too warm in here for so many people to be present.”

  “You’re senses are heightened making everything seem extreme.” He tilted his head in the direction Anson went in. “What did Mr. Parker want?”

  “To bury the hatchet.”

  “In your back?”

  “No, yours.” He looked surprised by my comment and I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing. “Just kidding. He wants to be friends like we were when we first met, before you came along.”

  “And?”

  “I told him we’d talk about it tomorrow.”

  “Good stall tactic.”

  “I thought so since the odds are stacked against him of that conversation ever happening.”

  “You’re such the pessimist tonight.”

  I set the punch cup down and stood up. “Come. I want to introduce you to my friends Callie and Lisa. Don’t be surprised if they drool all over your shoes. I know that is how I felt when I first saw you.”

  He grinned. “I remember.”

  Of course he did!

  Callie and Lisa were in the foyer dancing with Sasha and Brody and the teens from the church. Dweeb and Jackass were trying to make a good impression on them with their dance moves it seemed, but the duo was totally blowing it. My friends were more impressed by being included in anything having to do with Sasha York. They’d gain brownie points with the in-crowd back at high school for partying with the head cheerleader and a senior football player.

  Sadly the thought of returning to high school did not interest me at all. And that worried me because I had to go, didn’t I?

  I watched them dance for a bit and looked over my shoulder at Leopold. “Well it looks like they’re busy at the moment.”

  “We can join the dancing if you like? Or we can go raid the refreshment table.”

  “Let’s dance.”

  We danced to fast and slow songs until my dad turned the music down. A few groans of protest rose from the group, but everyone seemed to become attentive when he waved his arm.

  “Please, can I have everyone’s attention?” He moved until he was standing so he was visible from both the dining room and the living room. “Dodie, will you come and stand by me.”

  I left Leopold and the others and joined my dad.

  “Glynis.” My dad turned, looking for my mom, and she left the couple she’d been talking with in the living room to join us.

  He placed an arm around her shoulders and they both looked at me with adoring eyes. “It isn’t every day that we get to celebrate our baby girl turning sixteen and I’m sure you’re thinking the greatest gift right now would be a new car.”

  “Oh my gosh!” Callie and Lisa said in unison.

  However, I just stood there staring at them. I hadn’t been thinking presents at all. Having my life back to the way it was before I found out about the curse was all I really wanted from this night. They could keep the car or any present they might have bought me. Just give me that and having Leopold in my life. I’d be more than satisfied.

  “But we didn’t get you a car.”

  “No, we didn’t,” Mom said.

  “Yes!” I heard Brody from behind me and then a grunt and I knew Sasha had elbowed him in the side.

  “Your father and I have talked it over a great deal and we know how much you have fallen in love with this house since you came to stay with Cherie,” my mom said.

  Were they letting me stay?

  “Yes. We’ve listened to you, Dodie.” My dad smiled and then he looked into the living room. “Mother, come and join us since this affects you too.”

  Grandma came over and smiled.

  “With mother’s consent, we have made arrangements that upon your twenty-first birthday, the deed to Doughton Place will be yours.”

  “Happy Birthday, baby,” mom said, coming to hug me.

  I stood there in stone silence trying to understand what had just happened. Grandma had agreed to give me her home when I turned twenty-one? This was what my parents called a birthday present? Especially on this birthday? The one in which I could die?

  “Do you have anything you want to say?” my dad asked.

  I tried to speak but no words would come out so I looked at Grandma for help. Sure I loved the place, but I didn’t want to take her home from her. And at twenty-one would I be financially prepared to take over running a house this size?

  Grandma hugged me. “Say thank you,” she whispered in my ear. “We’ll talk more about this later.”

  I nodded, swallowing. I smiled at my dad and hugged him. When he released me I tried to make eye contact with everyone around me so they would know I was grateful.

  “Thank you. Thank you for this thoughtful gift.”

  Brody crossed his arms over his chest and glared at me. Great!
He was upset at me now because of this. I guess he thought the house should go to him. But we were not the only two grandchildren in this family. What about all the other grandsons who were twenty-one and over already? No, I didn’t want to even go there.

  A house. What was I going to do with a house?

  Callie and Lisa rushed over to me and gave me hugs.

  “Wow. Did you have any idea you were getting a house?” Callie asked.

  “I can’t believe your dad would tease us all by making us think for a second that you were getting a car,” Lisa said. “Girl, what have they done to you? You don’t look like the Dodie who left us a few weeks ago.”

  I laughed. “Actually they did nothing. Grandma just gave me a closet full of clothes that I was determined to wear before leaving here. There was a set of hot curlers in the bathroom and I just gave it all a try.”

  Callie wrapped a golden curl around her finger and stepped closer. “So what’s the deal with Mr. Hotstuff? Are you two like an item or is he just a paid escort for tonight?”

  A paid escort? She did not just say that!

  I swallowed the retort that was on the tip of my tongue and tried to act like I didn’t notice her remark. “You mean Leopold?”

  They both nodded, glancing longingly in his direction.

  “Yes. He’s my friend and we like one another. So try to behave yourself when I introduce him.”

  “Sure.”

  “Absolutely.”

  I motioned for him to come join us. He did, adjusting the knot of his tie as he walked toward us.

  Dweeb and Jackass picked that moment to crash our circle.

  “Hey, Dodie, baby, where have you been lately?” Jackass asked, trying to wrap his arm around me.

  I quickly sidestepped him, but then Dweeb was on my other side, trying to do the same and I bumped into him and he wrapped both arms around me.

  “Yeah. That’s more like it, Dodie girl. Stake your claim on the Dweebster.”

  “Get off me.” I pushed him away.

  Callie and Lisa both began to slap him on the arm so he’d back away.

  “You’re such a nerd,” Lisa said.

  “No wonder they call you Dweeb,” Callie added.

  Leopold cleared his throat. “Is there a problem?”

  “Not since you arrived,” Lisa said with a wink.

  He actually turned a shade of pink and reached for my hand. Usually he did that when he thought I needed support, but I could tell he was the one needing it. So I gladly rescued him.

  “Leopold, please meet Lisa who I didn’t know could be such a flirt.”

  “Hello.” He gave a slight nod in her direction.

  “Don’t forget about me!” Callie said, sticking out her hand for him to shake.

  “And Miss Impatient here is Callie. The three of us have been friends since junior high.”

  “Nice to meet you both.”

  “What about us?” Dweeb asked. “Are we chopped liver?”

  “No, that’d be an insult to liver.” I slapped my hand over my mouth as soon as the words left it.

  Lisa and Callie broke out into hysterics.

  I felt horrible and unsure what had come over me, but Jackass thought it was funny too and tried to get me to share a hi-five with him.

  “Sorry.”

  Dweeb shrugged. “Hey, that was cool. I didn’t think you had it in you, Dodie girl. Catch ya laters. Hey Brody, did you hear the cut your sister just gave me?”

  “I think I need more punch. If you’ll excuse me,” I said, going in search of the punch bowl in the dining room. I filled a fresh glass and slowly drank it, then refilled it. When I turned around I almost bumped into Ambrielle.

  “Excuse me, honey. I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said, eyeing my chest. “That’s a very unusual charm around your neck.”

  “It was a gift. I’m glad you could come. I didn’t know that Grandma had invited you.”

  “Yes. Well. She called me up out of the blue this morning and said I needed to be here if at all possible. Explained what she was doing and how she felt I had been a part of this from the start even though I had warned you not to try to break the…you know.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “You went against my advice, but—and I don’t say this often—I think you were right. I sense a peace in this house where you are concerned.” She looked around to see that no one was near and then she stepped closer, lowering her voice. “But I must warn you, there is a darkness lurking here tonight. I’ve gotten close to it, but whoever it is has the skill of shielding. Whoever it is does not want to be discovered by me or your warlock. So do be careful.”

  “I will.”

  “Good.” She patted my forearm and smiled. “Your warlock is very cunning.”

  I sipped my punch as she walked away. And refilled my glass a second time finding it difficult to quench my thirst. Leopold came over and joined me at the table.

  “Who was that lady?” he asked.

  “Ambrielle. Did you know that Grandma invited her?”

  “Cherie and I spoke of it.” He picked up a plate and filled it with a few of the offerings. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

  “I thought you didn’t want her coming?” I ignored his question.

  “I changed my mind.” He set down the plate and took hold of my hand. “Have you seen your cake yet?”

  “No.”

  “Do you want to?”

  “Sure.”

  “Come with me.” He pulled me along to the kitchen where the caterer and her assistant were busy preparing more food. The cake sat on the island counter and it was a very large one, two tiered with columns surrounding a lighted sixteen that sat in the middle. The icing was white with blue roses and rosebuds for accent.

  “It’s lovely, too pretty to eat.”

  “I agree.” He pulled me along across the kitchen toward the door to the wine cellar.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “Someplace where we can talk alone.”

  “What about?” I asked, having a sinking feeling something wasn’t right. I remembered the doppelgänger that had appeared before, the day I’d gotten my dress. I let go of his hand. “No. I need to get back to the party.”

  “I don’t think so, not this time.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me hard toward the wine cellar door.

  “I will not!” I screamed, stiffening my legs and trying to keep my feet from moving as he pulled. I yanked my arm back, but his grip on my hand was too tight. This wasn’t Leopold. This was the descendant. I couldn’t go into that wine cellar with him.

  We struggled, but it seemed that the caterer and her assistant were blind to what was going on. Even though I called for help. My wrist corsage was battered in the process of the struggle and the petals from the rose fell off, leaving only the stem.

  “Leave me alone. Why do you want to harm me?” I cried, trying once again to free my hand from his hold, but his fingers had a death grip on me.

  “You don’t deserve to live. No Doherty kin deserves it.” He yanked open the cellar door with his free arm and took a step inside, pulling me along with him, despite my efforts to stay put.

  Behind us I heard the scraping of the kitchen door on the floor as it opened. “Dodie!” Leopold called.

  I glanced in his direction and I saw Grandma rush in behind him. “Oh my lord!”

  Oscar appeared a moment later and he threw what looked like a glowing ball of fire toward the door which sent the doppelgänger into the wine cellar and closed the door, the force sending me into the wall.

  Leopold ran to me and helped me up. “Are you okay?” He crushed me to him and I couldn’t stop trembling. His lips found mine and we kissed feverishly for a moment, before he pulled away. Releasing me.

  He jammed his fingers into his hair and raked them backwards before he began to shake his head. “I can’t do this.”

  “Yes you can.” Oscar took hold of his shoulders and made him look at him. “You can. You
have the power to see this through. It isn’t always easy being what we are, but we have to do what we must.”

  “But I have feelings. Stronger ones than I thought.”

  Grandma hugged him. “We all do—that’s what makes us human. But we can get through this together.” Then she looked at me. “Come with me. We need to get you cleaned up. It’s almost time to cut the cake.”

  I nodded feeling a little numb. I looked down at the shredded corsage fragments and removed the wrist band, tossing it into the trash.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Grandma helped me fix my smudged mascara in the tiny bathroom off the foyer and then we returned to the party. Leopold and Oscar were waiting for us. Oscar led Grandma to the dance floor while Leopold and I stayed.

  “Are you okay?” Leopold asked.

  I nodded. “I’m a little shaken up, but I’ll be okay.”

  “I’m sorry about earlier. I should have stayed with you, not letting you out of my sight. I knew something like this could have happened. The descendant has only so long to make its move. It’ll be midnight soon.”

  “I know.”

  He reached for my hand and led me down the hallway away from the dancing and the loud music. We went into Grandma’s studio. “I need you to know something, Dodie. I didn’t realize it until a few moments ago and I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time—”

  “What?” I asked, touching his cute dimple that was present as he spoke because he was smiling.

  “I love you.”

  I blinked, having not expected that, but finding it pleased me very much. I hugged him. “I love you too.”

  He kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose, and then my lips. “Happy Birthday, Dodie.”

  When we returned to the party the Goo Goo Dolls was playing and we slow danced to the song. I closed my eyes, leaning my cheek against his, wishing the song would go on forever, but the grandfather clock had long ago struck the half-hour and the hand was inching toward twelve faster and faster with every beat of the song. The cake had been moved to the dining room already. And that meant as soon as the song ended I’d be expected to blow out the candles.