Love Spells and Other Disasters

by Angie Barrett

  “You don’t honestly think Ro kept that a secret from me, do you?” Ethan lowers his voice by a fraction, enough to keep the substitute from glancing over at us. “Oh, come on, Abby. You really expect us to believe that a spell Rowan copied out of a book yesterday actually works?”

  She lifts her chin. “Well, Mel and her new guy have been chatting it up all night. We’re going to the mall to get her an outfit for their date. You might say it’s just a coincidence. I say it’s strange that some guy randomly texted her, out of the blue, after Ro wrote a spell about him.”

  “It doesn’t prove anything.” Ethan leans forward so he’s all up in her space. He has his arms crossed and his angry face on, looking all scowly so you know he means business. “You’re wasting your time with this stupid idea. Ro wants to come up with something different. We all know Mr. Tremmel isn’t going to go for something so frivolous.”

  “Oh please,” Abby says with a dismissive wave. “Mr. Tremmel just pre-approved Jess Trovet’s custom fortune cookie booth.”

  Ethan and I share a wide-eyed look. Maybe we’ve got it wrong about Mr. Tremmel.

  “He told her that as long as everyone knows it’s for entertainment purposes only, he’s okay with it. She’s not allowed to put anything scandalous or threatening or anything that might be morbid on the fortune strips.” Abby flicks her hair over her shoulder. “So we should be fine. Besides, we’re only testing to see if it actually works, remember?”

  “And if it does?” Ethan tone let’s her know that he really doesn’t believe that it will.

  “Then we can charge more.” Abby pulls out the spell book from yesterday and opens it to the page with the love spell we modeled our crush spell on. “We’ll make a killing for Mr. Tremmel’s charity, which will put us in his good books, which means I get my referral.”

  I shake my head. She really thinks the spell is going to work. Maybe she isn’t trying to humiliate me at all, maybe she really does think that Mel’s dream guy actually contacted her because of a few words I wrote. Once again, I’m amazed at how much people are willing to believe in the unbelievable when they want something. “We’d be scamming people.”

  “Not if the spell actually works.” Abby flips through the book.

  “It won’t.”

  “Hang on a minute.” Ethan yanks my arm so I’m practically sitting on his lap. “I have an idea.” He leans closer so he’s whispering in my ear. “Just do the test. That way, when it doesn’t work, you’ll be able to convince her to come up with a different idea.”

  “You two are the worst conspirators.” Abby isn’t looking at us. She’s still flipping pages of the spell book. “If you think I’m being ridiculous, then prove me wrong.” She shoves the book across her desk.

  I look at Ethan. He shrugs.

  “Good, now we can get some work done without any more drama.” Abby grabs my hand and pulls me closer to her while at the same time giving Ethan an exasperated look like he’s the one causing all the problems.

  “This is a waste of time.” I slump farther into my seat. I could kick my past self for even suggesting it.

  She scans the room. “Who’s that girl over there?”

  I look over to where Abby is pointing. She’s quiet and mousy looking, not unlike me, except her hair is blond and she wears glasses. Her fashion sense is about as abysmal as mine. Jeans, a black T-shirt, sneakers. Amanda Rutt, who I don’t really know at all despite being in two of the same classes together. She’s hunched over her math work like she’s shielding it from predators, which she probably is because one of the guys next to her is trying to peek over her shoulder.

  “Write a spell about her and…” Abby scans the room again. “Him.” She points to Will Axworthy, superstar athlete and mega popular.

  Ethan scoffs loudly.

  My eyes nearly bug out of my head. “No way. Those two—”

  “Are the most unlikely pair? Yeah, no crap. That’s the point.” She shoves the book onto my desk. “Write the spell like you did yesterday but make sure the timeframe is in the spell. Work in something about math class and make it urgent.”

  I tap the book. “I can’t just write about someone and make it happen. She’ll have to recite it and then burn it, remember?”

  Abby runs her finger over her lips. “Hmmm…right.” She picks up a pen and hands it to me. “Write it, leave the rest to me.” Then she gets up and leaves the room. No word to the substitute. Nothing.

  I open the book again to the page we were on yesterday.

  I don’t actually want to do this but like when I write the fan responses for my mom, words start to roll through my head, alterations to the spell in the book. It’s all about hidden desires and impulse decisions, letting courage take over and seeing others for the person they are, and it just happens. I write in Amanda’s name and then Will’s, too. I say that their love affair will begin in math class when he asks her for help on a question. And that’s where I get stuck because it’s weirdly specific.

  Ethan reads over my shoulder. “Maybe put something about her big brown eyes.”

  I pluck at a hang nail and scrutinize the words. “Her big brown eyes?” I can’t believe we’re doing this.

  “What, don’t love poems always talk about eyes? Maybe he sees something in her eyes that he can’t turn away from.”

  “Are her eyes brown?” I hesitate because I honestly can’t answer that and I don’t want to turn around and stare at Amanda. “Maybe something about how sweet she is,” I suggest as I scribble another line.

  Abby strolls back into the class with another book in hand. She nods at the substitute and gives her one of her signature I’m-only-indulging-you smiles. “Sorry, Miss. I just needed something from the library.”

  The substitute waves her off. Abby slides by Amanda before she plops down next to me and flips the book open. “I found another spell yesterday. It’s like a spell booster and it works remotely.”

  She points to the page in front of me.

  “This says you can make a spell work if you collect something personal from the intended…” But Abby isn’t next to me anymore. She’s chatting with Will, who is totally ogling her. They’re friends in some way, I’m sure, but Will still looks like having a conversation with Abby is going to be the highlight of his day. His smile is too big. His gestures too animated. He runs his fingers through his slicked back hair like he wants her to notice how…slicked back it is or something. It’s obvious to me that he’s nervous. Abby must know it, too, because she leans in closer and puts her hand on his arm.

  His eyes lock on her hand. He straightens up and pushes his chest out. Ethan and I are both riveted; the testosterone output in this room has tripled at least. Will nods, grins, then reaches up and yanks a hair from his head. He hands the strand of hair to Abby. She thanks him, then on her way back to my desk she bypasses Amanda and plucks a strand of hair from her shoulder. “Here, I got these.” She lays out two strands of hair.

  I stare down at them. One is blond. One is brown. One is long. One is short. “What do you want me to do with those?”

  She’s reading my spell, dragging her finger along each line. It feels judge-y and I hold my breath waiting for her approval. Then I catch myself. What the hell do I care if Abby likes the spell or not? Obviously, this nonsense is twisting up my common sense.

  She slides the two strands of hair onto the paper. “I want you to take these, wrap them up in this paper.” She hands me the spell. “And then burn them.” She’s giving me that commanding stare of hers. The one that I think means she expects me to obey without delay. “Now. Before the period ends.”

  It’s like Abby’s pushing me onto the ride at a county fair that doesn’t have the highest safety rating. Is this what peer pressure feels like?

  I put on the brakes. Hard. “Don’t you think we should get consent?”

  Abby’s fac
e contorts into a mask of incredulity. “Consent for what? You’re convinced it isn’t going to work, so what harm is there?”

  We glare at each other for a few long seconds, but I can see she’s dead serious. She thinks it will work and she won’t get off of my back until I prove her wrong. There’s only one way to convince her that it won’t. “Never mind. Fine. Give me the spell and the hair.”

  I ask to go to the restroom. The substitute doesn’t even glance up from her book, so I slip out and immediately head toward the restroom that Ethan and I always meet in. I pause outside the door, then take a left in the opposite direction. The last thing I need is someone walking in while I’m burning a piece of paper and some hair. Knowing my luck, I’d probably set off the sprinkler system with the smoke.

  I make it to the back doors near the gym before realizing that I don’t actually have anything to light the paper with. It’s not like I’m a smoker. After a second or two of thinking, I detour again and head for the bleachers out back. There’s got to be someone there who has a lighter.

  “Oh hey!” Two big arms wrap around my waist and pull me backward, not in a terrifying way, more like a I’ve-got-you way just as the door immediately in front of me slams open and a group of guys come barreling out. “Gotta watch it around here.” His voice is gruff, his arms still holding me tightly, and his breath is sliding down my neck. Every nerve ending in my body blinks on like sensor lights in a dark hall.

  I barely know him but everything about him is familiar in this moment. “Thanks, Luca.”

  Luca slowly unlatches his arms, turning me around so I’m farther away from the doors but still pretty up close and personal with him. “Didn’t mean to manhandle you but you were walking pretty fast and these goofs never look before they come barging out.”

  Just then the gym door flings open again and another pile of guys come jogging out.

  I’m staring up at him, into those green eyes of his only to realize that they aren’t exactly green…they’re blue…or maybe aqua. So pretty. Did my brain liquify a second ago? Is it seeping out of my ears? I think I might be gawking but I can’t seem to stop.

  “We’re heading out for a run.” His hands are still on me, holding my hips lightly and he’s staring at me, too.

  I’m sure that I can’t speak. I mean, my heart is jammed up into my throat. “A run?” I manage. “Outside?”

  He smiles, his eyes light up, dazzling me all over again. That smile could totally slay a million hearts. He lifts one hand so he can brush his hair away from his face. “Yeah, I know. Hardcore, right?”

  Actually, no. Of course he’s running outside. That’s what all the athletes do.

  “It’s important.” His voice goes husky, a tone I haven’t heard before, and it does a number on me. There’s so much heat pooling to the center of my body that I can’t explain the goose bumps rising or the shiver that quakes over my skin. Whatever is happening to me feels so strangely good that I don’t want it to stop. “Gotta keep the stamina up, you know, to stay in shape…” He makes sure I’m steady before letting me go.

  Yeah, well, he’s definitely in shape. I feel like a lump standing next to him. I clear my throat. “Um…well…thanks for the rescue. It’s nice seeing you again.” I try to side step him before I fully descend into awkward mode.

  He gets in my way again. “Hey, before you go…” He pulls his cell out of his pocket and offers it to me. “Can I get your number?”

  “My number?” I gawk at his screen.

  “Yeah, so I can text you.”

  “What for?” I’m literally kicking myself right now. What for? What the heck, Rowan! “I mean, sure.” I hastily take his phone, pray that I don’t drop it, then send myself a smiley face emoji. A smiley face. OMG.

  “I’m thinking maybe we could hang out sometime,” he says as he takes his phone back.

  I check his eyes, expecting to see amusement despite the serious look on his face. His eyes are not laughing. His eyes are looking hopeful, like he’s waiting for me to—

  “Hang out?” I recover my brain. “I mean, yeah, sure, I’d like that.”

  “Great. Good.” His smile is huge and totally contagious. I can’t help but smile the same way back at him. I think I’d do anything to keep him smiling like that.

  It’s super surreal to have a guy like Luca even remotely interested in me and that makes my head swim. But not in a totally bad way, just in a, wow, this water is so warm and clear and beautiful, I wonder if there are sharks nearby, kind of way. Despite what Ethan says, I have my doubts that I’m all that so it’s hard to believe that I won’t say or do something to bust up this fantasy in true Rowan fashion.

  “Yo, Luca, you coming or what?” one of the guys shouts from down the hall.

  Luca takes a step away, then waves his friend off before turning toward me again. “I’ll text you later.”

  “Okay, sounds good.” I don’t know how I’m playing it cool when there’s a booming game show voice in my head shouting you’re the grand prize winner! I manage to keep the grin from my face until he’s out of sight. Barely. Now I can’t help the beaming. I’m beaming so hard that my cheeks might fall off.

  I can’t even.

  His arms were just around me a minute ago and my mind drifts to what it would be like to cuddle together on the couch watching romantic movies or something. I liked having his arms around me like that. It made me feel…I don’t know…protected I guess, but something more, too. Hopeful? Excited? I mean, my stomach is totally quivering in this super obnoxious way.

  And then it hits me. Oh my God, Luca Russo just touched me! He held onto me so I wouldn’t get smacked in the face by the door. He cares that my face doesn’t get mashed up by his careless friends. More importantly, Luca Russo wants to hang out!

  I have to tell Ethan.

  My phone buzzes and for a second I think it’s Luca texting me back already, which would be impossible because I can see him jogging to catch up with his friends. That’s how messed up my brain is right now. I pull my phone out of my back pocket and see a text from Abby.

  Did you do it or what?

  Crap. I close my eyes, remember what the hell she’s talking about, then reply.

  Not yet.

  What r u waiting for??? Class is almost over.

  Double crap. I put my phone back then beeline for the side door that will take me to the bleachers. It’s windy outside, and there’s a chill, but it’s not raining for once. I have to wonder how Luca and his buddies can bear the early morning runs like they do. I’m barely awake as it is, let alone trying to coordinate one foot in front of the other in rapid succession.

  With careful steps, I hurry out to the bleachers.

  As expected, I find a group of kids huddled in a small circle, smoking something that smells a little skunky. I don’t recognize any of them but with the size of our school, that’s not surprising.

  “Can I borrow a lighter?” My words come out a little shaky and one of the girls gives me a curious glance.

  “You forget your stuff?” She offers me the joint but I shake my head and make a motion of a lighter.

  Another girl passes me a light.

  “Thanks.”

  Turning my back against the wind and the group of girls, I take the spell, make sure the strands of hair are still wrapped inside, then light it all up. The heat feels nice against the morning chill, so nice that I let it burn a little too low and flames lick my fingertips. I drop the bundle to the ground with a curse and shake out my hand. Once the paper is ash, I give back the lighter, then race inside.

  Not going to lie… I totally scan the area for Luca while I’m speed-walking back.

  He and his band of merry runners are nowhere in sight.

  Disappointed, I head for math class.

  Ethan is waiting outside the classroom as I round the corner. He’s twisting
and turning the bottom of his sweater and his face is scrunched. I check the time. Two minutes until the bell rings. Whew, I cut it close! I bite my tongue to keep myself from shouting out to him. We aren’t supposed to be wandering the halls while class is on and the last thing we need is teacher attention.

  I cannot wait to tell him about what just happened with Luca. He was right after all—I might actually go on a date. With Luca Russo! Maybe he does have a queer friend for Ethan. I’m practically giddy thinking about the possibilities. Luca seems like a totally nice guy, he’s hot as hell, and now he has my number. I want Ethan to drool over him with me.

  When Ethan catches sight of me, his expression relaxes. “There you are! Abby sent me out to find you. What happened? Did you get stopped by a teacher?” He grabs my arm as soon as I get within reach.

  “No, no, I did the spell.” I grab his arm back. “Eth, I ran into Luca—”

  “Ohhh?” He’s looking past me into the classroom. “’Kay, you’ve got to tell me the whole story later. Abby is on the move.”

  We step inside just as my phone vibrates. Abby is standing with the teacher, chatting away, clearly distracting the substitute. Her phone is in her hand.

  I glance at the text. It’s from Abby. All she’s written are two words.

  I look at the opposite side of the room where Amanda and Will are whispering quietly, heads nearly pressed together. Amanda is blushing something fierce and Will is focused so intently on her that it’s like he wants to devour her.

  Stunned, I slip back down my aisle. Ethan’s already there and his eyes are wide and glued to mine. I slide into my seat. He leans over and looks at my phone where Abby’s text is on display.

  It’s working.