I got up from the table and started out of the room. “I hope so. I miss my sister.”
****
I didn’t expect Logan until later, so I had the chance to get some laundry done and help Elizabeth tidy up the house. It didn’t take long, not the way we did it. Normally, Elizabeth frowned on us using our magical powers for everyday chores. She said we should never become so lazy as to waste our talents, but today she expected Lily. They needed to go over some of the books for the flower shop and she wanted to get everything done before she arrived. So she gave me the go-ahead to let loose.
She took the living room and I handled the laundry. I dragged the hampers from the upstairs down to the hallway in front of the laundry area. With one wave of my hands the clothes from the hamper snaked out and began dancing in the air. I turned on a radio on the credenza and really started to have fun with it, making outfits out of the dirty clothes and dancing around with them. I matched shirts with pants and skirts and even pairs of socks and laughed as they bounced and whirled in the air of the hallway. I marched underwear and bras and tights into the open washer lid, poured in the measured detergent, shut the lid and started the machine.
“Brava!”
Startled by applause, I spun around to see Lily standing there, clapping and laughing at my impromptu performance.
“Oh, Lily! You surprised me.” It struck me how much of Logan I could see in her. He had her eyes and her nose, and they had the same color hair. Jade must look so much more like her father. Logan was so his mother’s son. It figured. Another reason to love him. How could a girl resist a boy who loved his mother?
“Serena, you are so talented. I just love the way you use your magic. There is such a joy in your face. The same joy I see when you’re with my son,” she added, with a sly smile.
I didn’t know what to say. Luckily, at that moment Elizabeth came in, having made short work of the living room, and ready to tackle the accounting books with Lily. They soon disappeared into the den. I finished dealing with the laundry and walked past the den, when I overheard a part of their conversation. I knew I shouldn’t eavesdrop again; it happened too much lately, but it sounded way too interesting. I heard Lily’s voice first.
“He’s much different than Logan and Jade’s father, Elizabeth.” Lily mused.
“Well, it’s been a long time since you’ve been on an actual date, hasn’t it?” Elizabeth tried to sound respectful. I heard Lily laugh in response.
“Try more than twenty years. It’s ridiculous how ridiculous I felt. Like I’m fifteen years old with braces going on my first car date.”
“So? Tell me everything and don’t leave out a detail.”
“Well, Jade had already gone with Sully. Declan picked me up right on time and took me to a lovely Italian restaurant. I felt so nervous, Elizabeth! I didn’t even know what to wear, how to act, even what to order. But Declan acted like a complete gentleman. Charming, outgoing, worldly, so intelligent and knowledgeable of so many topics. I found myself hanging on his every word, again like a schoolgirl.”
Around the corner I found myself hanging on her every word. I also wondered if Logan knew about any of this. I guessed he didn’t and resolved not to tell him until his mom did. This sounded like Lily’s own delicious secret. It sure sounded like she had fun. I heard Elizabeth agree with my silent assessment.
“It certainly sounds like you enjoyed yourself.”
“Oh, I did. And he asked me out again, for this Wednesday. He wants to take me to a reading at the library of Elizabeth Barrett Browning poems. Doesn’t that sound romantic?”
“Yes, it does. Is this guy for real?”
“Well, you can let me know. I asked him to pick me up at the shop. I wanted you to give me your opinion. I feel like my radar is all out of whack. But there is something there I’m missing.”
“What do you mean, Lily?”
She appeared thoughtful before answering. “When I’m with him, it’s like I’m so dazzled I can’t see beyond him. But afterward, like now, there is something I can’t quite put my finger on. I want you to meet him to see if you can call it out.” To me, Lily sounded nervous and unsure.
“Okay. But maybe you are just being paranoid.” From my hiding place, I knew she wasn’t. I had learned to trust Lily’s instincts, just like Logan’s.
“Maybe. But, you will meet him?” Lily seemed to need Elizabeth’s approval.
“Yes. I’ll meet him. For whatever good that will do, I’ll meet him. But, it does sound like he acted like a gentlemen. Seems like everyone around here is minding their manners.” She said cryptically. Oh-oh. That sounded close to home.
“What do you mean?” asked Lily.
“Well, it appears things are getting hot and heavy with Serena and Logan.” I sucked in my breath sharply. Had she really just betrayed my confidence? And to my boyfriend’s mother? I knew no one could see me, but if they could, I’m sure they’d have seen me turn several shades of red, in a fierce combination of embarrassment and anger.
“Really? Have they…?” Lily obviously couldn’t bring herself to complete the question.
“Oh no,” Elizabeth hastened to say. “No. Apparently they have decided to wait. But the way Serena moons over your son, it may have more to do with him making that decision than her.” I slid down the wall and stuffed the back of my hand in my mouth to keep from screaming. It would be okay if I died right now.
“Oh, I doubt that. My son is absolutely crazy about Serena. He has their whole life mapped out.” Hey now, this sounded interesting. “I have never seen him so sure, so confident and committed to anything or anyone ever. Serena is it for him. He’ll never even look at another girl.” I heard a different tone to Lily’s voice when she continued. “There is so much of his father in him. Evan had so much passion. When we were young, we had our whole lives ahead of us; we thought we could do anything. And for a long time, we did. Those were the happiest times of my life. I want that feeling for Logan forever. And he has it with Serena. Serena is his happiness.”
“Yes.” Elizabeth agreed quietly. “She is.”
“So,” Lily said brightly, changing the somber mood. “We’ll see where this goes with me and Declan, then? When you meet him on Wednesday?”
“Absolutely. Now, let’s get this accounting done.”
They went back to their books and I took the opportunity to escape. Reviewing what I had overheard, I realized I had learned some very important things. I knew how I felt about Logan and where I wanted our relationship to go, but it sounded so wonderful to have it laid out for me how he felt. And from someone as reliable as his mother. I marveled again how perfectly everything in my life seemed to be falling into place. Now, if only I could figure out Tabitha.
Chapter Seven
TABITHA
I heard my sister, Serena, downstairs and hoped she didn’t try to come in and talk to me again. I got so tired of explaining myself. Miss Perfect didn’t have to know everything all the time. Larissa said it would probably be better to keep our business just between us anyway. She said that not everyone would understand. She said it was just lucky that we found each other and what were the odds that two twitches would be living in the same town all this time and not even know it? I didn’t tell her about Jade and Logan either, but it was weird, because she already seemed to know about them.
It’s pretty cool how I met Larissa. I happened to be in the library out in town doing one of those boring book reports Ms. Clutter always wanted us to do when she got too lazy to assign anything with real educational value. I figured I would read the book, bang out the report in about an hour, and use the rest of the time for some recreational reading of my own. Lately, I’d been into reading true crime.
So, there I had been, browsing the section when I bumped into her. Or rather, she bumped into me. It turned out we liked the same kind of books; totally cool, then it also turned out we went to the same school, also kind of cool, but also weird, ‘cuz I didn’t remember seeing h
er at school. She told me she remembered me and even named a couple of my classes, so I guess I must have seen her but just forgot.
She left the library at the same time as I did and asked me if I wanted to get some coffee. So grown up! I hate coffee, but I drank it anyway. I ordered it the way I’d heard Elizabeth order it, and if Larissa noticed this was my first time, she didn’t say anything. We exchanged phone numbers, and after that she called and texted me a bunch of times.
I can’t remember when she first asked me about being a witch, but pretty soon that’s all we were talking about. I knew I wasn’t supposed to talk about it, but Larissa said it would be okay to talk about it with her, because of her being one, too. And she knew about my sister, and Logan and even Jade! But, she’s real interested in my sister. When we get together, mostly we practice my powers. Larissa has a book she writes things down in. I asked her why one time, and she got mad. Since then, I haven’t asked too many questions. She’s the coolest friend I ever had and I don’t want her to stop talking to me.
Just then my cell phone rang and I could see from the caller ID, it was Larissa.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey, back.” Larissa said. “So, what’re you doing? Can you get out?”
“I said I’d try. It is Sunday, you know. It’s a school night.” As soon as I said the words, I regretted them. I sounded like such a baby.
Larissa took a long time to answer and instantly I thought I blew it. I held my breath and wildly thought of something to say.
Suddenly, Larissa broke the silence.” Well, that’s too bad, Tabitha. I have some really amazing friends I wanted you to meet.”
I exhaled. Oh, I desperately wanted to meet Larissa’s friends. If they were with her, they had to be the coolest people ever!
“No, no. I can do more than try, Larissa. I’ll be there.” I didn’t even know where there was yet. How lame could I be? Did I hear a growl? “What’s that noise? Do you have a dog or something?”
Larissa chuckled and the laugh kind of spooked me.” No, precious. My friend is just so happy you can make it. We’ll meet you in front of the town library at eight.”
“But it’ll be dark then.”
“Yes.” A pause. “It will.” Then, another of those weird growling sounds. If I didn’t go, she wouldn’t be my friend anymore. And that would suck, her being so cool and all.
“Okay. See you then.”
“Bye bye, precious.” And the line went dead.
****
I watched Logan walk across the street after dinner, and heard him and Serena get cozy in the back living room. He’d been helping her with her homework or something. Elizabeth had been working on her laptop in the dining room, doing some ordering for the flower shop. Lily had already gone home a lot earlier. So, nobody heard me quietly float down the stairs, and “push” myself through the huge oak front door without opening the handle. I had been working on that trick for a while now and I wasn’t sure I could do it. I was totally jazzed when I did. Funny thing, the person I most wanted to tell–Serena–was the very person I had been sneaking away from. I shook away the thought and walked toward my sister’s car.
I had never stolen anything before in my whole life. And now I was about to take my maiden voyage in that regard with the whole enchilada—grand theft auto. I swallowed hard and started. First, the easy part. I waved my hands over the driver’s side door and the button lock popped up easily and that did it; the door opened. Sitting in the driver’s seat, I adjusted the rear view mirror and seat the way I had seen my sister do a million times. I took the car out of gear and released the emergency brake, coasting backward out of the driveway. Then I wiggled my fingers over the ignition, feeling my newfound power shoot out, and grinned with satisfaction when the engine turned over and sputtered to life, choking a little from the sudden start. I waved my hand over the gear shift and commanded the car, “Drive!” Suddenly, I propelled forward and I remembered to grab the steering wheel just in time to avoid hitting the curb.
It took me several more blocks before I got the hang of what to do. But, I decided I liked driving! I felt so empowered behind the wheel. I bet it would be even different in a car that had some pick-up, not my sister’s little scoot-around. And it might have been harder if I had to do the actual shifting, but so far my magic spell had handled that. The drive went great after that, and I got to the library at a few minutes before eight. I got so involved in the ride that I forgot to be scared until I got there. It wasn’t until I arrived and noticed that at night the library looked so much spookier than usual, that I remembered to be.
****
I had been wondering how I was supposed to get in a closed library, and where in the world Larissa would be, when all of a sudden she appeared beside me. I jumped about ten feet and whirled around, startled half to death.
“Oh, come now, precious. Don’t tell me you couldn’t sense me coming upon you. I thought that might have been one of your powers.”
“Well, clearly it’s not.” I snapped, annoyed. “Where’d you come from anyway?”
She ignored my question. “Tabitha, it’s time.”
“Time? Time for what?” If I felt fear before, that equaled nothing compared to what I felt now. All the hair on the back of my neck stood straight up. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to be friends with Larissa. Maybe she might be too wild for me, too uncontrolled, too…whoa, who was that?
A beautiful boy stepped out from behind Larissa. He had thick, dark, wavy hair, and piercing blue eyes that stared straight at me. I could tell even through the royal blue shirt that matched his eyes that he had amazingly built muscles and a swimmer’s body like one of those beach boys from the surfer magazines. No, on second thought, this wasn’t a boy, this was a man. Or at least a guy. Any male who looked like that deserved to be called a guy. Oh wow, was I staring?
“Tabitha, this is the friend I wanted you to meet. Colton, this is Tabitha. Tabitha, meet Colton.” Larissa stepped back and smiled devilishly. Colton reached his hand out and I automatically grabbed it. It felt warm and firm and I thought, great, mine probably feels like a wet mackerel. But he smiled at me like he didn’t notice and said, “Hi, nice to finally meet you.”
Finally meet you? Had Larissa been talking about me? What had she told him? All good I hoped. I realized I didn’t even know what I was wearing. I hoped I looked nice. Did it even match?
Larissa turned to me as if she heard me.
“Let’s go inside now. I think we’ve spent enough time out of doors.” She put her hand over the big brass handle of the antique library doors and I watched in amazement as it melted, and a rope of liquid metal dripped to the cement steps below. Larissa nonchalantly stepped over it and shoved the door open. She hardly pushed it, but the heavy wood frame splintered and bowed inward. Colton held out his hand to me and I looked around for a stupid and then embarrassing moment until I realized he stood waiting for me to take it. So, I did. And in this chivalrous way, straight out of the movies, he guided me through the ruined front door of the town library.
Chapter Eight
SKYLAR
I lay in my bed and tried not to think of my latest obsession. Unlike Logan and Sully, it wasn’t the tender kiss of my girlfriend, it belonged to a computer. Since Logan had entrusted me with creating the website for their sporting goods store, I had been working on it night and day. I really enjoyed designing the site and the language of the computer seemed to come really easy to me. I understood the form and functions like second nature, and found the project not so much a challenge as a contest of my newly discovered talents. But like an obsession, it kind of took me over. Even as I lay in my bed, I felt like she called to me. And I realized I had begun to think of the computer as “she”, which seemed weird to me at first, but the more time I spent with her, the more it didn’t seem so strange to me at all.
I got up, and could tell from the silence in the house that I had to be alone. I knew that meant Logan and my sister were together, an
d Sully must be with Jade. The idea of that kind of excited me because it meant I’d be alone with the computer. Or alone at the computer. Whatever. I left my room and went downstairs.
A green glow greeted me from the corner desk where the computer sat. I remembered turning the desktop off earlier; why did the screen burn brightly now? I walked over to it and sat down at the desk chair. Something was completely different from the last time I sat here. I wasn’t comfortable and I didn’t feel right. I started to get up again when all of a sudden the screen started to ripple. I blinked, not sure I had seen it right. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Just when I felt certain I had imagined it, it rippled twice. Then, without warning, the screen bulged and a hand seemed to reach through the liquid crystal screen toward me. I should have run, screaming, from the room, but somehow I felt rooted to the spot. I thought the hand might grab my throat and choke me or something equally as hostile, but it didn’t. Instead, the hand touched my face and caressed my cheek, like I had seen Serena do to Logan, the way a lover would. My skin could feel the prick of electricity as the hand traveled the length of my skin. Slowly, the hand descended back into the screen as words began to appear, letter by letter.
—Hello, Skylar—
Then the cursor came back around to the next line and just sat there, blinking. I realized it wanted me to respond. Up to that moment, my hands had been hanging limply at my sides. I lifted my right hand up and chicken-pecked out one word:
—hello—
And hit the return key. Immediately the response came back, letters appearing lightning quick.
—I’ve been waiting for a way to get in contact with you—
—Who are you?— I typed back.
—It’s been so difficult. Logan and Sully are always around—
—WHO ARE YOU?— I typed caps this time to make sure I got an answer. But whoever it happened to be still wouldn’t give me the satisfaction.
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