Cinderella Complex

by Rebekah L. Purdy

  Heat coursed through me and I closed my eyes. I remembered the taste of our kiss. Then shoved the thoughts from my mind. I so didn’t need to dwell on it. At least not when I was so close to him.

  We drove out of town, away from civilization. The curved roads were littered with leaves, the landscape shone with the vibrant light of autumnal colors. The chill in the air kissed my skin. Wish I’d worn a scarf. I buried my face against Seth and inhaled the scent of his leather jacket. The familiar fragrance of his Airwaves soap tickled my nose.

  When Seth slowed, I recognized the road to my family summer home, which was situated on Lake Ellsworth, next door to Connor’s summer cottage. I hadn’t been up here since early August.

  We drove a quarter mile then pulled into the large driveway. Our log cabin nestled against the woods. The front porch faced the lake. A tire swing still hung from the oak tree in the yard. It swayed back and forth in the wind.

  Seth parked and we climbed off the bike. While he put our helmets away, I searched for the spare house key under the welcome mat.

  Drip. Drip. Splat.

  Rain hit the roof. Seth bounded up the stairs, shaking his hair. “Perfect timing.” He chuckled.

  Raindrops hit the lake. Ripples fanned out across the surface. Thunder rumbled. The windows rattled in response.

  “You can say that again.” I unlocked the door and we pushed inside. Everything had been shut up at the end of summer. The living room was dark and chilly. I tossed my jacket onto the back of a chair then went to adjust the thermostat.

  “If you want, I can get a fire going.” He gestured to the mammoth stone fireplace at the center of the room.

  Cabin. Check. Rainstorm. Double check. Fireplace. Triple check. Hot guy in my house. Quadruple check. It had all the makings of a romantic movie.

  I trembled as Seth hauled wood in from the porch. His dark hair curled at the nape of his neck. Snap out of it. The lights flickered and dimmed. Tree branches rubbed against the side of the house like skeletal hands. Seth wadded up newspapers beneath the grate then grabbed the box of matches from the mantel.

  Not sure what else to do, I plopped down on the couch to watch Seth work.

  A fire sparked to life. Seth washed his hands in the bathroom then walked back into the room and sat down beside me.

  “I think we might be stuck here for a while. We’re not gonna make it out of here on my bike.”

  I groaned. “My mom will kill me if she finds out where I’m at.”

  He winked. “Then don’t tell her.”

  Butterflies sprouted wings in my belly. His turquoise eyes watched me. I leapt to my feet. “Um—why don’t I make us a snack?”

  I scampered to the pantry, the hardwood floors cold to my feet. Seth sauntered up beside me.

  “I’ll help.”

  I cleared my throat. “We’ve got chicken-noodle soup. Is that okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  While I cooked lunch, Seth put out bowls, silverware, and cups. We ate, washed the dishes, and moved back to the living room.

  A comfortable silence settled over us as we sat on the couch. I grabbed the throw blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around my shoulders.

  I looked at him. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

  “Us.” He smiled. “And the kiss.”

  Okay. Stay calm. Yeah, easy to say when my hormones raced around my body like it was a NASCAR event. “You made it clear it meant nothing.”

  “Did I?” He brushed a tendril of hair from my face. “Because your kiss is all I’ve been thinking of.”

  “Th-That isn’t what you told Taylor.”

  “Yeah, well I was trying to get her off my back.”

  My blood thundered in my ears, my hands quaked in my lap. I shifted my gaze to the windows. The sky darkened. I glanced at the clock. It was only one-thirty. It shouldn’t be dark yet. The wind banged the shutters as the lights flickered again.

  He gestured to the storm outside. “Maybe we should grab a flashlight, just in case.”

  “Good idea. Mom keeps the emergency kit in the cellar.”

  Seth led the way. I pressed as close to him as possible without jumping into his skin. He flipped the light on and found a lantern and some of Mom’s candles. Once we had these items, we went upstairs. I set the lantern on the table. Seth flicked open a lighter and lit three candles. After everything was in place, I plopped back on the couch.

  Seth scooted next to me, his fingers entwined with mine. He pulled me closer and I draped the blanket over both of us.

  “Did you initiate the kiss with Connor?”

  “No. He kissed me. And I let him. Even though I knew I shouldn’t.”

  “Do you like him?”

  The million dollar question. “He’s nice, but he’s not my type.” Did I just admit that out loud?

  Seth’s finger traced my cheek. “What is your type?”

  We moved in closer. My breathing slowed as my pulse leapt against my skin. Our lips were a whisper apart. Boom! Thunder shook the house. The lights blinked off. The dancing flames of the candles sputtered and died as if an invisible force had blown them out.

  We plunged into darkness. Heavy footsteps sounded from the porch. The wood creaked and groaned. Shadows shifted outside the windows.

  A high-pitched screech filled the room.

  Seth released me and climbed from the couch. “Maggie, you need to get out of here.”

  I froze and glanced around the room. Where did Seth go? A pair of glowing eyes stalked across the kitchen.

  Crash! Glass burst from the window panes and sprayed across the living room. I heard the beating of wings above me. The air stirred as something whirred by.

  “No!” My legs knocked together as I hopped from the couch.

  “Maggie, go!” Seth shouted.

  Panic gripped me as I raced toward the stairs. I glanced over my shoulder. No way could I leave Seth. Somewhere in the darkness, I heard wood splinter as furniture broke apart.

  “Seth!”

  “Go now!” An animalistic growl resonated in my ears.

  I stumbled upstairs to my room. My stomach churned as thoughts of Seth getting injured played through my head. When I reached my room, I yanked the window open. Lightning bolts shot across the sky. A scream lodged in my throat as I saw shadowy forms marching toward the house. The whole place was overrun with Grimms.

  My legs wobbled beneath me as I climbed out through the window and hooked my right leg into the gutter. I heaved myself up and onto the roof. Rain pelted me, the harsh drops stinging and unremorseful. Wind tangled my hair, whipping it in my face. The shingles were slick beneath my feet. The ground was a long ways down. Frantic, my wings flared behind me. I flapped them with urgency. The strong gusts made it hard to maneuver. Several times the wind caught me like a kite, shoving me back toward the house.

  But I fought against it. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I noticed a tall gargoyle-like creature perched on the roof eave. Its eyes blazed like hot coals. Its skin looked like cracked rock, stony teeth protruding from a mouth too wide for its face. In one swift movement, it plunged into the air, flying right at me.

  The wood line came into sight, and I darted lower, closer to the trees. As I dodged the branches, sheets of rain blinded me. A loud screech sounded and I squeezed between two trees then twisted my body upward. My belly grazed the treetops, twigs scraped my skin. I cast a glance over my shoulder, only to see another figure crash into the gargoyle. Both toppled toward the ground.

  What happened? My breath came in gasps, and I guided myself to a nearby park where I ducked into a concrete culvert.

  “Maggie?” a familiar voice called.

  “Jack?”

  My brother poked his head inside the culvert. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. But Seth…”

  “Where were you?”

  “We went to the summer house. Grimms attacked us.” I choked on a sob.

  “You stay here. I’ll go chec
k on him.” Jack zipped into the sky, his sword glowing in his hand.

  I sat still as death. The wetness seeped into my shoes, my clothes clung to my body. My teeth chattered as the coldness penetrated my skin, my bones. If anything happened to Seth, I wouldn’t be able to stand myself. This was my fault. It should’ve been me fighting the Grimms, not him.

  A splash sounded from outside the culvert. I fisted my hands, ready for a fight.

  “He wasn’t there,” Jack panted. “Neither were the Grimms.”

  “What if they killed him?” I stumbled outside, tears burning my eyes.

  Jack grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. “Why the heck did you leave school?”

  “Seth wanted to talk.”

  “I can’t protect you if I don’t know where you’re at. What if something happened to you?” His eyes widened, his mouth twisted into a frown. “How would I be able to deal?”

  “I’m sorry.” I jerked back from him. Rain streamed down my face. “I just want to go home.”

  Jack hefted me in his arms. “C’mon let’s go.”

  I buried my head into my brother’s chest. After long minutes, he set me down on the balcony at our house. I hurried to my room. As he flew away, I grabbed the telephone and dialed Seth’s number. Please let him be okay.

  “Hello?” Seth’s voice sounded clear and healthy.

  “Thank God,” I wept. “Are you okay?”

  Static blared to life. “I’m fine. Just stay home, okay?” He sounded far away, like he was in a cave or something. “We’ll talk soon.”

  Click. The line went dead.

  What in the world was going on?

  Droplets of water slid down my cheeks. I held my muddied hands up in front of my face. I’m not cut out to be a Fairy Godmother.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  When I got to school the next day, I went to Seth’s locker. But he wasn’t there. I took a deep breath, leaned against the wall, and waited. Kids walked past, laughing and joking. A normal day for them. They were blissfully unaware of my heart thudding against my chest like a caged animal.

  The pull to see Seth overwhelmed me. And with each passing minute, I worried more and more. What if something had happened? Sure, he answered his phone last night, but it didn’t mean everything was okay.

  “Taylor, have you seen Seth?” I peeled myself from the wall as she walked past.

  “No. Not since you two cut class yesterday.” She quirked an eyebrow at me. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on between you?”

  My face warmed and I shifted my glance down the hall. “We’re friends.”

  “With or without benefits?” Taylor elbowed me in the ribs. “Come on. Best friend here. Details.”

  “There aren’t any details. You saw the kiss. It’s all that happened.”

  Taylor tugged me to a stop. “Sweet. Because I put a good word in for you with Connor. Seriously, you’ve got to quit stringing the guy along. I get you’ve been playing hard to get, but it’s time to seal the deal.”

  My gaze narrowed. I swatted her hand from my arm. “Dang it. You need to stay out of this. I don’t like Connor like that. So quit already.”

  “Since when?”

  The last thing I wanted to do was be a jerk to Taylor. But sometimes her nosiness irritated me.

  “Things change, Taylor. We outgrow crushes.”

  She took a step back. “Well, maybe I’d know this if you actually talked to me anymore. I mean, Katrina knows more of what’s going on with you than I do lately.”

  “Is that what this is about? Katrina?”

  “No. It’s about us. Our friendship.”

  “I did tell you I don’t like Connor anymore. You just don’t listen.” I picked at a piece of string on my shirt.

  Taylor frowned, then nodded. “Okay, I’m listening now. You don’t like the Prince anymore.”

  First bell sounded. Ten minutes until class started and I still needed to find Kat. One way or another I had to make things right with her.

  “I gotta run. I’ll catch you in class.”

  On a new mission, I set out toward Kat’s locker. She stood with her auburn hair piled up high on top of her head, staring at her textbooks.

  “Hey, Kat.”

  She glared at me, slamming her locker door shut. “Leave me alone.”

  “No. I’m supposed to help you.”

  “By kissing the guy I like? Sorry, but I don’t need that kind of help.”

  “I didn’t kiss him—or at least I didn’t initiate it.” Okay, when I said it like that it made me sound horrible. Ugh! If only Connor would’ve stayed away from me.

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Her eyes welled up, her mouth tilted in a frown. “Knowing he made the first move?”

  “We’ll get this sorted. Tomorrow night’s the art exhibit. I’ve got my own boyfriend, and I want you to know there’s nothing between me and Connor.”

  Katrina never dignified me with an answer. Instead, she shoved past me, disappearing down the hall.

  One thing. I needed one thing to go right. My jaw clenched as I headed toward first hour. Then I saw Connor coming my way. I knew matters were going to go from bad to terrible. With my books in hand, I raced for the women’s bathroom. At least he couldn’t follow me in there.

  Two girls stood at the mirrors reapplying make-up when I entered. I bolted into the first free stall and locked the door. Hard to believe I’d been reduced to hiding in the can.

  A knock sounded on the stall door and I jumped. No way. Please tell me he hadn’t come in here.

  “Hey,” a female voice called.

  I cracked the door open to stare at an underclassman. “Yeah?”

  “Connor Prince is looking for you.”

  “Tell him I went out the back door.”

  “But there isn’t a back door.” She actually looked confused.

  “Uh—yeah, I know.”

  “Oh, you’re trying to avoid him.” Ding-ding. The bright light came on.

  “Bingo.”

  She smiled and went to the door. “Yeah, she’s not in here. I checked under all the stalls.”

  She poked her head back in a minute later. “Coast is clear.”

  “Thanks.”

  “So, why are you avoiding Connor Prince? He’s like, the hottest guy in school.”

  “It’s complicated.” I rushed away before she could pester me with any more questions.

  For the rest of the day, I played a fun game called Dodge Connor. I didn’t have Seth to hide behind. Although Jack did stick a little closer to me than usual. He tailed me to every class to make sure I got there safely. He even joined me in the library during lunch as if he were on high alert, which made me nervous. So, not only did I have to hide from the most popular guy in school, but my icky brother had become my new best friend. The only good thing to happen all day was Riley managed to borrow her parents’ car, which meant she’d take Jack home and leave me with our car.

  But it did nothing to cheer me up. Because no matter how many times I tried, Katrina refused to talk to me. Everything seemed messed up. And there was only one person who might be able to help me fix it. Grandma.

  ****

  The car bounced over the gravel road. I clung to the steering wheel for dear life. The last trip to Grandma’s had changed my life forever. I hoped this one would at least change it for the better. I mean, it couldn’t get much worse.

  I pulled into the familiar drive and parked next to the trimmed hedges. A cool breeze snaked across my skin as I climbed from the car. The porch swing groaned on its chain as it swayed back and forth.

  The front door opened. Grandma poked her head outside.

  “Hurry.” She ushered me in. Once I stepped over the threshold, she shut the door and hugged me. The scent of blueberry muffins clung to her sweater and I smiled.

  I lifted my gaze to her face and frowned. What had happened to her? She looked older, like she’d aged thirty years since last I saw her. Her wrin
kles were deeper, her body more frail. Age spots sprinkled her cheeks. Her eyes seemed tired, her movements slower.

  “Grandma, are you okay?”

  She patted my hand. “I’m an old woman, Maggie. Since I’ve given up magic, my age is catching me.”

  “You—you’re not going to die, are you?”

  She laughed. “Well at some point, I will. We all die. Fact of life.”

  “That’s not funny.”

  “It’s not meant to be.” She led me into the living room, where she gestured for me to sit down. “What did you want to talk about?”

  I took a deep breath and played with the fringe on the decorative pillow. My gaze flitted to the drawn curtains.

  “I screwed up,” I said at last. “Big time.”

  “Nothing’s as bad as it seems.”

  That’s what she thought. Tears trickled down my cheeks and stained my shirt. She sat next to me, her arm around my shoulders as I told her everything. The Connor and Katrina situation. And the kiss.

  “I don’t know how to fix it,” I cried.

  “Shh…honey, we all mess up. Good heavens, you should’ve seen the mess I made in the sixties when a love potion went wrong.” She laughed. “ The hippies were loving everything.”

  I half-hiccupped, half-giggled. “I’m being serious here.”

  “So am I. The thing is, we’re bound to make mistakes. It happens. We might be Godmothers, but we’re not perfect. You’ve still got time to make this right.”

  “How?”

  “Go to Katrina’s tonight. Give her gifts if you must, but show her you’re not going anywhere. Simple as that.” Her body shook as she coughed violently.

  I stood. “Let me get you a glass of water.”

  She waved me back down again. “I’m fine, just a little cold. You’ve got more pressing issues.”

  “Well, kissing Connor isn’t my only problem.” I shifted on the couch, propping my foot underneath me. “The Grimms are everywhere. If it wasn’t for Seth saving me the other night, I might not be here talking to you.”

  What color was left drained from Grandma’s cheeks. “He knows of the Grimms?”

  “I think so. This is the second time he’s come to my rescue. Maybe he’s my true knight in shining armor.”