by ERIN BEDFORD
“Is this your first time drinking?” Dale took the cup from my hand and gave it back to the guy working the bar. I lifted a shoulder in response. “Okay, how about this, instead?” He then asked the bartender, “One Bubble Pop.”
“What’s a bubble pop?” I wrinkled my nose as he passed me the drink. The liquid was pink, it fizzled, and It smelled like a strawberry lollipop. I took a tentative sip. It also tasted like a strawberry lollipop, and the burn was barely noticeable.
“Good?” Dale asked, watching intently.
I nodded, taking another big drink of the tasty concoction. Each drink made my body warm and tingly as it settled in my stomach. I giggled and then hiccupped. A pale pink bubble came floating out of my mouth, hovering in the air. When I leaned in closer to look at it, it suddenly popped.
“Oh! So, that’s why it’s called Bubble Pop.” I giggled a bit again on the incessant side. Was I drunk? Already? I’d barely had a drink. I couldn’t possibly be drunk that fast.
“Come on, lightweight.” Dale wrapped an arm around my waist and led me inside, Aidan close behind.
“Hey, Max!” Trina cried out, waving her hand high in the air, as she came barreling toward me in a lime green bathing suit. The sides were cut out with a thin strip connecting the middle, showing off a swirling tattoo along her side.
For some reason, I lifted my hands up in the air too, shouting, “Trina!” When I got close enough, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug and jumping up and down.
“Okay, okay,” Trina laughed nervously, pushing me away. I hung onto her shoulders as she asked Dale, “How much has she had to drink?”
“One,” Aidan said simply.
“Not even one.” Dale corrected.
Trina took the cup Dale had in his hand and sniffed it. “Bubble Pop! Come on, you don’t give a Bubble Pop to a lightweight and a human raised one at that! You have to start out small.”
I wiggled my finger at her face, my body swaying from side to side. “Bubbles are fun.” I hiccupped again, a bubble floating out of my mouth. “Look, look!”
“Yeah, that’s great,” Trina said, not nearly as excited as I was. Why wasn’t she happy about the pretty bubbles? In fact, she looked downright irritated.
“We’re taking her to get some water.” Dale dragged me out of Trina’s arms, and I flopped onto him, grabbing his glasses from his face.
I put the glasses on and cocked my head to the side. “Look at me, I’m Dale. I have a stick up my bum but have mad kissing skills.” I giggle-snorted as Dale took his glasses back and then handed me over to Aidan. “Oh, I need a big strong man to save me. Are you that man?” I squeezed his biceps with a saucy waggle of my eyebrows.
Aidan chuckled, the sound rumbled through his body and shook mine. Bending down, he slipped his arm under my knees and then the world was upside down.
“Let’s go, princess.”
My head bounced around, and the world danced as we moved through the crowd. I felt like I was flying ... until I saw a blonde that even upside down and, even drunk, I recognized here. Lifting my head quickly, something I regretted immediately, I watched Sabrina come down the stairs from the private section with a smug expression on her face. Paul came hurrying after her, tucking his shirt into his pants.
“Put me down.” I smacked Aidan’s arm when he didn’t listen. “I mean it, put me down now!”
Aidan brought me back down to my feet, a confused expression on his face. I stared hard at Paul and then Sabrina and then back to Paul. His gaze met mine, confusion and hurt filling them before he looked to Sabrina and back to me. At that, his eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open.
I turned away from him just as he yelled my name. Grabbing Dale’s arm, I pulled him toward the entrance. “Take me home. Now.”
Chapter 19
I really wanted to wish it all away. However, I only had three wishes left. I needed to start being more careful about using them. My last one was a complete waste of time and magic.
Taking a deep breath, I held it for a moment and then let it out with a long sigh. Bringing my arms down to my sides, I shifted on my yoga mat in the middle of my and Trina’s room.
I’d spent most of my time in the room since the party. I knew it was childish, but I couldn’t face Paul, not after what happened at his house. Worse, if I left the room, I could run into Sabrina. That was the last thing I needed. She’d waste no time rubbing in my face how she got Paul right after I’d run out on him.
Sucking in another breath, I lifted my hands over my head and stared up at the ceiling. Then again, maybe it was my fault. I lashed out at him like an immature brat rather than discussing it like a rational adult, but no, I had to be the jealous crazy woman because I didn’t know they didn’t use condoms.
You know what? I blamed my mom. It wasn’t my fault. She didn’t tell me. She should have prepared me.
And how would that have gone?
Oh, hi, mom. I want to have sex with all my boyfriends. Are there any differences I should be aware of? Like maybe contraceptives?
“Let the air out already,” Trina snapped from her desk, slamming her pen to the table. “You’re starting to look like Smurfette.”
Letting the air out in one fell swoop, I dropped my arms and glared at her. “I do not. I didn’t even get light headed.”
“Well, it freaks me out. You need to find some other way to de-stress. You’ve been doing way too much yoga, and it’s frankly annoying. No one needs to be that limber.” She gave me a lopsided grin and a wink.
Shaking my head, I bent down and rolled my mat up. I shoved it under my bed and then pulled the tie out of my hair, letting it fall to my shoulders. The release of my hair made my scalp feel all tingly. Maybe I had been doing too much yoga.
I flipped open my Potions book to where I had been reading. I was just about done with my paper for the final project in Potions 2. I just had the paper’s conclusion to work on, and it would be good. Unfortunately, thousands of words and I still wasn’t anywhere near confident in my ability to create the dang thing.
Guardian Light, my ass. I could use a Guardian Light just to make it.
“Are you going to the lab later?” Trina asked.
I glanced over my shoulder at her. “Uh, yeah. Probably. I don’t know. Might just wait until later tonight.”
“You really think the cover of darkness will lower your chances of running into Sabrina or Paul?”
“What? No. Of course not.” I faked surprised, but the way my voice went up an octave clearly gave me away. “Okay, fine. I admit. I don’t really want to run into either of them. Sabrina for obvious reasons. Paul ... I don’t want to listen to whatever excuse he has, and I know he has one.”
“Well, you didn’t exactly let him explain,” Trina said with a pointed look.
I shot her a look. “Whose side are you on?”
“Yours, of course, but still, it’s hardly fair. You see something, you’re not even a hundred percent sure of what’s going on, and then you go running out. Now, you refuse to talk to him. You should give him a chance to explain.”
“Why?”
“Because, do you really want to leave things this way especially since you are boning his brother? Might make holidays awkward.” She picked her pen back up and gave me a knowing look before turning back to her desk.
Frowning, I hated to say that she was right. If I was going to date Ian, then I couldn’t very well let things fester with Paul. However, right now, I needed one more book from the library before I could head to the potion’s lab to attempt my possibly life-changing project.
Gathering up the books I already had, I shoved them into my bag and headed for the door. With Spring Break pretty much over, the hallways were filled with students settling back into for school to start. I half-hoped I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew on the way to the library, but I didn’t count on it.
I patted my bag where I’d tucked my wishing amulet away. I was tempted to use one of my
wishes to make sure I didn’t have to talk to Sabrina or Paul. No, I made it get this awkward, I had to face it like a grown up.
And here was my chance. I stifled a groan as Sabrina sauntered my way with Monica and Libby in tow. I braced myself for impact but was completely baffled when she didn’t do more than shoot me a look like she smelled something bad. She’d probably tell me that it was me if I asked.
“Hey, Monica.” I nodded at the brunette who stopped to talk to me.
“Max, I haven’t seen you around lately.” She fiddled with her gold hoop earrings with a smile. “I saw you at the Broomsteins, but you disappeared before I had a chance to say hi.”
I grimaced. “Uh, yeah. Bubble Pop incident.”
Monica hissed. “I completely understand. Those things taste so good, but what you don’t realize is that the magical properties of it make it equal to having three shots of vodka in just one sip.”
“Holy crap.” I gaped and shook my head. “I’m going to kill Dale.”
Laughing lightly, Monica shifted in place. “Well, I’ve got to get going. We’re going to grab a bite to eat before we settle in for a big study night. You’re welcome to join us.”
My eyes slid from Monica to where Sabrina and Libby waited. Libby seemed completely oblivious to everything around her. Sabrina caught me looking and used her middle finger to scratch her nose.
I gave a weak smile, almost a wince. “Uh, that’s okay. I’m going to attempt my Potion assignment.”
“Ah, yeah. I heard you got Guardian Light. That blows. Would be cool if you make it work though.”
“Right?” I laughed. “Anyway, I’ll see ya.”
We waved and parted ways.
Before I could hit the library, my phone rang. Pulling it out, I glanced down at the screen and groaned. Grandmother. Great.
“Hello?”
“Maxine, I hadn’t heard from you about a time to meet, so I thought I would take the initiative and call you.” The again was unspoken but clearly implied.
I tugged my bag further up onto my shoulder. “Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. I’ve been so busy with school and ...”
“Partying at the Broomstein estate?”
I clamped my mouth shut. How the heck did grandmother know that?
“People talk, even in the magical community.” She sniffed. “Especially in ours. If anything, it moves faster. Plus, the Broomsteins are our closest friends, and the sons always throw a party around Spring Break.”
“Oh.” I relaxed. “Yeah, I went to that. Not that great.”
“I see. In any case, if you could send me the list of items you need for your booth, I will be sure you get a check from us for the amount needed.”
“I will.”
“Have you worked on your speech?”
“Yes, I have it taken care of.”
I didn’t need to ask her which one she was talking about. The contest required me to write a paper explaining why I should receive the award as well make a small five-minute speech explaining my platform. Not too much work for a whole year of college paid for.
“Good. You are far more prompt than your mother ever was when it came to her school work. It was like pulling teeth trying to get her to finish a project. Always hopping from one thing to another.” She let out a long breath. “Well, in any case, I am proud of you for taking the initiative to help out your situation. The offer still stands, by the way, if you change your mind.”
I cleared my throat. “No, I’m alright. Thank you.”
“Very well. We still need to get together to discuss your coming out party. Perhaps you could find some time in between your school work and extracurricular activities to come by the house for dinner? You could even bring that friend of yours. Callie.”
I resisted the urge to laugh at the disdainful way she said Callie’s name. It was clear Callie’s heritage kept her from getting my grandmother’s approval, not that Callie would care, but I had to give grandmother some credit for even mentioning a normal human’s name in relation to me.
“Sure, I’ll find some time and let you know.”
“Good. I’ll see you at the fair then.”
I said my goodbyes and hung up the phone. Tucking it in my back pocket, I made my way to the library. Talking to my grandmother made me realize I was being childish. If I wanted to get ahead, I had to make sacrifices which might mean doing things I didn’t want to do. Like the coming out party. It also meant I couldn’t hide any longer. I had a potion to make and a book needed to make said potion. I only hoped I could avoid Paul and Sabrina for a little bit longer.
There weren’t a lot of people littered throughout the large room. Most were probably still recovering from their Spring Break fever ... or more like hangovers. It was great for me in any case. That meant the book I needed might actually be on the shelf.
I headed toward the potions section where I’d spent the majority of the last few days scouring for my project. I had all the books about the Guardian Light potion, its history, The Ten Biggest Mistakes Made When Making a Guardian Light, and now I needed the step-by-step process for creating the potion on a short time limit.
Most people who attempt the Guardian Light take several days to prepare and create the potion, which would then be spelled into the hovering ball of light. I did not have several days to prepare and create my little glowy guardian thing. The project was due next week, and with classes and the fair coming up, I didn’t have much time to spare on the long version.
I tapped my finger along the spines of the books, making my way down the aisle. I reached the place I had seen the book last and came up empty-handed. My brow furrowed tightly.
“What the ...” I growled and stomped my foot. The book was right there two days ago. I couldn’t do my project without that book.
In a frustrated huff, I fumbled with my backpack and pulled out my amulet. If this didn’t count as an emergency, I didn’t know what did. Rubbing the amulet, I muttered to myself, “I wish I had the book Guardian Light Express by Eli Guardian.”
I didn’t know what I was expecting, maybe some magical poof and the book appearing in my hands, but nothing happened. I just looked like an idiot standing in the middle of the aisle waiting for a miracle. Then what my dad told me came back to mind. The amulet couldn’t create things out of nothing. So, my wishing to have the book wouldn’t make it pop out of nowhere, especially if someone else had it. They would have to bring it back.
“Oh, uh, sorry.” My head turned so fast that I feared I had whiplash from the movement. Paul stood at the end of the aisle with a cart full of books, an anxious expression on his face. I stared at him with my mouth hanging open like a guppy.
Snapping my mouth closed, I twisted the rest of my body around to face him. “Did you need to get in here?”
Paul played his fingers against the metal handle of the cart. “Yeah, but I can come back. It’s fine.”
“No, no.” I came toward him, chewing on my lower lip. “Go for it.”
I moved to the side so that he could push his cart by. As he moved in front of me, his scent filled my nose and my throat clogged with emotion.
Come on, Max. Get a hold of yourself.
“Thanks,” Paul said once he got by.
“No problem.” I shifted awkwardly. I watched him for a moment as he floated books onto the shelves. He didn’t say anything and barely even looked my way. Fuck it. Dropping my bag on the ground, I stomped over to him. “So, you’re just going to pretend like it didn’t happen?”
Paul glanced up from the book he was setting on the shelf. “I thought you didn’t want to talk about it? That is why you have been avoiding me right?”
I flushed. “I haven’t been...” Paul gave me a pointed look. “Okay, yeah. I’ve been avoiding you but what did you expect? We just almost ... you know ... and then you come out tucking your shirt in with Sabrina looking way too satisfied. What was I supposed to think?”
He pressed his lips together and then clucked his tongue.
“I could see how you would think that, but if you had waited and let me explain instead of taking off, you would know that the only reason for Sabrina was up there was because she was asking me for help with her booth for the Spring Fair. That’s it.” He floated a book up from the cart and toward the bookshelf. I snatched the book out of the air and tucked it under my arm, forcing his attention back to me.
“But why did she even have permission?”
Paul sighed. “We did date you know. It was left over from then. We just haven’t gotten around to removing her access.”
Okay, so that made sense. I couldn’t really fault him for that. And Sabrina was smug about many things. Me jumping to conclusions like that was just asking for trouble. No wonder she didn’t mention it to me in the hallway.
“But why would she even enter the Spring Fair? She doesn’t need the money.” Panic and irritation filled me at the thought of having to compete against Sabrina. She’d had twelve years to think about her major and prepare for it. I haven’t even had a year.
Paul shrugged. “She likes competition.”
“And did you say yes?”
“I told her I’d see what I could do.”
“Oh.”
An awkward silence filled the aisle as I shifted before him. I wanted to discuss what happened in the bedroom but didn’t know how to bring it up without making it seem like it was entirely my fault. Yes, I’d been a bit out of line freaking out the way I had, but he’d been wrong too!
“About the other night,” Paul started, tucking his hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels. “I shouldn’t have just assumed you’d be on the potion or pill or whatever.”
“And I shouldn’t have assumed you’d have a condom.” I rushed to add in, ducking my head slightly.
“Still, when you have magic at your disposal, STDs and pregnancy aren’t really that big of a deal. They figured out how to take care of those things a long time ago.” His lips curled up on one side in such a cute but sexy way, making my heart beat sped up.
“Oh, cause we all know Merlin was such a playboy,” I joked, laughing awkwardly.
