The Witchling Apprentice

by B. Kristin McMichael

  Cassie broke her gaze with Whitney and reluctantly let her lead them through the mass of bodies. The music pounded, and people around her moved to the beat. Whitney led the way to the other side of the gym, which had more than a dozen round tables set up. The one in the back was empty of people, but it had two piles of desserts and drinks at it.

  “Figured you’d forgive me with chocolate,” Whitney told Cassie, not having to shout as they were the farthest from the speakers in the room.

  “I suppose,” Cassie replied, reaching for the chocolate bar that was the closest to her.

  Whitney had been right. Cassie hadn’t noticed, but the tables were set up on a platform to the side of the gym. In her concentration to avoid dancing people, Cassie must have stepped up at some point. The raised tables gave them a great vantage point to watch everything. Not many people joined them at the tables with food, and almost every person in the gym was partnered up with someone. No one seemed to notice Cassie and Whitney as they sat and giggled.

  The music changed to a slower song. It was a bit more peaceful than the thumping beat of the one that had just ended. Cassie took another bite of the chocolatey goodness that was on her plate and tried not to sigh. Chocolate was a bit of a weakness of hers.

  “Forgive me now?” Whitney asked, genuinely concerned.

  Cassie was unsure if she was joking or not. Whitney had intended for her to see everything when she looked into her eyes before, but she was unsure how she was supposed to react. She seemed really worried about Cassie running off.

  Reaching over, she gave her friend a half hug.

  “Forgive you for what?” Cassie asked innocently like she hadn’t just been about to bolt and leave Whitney alone at the dance.

  “Good. Now will you still forgive me after this song ends?” Whitney asked, glancing around.

  Cassie scrunched up her face. What in the world is Whitney talking about? A shadow loomed over Cassie, and she looked up to find a guy she had seen before but didn’t even know the name of standing before her.

  “Wanna dance?” he asked, his voice cracking.

  She looked to Whitney, assuming she knew who the guy was and that he was there for her. Whitney was the one with perfect blonde hair and blue eyes to match. The one with the toothpaste-commercial-perfect smile. Whitney shook her head discreetly as if she knew exactly what Cassie was thinking.

  “Me?” Cassie asked as she turned to the guy who was nervously waiting. All five-foot-nothing of her compared to Whitney seemed like it had to be a joke.

  “Yes. You, Cassie. Do you want to dance?” he asked with more confidence.

  “Um, sure,” Cassie replied, unsure what to do exactly.

  It wasn’t like she was against dancing, but she didn’t know the guy asking. Cassie tried to catch Whitney’s eye again, but she was looking all over the gym.

  Cassie stood up and followed the tall guy to the edge of the dance floor, not too far away from Whitney. Cassie slowed down as the guy began to walk into the middle of the swaying bodies. She wasn’t too sure she wanted to be that close to everyone. She had gotten better over the years at not looking too closely into people’s eyes and seeing what she really didn’t want to see, but it still accidentally happened every now and then. The relaxed people in the group were prime targets for it to happen; not exactly what Cassie wanted to be doing.

  The guy who had asked her to dance glanced back over his shoulder at Cassie like he sensed she had stopped moving. As his gaze stopped behind her, he halted in his tracks and turned back to Cassie, reaching for her waist to pull her closer to dance.

  “She’s a bit protective of you, isn’t she?” he commented as he leaned down to talk to Cassie. He had at least ten inches of height on her.

  Cassie looked back over her shoulder at her friend. Whitney smiled and gave a little finger wave to the both of them.

  “I suppose,” Cassie replied, unsure what the guy was talking about. Whitney was just watching.

  “I’m Kevin, by the way,” the guy finally introduced himself. “I think you have English next door to my class for first period.”

  Cassie craned her neck back to look up at him. It was awkward to dance with someone that much taller than her, but even more awkward to have a conversation with someone she didn’t know yet who seemed to know her. Her first and only dance was ranking up on the weird scale that was her life lately.

  “I’m in Mrs. Merrill’s class,” Cassie replied.

  She didn’t recognize him at all. She had a feeling he was a senior. She knew almost everyone in her own class of juniors, and a few in the freshman class since Whitney had a little brother, but she didn’t know any students in the other grades. Girls were hard enough to keep track of, but since her afternoons were spent in witchling classes that were all female, she really didn’t know any of the guys in the other grades. She just smiled and shrugged. That had to work.

  Cassie felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned to look at the person interrupting their dance. Another boy she didn’t recognize was standing there, waiting for her to look at him. She caught his eyes briefly and didn’t need to delve further to know that he wanted to dance with her also. Her tall, older dancing partner glared at the intruder.

  “I was hoping I could get a dance in also,” he said as the music was slowly ending, his timing perfect to cut her current dance short.

  Cassie’s first dancer didn’t like that they were being interrupted, but she didn’t plan to stick around for a second dance anyway. A new song started in a fast tempo, and Cassie took that as her cue to ditch both the guys.

  “I need to go back to Whitney,” she told the two guys. “Maybe the next slow one.” She didn’t care which one interpreted that as a yes, but she sure wasn’t interested in dancing with either. It was way too strange.

  Whitney grinned at Cassie as she sat back down.

  “So that wasn’t too bad now, was it?” Whitney asked. “Kevin is pretty cute.”

  “Really?” Cassie replied with a rolling of her eyes.

  “Oh yeah, I forgot. You still have a crush on Than,” Whitney replied. Whitney never knew Nate as Nate, but had heard enough from Owen to know that Cassie had had a crush on Nate for years.

  “No. I’m not interested in anyone. I think I’ll need to find a boyfriend not from around here. Too many people here know me and what I can do. I never get a straight answer, or can get anyone to look me in the eyes for that matter,” Cassie complained. She had already decided that years ago. The guys in town were not for her.

  Very few people knew that Cassie had control of her extra powers now. Most of the people remembered her as a child that would accidentally “see” too much. It was creepy when she would answer questions she wasn’t asked, and worse when she would accidentally see a secret. After a couple times of speaking what she saw, Cassie knew she had screwed up. But that didn’t matter. She had already been labeled as an outcast.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll always have Owen. It’s not like he’s going anywhere, and I heard him, and Liz broke up again,” Whitney commented of Owen’s longtime on-again, off-again girlfriend.

  Cassie rolled her eyes. Owen was more of a brother than anything. She had known him all of her life, and there was nothing romantic between them. She doubted there ever could be. He was just too Owen.

  The music changed, and a slow song started again. Cassie watched now as several guys all headed over to their table. Some left the dates they came with. Whitney began to laugh as Cassie stared at everyone moving toward them in shock.

  “Is this what dances are supposed to be like?” she asked under her breath to her friend. TV school dances never had one girl attracting all the guys.

  The younger classman from before pushed the tall senior out of the way as he approached their table. It made Whitney giggle even more, but Cassie couldn’t help but gape at them. What the heck was going on?

  “Can I—” the younger guy began, but suddenly stopped. He had looked behind Cassie before
an arm dropped across her shoulder. “Sorry.”

  The guy turned on his heels and quickly pushed away back into the approaching crowd. Other guys that had been watching or approaching also left. Cassie turned to the body attached to the familiar arm on her shoulder and smiled up at Owen.

  “Figured you could use some help keeping the leeches away,” he said while he grinned at Whitney beside Cassie. “Obviously she isn’t doing a good enough job to make them leave you alone.”

  “Hey!” Whitney pouted at him. “She deserves a little fun. Who knows when you’ll finally lighten up and let her have some?”

  Owen reached forward and grabbed a cookie off Cassie’s plate. She swatted at his hand to drop it, but he shoved it all in his mouth in one bite.

  “Hey, mister, get your own,” Cassie pretend scolded him. Both girls saw Owen as the older-brother type.

  “Consider that payment for keeping you safe from all the guys that look like they want to eat you up. You’re like Little Red Riding Hood going to see grandma. Don’t you know they’re all wolves in grandma disguises?” Owen explained.

  Cassie rolled her eyes, and Whitney laughed. Owen had always made references to fairy tales since they were small children. Cassie was used to it, but Whitney found it amusing. She had a feeling that was why Owen still told them stuff like that. The music changed to another slow song and people continued to dance and give Cassie glances every now and then, before looking to Owen.

  “I’m not sure how much more of this I can take,” Cassie told her friends.

  “How long is she out of jail?” Owen asked Whitney.

  “I made a promise to have her home by midnight,” Whitney replied, watching the crowd.

  Owen whistled. “Remind me if I ever get in trouble with the law to call your mother. She can argue anything. Wow.”

  “Yes, good for you, bad for me. Why do you think I still don’t have my own car? She can argue everything,” Whitney replied. She had been sulking since she turned sixteen about not getting a car. She was allowed to use her father’s car, but Whitney had saved since her first job to buy one herself. Her mother put a stop to that.

  “Midnight, like Cinderella?” Owen chuckled, and so did Whitney. “Does that mean she has to stay here until then?”

  Whitney smiled. “Nope. I didn’t agree to that. I agreed to stay with her until midnight, but not that we would stay in the school.”

  “Your mom is awesome.” Owen held his hand up for a high-five. Whitney hit it.

  “What are you guys planning?” Cassie looked between them.

  “We plan to take you out on the town since you basically have a ‘get out of jail free’ pass, at least until your carriage turns back into a pumpkin,” Owen explained essentially nothing. “Just don’t lose a shoe. You know how Whitney can get about her shoes.”

  “Just let us change first,” Whitney told Owen. “We’ll be back in ten.”

  “Or longer,” he added as he pulled their plates in front of himself.

  Cassie stood up and followed Whitney around the edge of the dance floor. She was glad her friend didn’t plan to walk right through the mass of swaying students. Without Owen close enough, she wasn’t sure his overprotective brother act would keep the people away, and she didn’t want to get stuck dancing again. She was ready to leave and have fun with her two best friends.

  As they neared the darkened doorway of the locker room, Cassie felt her borrowed high heel catch on something on the floor. Owen and his fairy tale jokes had cursed her as her shoe was stuck and ready to come off.

  “Whit,” Cassie called to her friend, but her voice was covered up by the noise of music blaring somewhere near them.

  Whitney continued into the locker room, and Cassie had to precariously bend down to get her shoe out of the wires it was tangled in. A firm grip on her arm balanced her when she almost slipped a second time. It wouldn’t have been good to fall down in the dangerously short dress she was wearing. Thankfully, she was hidden in the darkness of the locker room corner, but it still wouldn’t be good. Cassie didn’t look up at the person helping her, who she could only assume was Owen since he always seemed to come to her rescue.

  She slipped out of her shoes. What was the use, anyway? Playing dress up was done. There was no way she could go home in the dress she was wearing, and Whitney and Owen had already planned to take her out somewhere else.

  Looking up the arm of the guy balancing her, she finally stood with both shoes in her hands. She let one shoe drop as she tried to cover up her shock. Owen wasn’t the one saving her this time. Familiar piercing blue eyes stared at her in the darkness. Holding her arm was Nathaniel Bay.

  Cassie didn’t know what to say as Nate bent down and retrieved her dropped shoe with his free hand. He smiled at her as she fumbled to take it from him. His warm hand had not left her arm since he helped balance her only moments before.

  “As graceful as ever, I see,” Nate teased, a smile forming at the corners of his lips.

  Cassie didn’t know how to respond. At one time, she had been good friends with Nate. She, along with Nate and Owen, had been called the three musketeers for years by everyone. That was until her powers developed and people began to fear her. About the same time, Nate became part of the popular crowd. Since sixth grade, Cassie had only spoken maybe a few words to him in total. He never had approached her. This was a complete first for her.

  “Having fun?” he asked, not looking at the room behind her, but keeping his beautiful blue eyes on her instead.

  Cassie didn’t know how to respond.

  Nate’s hand slid down her arm to her waist, never letting go of her as Cassie stood only inches from him. She was more than aware of how close their bodies were as the music changed behind them from a song with a thumping bass to a romantic slow one. It was more than ironic, and even as short as a year ago, Cassie would have been thrilled to be in a dark corner with Nate. She had to remind herself that that was a year ago and not now. He had a girlfriend, and Cassie was way over him. At least she tried to tell herself that.

  “I suppose not,” Nate replied when she didn’t. “You aren’t the type that likes to be the center of attention. Glad Owen made it in time to keep the rest of them away.”

  Cassie bit her lip. She was glad, too, but how he said it seemed odd. Was he watching what happened?

  “Are you guys heading out to the bonfire?” Nate asked, still not letting go of Cassie.

  She hated that he didn’t break his hold on her. She couldn’t. After years of just wishing he was still her friend, the romantic closeness was more than enough to keep her mind on the fantasy she had tried to convince herself would never be true. Nate wasn’t the same guy that had once been her best friend.

  Nate glanced down at Cassie when she didn’t reply. His baby blue eyes stared openly at her. While she wanted to feel what he was thinking, she stopped herself. She knew enough to not look and get her heart broken. Nate had dated over half a dozen girls in the school the past summer alone. She didn’t need to be a sucker for his games and cute looks. That would be easy. And, boy, did Cassie wish she could go with easy.

  “I’m sorry everything has changed over the years. Hopefully, you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.” Nate was still giving her an open book. “I promise I will make it up to you.”

  “What?” Cassie finally got a word out. He was making as much sense as the guys—who she didn’t know—asking her to dance.

  “I’ll make it up to you if you let me.” Nate leaned in. He was so close the loose hair that usually fell in front of his eyes brushed Cassie’s forehead.

  Cassie didn’t have time to protest or even get a coherent thought together before his lips gently touched hers. She was really kissing Nathaniel Bay in the gym at homecoming. Cassie almost wanted to have an out of body experience to see it herself. Not that she needed that. Nate’s hand around her waist held her gently yet firmly to him. It was her first time being let out of the house on a Friday night, her f
irst dance, and now her first kiss. She tried to think of what to do, but she didn’t need to—her hands had a mind of their own. Dropping her shoe, she held onto the arms wrapped around her.

  Nate pulled back with a triumphant smile. He glanced over her shoulder and shook his head.

  “We can talk later at the bonfire. Tell your uncle I’ll bring you back afterward,” Nate told her before gently releasing her from his arms.

  Cassie’s head was still spinning. Nate had just kissed her. She wanted to pretend it didn’t happen, yet she could still feel his lips on hers. He really had kissed her.

  “I’ve liked you since we were kids, and I’m glad you will be my girlfriend,” Nate told her as he proudly gazed at her.

  Girlfriend? Cassie was confused, but that word was exactly what was needed to bring her back to reality. And she had said nothing about being his girlfriend. She wasn’t even sure why her hands had betrayed her and let him kiss her instead of pushing him away. Okay, she understood that much. He was hot. No one could deny that. But she wasn’t about to be the girlfriend of someone who changed girls like a pair of socks. Popular Than, no matter how nice to look at, was just not for her. Old, friendly Nate would have been nice, and was the one she fantasized about, but this version wasn’t for her. Besides, Nate already had a girlfriend.

  Realization set in. Cassie had just kissed a guy dating someone else. How could I have done that? She might not have liked Jess—or was it Shel he was dating now?—but she wasn’t about to go around kissing someone else’s boyfriend. That was a mistake, and one Cassie wouldn’t make again.

  “Not even close.” Cassie finally found her voice. “You already have a girlfriend.”

  Nate shrugged like it didn’t matter. “She already knew that I didn’t plan to stay with her once you passed your exam. She was fun while I was passing time, but since you decided to go and grow up, it’s time I do, too.”

  Yep. This was the Nate Cassie didn’t like, and it was a lot easier to walk away from him. Passing time? Who talked about another person that way? Yep, Jerk Nate.