Talk of Tristan perked Jax up tremendously. She sat up straighter in her seat. “I already texted him. He said he’d go!”
“Whoopie,” Holly said flatly.
“Why are you acting like that?” Jax asked her. “You like nothing more than dating!”
“There aren’t any cute boys at our school,” Holly whined, leaning her head back against the door. “And the ones that are cute are so immature.”
“There will be a lot of people from town at the party,” I told her. “Maybe you’ll meet some new guy.”
Holly smiled slightly before turning to stare out the window. “Maybe.”
“Have you asked anyone Sweets?” I asked.
Sweets looked at me with a sly smile on her face. “I haven’t asked anyone yet. I was wondering if maybe I could have your permission to ask … Reign to be my date?”
My head jerked back and I snapped my fingers from side to side. “Oh, hell no.”
“But…it would just be as friends…” Sweets said timidly.
“No Sweets, just no!” I shook my head from side to side while covering my ears. I didn’t want to hear it. We’d gone through enough with Jax and Holly dating Reign. It just complicated things too much when your friends got involved in your family life.
“So I’m just not supposed to have a date to the party?” Sweets asked me.
I rolled my eyes and looked out the window, watching the trees pass by as we drove up the long driveway to the Institute. The sun was just starting to set below the horizon and I watched intently as it turned the treeline a fuzzy shade of pink.
“You can have any date you want. Just not my brother. Or my boyfriend.”
“I assume you’re going with Hugh?” Jax asked me.
“Yeah, I sent him a text earlier. He said that Juan still needs a date. You could go with him?”
Sweets shrugged. “Yeah, I guess I could ask Juan.
“What about Philip? Is he going?” Holly asked.
I turned around in my seat and looked back at her. “Hugh said Philip is taking Sabrina.”
“Oh,” she said quietly. “I hate not having a date. Even Libby and Cinder have dates.”
“Do they really?” asked Sweets as she pulled the car into the student parking lot.
“Yeah, Libby texted me. As soon as they found out about the party, they got dates,” Holly said, opening the car door, but remaining seated. “Are we still riding in on our broomsticks?”
“Yeah, Mom thinks it would really pull people into the event. They’ve got posters up all over town. I think it’s going to be huge.”
“What am I supposed to do while you four ride in on your broomsticks? I’m going to be the only one without anything important to do,” Jax cried sadly.
“Maybe you can help Reign run the haunted house,” I suggested.
“Lame,” Jax said sadly. “I wanted to hang with you guys and look cool coming in on broomsticks like a real witch coven. It stinks so bad that I can’t fly and I don’t have any powers and I can’t talk to animals or control the weather or do spells or anything!” She crossed her arms like a four-year-old throwing a tantrum and slouched back against the seat, refusing to get out of the car.
“Jaxie…,” Holly leaned down to console Jax, but Alba stopped her.
“No! Don’t console her. She’s being a little brat right now.”
“Alba, you don’t have to be mean to her,” Sweets chastised.
“I’m not being mean. She knew she wasn’t a witch and yet she chose to go to a witch college. She had to have known she was going to feel left out at some point.”
Jax stuck her bottom lip out and peered up at Alba menacingly.
Alba ignored her and climbed out of the car. “Come on girls, we still have a half an hour before they put all the food away in the cafeteria. I’m starving, let’s go.”
Alba didn’t have to tell Sweets twice. “Lock up when you get out, girls.” Holly, Sweets, and Alba headed towards the school while I stayed behind to deal with a pouty Jax.
“Come on Jax. It’s time to eat,” I said.
“I’m not hungry,” she pouted.
“Well I am.”
“Then go on without me.”
“Why are you throwing a tantrum?” I asked her. I was exhausted and hungry, as I was sure she was, and my patience was wearing thin.
“I’m not throwing a tantrum.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Fine, I’m going inside without you then.”
Jax scrunched her nose and looked out the window into the final moments of the sunset. “Fine.”
I turned around and headed towards Winston Hall. “Ugh,” I grumbled to myself. “It’s like living with a four-year-old.”
***
After dinner, the girls and I headed back to our rooms.
“I think you should apologize to Jax, Alba,” Sweets said as we made our way up the stone staircase.
“For what?” Alba asked, irritated. “She was being a brat.”
Sweets turned around to glare at Alba. “You were picking on her!”
“I wasn’t picking on her. I was being honest. There’s a difference. Why don’t you people get that?”
“Jax is sensitive. Especially about not being a witch. You know that.”
Alba rolled her eyes as we rounded the corner to our hallway. I pulled off my lanyard and unlocked the door to my room. The lights were off and it was quiet inside – I was surprised Jax wasn’t watching one of her shows or a movie or something. But, she had been tired, maybe she just went right to sleep. It was probably for the better, she was awful cranky.
I flipped on the light. “Jax, I brought you a slice of pizza. It’s pepperoni, you’re favorite! Who’s your favorite cousin?” I asked, breezing in through the door with the rest of the girls laughing and talking behind me.
I stopped short when I saw that the room was empty.
Sweets stopped next to me. “Where’s Jax?”
I turned around and looked at the girls. “She’s not in here.”
Alba palmed her forehead. “If she’s still pouting in the car, I’m letting her have it.”
Holly elbowed Alba in the ribs. “If she’s still pouting in the car, you’re going to apologize. You must have really hurt her feelings.”
“Come on, let’s go get her,” I said grudgingly, flipping off the light and shutting the door.
Alba groaned as we headed back down the staircase. “I can’t believe she’s still in the car. What did I say that was so offensive?”
“You called her a brat!” Holly said loudly.
“And you made fun of the fact that she is not a witch and she goes to witch college,” Sweets chimed in.
“She is a brat and I didn’t make fun of her. I just made an observation.”
I held my hands out by my sides. “Whatever set her off, we just need to fix it. I can’t handle it when Jax is in a foul mood – it throws off my mojo.”
“Maybe she’s just hormonal,” Holly offered.
Sweets nodded agreeably. “She probably got her period.”
“Did anyone bring a flashlight?” I asked. “It’s really dark out here.”
Holly pulled her phone out of her bra and turned the phone’s flashlight on. “Here, is this better?”
“Much, thanks,” I said as we approached Sweets’ car.
“Is anyone even in there?” Holly asked, squinting her eyes to peer through the window.
“It looks empty,” said Sweets.
I cupped my hand and peered through the dark window as Sweets pulled her car keys out of her pocket. “Guys, I don’t think she’s in there.”
Sweets opened the door and looked over the backseat. “Nope. No Jax,” she said as she slammed the door shut again.
We all looked at Alba. “Why are you all looking at me?”
“Because if you had just been able to keep your big mouth shut, Jax wouldn’t be missing right now,” Holly said angril
y.
“This isn’t my fault and Jax isn’t missing. She probably just went to go see her mom.”
“Alba’s right. She probably did just go to see Sorceress Stone. Let’s go back inside,” I said, wrapping my arms around myself.
Inside we heard the clicking of shoes on the tile floor. We rushed to catch up with them and found Sorceress Stone heading towards her office.
“Sorceress Stone,” Holly called. “Wait!”
The tall thin woman stopped and slowly turned around. She looked at Holly. “Yes?”
“I was just wondering if Jax came to see you?”
“Why would Jax come to see me?” she asked impatiently.
Holly let out a little giggle. “Because you’re her mom?”
Sorceress Stone lifted one eyebrow at Holly but didn’t speak.
“We were just looking for her and wondered if you’d seen her,” Sweets threw in.
Sorceress Stone spun on her heel and continued walking towards her office. “Haven’t seen her,” she said as she slammed the door shut, locking herself inside.
“Thanks,” Sweets hollered nervously after her.
“I know,” I said, holding one finger in the air. “Duh. She went to hang out with Tristan.”
Holly nodded as she shot me a smile. “That’s got to be it.”
“Should we go over there?” Sweets asked. “I’d like to make sure she’s ok.”
“Me too,” I agreed, chewing on my bottom lip.
The four of us breezed out the side doors of the building, through the quad, and walked directly into Warner Hall.
“Are we going to get in trouble coming in here unaccompanied?” Sweets asked nervously, looking around.
I shrugged and pulled my phone out as we made. “I’ll call Hugh.”
“Wait,” Alba said. “I hear voices.”
We followed the sound of the male voices and laughter to the little alcove under their stairs. It was a little TV room. A group of boys were playing video games together. Getting closer, I could clearly make out Philip, Juan, Tristan and several other boys I hadn’t met before.
Someone must have hit pause on the game when they saw us because all eyes turned to us.
“Hey fellas,” Holly said with a broad smile, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder.
“Hi Holly,” said one of the boys I didn’t recognize.
Tristan stood up and walked towards us. He peered out into the lobby. “Hi ladies. Where’s Jax?”
I looked at Holly anxiously. “Umm, she’s probably back in our room. I just came, uh, to see Hugh,” I lied.
“Oh, he doesn’t really like video games. He’s in his room. You want me to call him down here?”
I looked at my Batman watch. “Oh. Thanks Tristan, but no, just tell him I said, hi. We were out for a walk and I thought I’d see if he was down here.”
Tristan nodded. “Ok. I’ll tell him. Can you please tell Jax that I said, hi, too?”
I gave Tristan a megawatt smile and nodded. “Sure will. Bye.”
“Bye, thanks.”
Back in the quad, we stopped, forming a little circle. “I’m starting to get worried,” Holly said, nibbling on her nails.
I didn’t want to tell them, but I was starting to get worried too.
“The coffee shop!” Sweets suggested all of a sudden. “I bet she was hungry and the cafeteria was closed. She’s got to be in the coffee shop!”
I let out a sigh of relief. That had to be it. We’d worked all day. She was exhausted and hungry. Sweets was probably right. Jax had likely gone to get some caffeine and a treat. “I bet you’re right. Let’s go look.”
We walked through the side doors and back into the Winston Hall lobby and peered through the glass doors to Paranormally Delicious. The lady working was just shutting off the lights. I stuck my head inside one of the doors. “Are there any customers still in here?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, it’s been dead this evening. I’m closing a few minutes early.”
I could feel my heart beginning to speed race inside of my chest. Jax was missing. “Not again,” I said breathlessly, leaning over to rest my hands on my knees. I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“Mercy, are you alright?” Sweets asked nervously.
I tried to nod my head, but I suddenly felt dizzy as tingles spread throughout my body.
“You don’t look good, Red,” Alba said, hooking her arm underneath mine to steady me. “Sweets, grab her other arm.”
The two of them together held me up while I tried to catch my breath. The fear of Jax being abducted once again seemed to be paralyzing my body.
“What if she got stolen again,” I was finally able to say.
“What if who got stolen again?” said a little voice from behind us.
My eyes opened wide as I tried to stand up by myself. We all turned around to find Jax in her little striped witch pajamas with her black witch’s hat on looking at us curiously.
“Jax!” I exclaimed breathlessly.
“Are you alright, Mercy? You don’t look so good,” said Jax. “Did something happen to someone?”
Holly and Sweets engulfed Jax’s tiny body with their arms, hugging her tightly. “Jax! You’re back!” Sweets said excitedly.
When they’d let go of her and stepped back, Jax looked at the four of us like we were nuts. “Well that was a nice reception,” Jax said with a happy face.
“We thought you were missing!” Holly explained.
Jax smiled at us happily. “I wasn’t missing!”
“Well then where have you been?” I demanded.
Alba nodded. “Yeah, we looked everywhere for you.”
Jax gave us a shy little smile. “You looked for me?”
“Yes we looked for you!” I said impatiently. “Where were you?”
She shrugged nonchalantly. “I went upstairs to take a shower while you were eating and when I came back from the shower, I found that spell book sitting on your desk. I didn’t want you to die tomorrow, so I thought I’d return it for you before you forgot.”
My jaw dropped. “I’d totally forgotten about the book!”
“Me too,” Sweets agreed.
“Jax! You’re a lifesaver!” I gushed, giving her a hug.
“Aww, thanks! I was just trying to be helpful,” she said pointedly at Alba.
Alba cleared her throat. “That was good thinking, Shorty. Way to go.”
Sweets furrowed her eyebrows at Alba.
“And, sorry I called you a brat earlier.”
{ Chapter Nineteen}
Normal schools didn’t acknowledge Halloween much, as far as holidays went. Yes, some elementary schools allowed students to dress up like superheroes, or skeletons, or quite often witches, and they let them bring candy to hand out or the class mom would bring cupcakes with a goblin ring smashed into the frosting, but never had I been to a school that actually gave you the day off of school to celebrate Halloween – until now.
Sleeping in, that Monday morning – after two solid days spent painting, cleaning, rearranging, decorating, and cooking at the family restaurant – felt amazing. Even Jax, who normally rose at the crack of dawn so she could do yoga or talk to the birds or whatever other cheerful things she liked to do in the mornings, was still asleep.
However, waking up at noon on a Halloween, Monday morning felt odd for some reason. I couldn’t put my finger on it, exactly. But if I had to drum up a word, I’d probably have to say if felt ominous. I rolled onto my left side and pulled my blanket down and tucked it under my chin so I could peek at the time. Without my glasses, I had to squint to make my eyes work. I could definitely make out the big number twelve glowing in red on my alarm clock.
The light coming in through the window was a dull grey and there was more of a chill in the air than usual – I could tell because my nose was cold. I pulled my blankets tighter around my body and shivered slightly. I wished that I could reach the window from my bed, to shut it, but it was abov
e our desk and too far to reach. Instead, I pinched my eyes shut tightly, hoping that I could force myself to fall back asleep and wake up just in time to grab a shower before the party.
Just as I felt myself beginning to doze, I heard a soft thud at the window and immediately after my mother’s voice. “Well, hello, sleepyhead.”
I opened one eye to see Sneaks perched on the edge of my desk, staring at me with her bright green judging eyes.
“Go away, Mom,” I growled and covered my face with the blanket.
“If I had opposable thumbs, I’d yank that blanket right off your body young lady!”
“Mooom!” I whined. “I’m trying to sleep!”
“Mercy Mae, I can’t believe you’re still sleeping. Lunchtime is almost over.
“Mom, I came to college so I could sleep in whenever I want to. Why are you invading my privacy?”
“That’s not why you came to college. You came to college so you wouldn’t get sent to jail.”
“Why does that matter? I’ve been chasing around murderers since I got to Aspen Falls, this is the first day I’ve gotten to sleep past nine. Don’t you want your daughter to be well rested for the party so she isn’t crabby?”
When she was quiet for longer than 10 seconds I pulled down the blanket to expose one open eye. Sneaks’ head was tipped to the right as if she were considering my point. “Don’t you have things to do today before the party?”
“Like what? We finished the renovations. We got everything cleaned and decorated. We even helped you prep the food. What else do you want from me?”
“I meant things like getting your outfit ready and maybe doing a final practice fly by on your broomsticks so you know what you’re doing.”
“What’s so hard about picking out my outfit? I’m wearing what I always wear.”
“Sweetheart you’ve got to dress the part.”
“You can’t be serious,” I groaned.
“You thought you were going to fly in on a broomstick to a Halloween party wearing jeans and a sweatshirt?”
“Yes. That’s my plan.”
“Mercy! We’ve put a lot of time and money into this event. It needs to be amazing. It’s Halloween. You’re a witch flying in on a broomstick. You need to dress like a witch!”
Witch Degrees of Separation: A Witch Squad Cozy Mystery #3 Page 17
