"I'm so sorry," Brianna said.
Dave stared at the pavement. "It's not your fault."
Brianna wished he would stop trying to exonerate her from blame. Even worse than knowing it was all her fault was watching Dave suffer and blame himself.
"I'm going to call a taxi," Brianna said.
Dave nodded, his head still bent down. He kicked the loose pebbles under his feet.
When the cab arrived, Brianna got in and waved goodbye to Dave and Pat from the back seat. She was afraid to speak or get too close to them. It wasn't fair. Would she ever be able to hang out with her best friends again?
Chapter Twenty-Five
On Saturday morning Mandy lay in bed, her mind replaying yesterday's events. Could Brianna be right? Did she deserve this? Maybe, but she had never intentionally hurt her twin. Brianna had done this on purpose.
But was it a bad thing? After her confrontation with her sister, Sabrina had brought Mandy to her first session with a counselor that specialized in adolescent issues. Mandy had shared her story with the counselor, minus the magic of course. As she expressed her feelings, she realized that her pain had little to do with the loss of her magic at all, and more to do with her own insecurities and lack of fulfillment in her relationships. There were problems within herself that ached to be fixed.
Mandy had the power to heal herself, her counselor had explained. It wouldn't happen overnight, and it would take hard work, but her counselor promised that the rewards would be well worth the effort. So could the theft of her powers be a blessing in disguise? A chance for a new beginning?
Mandy was startled when her phone rang. Who could be calling her? She didn't have any friends.
"Hey." Her heart jumped at the sound of Logan's voice. "You weren't in school yesterday. I just wanted to see how you're feeling."
"I'm feeling a little bit better now. Thanks. How was your date Thursday night?" She was surprised that his date was still in the forefront of her thoughts.
"Eh, it was okay."
"Just okay?" It wasn't until Mandy exhaled in relief that she realized that she had been holding her breath.
"Yep. She's a nice girl, but I just wasn't feeling it. You know?"
"I get it." Her mood lifted slightly for the first time all day.
"So, what are you up to? I know it's the weekend and you probably have tons of plans, but we are behind—"
"I don't have any plans. You want to come over here?"
****
Thirty minutes later, the science partners sat facing each other on Mandy's plush carpet. "So, what are you thinking?" Logan asked.
"I like your idea about the plants. I used to like helping my mom plant flowers in the yard."
"Yep, I remember. Sounds good. The deadline is coming up, so we need plants that grow fast. Let's head over to the nursery and see what we can find."
In the passenger seat of Logan's sedan, Mandy admired his shiny, soft brown hair. She imagined running her fingers through the silky strands…
What was she thinking? He was her friend!
"We're going to have to get pots, seeds, and soil. We might get a little dirty. I hope you don't mind," Logan said.
"Mind?" Mandy laughed. "Have you forgotten our mud wrestling matches when we were kids? What would make you think I would mind a little dirt?"
"Of course I remember. How could I forget? It's just—in recent years you've…changed."
She shook her head vehemently. "I didn't change. I just lost myself for a while. I tried to become—what everyone thought I should be. But deep inside, I was always the same. Now I just have to find that again. Find me again. I wish I knew how."
"Well, a good place to find something is the place you lost it. When did you lose yourself?"
"I'm not even sure anymore. It was so long ago. From the first time I landed a triple axel, pitched a no-hitter, landed a tumbling routine… The applause, the admiration…it was intoxicating. It became an addiction. I craved it. I lived for it. When I grew up and realized it wasn't real…it wasn't me. I was living an empty life. It was too late. Everyone already expected me to be perfect. Seeing the disappointment in their eyes, knowing I was letting them down…it was unbearable."
Logan nodded. "I can understand. There are times I feel like I'm not good enough. But as long as I'm doing what makes me happy, and I'm doing the best I can, that's all I can do. The people that matter will never be let down by that."
Mandy reached toward the driver's seat and placed her hand on Logan's shoulder, her throat swelling with real emotion. "Logan, you should never feel you're not good enough. You're incredible. You're such a good person. There aren't many people that can honestly say that."
He glanced sideways, his hazel eyes twinkling behind his glasses. "Thanks. I know you're a great person too. You just got a little off-track."
"I was way off track, but you're right. I have to go back to where I left off. That's the only way I can find myself again. I'm going to stop doing everything I did just to impress other people. From now on, I'm only going to do the things I used to love, such as mountain bike riding, hiking, reading, and bird watching." Mandy reminisced on all her favorite childhood memories. "Hanging out with you."
Logan's whole face lit up. "We can do that. How about a mud wrestling rematch?"
Mandy laughed. "Next rainy day. It's on!" An image filled her mind of Logan and herself dressed in tanks and shorts. As they grappled on the ground, their bodies were slick with mud. His smooth skin slipped against hers as he rolled on top of her, pinning her down. Somehow her imagination had created an extremely sensual vision.
At the nursery, they purchased four pots, packets of cress seeds, and a bag of soil. In Logan's bedroom, they set up their experiment. They labeled each of the pots with black permanent marker. After the seeds were planted, Mandy retrieved a bottle of multivitamins from Logan's nightstand.
"Hey, what's this?" Mandy help up a large container labeled 100% Whey Protein Dietary Supplement.
"I joined a gym and I've been lifting a little bit. It's supposed to help build muscle." Logan smashed one of the multivitamins and sprinkled the powder over two of the pots. "So, here's the plan. You take home these pots." He handed Mandy the pots labeled Control and Vitamins. "Make sure they get plenty of water and sunlight every day. I'll take these pots." He gestured to the pots labeled Music and Vitamins and Music. "They will get water, sunlight, and music played for them every day."
"Then, we just have to get together and compare measurements to see which plants grew the fastest," Mandy said.
"Yep, take pictures and measurements every day for data. We're all set."
"Okay, great." There was nothing left to do, but she didn't want to go. "Hey, what are you up to later?"
"I'm playing basketball with a few friends. What's up? You're not hanging out with Chad?"
"No. Chad and I are over."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. You okay?" Logan's big hazel eyes were wide with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Good. I never thought he was right for you, anyway. Did you want to hang out tonight?"
"Well, not if you already have plans."
"Nah, we only play basketball until it gets dark. How about a nine o'clock movie? We used to go to the movies all the time." Logan's lips spread into his broad, contagious smile.
"Sounds great." Mandy couldn't help but smile back.
Chapter Twenty-Six
"I'd like a toasted cinnamon-raisin bagel with butter," a petite brunette ordered.
Brianna popped the bagel into the industrial toaster and rang up the order at the register. Even though she was at work, her mind was still on last night and how to make things right. She absently handed the buttered bagel to the customer.
Bleh! Brianna glanced at the clock. Nine a.m. Still six hours to go. Business was slow and the day was dragging. She busied herself with history homework. The twenty questions required answers in paragraph form. She didn't want to do it. Sig
hing, Brianna wished it were finished already.
Before her eyes, words appeared on the page, letter-by-letter, as if being written by an imaginary hand. One blink and the homework was completed. The answers were correct, concise, and well-written in Brianna's handwriting. All it had taken was a thought.
How was that possible? It didn't make any sense. Brianna remembered how hard her sister had always worked on her homework when they'd been kids. Then it occurred to her. Besides stealing every drop of power within Mandy, she had kept all of her own. Now she was more powerful than Mandy had ever been.
The door to the bagel shop opened and a group of ten teenagers sauntered in. Ugh. Go somewhere else.
One of the girls stopped mid-step. "I'd rather go to the diner."
"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing," one of the boys said. The rest of the group nodded in agreement.
Wow, maybe these powers aren't such a bad thing after all.
After work, Brianna showered and dressed. When she was ready, she drove her father's sedan to Valerie's house. On the front porch, Valerie waited in a tight turquoise tube dress and high-heeled pumps.
"It's so great to see you!"
Was it so great to see her, or to see her powers? But since Valerie was her only friend now, she just smiled and said, "Great to see you too!"
"I'm so excited for tonight! Come in, come in!"
Brianna followed Valerie into her black-and-gold bedroom. The materials for the Become Irresistible to Boys spell were already arranged in the center of the room.
"First, we do the spell. Then, we go out and party!"
"I don't think I need a spell to be irresistible to boys. I've already been attracting too much male attention."
"Is there such thing as too much?" Valerie laughed. "Let's do the spell so I can find out!"
If it hadn't been for Valerie's guidance, Brianna would never have attained her power in the first place. Valerie deserved a night of male attention.
This time the spell worked with ease. The girls clapped as the stems blossomed into enormous, beautiful red roses before their eyes. Other than their gigantic size, the roses looked, smelled, and felt just like real roses.
"Amazing," Valerie breathed. She placed a rose in her sequined pocketbook.
"Here." Brianna offered her friend the second rose. "Double the irresistibility?"
Valerie laughed as she accepted the flower. "You sure?"
Brianna nodded. "Absolutely. So what now?"
"Now we find some hotties!"
"We could try Burger Bop."
"No, I want to dance. What about Club Ice? Do you think we will get in?"
"Definitely," Brianna said.
"Yay!" Valerie clapped and then hugged Brianna. "This is going to be the best night ever."
Valerie's foresight was accurate. On the dance floor, they were surrounded by admirers. A tall, gorgeous hunk approached Brianna. They were dancing close when he proclaimed, "You are the most beautiful girl in the world."
Valerie danced with three guys at once, intermittently bestowing a bit of attention on each of them. When a song was played that Brianna disliked, she made eye contact with the DJ. In the middle of the tune, the DJ exchanged the techno beat for one of her favorite songs. Brianna laughed aloud.
The handsome blond asked, "What's funny?"
Brianna met his gaze, mesmerizing him further. "Oh, nothing. I just love this song. Let's dance!"
Once Brianna grew tired of the blond guy, she moved onto a gorgeous Hispanic guy, then a tall boy with huge muscles, followed by a brunet with striking green eyes. Before the night was over, she had dates lined up for every night of the week. The girls stayed until the club closed. Unfortunately, Brianna did not have the ability to stop time.
On the drive home, the girls replayed the events of the night. "I couldn't believe it when that dorky guy kept trying to dance with me! He was annoying," Valerie said. "But that surfer-looking dude with the long hair…he was so hot. Not the greatest dancer, but I still gave him my phone number. The other one with the spiky black hair… Wow, he could move! This spell was amazing. We should go to that store in the city to check out more spell books."
Brianna thought of Eva's sassy attitude, Dave's never-ending faith in her talent no matter how badly she sucked, and Pat's sense of humor and crazy hair. "Do you think they have any books on controlling powers?"
"Oh, I'm sure. There are a ton of books and the staff is knowledgeable, too. Want to go tomorrow morning?"
"I'm down."
"Sounds great. I'll pick you up at ten, at the bottom of your driveway."
"Perfect."
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Somewhere in the middle of the romantic comedy, Mandy lost all ability to focus on the storyline. Her attention was riveted on Logan. Although his appearance hadn't changed, Mandy found herself attracted to him. The way he leaned back in his chair. His fluffy, uncombed hair. Even the way his oversized glasses slid down his nose was endearing and irresistible.
What could account for this sudden attraction? His smile lit up parts of her she had long forgotten. It was an expression she had seen so many times before. That smile was a soft summer's breeze, the feeling of warm sand between her toes, the rustle of the wind through the forest, the first sip of hot chocolate after a snowball fight, the adrenaline flowing through her veins during long bike rides.
Then it all made sense. She wasn't seeing him with her eyes, but with her heart. And her heart was so full of respect, caring, and love that all she could see was the beauty of his soul shining through.
Every time his hand grazed hers in their shared popcorn container, little tingles traveled from her fingertips to her upper arm. She longed to be closer to him, to rest her head on his shoulder, to feel the warmth emanating from beneath his skin. Oh wow! She had real feelings for Logan. Could he feel the same? Even if he did, was it worth risking their friendship?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sunday morning, Brianna slid into the passenger side of Valerie's gold car. "Where are we going?" Brianna asked.
"The store is called Margie's Enchantments. It's in Manhattan." Valerie punched an address into her GPS.
Brianna's phone beeped three times, indicating a new text message.
Dear Bri— Great time last night! I can't wait to see you again. — Greg
"Hmm, which one was Greg?" Brianna wondered aloud. Before she could press respond, another text message came through. Valerie's phone also began to beep.
"Ooh! I just got a text from Kyle!" Valerie said.
"Who's that?"
"I think he was the surfer guy, but…hmm, I'm not sure."
Both girls laughed as Brianna's phone rang. "Wow. I haven't had this many phone calls in…ever!"
"Well, this is how it feels to be irresistible to boys! Get used to it! It feels good!" Valerie reached out to give Brianna a high-five.
Brianna slapped Valerie's hand as she answered the call. "Hello?"
"Hi, this is Paul. It was so great to meet you last night."
The girls spent the half-hour's drive to New York City chatting with boys and replying to texts.
"There are too many! How are we going to keep track?" Brianna asked.
"We don't have to. I'm pretty sure whatever name we call them, they will love it!" Valerie laughed and then turned serious. "I hope we find parking once we get there."
Brianna didn't anticipate a problem. Sure enough, when they arrived, there was a free spot available right in front of Margie's Enchantments.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Do not mention anything about the evulsion to anyone in this store. Okay?"
Brianna was puzzled. "Why?"
"Something about it not being ethical. There could be consequences from the supernatural community or some garbage."
"What? Are you joking? Why didn't you tell me this? That's a pretty big deal."
Valerie waved her hand blithely. "Don't worry about it. As long as we don't tell, no one will ever know
."
Brianna stepped across the sidewalk and pushed open the heavy wooden door to Maggie's Enchantments. An attractive brunette was seated at the glass counter. She closed her textbook to greet her customers. "Good morning." In an instant, her warm demeanor made Brianna feel at home.
"Hi, Renee. How are you?" Valerie asked.
Renee rose and crossed the room, her lavender-and-indigo tie-dye skirt swaying with each long, graceful stride. Somehow Brianna could sense power percolating deep inside Renee. Although she could tell Renee was a powerful witch, she was not intimidated. Quite the opposite. Brianna liked the other witch and longed to be her friend.
"I'm doing well. Good to see you again, Valerie." Turning toward Brianna, the tall, statuesque witch outstretched her hand. "I'm Renee Ramsey."
Brianna shook her hand. "I'm Brianna McKinney. My friends call me Bri."
"McKinney?" Renee's lustrous brown eyes widened.
"Yes, McKinney."
"It's so great to meet you!" Renee grasped Brianna's palm tighter. Their interlocked hands seemed to move up and down in slow motion and lingered just a few moments longer than the typical handshake. "So, what are you looking for today?"
"More spell books. I remember where they are," Valerie said, and walked toward the shelves along the right wall.
"I'm looking for a book on how to control my magic," Brianna said.
"Control? How do you mean?"
"I want to be able to access them only when I want to use them. The problem is that I have been influencing people and things around me completely unintentionally."
"I see. That's unusual. You must have an exorbitant amount of power. I have never met anyone with that problem. For most of us, it takes considerable effort to access our power. So we have a lot of information on that, but nothing on suppression of power."
It was difficult to be disappointed with Renee nearby. Brianna's intuition told her that this sweet girl was a special person. "Oh, okay. I see."
In Shadows of Magic Page 10
