Chapter Twenty-Four
Why aren’t you at school today? U sick? I text Ethan wondering if he’ll text back. I haven’t seen him for days and he wasn’t in math this morning. Our texts back and forth have been brief. Just as I predicted, the love spell is keeping him busy.
What I didn’t predict is how the love spell would make people do things they didn’t want to do or maybe that they want to do but it isn’t exactly on their terms. My mom’s behavior over the weekend was completely…well…wrong.
I didn’t make any promises to Abby about writing more spells. I only have two wonky spell results to go on but I need to make sure it isn’t the spells that are doing funny things to people. I told her I’d think about it, which she seemed to take as agreeing to go along with her. I’m fine with her thinking that while I figure out what’s actually going on. It saves me having to deal with cranky Abby when I see her.
I dart down another hallway to avoid the teacher of my next class. I have a feeling I’m going to be ditching today. If Ethan is at home, I’m going to go see him. If the spells are backfiring, I need to make sure that Ethan’s love match isn’t working strangely, too. Besides, I miss him, so it’s worth skipping class to spend some time with him.
My thoughts are swirling around how out of character my mom’s behavior is. I certainly didn’t appreciate her reaction to Luca on the weekend. That was totally uncool. I mean, sure, I want her to be happy. Her unending longing for my dad was draining her, aging her, too. It’s time for her to move on with life, but hitting on my boyfriend and sex with her assistant is not what I’d been thinking.
Zach and Mom, they’ve worked together since grad school. Zach was friends with Dad. He always told me that he admired Mom for her ability to keep Dad’s memory alive. So for him and Mom to have sex… Just, why?
Maybe the spell removed inhibitions? Maybe Mom’s been secretly in love with Zach for years? Maybe the other way around?
I can tell myself that but it doesn’t feel like the truth. Mom’s been going out nightly, sometimes not coming home until the next day. It bothers me that I don’t know where she’s going or who she’s with. I’ve always been worried about her losing herself to the ghosts but at least she was always safe at home. Now I don’t know what she’s up to at all and that’s a little frightening.
I need to talk to Ethan, see what he thinks.
I turn down another hall, the front doors are right there, but I see Mel in the distance. She’s alone and moving slowly, shuffling almost, and her arm is curled around her ribs. She’s hunched a bit, not looking like her usual confident self. As she lifts up her arm to push open the door of the restroom, I see her wince.
What the…? I put my phone in my pocket and follow her.
The restroom seems empty and for a second I doubt that she’s actually in there. But in the silence comes a sound. A muffled sob and a quiet moan. Goose bumps ripple over my skin. Something feels unsettled here. And yet I hesitate. Maybe I don’t want to know. Mel and I are not friends. I don’t really even know her that well.
But I don’t know Amanda that well, either, and yet I know things are going sideways for her. I can’t keep using that excuse.
I sigh, then knock lightly on the door.
“Mel, it’s Rowan, you okay in there?”
The crying stops. There’s a sniffle. The sound of her unrolling toilet paper. “Yes,” she croaks.
She flushes the toilet. Opens the door and stares right through me. “Can I get out?”
She’s got what looks like finger marks on her throat.
I step back. “Are those bruises?”
She covers them with her hand, then lifts her scarf and rearranges it to cover the marks. “No.”
She walks to the sink and then washes her hands, all the while avoiding looking at me in the mirror.
I move in beside her, still looking at her reflection as she takes out a small makeup bag from her purse and begins to touch up her face.
“I know something’s going on.” I clear my throat. “Something weird is happening with the spell, isn’t it?”
Mel doesn’t say anything, she just pulls out some lip gloss and puckers her lips.
“Another couple…they’re having trouble.” In a nutshell, Will is a pervert and Amanda completely enthralled by him and his popularity, which is giving him full access to abuse her.
“Mel?” I keep my voice soft and touch her hand gently. “Did Andrew do this to you?”
She smacks my hand away and glares at me through the mirror. “That’s really none of your business.” She sweeps her mascara up on her lashes. “We’re in love and when you love someone, you do whatever you can to make them happy.”
I frown. That is so wrong. “Um…not if it comes with bruises.” I motion to her side.
Even though I don’t touch her, she winces and pulls away, wrapping her arm over her waist. “Don’t touch me.”
“I wasn’t—” I sigh. “Have you been to the hospital?”
She turns to the mirror again and continues to touch up her makeup. “No. There’s no need to. I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“What do you care, Rowan?” She shoves her makeup back into her purse and turns to face me, her brow furrowed, her lips set in a thin line. “I’m not asking for your help or your input. Mind your own business.” She pushes past me and leaves the restroom.
I slump against the sink. My stomach gurgles and I’m suddenly nauseous. How did this happen? This isn’t the way I thought things would go. Love shouldn’t hurt.
My phone buzzes. I pull it out and see a reply from Ethan.
Yeah, I’m sick. Don’t come over.
I gulp. He knows that’s what I’d do. Any time one of us gets sick we bring the other some get well soon treats. Brownies, chocolate, some ice cream… Basically a sugar fueled pick me up.
Ethan’s message makes my stomach lurch because I know he’s avoiding me.
I need to see you. Please.
Three dots appear showing he’s typing. I watch, holding my breath. I need to make sure he’s okay.
I’m going. Whether he wants me there or not. I leave the restroom and beeline for my locker. I’ve got to get my coat. My phone buzzes and I quickly look at it.
I’ll leave the door unlocked.
…
“I knew I couldn’t stop you.” He’s got dark sunglasses on and isn’t wearing makeup from what I can see and that alone is jarring.
I reach up to move the glasses aside but he dodges me, then heads toward the kitchen.
“Ethan, what happened?”
He slides onto a stool at the kitchen island. There’s a bowl of cereal in front of him and a glass of milk. Comfort food.
I dump my bag on the floor, then make another attempt to take his glasses off.
He ducks, sighs, then lifts them.
I gasp.
His right eye is completely black and blue, swollen, and bloodshot. “Ethan! What happened?” I go to the freezer and pull out some peas.
He snorts. “It’s too late for that.”
I hand them to him anyway. “Have you gone to the hospital? What if your eye socket is broken?” It looks so bad, I could cry.
Ethan gives me a one-eye oh please look, then winces. “I’m fine. It’s just a black eye.”
I try to give him a hug but he pushes me back so he can stand. “Has your dad seen this?”
“Nope.” Ethan shakes his head. “Dad’s been working back-to-back shifts. I haven’t seen him in days.”
“When did this happen?”
“Yesterday.” He picks up his bowl and then dumps it in the sink.
“Did Malcolm hit you?”
He turns on the garbage disposal and stares at me. It’s loud. It makes speaking impossible. I cross my arms and stare back. “E
than, tell me what happened.”
Finally, he turns it off. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”
“It looks really bad. Did Malcolm hit you?” I ask again.
“We just got a little rough, that’s all.” He shrugs, then walks past me on his way to his bedroom.
I grab his arm and stop him. “Eth, this is more than a little rough.” I lay my hand on the side of his face. He closes his eyes and lets out a long breath. “If he’s hurting you…”
Ethan sucks in another breath, then opens his eyes. “He’s not.”
And I know he’s lying to me.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I leave Ethan’s house in a rush.
I need to fix this. For Amanda, for Mel, for Ethan, and for my mom. Too many relationships are going wrong, too many people getting hurt. I can’t talk to Abby about it because she clearly doesn’t care about anything but making more money so she can impress Mr. Tremmel. Obviously, I’m not going to write another spell for her, but that only solves part of the problem. I need to find a way to undo what’s already been done without having to wait for the spells to fizzle out. The only place I can think to go is back to the candle shop and see if the lady who stopped us from buying the true love spell is willing to help me.
I run all the way to my house only to see that Mom’s car isn’t there. She’s not home. Again.
I check my phone. The bus won’t come for another forty minutes. I do a quick search for the candle shop online. It closes at four. Thirty minutes. Not good.
I’m just about to call an Uber when Luca rolls up in his truck.
“Hey, your mom canceled work today and Mr. Columbus said I could take the afternoon off. You want to do something?” He’s half leaning out the window, a huge smile on his face…which disappears the second he realizes I’m not smiling back. “What’s wrong?”
“Can you drive me to Main Street?” I don’t wait for a response. I just run around his truck and open the passenger door.
“Of course, sure, what’s going on?” He waits for me to hop in then starts driving before I even put my seatbelt on, no doubt picking up on the urgency and my anxiety.
“Those spells I wrote, there’s something wrong with them.” I clasp my hands on my lap because I’m shaking. This has gotten out of control and I don’t understand why. “Ethan has a black eye, Mel has bruises on her throat. My mom—” My throat catches and I have to take a breath before I continue. “I think it’s the spell. It’s making people do things—hurtful things—to the people they’re with. Like Will and Amanda.”
“Wait a minute, you wrote a spell for them, too?” Luca looks over at me and shakes his head. “The way Will was talking about her, it wasn’t how he normally is with girlfriends…” He runs his fingers through his hair and looks back at the road. “It wasn’t exactly full of respect. I don’t think he’s hurting her, though.”
“Maybe not physically, but he’s making her do things she wouldn’t normally do. She told me that he makes her wear certain clothes, even if she’s uncomfortable.”
“Well, I wouldn’t call that abuse…”
I frown at him. “Are you defending Will?”
“He’s not a terrible guy, Ro. It’s just that him and Amanda are not exactly suited to each other.”
I turn so I can face him. “So she deserves to be demeaned?”
“No. Will can be pushy at times but he’s not usually mean to anyone.” He meets my eyes. “Maybe your spell is bringing out the bad in him, too.”
I open my mouth to argue.
“Ro, you said yourself that the spells are causing unexpected things to happen. Would they have gotten together without your interference?”
I lower my eyes and turn around so I can look out the window. I can’t bring myself to confess that they were matched up without their consent. “No, probably not.” Amanda and Will were on different ends of the social spectrum. We should never have done what we did with the spell.
He lets the silence hang for a few blocks. “What’s on Main Street?”
I rub my hand over my face and sigh. “There’s a store, Scents and Things, that sells spell books like the ones we used. The lady there…she might be able to help.” I hope she can help. She did tell us—more like warned us—not to meddle. She said there would be consequences.
He reaches over and takes my hand. It’s such a simple gesture but it makes me feel like I’m not alone in this. “We’ll figure it out.” He squeezes my fingers gently, then nods forward. “Do you want me to go in with you?”
I shake my head and look out the front window. “I think this is something I have to do alone. You didn’t make this mess.”
“No, I didn’t.” He pulls into a spot just a few stores down from Scents and Things. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t be a part of finding a solution.”
I smile at him, then lean over the console and give him a hug. “I appreciate it, and if you don’t mind waiting, I’d also appreciate a ride home but I think it’s better if I go and talk to the witch…er…shop owner…whatever she is, alone.”
Luca nods. “I’ll be here.”
“Thanks.” I give one last smile and then get out. My stomach is in knots. I hate that I feel like a misbehaving child who is headed toward a lecture but I realize that that’s probably what I’m gonna get. The lady warned us and we ignored her. Sure, I could blame Abby, but I always had a choice. I could have walked away. Without me, Abby couldn’t do the spells in the first place.
My hand shakes as I push open the door to the shop. It’s exactly as it was the day Abby and I came. Delicious scents waft toward me, a feeling of calm folds over me, and warmth, so much warmth that it’s like a fire is burning, waiting for me to curl up in front of it and—
“Can I help you?” The woman from the other day comes around the corner. She looks the same as well. Flowy dress, cascading hair, wary smile.
“Hi, yes, I, um…” I clear my throat.
“Oh dear, do come in, the wind has a chill today that’s unbearable.” She waves me forward.
I look over my shoulder and see Luca in his truck. He waves. I force a smile, then I step into the store and let the door close behind me.
“It’s awful out there, isn’t it? The trials of spring. At least we know that warm weather is on its way.” She wraps her arms around herself and takes a few steps back. “You were here the other day, weren’t you?”
I gulp. Nod. “I was here with a girl…a friend.”
She cocks one eyebrow. “A friend? I wouldn’t have said that.” She winks. “More like someone you know, maybe not very well at that.”
Okay, that’s true. Weird that she could tell, though. “Well, I was here with Abby and we were looking at a book.” I wave toward the back of the store.
“Yes, you were.” She crosses her arms. Her blue eyes are piercing, lovely but intense at the same time. My mom would call her an old soul for sure. There’s wisdom in her eyes that tells me she knows more than she’s letting on. “Love spells, if I remember correctly. Not the kind of spells you want to fool around with.”
The lump in my throat grows. I try to swallow it down but it’s like her concentrated stare is making it bigger. I force myself to speak. “Well, yeah, that’s the thing. My friend, she took a picture of one of the spells.” I wince as her eyes go wider. “And we…well, we did it.”
“Which spell did you do?” her voice is so soft I almost don’t hear her. Her hand flutters to her throat. Her eyes narrow.
“The true love spell.”
She clenches her fist, then lowers it. Her lips pull into a straight line. “I see.”
“We started with crush spells, just for fun, totally innocent spells that were only meant to be a joke but then they worked.” Her expression doesn’t change. I gulp. “But only for a little while and then people started wanting more powerful spe
lls and that’s when Abby showed me the spell she took a picture of.”
“And you tried it.”
“And it worked, yes.” I nod. My stomach is doing flips. “But now…”
“Now?” She lets her hand drop to her side and she leans forward a bit. “What?”
“Now things are turning weird. Not good, I mean. People are getting hurt. Like really hurt but they won’t give up the person who’s hurting them.”
She lets the silence hang.
“And my mom, she’s acting super weird, like totally out of character.” I cover my face with my hands. “I just wanted her to move on from Dad, you know? He died so long ago and she won’t let him go.”
She still doesn’t say anything.
The more I speak the worse I feel. Guilt crushes down on me. What a mess I’ve made. I lift my head. “Abby said that the spells will fizzle out.”
She shakes her head. “That’s not really how a true love spell works I’m afraid.”
Tears burn the backs of my eyes. “I need to make the spells stop. Can you help me?”
She stares at me for what feels like ten minutes but is probably only one. Her eyes are a shocking blue now, like they’ve changed color, they’re sharper looking and intensely focused on me. I feel like there’s power in her eyes. Like she can read my soul just by looking at me.
“You’re the only one who wrote the spells?” she finally asks.
“Yes. Abby tried but they didn’t work.” Tears are definitely coming. My eyes feel wet. I struggle to keep them back but my lips are trembling.
“And wrote is a bit of a stretch. I was copying them really. Not much in the way of creativity on my part. Just a bit of tweaking here and there.”
She turns and starts to walk away. “What’s your name, girl?”
“Rowan…Rowan Marshall.”
She stops, looks over her shoulder. One eyebrow cocked. “Rowan Marshall.” Then she nods. “You shouldn’t have meddled with your mother’s devotion to your dad.” She disappears into a back room.
“You know my mom?” Stupid question. Of course the witch at the witch shop knows who my mom is. I walk to the wall of books and realize that Mom’s are all there. I pull one of the more recent ones down. There’s a sticker that says signed by the author. I flip it open and sure enough, Mom’s signature is there.
Love Spells and Other Disasters Page 20