The XYZs of Being Wicked

by Lara Chapman

  Dru runs up to Ivy and plays with her silky red curls. “Woooowww”

  Jo analyzes us from her seat. A knowing look is on her face, and she seems less surprised than the others in the room. She must have heard Ivy and me talking in the dining room this morning.

  “Have a seat,” Lady Jennica says. I expect her to pull us aside and grill us about what happened, but she doesn’t. She shooes us to our seats like everything’s normal. The surprised look on her face has been replaced with her typical serene smile.

  We wait a few more silent minutes as other girls enter the room, each one looking at us suspiciously. I fidget uncomfortably under their scrutiny, but nothing compares to the moment when Kendall and Zena walk in. Before they see us, the looks on their faces are smug, superior, secretive.

  Then they see us.

  The color drains from Kendall’s well-tanned face. Then her skin turns a maddened red.

  Even Zena, who never skips a beat, stops dead and stares at us.

  What I wouldn’t give to read their minds right now.

  I don’t look away uncomfortably as I normally would. I want Kendall to see just how wrong her spell went.

  “Okay,” Lady Jennica says. “Have a seat, ladies. It’s time to begin.”

  Kendall and Zena move like zombies to their seats, like they’re in a dream. A really bad dream where their enemies are suddenly prettier than they are.

  “It’s research time, ladies,” Lady Jennica says. Half the class groans, but I don’t. I haven’t done a bit of research on Dannabelle, and I’m anxious to dive in. Even if Kendall doesn’t do her part.

  “Move seats so that you’re sitting next to your research partner,” she instructs.

  I don’t move, expecting Kendall to move closer to me. Of course, she sits frozen in place until Lady Jennica forces her to move. Kendall grabs her backpack angrily and stomps over to Ivy’s desk.

  I turn my desk so that we’re facing one another.

  “Have you done any research?” I ask, as sweet as pie.

  Kendall looks up at me. “What do you think?”

  I refuse to let her see me mad, so I slap another fake smile onto my now perfect face. “No worries. I haven’t either, but I did get these books from the library.”

  I pull three books from my bag and place them between us.

  Kendall pulls one of the books closer to her and fans the pages mindlessly.

  “I guess we should start with history,” I say, smile plastered on my face.

  “Joy,” she mumbles.

  I reach across the table, open the book to Dannabelle’s history for Kendall, and point. “There you go.” I drop some notecards on the desk. “Make your notes here.”

  “I know what to do, loser,” Kendall growls.

  I ignore her like she has ignored me so many times. Opening another book, I begin reading and writing notes on notecards. I pay little attention to Kendall, but I can feel her glare drilling holes into my head. She can’t keep her eyes off me. It takes everything I have not to laugh. I’ve finally beat Kendall at her own game. And the best part is, I didn’t have to do a thing. She did it to herself.

  When my pencil breaks, I look in my bag for a new one. I can’t help but notice with total glee that my hair is falling in front of my face in beautiful satin sheets. When I look up, I do what I’ve seen Kendall do a gazillion times. I toss my hair back and let it fall into place.

  I can practically hear the I hate you thoughts running through Kendall’s head.

  I never dreamed I’d be living this moment . . . where I’m just as pretty as Kendall, more powerful than Kendall, and—for once in my life—don’t need Kendall in order to be popular.

  Eighteen

  At the beginning of elements class, Lady Rose asks to speak with me outside the room. My hands immediately begin sweating, which is so gross. But being called into the hallway is never a good thing.

  Classroom door shut, Lady Rose speaks softly. “Can you hold this for me?” she asks.

  I look down at the small broach in her hand. I noticed her wearing it previously, and seeing it up close now, I realize it’s an elaborate broach with different-colored stones set inside it. “Sure,” I say, unsure why I would need to hold it but too scared to ask.

  Lady Rose looks at me closely. “Everything okay, Hallie?”

  I look at her carefully. Is she trying to get something out of me? Does she know what Kendall and Zena did last night?

  I nod and smile. “Everything’s fine, Lady Rose.”

  She puts her hand on my hair. “I couldn’t help but notice the change in you and Ivy today. Did you happen to use your gift to help you with this?”

  The weight of the amulet pulls on my neck. “No, ma’am. I’m not even sure how I would do that. Doesn’t mind manipulation just change what people think?”

  Lady Rose narrows her eyes like she’s trying to figure something out. “Normally. I just wonder how this happened. Don’t get me wrong. I think you look beautiful, you both do. But Dowling frowns upon Seekers dabbling in spells they haven’t yet been taught.”

  I look at Lady Rose and struggle with what to say next. Do I rat out Kendall and Zena, or do I keep playing dumb? Ratting them out would make me so happy, but what if Lady Rose reverses the spell and we go back to normal?

  “I don’t know how it happened. I woke up like this. So did Ivy.”

  “Okay,” she says, arms crossed over her chest. “If you think of anything I should know, I hope you’ll come talk to me.”

  I nod the most believable way I can. “Absolutely.”

  She holds out her hand, and I give her back the broach, which she fastens onto her jacket. “Thank you, Hallie.”

  Lady Rose opens the door, and I follow her into the room. Kendall and Zena don’t even look at me as I walk past them to my seat. Ivy looks at me with a Tell me now look.

  “It’s okay,” I mouth.

  She doesn’t look like she believes me, but I face Lady Rose. Ivy will have to wait. I can’t chance Jo hearing what I tell her.

  “We’re taking a break from exploring our gifts and doing something a little different today,” Lady Rose says.

  A couple of girls sigh unhappily. Kendall and Zena are the most verbal, of course. They haven’t learned what their gifts are yet, and even I’m anxious to see what happens when they do.

  “Relax,” Lady Rose says, holding her hands in front of her. “I promise you’ll enjoy this. Today, I’m going to teach you your first spell.”

  A couple of girls clap, and Ivy and I give each other excited smiles.

  “It’s a simple spell but one I think you’ll enjoy and use often.”

  “Are we going to learn how to read people’s minds?” Dru asks excitedly, her legs swinging a full foot from the ground. Lady Rose laughs quietly. “I’m afraid that’s a gift, not a spell, Dru.”

  Dru’s legs stop swinging, but the happy expression on her face stays in place.

  “Some of you may have seen doors opening and closing without being touched, or lights turning off and on with just a twirl of the hand or a snap of the fingers.”

  Relief washes over me. I wasn’t seeing things after all.

  “Today you’ll learn the spell, and it’s so easy, you’ll have it mastered before we leave class.”

  Lady Rose stands in front of the room. “The secret to this spell—and all spells—is believing you can do it. If you think it’s impossible, I guarantee it will never happen.”

  She looks at the class with a knowing smile. “First thing you need to do,” she says, “is take a deep breath in.”

  The class inhales together.

  “Now exhale.”

  The hiss of exhalation fills the room.

  “Dru, can you join me in the front?”

  Dru half-skips to the front of the room, but I can barely see her with all the people in front of me.

  “Just watch as Dru demonstrates for you.”

  She leans down to Dru, whispers into her e
ar. Dru nods her head, the excitement practically popping out of her pores.

  Dru’s face turns uncharacteristically serious. She points a tiny finger at the door, then says, “Open the door at my command, with a twist of my hand.”

  She twirls her hand awkwardly, and the door swings open.

  The class erupts in applause, and Dru jumps up and down. “Whoa! I did that? How do I close it?”

  Lady Rose raises her hand to quiet the class. She leans in to Dru and whispers into her ear again.

  Dru faces the door, pointer finger stretched out. “Close the door and do not linger, at the snap of my fingers.”

  She snaps her fingers, and wham! The door closes.

  More applause and more excited jumping from Dru.

  I raise my hand.

  “Yes, Hallie?” Lady Rose asks.

  “I’ve seen doors open and close without anything being said. How does that work?”

  Lady Rose smiles wide. “You’ve been watching. I like that.”

  I hear Kendall’s unmistakable voice in front of me. “Suck-up.”

  Either Lady Rose doesn’t hear her or she ignores it.

  “The beauty of this spell is that you don’t have to say it out loud. You can say it in your head, make the hand gesture, and the door will open or close as you’ve commanded.”

  “I want to practice,” a girl in the front says.

  “I figured you would,” says Lady Rose. “But before we do, I need to talk to you about spells.

  “Spells are fun,” Lady Rose begins. “But they can also be dangerous. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could wreak holy havoc at Dowling by attempting spells you are not yet prepared for.”

  Kendall and Zena look at each other knowingly. They definitely didn’t intend for us to look like runway models. Even with my glasses on, I think I’m prettier than Kendall.

  “Spells will be taught to you as we feel you are ready to learn them. If you practice spells on your own, you’re asking for trouble.”

  Lady Rose eyes me specifically, as if she is still unconvinced I didn’t do something to cause our overnight makeovers.

  “I can’t emphasize enough how strongly you will be punished if you are found playing with spells that you haven’t been taught, especially if they are dark magic spells. This first year at Dowling is all about learning your limits. You have to learn in steps, not in one big leap.”

  Lady Rose pauses and looks at her clueless class of Seekers.

  “Any questions?”

  Dru raises her hand. “Now can we practice the spell?”

  “Absolutely. But before we do, know that this spell will not open a door you aren’t allowed to enter. This only works on doors you’re allowed to open and close. Don’t ask me how it works or how the magic knows. It’s just the way it is. Now grab your things and let’s go to your hallway so you can practice on your own room.”

  The class shuffles out of the room, anxious to try their first spell. As we leave the room, Lady Rose hands us a hot-pink card with the two new spells written on them.

  Kendall and I stop in front of our door but stand as far apart from one another as possible.

  “I’ll go first,” she says.

  She points at the door, says the spell out loud, then twists her hand. Before her hand is back at her side, the door is open. She again points at the door, reads the spell, and snaps her fingers, and the door closes.

  Pretending to be bored, Kendall moves to the side so I can practice.

  I open the door easily, then walk into the room.

  From inside our room I say the spell to close the door, snap my fingers, and happily watch the door close.

  Right in Kendall’s face.

  Nineteen

  Ivy sits cross-legged on my bed. We are both in our pajamas, and the amulet is tucked neatly beneath my top.

  “I’m telling you,” Ivy says, “they’re up to something. Jo said she heard them talking about a new spell, and I can feel it on Zena. She’s planning something. Something big.”

  “Well, the last time she planned something big, we ended up like this,” I say, framing my face with my hands.

  “They were mad today, really mad. Who knows what they’re trying to do tonight.”

  I do my best to push down the panic that rises in my chest. For years Kendall has been powerful without magical skills. What if she discovers her gift and uses it against us? But I don’t say any of that out loud.

  Ivy continues, “Maybe we should sneak up on them and see what spell they’re casting. Like we did last night.”

  “No way,” I say. “We almost got busted last night. Who cares what they’re doing?”

  Ivy looks at me sternly. “We do.”

  She’s right, of course. I desperately want to know what spell they’re concocting tonight. But I don’t want to get caught, and I don’t want to get in trouble.

  “Let’s go to Jo’s room,” I say. With a flick of my wrist, the door opens, and I smile. “Still loving that.”

  We knock on Jo and Dru’s door, but no one answers. We knock again, but still no answer. “Where would they be?” I ask Ivy.

  We look down both sides of the hallway. There are some other girls in pajamas moving from room to room, but none of them are Jo or Dru. We hear shuffling feet behind us and turn to see Jo and Dru half-running toward us. The door opens, and we all tumble inside the room.

  “What in the world is going on?” I ask.

  Dru and Jo look at each other, then back at us.

  “They’re in the sanctum again.”

  My heart sinks when I realize what that means.

  “I was right!” Ivy says, happy with herself. Then sobering seriousness takes over.

  “What are they doing? Trying the same spell again?” I ask.

  Dru shakes her head. “No, it’s something new. It sounded like they were trying to make you unpopular.”

  “Me?” I ask, laughing. “Since when have I been popular?”

  Jo looks at me like I’m making a joke. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Uhhh, no. I’m not.”

  “Have you seen yourself today? Even the older girls are paying more attention to you.” Jo shakes her head like she doesn’t believe me. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”

  “I honestly haven’t.” I would love to have at least one moment in the spotlight and know about it.

  “Well, people are noticing you two whether you know it or not,” says Dru.

  “Kendall and Zena didn’t see you snooping, did they?” asks Ivy.

  Dru puts her hands on her hips. “Are you kidding? No one’s faster than me.”

  I giggle at my friend.

  “What are we going to do?” Ivy asks.

  “Nothing,” I tell her, sounding way more sure of myself than I feel. “Absolutely nothing. They haven’t been taught any extra skills. They can’t cast spells without all the right tools and training.”

  “But Zena’s mom—” Ivy argues.

  “Forget the headmistress. It didn’t help them yesterday, and it’s not going to help them today,” I say.

  The room falls silent, and I take a deep breath. Everyone is looking at me for reassurance because, somehow, I’ve become the strong one in the group.

  “Look, we’ll go to bed, wake up, and everything will be the same. I’m sure of it,” I say. At least I hope it will be.

  Back in my room, Ivy and I are on my bed, this time reading about our ancestry. I don’t know why, but it just feels safer when we’re together. Dad always said there was safety in numbers.

  Ivy puts her book down. “Can I see the amulet again?”

  I pull the amulet from under my gown and take it off for her to see. “I haven’t looked at it that much. I’m too worried someone will see me.”

  We both touch the stones in the necklace, looking at each intricately carved stone in amazement. “Can you imagine how long it took to make this?” I say.

  “Years.”

  I
vy drops the amulet, and I let it rest between us. It actually feels weird not having it against my skin. “What if it works?” Ivy asks.

  I look at her, confused. “What if what works?”

  “What if their spell works and we become unpopular or something?” The worry in Ivy’s voice makes me instantly angry. If I knew how, I’d curse Kendall to keep her from making other people feel like this. Maybe give her a big, fat, impossible tongue that keeps her from talking at all.

  I put my hand on Ivy’s. “First of all, I’ve got some news for you. We aren’t popular.”

  Ivy grins at that.

  “Secondly, it’s not going to work. They’ve proven they don’t know how to say a spell right. But if it does, who cares? We don’t need Kendall and Zena in order to have friends and be happy. Kendall has made my life a nightmare since I was in third grade. I won’t let her control me anymore.”

  The metallic click of the door unlatching stops me cold. I look down at the amulet in my hand and hold my breath, cemented in place. Pure panic pulses through me.

  She’s going to see the amulet.

  Kendall enters the room, then stops cold when she sees us.

  “What are you doing here?” she asks Ivy.

  Ivy looks at me, her face as white as glue. I try to speak, but when I open my mouth, nothing comes out.

  “Well?” Kendall pushes. “Why are you here? And how’d you get in?”

  “Studying with Hallie,” she says, looking at me blankly.

  I look at the amulet in my hand, at Ivy who looks like she’s seen a ghost, at Kendall who doesn’t even acknowledge me. Or the amulet. It’s like I’m not even here.

  “Hello?” I say, but my voice isn’t heard. No one in the room appears to see me. “Hello!” My voice is louder, more insistent. No one seems to hear me, no matter how loud I am.

  “Where is she?” Kendall asks, so disgusted by me, she can’t even say my name. She is practically spewing hate like an out-of-control fire hydrant.

  “Ummmm,” Ivy looks at me but acts like she can’t see me. “She’ll be back.”

  “Whatever,” Kendall says, walking to the bathroom. Two seconds later the shower goes on, and I know I’ve got at least ten minutes to hide the amulet in my pillowcase before she reappears.