Cinderella Complex

by Rebekah L. Purdy

  “Listen, I wanted to apologize for leaving in such a hurry last night.” Seth signaled a left turn.

  “Apology accepted.” I gawked at him, watching his arms flex as he turned the corner. “I was worried for you.”

  He chuckled. “Well don’t be. I just felt sick and wanted to leave before I hurled everywhere. Didn’t think I’d make much of an impression on you if I vomited in public.”

  He winked and my pulse quickened. I shifted my glance out the window. The overcast sky threatened rain. What was he trying to tell me? “You wanted to make an impression on me?”

  “Maybe.” His voice softened.

  I kneaded my hands together in my lap. Why had it taken me sixteen years to realize how totally hot Seth was? Please let him like me too. This seemed insane. Best friends weren’t supposed to be into each other. But then why can’t I stop thinking about him?

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I need to swing by my house to drop off the extra house key for my mom,” he said.

  “No problem.”

  After a couple of miles, Seth eased the truck into his driveway. He got out and opened the garage door. Oh my. Inside sat the mangled piece of metal that used to be his motorcycle. I jerked the door open and followed him.

  “Oh my—Seth.” My gaze met his. “Ho—how did you survive?”

  He shrugged. “Luck.”

  “What happened?”

  “I’m not real sure. One minute I was fine, the next I felt really sick at the Exhibit. Like someone zapped me or something.”

  I went still. Did my magic make him ill? What if his accident had been my fault?

  My voice cracked with emotion. “Did another car hit you?”

  “Everything got hazy when I left. There was fog and the next thing I knew, something rammed into me.”

  I clutched my chest. I couldn’t breathe. Crap. This was my fault. The Grimms targeted him because of me.

  Seth caught me by the elbow. “Mags, you okay?”

  “Yes.” I gave him a shaky smile. No, I wasn’t okay. If the Grimms hurt Seth, who else would they come after? Mom? Grandma? Taylor?

  Seth’s brow furrowed. “You look like you’re gonna pass out. Do you want to come in and sit for a few minutes?”

  “No, really. I’m fine.”

  After another quick once-over, he walked inside to drop off the key. We headed back out.

  The moment he parked in front of my house, I slid from the truck. I reached back in to grab my school stuff.

  “You can come in if you want. Mom and Jack are both gone.”

  He laughed as he shut off the engine. “Are you hitting on me?”

  “No.” I totally was.

  “So you’re not interested in the least?” He hopped out of the truck and followed me as I walked to the house.

  I spun around, my fist raised, ready to sock him in the chest. He caught my hand and brought it to his mouth. His warm lips pressed against my knuckles. My body burned as if I’d walked through a bonfire. I’d never wanted anyone more than I wanted him now. I swallowed, hard.

  “What if I was interested?” I finally said.

  He smiled but said nothing. Instead, we pushed into the foyer where I dumped my backpack on the bench and headed into the kitchen. I grabbed us both a cola and walked into the family room.

  We sat down on the couch. He pushed his knee against mine. For a second, I couldn’t focus. He was so close. My nerve endings pulsed from the contact.

  “We’re not going to be weird with each other now, are we?” I asked. “Because, after the kiss—”

  He set his soda down onto the coffee table and moved in closer. He stroked my face. “No. We’ll never be weird.”

  I stared at his lips. My stomach fluttered. We moved in. I wanted him to kiss me so bad. He tilted my head back, his breath warm against my face. He bent his neck down and pressed his lips against mine.

  His cell phone went off. He groaned. He pulled it from his pocket, eyes narrowed when he stared at the display screen. He flipped it open. “Hello.” His face darkened as he stood up. “I already told you, I won’t have any part in it.” He hung up.

  “What was that about? Are you okay?”

  Seth grabbed his jacket from the back of the couch. “I’ve got to go. I promise, we’ll finish this soon.”

  I tailed him upstairs. “Who was that on the phone?”

  “My dad.” He snorted. “I’ve been summoned.”

  “Summoned?”

  “Take care of yourself, Maggie. And stick close to Jack.” His voice sounded urgent.

  I wanted to ask him what he meant, but he left before I could press him further.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Kat hugged a pink pillow to her chest. “Last night was perfect. I can’t believe the Prince family invited me to dinner.” She squealed and fell back onto her bed.

  I laughed. “See? I told you just be yourself.”

  “Yeah...Um—things didn’t quite go like I planned.” She frowned, tucking a piece of auburn hair behind her ear. “Connor doesn’t know where I live. I kind of had him drop me off across town.”

  My mouth dropped open. “You what?”

  “You don’t understand. His family’s got a massive amount of money. If they see this place, they won’t let him see me ever again.”

  “Okay, now you’re just being dramatic. This isn’t the eighteenth century. The Princes aren’t searching out a rich suitor for their son.”

  Kat sat up, drawing her knees to her chin. “Maybe you should go to the dinner with me.”

  “No. You’ve got this. I mean, I’ll only be in the way.”

  Where had Kat’s confidence gone? She normally chewed people up and spat out their bones. We had to fix this and fast.

  “Speaking of Connor, do you know what he did to his arm?”

  She shrugged. “I think he cut it on something.”

  Like a blade?

  Bang-bang-bang. A knock sounded on the front door. Kat hopped up and I traipsed after her into the living room.

  “Coming!” She called out. She flung open the door. “Hello?”

  I stood behind her. “Who is it?”

  “Must’ve been some jerk pranking me.” She glared outside. I couldn’t see who it was. “Try that again, loser!”

  My gaze shifted to the cement porch. There, laying on the welcome mat, was a black feather.

  A surge of terror rippled through me. “Get inside!” In one swift motion, I jerked her back into the living room and slammed the door shut. I leaned against it, my stomach all knotted up. The Grimms were hunting me. And I wasn’t safe anywhere.

  The lamps dimmed. Shadows darted outside the windows. Thump-thump. Something scampered across the roof.

  “What’s going on?” Kat gripped my arm, her eyes wide, hands shaking.

  “You need to make a wish, now.”

  “What?”

  “Wish to go to my house.”

  Crash. Something rammed into the front door. It splintered but remained closed.

  “I wish to go to Maggie’s house.”

  My skin warmed as the wand appeared in my hand. A surge of energy lit my body. My hands pulsed with power. With my free hand, I looped an arm around Kat. “Hang on tight. This is gonna be a rough ride.”

  The wind whipped through the room like a high-powered fan set to maximum speed. A black hole opened up in front of us. Stars blazed through the air like they’d been shot from cannons.

  Kat screeched as we stepped inside. My wings unfolded, and I flapped them to keep on course. Spiraling green wisps of glitter clung to my skin.

  “I want down!” Kat cried.

  “Hang on. We’re almost there.”

  A bright light shown and we fell into it, landing on my bedroom floor. Pop. The hole closed behind us and I sighed in relief.

  Kat sat, trembling. She took several deep breaths, then glanced up at me. “What the heck is going on?”

  “Grimms attacked your house. I had to get you ou
t of there.”

  “Is that supposed to explain everything?”

  I stood up. “Okay, here’s the thing. Being a Fairy Godmother is more than granting wishes. We have enemies. Mortal enemies, who will stop at nothing to keep happy endings from coming true.” Against my better judgment, I went on to tell her about the Grimms, or at least what little I knew of them.

  Her face drained of color. “Will they kill me?”

  I swallowed hard because the truth was, I really didn’t know. They’d already proved they weren’t beneath attacking my friends.

  “I’m not sure. Right now, I seem to be their main focus. But you need to keep an eye out for shadows.”

  “An eye out for shadows? There are shadows everywhere.” Kat stood, hands on her hips. “Is there any way to defeat them, or whatever?”

  “Yes, by giving you your happy ending.”

  Jack barged into the room, his sword drawn. He came up short when he noticed Kat. “Good, you’re okay.” He sheathed his blade and smiled at her.

  My heart palpitations went off the chart as I leaned against the wall. “Mind knocking next time?”

  “Sorry, I sensed trouble.”

  Kat glanced between us. “Do I want to know?”

  Jack grinned. “Probably not. But if we’re going to keep you safe, you might need to be in on a few secrets.”

  Once we told her Jack was my knight, she plopped down onto my bed and stared at the wall.

  “This is totally insane. I’m not sure I’ll be able to stay in my house alone anymore.”

  I caught Jack’s eye. “All you have to do is call, Katrina. I’ll come right away. And for the most part, they’ll likely be trailing me.”

  “This is serious.” Kat’s forehead creased with worry lines. “How do you not freak out?”

  “Trust me, I do. But I agreed to the terms.” Although, in all fairness, I had no idea at the time what being a Godmother entailed exactly. “Why don’t you call your dad and tell him you’re crashing here tonight?”

  “I agree. You’ll be safer with us.” Jack walked to the door.

  Kat hesitated a moment, then took my cell from me. Somehow, I knew this was only the beginning.

  ****

  When Mom dropped us off at school the next day, I noticed several heads turning to watch me and Katrina walk into the building.

  “Why is everyone staring?” I whispered.

  Kat grinned. “Because they’re trying to figure out how in the world we’ve become such good friends.”

  They weren’t the only ones. I asked myself the same question. I couldn’t forget the swim in the fountain. However, looking back, I probably needed to thank her, since it was the first time I’d connected with Seth in a non-best-friend kind of way.

  I glanced at her. “So, we’re friends?”

  She shrugged. “Well, you know more about me than anyone else. And we hang out a lot.”

  I smiled. I so didn’t want to admit it, but she was right. “Let’s go win you some Homecoming votes.” With an armful of rolled-up posters, I shoved the door open.

  Taylor stood in the lobby. Her smile vanished as soon as she saw Kat giggling beside me. She stared at me as if I’d grown a third boob or something. Then she spun on her heel and stalked away down the hallway.

  “She doesn’t like me much, does she?” Kat asked.

  “She’ll get over it.” Or at least I hoped she would, because I missed her. The last thing I wanted to do was lose Taylor. We’d been friends since kindergarten when she beat up Trevor Pitchman for stealing my Twinkies. We had history together, and she knew me better than anyone else. But I couldn’t give up the Godmother gig. Even if it meant being friends with the enemy.

  We stopped to hang a poster near the trophy display case. While she held the cardboard, I tore off a couple pieces of tape and affixed the poster to the wall. Once we had it in place, we moved onto another spot.

  By the time the warning bell rang, we’d hung up a total of twenty-five posters. Each one asked the Junior Class to vote for Katrina Melville for Homecoming Queen.

  “Hey, I’ll catch you later.” Kat waved as she hurried to her locker.

  “Are you guys, like, best friends now?” Taylor hovered next to my locker.

  I jerked my notebook out, sliding my textbook beneath it. “No. I’m trying to help her out. And in case you haven’t noticed, she’s being way nicer since I started tutoring her.”

  “Please. The day Katrina Melville is nice is the day I turn into a steaming pile of dog crap.”

  I plugged my nose and flashed a smile.

  Her lip twitched. “Seriously? Come on. You’re joking.”

  “Nope. Once you get to know her, she’s really kind of nice.” I kicked my locker door shut.

  “Kind of?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Shut up—let’s get to class.”

  “Never thought I’d see the day. Girl pushes you into the fountain, and now you’re trying to help her win Homecoming votes.” She glared at me. “You do know it’s messed up, right?”

  “Somebody had to be the bigger person.”

  “Who are you and what have you done with my Maggie?” Taylor handed me a stick of gum.

  “I’m still Maggie. Just a new and improved model.” Speaking of model. My gaze met Seth’s as he sauntered down the hall.

  Taylor nudged me. “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

  My face burned. “Not yet.”

  “Not yet,” she repeated. “I’m beginning to feel left out.”

  “I promise, if something happens, you’ll be the first to know. Well, besides me, anyway.”

  Taylor giggled. “I’ll leave you two alone.” She rushed to first period.

  Seth approached.

  “Hey,” I said.

  “Hey.” He gazed at me, a lopsided grin on his face.

  “Did you get everything sorted with your dad?”

  “For now. But idle threats will only work on him for so long.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “What it means is I told him I don’t want to live with him and he needs to quit interfering in my life. No matter what he does, I’m not giving up my friends and my home.” His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed.

  “He’s bugging you again?”

  “Yeah. But I’m not leaving, Mags. I’ve got too much going on in my life right here.” He caught a tendril of my hair between his fingers and tucked it behind my ear.

  I took a deep breath. “Good, because I don’t want you to go.”

  He bent closer. “Nothing will keep us apart, Maggie. I promise.”

  My hand brushed his. For a moment, it was just me and him, standing alone in the middle of the hall. He made me feel safe. Perfect. The way his gaze traveled over me, the way he saw right through me. No one knew me better than him. He was my destiny. The only guy I’d ever give my soul to. I realized it now. Connor had been a distraction, nothing more.

  There was only one person for me. Seth.

  The bell blared like a screeching cat. I backed away from him. “I’ll see you later.”

  He winked. “Not if I see you first.”

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Jack sat next to me at the table and scooted his chair closer. Dad smiled at us as he tipped his wine glass to his lips. When Thorna and her twin daughters, Blythe and Georgia, walked into the dining room, he stood up from his chair. Like a servant, he raced around to push in each of their seats.

  Thorna touched his face as he seated her. “Thank you, Hal.”

  I wonder if I can choke on barf. I shifted my glare to the chinaware in front of me.

  Dad looked around the dining room. “Isn’t this nice? All of us here together.” He walked back to his chair.

  Jack nudged me with his foot and I caught his eye. This so wasn’t how we wanted to spend our weekend. Shacked up with Dad, his girlfriend, and her stupid, stuck-up daughters.

  Blythe and Georgia sat straight up in their chairs as
if someone had shoved a broomstick up their butts. They styled their long, curly hair identically, parted down the side. Two pairs of brown eyes stared me down.

  The maids served us a three-course meal. Salad. Soup. Steak and potatoes. They treated us like we were eating in a fancy restaurant, serving the food onto our plates. I fidgeted. Since when did Dad need a staff to take care of him? I glanced at him for some reminder of the man who’d raised us. Instead, I saw a stranger.

  I swallowed hard. What had happened to the dad I remembered? The guy who spent his weekends grilling out and playing badminton with us? Or the bedtime stories. He used to battle the monsters in our closet so we’d go to sleep. Now, we were lucky if he called us on our birthdays. Money. Thorna. Work. Those were his focus now. Not us.

  “Your father’s been so kind to us ever since we arrived,” Blythe trilled. Her raspberry-slicked lips curved at the corners. “He bought us cars as soon as we arrived from London.”

  “Well, you girls deserve the best. Giving up everything familiar to come be a part of our family. The least I could do was splurge on a couple new cars.”

  I clenched my teeth. No flipping way. He never got me and Jack a new car. Heck we fought to get the piece of crap we did get to drive. Which, since the Grimm attack, we couldn’t even use anymore.

  I sucked in a deep breath. Remain calm. I only have to get through the weekend.

  “Can you pass the dinner rolls please?” I asked Jack.

  He thrust them at me, then went back to chopping his steak into tiny pieces. Such tiny pieces. Jack the Ripper would be jealous of my brother’s handiwork.

  “Actually, your dad made us feel right at home,” Georgia added. “For Thanksgiving, he’s taking us to Barbados for a family vacation.”

  Jack stopped mid-bite. “Uh, I take it, we’re not invited?”

  Dad shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d want to go.”

  My mouth dropped open. Okay, Dad completely lost his mind. What kid didn’t want to go somewhere warm in November?

  Wham! Jack’s fist slammed into the table. He leapt to his feet. “Well, I assumed the words ‘family vacation,’ meant us. Your kids. Your blood. But you don’t give a crap about us.”