Love, Love, Love

by Deborah Reber

  “No,” she answered, moving toward the door, “but I need more than a discount—I need help.”

  Madame Luisa didn’t say anything as she escorted Laura Sweeney outside to her car, and the cautious girl locked the file folder in her trunk. The Conjure Woman didn’t entirely believe her story, but she knew when people were sincere—and desperate. The girl believed she could conjure love spells, even if she couldn’t.

  As soon as Laura drove away, Luisa pulled a cell phone out of her sweater pocket and dialed a number. “Arnie, it’s me. Get your notebook, because I’ve got a job for you. I want you to tail somebody for me.”

  Laura felt like a stalker. Not only that, but she was armed with what looked like a deadly weapon. Thinking about how shady she must look, she crouched in the hedges running along the parking lot of the Institute for the Blind in downtown Denton. She had checked the social calendar in the newspaper and found that Mrs. Dorothy Planchett was attending a fundraiser for the institute that night, and Mr. Roger Barclay was also scheduled to attend.

  It was nearly ten o’clock at night, and the event had started at six. Well-dressed people were beginning to leave, and her chance was coming—but so was an attack of the nerves. Shooting Cupidity and Cody in the parking lot had been an accident, but deliberately turning this powerful love spell on two strangers was difficult. It didn’t really help to know that one of them had asked for it.

  What if I miss? thought Laura. I’m not half the archer Cupidity is. She thought about waiting for the couple at Dorothy Planchett’s mansion, but the place was a fortress with a high brick wall. Plus she had no guarantee that they would be going back there after the fundraiser. It was here and now—this might be her only chance. At least the bow was a silent weapon.

  The night was dark with no moon, but the parking lot was brightly lit and Laura could see clearly. But then again, so could everyone else. What if she was caught? Not everyone coming out of the institute was blind. And in fact, the lovebirds might be with other people.

  Wait a minute, she told herself, I don’t actually have to shoot them with the arrows. I only had to poke Cody with one by accident, and that worked. She had a feeling that the second arrow would find its mark without much trouble, because love gathered momentum once it was launched.

  Laura was distracted by a burst of laughter, and she turned to see six elegantly dressed attendees emerge from the institute. Catching her breath, she lifted her binoculars and watched them amble down the walkway to the parking lot, talking and laughing. She instantly recognized her quarry, that distinguished older couple Dorothy Planchett and Roger Barclay. How was she going to do this? The parking lot was starting to get crowded with people.

  If I’m not careful, I’m gonna end up in jail, Laura thought ruefully. She realized that every time Cupidity shot her little bow, there had always been a distraction. The paintball attack, the fight between Jake and Peter—that’s why she didn’t get caught. Laura worked her way through the bushes, braving the thorns and stickers until she reached the other side. Then she screamed as loudly as she could.

  That stopped the partygoers in their tracks, and they shouted and pointed. To make sure, Laura grabbed the bushes and shook them as she screamed again. Dorothy and Roger hurried over to check it out, while Laura dashed around the end of the hedgerow in order to flank them. While they were searching the bushes, she hoped to catch them from behind.

  Laura was reaching into the duffel bag to grab the bow and arrow when she ran right into a chubby security guard. “What is going on?” he asked her nervously. “I heard a scream!”

  “Robbers!” she answered, clutching the duffel bag to her chest. “They tried to steal my purse, then they hauled somebody else into the bushes. There they are!” Laura pointed to the two dark figures forty feet away, crawling among the hedges.

  Looking jittery, the security officer drew his club. “I’ll fix them. You wait here!”

  She didn’t wait there but followed the guard at a discreet distance. She saw him grab the distinguished older man and threaten him with his club, while Dorothy Planchett began to argue and point at the bushes.

  There was no more time to think about it. Laura grabbed her bow and arrow and let the duffel bag fall to the ground. While everyone was busy talking at once, she nocked the arrow to the string, pulled it back, took careful aim at Mrs. Planchett, and let fly. The arrow streaked through the darkness into the clutch of people, and she heard a loud yelp.

  Before she had any more time to think about it, Laura grabbed another arrow and nocked it to the bow. Now people were looking around, trying to figure out what was happening. The security guard walked back toward her, waving his hands, and she cut loose with the second arrow. It was intended for Roger Barclay, but the brave security guard jumped in front of the arrow and took it in the chest.

  “Oops,” said Laura, quickly jumping into the bushes and ducking out of sight.

  She didn’t have to worry about the security guard anymore, because he staggered for a few steps, then keeled over onto his stomach. Dorothy Planchett ran to comfort the fallen guard, and she slumped over him and cried, the same way Megan had wailed over Peter. Roger Barclay just stood around, looking confused.

  There was great commotion, someone went to call an ambulance, and the parking lot was soon full of concerned people. In due time, it became clear that nobody was really hurt, but Dorothy Planchett was distraught over the security guard. While the rich widow fussed and fawned over the dazed man, Laura tried to sneak away.

  “Thanks,” said a voice in the darkness. “You just made my richest client fall in love with a nobody half her age.”

  Laura skidded to a stop as Madame Luisa stepped out of the shadows, staring grimly at her. There was a seedy man lurking behind her, wearing a dark suit and a Panama hat.

  “Madame Luisa!” said Laura with a start. “What are you doing here?”

  “Came to see how you work your miracles,” answered the Conjure Woman, stepping toward her. “You’re not impressive, but that little archery set sure is.”

  Laura clutched the duffel bag protectively. “I … I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m a big strong woman, and you’re just a little slip of a girl,” said Madame Luisa with a sly smile. “What’s to keep me from just taking it from you?”

  “Nothing,” replied Laura evenly. “But I warn you … this bow is cursed. Your own love life will nose-dive, and you may totally freak out—like the person I stole it from. She doesn’t even know who she is.”

  The imposing woman narrowed her eyes and gazed deeply into Laura’s soul. The girl felt herself tremble as the Conjure Woman studied her, but she had been honest, and so she was able to stand her ground.

  “Bless me, child, you’re telling the truth,” said Luisa, her voice barely a whisper. “You’re right, it is bad juju to steal an item of power. I just wouldn’t feel right about doing that.”

  Laura breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, good. Then you’ll help me reverse the spell?”

  “I wouldn’t feel right about it,” said Madame Luisa, “but my friend Arnie doesn’t care so much.” She snapped her fingers, and her henchman rushed forward and tried to grab the duffel bag out of Laura’s hands.

  Laura struggled and managed to hang on, even though she was tossed around the parking lot like an old rag. Finally she let out the same piercing scream she had used earlier, only now it really was a plea for help. “Robbers! Robbers!” she shouted.

  Her cries attracted attention, and three onlookers started walking toward them. “Arnie, let’s get out of here!” hissed Madame Luisa. “She’ll let her guard down eventually.” With a malevolent glare at Laura, the Conjure Woman slipped away into the darkness, followed by her hired thug.

  “This magic stuff really sucks,” muttered Laura as she shoved the duffel bag into the bushes. When the partygoers reached her, she pointed after the fleeing figures. “They took my purse. Please get it back!”

&nbs
p; “Absolutely,” said one of the men, charging after the fleeing pair. Another followed him, and the third man looked at Laura with concern.

  “Are you all right?” he asked. “What the heck is going on here?”

  “Purse thieves,” she answered breathlessly. “They hit us all at once. Better get after them!”

  “Okay.” The man nodded and took off, and Laura dragged the duffel bag out of the bushes and dashed in the other direction. She was so scared and upset that she didn’t stop running until she was almost home.

  Oh, what am I going to do? thought Laura desperately. Peter is in love with that stuck-up Megan. Cupidity is so gaga over Cody that she’s forgotten who she is. Jake the jock is madly in love with über-Goth Emma, which has thrown the entire social order of the school out of whack. The Conjure Woman is trying to steal the bow from me. I just made the wrong couple fall crazy in love, and I still don’t have a date for the Homecoming Dance!

  Only one thing was certain, Laura decided grimly: Cupidity’s bow and arrows were the real deal.

  Monday at school was awful, because it seemed as if everybody was part of a blissfully happy twosome except for Laura. Plus all day long she imagined that Madame Luisa and her evil henchman were stalking her, trying to find the magic bow. It wasn’t there—it was in Laura’s locker with a brand-new combination lock, but that wasn’t very comforting. Not only did she have a weapon at school, but any moron could break into a locker. It happened every day.

  Also, it seemed that the entire school was in the throes of preparation for Homecoming, only two weeks away. Fimbrey was a basketball school, and the football team was often mediocre. Still it was a big deal when they came home to play after their road trips to Marion and Mansfield, and the Homecoming Dance was as big as the spring formal. Watching all of her friends, from Taryn to Cupidity, making big plans for the dance made Laura even more depressed.

  But it was Cupidity who delivered the final blow. With Cody lurking only a few feet behind her, she ambushed Laura in the hallway after lunch. “Sweeney, I have to talk to you,” said Cupidity importantly.

  Laura stopped and forced a smile as she turned around. “Yes?”

  The petite blond crossed her arms and looked quite stern. “Cody and I agree—we don’t want you around anymore in the Cupidity group.”

  “Because you’re a nut!” added Cody from the cheap seats.

  Laura’s mouth hung open. “The Cupidity group? Sounds like an online dating company. Are you saying you don’t want to be friends with me anymore?”

  “That’s right,” answered Cupidity, “and you’ve got to stay away from my other friends, like Jake, Megan, and Peter.”

  “What?” asked Laura, aghast. “That’s ridiculous! I haven’t done anything to any of you.”

  Well, except for accidentally hook you up with Cody, Laura thought. But she’s deliberately pulled the same trick on lots of people, only she doesn’t remember.

  “There’s just something weird about you,” said Cupidity. “The way you like that bow and arrows … and all those old Roman gods.”

  “Me?” responded Laura in amazement. “You say I’m weird, when you can’t even remember what you were doing a week ago? And the bow and arrows belong to you!”

  “Yeah,” said Cupidity with a puzzled expression, “I can’t remember why I bought those things. But anyway, you need to be more normal again before you can hang with us.”

  Laura rolled her eyes. “Whatever. If you only knew how abnormal you are.”

  “Hey, who are you calling abnormal?” snapped Cody, swaggering up to Laura. “That’s my woman you’re talking about … and the future Homecoming Queen. Maybe the future Mrs. Cody Kenyon.”

  Laura tried not to cringe. After all, it wasn’t entirely his fault he was goofy in love. “I hope you’ll be very happy,” she said, although she was plotting how to break them up. “But you can’t tell me who to be friends with.”

  “We’ll see about that,” said Cupidity with a sniff. She whirled on her heel and marched away, while Cody gave Laura his trademark sneer.

  Laura went through the rest of the day in a blur. She felt that the whole school was looking at her, pointing her out as the girl who was condemned by Cupidity. Taryn and her old buds were friendly to her, but they only wanted to talk about boys, the dance, and boys. Laura was fed up with romance; it seemed like a fever that had affected all their minds.

  The funk lasted all day until she caught sight of Peter Yarmench, waiting for her after her last class. Laura looked around to make sure that Megan and Cupidity weren’t going to ambush her, but they didn’t seem to be around. The hallway was crowded, and Peter was standing in an alcove by the drinking fountain.

  Laura tried to act cheerful as she approached him. “Hi!”

  “Hi,” he answered, looking down as if he were embarrassed. “I heard about what Cupidity said to you, and I think she’s really out of line.”

  “Thanks,” answered Laura, smiling for real.

  “So what if you’re a little whacko,” said Peter. “We all get that way sometimes.”

  Laura frowned. “How am I whacko?”

  “Well, you stole Cupidity’s bow and arrows and made her out to be a nutcase,” answered Peter. “And you ditched three people in the middle of a double date.”

  “I remember that you once ditched me on a double date,” said Laura, glowering at him. “There’s a lot more to this than you understand, Peter.”

  He leaned against the wall and smiled. “And Taryn told me that you went to see some kind of witch doctor … the Conjure Woman?”

  “That loudmouth,” muttered Laura. “Forget about my problems. Look around you, Peter. Look at yourself. You’ve never dated anyone in this school before, and now you’re dating the head cheerleader. The Prince of the Preppies is going out with the Queen of the Goths. Homeboys are dating geeks, skaters are with debutantes—it’s all messed up. Not that it’s entirely bad, but do you ever remember high school being like this?”

  “It’s kind of nice,” said Peter. “Everyone is getting a date to the dance.”

  Laura winced, and Peter instantly regretted his remark. “No, I mean, there’s you … you still have time. Oh, Laura, I’m sorry. Listen, I’ll talk to some of the guys and—”

  “No!” she yelled, backing away from him. “No more matchmaking!” Unsure why she was so mad at him—when it wasn’t his fault—Laura turned and scurried away from her old friend.

  “Laura!” he called after her, but she didn’t stop.

  As if this day could be any more wonderful, Laura found a police car parked in her driveway when she reached home. Instantly she lifted the duffel bag and clutched it tightly to her chest; she could almost feel the tingle of danger coming from the magic bow, and she knew it was threatened. As she slowly walked toward the front door, it opened, and her father escorted a uniformed police officer out.

  “I think that’s all we need,” said the officer, closing her notebook.

  “Oh, here’s my daughter,” said Ed Sweeney, pointing to Laura. “The house is okay, honey, but it’s quite a mess. We had a breakin.”

  “Oh no!” exclaimed Laura. She tried to look more surprised than she felt. “Did they … did they take anything?”

  “Oddly, not much,” answered her father with a puzzled expression. “Some of your mom’s jewelry had been lying out, and they took that, but they left a lot of electronics and appliances and stuff.”

  The police officer gazed suspiciously at Laura. “It looks like they tossed your bedroom worse than the others. Do you have any idea what they were searching for?”

  “No!” She gave a nervous laugh.

  “What’s in the bag?” asked the officer.

  “Just my books … and a prop for the school play.” Laura began to open the bag.

  “That’s all right,” said her father, looking a bit annoyed with the police officer. “My daughter is a straight-A student who’s never been in any kind of trouble. She can’t hav
e anything to do with this.”

  “All right,” said the officer. “Take an inventory, then let me and your insurance company know exactly what they took. You might want to put in a burglar alarm when you fix that broken window in back.”

  “We probably will,” he agreed. “Thanks for coming so quickly, Officer.”

  “That’s my job.” The police officer tipped her hat and returned to her patrol car.

  In shock, Laura watched the officer drive away, and her father put his arm around her shoulders. “Hon, don’t let the questions bother you—it’s not your fault. We’ve got lots of cleaning up to do. Why don’t you start with your bedroom, and I’ll work downstairs.”

  But it is my fault, Laura wanted to shout. I have a magical bow, and villains are trying to steal it! She wanted to tell her father the truth so badly, but she knew she would have to use the bow in order to prove it. And she didn’t want to do that again.

  “I don’t feel very well,” she said, already planning to stay home tomorrow to protect the precious bow.

  He frowned. “Seeing your room won’t make you feel any better.”

  Glumly Laura climbed the stairs and stepped cautiously into her bedroom. When she saw the ripped pillows, torn mattress, overturned dressers, broken lamps, and scattered papers, she began to cry. Her most private possessions were scattered all over the floor, and she felt violated. It didn’t bring any comfort that she still had the object they were looking for, because the bow had done nothing but make her life miserable.

  I ought to just give it to them, she reflected. But Laura couldn’t stand to think what Madame Luisa would do with such a powerful weapon. It made her shiver with fright.

  I ought to destroy it, she thought. She could burn the stupid bow in the fireplace, but she worried that she needed it to reverse the spells. Besides, it was an artifact from a magical time three thousand years ago, and destroying it was like destroying one of the wonders of the universe.

  Unsure what to do, Laura sat on her shredded bed and cried.

  Laura Sweeney didn’t go to school for a week. Since she almost never missed school unless she was deathly ill, her parents barely questioned it. After a while they took her to the doctor, and he couldn’t find much wrong with her. But there was a low-grade fever going around, and Laura was careful to keep the thermometer no higher than a hundred when she heated it on the lightbulb.