Escape from Magic

by Emily Bybee

  With a sigh, I pushed off the wall and headed for the doorway. Abby sat in her car against the curb. The tune to Itsy-Bitsy Spider, and Maddie’s shouting voice, emanated from the cracked windows. I opened the door and threw a smile across my lips. “Hey pumpkin! How was your day?”

  “Auntie Clara, are your legs okay? No breaks?” Maddie demanded.

  “No breaks, promise.”

  “Good. See, Mama, no breaks.”

  Abby stifled a laugh. “You are absolutely right, Maddie.” She glanced over at me as she pulled away from the curb. This was the second part of our tradition. “So, how did it go?”

  “Good,” I managed after I pushed the image of Sam out of my thoughts. “I mean, I think it went well.”

  A frown creased Abby’s face. “Okay, you know you can’t lie to me. What happened?”

  “Nothing,” I answered too quickly, then shrugged. “There might have been this guy. I mean, he’s totally going to play Danny. He transferred in at the semester break and he’s…”

  Abby’s face creased even more. “Clara don’t go there. It’s not even worth thinking about.”

  “No. I’m not thinking about him that way.” I shook my head, not sure who I was trying to convince, me or Abby. “He gave an amazing audition.”

  She nodded slowly while still eyeing me then turned her attention to pulling away from the curb. “Hmm, okay. So, who wants ice cream?”

  “Me, Mama, me,” Maddie called.

  “Sounds good to me. I’m getting mint chocolate chip.” My voice started out chipper but faded when I caught sight of a tall, perfectly muscled figure coming out of the school. Sam.

  The two days waiting for the call back list to be posted lasted about ten years. People crowded around the paper taped to the wall. I waited until the crowd thinned, then peeked over to see. Katie, Sam, and I topped the list. Call-back lists weren’t random—being at the top meant I had a chance this year. But Katie first on the list and me third meant I was the underdog. I’d have to kill the second round to get the lead.

  Biting my lip, I spun—and smacked into a wall of toned muscle.

  Sam gripped my arms as I stumbled back. “Hey, you okay?”

  I blinked and stared up into his face, words fleeing my brain like prey from a predator. “I, um…”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to get in your way.” Sam’s grin made my insides go all fluttery.

  “No. No problem,” I managed and rushed to my next class as if the floor was on fire.

  After school, the second round of auditions were only in front of Mr. Goldblum and the two other teachers running the play. The rest of the cast waited outside in the hallway until they called our names. Katie strutted over to Sam immediately and leaned against the wall next to him. Her position cut him off from talking to anyone else. Not an accident. Katie knew how to get her claws into a guy, and she had Sam in her sights.

  My best friend Nora wove her way through the crowd. “Holy blonde,” she exclaimed when her eyes settled on me. “I hardly recognize you.” Nora had been out of town at a track meet for the last two days.

  I ducked my head as Sam’s gaze moved to me, a grin on his lips. Katie cast me a disdainful glance and repositioned herself to block Sam’s view.

  Nora didn’t miss the exchange. She was more into sports than theater, but she sure understood drama. Her tightly spiraled dark hair was confined to a high ponytail, and she wore her shorts and tank top from track practice. We’d met at our first year of summer camp. Not your regular camp—one for witches.

  She turned a wide-eyed look my way and tilted her head toward Sam. “You didn’t tell me he was, like, gorgeous.”

  “I thought I did,” I whispered. I couldn’t help texting her about Sam.

  “Um, no. You blabbed for an hour about his voice and acting.” She arched a brow.

  I shrugged. “Well, it’s what I found attractive.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, sure. You suck at lying.” Staring daggers at Katie’s back, she whispered, “The snake has her eyes set on him. Big shock.”

  Nora and Katie didn’t have the best history. More drama.

  “It doesn’t matter anyway. I’ve only got six months left.”

  Nora’s eyes flashed with mischief. “Don’t waste time. What have you got to lose?”

  She’d taken the opposite approach in dealing with our arranged marriages, dating anyone and everyone she wanted to. Living it up, she said. I glanced at Sam but couldn’t hold eye contact whenever he managed to look my way.

  “Come on, when Katie goes in to audition you have to take your chance.” Nora pushed. “Just go over there and talk to him about props or costumes or something.”

  “Right.” I glared. “Oh, hey, Sam, what do you think about poodle skirts?”

  “It’s better than standing here and watching him like a stalker.”

  “I have to prepare for my audition, thank you.” I turned my back to Sam.

  The director called Katie in first. Nora excused herself to go change out of her track uniform, sending me an eyebrow wiggle as she left.

  Regardless of what I’d told Nora, I spent the ten minutes Katie was gone trying to work up the nerve to talk to Sam. He leaned on the wall across the hallway from me. I didn’t even have to move, all I had to do was speak. My pulse jumped up to a jackrabbit’s pace. I opened my mouth to ask him where he’d transferred from. An innocuous enough question.

  The door to the stage opened and Katie strolled out. “The rest of you hoping for the role of Sandy can go,” she announced. Her gaze rested on me. “I nailed it.” She walked over to Sam with her hand held up for a high five. He smacked her palm. She giggled, then took up her position and chatted with him—or more flirted with the way she flipped her hair. He smiled and my heart constricted.

  “Oh, gag me,” Nora leaned against the wall as she returned and whispered. “I’d hoped he had better taste.”

  “Me too,” I answered, my gaze still glued to the pair.

  When Katie leaned in and pressed her hand into his muscles, I couldn’t watch anymore. I might have been dreaming about what his chest felt like, but she was practically feeling him up in the hallway. The urge to use my magic to trip her or possibly do some other slightly violent spell washed over me.

  “You want me to make her break out in massive zits tomorrow?” Nora whispered in my ear.

  I covered my mouth to hide a laugh at the thought of Katie looking at herself in the mirror and shook my head. “No, if he’s into her then it doesn’t matter.”

  “Clara Stark,” the teacher called from the open doorway.

  Pushing down the nausea, I cleared my throat and followed her inside. I gave the performance everything I had. Disappointment pumped through my veins with each beat of my heart after seeing Katie flirting with Sam. And Sam flirting with Katie. I didn’t have to act much. I left it all on the stage. It was up to the director now.

  Pushing open the door, I held my head high and strode out. Refusing to let Katie or Sam see me upset. Nora fell in step beside me. I’d planned on walking past and not even acknowledging Katie or Sam.

  He stepped forward as I moved by and leaned down, speaking in a low voice, “I think you’d make a great Sandy.”

  Katie frowned, probably because she couldn’t hear what he said to me.

  I met his gaze and fell into his ice-blue eyes. Close up, speckles of green glinted in the blue. Realizing I should say something back, my brain scrambled for coherent words. My tongue felt as large and awkward as a whale in my mouth. “Thanks, you too.”

  His brow scrunched and lifted, but a smile spread his lips, making his eyes appear even bluer.

  Mouth ajar, my brain caught up with my words and I blinked. “Um, I mean.”

  “She means thanks,” Nora saved me and tugged my arm. “And good luck.”

  I let her pull me down the hallway and out the doors to the student parking lot. At her car, I rested my forehead on the side of the new Jeep. “Did I just…” />
  “Tell him he’d make a great Sandy? Yep, you did.” Nora hopped in the driver’s seat.

  “Oh, God,” I groaned. “Please kill me now.”

  “Nope,” Nora snickered. “It’s way too much fun watching your version of flirting.”

  I sent her my best glare, but she only laughed louder as we pulled out of the parking lot.

  Chapter 3

  I hardly slept the next two nights. I spent hours going over Sam’s simple words in my head. Was he was hoping I’d get the role of Sandy? Why was he talking to Katie? Was he trying to be nice?

  Slapping my alarm off before it blared music, one last thought popped in my head. If Sam played Danny and I played Sandy, we’d have to kiss. Not just once, but for weeks during rehearsals.

  I bolted up in my bed. Panic turned my insides to water. I didn’t even know how to kiss a guy. Kissing my family was definitely not the same. Should I have my lips open? Closed? My mind spun out as my dream of having the lead changed to a nightmare in seconds. I grabbed my cell phone, flipped it open, and tapped out an emergency message to Nora.

  Her reply came back a minute later. Calm down. If it happens, we’ll deal.

  I blew out a breath. She was right, of course. It was stupid to worry about something that might not even be an issue. Climbing out of bed, I got ready and went downstairs.

  Maddie was already waiting for me, Abby apparently having an early meeting.

  “Hi, Auntie Clara!” Maddie exclaimed as she ran to hug my legs.

  I scooped her up into my arms and hung her upside down while she squealed with laughter.

  “Clara,” Mom called from the living room. “Be careful not to get her too excited.”

  “Tickle my belly,” Maddie squealed and patted her exposed skin, her shirt now covering her head.

  Holding her in one arm, I used my other hand to tickle her sides. The squeals rose to shrieks. I laughed, and some of my earlier tension drained from my muscles.

  Smoke erupted from the rug under our feet. Within seconds sparks flew and fire replaced the smoke. A bonfire formed in the middle of the entryway.

  I grabbed Maddie and jumped off the carpet and into the living room, slamming my own magic over hers. Adrenaline dumped into my bloodstream by the gallon. Deprived of oxygen, the flames sputtered and died to smoldering embers in a one-foot circle of the charred carpet.

  Back on her feet, Maddie leaned against the couch and stared at the floor as my mom rushed into the room. She spoke in a small voice, “I’m sorry, Grandma.”

  At the sight of my niece so upset, my heart shriveled into a dust bunny then hopped under the couch. I shouldn’t have excited her so much. More and more her magic crept out when she was emotional—either extremely happy, mad or sad.

  Mom scooped her up and snuggled her close, their foreheads pressed together. “Now you listen to Grandma,” Mom said. “You don’t need to apologize because your magic works a little differently. You are perfect just the way you are.”

  A tear slid down Maddie’s round cheek. I wrapped my arms around the two of them. “Listen to Grandma, she’s the smartest person I know.”

  Maddie blinked away her tears. “Really?” She cocked her head to the side and examined my mom’s face, then nodded. “She’s the smartedest person I know too.”

  A honk sounded in the driveway. I gave them one more squeeze and kissed Maddie’s cheek. “Nora’s here. I’ve got to go.”

  “Isn’t today the day they announce the cast for Grease?” Mom asked as I gathered my backpack.

  “Yep, wish me luck.”

  “Have fun with it, whatever happens,” Mom said.

  I nodded and ran out to Nora’s Jeep.

  She tossed me an orange after I buckled in. I caught it and sent her a sideways glance. “Um, thanks for breakfast?”

  “No, it’s to practice,” she exclaimed.

  “Practice what? Juicing?”

  “Kissing.” She stopped at a light and smirked. “You said you didn’t know how to kiss. I was going to bring a cantaloupe, for size, you know, but we didn’t have any.”

  Heat flared in my cheeks. “How exactly is making out with fruit going to help me learn to kiss?”

  “Well, if you want me to find a guy for you to make out with it wouldn’t be too hard.” She shrugged. “I could even wipe his memory after.”

  I let my head fall back on the headrest and reminded myself Nora was my best friend and I didn’t want to kill her. Mostly. “It’s not funny.”

  She bit her lip and sped down University Boulevard toward our school. “I’m kidding. You shouldn’t be so freaked about this. Trust me. You’ll do fine.”

  I sighed.

  “As long as you don’t, like, slobber all over his face,” she added as she pulled into a parking space. “Or eat garlic right before. Oh, and make sure you brush—”

  I threw the orange at her head.

  The director posted the casting list at lunch. To avoid the crowd, I waited until the end of the period before I made my way through the hallway. Plus, at this point I wasn’t even sure what I was hoping for. Maybe a supporting role as one of the Pink Ladies would be the best thing. I bet I could play a good Rizzo. As long as Sam didn’t play Rizzo’s boyfriend. I gritted my teeth and steeled my nerve to go look at the damn list.

  As I rounded the corner to the Theater office, a guy I’d been in drama class with since the eighth grade, stepped in front of me, beaming. “Congratulations!”

  I blinked and pasted a smile across my lips. “Thanks.”

  About to puke, I made my way to the wall and swallowed. The drama teachers always put the list in alphabetical order of student name, not leads first, so as not to make people with lesser roles feel bad. Talk about annoying. I ran my finger down the list. Near the bottom I found my name and ran my hand sideways. My finger froze and I glanced back to be sure I hadn’t messed up. Nope.

  Sandy.

  It said Sandy. I rechecked the list three times, but the names remained the same. Tremors erupted in my torso and spread through my limbs. Now the big question. I scanned back up the list. Sam McEwen.

  Danny.

  Elation and terror battled for supremacy inside my gut. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to run away and hide or jump up and down with joy. So, I stood, frozen, my finger still on the list.

  “Looks like we’ll be seeing a lot of each other,” a deep voice said from behind me.

  I spun on my heel to find Sam standing a few feet away, his attention on the list. One hand slipped into his jeans pocket in a relaxed pose. God, he could have come right off the cover of a magazine.

  His gaze shifted to me. “No worries, I’m not mad at you for stealing my role.”

  I closed my eyes and shook my head. Nora’s words echoed in my brain. What have I got to lose? “Well, good thing or I’d have had to fight you for it.” The words came out smooth and in a relatively normal—if a tad choked—voice. “Congratulations on getting a lead.”

  A broad grin creased his cheeks. “Yeah, wasn’t expecting to get the part, but it’s cool.”

  I frowned. “You weren’t expecting to?”

  “No way. I mean, I only tried out because I can’t do any sports.” He motioned to his knee. “Tore my ACL last year in wrestling. But I’ve always enjoyed singing, so I figured I’d give the drama thing a shot.”

  I snapped my gaping mouth shut. “You’ve never performed before?” I thought back to his audition, his stage presence.

  Sam shook his head. “Not on stage anyway.”

  I got the distinct feeling there was more to the statement.

  “I might have to ask you a favor though,” he said quietly and stepped closer.

  His intoxicating scent washed over me, and I held myself back from leaning into him. “What’s that?”

  “Don’t tell anyone I have stage fright.” He sighed. “I puked right when I came off the stage after the audition.”

  A bark of a laugh escaped my lips before I could stop myself.


  His eyebrows rose.

  “No.” I waved a hand and covered my mouth. “I’m not laughing at you. It’s just. I have the same problem.”

  “Really? But you’re amazing.”

  “So are you.”

  Behind Sam, Katie appeared. Her glare hot enough to boil water. “Well,” she said. “Isn’t this sweet.” She put a hand on her hip. “Don’t get too excited. My dad is already calling Mr. Goldblum. I wouldn’t be surprised if the list wasn’t changed to the correct posting by the end of school.”

  The sting of disappointment was all too familiar and a part of me felt bad. “Katie, I’m sorry you didn’t get the lead, but the director chooses who fits the role.”

  A saccharine grin creased her face. “Oh, how cute. You actually think it works that way.” She flipped her hair and rolled her eyes. “All my Dad has to do is pledge a larger donation to support the drama department and it’ll be changed. Trust me.”

  “Not cool, Katie. Clara earned the part,” Sam said, shaking his head.

  “It worked last year. And sophomore year.” With a shrug, she sauntered past us.

  I blinked. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  His jaw firmed. “I’d say the reason she’s gotten the leads isn’t because of her talent.”

  “They can’t buy off the director.”

  “You’d be surprised.” He crossed his arms. “I quit football freshman year because the quarterback sucked. But it didn’t matter since his dad was buddies with the coach.”

  Anger, hot as molten lava, churned inside me. “I have to go.”

  “Hey,” Sam called after me. “Don’t let her steal your part. You earned the lead.”

  I could only nod and race away. All these years I’d refused to cheat. Refused to use my magic. If Katie wanted to play dirty, she was in for a surprise. I flipped open my phone and texted Nora.

  “Oh, hell no,” Nora exclaimed. “I’m going to transform her into the weasel she is.”

  “Shhh! We don’t need the entire school hearing you.” I put my hand up to her lips to stop her next tirade. “Besides a transformation spell would drain you too much. You’d be exhausted at practice.”