by Kasi Blake
The bedroom door opened, and their father stuck his head in. “What’s going on in here?”
“Nothing, Dad.” Cyndi sighed.
“I heard a door slam.”
“Brittany got mad at me.”
He smiled. “Good. At least she’s home.” He handed Kristen an envelope. It didn’t escape her notice that it was already open, which he made no apologies for. Winking, he said, “You got your first application in the mail. It’s a good school, not the best, but we can use it as a backup plan.”
She forced a smile, unsure if she would be alive long enough to attend college. “Great. Thanks.”
He nodded his balding head as he backed out of the room. His parting words rang in her ears. “We’ll fill it out together this weekend.”
Once the girls were alone again, Kristen said, “We need to do something about Brittany before she loses it and kills one of us.”
“She’ll cool off,” Cyndi said in a hopeful voice.
They smiled at each other in a reassuring manner, but neither of them actually believed it. Kristen added, “Maybe we should put some sort of protection spell over each other. Grandma told me about one.”
Cyndi nodded eagerly. “Let’s do it now.”
“First, I need to call the Crushed spell back to me. Stand in front of the door in case Dad decides to come back.”
Kristen stood in the center of her bedroom and waved a hand over the tube. It would be a lot easier to call back the spell if she were standing next to Zach, but she didn’t want to wait for morning. “Zach Bevian, you are no longer crushed. I set you free.”
The pink smoke instantly appeared inside the vial. She stared at it in silence as her time with Zach played in her brain like a cherished movie. A sigh parted her lips. She pulled the cork and released the smoke. Without another color to war against, it quickly faded.
She’d lost Zach forever.
###
Going to school the next day had Kristen feeling nauseated. Her hands were clammy. She wiped them on her cute, black-denim mini. Since putting the crushed spell on Zach, she’d found him at her locker every morning. One time he had even surprised her with her favorite brand of latté. She was used to starting her day off by gazing into his clear blue eyes while having short, inane conversations about stupid things neither of them actually cared about. Even though it had only been a short time since she’d placed the spell on him, she had come to look forward to his company.
He probably wouldn’t even speak to her now. They would return to their old habit of ignoring each other. It would hurt, but she would have to learn to live with it. Maybe someday he would come around. Maybe someday he would talk to her again.
And maybe someday cows would learn to fly.
Kristen entered the school behind her sisters, her Gucci bag swinging from her shoulder. Head bent low, she walked without purpose. It was funny how much things had changed. The stuff that used to mean the world to her didn’t matter now. Grades didn’t even seem as important as they had last month.
As usual, the girls walked the hallway together with her in the middle, traveling to theme music only they could hear. It was nice to have at least part of her routine remain the same. Even though Brittany was pissed off at her, she continued to do the usual stuff with them. No one spoke until…
Brittany turned on her. “What the hell is going on? I thought you said you removed the spell last night.”
“I did.” She pushed her way passed Brittany to find Zach waiting at her locker with a big grin on his face. For a moment, she thought she might be dreaming. She would have asked her sisters to pinch her, but she knew for a fact that Brittany would do it, and she’d make it hurt as much as possible. “I don’t get it.”
“Either you don’t know how to retract a simple spell, or you are a liar.” Brittany shook her head. “I’m going with the second option. First, you lie and go out with him behind my back. Then you lie about removing the spell. You are a liar and a cheater. Now I know why they used to burn witches at the stake.”
With a last, vicious glare, Brittany spun around and marched down the hallway alone. She frowned at Zach as she passed him, but he didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were on Kristen, glued to her as if she were the only girl in the long, brightly lit hallway.
“I think he really likes you,” Cyndi said with a smile. She gave Kristen a cheerful shove in Zach’s direction. “Maybe you were right, and he was never under a spell. Enjoy.”
A breath of light blew through Kristen, refreshing her soul. Was it possible? Giving up his jacket? The kiss? The motorcycle ride? Had it been just the usual boy-girl stuff? Did Zach Bevian like her enough to do those crazy things just because she had asked?
She flushed guiltily as she remembered asking him to rub his stomach, pat his head, and hop on one foot. He had to like her big-time to do something like that. Did he like her that much? Did he love her?
Her face infused with heat.
Kristen couldn’t wait to find out. She hurried to her locker, to Zach, with a smile on her face. She was so glad she had put on the black-denim mini and two-layer top even though she hadn’t cared what she wore that morning. The world around her took on a fresh, beautiful glow. “You got here early,” she said.
He shrugged. “I hate being late.”
“Me too.” Another thing they had in common. She frowned. “If you hate being late, why are you always tardy to class?”
“I have a reputation to live down to.” He touched his abdomen. “It isn’t easy. Trust me. I have an ulcer coming.”
“Then why don’t you just go to class on time?”
He grinned. “I’m complicated. Don’t try to figure me out.”
A wave of shyness washed over her as she wondered what her next move should be. Knowing he wasn’t under a spell put a lot of pressure on her. What if she said or did the wrong thing? She needed to carefully choose her words. She didn’t want him to stop liking her.
She removed a blue notebook for science class and the textbook from her locker while he waited patiently behind her. She used the moment to take a few deep breaths and steady her nerves. The dragons returned to her stomach, and they brought friends along. She shut her locker. Turning around, she smiled at him.
“Do you want me to carry your books for you?” he asked.
White-hot shock pierced her soul. Her smile died a quick death with the memories his innocent statement brought with it. The times she’d ordered him to carry her books, among other things, came rushing back to smack her in the face. He probably thought she was the most self-centered, bossy girl on the planet.
“No, thank you,” she mumbled. “I’ve got them.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she snapped at him. When a frown took up residence on his face, she pasted a smile on hers and said, “I have to apologize for the way I treated you since the day you saved me from humiliation in the parking lot. I just haven’t been in my right mind lately. Lots of pressure, you know.”
Was that her talking or the queen of England? She sounded like a complete moron. Think, idiot! There had to be a way to salvage the relationship she desperately wanted to build with Zach.
“I had a great time with you on our date,” she said. “Maybe we can do it again.”
“Sure.” His eyes searched her face intently, and he asked, “You want to go clubbing tonight?”
“Yes.” The word came out sounding airy, breathless.
“Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You crashed your dad’s car yesterday.”
She nearly choked on saliva. “N-no I didn’t. What makes you think I crashed the car? It’s sitting in the garage at home.”
“I guess I heard wrong.”
Kristen allowed Zach to walk her to class, but she kept her mouth shut. Everything she said to him came out wrong. Her head felt like it was filled with cotton balls. She wished she had a spell to turn time back. She would return to t
he day she’d blown the dust on him, and she would keep it in her purse this time.
When they reached the door, Zach opened it for her. She hesitated. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, but she didn’t know where to start. Stepping in front of a nearby locker so she wouldn’t be blocking the classroom door, she asked, “Will you have lunch with me?”
“I always do, don’t I?” Zach rubbed the side of his neck and dropped his eyes. “We could go off-campus if you want and eat lunch without all the scrutiny.” Then, she noticed the interested stares they were getting. Passing students watched them. Some of them wore smirks, while others frowned at the odd couple Zach and Kristen made—the bad boy and the good girl. They were a walking, talking cliché. Over the years, she had become immune to the attention, but poor Zach wasn’t used to it yet.
“Ignore them,” she said.
He shuffled from foot to foot. “I feel like a damn monkey in a zoo.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” His mouth eased into a smile. “You’d better get into class before the bell rings.”
“Yeah, you’d better get going, or you won’t make your class on time. I don’t want you to get an ulcer just to save your rep. Shock them and be on time for a change.”
He bent forward as if he were going to kiss her. Instead, he turned his face and put his mouth next to her ear. “Have a good day, and don’t let the morons get to you.” He took a couple of steps away from her. Walking backwards, he said, “I’ll pick you up at the library at nine tonight.”
###
An elbow caught Zach in the ribs, and he gritted his teeth. No apology this time. Earlier, a kid had hit him by accident, mumbled sorry, and quickly moved to another spot on the crowded dance floor. This one didn’t even bother to glance his way. Zach faked a smile for Kristen’s benefit. She seemed to be having a good time. He didn’t want to spoil it.
Colored beams of light slashed through the crowd as if secret agents were looking for a dangerous fugitive.
Kristen swung her leather-clad hips like a professional dancer. She raised both arms high above her head and wiggled her upper body beneath the shimmering, silver-mesh top. She looked good, but Zach was disappointed in her choice of clothing. For some reason he’d pictured her in a short, red dress. That would have been phenomenal.
It was hot, there were too many people, and the music sucked. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” he yelled.
“What?” She cupped a hand around her ear. “I can’t hear you! The music is too loud.”
He shook his head to indicate it wasn’t important. Satisfied, she shrugged and continued to dance. Sweat rolled down Zach’s back. His discomfort grew. One drop slid all the way down to his boxers. What was wrong with the air conditioning? Did they purposely turn it off to keep people hot and thirsty so they would buy more drinks?
There was something he wanted to get off his chest, a confession, only he didn’t want her to actually hear him. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity. Smiling at her, he said, “I think I’m falling for you. Hard.”
“What?” She frowned again. Throwing up her hands, she yelled, “I can’t hear you!”
Of course, he couldn’t hear her either, but he was adept at reading lips as long as the person spoke slowly and didn’t use big words. His grin broadened. “I wanted to hurt you for what you did to me, but now I just want to kiss you.”
Kristen shouted something. He couldn’t decipher it this time. Grabbing him by the front of his shirt, she pulled him close and talked directly into his ear. “I didn’t catch any of that! What did you say?”
Instead of answering her verbally, he tried a little experiment. Drawing back from her, he stared deep into her eyes. He pushed a visual at her, a mental picture of the two of them locked in a passionate embrace, but she continued to frown. The experiment failed.
Her eyes rolled heavenward. She returned her mouth to his ear and asked, “What is up with you? Do you want to ditch this place? You don’t look like you’re having any fun.”
He only drew back a few inches, just far enough. His mouth found hers. He kissed her hard at first, half-afraid she might resist. Her arms went up and wound themselves around his neck instead. The kiss softened. His hands went to her shoulders. He grasped them and kneaded them gently as she melted against him.
Zach opened his eyes for a second. He wanted to check her expression. Knowing Kristen, she wouldn’t admit to her true feelings if she were falling for him. He would have to read it in her eyes. Unfortunately, something else captured his attention. His peripheral vision caught a familiar shape threading its way through the crowd.
His head snapped to the left in time to see a dark-haired girl disappear behind some tall guys who were playfully shoving each other. Morgan? His heart stopped. Morgan couldn’t possibly be inside the club. The lights, the noise, and the crowd would send her over the edge. Worried, he walked away from Kristen without a word of explanation.
Kristen called after him, shocked by his abrupt departure.
He hurried through the crowd, pushing his way to the rear of the building. He would have to tell Kristen about Morgan when he got back. The dark-haired girl had vanished. He searched in vain, finally stepping outside into the alleyway in case she’d left. Still nothing.
Zach stood in the dark alley and growled in frustration. A rat scurried into a mountainous pile of trash. He strained his ears to pick up retreating footsteps but only came up with the buzzing of distant cars. He made a mental note to check Morgan’s notebook later. If she’d followed him to the club, they were going to have a long talk about privacy.
###
Kristen stared after Zach, mouth open. Unbelievable! The jerk plants an incredible kiss on her, and then he runs off. What in the hell was wrong with him? She reached for her cell, intending to call her grandmother. Before she could find her grandmother’s number in her list, she saw Zach’s head as he moved in her direction. He was coming back.
She wasn’t going to let him think his disappearance had rattled her. Kristen Noah didn’t need a guy to make her happy. She looked around for another dance partner. A lot of people danced in groups of three or four. Some were by themselves and danced with everyone at once. She found a boy, kind of cute, looking at her. He didn’t seem to be with anyone.
Kristen danced over to where he was and began to dance with him. He smiled at her. The two of them showed each other their best moves. It took Zach a while to find her. For a moment, she forgot about him and started to enjoy herself. Then, he was there like a dark shadow blocking out the warm sunlight.
“Oh,” she said, feigning surprise. “You’re back.”
Mouth tight, he glared at the other guy and scared him away.
The coward abandoned her to her fate. She had no choice but to face Zach, but she continued to dance. His grim expression darkened. She pretended not to notice.
He leaned in, put his mouth next to her ear, and said, “I thought I saw someone I know, someone who shouldn’t be here. I didn’t have time to tell you. I had to try to catch her.”
Her? Kristen’s heart sank. He’d been looking for another girl? The situation was worse than she’d thought. First, he talked to her even though he knew she couldn’t understand a word of it. Then he ran off, chasing after another girl. Maybe he didn’t like her as much as she’d hoped.
Kristen turned and stormed off in the direction of the nearest exit. She left the club with the full knowledge that Zach would be hot on her heels. At least they’d be able to talk outside. She walked fast when she hit the sidewalk. She didn’t want anyone to overhear the argument that was about to explode between them.
Zach grabbed her arm when she reached the corner. “What’s wrong? Why did you walk away like that?”
“Are you kidding me?” She knocked his hand off her arm. “You walked away first.”
“And I told you I was sorry. I thought I saw…”
“Yeah, I know. You th
ought you saw some random girl that you know. Whatever. I’m tired. Goodnight.”
Laughter rumbled in his chest. “Kristen Noah is jealous.”
“I am not jealous, you jerk!”
He didn’t stop laughing, so she hit him. Hand balled into a fist, she swung it hard and struck him in the jaw. Neither of them had seen it coming. She hadn’t meant to hit him so hard. Tears flooded her eyes. She wasn’t sure if she was crying because she’d hurt him or out of frustration because his hard face had hurt her first.
Instead of getting mad, he rubbed his jaw and asked, “Do you feel better now?”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I do too hate you.” She started walking again, and he fell into step right beside her. She added, “Go away. I don’t ever want to see you again.”
“If that were true, you wouldn’t care that I was looking for a girl. You like me way too much. That’s the problem.”
“Go to hell.”
Zach moved fast, cut in front of her, and turned. He blocked her way. His hands grabbed her by the shoulders. Holding her still, he said, “It’s okay. I know how you feel.”
“You have no clue how I feel, and if you don’t let me go right now, I’m going to hit you again. This time I’ll put all my weight behind it.”
“I know how you feel because I feel the same way. You’re mad and scared and a little freaked out. You don’t want to fall for me, but you can’t stop yourself. It’s okay.” He pushed errant strands of hair off her hot cheek. “I’m falling for you, too.”
And then he kissed her.
She tried to resist.
His mouth went soft on top of hers, coaxing her to kiss him back. The tip of his tongue snaked out to lick her closed lips. Just a flick. Shockwaves shot through her entire body. Her emotions went from zero to sixty in half a second. In the end, fear won out.
Her eyes popped wide open, and she pushed Zach away, determined to make a run for it. What scared her the most was the realization that he was right. This wasn’t a case of simple attraction. She was falling in love with Zach Bevian.
She’d been wrong. Love did exist. It was more powerful than attraction, and if she allowed it to have its way with her, she’d die. Somehow, loving Zach would kill her.
Before she could flee, Zach took her hand. He walked side-by-side with her. They went to his motorcycle, and he drove her to the library in silence. For a moment, she’d thought he was going to let her go without saying another word. But that wouldn’t be Zach. He waited for her to open her car door.