Stirring Up Trouble

by Juli Alexander

  “Good idea,” he said and opened the freezer to dig out the frozen fajitas.

  I started packing up my equipment.

  Still flying high on Friday from the success of the toad slime experiment, I started to actually have faith that I wouldn’t be punished for Indiana.

  After school, I used Dad’s credit card to order more supplies off the Internet. Unicorn horn was expensive, but I didn’t have any ideas for creating a substitute for that yet. Then I tested the four trout samples Dad had left for me. They all worked.

  Mom hugged me when she got home. “We aren’t going to tell the Council anything yet about your findings. We have thirty days, and that will give you time to do some more experiments without some overbearing scientists second-guessing your every move.”

  “Good.” I’d been worried she’d want to tell them sooner. Luckily, magical people zealously guarded their privacy. We had a Bill of Rights that closely resembled that of the United States. We’d been persecuted enough throughout history to value our freedom. The Council could only monitor those who’d engaged in serious criminal activity in the past, so there wasn’t any way they’d know what was going on with us.

  “Now, if you can tear your mind away from the earth-shaking discovery, you made…” She walked over to a department store garment bag she’d left on the couch. “I picked up something for you.”

  Bracing myself for little girl pink, I cringed as she pulled it out. “Oh my God, Mom. I love it.” I jumped up to grab the stunning electric blue dress. The style was straight out of Cosmo, simple, but totally in right now.

  “I thought you might like it. They say it’s a knock off of what the designers have been making for young Hollywood.”

  Young Hollywood. How pathetic. But I loved the dress.

  “Go try it on,” she urged. “I can’t wait to see you in it.”

  “Kay.” With a huge grin on my face, I ran for my room.

  Dad called as I finished getting ready.

  “Just wanted you to know they’re headed your way.”

  “Thanks.” I guess that meant he was at Sheree’s again.

  “It’s so great that you kids are going together as friends.”

  Friends? We were supposed to be playing this as a date. Had Jake really said friends? “Oh, well, I guess.” Had Jake slipped up? Not to mention my desire for him to take our date seriously.

  “Kent’s mother will bring you kids back here after the dance. Is that okay?” He kept talking because he knew I’d agree. “I’ll get to see you all dressed up, and then we’ll head over to my apartment.”

  “Right.” That’s how Jake and I had planned it anyway. We were hoping they’d both witness a big kiss. We needed to hit those two where it hurt. Their parenting skills.

  “Have fun, hon. Oh, and I did that shopping you asked me to do.”

  “Great. How much did you find?”

  He lowered his voice. “I picked up fifty-seven cans of that store brand.”

  “Thanks! That’s a lot more than I thought you’d find.” That would give me a pretty good supply even if that brand of tuna turned out to be the only one that worked.

  He cleared his throat. “I, um, went to six stores.”

  The thought of him driving around town to different groceries made me smile. He really was a great dad. “You’re the best.”

  “See you soon.”

  “Bye, Dad.” I shut my phone and turned back to the mirror.

  My eyes were heavily lined which I don’t usually do. Mom said I could get away with more makeup at night. She also said she had to approve my face before I left because she didn’t want her fifteen-year-old daughter running around looking like a, well, ho.

  I studied my reflection. I didn’t look like a ho. I looked a lot like that princess I’d been in my daydream.

  Mom’s gasp in the doorway drew my attention.

  “You look wonderful,” she said. Her eyes got glassy like she was about to cry.

  “Don’t cry, Mom.” I ran over to hug her, carefully holding my face away from her to keep from ruining my makeup.

  “I’m not. I want you to have a great time.”

  I wondered how long it would be before I had to watch her get dressed for dates. She’d told me last night that she didn’t plan to date Dave and that she really didn’t think she was ready to get back out there yet. She promised to tell me when she was.

  The doorbell rang, and she hugged me tighter for a second before tossing me backward. “I’ll go get it.” She took off down the hall at a run.

  “Mom, it’s really not necessary,” I called. But I knew she wanted to make sure Jake came in so she could get a look at the two of us together.

  Jake looked awesome. He wore a blue jacket with his khakis. He’d even put on a tie. I’d never seen him do that before. The amazing thing was that he didn’t look at all like a waiter. He just looked hot.

  With an awkward glance at my mom, he stepped closer to the stairs. His eyes widened and his smiled. “You look great, Zoe.”

  “Thanks,” I said, my face burning with embarrassment. I could almost hold my own with Jake in private. But Mom’s prying eyes were just too much.

  “Let me get my camera,” Mom said and dashed for the kitchen.

  With a groan, I turned to Jake. “I don’t suppose we could sneak out the front door now, could we?”

  “No way. Your Mom would hate me forever. And my mother would just make us come back in.” He tugged at his tie.

  “Chicken.”

  “Here I come.” Mom ran from the kitchen with the camera. “Stand over by the fireplace.”

  We complied. Jake draped his arm across my shoulder and we smiled for the picture.

  “Just one more,” Mom said, messing with the zoom on the camera. “I promised Sheree I’d give her copies.”

  When had she spoken to Sheree? They were friends now were they, with Sheree dating my dad? “One more, Mom.” I was surprised Sheree hadn’t come in. They could ooh and ahh together.

  After saying “cheese” a second time, Jake removed his arm. Too bad I hadn’t let her take more pictures, I kind of liked his arm around me.

  I led the way out the front door while Mom gushed all the standard goodbye’s and drive carefully’s.

  When I reached the Volvo, Jake said, “No, wait.” And he made me step aside so he could open the back door for me.

  “Thanks.” I tried to get in the car in a graceful way considering that he was standing right there. Maybe I should practice.

  He shut the door and went around to the other side while I squirmed to adjust my dress.

  “You look gorgeous, Zoe,” Sheree said from the driver’s seat. She sounded a little choked up.

  Between the dress and the whole Cinderella fantasy, I was stressed out. I needed to relax and get things back to normal with Jake.

  Luckily, he helped me out. He climbed in the back with me and said, “That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

  “Now, Jake,” Sheree cautioned, backing out of the drive.

  “Really? What were you expecting exactly?”

  With a laugh, he said, “The first dance I went to with Anya, her mother used three rolls of film. We posed in the living room and on the back patio. It took almost an hour.”

  I nodded. “She does that for birthday parties. I don’t know why I didn’t realize she’d do that for dances too.”

  “Anya really likes to have her picture taken.”

  He was right. Anya dreamed of modeling. The problem was her height. She was only five-two.

  “I guess my house was a breath of fresh air after that.”

  “Oh, yeah. I like your mom.”

  “I like her too,” Sheree said.

  “She likes you,” I said, thinking about how weird it all was.

  Sheree dropped us at the school, and we had a few minutes to talk as we headed for the gym.

  “My mom and your dad must think we’re going to this dance as friends. They were no
nchalant about the whole thing.”

  “I got that impression too.” How flattering. Dad doesn’t think Jake would ask me out on a real date. It warms my heart.

  “That’s fine with me,” he said. “It’ll be more of a shocker when we hit them with the PDA.” He sounded almost gleeful.

  “You sound like we’re planning some kind of attack.”

  “Well, we are. Kind of.” He glanced my way.

  “So what’s the plan exactly?”

  “I was thinking that, after the dance, we’d make sure they know we’re on the porch.” He opened the door to the gym. “Meanwhile, let’s enjoy the dance.”

  I wished Anya and Brad wouldn’t be there.

  “I hope we don’t have to hang out with Brad and Anya tonight,” he said as we searched the gym for familiar faces.

  My jaw dropped. Could he read my mind? “You do?”

  “Well, I know she’s your friend, but they are so annoying. Brad’s always slobbering all over her, and she’s so mean to him.”

  “True. I was just thinking the same thing.” I didn’t see Camille and Kent yet. Since I didn’t feel comfortable talking about Anya, I asked, “Are Eli and Alicia coming?”

  “Yeah,” he answered, “but they’re going all out on the dance thing. He told me he promised to dance every dance, so we probably won’t see much of them.”

  I was surprised to spot Anya alone, sitting on the bleachers. She usually made us come to her, but tonight she dashed over to us as soon as she saw us.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I thought you’d never get here! Zoe, you look great. Can I talk to you for a second? Sorry, Jake.” Anya pulled me over to an empty corner.

  “What’s wrong, Anya?” She’d lost all her usual poise.

  “Brad called and canceled on me an hour ago. The creep. He dumped me!” She twisted her beaded bag in her hands.

  Apparently, the love potion had worn off. “I thought you’d already dumped him.”

  “I tried. He wouldn’t listen.”

  “So what’s the problem?”

  “He dumped me. I can’t be dumped.” Anya bit her bottom lip. “And, I think I was wrong. I really like Brad. He got on my nerves, but now that he’s gone, I miss him.”

  Could she be any more annoying? “You’re kidding me.”

  “No. I know it sounds pathetic, but I want him back.” She smoothed the skirt of her peach dress as she spoke, always conscious of her appearance.

  “You want him back?” I just looked at her in disbelief. “I thought you wanted Jake back.”

  “I don’t.” She lowered her eyes and added, “And I’m sorry I was a jerk about you and Jake.”

  “You are?” Oh right. I shouldn’t call her a jerk. “ I mean you weren’t a jerk.”

  “Yes, I was.” I could see something almost like sincerity in her eyes. “And I shouldn’t have been.”

  Maybe being dumped was just what Anya needed. That was rude. I looked at my suffering friend. “So what did Brad say exactly?”

  “He said he didn’t have the time to be my boyfriend.”

  “So maybe he still likes you, but not all the stuff you made him do.”

  “Maybe.” She frowned. “I’m not going to ruin your date with Jake though.”

  “It’s not really a date,” I admitted. “We’re planning to shock our parents with a make-out session when we get home.”

  Anya looked past me. “I think maybe it is a date.”

  “No, really—”

  She shook her head. “He’s looking at you right now.”

  “He’s looking at us, you mean.” Wondering what’s going on.

  “No,” she said with confidence. “I know when a guy’s looking at me. He’s looking at you. I think he likes you.”

  “He did. I think. But he doesn’t now.” I wasn’t confessing the circumstances to her.

  With an emphatic shake of her head, she said, “He likes you. Go dance with him.”

  I turned to look at Jake. He was talking to three guys I didn’t know very well. I didn’t feel comfortable approaching the four of them.

  Anya could read my hesitation. “Come on,” she grabbed my hand and tugged me over to Jake. “Oh, and my grandmother wants you to come for dinner next week.”

  “Is she doing okay?”

  “Much better.”

  “Thank you for loaning me your date, Jake.” Anya said when we reached him. She put my hand in his.

  “Uh.” Jake gave me a questioning look. “Okay.”

  “Can I talk to you for a sec?” I asked Jake, blushing at the feel of my hand in his.

  “Sure.”

  We stepped away from the others and I whispered into his ear. “Brad dumped her. Did any of those guys come stag?”

  He raised a brow. “Josh did, but Anya can’t stand him.”

  “See if he’ll ask her to dance.”

  “No way. She’ll just shoot him down.”

  “Not tonight she won’t.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know—”

  Behind him, I saw Anya grab Josh’s hand and lead him to the dance floor.

  “Never mind. She asked him to dance.”

  Jake spun around to see. “I never would have believed it.”

  “So,” I said standing on tip-toe to be closer to his ear. “Now that Brad doesn’t like her, she decided she really likes him.”

  He groaned. “Has she always been about the drama?”

  “Why ask me? You’ve known her since second grade.”

  He turned to me and shrugged. “Yeah, but you’ve known her since kindergarten. Come on, let’s dance.”

  He led me out to the dance floor, aka middle of the gym, and we passed Eli and Alicia already dancing. Alicia looked fabulous in a simple green dress that flattered her athletic figure. I thought it was cool that she had Eli wrapped around her finger. They looked great together.

  The DJ was playing an 80s set and Bowling For Soup’s remake of “I’ll Stop the World and Melt with You” boomed from the speakers. I was relieved that it was a fast dance. I may have the whole slow dance fantasy going, but the reality of it terrified me.

  My clumsiness had never been a secret, but would Jake handle me stepping on him, falling on him, or tripping him? Because none of those things were outside the realm of possibility.

  Anya had taught me to fast dance. Well, actually, she’d made fun of me until I’d given in and started doing it her way. I cracked a smile when Jake started dancing with the same simple back and forth motions. Anya must’ve insisted he do it her way also. I relaxed a little.

  And then, the music ended.

  The next song, of course, was slow.

  I hardly noticed the people scrambling off the dance floor because I was looking at Jake, and looking into his eyes when he was focused on me was a powerful experience.

  I swallowed and tried not to look nervous.

  He put his arms around my waist. I put my arms on his shoulders. He was taller than me, but I knew I didn’t look as cute and petite as Anya always had dancing with him. She was able to rest her cheek against his chest. My cheek was nowhere near his chest. In fact, I’d have to lean down to rest on his shoulder. I looked over his shoulder at the other couples on the dance floor.

  It suddenly hit me that he was moving and I tried to follow his lead. Maybe I should take lessons. I felt like an idiot.

  He tugged on me and pulled me a little closer and I looked into his green eyes. “That’s better,” he said.

  Oh, yeah.

  There was only an inch between us. And it was easier to concentrate on moving along with him. In fact, everyone else just faded away.

  Then he leaned in to whisper, “Zoe.”

  “Mmmm.” My lips almost brushed against his ear.

  “I’m sorry I was such a jerk before. You know, about your mom’s text.”

  Yeah. The whole love thing. I did know. I tried to pull back to see his face, but he held me close.

  “I shoul
dn’t have freaked out.”

  “It was understandable.” I struggled to concentrate on what he was saying because his hands slipped an inch lower on my hips and the resulting rush overwhelmed my senses.

  “I didn’t ask you to this dance to torment our parents,” he whispered huskily. “I asked because I really wanted to be here with you.”

  “Really?” My heart thumped.

  “Yeah.”

  “Cool.” The faint scent of spices enveloped me. I’d never known him to wear cologne.

  “So, you wanna be my girlfriend?” He tensed and his hands slipped a little more.

  Hell, yeah. “Yeah.”

  “Cool.”

  And then, I felt him relax, so I relaxed too, and just rested against him while we danced. And it felt great. So great, I would have wanted to jump up and down if it hadn’t meant letting go of him. And looking like an idiot.

  I was fully prepared to stay in his arms forever, so when the slow songs ended and a fast song boomed over the speakers, it was like someone flipping the light switch in the middle of the night. It took me a minute to adjust.

  “Crap,” Jake muttered. He stepped back and took my hand in his.

  I agreed wholeheartedly. “We could go sit down.” Then, at least, I could keep holding his hand, if not the rest of him.

  “Good idea.” He led me to the bleachers and I followed like the lovesick puppy I was.

  He motioned for me to sit, so I did. Then, he sat with his leg pressed up against mine. He put his arm around me, and leaned in to say something.

  Anya appeared in front of us. “Hey guys. I’m taking off now. I wanted to say bye.”

  I’d forgotten Anya was there. Actually, I’d forgotten Anya existed. “Okay,” I said. “Bye.”

  We watched her walk away. Then, I returned my focus to the feel of his body against mine. I turned into him and rested my head against his shoulder. This had to be the most wonderful place in the universe.

  He reached up and gently swept my hair back from my face, and then he kissed the top of my head.

  A large shadow loomed over us, and I looked up to see Mrs. Nesbitt, the librarian, shaking her finger at us. I jumped away from Jake. I mean, she was scary when she was angry with that hook-shaped nose curled into a sneer. I didn’t know anyone who went to the school library voluntarily. In fact, Mrs. Nesbitt had done more to discourage teens from reading than video games, cable TV, and War and Peace combined.