He stared at me hard for a few seconds and then nodded. “It appears that way.”
I turned back towards my reflection, still shocked that the thin person in the mirror wasn’t Kala, but me. Funny thing was, I had mixed emotions.
“Uh, that dress is going to slide off soon if we don’t do something about it.”
I sighed. “Yeah, I need to go home and change. Can you get me out of the school unnoticed?”
“You’re still asking me questions like that after everything you’ve seen?” he answered with a sly grin.
I licked my lips. “I guess I’m still trying to figure out if this is a dream.”
He sighed. “It’s not. Sorry.”
I nodded.
“So, um, you don’t seem very happy about losing the weight,” he said, coming up behind me. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“Yeah, but…”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me around, so that we were facing each other. “Kendra, you were perfectly fine before you took that potion. So you weren’t a size two, who gives a crap?”
“Everyone –”
“Not me,” he blurted, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “I didn’t care. I thought you were pretty enough before.”
This time, as his eyes burned into mine, my pulse went on overdrive, and I felt an overwhelming desire to press my lips to his.
“Are you doing something to me?” I whispered, as his vanilla scent washed over me.
“Like what?” he whispered back, his face moving closer.
“Making me want to… kiss you?” I squeaked.
He touched my cheek with his fingertips and I could barely breathe. “No. I’m not. Not this time.”
I still wasn’t sure if I believed him. “Could you… close your eyes for a second?”
His eyes twinkled in amusement but he did what I asked.
And nothing changed.
The butterflies were still whirling around in my stomach as if they were desperate to escape and I wanted nothing more than for him to like me the same way I liked him. I swallowed hard, staring at his lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss them.
“Kendra?”
My cheeks warmed. “Uh, okay. I guess this is all me,” I admitted.
He opened his eyes. “It’s both of us,” he whispered, pulling me into his arms.
I closed my eyes and waited, hoping that he was about to do what it looked like he was about to do.
“Can I kiss you?” he murmured.
Please…
“Yes.”
His lips were warm and soft as they pressed against mine. I slid my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening our first kiss, which had to be the most amazing in the history of Bayport. It was sweeter than I could have ever imagined and I never wanted it to end.
“We have to go,” he whispered, pulling away after a few more seconds. “Although, I never thought I’d enjoy being in the girl’s bathroom this much.”
I blushed.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the door.
“How are we going to be able to skip the rest of the day without getting caught?” I asked.
“You forget who you’re talking to,” he said, smiling smugly. “I’ll handle that part.”
~~~
The halls were clear when we left the bathroom. Just when I thought we were in the clear, someone stopped us near the front exit.
“Excuse me?” snapped Ms. Johnson, one of the hall monitors. As usual, she looked very bitter about her career choice. “Where are you two going?”
Tyler removed his glasses and smiled. “We’re going away. You can forget about seeing us.”
The woman looked like a zombie. She nodded and walked away.
“Okay, how do you do that?” as we walked out the door.
He shrugged. “It’s a gift.”
“I guess,” I said, laughing. “Is that why you’re always wearing those sunglasses?”
“Partly, but the truth is that people are always staring at my eyes even when I’m not trying to do anything; it’s a little unsettling.”
“Well, your eyes are intense. But in a good way.”
He smiled.
“So, Tyler, have you always had this ‘gift’?”
“I have,” he replied. “I’m an Enchanter.”
I laughed. “What’s an ‘Enchanter’? It sounds like something from a Disney Movie.”
“It’s hard to explain. Let’s just say I can manipulate people or things for special purposes.”
I swallowed. “So, is that like magic?”
“In all honesty, yes, I do dabble in the art of magic.”
“Oh.”
He smiled wickedly. “Does that make you nervous?”
“No, for some insane reason, I feel really safe with you. It’s just still hard for me to believe in magic.”
He raised his arms in the air. “Magic is all around you, Kendra. When you open up your mind you will discover things far beyond your own imagination.”
“Okay, Merlin,” I answered, smiling wryly. “I’m starting to get the point.”
A sudden screech of tires startled us both.
“Oh crap,” mumbled Tyler, staring at the dark blue Volvo. “Here comes my mom. She doesn’t look happy.”
Chapter Thirteen
“What in the devil is going on?” asked Rebecca, as we slid into the backseat of her car.
“Um, let’s just say Kendra took the potion we sold her, lost a little too much weight, and therefore, we had to leave.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” she said, glancing back at him with a scowl.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Well, dear mother, what are you talking about?”
“Do you not recall how I warned you to stay low? I specifically told you not to perform any kind of magic. That includes, ahem, ‘Persuasion’. I heard from the grapevine that you’ve been using it quite a bit at school.”
I wondered who the grapevine was but was too timid to ask.
He shrugged “Well, it needed to be done. Someone was hurting Kendra’s feelings.”
“I’m certainly proud of you for defending Kendra’s honor. I just don’t think it’s very safe to be using your powers, especially right now.”
Tyler didn’t say anything, although I was dying to ask why it wasn’t safe.
Rebecca changed the subject. “So,” she said, smiling back at me. “You lost a little weight. Feel lighter on your toes?”
I snorted. “Actually, I feel as if this is all a dream.”
She laughed. “Wait until we tell you the rest. You’re going to feel like you’re on another planet.”
I folded my arms under my chest, which was also smaller, unfortunately. “Okay, you are both really freaking me out.”
“Don’t worry,” said Rebecca. “It may seem freaky, but somehow, I know you can handle it.”
I was glad she had faith in me, because I wasn’t so sure of anything anymore.
~~~
Rebecca reopened the store and I followed Tyler into the back storage room again. For some reason the entire room seemed much more ominous than before.
“My mother wanted to explain everything to you, but I talked her into allowing me. She’s not always very subtle, and truthfully, I’m better at these things.”
“Forget being subtle, Tyler, just explain away,” I said.
He pointed to my dress. “Are you sure you don’t want to slip into something more… comfortable?”
I was definitely drowning in the dress.
I raised my arms. “I don’t have anything to wear. Here or at home.”
“Good thing you have a twin sister then.”
“Won’t help me at this moment,” I said, pulling up one of my straps.
I thought about Kala, she was going to freak out. We were now more identical than ever before and I still wasn’t sure how I felt about it.
“Wait, I have a better idea,” said Tyler, removing his sun
glasses. He furrowed his eyebrows and concentrated on my dress.
Within a few seconds, a shimmering light began to radiate from my dress and I watched in awe as it began to slowly shrink, until it hugged my body like a glove.
“Um, can you take it out, just a little?” I gasped. It was so tight; I thought it was going to rip with every breath I took.
His cheeks turned pink. “Sorry. My bad.”
The dress loosened up a bit and I suddenly realized that he’d wanted it a little tighter.
I smiled wryly. “I guess you’re not complaining about my new figure either.”
Tyler’s face turned serious. “You looked good before, Kendra. In fact, I think you’re perfect at any weight. I thought I made myself clear on how I felt earlier.”
I thought about our kiss and my heart felt like it was growing out of my chest.
I liked this Enchanter.
I liked him a lot.
And he didn’t even have to put a spell on me.
Chapter Fourteen
“Um, so what is it that you wanted to show me?” I asked, clearing my throat. The electricity in the air between us and was intense.
“Oh, that’s right,” he said, putting on his sunglasses.
I pointed. “You don’t have to wear those all the time, do you?”
He removed the sunglasses and folded them. “Sorry, I guess it’s a habit.”
“I just think it’s probably good for your eyes to take them off now and then. You know, rest your peepers a little bit.”
Okay, so that sounded kind of lame. The truth was, I really just wanted to see his dazzling eyes.
He smiled. “Well, I never really considered ‘resting my peepers’, unless I’m going to bed at night. But I’ll take your advice.”
I nodded. “It must be difficult to see indoors when you’re wearing them anyway.”
“Actually, I can see much better than the average person. In fact, I can see things others can’t.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Oh? You can’t see through clothing, can you?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’d like to know if you can see…”
“What you’re wearing underneath?” he asked with a wicked grin.
Then I remembered in horror that I wasn’t wearing my panties and I quickly lowered my hands over my pelvis. He noticed this right away and raised his eyebrows.
“Tell me,” I demanded, my cheeks burning.
“Fine, I can’t tell what you’re wearing under your clothing.”
I released a sigh of relief.
“Unless, I try really hard,” he said and then threw his head back and laughed when he saw my horrified expression.
I marched over and swatted him on the shoulder. “You are so… bad!”
“Ouch!” he laughed, again. “You wanted to know.”
“Are you two okay back here?” murmured Rebecca, peeking through the door.
“Yes,” said Tyler. “I was just going to find the picture.”
Picture?
“Okay. I’ll be out here if you need me,” she said, walking away.
“I’ll be right back,” said Tyler, walking toward the back of the warehouse. “Don’t touch anything… please.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, you warned me yesterday.”
I sat down on a metal chair and looked around the cluttered room, eyeing the boxes now with a new respect. Who knew what kind of magic was hidden in all of this cardboard?
“Okay,” said Tyler. He was holding a five-by-seven picture frame but I couldn’t see the picture. “I have something to show you and it’s quite possible that you’ve seen it before. However, something tells me you haven’t.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay.”
He handed me the picture frame and I stared at it in confusion. It was an older picture of two little girls, around five or six, and they were obviously twins.
“I don’t understand,” I said looking up at him.
“Look closely at the picture. Doesn’t it remind you of someone?”
There was indeed something familiar about the girls. I couldn’t quite place my finger on it.
“Look at the shape of their noses and the fullness of their lips. Ignore the color of their hair, she’s obviously changed it. That’s to be expected.”
I nodded. Both girls had luxurious red hair. Their eyes were a dark blue with a catlike slant. “They’re certainly cute,” I said. Then something clicked and the blood rushed to my ears.
“Yes?” he asked, prodding me.
I looked at him in shock. “It’s my mother!”
Tyler smiled. “Bingo.”
I shook my head. “But she’s not a twin. My mom told me that she was an only child.”
He shrugged. “I would too if my twin sister was a ruthless and evil witch.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your aunt Vivian and your mother are very powerful witches.”
I stared at him for a few seconds and then burst out laughing.
His eyes narrowed. “Well, I’m glad you’re amused, but it’s the truth, and believe me, there’s nothing funny about Vivian.”
I wiped away the tears from my face. “Okay, that’s enough. Quit messing with my mind, Tyler.”
“He’s not messing with you, at all,” interrupted Rebecca, closing the door behind her. “Your mother is a twin and she’s also a witch. I should know, we used to be best friends.
“I don’t understand,” I mumbled, looking at each of them, “My mom? You seriously expect me to believe that she’s a witch?”
Rebecca smiled sadly and then pulled out another folding chair. She sat down next to me and looked at her son. “Tyler, go mind the store for a little while please.”
He nodded and left us alone.
She reached over and took my hand in hers. “It’s probably not my place to tell you this information, and I’m sure your mother will be furious when she finds out. But Tyler and I, well, we didn’t have any other choice.”
I stared into her eyes. “I just don’t understand. Why would she hide all of this from us?”
Rebecca sighed. “Because of Vivian. Her sister is one of the most vicious sorceresses in the world. She’s cruel, evil, and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.”
A shiver went up my spine. “Well, what does she want?”
“She wants your mother’s power all for herself. You see, when you’re a witch and a twin one at that, it makes for a very powerful combination. In fact, when one of them dies, the other inherits the other’s magic.”
“And my mother’s sister, my…aunt… wants her dead, so she can be more powerful?”
She nodded. “Vivian has been looking for your mother, Adrianne, for the last twenty years.
I raised my eyebrows. “Adrianne? My mother’s name is Holly.”
“Dear, Holly is your mother’s middle name,” said Rebecca, softly.
“Okay, this getting too deep for me,” I said, standing up. “I need to go home and talk to her.”
“Wait,” said Rebecca. “I’m sure your mom has kept this from you and your sister, to keep you safe. It’s very dangerous for all of you right now. Especially since…”
“What?”
The fear in her eyes made my pulse race. “Vivian knows your mom is here, in Bayport, and she’ll do anything to find her, even if it means using you or your sister, Kala.”
I bit the side of my lip. “You mean hurting me or Kala?”
She nodded. “Oh yes. If she finds you, she’ll definitely use whatever means possible to hurt and destroy your mother.”
“So, basically, we’re all in danger?”
“Yes.”
“How come you’ve found us, but she hasn’t?”
She shrugged. “I’m sure your mother used a spell to keep her from locating you all these years.”
“How does she know we’re in Bayport?”
“Some spells get weaker over time. Or it co
uld be that Vivian had help from someone else.”
“So, is this why you moved here, to warn us?”
She nodded. “We’d hoped you were here, Adrianne once mentioned this place. She’d read about it and wanted to travel here. But I didn’t know for sure until Tyler lucked out and found you at school.”
I bit the side of my lip. “I know this sounds weird and I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but why do you care so much? Why would you move here just to warn my mother about Vivian? Isn’t it too dangerous to risk your own lives?”
She smiled. “Two reasons. Adrianne and I used to be best friends growing up. I do care what happens to her.”
“And Vivian killed my father,” interrupted Tyler from the doorway, his expression somber. “We need your mother’s help to destroy her, once and for all.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Are you okay?” asked Rebecca as I stumbled towards Tyler and the exit. I’d had enough of this magic talk, and just wanted to go home to my mom, so she could tell me that these people were crazy.
“Oh, I don’t know,” I answered thickly. “I’ve just shed thirty pounds, I witnessed a doe turn into a girl, and now I’ve been told my mother’s a witch who’s being hunted down by her evil twin sister. Seriously, I don’t think I’ll ever be okay again.”
Tyler held up a bottle of water. “You don’t look so good. Drink this, you’re probably dehydrated from the potion.”
“Good grief,” said Rebecca, looking at her watch. “You two haven’t had lunch yet. Tyler, take her to our house and feed the poor girl. You can try and answer any more questions she may have, there, where it’s safe.”
He nodded. “Are you hungry?” he asked, holding out his arm to me.
I stared at him for a minute, trying to decide what to do. Food sounded like the only sane thing right now.
“Food will take the edge off of everything,” he joked. “Seriously.”
I sighed and slipped my arm through his. “Sure, but to tell you the truth, I’m pretty exhausted. I don’t know if I can walk to your house.”
“Who said anything about walking?” he asked with a sparkle in his eyes. He turned to his mother. “Um, it is okay if we teleport, isn’t it? I know you said not to perform magic, but surely this is an exception?”
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