“I always thought that stuff was lame,” Brody says, watching them. “Why does everyone have to go all out just to ask someone to a stupid dance? It’s insane.”
“I don’t know,” I say, my mouth dry. I lick my lips, trying not to let Brody see how rattled I am by all those butterflies. This is getting really weird, and a strong feeling of trepidation that I’ve never felt before settles into my stomach. It makes me almost certain that something really, really bad is about to happen.
“And furthermore,” Brody says, “Why do the girls have to ask the guys? Call me old-fashioned, but I think the guy should always do the asking.”
I’m still looking across the hall to where Raine has now wrapped her arms around Cam, and he’s pulling her closer. My eyes lock on his, but I look away quickly before Brody or Raine can catch us staring at each other. I hate that Cam’s with Raine. And a lot of it doesn’t even have to do with the creepy stuff she’s doing. Witch or not, it doesn’t change the fact that the guy I like has his arms around someone else.
“Hello!” Brody’s saying, “Earth to Natalia!”
“Sorry,” I say, shaking my head and trying to snap out of it. I turn my back on Raine and Cam, and give Brody a smile. “I’m listening.”
“You’re listening?”
“Yes.”
“You sure?” He leans against my locker, and gives me a teasing grin. He really is hot. I search his face for any signs of evilness, something in his eyes that would lead me to believe he has anything to do with the craziness that’s going on. But there’s nothing.
“Positive.”
“Then are you going to tell me why you never texted me back last night?”
Something tells me that the truth – I was so wiped out after my conversation with Cam in the woods and my creepy text from Derek that I ended up just falling asleep after Cam called me – isn’t going to cut it. So instead I just say, “Sorry, I fell asleep super early last night.”
We start to walk toward my homeroom, and Brody takes my books out of my hands. For the first time, I start to wonder if this whole being-a-gentlemen thing he’s got going on is just an act.
“So do you want to go to the dance with me?” Brody asks, as we navigate through the bodies around us. The junior hall, which was quiet just a second ago as everyone watched the spectacle Raine and Cam were putting on, is now alive with activity and laughter, everyone rushing to get where they need to go before the bell rings.
“With you?”
“Yeah, with me,” he says. “Hence the question ‘do you want to go to the dance with me?’ Unless…oh, I’m sorry, Natalia, did you have some kind of elaborate plan to ask me?”
“What if I did?” I ask, deciding to tease him right back.
“Then you can still go through with it,” he says, “In fact, I think you should. I’d love it. Something really big, that everyone would be talking about the next day.”
“That’s okay,” I say, doing a big fake sigh. “I’ll just have to save it for next time.
Call off the singing barbershop quartet.”
“Natalia,” he says, pretending to be exasperated with me. “Are you trying to rip off someone else’s idea? Chelsey Simmons did that last year.”
“Caught,” I say, snapping my fingers. “Damn. And I was so looking forward to it, too.”
“I’m sure you were.” We’re at my homeroom now, and I reach out, taking my books from him. “So you do want to go?” he asks. Suddenly, he looks nervous, like he’s not sure I’m going to say yes. I hesitate, remembering what Cam said about not trusting Brody. But I’m not convinced Brody has anything to do with this. And even if he does, what am I supposed to do? Avoiding him is just going to be weird. Besides, if Cam is going to the dance with Raine, then I have the right to go with Brody.
“Of course,” I say, smiling. “Of course I want to go to the dance with you.” And as I’m saying the words, I realize they’re true.
***
After school, Adrianna and I go shopping for dresses to wear to homecoming. I invited her to go at lunch, mostly because I like Adrianna, and also because I just wanted to do something normal for a change. Cam’s been weird all day, ignoring me in study hall and in the halls. And even though I know he said it’s not a good idea for anyone to see us together, I just… I don’t know. I guess I’m more upset about it than I should be.
“What about this one?” Adrianna asks, pulling a floor-length mermaid style dress off the rack and holding it up.
“That looks like a prom dress,” I say, making a face and flipping through a bunch of simple black dresses, looking for my size.
“Well, you can’t find anything you like!” she says. “We’ve looked at everything.”
“Not everything,” I say, gesturing to the three dresses that are in my arms. “I’m going to try these on. And besides, you can’t talk. Not unless you want to try something on.”
“I want to,” she says, wistfully, running her hand over the top of a lilac colored gown. “But first I need a date. Then I’ll get a dress.”
Adrianna wants to ask this guy Lancaster to the dance, but she’s afraid that if she buys a dress before she asks him, she’ll jinx it. And after everything that’s going on with Raine and her crazy voodoo stuff, who am I to say that’s wrong? Besides, Adrianna was nice enough to come shopping with me even though she wasn’t even planning on buying anything.
I head into the dressing room, and exchange my school clothes for a gorgeous, deep crimson dress with thin shimmery threads running through bodice. The skirt is flared and short, and the top has thin straps, but the color makes the dress seem more fall than summer.
“This is it!” I say, throwing open the door to the dressing room.
“Oh, Natalia,” Adrianna says, clapping her hands. “You look amazing.”
“You think?”
“Brody’s going to love it.”
“I’m not even going to bother trying on the other two.” I also don’t bother to tell her that I’m a little more interested in Cam liking the dress than Brody. I change back into my clothes, and Adrianna and I joke around while we wait in line at the cash register, painting our pinkies with the testers from a display of nail polish. It’s been a while since I’ve had some good old-fashioned girl bonding time with someone other than my mom, and I’m having a great time.
“Should we grab a coffee or something?” I ask on our way out of the store.
“Definitely,” Adrianna says, “And then do you want to head to the party store?”
“Does this mean you’re going to ask him?” I ask, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye. Not only is Adrianna not buying a dress until she asks Lancaster, she still doesn’t even know if she has the courage to ask him in the first place. They’re kind of in different social circles, but from what Adrianna says, they got to know each other a little bit when they got paired up on a social studies project at the beginning of the year.
“I don’t know,” she says, tucking her hand behind her ear. “But there’s no harm in trying to get ideas for how I would ask him. You know, just in case.” She bites her lip. “Right?”
“Right,” I say, “And don’t worry, I’ll help you. It’ll be fun.”
But when we get to the coffee place, there’s a huge line that snakes out the door and into the mall. I can tell Adrianna’s getting kind of antsy, probably because she’s anxious to get to the party store and start trying to figure out a cute way to ask Lancaster to the dance. “Why don’t you go ahead,” I say, “And I’ll get the coffees and meet you down there.”
“You sure?”
“Of course.”
She looks at me gratefully, asks me to order her a mocha latte, and then she’s gone. I stand in line, inhaling the scents of coffee and the freshly baked pastries, and enjoying the fact that I’m here, at the mall, shopping with a new friend.
My phone vibrates with a text, and I pull it out of my purse. Brody.
“Find something good?”
I t
ext him back.
“I think so.”
“What color?”
“Red”
“Hot! Cant wait to c it”
“Something funny?” a familiar voice asks, and I turn around, the smile immediately dropping from my face. Derek. He’s standing there, hands in his pockets, a bored expression on his face. I do what my first instinct tells me to. And that’s run. But as I turn and start to flee, he grabs my arm.
“Don’t touch me,” I say, wrenching free. A couple of people turn to look, and I’m reminded of the other night, when Raine and I got into it outside of the Coach store.
“Okay, okay,” he says, holding his arms up. “Chill. I just want to talk.”
“You keep saying that.” I cross my arms over my chest, waiting. “So if you want to talk, talk.”
He sighs. “I want to say I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry.” He looks over at one of the tables in front of the coffee shop, and says softly, “Can we sit?”
I think about it. Every fiber in my being is telling me to get away from him, but I know if I run, he’s just going to keep bothering me. “If I talk to you, then will you leave me alone?”
“Yes,” he says, and then, seeing the skeptical look on my face, he adds, “I promise.”
“Not that your promises mean anything,” I mumble, following him over to one of the little wrought iron tables in front of the coffee shop.
“So how are you?” he asks once we’re sitting.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “No small talk. Say what you need to say.”
“Fine. I’m sorry for how things ended,” he says, “And I’m sorry for what I did.
I never meant to hurt you.”
“So you’re admitting that you made up all those rumors about me?” When everything when down at my old school, and all the rumors started up, Derek denied that he’d told everyone we had sex, or all the other disgusting things he said we did. Even when the girls at my school started calling me a slut and a whore, even when my friends turned on me, he still denied it. So to hear him maybe admit it for the first time is surprising.
“Yes,” he says. He shifts on his chair. “And I’m sorry.”
“Apology not accepted.” I feel like crying, but if Derek thinks I’m going to break down and have some kind of meltdown in the mall, he’s wrong. I’ve always had my meltdowns about him and what went on at my old school in private, and that’s not going to change now. “Is that all?” I ask, standing up.
“No.”
“Then what else?”
“That guy you were with the other day? Is that your boyfriend?”
“What guy?”
“The one in the parking lot?”
“No,” I say, “He’s not my boyfriend. Not that it would be any of your business if he was.”
“Really?” He shakes his head and leans back in his chair, hooking his arm across the back. “Because he seemed like he really cared about you. Much more than that other tool.”
It takes me a second to realize who he’s talking about. Brody. Last weekend when we all went to brunch. “Yeah, well, now that you’ve given your opinion on my love life, I guess I’ll be going.”
I sling my bag over my shoulder and look back toward the coffee shop.
“Thanks for talking to me, Natalia,” he says. “I’m not going to bother you anymore.”
“Yeah,” I say, “I’ll believe that when I see it.” I turn around to go, and for a second, I think I feel him grab my bag to pull me back toward him. But when I turn around, all I see is his back, walking away from me and down the hall.
***
Adrianna and I spend an hour in the party store, and when we leave, we’re nowhere close to coming up with a good way for her to ask Lancaster to homecoming. I do my best to forget about what just went down with Derek, and try to have fun messing around with the noisemakers, trying on the boas and tiaras, and picking out the invitations we’d want for our weddings.
When I get home, I hang my new dress in the closet, letting my hand slide down the front of the skirt. It really is gorgeous, and I’m kind of looking forward to being at the dance with Brody.
My mom’s at work, so I order pizza and while I’m waiting for it to come, change into my comfiest pajama pants, a tank top and my gray hoodie. I’m just settling in with my math book and a DVR’d episode of Glee when Cam calls.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hi.” His voice makes my heart catch.
“What are you doing?”
I wonder if telling him what I’m actually doing would make him think I’m a freak, but then decide I really have nothing to lose. “Honestly? I’m watching Glee and waiting for my pizza to get here.”
The doorbell rings.
“Sounds like it’s there,” Cam says.
“That was fast,” I say, getting up off the couch. “Every time I order from this place they never – “
I open the door, and Cam is standing on my doorstep.
“Hi,” he says, the side of his mouth turning up into a grin.
“What are you doing here?” I say, shutting my cell phone off.
“I came to see you. Can I come in?”
“Of course.” I move aside and he steps inside. And then, before I even know what’s happening, he turns to me, pulls me to him, and kisses me.
This time, I let myself go. I don’t stop him. I lean in, and his lips feel amazing and right. The kiss is perfect. And when I finally pull away, I have to catch my breath.
“Hi,” he says again, his forehead against mine.
“Hi,” I say, still a little breathless. We stay like that for a few seconds, my heart pounding so loud I’m afraid he’s going to be able to hear it.
The doorbell rings again, and this time it really is the pizza, so I pull myself away from Cam to answer it. He grabs some paper plates and cans of sodas from the kitchen, and we bring the box into the living room and settle in on the couch.
He opens up the pizza and slides a slice onto a paper plate. “Pepperoni and sausage,” he says, holding it out to me and nodding in approval. “Very nice.”
“It’s my favorite.” I take the plate from him, inhaling the scent of cheese and Italian spices.
“I find most girls are afraid of sausage.”
“Not me.” I take a sip of my soda. “So what’s up?” I ask. “Are you okay? After this morning, with the black butterflies…That was…”
“I know,” Cam says, suddenly serious. “It was creepy, right?” He puts two slices of pizza on his plate.
“Have you talked to Aiden since yesterday?” I ask.
“No.” He shrugs. “I’m not sure what to do. I don’t know how much he told Becca, or how much they’re onto me.”
“Onto us.”
“I like when you call us an us,” he says, his eyes meeting mine. He moves closer to me on the couch.
I look away, suddenly uncomfortable. Yes, that kiss was amazing. But honestly, the only reason it happened was because it took me by surprise and I lost my self-control.
I can’t be kissing Cam. Can I? This whole secret relationship thing is confusing, especially since I’m supposed to be going to the dance with Brody.
“Did you ask Brody to the dance?” Cam asks, like he’s reading my mind.
“He asked me.”
“Are you going?”
“Are you going with Raine?”
“You know I am.”
“This is getting complicated,” I say.
“Yeah.” He puts his pizza down and looks at me seriously. “At least we’re in it together.”
I grin. “I like when you call us a ‘we.’”
We spend the next couple of hours eating pizza, watching Glee (Cam’s never seen it, and even though he’s trying to make fun of it, I think he secretly likes it.) When I walk him to the door, it’s a little before eleven.
“When will I see you again?” he asks, stepping out onto the porch
.
“Tomorrow at school.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
I hesitate. “I thought people weren’t supposed to see us together?”
“Who’s going to see us at your house this late? Besides, I parked two streets over.”
“You’re so covert,” I say. He takes a step back toward me, and when he kisses me this time, I let myself go even more than before, and when we pull away, for a second I almost let myself believe that we could be together.
I watch him out the window, loping across my front lawn and down the street.
When he’s gone, I settle down at the kitchen table. I have at least an hour of math homework left before I can go to sleep.
As I pull my book out of my bag, a small, gift wrapped box falls onto the floor. I bend down and pick it up, running my hand over the white ribbon. What the --- ? Did Cam leave me a present? No, I think, I was with him the whole time. Brody? It could be.
And then the answer hits me like a shot. Derek. When I thought he grabbed my bag, he must have slipped it in there.
For a second, I debate just throwing it away. But instead, I slip my finger under the ribbon and pull open the box, halfway expecting it to explode or shoot water at me or something.
But it’s just a piece of jewelry. A necklace, with a delicate silver chain. I pull it out of the box, trying to get a better look at the charm on the end of it. And when I do, my blood runs cold. It’s a stone, carved into the shape of a white butterfly.
Chapter Two
Campbell
Not five minutes after I leave her house, Natalia’s calling me.
“Miss me already?” I ask when I answer.
But then I hear her voice, and I know something’s really wrong. She starts to tell me about a weird butterfly charm that she found in her bag and maybe it’s Derek and how would he know Raine and she can barely keep her thoughts straight.
“I’m coming back,” I tell her before she even finishes.
“Cam, no. I’m just…I’m probably just being a baby,” she says.
“I don’t care. I’m coming.” I swing the car around in a u-turn as I say the words.
“Give me two minutes.”
The Witches of Santa Anna ( BKs 1-7 Complete Set) Page 14