Cinderella Complex (10 page)

The flames beneath Taylor's cauldron rose. Smoke drifted up from the metal pan in foggy wisps.
Hee-haw
. I watched in horror as the stuffed donkey chewed on hay.

Crap, Crap, Crap! “No. Take the spell back.”

But nothing happened. Kat waved for me to walk onto the stage.

Okay, just pretend nothing has happened
.
Just go with it.

“Mother, you wanted to see me?” I forced a smile.

“The guards tell me you've been seeing that peasant. You will not defy your father and me. We have arranged your marriage most carefully.”

“But I do not love him.”

The smoke from the cauldron thickened. I watched in horror as fire licked the bottom of the curtains. The smoke alarms blared. Kids screamed. Seth ran onto the stage and shoved me out of the way. Seconds later, two of the sets fell over. From behind the sets, figures moved in the darkness. Eerie laughter echoed, causing gooseflesh to pucker my skin. People ran, screaming, for the doors.

Seth grabbed me up into his arms. He carried me from the auditorium, cradling me close. “Are you okay?”

We burst outside. Fresh air welcomed me. I gulped in greedy lungfuls. “Yeah.”

His face was pale. “You scared me to death.”

That made two of us.
Maybe I shouldn't use my magic anymore
. But what freaked me out even more was the fact that Grimms lurked in the school.

“I'm fine. Thank you.” I buried my head against his chest. I didn't want to cry.

Moments later, Jack bounded from the school and headed toward us. “Maggie. Are you okay?” Worry lines creased his forehead.

“Yeah. Seth got me out of there.”

Seth set me back onto my feet. His gaze flickered back to the school. “Listen, I'm going to make sure everyone got out.”

Once he was out of earshot, Jack turned to me. “What's going on?”

“Grimms, they were in auditorium.”

“We need to find a way to keep you safe.”

“I didn't know they were there until it was too late.” My fists clenched into the fabric of my costume. Great! And now I was stuck wearing a stupid medieval dress for the rest of the day.

“Maybe I better transfer into some of your classes. At least then I can keep a better eye on you.”

“I'm fine, okay? Now that I know they're here, I'll be able to look for them.”

Jack's voice softened. “This is serious, Maggie.”

“I know.” And I had a feeling things were going to get worse before they got better. Much, much worse.

 

When Saturday finally arrived, I was beyond thrilled. After surviving the worst week ever, I was so looking forward to hanging out with my friends. No Katrina. No school. Just junk food, movies, and friends.

Mom poked her head into the family room as Jack slid the couch against the wall. “Who's coming over?”

“Seth, Taylor, and Riley.” I tossed a sleeping bag at my brother.

“Do you think three pizzas will be enough?”

“You're feeding five people, not an army, Mom.”

“Obviously you haven't seen your brother and Seth eat. I'll be lucky if they don't eat the house before tomorrow.”

“Three pizzas will be fine. If we get too hungry we can raid the fridge.” Jack plopped down on the couch. “Or send Maggie out for more groceries.”

I stuck my tongue out at him. “Not a chance.”

“Don't start,” Mom warned. Her keys jangled in her hand. “Behave. I'll be home in a little bit.” Her gaze flickered to Jack. “And keep your hands and other appendages to yourself.”

Jack grinned. “Don't worry, Mom. Riley's on the pill.”

A blotchy red color crawled across her face. “Jack!”

He held his hands up. “I'm playing, Mom. Like I'd do anything with Maggie here.”

“I think I just threw up in my mouth,” I said.

“I mean it. No hanky-panky.”

“Whatever hanky-panky is, I'll make sure he doesn't do it.” My mouth twitched as Mom sighed and hurried upstairs. She was such a prude. Sometimes I wondered how she ever hooked up with Dad. I mean, not that I imagined them doing it, because that was totally sick.

Once she left, Jack stood with his hands in his pockets.

“Try not to ruin things tonight, okay?”

I glared at him. “What are you talking about?”

“This is the first chance I've had to be with Riley in a while. I don't want to spend the night playing your knight in shining armor.”

I shot him the bird. “Trust me. You're so not my knight in shining armor. You're way too short, and way too related.”

He frowned, running a hand through his blond hair. “This isn't a joke. Riley's on the verge of dumping me. She thinks I'm seeing someone on the side.”

“Then tell her Mom and Dad are forcing you to babysit me.”

Jack opened his mouth to reply, but the doorbell interrupted him.

We rushed upstairs, and Jack shoved me aside as we raced for the door.

“Hey!” I hollered, skidding into the wall. I slammed my hand into the wood.

“I come bearing chocolate.” Taylor held up a plastic bag as she walked into the entryway, Seth slipping in behind her.

“Have I mentioned how much I love you?” I reached for the bag, but she swatted my hand.

“Don't touch. It's for later.” She sat it on the counter then shoved a pile of movies at me. “My dad stopped at the video store on the way over. Thought we could watch a few of these.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Dead Suckers One? Slumber Party Slaughter? Wow, they sound like grade-A classics.”

“Hey, don't knock ‘em,” Seth said. “I like slumber-party movies.”

“Yeah, me too.” Jack slapped Seth on the back. “Lots of chicks.”

“Pervs.” My fist connected with Jack's shoulder. “Maybe movie night wasn't such a good idea, after all.”

“Don't worry, girl. I brought over a werewolf movie with massively hot guys running around shirtless,” Taylor said.

“Now, that's my kind of flick.” We giggled.

“And she calls us pervs.” Seth ruffled my hair then put me in a headlock. “Let's go downstairs and get our spots. I call love seat.”

“Hey, I already claimed it. My pillow and blanket are saving it.” I pinched Seth's arm until he released me.

“There's plenty of room for both of us,” he said in a husky voice. His gaze burned into mine like flames licking at wood.

I swallowed hard. “Fine. But I'm not sharing the blanket.”

“You guys go ahead. I'm waiting for Riley, then I'll be down.” Jack leaned against the wall, glancing at the clock. His brow creased with worry. What was up with him and Riley?

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Relief flooded through me. I so didn't need any more issues with Jack.

We trampled down to the den like someone had let a herd of buffalo loose. Seth and I catapulted over the back of the love seat, colliding as we fought to get our spots.

“You're on my pillow!” I elbowed him in the ribs.

He hefted himself up just enough for me to tug it out from under him. “Cry baby.”

His dark hair tumbled into his eyes. My fingers trembled as I moved to swipe it back. But I stopped midair as he tossed his head and moved his bangs to the side.

Taylor sorted through the DVDs. “So, what do you guys want to watch first?”

Riley and Jack walked down the stairs into the room holding hands, oblivious to the rest of us. They plopped on the couch, snuggling together.

“I vote Slumber Party Slaughter.” Seth stretched his legs out in front of him. His arm brushed mine and tingles shot through me.

My mouth went dry. Maybe sitting next to him wasn't a good idea.

“What do you want to watch, Maggie?” Taylor fanned the movies out so I could see each title.

“Um—I don't care, anything's fine with me.”

“Slumber Party Slaughter it is.” Jack grabbed the DVD from her, dodging away as she tried to hit him.

“Fine. I guess that means we'll save the werewolf one till right before bed. At least we'll have sweet dreams.” Taylor laughed. She flopped down on a beanbag and cast me a sideways glance. “Do you want me to grab everyone some pop?”

“We might as well wait for my mom to get back with the pizzas.” I shifted, all too aware of Seth beside me. The familiar scent of his cologne tickled my nose. The warmth of his leg pressed against mine made my heart collide with my ribs.
Get it together, girl
.
Don't look at him
.

Jack slid the DVD into the player then moved to shut off the lights. The room darkened. The TV cast an eerie glow. I spread the blanket over my lap.

“Do you want to cover up, too?” My voice quivered. Crap. Could I be any more obvious?

He took a corner of it from me and draped it over his legs. “I thought you weren't going to share?” he whispered in my ear.

“I—I felt sorry for you.”

A smile tugged at his lips. “Is that the only reason?”

His hand grazed mine. I tore my gaze from him. But I didn't move my hand, and neither did he.
Time to focus on the something else
. The movie flashed on the screen, showing five girls in itty-bitty silky baby-doll tops and thong panties. They were tossing back shots. Scary music played in the background as a masked man peered in through the window at them. Of course, they couldn't see the masked man. Dumb-bunny girls.

I chewed my bottom lip, trying
not
to watch Seth. But when his fingers touched mine again, I turned my head. I had to. He was looking at me. My breath caught in my throat. My chest felt like it might explode. He squeezed my hand then pulled back.
Get it together
.
He's just flirting, typical Seth style
.

So I shoved against the arm rest, attempting to put some distance between us. I forced myself to pay attention to the screen. Not that I wanted to watch a bunch of girls doing one another's hair and make-up and prancing around. I had yet to attend a slumber party where everyone touched their bodies and licked their lips seductively. Seriously. Who wore lingerie to hang out with their friends? Right. Porn stars.

I snorted. “I like how scary movies have so many pretty girls in them. They're always making out with their boyfriends, or they're in the shower, buck naked, with their boobs flashing the screen. Totally not realistic. I mean, who runs away from monsters wearing high-heels and mini-skirts?”

Seth grinned. “C'mon. Admit it. You like the make-out scenes.”

“Yeah, and I wish there were more girl mud-wrestling fights.” I rolled my eyes. My skin tingled with magic. Aw, crap. I so needed to figure out how to control my powers.

The next thing I knew, Taylor leapt to her feet and grabbed her pillow. She whacked me in the head with it. Riley giggled then whipped a throw pillow at Taylor. Soon, the guys joined in and it turned into a wrestling match.

It was either fight back or end up being pummeled to death. So I stood, holding my pillow like a weapon. I hit Riley in the back and she fell into the bean bag.

Seth tackled me, pulling my legs out from under me. I toppled onto the couch, landing on my back. Taylor barreled toward Seth and knocked him on top of me.

I gasped.

Seth grinned. “Do you give up, Mags?” He pinned my arms above my head, his face inches from mine. His chest pressed into me. Blood pounded in my ears. He was so close. His mouth hovered near mine, the scent of cinnamon gum evident. He bent closer. I shifted my hips beneath him.

He groaned. “You might not want to do that.”

“Why?” I whispered.

Seth's grip on my wrists loosened. Neither of us moved. It was going to happen. My first kiss with my best friend. I closed my eyes. His finger traced my cheek and a sigh escaped my lips.

“Hey, kids,” Mom hollered. “Pizza.”

I shoved Seth off and leapt to my feet. My hands trembled as I smoothed down my hair. What had I been thinking? Seth and I weren't a good idea. If we'd kissed, it would've made things awkward. And I didn't want things to be awkward.

Mom flipped on the light then came down stairs, carrying the boxes of pizza. Her gaze drifted over the mess of pillows and blankets on the floor. “Hope you kids are hungry.”

“Starving.” With a forced smile, I took the boxes of food from her and set them on the coffee table.

A strange whirring sounded in my ears. My stomach fluttered. I gripped the arm of the chair to steady myself. Crap—the Godmother call.

“I'm gonna grab some soda. I'll be back.” I pushed past Seth and raced upstairs. I just needed to get to my room. Right outside my door, the black hole ripped open and catapulted me forward.

Wind whipped hair into my face. My wings flapped, trying to slow the descent. A bright light opened up below me. Like a bag full of rocks, I dropped into a small enclosure.

“What are you doing?” Katrina shrieked, covering herself up with a formal gown.

My reflection in the mirror stared back at me. So not happening!

“Is everything all right in there?” Someone knocked on the paneled door. My gaze fell on the bench seat, and I realized we were in a clothing store dressing room.

“Yeah. Sorry, I lost my footing,” Kat answered. She spun to face me. “You are a freak. Every time I see you, you're barging in on me while I'm dressing. I'm beginning to think you're the Fairy God-Lesbian.”

My gown rustled as I threw my hands on my hips. “You're the one who called me. Not the other way around. In fact, I was hanging out with my friends.”

Kat glared, tossing the gown to the floor. She grabbed her jeans and shoved her legs into them. Her lip quivered, then she burst into tears.

I so didn't need this. Problem was, I felt horrible for her. “Listen. It's okay. I'm supposed to help you. So, why don't you tell me what's going on?”

“Dad gave me some money, but I know we can't really afford for me to splurge like this. I mean, I can't justify shopping at the mall.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “And I checked the consignment shops earlier and can't find anything I like.”

“Okay, listen. We've got until next week to get you a dress. I might be able to get one for you. Why don't you finish getting your clothes on. We can grab a smoothie from Chippin' Fruit.”

Kat nodded her agreement then threw on her shirt and shoes. We walked out of the dressing room together. The attendant's eyes went wide.

People watched us as we hurried out of the store, pointing and whispering. What the heck was everyone's problem?

“Do you think you can be a little less noticeable?” Kat gestured toward the fairy gown.

Dang it. I grabbed her arm, tugged her toward a rack of scarves. “Wand.” Please let this work. “Change my clothes into something better.” Okay, so I wasn't poetic when it came to spells. Under the circumstances, it was the best I could manage. The air sizzled with magic. I glanced down and saw a wedding dress with a train stretching out behind me.

“You call this less noticeable?” Kat covered her face. “Let's just forget the smoothies. I'd rather not be seen with you.”

“Fine.” I threw my hands in the air as I headed toward the mall exit. “I'll meet up with you on Monday.”

She waved then rushed out the door. My face grew hot as I shoved my way through throngs of people. They stepped on my train. I heard a tear. I felt like a giant broom sweeping the floor. Who knew what things were clinging to the fabric now? Probably chewed-up gum, stray hairs, spit, and ew, I couldn't even consider what else.

Relief flooded through me as I stepped into the crisp night air. Stars twinkled above like lightning bugs. The whir of traffic hummed in the distance. I hefted my skirts and hurried to the darkened lot. With a quick glance around to make sure no one watched me, I let my wings unfold.

Once off the ground, I flew to the park. I'd be able to hide better among the treetops. From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a shadowed figure against the glow of the moon. At first, I thought it was a cloud. Until it angled toward me.

My pulse quickened, throbbed in my ears. I flapped my wings harder. I needed to pick up speed.

Sharp claws dragged across my arm, drawing blood. “Stop!” Human-like arms caught my waist, tugging me to the ground.

Snap
!
One of my wings broke as the creature tried to smother me. Pain radiated up my spine. Black dots danced before my eyes. Panic roared inside me and I flailed, smashing the back of my head into my captor's face. Every nerve ending in my body caught on fire.