Cinderella Complex (14 page)

 

When I got to school the next day, I went to Seth's locker. But he wasn't there. I took a deep breath, leaned against the wall, and waited. Kids walked past, laughing and joking. A normal day for them. They were blissfully unaware of my heart thudding against my chest like a caged animal.

The pull to see Seth overwhelmed me. And with each passing minute, I worried more and more. What if something had happened? Sure, he answered his phone last night, but it didn't mean everything was okay.

“Taylor, have you seen Seth?” I peeled myself from the wall as she walked past.

“No. Not since you two cut class yesterday.” She quirked an eyebrow at me. “Are you going to tell me what's going on between you?”

My face warmed and I shifted my glance down the hall. “We're friends.”

“With or without benefits?” Taylor elbowed me in the ribs. “Come on. Best friend here. Details.”

“There aren't any details. You saw the kiss. It's all that happened.”

Taylor tugged me to a stop. “Sweet. Because I put a good word in for you with Connor. Seriously, you've got to quit stringing the guy along. I get you've been playing hard to get, but it's time to seal the deal.”

My gaze narrowed. I swatted her hand from my arm. “Dang it. You need to stay out of this. I don't like Connor like that. So quit already.”

“Since when?”

The last thing I wanted to do was be a jerk to Taylor. But sometimes her nosiness irritated me.

“Things change, Taylor. We outgrow crushes.”

She took a step back. “Well, maybe I'd know this if you actually talked to me anymore. I mean, Katrina knows more of what's going on with you than I do lately.”

“Is that what this is about? Katrina?”

“No. It's about us. Our friendship.”

“I
did
tell you I don't like Connor anymore. You just don't listen.” I picked at a piece of string on my shirt.

Taylor frowned, then nodded. “Okay, I'm listening now. You don't like the Prince anymore.”

First bell sounded. Ten minutes until class started and I still needed to find Kat. One way or another I had to make things right with her.

“I gotta run. I'll catch you in class.”

On a new mission, I set out toward Kat's locker. She stood with her auburn hair piled up high on top of her head, staring at her textbooks.

“Hey, Kat.”

She glared at me, slamming her locker door shut. “Leave me alone.”

“No. I'm supposed to help you.”

“By kissing the guy I like? Sorry, but I don't need
that
kind of help.”

“I didn't kiss him—or at least I didn't initiate it.” Okay, when I said it like that it made me sound horrible. Ugh! If only Connor would've stayed away from me.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Her eyes welled up, her mouth tilted in a frown. “Knowing he made the first move?”

“We'll get this sorted. Tomorrow night's the art exhibit. I've got my own boyfriend, and I want you to know there's nothing between me and Connor.”

Katrina never dignified me with an answer. Instead, she shoved past me, disappearing down the hall.

One thing. I needed one thing to go right. My jaw clenched as I headed toward first hour. Then I saw Connor coming my way. I knew matters were going to go from bad to terrible. With my books in hand, I raced for the women's bathroom. At least he couldn't follow me in there.

Two girls stood at the mirrors reapplying make-up when I entered. I bolted into the first free stall and locked the door. Hard to believe I'd been reduced to hiding in the can.

A knock sounded on the stall door and I jumped. No way. Please tell me he hadn't come in here.

“Hey,” a female voice called.

I cracked the door open to stare at an underclassman. “Yeah?”

“Connor Prince is looking for you.”

“Tell him I went out the back door.”

“But there isn't a back door.” She actually looked confused.

“Uh—yeah, I know.”

“Oh, you're trying to avoid him.” Ding-ding. The bright light came on.

“Bingo.”

She smiled and went to the door. “Yeah, she's not in here. I checked under all the stalls.”

She poked her head back in a minute later. “Coast is clear.”

“Thanks.”

“So, why are you avoiding Connor Prince? He's like, the hottest guy in school.”

“It's complicated.” I rushed away before she could pester me with any more questions.

For the rest of the day, I played a fun game called
Dodge Connor
. I didn't have Seth to hide behind. Although Jack did stick a little closer to me than usual. He tailed me to every class to make sure I got there safely. He even joined me in the library during lunch as if he were on high alert, which made me nervous. So, not only did I have to hide from the most popular guy in school, but my icky brother had become my new best friend. The only good thing to happen all day was Riley managed to borrow her parents' car, which meant she'd take Jack home and leave me with our car.

But it did nothing to cheer me up. Because no matter how many times I tried, Katrina refused to talk to me. Everything seemed messed up. And there was only one person who might be able to help me fix it. Grandma.

****

The car bounced over the gravel road. I clung to the steering wheel for dear life. The last trip to Grandma's had changed my life forever. I hoped this one would at least change it for the better. I mean, it couldn't get much worse.

I pulled into the familiar drive and parked next to the trimmed hedges. A cool breeze snaked across my skin as I climbed from the car. The porch swing groaned on its chain as it swayed back and forth.

The front door opened. Grandma poked her head outside.

“Hurry.” She ushered me in. Once I stepped over the threshold, she shut the door and hugged me. The scent of blueberry muffins clung to her sweater and I smiled.

I lifted my gaze to her face and frowned. What had happened to her? She looked older, like she'd aged thirty years since last I saw her. Her wrinkles were deeper, her body more frail. Age spots sprinkled her cheeks. Her eyes seemed tired, her movements slower.

“Grandma, are you okay?”

She patted my hand. “I'm an old woman, Maggie. Since I've given up magic, my age is catching me.”

“You—you're not going to die, are you?”

She laughed. “Well at some point, I will. We all die. Fact of life.”

“That's not funny.”

“It's not meant to be.” She led me into the living room, where she gestured for me to sit down. “What did you want to talk about?”

I took a deep breath and played with the fringe on the decorative pillow. My gaze flitted to the drawn curtains.

“I screwed up,” I said at last. “Big time.”

“Nothing's as bad as it seems.”

That's what she thought. Tears trickled down my cheeks and stained my shirt. She sat next to me, her arm around my shoulders as I told her everything. The Connor and Katrina situation. And the kiss.

“I don't know how to fix it,” I cried.

“Shh…honey, we all mess up. Good heavens, you should've seen the mess I made in the sixties when a love potion went wrong.” She laughed. “ The hippies were loving everything.”

I half-hiccupped, half-giggled. “I'm being serious here.”

“So am I. The thing is, we're bound to make mistakes. It happens. We might be Godmothers, but we're not perfect. You've still got time to make this right.”

“How?”

“Go to Katrina's tonight. Give her gifts if you must, but show her you're not going anywhere. Simple as that.” Her body shook as she coughed violently.

I stood. “Let me get you a glass of water.”

She waved me back down again. “I'm fine, just a little cold. You've got more pressing issues.”

“Well, kissing Connor isn't my only problem.” I shifted on the couch, propping my foot underneath me. “The Grimms are everywhere. If it wasn't for Seth saving me the other night, I might not be here talking to you.”

What color was left drained from Grandma's cheeks. “He knows of the Grimms?”

“I think so. This is the second time he's come to my rescue. Maybe he's my true knight in shining armor.”

Grandma shook her head. “No. If he were a knight, he'd introduce himself as such. Are you sure he actually saw the creatures?”

My smile melted away. “Yes. He fought them at the summer house. He told me to leave.”

“And he was unscathed?” She stood and paced the hardwood floors.

“As far as I know, but he wasn't at school today.”

“Humans don't survive run-ins with Grimms, Maggie. The Grimms are too strong.”

“Jack and I have.”

“You're not regular teenagers.” She sighed, her hand braced against the back of the couch. “You need to find out what Seth knows.”

“I plan on it. But will you tell me what's going on?”

“I'm just worried. There have been too many Grimms lurking around. You need to be more careful.”

“Trust me, I'm trying to.”

“The darkness grows closer,” Grandma said. “I might have given up my power, but I still sense it. Something big is coming. Something bad.” Her gaze focused on the window. “You have to make the happy ending come true or who knows what might happen.”

A shiver crawled across my spine, sending gooseflesh up and down my arms. Her words soaked in, and I wondered how long I had.

“There will be a battle for fates, Maggie. People will be destroyed. You must work your magic for the good of all.”

She'd laid it all on my lap. Everything depended on me, the screw-up. And yet, I got the feeling Grandma spoke of more than just Katrina and Connor.

“What do you mean, for the good of all?” I got up from my seat and touched her arm.

She jumped slightly and gave me a blank look. “Nothing, dear.”

Nothing
?
What
was all that doom and gloom then
?

“Well, thanks for listening to me. I should probably head over to Katrina's and try to smooth things over again.”

Grandma hugged me. “Good to see you. Oh and before I forget, if your charge makes a wish, you can grant it. I know you're trying to do some things on your own by creating spells, but they're not always needed.”

“I'll try to remember that.” I waved as I walked away.

As soon as I got in the car, I picked up my cell phone and dialed Seth's number. It went straight to voicemail. I chewed my bottom lip. Next, I tried his home number.

“Hey, Ms. Charmaigne, it's Maggie. Is Seth around?”

“No. I haven't seen him since this morning. He said he was going to hang out with Jack tonight.”

She laughed. I heard the sound of the microwave beeping in the background.

“Can you let him know I called, just in case I don't get a hold of Jack?”

“Sure thing.”

But I already knew he wasn't with my brother. Because Jack had gone to Riley's.

Where had he gone then? With questions plaguing my mind, I pulled out of Grandma's drive and headed back into town. First things first. Katrina. Then I'd worry about everything else.

 

I stood at Kat's front door, a pizza in one hand, a bouquet of roses in the other. The scent of pepperoni and cheese made my stomach growl. I bumped the doorbell with my elbow. Someone shuffled on the other side of the door.

“Coming,” Kat called. The bolt slid back and the door opened. She glowered. “What are you doing here?”

“I come bearing gifts.” I held up the pizza and roses. “And to apologize again for everything that happened.”

Kat stepped out onto the porch, her eyes wide. She took the flowers from me. “Just because you show up with stuff doesn't mean anything's changed.”

“I know. But you've got to believe me when I say I never meant for this to happen.”

She turned to glance at me. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Nobody has ever done anything like this for me before.”

“Well, it's the least I can do. Besides, we've got some major planning to do before tomorrow night. And we have to get those posters done for homecoming.”

Kat nudged the door open with her foot, then waved me in. She walked to the kitchen and grabbed an old water pitcher. She filled it up with water and put the roses into it. I set the pizza on the table and she handed me two plates.

“You don't like Connor?” Kat asked in between bites of food.

“He's nice, but I know he's not for me.”

“Then why did you kiss him back?”

I sipped my soda. “Because I was mad. Mad at Seth. Mad at you. Mad at my Godmother powers.”

“What changed?”

“Everything,” I whispered. Because Seth cared, and Grandma entrusted me with her most important secret. Being a Fairy Godmother was more than just granting wishes. It meant focusing on people's well-being, their fate. And I couldn't let anything screw it up.

“Well, you're forgiven.” Kat gave me faint smile. “But don't let it happen again.”

“Trust me, I've had enough drama to last me a lifetime.”

We giggled and devoured the pizza. After we ate, we went to her room and finished the rest of the posters. Hanging out with her reminded me of Taylor and all the good times we'd enjoyed. Guilt set in. Okay, so maybe Taylor hadn't been very nice lately, but neither had I. I needed to make it up to her.

“So, I've got your dress stuff figured out.”

“Do I get to see it?” Kat stretched her legs out in front of her. I stood up to leave.

“It's not made yet, which is why we have to meet in the park tomorrow night before the party.”

She gave me a quizzical look. “Are you sure? I mean, meeting in the park and all.”

“Yeah. I read one of the dressmaking spell books. It said we have to do it in the open. Since the park is halfway between our houses, it'll be perfect.” I swiped hair from my eyes. “I'll bring everything we need with me.”

“You think this will really work?”

My smile faltered. I cleared my throat. “Of course, what could possibly go wrong?”