Cinderella Complex (19 page)

 

Yesterday's “storm” played in my mind as I sat in the family room, pretending to watch TV. The weatherman talked at length about the freak event, which reduced the entire town of Ellsworth Lake without power for several hours.

Mom poked her head into the room. “Maggie, Grandma wants to talk to you.” She held the cordless phone out to me. Once she left, I put the receiver to my ear.

“Hello.”

“Maggie, you've got to be more careful,” Grandma said in a rush of words. “There's something evil on the horizon. I sense it drawing close.”

“I know. I feel it too.” My arms broke out in gooseflesh. I rubbed my skin to warm myself.

“Grimms are hiding near my house.” She wheezed and broke into a fit of coughs. “They're planning something.”

“Gram, are you okay?” Her voice sounded horrible. Like she had pneumonia.

“Don't worry about me, child. You've got enough on your plate. Just promise me, no matter what happens, you'll fight to make these happy endings come true.”

“I'm trying.”

“I know you are, dear. I'm just worried for you. You've only begun to discover your powers. The Grimms know this.” She broke into another fit of coughs. “Their best chance to destroy the Godmother line is now. While you're young and untrained.”

My pulse thudded in my ears. “Everything is riding on my shoulders, and I have no idea what I'm doing. Maybe you chose the wrong heir, Grandma.”

“No.” Her voice softened. “You're the rightful heir. The legacy is yours.”

“But…”

“Maggie, please promise me you'll fight hard. Promise me no matter what things come about in the future that you'll remember where you come from. And that there is nothing more important than being a Godmother.”

My stomach twisted. Why did it sound like she was saying goodbye? “I—I promise.”

“That's my girl. Now put your mother back on.”

My shoulders suddenly felt a lot heavier. Not just because of the Grimms and their inevitable attack, but because of Grandma and Kat. Maybe I should set up camp outside Grandma's to keep her safe. Or perhaps Jack might be able to stand watch a couple of nights.

She'd paid her dues as a Godmother. She didn't need to deal with this on top of everything.

My cell buzzed, startling me. “Hey, what's up?”

“Oh, my gosh. Connor just called and asked me to Homecoming.” Kat squealed. “I'm totally shaking right now! I can't believe this is happening.”

Finally, something to smile about. “That's awesome. See, I told you it'd happen.”

“So, do you think you can come over for a little bit?”

“Um—you could've just poofed me over.” I chuckled.

The line went silent for a moment before Kat answered. “Well, I wanted to make sure you weren't in the middle of something. It's not fair if you're constantly zipping over to take care of me.”

Katrina totally surprised me. For once, it wasn't all about her. She'd changed.

“Thank you,” I said. “It just so happens there's nothing going on right now. Be there in a few.”

After I hung up, I went to tell my mom I was heading out. As I walked into the kitchen, I heard her talking.

“How much time do you have?” she asked.

I pressed myself against the wall, my breath shuddering in my throat. Was she still on the phone with Grandma?

“I'll take care of the kids. Don't you worry about them. You need to worry about yourself.”

I didn't want to hear anything else, because by the sounds of it, Grandma wasn't doing well. The image of her shrunken, wrinkled frame shimmered in my head. I covered my mouth to keep from crying.

“I'll stop by tomorrow to take you to the doctor,” Mom said.

Once she hung up, I composed myself. Finally, I poked my head into the room. “Hey, I'm heading over to Kat's. I'll be back later.”

Mom had her back to me, her head bowed. “Don't be too late.”

Her shoulders shook, and for a second, I considered going to her. But I knew she needed a moment.

“Love you,” I called out.

En route to Kat's, my mood grew somber. Was Grandma dying? If so, how long did she have? I didn't want to imagine a world without her in it. Her hugs, her ridiculous presents, her house—the way she always knew when something was wrong.

I chewed my bottom lip, urging the tears to stay back.
Pull yourself together
.
This
isn't the time to have a breakdown
.
When I landed on Kat's porch, I almost laughed. It seemed odd to be using the front door.

I lifted my hand to knock. The door burst open and Kat ushered me in.

“I'm so glad you're here.” Her smile filled her face.

“I can tell.”

She hugged me. “You don't know how much I owe you.”

My ribs felt as if they'd been displaced. She squeezed tighter. “You don't owe me anything. I'm your Godmother. It's my job to take care of you.”

She released me and straightened her shirt. “So, now that I've got a date for Homecoming, we need to talk dresses and transportation.”

I sat in the recliner while she curled up on the couch. “This time, I promise to get the dress right.”

“Ugh, let's hope so. Because I'm sure not showing up to the dance in my bra.”

“I bet Connor wouldn't mind,” I teased.

Kat tossed a pillow at me. “Funny. But the boy ain't seeing me naked. At least not anytime soon.”

“Okay, I'm totally changing the subject.” I propped my feet up on the chair. “Maybe we can get ready together. Well, that is, if I can get a date.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “I really don't want Connor to see my house. I mean, if he does, I don't think he'll want to be with me.” She played with the fringe on her jeans.

“We've already been over this. He's not superficial like that. Besides, there's nothing wrong with where you live.”

“But the house is so small compared to his. And his whole family drives around in cars that cost more than my dad makes in a year.”

“Money isn't everything,” I said softly. “My dad's got lots of it, and it doesn't make him a better person. If anything, it changed him. And not in a good way.”

The front door opened and Mr. Melville walked in. “Hey, girls.” He hung his black jacket on the coat rack then sat down on a chair and took off his work boots.

When he finished he stood and planted a quick kiss on Kat's forehead. Dark circles painted the undersides of his eyes, his shoulders slumped as he sat down on the couch. He closed his eyelids for a moment, rubbing his temples.

Kat caught my glance and nodded. “Why don't we make you dinner tonight?”

He opened his eyes and smiled. “That'd be great, honey. It's been a long day.”

I followed her into the kitchen. She pulled a package of ground beef, two tomatoes, a head of lettuce, and a bag of shredded cheese from the fridge.

“Do you like tacos?” She stood on her tiptoes and reached into the cupboard to grab taco shells, then pulled out a can of refried beans.

“Oh, yeah. And pretty much any other type of food.” I laughed.

While Kat browned the meat, I cut the veggies. Once we finished preparing the meal, we set the table, then called her dad in to eat.

“Hmmm…everything smells good.” He sat down across from me and piled taco meat into a tortilla shell.

“Would you like some refried beans?” I asked.

Mr. Melville grinned. “I better pass. I don't think you girls would care to be in the same room with me if I ate ‘em.”

Kat covered her face. “And he wonders why I don't invite friends over.” She brought her hands down to her lap, her lips twitching.

“What'd I do? Everyone gets flatulence, even you.” He bit into his taco. Tomatoes fell onto his plate. He picked them up with his fingers. “You might pretend to be all girly, but you fart and burp just like the rest of us.”

I laughed. “What other bad habits does she have?”

Kat shot him a warning look. “I think that's enough bodily function talk for one evening.”

He reached across the table and patted her hand. “My Kat's a good girl. She takes care of things around here while I work.”

My chest tightened. I remembered a time when that used to be my dad and me.

“Let's just eat.” Kat gave me a half smile and rolled her eyes. But I could tell from the glow on her face she really didn't mind.

Once we finished eating, Kat loaded the dishwasher. I offered to help, but she waved me away. So I followed her dad into the living room.

He propped his feet onto a stool. “You should come visit Kat's mom with us this weekend.”

I glanced at the doorway to see Katrina standing there, her face pale.

“Are you sure it'll be okay?”

“Yeah, she likes visitors.” He smiled. “Isn't that right, sweetie?”

Kat nodded, but refused to meet my gaze. “She likes it when people come to see her.”

I wondered where the visit would take place. I was really curious. Her mom could be in jail for all I knew. My stomach knotted at the thought. Or most likely, her parents were divorced.

The clock in the hall chimed eight. “I should probably head home, now. I'll see you later.”

Kat walked me to the door. “You don't have to go if you don't want to.”

“No. It's fine. I think it'll be nice to finally meet your mom.”
Please let me be right.

When I stepped onto the porch, Jack appeared beside me to escort me home. To my surprise, his jaw was clenched and his hands were fisted at his sides.

“What's wrong?”

We walked down the sidewalk. The moon glittered above. The streetlights lit a gloomy path ahead of us.

“Riley broke up with me. She said I'm never there when she needs me.” He punched a nearby trashcan. It wobbled then crashed onto its side.

“I'm sorry.”

“It's not your fault. Everything's just so screwed up right now.” He stopped mid-stride, body rigid. “For once, it'd be nice for something to go right, you know? Dad's a complete jerk. Mom's working all the time. Grandma's sick, and I can't even keep you safe.”

I put my hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at me. “You don't need to handle everything by yourself. No matter what, you've got me.”

“I know.”

We started walking again. We remained quiet the rest of the way home. When we got to the house, we saw Dad's car parked in the drive.

I groaned. “Great, wonder what he wants now.”

When we stepped inside, we found Dad in the kitchen… with Mom.

“Thorna said she caught you two skipping school.”

Jack's jaw clenched. “Bull crap. We weren't cutting class. It was lunch time.”

Mom glanced between us, her lawyer eyes staring us down. “You better be telling me the truth.”

I dug my nails into my palms. “We didn't skip, I swear.”

“Good enough for me.” She rested her hand against the counter.

“So that's it? You're just going to take their word for it?”

“What do you want me to do, Hal? The school didn't call, and since they didn't actually skip, there's nothing to punish them for.”

Dad's eyes narrowed. “You're not raising them properly. If you'd actually be a mother instead of trying to be their best friend, they wouldn't have such bad attitudes.”

I whipped around. “You walked out on us! Mom's done the best she can,
without
your help.”

Mom pushed around the counter to stand next to us. She put her hand on my arm. “You don't come into my house and tell me how to raise my kids.”

“I'm their father.”

“No. You stopped being my dad a long time ago.” Jack shoved past him and headed upstairs.

Mom pointed at the door. “Get out.”

“This isn't over.” Dad stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

“Mom—”

“Not now, Maggie! Just go to bed, okay?”

Her face crumpled. I wanted to comfort her, but for the second time tonight I didn't know what to say.

Being a Godmother should've meant I could fix things. But it'd become painfully clear there were issues even my powers couldn't help.

 

“Don't forget we're supposed to meet Taylor and Seth at the movies tonight.” Jack threw back some soda, then crushed the can on the counter. He tossed it into a recycle bin, then sauntered to the fridge. He grabbed an apple.

I slipped on a brown leather jacket and collected my handbag. “I should be back in time.”

“Where are you going?”

“To visit Kat's mom.” I plucked the piece of fruit from his fingers, took a bite, and handed it back.

“Don't stay too late. I need a night out. At the rate we're going, we'll end up at Homecoming together.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Isn't there a law against that?”

Jack chuckled and shoved me to the door. “Get outta here.”

A horn honked and I hurried through the foyer. A rusty old Gremlin sat in the driveway, its maroon body striped with orange, yellow, and blue paint.

Kat climbed out of the front passenger side of the car, holding the seat forward so I could get in back.

“Morning.” Mr. Melville waved from the driver's seat. “Hope you like donuts.”

He handed back a box of donuts to me. I opened the lid and saw chocolate, powdered, and plain.

“Thanks.”

Kat slid into the backseat beside me, a Tupperware box on her lap. She flashed me a shaky smile.

“It'll take an hour or so to get to the facility,” Mr. Melville said.

Facility? It had to be a prison. Frick. What did Mrs. Melville do to end up in a facility?

Kat nudged my leg. “Listen, I should warn you, my mom can be a little hard to handle, sometimes. So don't take anything personal.”

Easy for her to say. I chewed my fingernail and stared at the scenery. The constant
thwack-thwack
of the windshield wipers relaxed me into a false sense of relief. I dug through the pastries until I found a chocolate one. If anything could make me feel better, it was chocolate. I bit into it and swallowed. It left a nasty taste in my mouth. But not wanting to offend Kat or her dad, I forced myself to finish it.

At last, we pulled up a long driveway. The sign on the lawn read
Kensington Nursing Home
.

I shifted in my seat. “Your mom's in a nursing home?”

Kat folded her hands in her lap, her gaze straight ahead. “Yeah.”

Mr. Melville parked the car in the visitor lot, then craned his neck around to face me. “Kat didn't mention her mom?”

“No,” she interrupted. “The subject never came up.”

Never came up? More like, she freaked out every time I tried to pry the information from her.

Her dad shot her an incredulous look, his brow furrowed. “My wife got in a car accident five years ago. She fell asleep at the wheel and crossed the center line. She was in a coma for a while and hasn't been the same since she came out of it.”

I gasped.

Kat reached over the front seat to open the front passenger-side door. “I don't like to broadcast it.”

Mr. Melville's shoulders hunched over. “Her mom is alive, but has the mentality of a three or four year old. We visit as much as we can on the weekends. But it's hard on Katrina.”

A lump formed in my throat. I fought to swallow. No wonder she didn't want to talk about it. I slid from the car and stood next to her.

She stared straight ahead. “Can we keep this on the down low?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

Mr. Melville grabbed his jacket, then shut the door behind him. He walked ahead of us, his body slouched.

Kat kicked at a loose stone. “He works two jobs to afford care for my mom. He spends all his free time up here with her. Talking to her, helping her eat. He refuses to move on. He should be living his own life.”

I touched her arm. “Listen, I'm sorry.”

Her eyes brimmed with tears. “Please, don't be.”

A pair of glass doors loomed ahead of us. Mr. Melville held them open while we crossed into the main area of the nursing home. Patients rolled by in wheel chairs, while others sat in a room off the lobby, watching TV. The nurses wore varying shades of blue-and-white with their nametags hanging from clips.

The halls gleamed white. The tiled floors shone with wax. Tacky paintings of flowers hung on the mint-colored walls. The scent of sterility clung to the air—a mix of bleach cleaners and tropical air freshener. An old man with a walker shuffled slowly toward us.

“Katrina dear, good to see you.” His white hair stuck up in cottony tufts.

“Hey, Mr. Kramer, look what I brought you.” She held up a baggie of chocolate chip cookies.

“My favorite. I knew you'd bring me some.” He accepted the bag and slipped it into his sweater pocket.

Kat held a finger to her lips. “Don't tell Mrs. Angelo, or she'll get upset.”

I smiled at Mr. Kramer. He winked and pulled a small white flower from his pocket. “And who might you be, young lady?” He handed it to me.

“Maggie. I'm a friend of Katrina's.”

I caught the scent of peppermint as he reached his frail hand for a handshake. “Any friend of hers is a friend of mine.”

Kat waved as we hurried to catch up with her dad. “I'll stop down and see you before I leave, Mr. Kramer.”

Mr. Kramer turned and shuffled to the TV room.

I pointed toward Mr. Kramer. “He seems sweet.”

She smiled. “He is. I feel bad for him. His family never comes to see him. I mean, he's lucky to get a Christmas card.”

A lady in a housecoat paced the floor, asking everyone she saw if they'd seen Henry. Another lady, pushing herself around in a wheelchair, kept ramming it into the doorway.

It all depressed me. The loneliness on the old people's faces, the hopeful, expectant looks when they thought we might be family coming to visit, only to realize we weren't. I saw all this as we walked down the hall.

When we reached the last room on the left, Mr. Melville knocked, then went inside.

“Hi, Anne.” He bent down to kiss his wife on the forehead.

Her jade eyes lit when she noticed Kat. She sat up, revealing a pink princess t-shirt and matching sweatpants. Her hair was auburn like Kat's and kept in a short bob. A jagged scar covered the left side of her face and neck. Her hands shook uncontrollably.

“You came.” She giggled. “Did you bring me crayons?” Her childlike voice echoed through the room.

Mr. Melville opened a bag and pulled out three jumbo coloring books, a sixty-four pack of crayons, and three Disney Princess notebooks.

“Hey, Mom.” Kat moved to her mother's side and Anne hugged her. “I like your haircut.”

Anne frowned. “They cut my braids. I can't wear ribbons.”

Mr. Melville waved me inside from the doorway. I forced a smile as I eased into the room and leaned against the wall. How did they cope with this? Just seeing them together tore me up.

“I can still put ribbons in your hair for you, Mommy.” Kat grabbed a brush from the nightstand and went to sit on her mother's bed. “Mom, this is my friend, Maggie, from school.”

Her mom tilted her head to the side, examining me. “Color with me?”

“What do you say?” Kat interrupted.

“Please.”

The look Kat gave me showed she was already sorry I came. I hadn't colored with crayons in years, but the sad uncertainty on her face prompted me to action. “Sure, I'll color.”

She shuffled through the stack of coloring books, then handed me one with a purple unicorn on the cover. “Can you make me a picture to hang on my wall?” She gestured to a corkboard with pictures covering it. Most of them had her name or Kat's name on them. Lots of drawings. Lots and lots of drawings.

“I'd love to.”

She patted the chair next to her bed, then tugged the table on wheels closer to us.

I flipped through a few pages until I came to one of a princess riding a unicorn. “What's your favorite color?”

She blinked several times before handing me a pink crayon. “Kat says for my birthday she's going to buy me a Barbie with a pink dress.”

“Then I guess I'll have to stop in so I can play with you.”

I caught Kat's glance. Her lip trembled as she tied a purple ribbon in her mom's hair. I ached to console her. It wasn't fair she had to act like the mom. It wasn't fair Anne was stuck in here. I turned my attention to the coloring book. With the pink crayon, I outlined the princess' dress and shaded it in.

Anne gathered a few pieces of drawing paper together. She emptied a box of colored pencils onto the table and sorted through them. She dropped them several times, her hands unable to hold still.

“What movie do you want me to put in?” Mr. Melville held up several DVDs for her to choose from.

Her legs twitched as she attempted to situate herself. “Dora.”

Kat groaned. “You watched that one last time.”

“I get to pick, right?” Anne glanced at Mr. Melville.

He laughed. “Yes. You get to pick. Dora it is.”

I stared at Katrina and her mom. It was like watching a teenager with her kid sister.

We sat through two movies, then a caretaker brought Anne's meal tray in. The instant she saw the sirloin steak, broccoli, and mashed potatoes, she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

“I don't want broccoli!”

“You need to eat or you're not going to color anymore.” Mr. Melville pushed the tray close to her.

Her hands shook as she attempted to lift a fork. She stabbed at the meat several times, then burst into tears. Mr. Melville took the fork from her and proceeded to cut her meat into tiny pieces for her. Once he finished he poked the fork into a bite of steak. He held it to her lips, but she slapped it away.

“I can do it myself.”

“Mom, let Dad help you.” Kat flipped the channel to music videos.

Anne glanced at me. Something behind her eyes sparkled with life. Adult thoughts trapped inside a child's mind.

“I'll do it.”

Mr. Melville handed her the fork with a piece of meat on it. Again, she tried to lift it to her lips, but it dropped to her chin. It was hard to sit and watch. So I pretended to color. After several more failed attempts, Anne finally gave up and let him help her. At last she pushed the tray away. Mr. Melville used a washcloth to wipe off her hands and face.

“Will you girls be okay for a few minutes while I talk to Dr. Lucas?”

Kat stretched her legs out, her mouth wide open in a yawn. “We can handle it.”

“Be back soon.” He kissed Anne's cheek.

I gave him so much credit for what he did. Not only had he been raising Kat on his own, but he held down multiple jobs to take care of his wife. The tenderness he showed her went beyond words. No way could I picture my dad doing it for my mom.

“Look, I drew a picture of you.” Anne nudged my arm and held up a piece of paper. “Butterfly girl.”

My mouth gaped open as I stared at a picture of a girl with wings.

I wet my lips. “Can you see them?”

She smiled and raised her hand to my back. Her fingers brushed against my shoulder-blades where my wings normally protruded. She nodded happily. “Yes. Are you here to save me from the monsters?”

Kat's eyes widened. “She knows what you are.” She stood up and walked over to us. “How's that possible?”

“I've no idea.”

Anne grabbed a notebook from her shelf. Loose drawings fell to the floor. “Save me from them?” She opened to a page filled with childlike drawings of shadowy, winged creatures.

My breath caught in my throat.
Oh
.
My
.
This isn't possible.
My fingers trembled as I took the drawing from her. “Do you see these monsters?”

She tucked her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth. “Yes. In the dark. They crawl on the walls.”

“Then what happens?” I asked softly.

“I cry and the doctors give me shots.”

Kat gripped my arm. “Dang! Those are Grimms, aren't they?”

Anne clapped a hand over her mouth. “I'm telling. Dang's a bad word.”

“Then why did you just say it?” Kat snorted.

Anne started to cry. “Don't tell.”

She hugged her. “Calm down. I was kidding.”

What did the Grimms want at the nursing home? I thought they only targeted Godmothers. Unless there was someone here I needed to help. I twisted a strand of my hair. It didn't seem like there was anyplace safe to go.

Anne's sobs snapped me back to reality.

Kat looked up at me from her mother's embrace. “Can't you make her better? I mean, look at her.”

“I don't know.”

“Well, try. Please.” She stroked her mother's hair. “I wish my mom was better.”

Power streamed through my veins, my wand appeared in my hand. Wings unfolded behind me as I closed my eyes, concentrating on the wish.
Please let this work
. The air around me shimmered with magic. The fine hairs on my arms stood on end. Taking a deep breath, I waved my wand. Electricity crackled as the energy shot out of me, but when I opened my eyes, nothing had changed. Anne still sat, cradled in Kat's arms.

“Why didn't it work?” Kat released her mom, glancing around the room.

“I have no idea. Some things can't be changed.”

“But this, this is all I want. If you make the wish come true, I won't ask for anything else. I promise. You can keep Connor Prince. I don't care.” She covered her face with her hands. “Just make her better.”

My wings disappeared, and I stood, shoulders slumped, staring at them. My power failed me. And I'd failed her. I took a few steps forward then stopped.

“Don't cry, Kat. I didn't mean to make you sad.” Anne hugged her. “Let's go to the rec room. It'll make you feel better.”

“We can do whatever you want.” Kat sniffled, wiped her eyes, and then turned to me. “Can you get her wheelchair for me?”

Numb, I rolled the contraption to the bed and helped get Anne off the bed and settled into her wheelchair. “The butterfly girl will fix things, just wait and see,” she said happily.