Cinderella Complex (4 page)

****

Jack glared at me from the driver's seat. “How did you get Mom to believe your stupid lie?”

“I told you, I fell down the stairs. Will you drop it already?”

“I just want to know if someone hurt you, that's all.”

I rolled my eyes. “No one hurt me. Besides, you saw my face last night during Grandma's party. No injuries, remember?”

“Still doesn't explain the shirt. And I didn't hear you fall down the stairs.” He shifted the car into reverse. We pulled onto the main road. Jack slid on a pair of sunglasses. “Besides, when Mom first walked into the room she seemed as surprised by your face as I was.”

I threw my hands in the air. “What? Do you think I used a magic wand and forced her to tell a lie?” At the word
wand
, mine slipped from my wrist and landed in my lap.

Crap! I reached for it and tapped it against my arm. My skin tingled as it disappeared again. I glanced at Jack to see if he'd noticed. Lucky for me, he'd been staring at the road. Great, I'd have to watch what I said from here on out.

Soon we arrived at the school, only to find the parking lot full. So we ended up parking in the back lot, furthest from the entrance. When I climbed from the car, I let my hair fall over the side of my face, hoping to hide my battle wound.

“I'll be watching you.” Jack fell in beside me. “If I see one person mess with you, I'll know they did it.”

I laughed. “Okay, what's gotten into you? Seriously. You don't ever care what happens to me.”

He stiffened, shifting his backpack to the other shoulder. “Whatever. I'm your brother. If someone's bullying you, I'm gonna take care of it.”

Great. The last thing I needed was for him to see me flying or something. Where was his girlfriend? At least she'd keep him distracted with her boobs or lips.

“Well, let me know if your spidey-senses start tingling.” I waved, hurrying toward Taylor.

“Why did I have to hear it from the entire school that Connor gave you a ride home yesterday?” Taylor rushed into me, almost knocking me over. “I mean, what happened to the best friend code?”

“I would've called, but we had Grandma's retirement party last night.”

Her cherry-colored lips puckered. “Still, you've got a cell. You could've texted or something!”

“Okay, I'm sorry.” I caught her arm and dragged her toward the school. “I should've called.”

“Darn straight.”

“So do you want to be the first to hear the good news?” My voice lowered an octave.

Taylor stopped walking, then turned to face me. Her eyes widened when she noticed the bruise. “What'd you do to your face?”

I groaned. At this rate it would be a long day. “I fell. Now, do you want to hear my news or what?”

“You fell? Off what? A roof?”

“Ugh! Never mind.” Lips pursed, I stomped toward the school. Maybe I should've worn a mask or something. It'd get a lot less notice than with the stupid bruise.

“Maggie, wait.” Taylor caught up with me. “What do you want to tell me?” Her gaze kept flickering to my face.

“Connor's bringing me home from school again. And he's going to come in and hang out for a while.”

“It's fate. I can feel it!” Taylor and I bounced up and down like we were on a trampoline.

“Hello. Some of us are trying to get through.” Katrina shoved by, her shoulder bumping mine.

“Well, excuse me.” I glared at her.

Katrina sneered, glancing at me over her shoulder. “Black and blue is really your color. It hides the blemishes.”

With my teeth clenched, I gripped my bag tight. Was it too much to ask for just one Katrina-free day? Too bad Grandma didn't give me a secret Fairy Godmother shield I could use against her.

“Did you just smell brimstone and sulfur?” Taylor's booming voice carried across the yard. “Hey, Katrina. The devil called. He wants his horns back!”

She flipped us off and walked into the building.

“She's such a pleasant girl—we ought to invite her for a sleepover,” I said.

Once inside the building, Taylor and I headed to our lockers. People milled around us, their endless chatter sounding like a loud concert. Then I saw him down the hall, leaning against a wall. Connor Prince.

Beams of sunlight filtered in from the skylights, spotlighting his gorgeous bod. I could bask in his hotness all day. Someone stepped in front of me, blocking the view.

“Man, that is bad.” Seth brushed the hair out of my face, his fingers tracing the bruise.

My heart fluttered like a hummingbird's wings. I swallowed hard, slapping his hands away.

“Did Captain Tool beam you with a football or something?” He shoved his hands in his pockets, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Let me guess. Jack sent you over?” I slammed my locker door shut and walked toward first hour.

He followed me. “He might have mentioned it in passing.”

“Well, you can tell him, again, that I fell. End of story.”

Seth grabbed my arm, jerking me to a stop. “I'm on your side. If you say you fell, then cool. But if I find out otherwise, I'll take care of things. That's what friends do.”

His face shadowed. His eyes darkened. For a moment, his whole body tensed. I watched the muscles in his jaw tighten. Then he reached forward and tugged on a strand of my hair, a smile on his face once more. “Friends look out for one another, Mags.”

“I know.”

We walked past Connor. I fought to keep from gawking at him. For one, I didn't want him to look at my face. And, well, I was too afraid that yesterday had been a dream.

Once we stood outside my class, Seth ran a hand through his dark hair, his eyebrows raised.

“So, is it true? Is Connor really going to your house after school?”

“Oh yeah, it's true.” Taylor grinned, marching up behind us. “Our girl has officially snagged the hotness himself.”

“I wouldn't go that far. It's just a ride home…”

“You won't mind if we drop in?” Seth's eyes met mine.

Taylor shoved him, grabbed my arm, and dragged me to our class. “No, you won't drop in. Maggie needs some alone time with a certain quarterback. Maybe show him some plays.” She winked at me. I groaned. Sometimes my friends annoyed me.

“Listen, you better get to class or you'll be late.” I waved to Seth, who gave me a not-so-amused-look.

“I still think he's a moron. You could do much better.”

“Not likely,” said Taylor.

The first bell rang and we hurried to our seats. As I watched Connor walk into class, I thought of how slow school was gonna go.

When he saw me staring, he grinned. I took a breath. He had no clue what kind of effect he had on me. Sweaty palms. Out-of-control heart rate. Stupid grin. Romance book fantasies. I was hopelessly in love with Connor Prince.

Taylor tossed a note onto my desk.
Only seven more hours to go!

Way to be the bearer of bad news.

 

After endless hours of torture, I finally stood in the student lot, searching for Connor. One by one, cars pulled out, until only a few were left. Oh, crap. What if this ended up being a joke? Maybe the whole football team was in on it.

Chewing my bottom lip, I glanced around. My eyes burned. A lump lodged in my throat and I adjusted the straps on my backpack. This was supposed to be my moment. My dream come true.

I took a deep breath to keep from crying then reached into my bag to retrieve my phone. Everyone knew Connor said he'd take me home. They'd never let me live it down. I scrolled through the contacts, wondering which person would give me the least amount of grief for a lift home.

Definitely not Jack. Or Seth. And Taylor would want to talk. Mom worked thirty minutes away. Maybe Grandma? My stomach knotted. I wanted to throw up. I closed my eyes. Would I ever stop being a loser?

“Maggie, good! You're still here,” Connor called out as he trotted up alongside me. “I'm so sorry. Coach wanted to talk to the team right after school.”

He lugged his school books under one arm, his face flushed.

“Hey. I—I thought you might've forgotten.” I shoved the cell back into my bag.

“No, definitely not.” He led me to his car. “Coach had a mini freak-out over tomorrow night's game. Wanted to make sure we had our heads on straight.” He laughed. “The guy's too uptight.”

I smiled. The only thing I knew about football was hot guys wore tight pants. And, somewhere in there, they threw a ball around and got tackled.
Maybe I should try out for the team
.

Connor blabbed the whole way to my house, giving me a run-down of Kensington High's chances at making the playoffs. I nodded to show I listened, while I dreamed of him winning State and kissing me after he got a touchdown.

“Do you think we'll go all the way?” He stared at me.

“What?”

“Do you think the team will make it to State?”

“Oh, yeah. Absolutely.” My cheeks burned.
Right
.
Get your mind out of the gutter
. We climbed from the car and walked into the house. I fanned my face as I led Connor into the kitchen. “Do you want something to drink?” I pulled a barstool out.

“Sure, I'll take a pop if you got one.” He lowered his tall frame onto the seat and looked around with interest. “Wow. Your house is awesome.”

“My dad and mom built it when they were still together. I can give you a tour of it later. If you want.”

He popped the soda top open. He took a swig, then set it on the counter and turned to me. “Where's your bedroom?”

Holy crap! I swallowed hard, trying to act cool.

“The third floor. It's away from everything else. Real private.” Okay, like he needed to know that.

Just then, the front door burst open. Riley giggled as she and Jack walked into the kitchen. They went to the fridge and grabbed drinks. He kissed Riley's neck then glanced at us over her head.

“Hey, guys,” he said. “Mind if we join you?”

My mouth dropped open and I glared at him. “I thought you decided to go Riley's?”

“Change of plans.” Jack grinned at me.

No flipping way. I knew that smirk. He'd barged in on purpose.

I turned my attention back to Connor. “So, how about that tour of the house now?”

“Knock-knock, anyone home?” Taylor swept into the kitchen, dropping her school bag on the table. Her gaze flickered between Connor and me. “Hope I didn't interrupt anything.”

“No problem there,” I said between clenched teeth. My eyes bulged. What was going on?

“Do you always get this much traffic?” Connor laughed, taking another sip of his drink.

“No. But it's strange they all showed up today.” My voice raised an octave.

Jack only smiled wider, lifting his can.

“Cheers, little sister.”

“Hey, am I late to the party?” Seth sauntered into the room. His eyes flashed with humor. I watched in horror as he walked toward us. “Anyone sitting here?” He plopped down on the stool between Connor and me.

“You want a drink, man?” Jack opened the fridge and tossed a can to Seth.

He caught it mid-air.

“See, you're not the only one who can play catch,” Seth said to Connor.

This had turned into a complete disaster. It was supposed to be the pivotal moment when Connor admitted his life-long love for me. The moment I fell into his arms. Experienced my first kiss. Instead, I had a room full of obnoxious friends and one sibling. They burped and threw things, blocking my view of Connor.

“Wow, we've got a house full of people.” Mom hung her keys on the hook. “Should I order some pizza?”

“Mom? I thought you had to work late?” This reeked of bad juju. A planned sabotage.

Mom smiled. “My client accepted the plea bargain. So court ended early.”

“Hey, Maggie.” Connor leaned around Seth. “I wondered if you'd like to…”

Everyone's voices got louder. Seriously, come on.

“What?” I pushed Seth back a little so I could see Connor better.

“I said, can you come to my game tomorrow night—to watch me play?”

Ring—Ring
.
The phone blared in my ear and Seth got up to answer it.

“No, Mags can't go Friday.” Seth held out the phone. “Her dad's picking her up. It's his weekend. At least that's what he just said.”

Mom took the phone from Seth, plugging one ear so she could hear Dad.

As if we didn't have enough people in the kitchen and my day wasn't already ruined, the door swung open once more. This time, Grandma came in, carrying two grocery bags.

“I brought over some leftovers from the party last night.” She handed them to Jack, who immediately set the food on the counter. He snagged a brownie then handed one to Seth.

“I didn't know you were coming over, Grandma.” My voice warbled. I wondered who in the world would walk in next. Darth Vader? Santa? Freddie Krueger?

“I wanted to drop by and check in on you. Oh, that fall turned out worse than I thought.” Grandma took my face in her hands, pinching my cheeks like they were giant marshmallows.

Jackson glanced at me around her shoulder. “Wait, she really fell?”

“Of course? What did you think happened?”

“Bigfoot,” I mumbled, and she shook her head.

“Hey, Maggie, I think I'm gonna head home now.” Connor stood, eyeing the crowd. “I'll see you at school tomorrow. Maybe we can have lunch together. Just the two of us.”

“Sure. I'll see you.”

I started to walk him out, when Mom stopped me. “Maggie, can you take the trash out for me?”

Seriously? A total conspiracy! They didn't want me to be happy.

Seth smirked. “I think the trash took itself out.”

“You guys totally ruined everything!” I grabbed the trashcan and dragged it to the back door.

“Ruined what, dear?” Grandma gave me an oblivious look.

My jaw tightened. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

I stood in the garage for several minutes, cursing my family and friends and kicking a plastic chair. It didn't help. I trudged back inside and went straight to my room.

This day couldn't possibly get any worse. I massaged my temples. How much would I get for a trade-in on my family? Maybe the handbook had a spell in it I could use to win over Connor or make my family and friends less embarrassing. Seconds later, the large book hit the floor with a thump.

I knelt beside it and flipped it open to the table of contents.
If you need help with your wings, turn to page five
.
If you have a malfunctioning wand, turn to page three-hundred and twenty-five
.
For giggles, I thumbed to page three-hundred-twenty-five.
If the wand is broken, go to page four hundred
.
If the wand is causing fires, turn to page six-hundred and fifty
.
It was like
Choose Your Own
Adventures
for Godmothers! And it gave me no help. I flung the cover shut and it disappeared.

With a sigh, I stood and ran a hand through my hair.

My skin tingled with an electric charge. My stomach fluttered. I raised my hand, palm up, as blue light encompassed it. What was happening?
Pop
.

There, on my outstretched fingers, appeared a dream sphere. My first assignment.

I smiled. Who would be the first recipient of a Maggie, Fairy Godmother Happily Ever After?

I leaned closer. The globe glowed brighter. The grin on my lips disappeared.

No way! No stinkin' way!

There, staring back at me in the sphere, stood Katrina Melville.