Crushed (11 page)

“No, thank you,” she mumbled. “I’ve got them.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she snapped at him. When a frown took up residence on his face, she pasted a smile on hers and said, “I have to apologize for the way I treated you since the day you saved me from humiliation in the parking lot. I just haven’t been in my right mind lately. Lots of pressure, you know.”

Was that her talking or the queen of England? She sounded like a complete moron.
Think, idiot!
There had to be a way to salvage the relationship she desperately wanted to build with Zach.

“I had a great time with you on our date,” she said. “Maybe we can do it again.”

“Sure.” His eyes searched her face intently, and he asked, “You want to go clubbing tonight?”

“Yes.” The word came out sounding airy, breathless.

“Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You crashed your dad’s car yesterday.”

She nearly choked on saliva. “N-no I didn’t. What makes you think I crashed the car? It’s sitting in the garage at home.”

“I guess I heard wrong.”

Kristen allowed Zach to walk her to class, but she kept her mouth shut. Everything she said to him came out wrong. Her head felt like it was filled with cotton balls. She wished she had a spell to turn time back. She would return to the day she’d blown the dust on him, and she would keep it in her purse this time.

When they reached the door, Zach opened it for her. She hesitated. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, but she didn’t know where to start. Stepping in front of a nearby locker so she wouldn’t be blocking the classroom door, she asked, “Will you have lunch with me?”

“I always do, don’t I?” Zach rubbed the side of his neck and dropped his eyes. “We could go off-campus if you want and eat lunch without all the scrutiny.” Then, she noticed the interested stares they were getting. Passing students watched them. Some of them wore smirks, while others frowned at the odd couple Zach and Kristen made—the bad boy and the good girl. They were a walking, talking cliché. Over the years, she had become immune to the attention, but poor Zach wasn’t used to it yet.

“Ignore them,” she said.

He shuffled from foot to foot. “I feel like a damn monkey in a zoo.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” His mouth eased into a smile. “You’d better get into class before the bell rings.”

“Yeah, you’d better get going, or you won’t make your class on time. I don’t want you to get an ulcer just to save your rep. Shock them and be on time for a change.”

He bent forward as if he were going to kiss her. Instead, he turned his face and put his mouth next to her ear. “Have a good day, and don’t let the morons get to you.” He took a couple of steps away from her. Walking backwards, he said, “I’ll pick you up at the library at nine tonight.”

###

An elbow caught Zach in the ribs, and he gritted his teeth. No apology this time. Earlier, a kid had hit him by accident, mumbled
sorry
, and quickly moved to another spot on the crowded dance floor. This one didn’t even bother to glance his way. Zach faked a smile for Kristen’s benefit. She seemed to be having a good time. He didn’t want to spoil it.

Colored beams of light slashed through the crowd as if secret agents were looking for a dangerous fugitive. 

Kristen swung her leather-clad hips like a professional dancer. She raised both arms high above her head and wiggled her upper body beneath the shimmering, silver-mesh top. She looked good, but Zach was disappointed in her choice of clothing. For some reason he’d pictured her in a short, red dress. That would have been phenomenal.

It was hot, there were too many people, and the music sucked. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” he yelled.

“What?” She cupped a hand around her ear. “I can’t hear you! The music is too loud.”

He shook his head to indicate it wasn’t important. Satisfied, she shrugged and continued to dance. Sweat rolled down Zach’s back. His discomfort grew. One drop slid all the way down to his boxers. What was wrong with the air conditioning? Did they purposely turn it off to keep people hot and thirsty so they would buy more drinks?

There was something he wanted to get off his chest, a confession, only he didn’t want her to actually hear him. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity. Smiling at her, he said, “I think I’m falling for you. Hard.”

“What?” She frowned again. Throwing up her hands, she yelled, “I can’t hear you!”

Of course, he couldn’t hear her either, but he was adept at reading lips as long as the person spoke slowly and didn’t use big words. His grin broadened. “I wanted to hurt you for what you did to me, but now I just want to kiss you.”

Kristen shouted something. He couldn’t decipher it this time. Grabbing him by the front of his shirt, she pulled him close and talked directly into his ear. “I didn’t catch any of that! What did you say?”

Instead of answering her verbally, he tried a little experiment. Drawing back from her, he stared deep into her eyes. He pushed a visual at her, a mental picture of the two of them locked in a passionate embrace, but she continued to frown. The experiment failed.

Her eyes rolled heavenward. She returned her mouth to his ear and asked, “What is up with you? Do you want to ditch this place? You don’t look like you’re having any fun.”

He only drew back a few inches, just far enough. His mouth found hers. He kissed her hard at first, half-afraid she might resist. Her arms went up and wound themselves around his neck instead. The kiss softened. His hands went to her shoulders. He grasped them and kneaded them gently as she melted against him.

Zach opened his eyes for a second. He wanted to check her expression. Knowing Kristen, she wouldn’t admit to her true feelings if she were falling for him. He would have to read it in her eyes. Unfortunately, something else captured his attention. His peripheral vision caught a familiar shape threading its way through the crowd.

His head snapped to the left in time to see a dark-haired girl disappear behind some tall guys who were playfully shoving each other. Morgan? His heart stopped. Morgan couldn’t possibly be inside the club. The lights, the noise, and the crowd would send her over the edge. Worried, he walked away from Kristen without a word of explanation.

Kristen called after him, shocked by his abrupt departure.

He hurried through the crowd, pushing his way to the rear of the building. He would have to tell Kristen about Morgan when he got back. The dark-haired girl had vanished. He searched in vain, finally stepping outside into the alleyway in case she’d left. Still nothing.

Zach stood in the dark alley and growled in frustration. A rat scurried into a mountainous pile of trash. He strained his ears to pick up retreating footsteps but only came up with the buzzing of distant cars. He made a mental note to check Morgan’s notebook later. If she’d followed him to the club, they were going to have a long talk about privacy.

###

Kristen stared after Zach, mouth open.
Unbelievable!
The jerk plants an incredible kiss on her, and then he runs off. What in the hell was wrong with him? She reached for her cell, intending to call her grandmother. Before she could find her grandmother’s number in her list, she saw Zach’s head as he moved in her direction. He was coming back.

She wasn’t going to let him think his disappearance had rattled her. Kristen Noah didn’t need a guy to make her happy. She looked around for another dance partner. A lot of people danced in groups of three or four. Some were by themselves and danced with everyone at once. She found a boy, kind of cute, looking at her. He didn’t seem to be with anyone.

Kristen danced over to where he was and began to dance with him. He smiled at her. The two of them showed each other their best moves. It took Zach a while to find her. For a moment, she forgot about him and started to enjoy herself. Then, he was there like a dark shadow blocking out the warm sunlight.

“Oh,” she said, feigning surprise. “You’re back.”

Mouth tight, he glared at the other guy and scared him away.

The coward abandoned her to her fate. She had no choice but to face Zach, but she continued to dance. His grim expression darkened. She pretended not to notice.

He leaned in, put his mouth next to her ear, and said, “I thought I saw someone I know, someone who shouldn’t be here. I didn’t have time to tell you. I had to try to catch her.”

Her? Kristen’s heart sank. He’d been looking for another girl? The situation was worse than she’d thought. First, he talked to her even though he knew she couldn’t understand a word of it. Then he ran off, chasing after another girl. Maybe he didn’t like her as much as she’d hoped.

Kristen turned and stormed off in the direction of the nearest exit. She left the club with the full knowledge that Zach would be hot on her heels. At least they’d be able to talk outside. She walked fast when she hit the sidewalk. She didn’t want anyone to overhear the argument that was about to explode between them.

Zach grabbed her arm when she reached the corner. “What’s wrong? Why did you walk away like that?”

“Are you kidding me?” She knocked his hand off her arm. “You walked away first.”

“And I told you I was sorry. I thought I saw…”

“Yeah, I know. You thought you saw some random girl that you know. Whatever. I’m tired. Goodnight.”

Laughter rumbled in his chest. “Kristen Noah is jealous.”

“I am not jealous, you jerk!”

He didn’t stop laughing, so she hit him. Hand balled into a fist, she swung it hard and struck him in the jaw. Neither of them had seen it coming. She hadn’t meant to hit him so hard. Tears flooded her eyes. She wasn’t sure if she was crying because she’d hurt him or out of frustration because his hard face had hurt her first.

Instead of getting mad, he rubbed his jaw and asked, “Do you feel better now?”

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I do too hate you.” She started walking again, and he fell into step right beside her. She added, “Go away. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

“If that were true, you wouldn’t care that I was looking for a girl. You like me way too much. That’s the problem.”

“Go to hell.”

Zach moved fast, cut in front of her, and turned. He blocked her way. His hands grabbed her by the shoulders. Holding her still, he said, “It’s okay. I know how you feel.”

“You have no clue how I feel, and if you don’t let me go right now, I’m going to hit you again. This time I’ll put all my weight behind it.”

“I know how you feel because I feel the same way. You’re mad and scared and a little freaked out. You don’t want to fall for me, but you can’t stop yourself. It’s okay.” He pushed errant strands of hair off her hot cheek. “I’m falling for you, too.”

And then he kissed her.

She tried to resist.

His mouth went soft on top of hers, coaxing her to kiss him back. The tip of his tongue snaked out to lick her closed lips. Just a flick. Shockwaves shot through her entire body. Her emotions went from zero to sixty in half a second. In the end, fear won out.

Her eyes popped wide open, and she pushed Zach away, determined to make a run for it. What scared her the most was the realization that he was right. This wasn’t a case of simple attraction. She was falling in love with Zach Bevian.

She’d been wrong. Love did exist. It was more powerful than attraction, and if she allowed it to have its way with her, she’d die. Somehow, loving Zach would kill her.

Before she could flee, Zach took her hand. He walked side-by-side with her. They went to his motorcycle, and he drove her to the library in silence. For a moment, she’d thought he was going to let her go without saying another word. But that wouldn’t be Zach. He waited for her to open her car door.

He kissed the tip of her nose and said, “We’ll take things slow from now on. I promise. We’ll get to know each other, take our time. We should probably take a step back and just be friends for a while.”

Relief flooded her system. “Really? You don’t think I’m a big baby for wanting to run away from this, whatever this is?”

“You aren’t the only one scared to death right now.” He whistled between his teeth before saying, “I hate the idea of falling for someone as much as you do. My life is far too complicated to let you all the way in. So let’s agree not to fall. Just be my friend for now. Deal?”

He stuck his hand out, and she took it. “Deal.”

Over the next four weeks, Kristen’s life began to unravel. Brittany was on a roll. She had enlisted Gina into some weird kind of partnership, and they were trying to ruin Kristen’s life. The brunette twit had won the coveted position of class president, and she’d taken Kristen’s place on the cheerleading squad. Somehow, she’d convinced the coach to get rid of Kristen, kicking her off the team forever.

Kristen was sure magic had been involved. No way could that stupid girl win the job on her own merits. Gina’s popularity was on the rise, while Kristen’s declined day by day. In just one month, she’d watched everything she’d worked so hard for slowly fade away, and there didn’t seem to be anything she could do to stop it. It was one thing after another. She was on a long, crazy descent into nothingness.

It didn’t make any sense. Brittany’s revenge spells in the past had been mean, sure, but she hadn’t dared mess with the important things in Kristen’s life. She hadn’t tried to destroy her before. How could her sister be this angry over a boy she didn’t know?

Picking clothes out the night before school and wearing trendy fashions had lost its luster. Still, Kristen was determined not to give up without a fight. She put on sleek, white pants and a lime-green, striped top that looked like it was made in two matching pieces, a sweater over a shirt, but was a single item. The short, puffy sleeves with scalloped edges created a girlish look that Kristen usually avoided in favor of being powerful, but on this particular day she felt like playing up her feminine side.

It was Wednesday morning. The girls were sitting at the round kitchen table, eating breakfast. Cyndi and Brittany dug into neat stacks of pancakes that were drenched in maple syrup. They could eat anything and not gain an ounce. Kristen, on the other hand, had to be careful. Sometimes it seemed like all she had to do was look at a piece of chocolate cake and her weight fluctuated up a couple of pounds.

With that in mind, she chose fruit and a slice of dry toast. She peeled the banana while staring at the sliding-glass door that led to the garden. Since the house was located on a private beach, they didn’t have a normal backyard with a lawn or a swing, so their father had paid some guys to build a little yard on the side of the house.

Brittany had been on her cell when Kristen entered the kitchen. After a few indistinct, monosyllabic answers, Brittany disconnected the call. An awkward silence filled the room.

Kristen didn’t realize how quiet it was until Cyndi threw up her hands and raised her voice for the first time in what seemed like eons. “Would you two talk to each other? Please! This is getting ridiculous.”

“I apologized already,” Kristen said while glaring at Brittany. “It’s not my fault someone is acting like a child.”

“You’re not sorry,” Brittany said, “but you will be. You deserve everything you have coming your way.”

“And what do you deserve besides a punch in the mouth?”

“Bring it on!”

Kristen tilted her head to the side as if she had a nervous tick and pictured what she wanted to happen. Sticky syrup squirted up into Brittany’s face and got on her Black Metal T-shirt.

She screamed, “You bitch!”

Brittany flung her hand out, and Kristen’s chair toppled backwards, dumping her on the floor before she had the chance to grab onto something. The back of her head cracked against the faux-brick linoleum. For a second, she saw stars. Wooden legs scraped against the floor as Cyndi’s chair shot out. She was at Kristen’s side in an instant, hunched over her.

“Are you okay?” Cyndi asked while helping her to her feet.

Kristen ignored her, eyes on Brittany. “You are so dead.”

Brittany smirked. “You think you can take me? Do you really think you’re man enough? Go for it.”

Cyndi cried, “Please stop fighting before someone gets hurt!”

Kristen thought back to how this all began the first day of school, over a boy she’d crushed on a whim. Impulsive moves weren’t usually her thing. She believed in detailed planning. Making a list of pros and cons had kept her out of trouble in the past. She wished she had made a list before crushing Zach. It would have saved them all a great deal of trouble.

Zach hadn’t been kidding about taking things slow. They spent time with each other in school, ate lunch together sometimes, and walked down the hallways while talking about meaningless issues. She didn’t see him anywhere else. Part of her was relieved, while the other part desperately wanted to kiss him again. Maybe things would have gone smoother between them if she had given him a chance instead of crushing him. She should have gotten to know him in a normal boy-girl way instead of using her powers.

After a few slow breaths, Kristen said, “I don’t know why you’re so angry with me. Zach isn’t even crushed.”

“That’s what you say.” Brittany folded her arms over her chest, a pinched look to her mouth. “I think you lied about retracting the spell. I’ve seen him staring at you like you’re the only girl on the planet.”

“I honestly didn’t know you liked him this much. How many times do I have to repeat myself? If I had known, I would have stayed away from him.”

“Whatever.”

With a sigh, Kristen tried to reach the logical side of her sister’s brain. “Look. You dared me to crush him, and I did. Later, you told me you were kidding and that you liked him, and I said I was sorry. I removed the spell. We should call a truce.”

“Too late.” Brittany grabbed a paper towel, ran it under the faucet, and dabbed her top with it to remove the syrup. “Someone needs to take you down, and I’m just the girl to do it.”

“Give it your best shot, and then start running. There won’t be a safe place for you to hide.”

Brittany shook her head. “You think you have more power than I do, that you’re better than me, but I’m going to prove you wrong this year. I’m the strongest, most powerful witch in this family. So hang on to your hat, sis, because you’re in over your head this time.”

Kristen and Cyndi stared at each other in disbelief while Brittany stormed out of the room. It was like they didn’t even know their own sister anymore, like she’d been replaced by a pod person. None of it made any sense. Brittany had overreacted once or twice in the past, but this was beyond anything they’d seen her do before. It was almost as if she hated the very sight of Kristen now.

###

Things only got worse when they reached school.

Brittany made Kristen trip over an invisible rock as they crossed the parking lot.

Kristen turned the gum in Brittany’s mouth to dirt.

Brittany ran to the restroom and spit the dirt into the sink. She turned a faucet on and put her head under the running water to rinse her mouth out. Kristen watched from the sidelines. A few girls gave them weird looks before walking out. That left them alone. Just to be sure, Kristen bent over and peeked under the six stalls, searching for feet, before she spoke openly to her sister.

“I’ve had enough, Britt. Seriously. I am so over this. Say ‘uncle,’ or I’m going to make you wish you were never born.”

Brittany spat a few more times before turning her blazing-hot gaze on Kristen. She wiped her wet mouth with the back of one hand and said, “I’m not afraid of you. You have no idea who you’re messing with.”

“Oooh, I’m so scared.”

“If you were smart, you would be. By the time I get through with you, you’re going to be a bigger loser than the freshman who chases pennies.”

The other kids loved to make fun of Stan Paddington. They threw pennies on the ground as he walked by, and the kid chased after them like they were worth a million dollars each. Poor kid had no idea they were even making fun of him. He was an oddball.

She was not going to wind up as the school joke. Angry at the mere thought of it, she flung both hands in Brittany’s direction. Her punk-rocker sister went through a stunning transformation. Instantly, her hair was shiny and combed with a bright red bow holding some back from her squeaky-clean face. Her hardcore clothes had been replaced with a pretty, white-with-red-polka-dots dress with a huge bow at the waist and ruffled sleeves.

Brittany caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and screamed like she’d seen a bloody body on the floor. “Change me back!”

Kristen opened the door and shoved Brittany into the crowded hallway before the girl could run and hide. Students openly gaped at her, including a speechless Cyndi. Kristen smiled and waited for Brittany to try to wiggle her way out of this one.

Brittany straightened her spine and smiled. She spoke with a sweet and shy voice. “I’m tired of dressing like Britt, so I thought I would try something new. Do you like it?”

So that was it. She was going to ruin her twin’s reputation to save her own. Kristen silently urged Cyndi to call Brittany out on it, expose her for a liar, but Cyndi didn’t do a thing. She went along with it and pretended to be Brittany. Apparently, there wasn’t anything Cyndi wouldn’t do for her twin.

Kristen went to her locker, annoyed and a little disappointed at the non-climactic end to all the drama. As soon as the other students heard it was Cyndi dressed like a walking, talking doll from generations past, they returned to their own business.

Cyndi walked over to Kristen and said, “I’m out of the game. Brittany told me to get out now because I might get caught in the crossfire. Something’s wrong with her. I’ve seen her mad before, but she’s totally out of control.”

Kristen wholeheartedly agreed, but she didn’t want Cyndi to leave the competition. Then the game would be down to the two of them—Brittany and Kristen. It would get dangerous for sure without vulnerable Cyndi standing between them. Kristen didn’t understand why Brittany was off-the-grid angry. She’d agreed to let Kristen enchant someone else to stay in the game. Why would she do that? Unless she wanted Kristen to remain in the game so she’d have an excuse to attack her.

“It’s not that bad,” Kristen said. She dialed her locker combination and opened the metal door. Her locker exploded, a small blast sending papers, folders, and books flying everywhere. A startled scream burst from Cyndi’s lips, while Kristen almost had a coronary. 

Students laughed at the prank, but Kristen shook with barely restrained anger. Her lungs constricted until she couldn’t breathe normally.  Her eyes went to the mess on the hallway floor. Not only were they scattered, the notebooks weren’t color coded anymore. Everything had been turned solid white.

Cyndi sighed before drifting away.

“Brittany!” Kristen shouted.

The girl stood a few feet down the hallway, wearing a nasty smirk along with the frilly dress.

That was
it
! Kristen was going to kill her sister, literally. She was going to release her anger and knock the whole building down on the stupid girl’s head. White-hot rage like she’d never known before drove out every reasonable thought, leaving only the urge to commit homicide.

She started to move in Brittany’s direction, purpose in each step, but Zach appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her from behind. He pressed her against her locker with gentle hands and stood close as if they were going to slow dance. His hands moved to her face. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.

“Close your eyes,” he said. Once she complied, he spoke to her softly. “It’s okay. Everything is okay. Just breathe. In and out. Relax. Everything is fine.”

Zach’s voice soothed her and calmed her bubbling anger. She leaned back, following his instructions to the letter. He kept talking, repeating the phrases. Every once in a while, his lips brushed against her cheek, cooling her anger more. In seconds, she returned to a good and peaceful frame of mind. She couldn’t believe she’d almost gone homicidal in front of half the school.

“Thank you,” she said.

“You okay?”

“I have it together now. Thank you.”

He released her and took a step back. Damn, he looked good. It seemed like ages since she’d seen him. Just looking at him made her feel a hundred times better. Her gaze went to his full lips. She wanted to kiss him right there in front of everyone.

“Do you like me?” she asked, feeling a bit insecure. “As more than a friend?”

The out-of-the-blue question seemed to startle him. “I… uh… of course I like you.” His smile turned genuine as he brushed strands of hair from her face. “I like you way too much.”