mirror and began to trace the ridges of my scar that ran from the middle of my shin, over my knee and to the top of my thigh. Jeans it is.
Pleased with my choice of a red plaid shirt and boot cut denim, I made sure to retrieve the grimoire from beneath my bed before starting out for school. Charlotte, my rock, was waiting for me at our usual spot.
“Hey, Gem.” She was already wearing her cheerleading uniform beneath the matching navy letter cardigan.
“We need to talk,” I said, not able to resist the urge to spill all the nitty-gritty details of the past two days.
“Let’s go.” She checked her phone. “Ten minutes to homeroom.” She took me by the hand and dragged me to the girl’s bathroom.
She dropped her mammoth-sized velvet purse on the counter and took out her make-up arsenal. The black vinyl case had a handle and everything, and was filled to the top with every mascara, powder, eyeshadow, and liner known to woman.
“Want some?” she said, handing me a tube of mascara.
“Isn’t that unhygienic?”
“It’s new. Can you believe I entered one of those online giveaways and I won a box full of new make-up.” Her smile brightened the room. “Take it. You could use some.”
“Uh thanks. I think.”
“So?” she asked, swiping an extra layer of cherry red gloss on her lips. “What’s up?”
Chalk it up to nerves or good sense but I suddenly thought it unwise to mention anything dealing with the supernatural.
“It’s Ian,” I said. “I think I really like him. A lot.”
“Ooh. I’ve seen him. Definitely a keeper,” she gushed.
“I just don’t know if I’m ready to get into that yet.”
“Listen, Gem,” she said. “You just have to jump in. No one is going to hold it against you.”
“They already are. Matt won’t even talk to me.”
“They’ll all get over it.” She turned to me and grabbed both sides of my face. “Come to practice today. Just watch. No pressure.”
“Okay,” I said, unsure if I was sincere or not.
The bell rang through the intercoms. I put my arms around Charlotte and squeezed.
“And you better get your hands on Ian before Allison does. I’ve seen her trying,” she added. ”Wow, I got to get to class.”
Before walking out, I spent an extra minute in front of the mirror until finally I gave in and decided to put on some of the makeup Charlotte had unloaded on me.
When I walked into homeroom, I was surprised to see Ian there. Everyone else had already clustered in groups, either copying homework or deep in conversation. Mr. Flynn acknowledged my presence, checked off my name on the roster, and went right back to attacking a stack of papers without saying so much as a word.
I didn’t let his mood sink into mine and put on a smile with a bit of fake confidence. I psyched myself up for what I was about to say to Ian. “So, I was thinking we could catch up after school today.”
That wasn’t too hard .
“Oh hey, I’m sorry, Gemma, but I was planning on going to try-outs. You could come watch.”
This was a problem. I really didn’t want to say no and not just because he looked yummy in his hunter green zip-front sweater. I needed some sort of answers from him if I didn’t want to implode from the stress of not having anyone to talk to about any of the surreal experiences I’ve been having. “I’m not sure,” I said.
“Come on. Don’t start playing hard to get.” His grin was full of mischief.
“It’s not that, I swear. I just haven’t been on that field since last year. My brother used to be quarterback.”
His face remained blank.
“Before he died,” I added.
His expression softened.
“Why don’t you come watch and then you can tell me all about him after, over some food. My treat.” He placed his hand over mine and I practically melted.
“Yeah. That sounds nice.”
The day went on as usual, including the shoves in between classes and snide remarks that seemed to be my new normal. During English,
Pleased with my choice of a red plaid shirt and boot cut denim, I made sure to retrieve the grimoire from beneath my bed before starting out for school. Charlotte, my rock, was waiting for me at our usual spot.
“Hey, Gem.” She was already wearing her cheerleading uniform beneath the matching navy letter cardigan.
“We need to talk,” I said, not able to resist the urge to spill all the nitty-gritty details of the past two days.
“Let’s go.” She checked her phone. “Ten minutes to homeroom.” She took me by the hand and dragged me to the girl’s bathroom.
She dropped her mammoth-sized velvet purse on the counter and took out her make-up arsenal. The black vinyl case had a handle and everything, and was filled to the top with every mascara, powder, eyeshadow, and liner known to woman.
“Want some?” she said, handing me a tube of mascara.
“Isn’t that unhygienic?”
“It’s new. Can you believe I entered one of those online giveaways and I won a box full of new make-up.” Her smile brightened the room. “Take it. You could use some.”
“Uh thanks. I think.”
“So?” she asked, swiping an extra layer of cherry red gloss on her lips. “What’s up?”
Chalk it up to nerves or good sense but I suddenly thought it unwise to mention anything dealing with the supernatural.
“It’s Ian,” I said. “I think I really like him. A lot.”
“Ooh. I’ve seen him. Definitely a keeper,” she gushed.
“I just don’t know if I’m ready to get into that yet.”
“Listen, Gem,” she said. “You just have to jump in. No one is going to hold it against you.”
“They already are. Matt won’t even talk to me.”
“They’ll all get over it.” She turned to me and grabbed both sides of my face. “Come to practice today. Just watch. No pressure.”
“Okay,” I said, unsure if I was sincere or not.
The bell rang through the intercoms. I put my arms around Charlotte and squeezed.
“And you better get your hands on Ian before Allison does. I’ve seen her trying,” she added. ”Wow, I got to get to class.”
Before walking out, I spent an extra minute in front of the mirror until finally I gave in and decided to put on some of the makeup Charlotte had unloaded on me.
When I walked into homeroom, I was surprised to see Ian there. Everyone else had already clustered in groups, either copying homework or deep in conversation. Mr. Flynn acknowledged my presence, checked off my name on the roster, and went right back to attacking a stack of papers without saying so much as a word.
I didn’t let his mood sink into mine and put on a smile with a bit of fake confidence. I psyched myself up for what I was about to say to Ian. “So, I was thinking we could catch up after school today.”
That wasn’t too hard .
“Oh hey, I’m sorry, Gemma, but I was planning on going to try-outs. You could come watch.”
This was a problem. I really didn’t want to say no and not just because he looked yummy in his hunter green zip-front sweater. I needed some sort of answers from him if I didn’t want to implode from the stress of not having anyone to talk to about any of the surreal experiences I’ve been having. “I’m not sure,” I said.
“Come on. Don’t start playing hard to get.” His grin was full of mischief.
“It’s not that, I swear. I just haven’t been on that field since last year. My brother used to be quarterback.”
His face remained blank.
“Before he died,” I added.
His expression softened.
“Why don’t you come watch and then you can tell me all about him after, over some food. My treat.” He placed his hand over mine and I practically melted.
“Yeah. That sounds nice.”
The day went on as usual, including the shoves in between classes and snide remarks that seemed to be my new normal. During English,
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