Bitter Demons by Sarra Cannon

squad is anxious to get off the bus,” Mrs. King said. She squeezed my arm a little too tight. Maybe she sensed that there was only so much bullshit I was going to take from these people before I totally lost it. My patience had been on a short fuse lately.
    The Cypress coach nodded and stepped on the bus briefly to give the rest of the squad instructions. Meredith stood beside me, studying me a little too closely. It made me wish I had been too late to make the whole meet and greet. Brooke wanted the chance to schmooze with these girls? She could have it as far as I was concerned.
    “So, how does it feel to suddenly find out you’ve got this amazing destiny?” Meredith asked. She chewed her gum vigorously and blew a big bubble. It burst with a loud pop.
    I shrugged. “Great,” I said.
    “I should think so,” she said. “I mean, it’s a real Cinderella story.”
    I’d never thought of myself as Cinderella, but I liked that better than the prodigal thing. Although, I certainly didn’t think my current path was leading me toward a happily ever after.
    “I simply can’t imagine it,” she said. “I mean, I’ve known since I was a little girl that I was basically royalty in Cypress. But you? You must have been so excited to learn that you had more to look forward to than a pitiful string of foster homes.”
    Wow, this chick knew more about my life than I thought she would. Did everyone know? Or just her since she was a future? She talked about my life as if the Order had lifted me from some terrible life of poverty and shame. I guess she was right in some ways, but I hardly saw how this life was all that much better. Sure, the magic was awesome, and I was closer than ever to finding out the truth about my mother. But I also knew that all of this came at a very hefty price.
    The cheerleaders were finally allowed off the bus, and I was glad to get out of my one-on-one conversation with Meredith. I had hoped to find her sympathetic and easy to talk to, but she seemed stuck-up. Not my favorite kind of person, to say the least. She’d probably get along with Brooke just fine.
    I helped show the visiting squad to their locker rooms. On the way there, a cute girl with silky straight brown hair ran to the front to stand beside me. She was slightly out of breath when she reached me.
    “Hey,” she said, panting. “Harper, right?”
    She had a sweet smile that was contagious.
    “That’s me,” I said. I braced myself for another condescending comment, just in case.
    “Oh my god, I’m so excited to finally meet you,” she said. “I’m Caroline, Meredith’s younger sister.”
    Great. Another one.
    “Hey,” I said. “Nice to meet you.”
    “I can’t imagine how weird all this must be for you,” she said. “To have all this pressure just heaped onto your shoulders out of nowhere.”
    I turned my head to study her more closely. Maybe she wasn’t like her sister at all. I softened. “It’s been tough,” I said. “Sometimes I feel like I stepped into the Twilight Zone.”
    She laughed. It was a sparkling, genuine sort of laugh that made me instantly like her. “I hope we get a chance to talk more later,” she said. “I heard someone say we’re having a party after the game and spending the night in town tonight.”
    “Yeah, the mayor offered her lake house to us,” I said. Luckily, the party qualified as an approved event, so my curfew had been lifted for the evening. “Everyone should be there. It’ll be fun.”
    “If you have time, come find me,” she said.
    “I will.”
    She waved as she disappeared into the guest locker rooms. I waved back and smiled. The difference in the two futures was phenomenal. For the first time in my life, it made me glad I didn’t have a sister.

You’re A Public Figure Now
     
    The Peachville vs. Cypress play-off game had everyone on their feet. It made sense that both teams were excellent. I mean, after all, they both had magic on their side. I had never confirmed