Love Charms and Other Catastrophes by Kimberly Karalius

do?” he asked Hijiri.
    â€œImpressive,” she nearly whispered.
    He flashed a shy smile.
    â€œWhere did you learn to do that?” Sebastian asked. “I played with a slingshot as a kid, but I had terrible aim.”
    Ken hesitated. He toyed with the rubber strips. “I’m decent with a bow and arrow too, but not as comfortable with them as a slingshot.”
    â€œMakes perfect sense,” Hijiri said. He hadn’t answered Sebastian’s question, but how could he? He hadn’t lived long enough to have practiced at a skill. Love obviously gave him some remarkable talents. “Think of the cupids. As one of Love’s creations, Ken must have the same abilities.”
    â€œI can’t fly,” he admitted.
    Mirthe sighed. “Now, that’s a shame.”
    Ken was going to give another demonstration with his slingshot when Martin came running, Nico on his heels.
    â€œWeapons and horseplay are strictly forbidden on campus,” Martin said, every inch the student government president.
    â€œGood morning to you too,” Sebastian said.
    Martin held out his hand. “I’m going to have to confiscate your slingshot. You can have it back at the end of the day.”
    â€œCan the president do that?” Mirthe whispered.
    â€œBetter him than an assistant principal,” Femke whispered back.
    Being separated from his slingshot was not an appealing option to Ken. His eyes darted from the slingshot and back to Martin. With a sigh, he handed it over.
    Hijiri placed her hand on Martin’s wrist. “Ken doesn’t know the rules.”
    â€œKentaro Oshiro, transfer student?” Martin asked. His expression relaxed. “I’m sorry, but I really can’t give you back the slingshot until school’s over. I’m aware of your situation. If you have any questions, don’t be embarrassed to ask us.”
    â€œDid we miss Ken’s interrogation?” Nico asked cheerfully.
    â€œWe’ll fill you in later,” Fallon said.
    â€œYou told Nico and Martin too?” Hijiri asked.
    Fallon flashed an apologetic smile. “I thought it would be best if everyone in our club knew.”
    Hijiri nodded.
    The seconds scattered. Ken’s eyes met hers. He was nervous all over again. She could tell because he grabbed both straps in a white-knuckled grip. He wasn’t even paying attention to the twins’ theories on why Love hadn’t given him wings.
    She wanted to tell him that he would be okay. That his slingshot would be returned. That tomorrow wouldn’t be as bad as the first day. But she wasn’t used to offering comfort beyond giving people love charms. “Don’t worry so much,” she finally said. “You’ll find a way to blend in.”
    Ken’s grip on his backpack straps loosened, just a little.
    The bell rang. Students dispersed in different directions. Hijiri looked at her class schedule; first period would be algebra with Mr. De Pelsmaeker. Before leaving, she asked Ken if he needed help finding his class.
    â€œI’m going to the orientation,” he said.
    Fallon froze. “Don’t eat the casserole.”
    â€œActually, you probably should,” Sebastian said. “Don’t want to upset Principal Bemelmans.”
    â€œJust be careful. Food poisoning is not fun.” Fallon cracked a smile. Punctual to a fault, she hooked her arm through Sebastian’s and said good-bye to the group.
    At the mention of orientation, Martin paled and searched his file folder for the latest rewrite of his speech. When he couldn’t find it, he started shaking.
    Ken shifted his weight. “Maybe we should get going.”
    â€œWait,” Hijiri said.
    Nico gently took the folder from Martin and searched through each of the pockets. He found the speech toward the back, stuck against an old syllabus. “Even without this, you’ll do just fine,” Nico said.
    â€œMy last