Magical Tendencies by Selena Hunter

been holding. Wow, that guy had been gorgeous and I didn't notice at all. He was absolutely every woman's dream… tall, dark, tanned and handsome. What was wrong with me?
    I could feel Tisha pull away from me as I opened my eyes. She looked pensive and concerned. Hmmm, what was up with her?
    "So, Tish, what do you think?" I tried to dissect her reaction.
    She bit her bottom lip before turning around sharply to grab her purse. She began sifting through her belongings like she was digging for artifacts. Her purse was an absolute shambles—she always had EVERYTHING in there. What could possibly be so important about having a can of bug spray on you at all times? I mean, it's not like mace—it can't keep a rapist off your back. Or could it?
    She finally found what she was digging around for—her iPhone. She began scrolling through pictures on her overly-full camera roll and found what she was looking for. "Is this the man you're talking about?" She held the picture out for me to see.
    I looked at the picture on the screen and then quickly to her, to the phone and then back to her, to the phone and then back to her. I must have looked like an idiot because her concern turned into a low grin. My reaction was answer enough.
    "Yes, that was the man you saw. I can tell." She smiled as she put her iPhone in lock mode. The screen went dark and I lost sight of the man on the screen. She laid it down in her lap as she began to tap her finger against her chin. "Hm, very interesting. I would have thought it would have been the vampire to find you first." Her voice sounded different—not quite right.
    I could see the man on my porch very clearly, so handsome, so strong. I didn't hear her clearly. "Vampire? Did I hear you right?"
    Tisha just nodded, waiting for my full reaction.

12
    At first I didn't react. I just looked at her serious expression and then considered what she said. Yeah right, a vampire . What a crock! I started to laugh, beginning with a giggle, which rolled into a laugh and then began to take over my whole body. I actually was afraid that I was going to fall over laughing it was just so absurd.
    "What?" I began to hiccup between bouts, "What are you thinking?" I continued laughing, gripping my sides, "A VAMPIRE?! Oh my gosh, Tish! You were way too funny! I almost believed you!" I was laughing so hard that I began to cry. "Oh, that is just so funny! Oh my gosh I don't want to wet myself." I sighed with a happy release of air.
    Tisha's serious expression just threw me over the edge especially when she crossed her arms and looked down at me with those eyes that said she did not approve of my behavior. She looked 60 when she did that!
    "Oh my gosh! Don't look at me like that, Tish! Oh my gosh! I'm going to pee myself!" I was gripping my sides, kicking my legs and trying to catch my breath in between exclamations. I was really getting some mileage out of this joke.
    Tish just looked at me sternly and waited until I began to calm down. "Are you done?" she snapped as she grabbed her purse and stepped up to the breakfast bar. She straightened her white v-neck t-shirt and turned on me like she was going to attack. "You need to take this seriously, Celeste, you are in a very dire situation." She crossed her arms and looked down her nose at me.
    Okay, I was enjoying the joke. What went in HER cheerios? I sighed, trying to calm my laughter down from the height that I had achieved. There was still a small ache in my ribcage from the laughter. I really needed that good, strong laugh.
    "Oooookay then, what do you want me to do, Tish? And what the heck is up with the serious attitude? I'm just laughing because you mentioned vampires. Geesh!" I threw up my hands in exasperation. What did she want?
    Tisha began to pace the room. She walked from one end of the room to the other. Spinning on the balls of her feet, she turned to face the far end of the room and began again. She stopped in the middle of the room, crossing her arms across her