Eternal Spring YA short story collection

Potionate Love by PR Mason

Potionate Love

By

P.R. Mason

"There's only one way I'm going to get him," I whispered to my friend Gracella as the math teacher droned on. "A love potion."

The object of my adoration, Ronny Tallsman, sat in his first row, corner seat, blissfully unaware of my feelings or the plot. From my position in the second row, on the opposite side of the classroom, I had a perfect view of his profile. A faint wave curled his chin-length blond hair. His eyes—which I knew were a shade of vivid azure—darted between the board and his note pad as he scribbled with his pencil. He frowned and bit his full bottom lip before scrubbing at the paper to erase a line of writing. Then he shook his head, sending the curls swaying.

"You gotta take me to see your great aunt, the voodoo priestess," I continued to Gracella.

"Root doctor, Tina." She shot the correction under her breath from the seat beside mine without her head turning. If I didn't know better, I'd believe she was concentrating on what Mrs. Blake was writing on the chalkboard.

"Root doctor. Voodoo. Same thing."

"Not really," she said.

"But she can do a love potion, can't she?" I pleaded. "You told me she did one for your cousin and now your cousin's married."

"Yes but...Oh, I wish I'd never told you that."

"Constantina Dimas," the math teacher called on me.

My attention snapped forward.

"Here, Mrs. Blake." I thrust my hand in the air.

"Can you answer the equation?" She tapped the stick of chalk against the board three times while glaring at me. She obviously knew I hadn't been listening to a word she'd been saying.

I glanced at the foot-long problem and threw out the answer. "u/c = 9.352."

"Correct," Mrs. Blake said between grinding teeth, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Thank you, Constantina."

My being a math prodigy came in handy to cover for my lack of attention in class. My parents insisted that next year I enroll in Senior honors math. I had to take advantage of this year to coast. Only trouble was, my attitude irritated Mrs. Blake and she relentlessly tried to catch me out.

"There's something unethical about this," Gracella whispered.

"Ronny's not going out with anybody, so it's all right."

"Why do you want to go out with him?" My friend Nathan asked from the chair behind mine. "He's a stupid jock. He plays football."

"Yes but he also plays lacrosse," I hissed back.

"So what?" Nathan argued.

"That means he's cultured," I said.

Nathan gave a disgusted huff. "This is dumb. You can't make someone want you with a love potion. I thought you were going to be a scientist. This is totally a contradiction to anything scientific or logical."

"It fits perfectly." I spoke under my breath and over my shoulder. "I want Ronny to take me to the Spring Science Fair Fiesta Dance this Friday."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Nathan's breath was hot on my ear.

"That makes it science-related." I waved at my ear as if swatting a fly.

"Constantina Dimas," the teacher demanded, making me cringe. She was really trying to get me today.