Entangled (Spellbound #1)

Chapter 2

"Mom, Charlene's gone off the deep end!" Graylee yelled when she arrived home.

She entered the kitchen in time to see her mom attempting to wrench a six-inch knife out of Charlene's hand. "Charlene, give me the knife."

"I'm going to kill her!"

At least Charlene wasn't trying to take her own life. She gripped the knife so hard her knuckles were turning white. "Stacey Morehouse moved in on my man. She so picked the wrong girl to double-cross."

"Charlene, I know you're upset, but you can't go using magic on someone you're unhappy with," Mom said.

"Who said anything about magic?" Charlene snapped. She lifted the knife and grinned. "I don't need a spell to take care of Stacey Whorehouse."

"Right, because stabbing her without the use of magic doesn't make it evil." Probably not the best time for sarcasm.

Charlene gave Graylee a look that curled her toes. Charlene gasped a moment later when the knife turned into a spatula.

"Charlene Perez," their mother said. "You are not leaving this house until you calm down."

Charlene threw the spatula to the ground. "Fine!" she snapped. "Then I'll stay here forever!" She turned on her heel and stomped up the stairs to her room. Her door slammed shut with a force that shook the house.

"Wow. You don't think she'd really..." Graylee cleared her throat. "Hurt someone?"

"I don't know," Mom admitted.

They avoided each other's eyes. Graylee looked around the kitchen. Her mom sighed. "I better work on a protection spell for Stacey—just in case."

Graylee nodded. "Good idea."

* * *

"I heard about your sister and Blake Foster." Graylee's best friend, Thea, plopped into the seat next to hers in first period the next morning. "She must be suicidal."

Thea had no idea. "She didn't get out of bed this morning," Graylee said.

"That bad?"

Graylee nodded as Mr. Houser began roll call.

After class, Charlene's best friends, Brittany and Kiki, practically shoved Thea aside to get to Graylee. Both girls were wearing long leather boots over skinny jeans.

"Where's Charlene?" Brittany demanded at the same time Kiki asked, "How is she?"

"She's at home and she's fine."

"Obviously she's not fine. She just had her heart ripped out," Brittany said.

"And yet it still beats," Graylee said. "Excuse me, ladies; I've got to get to class." She felt bad ditching Thea that way, but she wasn't about to stick around for a lecture on broken hearts from Thing 1 and Thing 2.

And speaking of heart breakers, Stacey turned the corner with Blake's arm draped over her shoulder.

Glaring at Stacey Morehouse came naturally. Her beauty was as blinding as the sun. She was all leg, perky Victoria's Secret–sized breasts and as blond as a Barbie. Face it, Charlene didn't have a chance.

Graylee dodged a group of freshmen and pounded her way up the stairs to the second floor. As she rounded the corner Raj McKenna stepped in her way.

Just great. If she'd known the Annoying People Parade was scheduled that day, Graylee might've elected to stay home, too.

Raj leaned into her. "Pretty neat trick yesterday."

Graylee frowned. "I have no idea what you're talking about."