Wizards in New York

I Messed Up...

    *Fred's POV*

    As soon as we got back from the woods, I could tell something was up with George. He seemed distant, and a little heartsick...but why? He had gone chasing a hellhound, right?

    Or had he?

    After teasing him at tryouts, he had ditched me for the Stolls. So now I was wandering camp, looking for a very specific cabin.

    Boom. There it was. It looked like one of those Muggle Barbie dreamhouses, covered in glittery pink and red. The place reeked of designer perfume, but I held my breath and knocked on the door.

    "Come in," a girl called.

    I pushed open the pale pink door.

    Like I had expected, it was as girly as you could get. Everything was pink, and makeup was spread across multiple vanities. The only decent place there was the smaller boy's side, but only because it was blue instead of pink.

    I coughed. "Is...is Hailey here?"

    A girl poked her head out of a canopy bed I hadn't seen before. It had a camo curtain, and looked more like a camping tent than a bed in the goddess of love's cabin.

    The girl herself took my breath away. She had long curly black hair and startling blue eyes. Despite her model appearance, she wore a jacket that matched her bed and muddy skinny jeans.

    "Uh...hi?"

    Even her voice was harmonious. "Hi. Um...I need some advice. About a girl."

    Hailey motioned for me to approach, and I sat on a squat sparkly stool.

    I cleared my throat. "Alright. Here we go:

    "My brother saw this girl in a picture and then in real life, the next day. I've seen him have fancies before, but he's never ditched me like this before. I found them in the woods together, and they claimed that they were chasing a hellhound, but I dunno if I believe them."

    She nodded. "I see. Classic case."

    Huh? "Classic case of what?"

    "Isn't it obvious? He's fallen in love with this girl! Not like a normal crush, or fancy, but love. And from what I've gathered, this girl is Reyna, correct?"

    I nodded. "Yeah."

    "Then I think that she needs a jokester in her life."

    Hailey leaned forward, strands of black hair falling in front of her blueberry eyes.

    "Don't tell anyone I told you this," she hissed, "but according to some rumors around camp, then they might be more perfect for each other than at first glance."

    Then she pulled back into her curtains, leaving me confused.

    "Hey, wait!" I pulled at the curtains, a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Can't you do that Aphrodite horoscope thing?"

    Hailey's face emerged, her cheeks the color of plums. "What did you just say?"

    Damn, girlie. "Two of my mates, Travis and Connor, said that you guys could do these horoscope thing where you can predict someone's love life. Is it not true?"

    Her eyes narrowed. "Yes, it's true. But do I look like someone who could do that? I could barely explain the stupidest of situations to you!"

    "Okay, okay!" I put my hands up. "Jeez, you and that praetor girl could be related."

      

                           ******

    I crouched behind the wooden cabin on the beach, shaking the last whipped cream can. After deciding that it was empty, I tossed it aside and waited.

    "Fred?"

    George stalked toward me, looking shocked. He held a leather pouch and a bag of chips. "What are you doing here?"

    I shrugged. "Pranking the praetor. You?"

    "She's not here?"

    "No, but she will be soon. You're gonna blow my cover!"

    Scowling, George moved out of sight and to the front of the cabin.

    At that moment, my radio buzzed.

    "Reyna's on her way down, Freddie. She's chasing C-dog."

    "Okay," I whispered back.

    "GET BACK HERE, CONNOR!"

    Stoll ran past, screaming. He held the praetor's purple cloak and was waving it wildly above his head.

    Out of nowhere, Reyna charged and tackled Connor to the ground, wrestling the cloak out of his grip. Miraculously, it didn't even rip. I wondered how.

    Now! I pressed the button on my remote, and a bag of seaweed and whipped cream dropped onto the praetor's head.

    Leo hopped down from the cabin's roof and bolted.

    "Are you okay?"

    George ran to her, dropping the pouch and chips.

    Reyna slapped his hand away. "Get away from me, George!"

    "But I didn't-"

    "Does it look like I'm stupid? You're a prankster, and I was next on your list. You and your brother probably had a good laugh about our time in the woods, huh?"

    "Rey-" George tried.

    She heaved the bag into his arms, sending him tumbling into the sand.

    As she stormed away, she shouted over her shoulder, "Didn't that conversation mean anything to you?"

    George watched her go, still holding the net of seaweed and whipped cream.

    Then he turned on me.

    "Are you kidding me?" he fumed. "I thought you were my brother, Fred."

    There was a sinking feeling in my stomach. "George, I didn't-"

    But he shook his head. "Didn't mean to let me take the blame for something I didn't even do? Were you ever going to come forward?"

    I stood and walked over to him, but he refused to look at me. "I don't want your help, Fred."

    He tossed the bag into the sand and walked away, towards the woods.