I tapped the toe of my sneaker against the metal leg of my chair. My eyes shifted from the chips I'd created in my nail polish to the clock on the wall behind Miss Goldenrod. It wasn't a good sign that my mother was still talking to Mr. Shipley. That man had it out for me, even before this particular incident, which was an accident of sorts. Not that anyone believed me.
The large windows opposite the secretary's desk gave me a good view of the destruction of Career Day. Discarded flyers and pamphlets, paper cups, spoiled food, and trampled booths lined the walkways of the central quad. The students from the leadership class were already beginning to clean-up, standing out in their matching blue shirts and sour expressions.
Who knew it was that easy to cause a stampede? I'd only intended to save the poor mice, Mr. Hanson, the biology teacher, kept feeding the class python. It's not like I planned for the mice to escape from my backpack and terrorize the crowd of students, teachers, parents, and local business owners. A laugh tickled the back of my throat as I recalled the event; maybe it was a little funny.
I cleared my throat at the small glare Miss Goldenrod sent my way. The heavy creak of the principal's door called our attention, and I was more than grateful for the interruption. My mother stepped out, shoulders hunched forward and the corners of her mouth turned down to match. Everything about her was watered down and listless.
I attempted to catch her dull gaze, but she looked right past me. She was definitely upset. A twinge of guilt settled behind my heart, above my stomach. It was a sticky, warm, and acidic sensation. She was one of the only people I hated to disappoint.
Mr. Shipley followed close on my mother's heels. It was impossible to ignore the self-satisfied grin settled between his round cheeks, beneath his hawkish nose. His dark eyes narrowed when they fell on me. I fought back the urge to sneer. This man was the epitome of a scrooge. He loved his punishments, handed out detentions and demerits like candy on halloween. And we mixed together as good as oil and water.
I wouldn't deny that my propensity for troublemaking might be the cause of our ill-fated relationship. That was something my mother said that I got from my father. According to her, he enjoyed a good deal of mischief making. Not that I'd ever experienced that first hand, I never got the chance to meet the man—but I took her word for it.
My mother never lied. But she was a woman with a deep and secretive gaze. It was hard to ever know what she might be thinking.
"Miss Goldenrod, please call campus security to escort Miss Cadieux to gather her things from her locker."
"Of course, sir." Miss Goldenrod picked up the phone at her desk.
I scoffed and mumbled out the side of my mouth, "I don't need an escort."
"Charlotte—"
"It's a preventive measure. I think you've caused enough damage for one day, don't you, Miss Caideaux?"
My mother was staring at me, a mixture of disappointment and exhaustion dripping from her eyes. I bit the inside of my cheek, tasting metal. Mr. Shipley took a step in my direction, tucking his hands into the pockets of his brown, neatly pressed slacks.
"I warned you what would happen if you didn't reign in your childish pranks. You've completely crossed the line." He stared down at me, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "And this time I promise you won't be able to weasel your way out what's coming."
I held his gaze, eyes narrowing—tongue pressing hard against the roof of my mouth. He wasn't saying it out loud but his thoughts were written in his eyes. I win, you lose–they shouted at me. It made my skin itch.
A moment later the security officer walked through the door to the front office. My mother sighed at the sight of him, stepping in his direction and sending a glance in my direction, before motioning for me with a flick of her fingers.
"Let's make this quick. I need to get back to work."
"...Right." I leaned down, snatching up my backpack.
"We'll have a hearing with the student board next week."
A hearing? That sounded bad. Sure, I made a mess of things. But no one was seriously injured and no property damaged beyond repair. Plus, it was an accident.
"Of course. We'll both be there."
I tried to hide the tiny flinch at the tired tone in my mother's voice. This was more than simple disappointment. It made me want to hang my head in shame. I loved my mother. It was always, only the two of us since I could remember. She worked hard to make sure we had the things we needed, and never complained.
Maybe when I was younger, she found my little misdeeds endearing. Pinching my ears or giving me playful swats on my butt—sending me to bed without a treat. But as I've grown that's changed. More often I caught her watching me with concern and sorrow.
What if she was tired of me and couldn't say it? My stomach twisted into painful knots at the thought. A hand fell on my shoulder, and I almost hissed as I turned my face to Mr. Shipley.
"I hope you'll use this week to think over everything carefully. It might even be a good idea to prepare an apology for the board. Though I don't expect it to save you from the consequences."
He pulled away, and with a farewell nod, disappeared back into his office.
* * *
The car ride home was painfully quiet and it was only worse now that we were parked in the driveway of our house.
"Charlotte—" mother started to say something, then stopped with a sigh as she met my stare through the rearview mirror. Her fingers drummed against the steering wheel. The idling of the engine was the only other sound for a long moment.
"Listen, I know that I've been pretty absent lately. And I know you must be lonely—"
"Mom, this wasn't a cry for help or something. It really was an accident, swear."
The anxious drumming stopped. "I don't know what to do anymore, Charlie. We can't keep going on like this. There aren't many schools willing to take you at this point and we can't keep moving—"
"What about homeschool? Then I could get a job and help with—"
"Charlotte, please!" she snapped. "I can't do this with you right now."
Silence stretched between us and it was hard to ignore the burning ache in my chest.
"I'm trying here, Charlie. It would be great if you could try for me too."
"Fine."
"I know it's hard for you—"
"Mhm."
She let out a small shaky breath, and I reeled in my frustration. Throwing my head back against the seat and staring out the back window at the drifting white clouds.
"You work on that apology and I'll find a way to smooth things over with Mr. Shipley and the student board." If there was anyone who could fix this situation it was my mother.
A strange zap of electricity rushed up my back and stinging the back of my neck. I hissed at the sensation, reaching up to rub at it. The hairs on my arms were standing on end as the residual tingle rushed over my skin. Only a minute later, there was another zap, this time I twisted around in my seat—checking.
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Something shocked me."
"Charlotte—"
"Mom—"
"Why do you have to be so impossible as of late?" She kept going on but her words were growing distant. There was a buzzing in my head, growing louder by the second. My limbs were growing heavy—my body sinking into the cushion of the backseat.
Then something pulled at the center of my being. It was like an invisible cord was lassoed around me and someone was trying to drag me down.
"Mom," I called in confusion, reaching for her.
"What? What is it?!"
Her narrowed eyes searched for me through the rearview mirror. The crease between her brows disappeared as her eyes widened. I didn't know what she was seeing but it looked like a ghost from how her jaw slackened and all the color left her face.
Eyes full of terror, she twisted and surged for the small space between the two seats.
"NOOOO," she screamed as the tips of our fingers brushed each other then I was falling down through the seat, out of the car, through the ground.
I was plunged down into emptiness. Then I was yanked hard, sideways. It wasn't darkness, but blinding light that rushed around me. The heat of it burned my skin raw and settled into the marrow of my bones like molten lava. And like a volcano on the verge of explosion the pressure in my head threatened to turn my brain to mulch.
A scream ripped from my lungs and tore at my throat until I tasted blood in my mouth. When I became sure that I was going to die I collided with a solid matter. I pulled in a small breath as I lay stunned on the ground, quite happy to be alive. There was a gentle ringing in my ears and my heart sputtered to regain control.
"What is it?"
"Is it dead? Somebody better check."
"I'm not going near it."
"Neither am I."
"You brought it here, Willow. You check."
Something poked at my side and I rolled over onto my back with a grimace, skin still warm and raw. There was a collective gasp. I opened my eyes, blinking a couple times until my vision focused.
I found myself staring up into a small crowd of unfamiliar faces. They were all looking down at me as if I were some kind of alien. Except they were the ones dressed up like they had just left a Halloween party, dark cloaks and pointed hats. Maybe, I was dead...or dreaming.
"It's a human," One of the girls nearby whispered.
I frowned at the remark as I pushed myself up onto my elbows, my body protested the movement. Ouch. Yeah, I was definitely alive.
"Of course, I'm human. Don't sound so surprised..." I must have looked worse than I felt. A cackling laugh had me turning my gaze to a girl with unnaturally red hair.
"Oh this is priceless." She turned her cat-like eyes toward the petite blonde standing beside her. "You've got to be positively the worst witch in the history of Lore to have summoned a human as your familiar, Willow."
There were a couple of snickers from the other girls.
"I must have recited the summoning spell wrong, that's all." Willow scowled down at me as if I was the one to blame for whatever was happening. "Let me try again."
She lifted a crooked stick toward me, lips tightening together in concentration.
The redhead ripped the stick from Willow's hand, holding it high above her head when she reached for it. Annoyance twisted in my stomach as the other girls laughed at the sight. I was never a fan of bullies, and it was clear that this girl was exactly that.
"Give me back my wand, Rose."
"You know the rules, Willow. The summoning spell for familiars is a one-time deal." Rose held the wand within Willow's reach, allowing her to snatch it back. "You're stuck with the human."
Both girls turned their gazes on me, Rose smiling wide and Willow looking like she wished I would turn to ash.
"Fine. I don't need a familiar with magic anyway. I've got more than enough for the both of us." Willow snapped, taking a step toward me.
Rose and her entourage snickered. I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. I was hoping that this was all a strange dream, and I would wake up soon.
Willow kneeled down beside me, disgust and discontent written all over her face. I blinked, getting a better look at her now that I could see under the large brim of her hat. She had a round shaped face and a small button nose. Her cheeks were rosy and speckled with freckles. She looked rather impish in her features, like a faerie. I stared into her green eyes as she leaned in closer to me, they reminded me of our barn cat, midnight.
"Why did it have to be you?" She grumbled under her breath as she lifted a hand to my face.
I leaned back in confusion, not getting far before her thumb was pressed to the center of my forehead. A burning sensation pulsed through me and I pulled away.
"Ouch! What the hell?" I reached up and rubbed my sensitive skin, feeling a slight indented mark. "What did you do to me?"
"I completed our contract, human. You're now my familiar," Willow replied dryly, the girls breaking out into another fit of laughter.
"what?"
Willow opened her mouth to answer me but snapped it shut at the sound of someone whistling loudly.
"Now, just what is going on over here?" A female squawked and the girls quickly got themselves under control, turning to reveal a heavyset woman marching toward us with a broom in hand. It wasn't the woman that held my attention, though she looked beyond angry. It was the fact that behind her the moon was high in the sky, correction, there were two moons. I blinked hard to make sure I wasn't seeing double but they both remained, one hovering slightly above the other.
I didn't think I was in Kansas anymore.