The next day, I almost didn't get up. My bones felt hollow while my chest felt like it was filled with concrete. It was debilitating. I didn't want to ever move again. Daniel had--
I couldn't even finish the thought.
I was still in my bed when Dara knocked on the door. She didn't wait for me to answer, she pushed open the door. She was dressed and ready to go.
"Uh, are you sick?" She asked, plopping down on the edge of my bed.
"Maybe," I muttered under my breath.
"What's wrong?" I almost told her.
I didn't. I didn't want to tell anyone. I was beyond angry but more than that I was embarrassed. The rug had once again been pulled from out from under me. It was like when Levi announced he was a Demon. Everyone acted like I should have somehow known. As if, because I spent time with him I knew him. Somehow, I had found myself in the same position.
This time, it was worse. I thought Daniel was my soul mate, but apparently, I'm a psychic Witch with no intuition.
"Nothing, I'll be down in five," I told her as I pushed the covers off. I had no time, but a shower was necessary.
I lied -- I took a ten-minute shower. I needed to wash everything about yesterday's conversation with Daniel off. It still felt so unreal, but I knew better. Of course, this was my life. Once I was out of the shower, I pulled on some elastic leggings and a random t-shirt, then left. I was out of time. Thankfully, Dara didn't comment on my tardiness. I really didn't have it in me to lie to her if she asked me what was up.
Today was going to be interesting. Then again, that was every day for me.
Things were actually going fairly smooth, until English class. I couldn't exactly avoid Daniel if I sat in the same spot. But, if I sat somewhere else people would notice and the rumors would start flying from there. By lunchtime, everyone would know. I had to ask myself what mattered more? As I walked through the threshold, I still hadn't made a decision.
Daniel looked up when I came into the room. He waved me over. My throat closed up and I had flashes of our conversation. I stared at the floor and took the closest empty spot to the door. I kept my head down and didn't say anything for the whole class period. I never even took my messenger bag off my shoulder. When my second class ended I was the first person out of the classroom.
I didn't care about rumors. My friends knew better than to believe them. History was going to be hard since we all had the same class. Maybe I could fake cramps and get out of class. Sighing, I trudged to my next class. At least, it was with Addie.
"Hey Corn, can I copy your homework?" Addie asked as I sat next to her. Part of me panicked because I hadn't done it.
"I would, but I didn't do it either." I had been a little preoccupied with finding out my boyfriend was more of a monster than I realized. I shivered.
"Okay, I'll ask Jeff." She rose from the chair and walked over to the guys at the next table over. I grabbed my notebook while she was gone. As I did this, I twisted in my seat. I sat in the row closest to the door. The door had a window that looked into the hallway. I almost didn't see him, but when I did my breath stopped.
It was Daniel, looking into the classroom. He mouthed something that looked like, "Can we talk?" I shook my head and turned back around. I was ignoring him. I couldn't do this here -- ironically, that was what he had been telling me yesterday.
"Don't worry, I got all of the answers." Addie joked, finally coming back.
"Awesome," I tried to act normal. It took me ten minutes before I looked over my shoulder to see if Daniel was still there. He had left. I finally relaxed. I didn't want to admit how much I was scared of Daniel, but I was. He wasn't the person I thought he was. It was always devastating to break up with someone, especially if you loved them. I didn't even know what word to use when I tried to explain what if felt like hearing about Daniel biting girls.
It was perpetual melancholy.
That's what I felt -- like a Billie Elish song.
"So, did you and Daniel talk?" Addie gushed, wanting gossip. I wish I could give her gossip instead of depressing news. I grit my teeth, stammering to think of an excuse.
"Oh, no uh not yet. It's okay though, I'm sure it's fine." Why was I lying? I didn't know, other than that it was easier this way.
"Is that your idea or his?" Addie probed.
"Mine," I cringed.
"Corn--
"I have to stop by my locker before Lunch. I'll meet you there!" I awkwardly collected my things and slipped out of the classroom as the bell rang. When I got to my locker I threw everything inside, then grabbed my bag. I could leave right now and no one would know. It was so tempting, especially with the pulsating rhythm from the Amulet. I hadn't touched it all day, a personal victory of mine. I didn't want to jinx myself, but I was pretty sure I could wear it and be fine. As long as I limited how much I used it.
I wasn't going to end up like Jonathan.
My fingers looped around my keys, then I heard my name. I spun around my back to the locker.
"Woah, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." It was Erik. I sighed in relief. I could have kissed him I was so glad it was him and not Daniel. He was wearing a black and white t-shirt that showed off his growing biceps. Had he been working out?
"It's fine. It's just me." I said with a shrug. He loomed closer, inspecting my expression.
"Are you--
"Ready for lunch?" I asked as I threw my stuff in my locker and slammed it shut. My escape had been compromised. Still, I didn't want to talk about my problems, especially with Erik when they were about Daniel. I know I needed to tell them -- the Coven and my friends. It affected everyone, but I needed another moment by myself. I needed time to process how my life had become this cesspool of bad things.
"Okay," he dragged out the word. He didn't buy it but walked with me to the cafeteria.
The time it took us to walk from my locker to our lunch table, I could have told Erik the truth. I wanted to tell someone and at the time Erik seemed like a good option. Unfortunately, I chickened out and didn't tell him.
Our lunch table was full, but thankfully Daniel had the good sense to stay away. When we passed his table, I didn't even look at him. Even without looking at him, the wind left my lungs. It hurt to even be around him.
The whole lunch I felt Daniel's eyes on me. It took everything in me not to say something to him. I felt hot and sticky. It was uncomfortable sitting there knowing Daniel was watching and that no one knew anything about it. I needed to get out here.
"So, Kate found something," Ivelyn told the table. She looked around making sure to look everyone in the eyes.
Erik day up straighter.
"Is it about Corn's vision?" He asked her.
"Yes," Ivelyn answered. "Tell them what you found." She gestured for Kate.
"So, my family has kept almost every report the High Council Coven sent out over the last three hundred years. I looked through all of the reports from 1845 and I found the report from London about the Locke's." She pulled out a manilla folder from her backpack. Inside were several of watermark stained paper. It crinkled as she passed it to me.
I scanned the page, trying to read it quickly.
"Paraphrase it for us that aren't speed readers," Ivelyn commented.
"Basically, they always wrote up a report when something like this happened," she gestured to the breaking or un-breaking of the Curse. "In this case, they sent an aide of the H.C.C. to collect the facts. They summarized what happened that night. Your vision covered pretty much all of it, except Jonathan Locke's location is marked unknown." I raised an eyebrow.
"What is an aide of the H.C.C.?" Addie asked. I was glad she asked because I had no idea what that was.
"It's like an official unofficial member of the H.C.C. They're not apart of the Council per se, but they're like an ally. They are the ones that write up reports unless it's a high priority: then they'll have someone higher up write it. Fortunately, this wasn't deemed high priority, so an aide wrote it up. They wrote down everything they saw, which includes the spell and potion." That was a game-changer.
"Wait, you have the spell and the potion to break the Curse?" My heart was doing that weird thing where I couldn't tell if I was excited or freaking out. It was usually a combination of the two.
"Yes," Kate answered after looking at Ivelyn.
"This doesn't change how we feel," Ivelyn was quick to add. "There's still a lot more research we need to do." I rolled my eyes.
"But we have everything we need!" I started talking with my hands. They were being so frustrating. I had seen the vision and now we had the potion and the spell. Maybe if I could break the Curse, no one else would get hurt.
"Even if we decided to break the Curse, it would take weeks or months to get some of these ingredients. In fact, most of the stuff on here I haven't even heard of." Kate pointed at the laundry list of things we would need. She was right, I had only heard of three out of the twenty-plus ingredients.
"You said months?" My eyes slightly bulged. How many people would Daniel and his family hurt in months?
"It's a very complicated spell. Most of it is in this language I don't recognize. I would have to get it translated and that could take some time too." I felt bad. This was a lot of pressure on her and she was the only one that could do this. Plus, she didn't even want to break the Curse.
"What did your dad say?" Mir asked, breaking up the silence. She wore an all-yellow two-piece outfit. Kate shifted in her seat, adjusting her glasses with her middle finger.
"He didn't say anything because I didn't tell him." This surprised me. Kate and her dad were extremely close. He was one of the few parents that knew about the Coven. He was the only one out of our parents that offered help magically.
"Why didn't you tell him?" I asked her.
"I don't want to add to his worries. When we need to tell him, I'll tell him. Until then, I have it under control." Her brown eyes were serious. She was referring to her parent's divorce. Apparently, her mom wanted to take Kate to Pennsylvania where her family lived. Of course, Kate wanted to stay, but no one was asking her.
"So where does that leave us?" Erik brought up a good question.
"Let's take another vote. Who says we try and break the Curse?" Ivelyn asked the Coven.
"I say yes." I was the first to answer.
"I say no. I'm sorry, Corn." Kate replied next.
"I vote no as well." Ivelyn made two votes no.
"I vote yes. Corn always has good ideas and I trust her. So, yes let's break the Curse!" Next, to me, Addie exclaimed. I was glad she voted yes.
"I vote yes too!" Mir added quickly. That made three votes yes. The only person to vote was Erik. Last time, he had voted no.
"What do you vote, Erik?" Ivelyn drummed her fingers on the plastic table. We were all looking at him.
"I vote not now. I don't think we should completely ignore this, but we definitely need more information. Kate, you said there were rumors. Tell us more about that." He leaned forward. Erik was always thinking ahead. I had forgotten about Kate's comments on the rumors about breaking the Curse.
"I have been reading this kind of autobiography of this Witch who was on the H.C.C. from the years 1758-1850 and he writes--
"Wait, did you say--
"The years for being in the Council isn't really set. You basically are a member until you die or kicked out. It's kind of like--
"A gang," Erik's eyes widened.
"Or Royalty. Anyways, this man: Lewis Degare was born in 1516, so his writings are a little erratic. He goes on a lot about the time he served on one of the Courts. He says everyone was split right down the middle: six to six votes on if they should pursue breaking the Curse. That was in 1765, almost a hundred years before Samuel Locke attempted it. It looks like ever since Sarah Good first Cursed Magistrate Hawthorne, Witches have been trying to break the Curse." Kate's mind belonged in a museum.
She was seriously a genius.
This Lewis guy sounded important, but the more Kate talked about him the more he sounded like a drunk that wrote stuff down. In the end, she explained that he was kind of a kook of the Council, but that didn't mean he wasn't telling the truth. He said that when the Council was split down the middle like that, it was up to the High Priestess to make the ruling decision. In 1765, the High Priestess voted no to breaking the Curse, so it that was the decision.
Until 1845, when Samuel Locke tried to break the Curse. Apparently, he had come to the Council a year prior and they denied him access to the journals of Sarah Good. However, he was able to get what he needed. They still denied him the ability to break the Curse. Obviously, he didn't care about their permission and attempted at breaking the Curse. That's when they sent Elizabeth and then Jonathan.
"Yeah, what's up with them sending Jonathan after they sent Elizabeth?" Addie asked the question we all were thinking. It did make the Council look bad for sending Jonathan (with the Amulet) after they had just sent Elizabeth. I remember Jonathan made the comment that they knew she wouldn't be able to go through with it.
"Well, Lewis doesn't really explain that. He just says the process isn't uncommon, especially when it's considered a family affair." She used quotations around "Family Affair."
"Why didn't they give Elizabeth the Amulet?" Mir asked, then slurped at her soda.
"He doesn't write that either. It's more or less facts about the H.C.C. and his time serving." Kate shrugged. I could tell Daniel was listening to our conversation.
"I think you guys are right, we shouldn't rush to break the Curse." I stammered. I didn't want Daniel to think I was doing him any favors. I used my hair as a curtain to put more space between me and Daniel. When I looked up, he was gone. He had stormed out of the cafeteria. No one noticed or if they did, they didn't say anything.
"We just need to find more info on all of this. Kate, I think you should talk to your dad. Erik, do you think you could ask your Grandma about the H.C.C. and everything?" Kate and Erik both nodded at Ivelyn's directions. "Corn, do you think you could talk to Daniel about all of this? I'm sure his family knows more about that night in London than we do." Ivelyn made it so casual. I tried to mimic her tone when I responded.
"Yeah, okay." Except, it didn't come out breezy at all. It felt forced.
"Anyone have anything else to add? Lunch is almost over." Ivelyn asked the table. Everyone was a consensus of shrugging. "Okay, well I think we should all meet up this weekend to go over--
"I can't. I have a Volleyball Tournament all weekend." Mir told us. She didn't look happy about not being able to come.
"I can't either -- I have to fly to Cali." Addie shrugged. "Unless we meet up Friday night. That could work." She added. Lately, it seemed like she spent most of her time in California. I knew she had a lot of work lined up, but I also knew she went there for her booty calls with Conner.
"No, that's fine. Those of us that can meet on Saturday can fill the others that can't in on Monday. It'll be fine." This surprised me: a compromise coming from Ivelyn. I wasn't the only one that noticed her go with the flow mood.
"Wait, really?" Addie asked incredulously.
"You're seriously okay with that?" Mir added. Ivelyn rolled her eyes at them.
"I can't be chill," Ivelyn waved them off. No one looked convinced. "Guys! I really can. Jesus, you guys are all jerks." She joked. The bell rang and we had to get to fourth period. Thankfully, it was math with Erik, so we walked side by sides.
The walk from the cafeteria to math was a quick one. It was just down the hall. He held the door open for me and gestured for me to go first. I did and sat down at our usual spot. It was Wednesday, which meant we would work in partners on a worksheet. Erik and I were always partners. I think it was mainly because Erik wasn't a people person.
"I'm sensing that there is something going on with you, but for some reason, you don't want to tell anyone. You good?" Erik was always too good at reading me. I grit my teeth.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," I lied through my teeth. My way of dealing was going to be through denial. As long as I didn't acknowledge what was going, maybe I could deal with it.
"There you go doing that thing again," he muttered, leaning back in his chair until he was balancing on two legs. He made it look so easy, but I had seen other people try that and fall on their back.
"What thing?" I scrunched up my face at him.
"The thing where you pretend like you're okay, but inside your world is falling apart. You know, the Corn-thing." He was mostly joking, but I didn't like how true it felt. Was that what I did? "Hey, I'm only kidding around. You know you can tell me if--
"Yeah, but there's nothing to tell," I responded brightly. I put on a fake smile and got up to grab us both worksheets. When I got back, he didn't ask me again. It was fourth period and I still hadn't used the Amulet. Its progress, but I wasn't going to celebrate just yet.
The next two classes went by seamlessly. I had been worried about History because Daniel was in that class. It actually wasn't that bad. He sat to my left, at the end of the back row, which we took up. I made sure to have Addie to my right, just in case I needed to make a break for it. Addie was the person that would help me escape.
"What are your plans?" Addie asked as we packed up our things from Studio Art.
"I have a lot of homework," I didn't even have to think about an excuse.
"Gotcha, maybe tomorrow." She offered and I smiled at her. I already knew I was going to have plans tomorrow too. It wasn't anything against her, but If we hung out I would end up telling her Daniel and I broke up. I wasn't ready yet.
"Yeah, maybe. I'm gonna head out, but text me!" I was a nervous wreck. Dara was going to Gemma's, which meant I was driving home alone. Daniel had been civil in History, but the whole time I waited for him to say something. I was paranoid.
I didn't wait to hear Addie's response. I bolted for the door, bee-lining it to the parking lot. Unfortunately, I parked towards the back, near the trees that lined the school. It was one of the worst spots to park when you're trying to avoid your ex. Woah, it's so weird to say "ex" when referring to Daniel. It wasn't the first time we broke up, but there was something final about this time.
The whole time, I was on full alert. I kept looking around, searching to find Daniel. When I couldn't find him, I became more anxious. I just knew he was going to pop out somewhere and give me a heart attack. Especially, because he had heightened senses because he was Cursed. Thankfully, I reached my car. I fumbled in my bag to get my keys, then I remembered I had just carelessly tossed them in the abyss known as my purse.
A gust of wind blew my hair around, making it harder to look for my keys. Finally, my fingers made contact with metal and I felt the familiar key chain. I sighed in relief and hurried to unlock my car. My hands hovered over the door handle, but as I squeezed it to open it, I felt Daniel. It was his presence that loomed over me, making me lose my breath. I knew when I looked up he would be there.
Sure enough, as I lifted my chin I was face to face with Daniel. His eyes melted into mine, I saw the pain behind them. I wanted nothing more to comfort them -- to comfort him, but I couldn't. What he did was irreversible and unforgivable. Not to mention he lied about what he had done for months. The only reason he ended up telling me yesterday was so I would try and convince the Coven to reconsider not breaking the Curse.
"Please just let me explain," he lowered his head as he asked.
"No, you need to leave." The anger made my chest tighten. My fists were clenched at my sides.
"I just need--
I held up a finger, warning him. Things were starting to turn red in my vision. I knew I was seconds away from going off on him. He didn't move, which only pissed me off further. My teeth ached at the same time my heart quickened. I almost couldn't control the urge to grab the Amulet. It was almost too easy.
"You need to leave," the words came out in short huffs. Again, he didn't move. If anything, he leaned in closer. Was he purposely trying to get me upset? What little self-control I had was evaporating with every second he stood close to me.
"No, I won't leave. I'm not giving up on us -- you mean too much for me to just walk away. I know you don't want to hear what I have to say, but I'm not leaving until you do." My bottom lip jutted out as my jaw slightly dropped. He wasn't going to leave? That's what he thought. My mind exploded. I let everything in my hands drop to the ground. With my left hand, I grabbed the Amulet. I spun around, hitting Daniel with my right elbow. Then, once I faced him I extended my right hand forward, palm facing towards his chest.
"I think you'll leave," I muttered as I used the Amulet. It felt different, using the Amulet. I tried to remind myself that this wasn't the first time Daniel had been hit by the Amulet's power. That only made me madder. I reached into the pit of my stomach and used more power. It all happened so fast. One second, I was standing by my car trying to get in, then Daniel was there and now -- now I was standing in the school parking lot blasting my ex-boyfriend with ultimate power.
I was about to kill my ex-boyfriend.
As that thought crossed my mind, someone started to scream. Then, I was on the ground and my arms were being held by my sides. I struggled to get free. When I looked around I saw it was Erik holding me. He had a death grip on my arms, his face so close to mine. He smelled like the woods. I blinked, trying to figure out what was going on. How did he get here? Where was Daniel?
My eyes came in contact with Daniel -- lying somewhat limp on the ground only a couple of feet away from me.
"What the Hell, Corn?" Erik panted.
"He wouldn't leave," I muttered. "Let me get up," I told him bitterly. He was reluctant, but let me go. I pushed myself off the ground. Daniel rolled onto his side groaning.
"Jesus, Corn! I think you almost killed him." Erik commented, moving towards Daniel.
"A little help?" Daniel croaked out, aiming that at Erik.
"No way man, not until I find out what you did." Erik scoffed.
"You two have fun," I turned towards my car. I got inside and turned the key in the ignition. Daniel had three seconds to get out from behind my car or I was going to run him over.
"Do you think you should be driving?" Erik asked me. He meant well, which is why I didn't make a snide comment to him.
"Why are you always saving me?" I asked almost in tears. He looked confused. I put my car in reverse and started to back out of the spot. Daniel was gone now and Erik just stood there, watching me go. I didn't have the words in me to explain to Erik what had happened.