Authors: Nikki Jefford
“Hi, honey. How are you this morning?”
“It’s a Graylee kind of day.” Gray began scanning the notebook after she took a seat on the barstool at the counter. “Charlene won’t drop French!” Gray looked up. “You’re kidding me. Now what the heck am I supposed to do?”
Mom opened the drawer under the phone and pulled out a slip of paper. She handed it to Gray. Gray read it and looked back up. “Dr. Finnegan says I have laryngitis?” Gray looked back down. “‘It’s not contagious. I have decided it is safe for her to attend classes, but advise that she not speak unless absolutely necessary.’” Gray rolled her eyes. “Oh, brother. And what? I’m going to have laryngitis the rest of the semester?”
“Only in French class, but no, it’s only a temporary solution. I pulled out my old Rosetta Stone
CDs.”
“You can’t be serious.”
Mom shrugged. “I’m sure we’ll think of something. In the meantime it wouldn’t hurt to brush up on some basics.”
“You mean learn French in one week? Forget it! No
merci
. Not
bon
!”
“What’s wrong with French?” Mom asked in a teasing tone. “It’s a beautiful language.” She set a bowl of oatmeal in front of Gray. “Your great-great-grandmother was French.”
Gray rolled her eyes. “And Grandpa was Spanish.” She went back to reading the notebook while she ate her oatmeal. Marcy Kimble had pissed Charlene off and so Gray was not to acknowledge her. No problem. An essay was due in English. It was finished and inside her folder. At least Charlene was organized.
When I told you not to sleep with Blake I didn’t mean avoid him altogether. He said you wouldn’t come over after school Tuesday. He also said you acted weird. I had to spend the afternoon doing damage control.
Better Charlene than Gray.
Stop snacking
, Charlene wrote.
My stomach didn’t feel good when I woke up this morning and my skirt felt tight. I have a very simple diet. Grapefruit in the morning with a handful of granola. Slim Fast shake for lunch. Slim Fast shake for dinner or green salad with a squirt of lemon—no croutons—and skinless chicken strips.
If Gray had to stick to that kind of diet she’d rather be dead. She’d never tasted a Slim Fast shake before that week and she had to say it reminded her of chocolate-flavored Pepto-Bismol.
If Charlene could figure out a spell to make herself tan, couldn’t she come up with one to make herself thin?
Gray closed the notebook and reached inside her pocket for the amulet. She slouched over the countertop and dangled the charm in front of her face.
“What’s that?”
When Gray looked at her mom she saw that she was now frowning.
“A luck amulet.”
“Where’d you get it?”
“It was a gift from a guy and no, you wouldn’t approve of him.”
“Nolan?”
Gray snorted. “What’s not to approve about Nolan? Nope, it’s from Raj McKenna.” Gray glanced up, but her mom merely looked pensive.
“Raj McKenna,” she repeated.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Hmmm.”
“What’s with the face?”
“He used moonstones. They’re very rare.” Gray could feel her mom studying her. “He must like you a lot.”
“It doesn’t mean anything,” Gray said. “Even if Raj McKenna did like me, I doubt he does anymore. Not since learning I’m a heathen.”
“You’re not a heathen.”
“Of course I am. I don’t believe in God. Do you?”
Gray’s mother twisted her lips. “I believe in a higher power. I’m a witch, after all.”
“Well, sorry I couldn’t bring back a message from Dad.”
Mom walked over and put a hand on Gray’s shoulder. “You listen to me, Graylee. There is nothing wrong with you. It wasn’t your time. I believe the spiritual world is as magnificent and vast as the universe and that we cannot begin to understand it. But there’s a place for you in the great beyond. There’s a place for all of us. It just wasn’t your time.”
The tears came unexpectedly. Gray put her arms around her mom and blinked them away rapidly so that by the time she pulled her head back her cheeks were dry.
“Raj McKenna always struck me as a good kid. Mrs. Baxter once told me he was one of the most gifted healers she’d come across—and youngest. It’s a shame his mother left him with the dad, but then I have trouble understanding any woman who would leave her child.”
“Well, he did burn the house down.”
“Did he?”
Gray opened and closed her mouth. “He never denied it.”
“I don’t know. Something didn’t feel right about that story.”
Gray shrugged. “Well, I’m off to school.”
“Have a good day, honey.” Her mom gave her another hug. She’d been doing that a lot lately.
Before Gray walked out the door she snapped into a skirt and dark V-necked sweater.
Rather than go straight to Charlene’s locker, Gray chose an alternate route taking her through the hallways on the east side of McKinley. She thought she knew where Raj’s locker was, but without him around it couldn’t be confirmed.
Gray felt a tap against her heel. She should have known it was Nolan. He was grinning from ear to ear.
“Hi, Nolan. Find a cure?”
“No, but I think I know someone who can help.”
Gray fell into step beside him. “Really? Who is it?”
“Brock. He’s a warlock up north a couple hours. The guy was put on suspension by his coven for transferring his mother into the younger body of a woman about to die from internal bleeding.”
Gray rubbed her hands together. “Sounds like the kind of warlock I’d like to meet. Where is he exactly?”
“Bellingham.” Nolan’s cheeks dimpled. “Wanna take a road trip?”
“How does after school sound?”
“My parents might notice that. What about Saturday?”
“Perfect!” Gray swung around and hugged Nolan. His eyes nearly popped out of his head and his cheeks turned five shades brighter. “Thanks, Nolan!”
“Yeah, totally. Anything to help.” He paused for a moment. “Um, do you want to have lunch together today?”
“I wish.” Gray snorted. “I have to eat with Tweedledee and Tweedledum—don’t want to disturb Charlene’s superficial friendships, you know.”
Nolan cleared his throat. “No, that’s cool.”
“Trust me; I’d rather eat with you any day. See you in French class?”
“Okay. What are you going to do if Madame Girard calls on you?”
“Laryngitis,” Gray said, pointing to her throat.
Nolan chuckled. “Okay, see you in French.” He pressed his hand between her shoulder blades before walking away.
Gray’s mouth opened slightly then abruptly closed when she noticed Thea glaring in her direction. If only she could go over to her friend and assure her that no, Charlene wasn’t moving in on Gray’s old crush. She tried to convey this message with her eyes, but it was no use.
Suddenly Gray was bumped from the side. For such a petite girl, Brittany had a lot of force behind her. Gray rubbed her shoulder.
“So what’s the deal with Nolan Knapp?” Brittany demanded. “Have you slept with him?”
Gray lifted her nose. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She wasn’t snooty by nature, but somehow it came naturally to her when she was around Brittany. Maybe Charlene wouldn’t be as intolerable if she kept better company.
Brittany smirked. “I guess he’s cute—in a boyish sorta way.”
“He got kicked out of his last school for sleeping with a teacher.”
Brittany’s eyes nearly popped out of her face. “Shut up!”
“Swear.”
Brittany grinned wickedly. “Hello, Nolan. You know he has to be all kinds of naughty between the sheets having gotten instruction by an older woman.”
“Maybe.”
“Oh, totally. If you don’t do him I will.”
“Sorry, Brit. Nolan’s off limits.”
“What? So you think you can have all the hotties to yourself?”
Gray tried the chin lift again. “That’s right.”
“Bitch.”
“Super bitch.”
Brittany’s mouth opened wide on a gasp and then she smiled. “Mega bitch!”
“Super, gigantic, mega bitch.”
Both girls were laughing at this point. Gray stopped abruptly when she saw Raj watching her across the hall. “I’ll see you later. I have business with a certain annoying boy who’s so not on my hook-up list.”
Brittany followed Gray’s gaze. “McKenna?” Gray was surprised when her voice didn’t convey disgust. “I’d do him.”
Gray gnashed her teeth together and forced a smile that felt more like a grimace. She couldn’t very well tell Brittany that Raj McKenna was off limits, as well. Way off limits.
“Making new friends?” Raj asked when Gray crossed the hall to his side.
Gray really did grimace this time. “Hardly. Maintaining Charlene’s façade is all.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What?”
“Looked like you were having a good time playing the role.”
“Don’t be a jackass. I’m just good at hiding my inner cringe. Anyway, I bet you’d think a lot better of Brittany if you knew she declared you ‘doable.’”
Raj laughed. “In her dreams.”
“Look at you all puffed up. Imagine what it’d do for your ego if I told you that even my own dear friend Thea said as much to me before I kicked the bucket.”
Raj craned his head toward Gray. “Thea Johnston thinks I’m doable?”
“You know her or something?”
“We have some classes together. She’s always seemed really cool.”
“Then why don’t you ask her out or something?” Gray snapped. Her frown stretched to her chin. Why shouldn’t Raj think Thea was cool? She
was
really cool.
“Whoa, who said anything about asking anyone out?” Raj lifted his hands. So far his lighter hadn’t appeared in either hand. Gray kept expecting him to retrieve the blasted thing and start snapping it open and closed. Heck, she felt like flicking the dang Zippo a few times herself. “I’m still processing this information.”
“That’s right, gloat all you want—two girls at McKinley vote Raj McKenna decidedly doable.”
“And you don’t?”
“You wish.”
“Why not?”
Gray pressed her lips together.
Raj chuckled the longer she refused to respond. Gray picked up the pace. “Speaking of doable, I have to go get my morning embrace with Blake over with.”
Raj caught Gray’s arm and held her firmly in place. She was about to demand he let her go, but the words died on her tongue when their eyes met.
“I don’t like him touching you.”
“It’s not me he’s touching.”
Raj stared deep into Gray’s eyes. “It is you.”
She swallowed. “Don’t worry. I can look out for myself.” Gray pulled free from his grasp.
“I don’t like it,” he repeated as she hurried down the hall.
Raj’s words followed Gray right up to Blake Foster, who awaited her at her locker. The grin on his face was sickening. “Last night was incredible,” he whispered, invading Gray’s personal space and running his gropey hands all over her before she had the chance to cast a rash across his body. “You are one naughty schoolgirl.”
It was a good thing Blake was beside her ear and not in front of her face or else he’d have seen disgust written across Gray’s countenance.
So that was what Charlene meant by damage control.
Blake reached a hand up Gray’s skirt at the same time he bit down on her earlobe. Gray didn’t have enough wits about her to cast a spell. She did, however, have the full force of her natural reflexes and smacked Blake across the face with a resounding slap.
The hand that’d been under Gray’s skirt was now pressed against Blake’s cheek. Anger flashed across his eyes.
Uh-oh.
Gray chuckled nervously. “And you’re a naughty schoolboy.”
Blake didn’t bite. “Not cool, Charlene,” he said. “Not cool at all.” And then he stormed off.
Gray spent first period on the edge of her seat biting her fingernails—a habit she’d supposedly kicked before entering high school. Ryan didn’t mention Blake so he must not have heard about it yet.
“Here,” Ryan said, slipping Gray a typed report.
Gray glanced down.
Gene Mutation
was in bold text at the top followed by
Charlene Perez, 1
st
Period Biology/Darling
. “What is this?”
“Charlene’s biology report.”
“You do her homework for her?”
“Biology is Charlene’s most difficult subject,” Ryan huffed.
Gray huffed back at him. “Yeah, and gym’s mine. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna have someone run laps for me.”