Libby looked
longingly across the metal counter. There he was, walking in late as usual. His
pretty older sister (with some odd resemblance to Libby herself) yelled like
there was no tomorrow. Even though Libby agreed with Jen, that Jake shouldn't
be late for work all the time, after all, he was "ASSISTANT MANAGER AND SON OF
THE FOUNDER, OWNER, AND SISTER TO THE MANAGER THAT'S GOING TO KICK HIS A—YOU
NEED TO SET AN EXAMPLE!!!"
Libby snapped out
of it. Jake hadn't had a shave in a while, his t-shirt was clinging to his body
with sweat, and his tight jeans were dirty. She continued to wipe the counter
as the few customers in the Italian restaurant looked up to see Jen's speech.
"AND FURTHERMORE,
JUST FOR REFERENCE, LITTLE BROTHER, YOU SHOULD COME IN LOOKING LIKE YOU HAD A
BATH IN THE PAST NINE YEARS! HONESTLY. YOU DO NOT SEE LIBBY COMING IN HERE
UNPOLISHED AND IMPOLITE! SHE IS THE PERFECT ASSISTANT MANAGER, AND IF YOU
WEREN'T MY BROTHER AND MY FATHER'S SON, YOU WOULD BE OUT OF HERE SO FAST!!"
Taura lingered in.
Libby groaned. If there was anything to make Jake pay attention (no matter how
short the denim skirt or tightly-tied the restaurant's t-shirt was) it was
Taura. Libby's cousin wore shirts, that, though appearing conservative, hugged
every inch of her upper body, and skirts that barely could three inches of her
thighs. Her legs were always flawlessly perfect and her shoes the most
fashionable. Today was the purple ensemble. Pale purple princess-seam tank,
light purple mini-skirt with white rick-a-rack pockets, lavender lace-knit knee
highs (with a risqué violent purple garter belt holding them up) and bright
purple velvet Mary Janes, with chunky soles. She had her tiny little lavender
silk handbag, and a pair of cat-eye sunglasses with pastel purple plastic
frames and three little rhinestones on each edge of the eyes.
Of course, when
expecting family, Taura threw off the sunglasses, tossed away the handbag and
instead of the garter-belt, short skirt and stockings, wore a pair of white
velvet pants and a violent purple cardigan. Libby wished for that flexibility.
Taura was not
really Libby's cousin. She was a saucy brown-haired vixen who thought she ruled
the world. Her mother was some sort of teenage junkie in Tulsa when Taura was
brought to the farm Libby and her huge family lived on. Her grandmother and
aunts ruled with a firm hand. Libby's family was British, and every year after
she started training to be a witch, except this year and the year before last,
she had spent at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The summer before
last she had spent in Paris with (groan) Taura, and this year she was living at
the farm in California. She, Taura, Devon (her cousin Orion's girlfriend) and Orion
would make the drive up to the city so Taura could shop, Devon could work at
the American Ministry office, and Orion could do his job down at Venice Beach.
Libby had her job at the restaurant.
Taura sat on one of
the swingy stools in front of the plastic-covered counter, and tried to order a
drink.
"No can do, Taura.
You're underage." Libby said, waggling her index finger teasingly.
"Not if I buy it."
Jake said, coming along and wiping out a glass. He had cleaned himself up
fairly quickly.
"FIRST OF ALL,
MISTER, YOU ARE ALREADY IN TROUBLE, BUYING DRINKS ON THE JOB IS AGAINST OUR
POLICY! SECOND, YOU ARE UNDERAGE AS WELL! SEVENTEEN AND YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE
GUTS TO RUN THE FAMILY BUSINESS!!!" Jen shouted.
Taura laughed with
her horribly fake French accent and Libby poured her a Coke.
"So, have they
kicked you out yet?" Taura asked, seemingly nice.
Taura made horribly
stupid mistakes. Normally, Libby would have pinned her to the bar. But, today
she was working, and plus, she could get Taura back in a much better way.
Jake grinned at
her, he had always tried to control Libby's temper. He knew she would get Taura
back, but not in the way Taura would expect.
"Entertain her a
bit, okay, Jake?" Libby asked as she skipped off to her tiny little cubby in
the back of the employees' lounge. It was really Jen's too large office, but
Jen was generous.
Libby dialed a
quick number. "Aunt Gemini? Yes, it's Liberty. No, no, no.. I'm not fired.
Actually, there's an emergency with Taura. She's at the Hy-Top Diner at Venice
Beach. Just thought I should tell you. Yes, Aunt Gemini.. Of course. You'll be
right here? Good."
Once Jake saw Libby
hang up the phone, he stopped flirting with Taura. "Kicked out of what?"
Libby controlled
her strong urge to kick Taura right there and now. She rushed over, grabbed one
of Taura's curling-iron curls (if there was something Libby had that Taura
didn't, it was natural curls) and hissed in her ear, "We're in the Muggle
world, remember?"
Taura nearly
shrieked, realizing her stupidity. But Jake came over and both girls played it
cool.
"Again, Libby,
kicked out of what?" He asked as he refilled Taura's Coke.
"The, er, boarding
school that Taura and I attend. Uh, I'm not the best of girls, you see." Libby
stuttered unconvincingly. Jake raised his eyebrows, but bought the excuse.
Libby rested her fist on one of Taura's long nails.
"DAMMIT! I BROKE A
NAIL!!!" She screamed, but had no time to grumble. The ever-familiar gasp of
Grandma Ida was enough.
"DISHONORABLE! NEVER,
EVER, EVER HAS THERE EVER BEEN A FEMALE IN THIS FAMILY THAT WORE THAT MUCH AS
AN OUTFIT!" Grandma Ida grabbed Taura by the ear, and threw her very
old-fashioned and musty floor-length coat. "TAURA MARY JANE BLACK. I WAS BEING
NICE. YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE LIBERTY'S ROOM ALL TO YOURSELF, BUT NOW, YOU'RE
SLEEPING IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM WITH THE DOG- YES, THE ONE THAT IS OLDER THAN YOU
ARE AND SMELLS WORSE. WHAT IS WITH THE PERFUME?"
Liberty giggled
from her point at the counter, very quietly. If she blew her cover now, she
might have to go back to the farm.. What would she rather do? Hmm.. Stare at
Jake all afternoon, pretend to be nice to old customers, or go home, see Taura
get punished, get her room back aaand get to practice Quidditch.
Liberty giggled
louder.
Orion was laughing
his head off at Liberty's, er, melodramatic reenactment of Grandma Ida's
speech.
"THAT SKIRT IS A
HANDKERCHIEF!! IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING WE WOULD STUFF IN OUR BODICES TO MAKE
THEM LOOK MORE FULL!!! YOU KNOW, THE LAST TIME I SAW SOMETHING THAT SMALL BEING
WORN BY ANYBODY, WE WERE MAKING THE BAPTISM CAP FOR THAT LITTLE KID DOWN THE
ROAD!!!"
Devon laughed. Her
boyfriend's cousin was rather funny. Liberty looked in disgust at her broom.
"How on earth do I
expect to get to the World Cup on this old Shooting Star. Did you know Harry
Potter has a Firebolt? That is so not fair." Liberty began to ramble,
but Orion shot her a look. "Fine, fine.. I will not talk about the spoiled
brat. He's not that bad, I know, but how can he not remember Lily and James
beyond their last words and simple photos? Dad told the greatest stories of
their days, and I remember Lily so well.."
Devon looked in surprise
at the girl in front of her. Liberty would resemble anybody, but the Potters?
Wasn't she the pride of the Black family?
"Devon, I am a
Black to the bone. Lily used to baby-sit me and James taught Harry and me to
fly on toy broomsticks before we could walk. My mother was a victim of the
Death Eaters, under the command of You-Know-Who. My father was wrongly accused
of Dark Arts activity and now I live here." Liberty explained in a monotone
voice, rolling her eyes once or twice.
"DINNER!!!"
Grandma Ida called. The three walked across the open field, tired and hungry,
hoping that Grandma Ida would do a sort of replay of her lecture earlier.
Libby took her
serving and headed up to the very top of the Black farmhouse. It was to the
flat roof, where she had her assortments of treats, magazines, and sleeping
gear. Dinner was always late at the Black home, and it was nice to go up and
eat under the stars. She switched on a light, scooped some of the spaghetti in
her mouth and began to read her latest book.
Almost the instant
she finished her food (and her book), Devon came stomping up. Libby liked her
cousin's girlfriend- She was really nice. But Devon was unhappy, and held a
silver envelope with a sparkly blue ink, reading Libby's full name (though she
loved her name, Liberty Nadia Gemini Jacqueline Bella Black was very long and
annoying).
She was expelled.
