Authors Note

I hope you enjoy! :)

Cassidy

"Seriously?" I looked in disbelief down the eager faces of women that made up the Mother-Daughter Book Club. "No way would I be caught dead in frills or bows. But this is much worse."

My mother smiled, and slipped her arm around me in a half hug. "Come on, a spa day with just us ladies? This could be the most fun we've had since England!"

I groaned, and picked at a scab on my elbow. No, that definitely did not sound like fun. It sounded like a torture day that was invented by the god of girls and fuss. Like that Afro-dia-tee something or other, the one that came from foam, but ten times worse because this was actually happening and wasn't just a legend.

"Come on Cass, it won't be that bad," said Emma, whose brown eyes were dancing merrily with excitement. "Besides, this way you can say you've an aromatic exfoliation and brag about it in front of your team!"

I just stared at her. "What is that, a disease? This isn't something you would mention much less brag about. My teammates would never let me live it down! No way, I'm not going in."

My mom just sighed, and rummaged in her purse. "I suspected this would happen, so I brought this," withdrawing her hand, she waved a crumpled piece of paper around in the air like a flag, before plopping it in my hand to read. My heart sunk, guessing it was that stupid form my mom made me sign back in 6th grade, when she wanted me to be more lady-like. Dang it, I thought to myself. Now I have so choice.

"Fine," I grumbled, shoving it back at my mom. "But no make-over. Or another haircut. Or anything too girly. Or –"

"Yeah, yeah, we get the point, Carrots." Becca said snidely, interrupting me. I glared at her. Chadwickius frenemus strikes again. I start to reply, but bite my tongue at the thought of the form. I don't want to get pulled out of hockey this far into the tournament.

"Well, better hurry girls! We don't want be rushed on our day of relaxation," says Mrs. Hawthorne, holding open the wood door and ushering us in. Desperately, I think of the Bruins game that is starting in 10 minuets. Stanley and I have been very dedicated to watching every game, but now because of this stupid spa day I have break our record.

When we enter the lobby, Megan and Becca squeal and run over to try the fancy soaps and lotions. Emma makes a beeline for the pamphlets of choices, with Jess trailing behind. I was tempted to just run out the door while I still couls, but my mom suddenly appeared behind me, and steered over to where the other moms were checking in. Scowling, I jerked my arm free, and headed over to Emma and Jess, who were gawking at the different choices.

"Oh, this one sounds nice," said Emma, pointing to some option on the page. "'A luxurious facial that replenishes nutrients and stimulates cellular regeneration.'"

"What does 'cellular regeneration' mean?" called Megan from across the room, rubbing yet another lotion into her hand. "I never really did understand the cell unit in biology."

Before Emma could answer, Mrs. Hawthorne called us all over. "Ok girls, its time to pick out of these options!" she held out 5 pamphlets for us to take. Leave it to Mrs. H to keep the Book Club on track, even on a non-book related event.

I scanned my piece of paper, frowning. I didn't even know what to buy when we went shopping, how did they expect me to pick something here? Slowly, one by one my friends trickled out, talking excitedly about their choices, while I just sat there dumb-founded. My mom finally walked over, and laughed. "Want me to choose something for you, Cassidy? You look a little stumped."

"I can pick out my own thing" I replied hotly, before grudgingly handing it over. My mom just smiled, quickly selected an option from the list and headed over to the receptionist. "Hey wait! What'd you pick?" I asked, starting to get nervous at not knowing what was in store for me.

"Something that you will love," she replied, then shooed me toward the door of the changing room.

Yeah, sure. Love as in would love to miss it.

I entered a room with big lockers all propped open, fluffy bathrobes hanging from a hook on each door. Various members of the book club were wrapped up like little marshmallows, still exclaiming over each individual detail. Off to the side was a door leading to the bathrooms and showers. Why were there showers? I thought. It's not like we are spending days or anything. I gathered up my bathrobe and headed to a stall to change.

When I returned, no one else was still in the room. Hastily, I shoved my clothes and sneakers into the locker, and shuffled out the only remaining door. This was turning out to just be weirder and weirder.

LATER

"Miss, if you would just follow me this way." The brunette with a green uniform said, motioning me through yet another door. I looked back longingly at my chair that had a cup of cider and cookies beside it. I would be fine with spending the rest of the day practicing my hockey drills with cookie crumbs, but the women who had called my name for my appointment looked like she wouldn't take no for an answer.

I entered a small, secluded room that had soft music echoing out of the speakers. In front of me was a strange table/bed thing that had one of those U-shaped pillows, and a neat stack of towels folded by small porcelain sink. The dark wood walls reminded me of hiking trips in the summer with my dad.

"If you could unrobe and lay on the table here." The attendant said, patting the table before turning her back. I stared at her, and cleared my throat uncomfortably.

"Um… what? I'm don't know what to do."

She turned back around, trying to hide her eye roll, but wasn't fast enough. I felt my face start to turn red, matching my hair.

"You simply remove your robe, and lay on the table face down here, covering your backside with the blanket." She said slowly, as if talking to a toddler. I glowered at her as he turned around, and I quickly did what she had said.

"Ok, I'm covered and what not. Now what?"

She stepped over me, and pushed my head down into the circular pillow. "Now you relax, and let all your negative energy flow away."

I snorted. As if that could happen while someone prodded my body like an animal. But as she first started on my neck, I jerked up so suddenly she actually jumped back, "Did you just take a meat hammer to my neck? Why did you do it so hard? Are you trying to hurt me before my match this weekend?" I exclaimed, rubbing the spot where she had touched me.

She looked at me like I was crazy. "What did you expect this to be, a party? You ordered the deep tissue athletic massage. And from what I felt on your neck, you really need it."

I looked at her bewildered. "Deep tissue what? Yes, I am a hockey player, but no sensible person can get that done without wanted to file a safety complaint."

She scowled, and crossed her arms. "Well, this is what you are signed up for, and this is what you are getting. There are no refunds, and if you leave, just think about your parents who paid for this for you. Your mom probably felt you needed a little release from stress of sports."

"Fine," I growled, turning back over and bunching my hands in the sheet. "Just be careful with my legs, I need those."

Slowly, she worked on my neck and shoulders, where I pretty much was screaming in the inside for her to stop, but I held my tongue. It's just like in conditioning practices, where you have to grit your teeth and wait it out. Plus, I didn't want Becca telling everyone at school that I couldn't handle a small massage. Talk about embarrassing.

More and more time passed, and I began to actually relax, shaking out my arms and feeling the lightness of them. This must be what Megan feels like, having no sports practice to add tons of tense muscle, I thought, grinning into my headrest. Man, it would suck to be her.

I thought it was going great, but then she reached my thunder thighs. Great bands of muscle stretched all round them from hours on the ice and weekend runs in the graveyard. I tried to prepare myself, but as soon as she began on my upper right leg, I couldn't help it. I felt my leg jerk as I twisted away from her with a yelp, feeling my foot connect with something rather soft, and heard a screech from the brunette. Turning, I found her on the ground cupping her nose in her hand.

"Oh my God!" she squealed, but it came out like "oh bah gawd!"

Mortified, I quickly got up and put on my robe, before trying to help her up. "Are you ok? I told you to watch out for my legs." She shook me off angrily, before drunkednly standing up and snatching a towel from the stack. "

"You broke bah nose!" Her face was smeared with blood, and she looked at me with what I could only describe as venom before reaching for the door handle.

"I'm sorry!" I cried, jogging after her down the hallway. "I'm sorry! Please, I-"

I burst into the lounge area to see the entire book club watching in shock. The attendant ran in to the bath room blubbering around her smashed nose, leaving the room dead quiet excetpt for the crackle of the fire.

"She tried to do an exfoliation, didn't she?" giggled Emma, gesturing to her own green mask.

My cheeks burned red as their laughter echoed around the room.

Suggestions for the other girls? Please R&R!