6

Monday morning came and I was cold with resolve. I greeted my Dad like nothing was wrong and feigned a smile before heading off to school. I was riding my bike most days, since I had wrecked two cars in the space of 6 months and my Dad needed his to go job hunting with his car.

I passed Adam's street and his truck was just pulling out of the Boathouse. He speeded up when he saw me, and came abreast of me as I rode. "Want a lift?"

It reminded me so much of the night we had bound the Circle that I half expected a streetlight to shatter. "I'm good."

"Are you sure? It looks like it's ready to pour."

I looked him full in the face before putting on a burst of speed. "Thanks, I'd rather ride. See you at school."

The big hill into town was coming up and I felt exhilarated as I picked up speed. Adam was stopped in high school traffic when I zipped by him at top speed and made it into the parking lot just as the rain started to fall. I locked up my bike and barely noticed when Adam fell into step beside me. "You have to talk to me sometime."

We reached my locker. "I'll give you this much: you're persistent."

His eyes searched mine. "I'm not giving up on friendship, Cassie."

I felt an invisible knife twist in my gut, and then I decided to tell him. "There was never a curse, Adam."

Adam's already fair skin went three shades of white. "Say that again?"

I leaned in slightly and whispered, "My Dad made the whole thing up."

"You're joking, right?"

My voice rose a little. "You think I'd willingly joke about something like this, Adam?"

Diana and Melissa gazed at us curiously but didn't interrupt as they passed by. "How?"

I raised my hands and let my fingers wiggle. "A little thing called magic."

"But he said he had none."

"And we believed him. He was lying about everything."

"How do you even know this?"

I wasn't ready to spill about Regina Matthews, so I just shrugged. "Word gets around."

"God, what do we do now?" The stormy emotions in his beautiful eyes stirred my own personal tempest, and I wanted to bury myself in his arms. I mentally pinched myself to stop feeling and bared my teeth in a smile.

"We stop him."

"And how will we do that if you're not practicing magic?"

"That ship has sailed. I'm all in now, Adam."

He started to reach for my hand but suddenly realized what he was doing and stopped himself. "I have to...I have class," Adam said, and backed away from me with shock still painting his emotive face.

Sally hugged me when she saw the emotional strain in my face. "Gran said it would be OK, and I believe her. You have to believe her too."

I remembered every crevice of those gnarled hands and the comfort that touch had brought me. "I do, I'm just not very patient."

"I know it's hard, but you'll find a way to overcome all of this. We have faith in you, Cassie."

And for some reason, those simple words meant more to me than the pile of platitudes that had been hurled at me. "Thanks, Sally."

Faye took her seat two rows over and stared between us with interest. "What are you two up to?"

"Plotting your early demise," Sally said.

Faye laughed at this quip. "You'll have to get in line."

Sally replied, "With pleasure."

She mouthed, "What's up with her?"

"That's just Faye being Faye," I said.

The teacher walked in and AP English began in earnest. I'd promised Sally study time after school, between my breaks at the coffee house.

I was walking toward my bike when Diana flagged me down. "Is it true there's no curse?"

"It's true," I said, not letting her see the tears trickling down my cheek.

"Who told you that?"

"Do you know of a witch named Regina?"

Diana nodded. "Of course. She does Tarot readings at the shop near the coffee house."

"She's also Sally's grandmother, and she has the lowdown on my Dad."

"Don't tell me Sally's involved in this, Cassie," Diana said in a warning tone.

"She was there when Regina laid it out for me."

"You know the rules about outsiders."

"And I also know that rules can be bent."

"How do you know she's not setting us up, or working with the witch hunters?"

I shook my head. "She's not. And if something happens, you can take my head off, OK?"

"And display it on a pike?" Faye said, interrupting our tense discussion with her usual shit eating grin.

"Right next to yours," I said, returning her smile in full force.

Diana didn't choose to clue Faye in, so I turned my back and hopped on my bike. They both watched as I put on my helmet and then I waved and rode off toward work.