The Wishing Well

Chapter 6

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! So, I am incredibly shocked and humbled by the sudden wave of awesome people who've asked me to update this story. :) I thought about it for a while because I definitely plan on editing the story sometime soon; my writing has improved so much since I wrote this. However, as I don't know when the editing will take place, I figured there's no harm in sharing what I do have now. Just expect me to update it at some point so it's shinier and more coherent!

Thank you so much for the kind comments and following! You have no idea how much the motivation has meant to me! Also, thanks for the patience. :)

-Mariella

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Something about the conversation with Ian made her brave enough to go into the schoolhouse without being dragged. The next afternoon she went by herself, coming in quietly so they wouldn't hear her. She knew they were in the back, and planned to slip in and out without being seen.

Olivia was in the entrance room, looking at the bookshelves and pondering. The very existence of this library was just too good to be true. It was one house that everybody shared, where they got together to have fun. Everything in it was theirs for the taking, as long as they gave something back. There had to be a catch, right?

Most of the books were used and torn, but the oldest were in shelves near the back. There were half-read paperbacks and even magazines. Olivia realized that with this variety, there could be a book here with answers about that stupid well. It just hadn't been found yet, but she would find it! Quickly she began to read the titles—even the half-read paperbacks—but was disappointed; nothing here was related at all.

Sighing, she took a step back, almost crashing into Averil.

“Olivia!” she exclaimed, looking shaken. “What are you doing here? You almost knocked me over.”

Great. I'm caught. “Sorry,” Olivia said hoarsely. “I decided to come for a visit.”

Averil's face brightened, so perhaps Olivia had gotten better at lying. “Then why didn't you come to the back?”

“I just, uh, got lost in thought. That's all.”

Averil grinned. “Ian, huh?” she asked.

Olivia stared at her, shocked, for several seconds. Maybe I used poor word choice. “Um...”

She rolled her eyes and explained, “I saw you two coming back from wherever yesterday. And I didn't say that's a bad thing. He's nice.”

Olivia’s mind was still jumbled. “Yeah,” she stammered. “But...”

“But?” Averil repeated, with a mischievous smile. Then she had mercy and changed the subject. “Find any books?”

“Nothing that would interest me right now,” Olivia replied steadily. She had to feign ignorance of the well's history, and felt paranoid that her voice might give something away. “Maybe later, when I'm out of reading material.”

Averil shrugged. “You have plenty of time. Come to the back.” She turned and headed into the other room.

“Well, I mean—” Olivia began uneasily, then gave up and hurried after her.

“There's food on the table there, if you're hungry.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

The blonde smiled widely and added, “This is your place too, now—follow me, or do whatever you want!”

She hoped her face showed some form of gratitude. “Thanks. I'll, uh...just go get some water.”

“Sounds good.” Averil hurried to join some girls who were talking in the corner.