Spells and Cinders

Chapter 12

The weekend went by in a flash, with Celia, Ruby, and Emily not remembering what happened to them during the party on Friday night due to my mother casting a small mind erase spell on them.

Now it was Monday afternoon, and I was on my knees, rummaging through my locker, desperately trying to find my chemistry notes for Mr. Fisher's pop quiz before the bell rang to signal the end of lunch, throwing old notebook paper onto the tiled hallway floor.

"You know there's a trash can right around the corner, Andi. You don't have to make the hallway floor your own personal wastebasket," someone said from behind me.

"I'm not in the mood, Graham. I need to find those notes. They're important for today's pop quiz."

"Sounds like the universe is trying to tell you something, Cinderella," he told me and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Again, with this Cinderella shit," I muttered underneath my breath and stood up, picking up the loose notebook papers off the floor. "Also what could the universe possibly be trying to tell me, Graham?"

Graham lifted my chin with his finger and grinned. "The universe is telling you, Andi Ella Wilson, to cut classes for the rest of the day and hang out with me," he said as his brown eyes seemed to sparkle.

"You want us to play hooky?" I questioned, eyebrows raised. "Leave the school grounds without permission?"

"Yes, Andi, exactly," he said to me, and when he saw I was hesitant, he continued, "You look like you could use a little adventure and fun. Something stupid, something thrilling for you. Just something different."

"But, Graham, I–"

"Come on, Andi. Cut classes with me, just this once, and I'll never ask you again. I promise." Graham tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind my ear and smiled at me, his eyes never leaving mine.

After some more hesitation, I smiled back at him and said, "Let's go."

Graham nodded his head and grabbed my hand. "Let's go."

Kicking my locker door closed with the back of my shoe, I let Graham lead me down the hallway that was about to be packed with students leaving the cafeteria and heading for their classes.

"Wait, Graham," I said, which made him stop walking and look back over his shoulder at me. "I forgot to put the combination lock back on my locker."

He rolled his eyes. "Way to kill the mood, Andi," he told me and dropped my hand. Reaching over, he grabbed the combination lock; I was holding and walked back towards my locker.

Seconds later, Graham was beside me again, taking my hand in his. "Our adventure awaits, Cinderella," he said and pulled down the hallway. We turned the corner and headed towards the gymnasium, where there was a door that led to the back of the school.

The sun beating down on us warmed my face, but the sudden gust of brisk February wind made goosebumps spread across my skin, and I started shivering. I zipped up my jacket and shoved my hands deep into the front pockets.

"Do you want to climb over the fence first, or should I?" Graham asked and eyed the long rustic metal fence in front of us. Not waiting for my answer, he added, "You know what, I'll go first, then pull you up."

"Um, Graham, you know there's a–" I started to tell him, but he cut me off.

"I mean, it would only be logical," he continued, "Alright, be ready to grab my hand so that I can pull you up, okay, Andi?" When I didn't respond, he called out my name again. "Andi?"

"What was that about you having to pull me up and over the fence?" I asked Graham, looking up at him with a smile on my face.

His eyes widened. "How did you do that? You were only right behind me a second ago."

"I walked through the door in-between the gate, genius." I rolled my eyes and watched Graham walk towards the door and open it.

"So, where are we going?" I asked.

"We're going to get some food and get to know each other a little better," he told me and took my hand in his again.

"So, like a date?"

"Not like a date, Andi," Graham said and winked. "We're going on an actual date."

• • • • •

"So, are you two ready to order?" Our waitress named Lorraine asked, holding a pen and pad of paper in hand.

"Yes. I'll have Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes and some fresh fruit," I told Lorraine, handing her the menu.

"Okay, and for you?" Lorraine asked, looking over at Graham.

"I'll have the country fried steak and eggs combo," he said, giving her his menu.

"Alrighty, I'll place your orders and have your food right out for you," Lorraine said, tucking the two menus underneath her arm and began walking away.

"So, any plans for after graduation?" Graham asked before taking a drink of his Diet Dr. Pepper.

"Why did you want me to go on a date with you, Graham?" I said, ignoring the question he asked me.

His eyes met mine, and he reached over, taking my hand in his. "I like you, Andi. I have since freshman year. You're the most fantastic person I know, so does that answer your question?"

I stared at Graham, my eyes wide. "I don't know what to say; I'm surprised, and to answer your question, I plan on attending local Danbury Community College and continue studying French," I told him. "What are your plans after graduation?"

"Well, I plan on attending nursing school and working with children, becoming a pediatric nurse. Ever since my little sister, Tara, got sick with Leukemia, I want to help children like my sister," Graham told me.

I stayed silent for a moment, not knowing how to respond. All of what Graham just told me surprised me. "Graham, I had no idea about your little sister," I said.

"Andi?"

"Yeah, Graham?"

"Would you like to go to the spring formal with me?" He asked me suddenly.

Wait, did he just ask me out on a date and to the spring formal? I thought, looking at him.

Letting out a deep breath and not letting my hesitation take over, I said, "Yeah, I would love to go to the dance with you."