A Darker Shade of Sorcery (Sample of now published novel.)

Chapter Nine

"Who's there?"

Brooke's voice rang unanswered.

Someone, or something, was watching her.

She was alone, but Brooke couldn't shake the feeling of unease. A creeping shiver whispered across her skin and lifted the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Johnny, is that you?"

Silence.

Cold sweat trickled down her back, tickling her spine.

"Seriously, Johnny, if you're doing some sort of prank again, I'll kick you in the balls so hard..."

She jumped out of her skin when her phone beeped.

You're such an idiot, Brooke. She opened her phone and saw a text from Kate. You're being paranoid, she told herself.

Usually she left school with a group of friends, but after a two-hour detention (which was seriously unfair), she had to walk home alone today.

Brooke would've never thought walking home alone would have scared her, especially with the sun shining in a cerulean sky.

But still, the feeling of unseen eyes plagued her.

She was alone on the sidewalk, which was weird for California. If she squinted, she could see a few figures on the beach far to her right, but that was it. Other than the warm winds rifling through her chestnut hair, everything was still.

As she turned the corner, her heart jolted as someone stepped out onto the opposite path. The road was wide and she couldn't make him out clearly, but Brooke could've sworn she saw him exhale purple smoke.

He was a young guy, around her age, and he was looking right at her. All she could make out was that he was blond, slim, and held a curious object from which the purple smoke rose. They made eye contact and a brilliant smile unfurled across his face. Brooke felt herself flush as he winked at her.
The stranger took a step toward her, but then something barrelled into Brooke from behind. She screamed instinctively.

"What the hell!"

Her best friend was the culprit, giggling that famous laugh of hers, reminiscent of an over-excited piglet.

"I got you so good, B."

Brooke glared at Kate before turning back to look for the boy. He was gone, but a thin trail of purple smoke still hung in the air where he'd stood.

"What you looking at?"

Kate peered over her shoulder, smiling like a moron.

"I just saw a hot guy. I think he was smiling at me."

"Oooh! And now he's run away?" Kate laughed.

"Yeah, he probably saw you coming."

Kate shoved her playfully. "A good thing too, guys are all jerks."

"Yeah, you won't be saying that next week, bimbo." Brooke shoved her back as they walked.

"Says you. Johnny was drooling over your 'luxurious golden legs' again and fantasising about your 'voluptuous lips'"

"He actually said that?" Brooke snorted.

"Yeah, he had a thesaurus for his English work. I doubt Johnny knew the word voluptuous beforehand. He mentioned your 'colossal' amber eyes as well. Anyway, I didn't find you to talk about boys, for once."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Party. Tonight. Be there," Kate ordered.

"Could you be a little more specific?"

"There's this epic underground rave, not far from here. Like, everyone's going. It's going to be amazing," said Kate as they stopped outside Brooke's house.

"How're we going to get in?"

Kate looked at her slyly. "Dress sexy. It shouldn't be too hard with your wardrobe."

"Oi, you usually tell me I dress like a boy."

"Just pick something cute," said Kate, "and don't waste time playing those stupid games instead."

"Hey, shoot-'em up's aren't stupid," Brooke argued.

"Whatever, I'll text you tonight's details when I know more."

"See ya' later," she grinned.

As usual, nobody noticed Brooke enter the house.

Her dad was in front of the TV, beer in hand, like she knew there would be.
She passed her sisters on the way to her bedroom but neither of them said a word. Brooke was used to it.

While she might be popular at school, she was a loner at home. She would've given anything for things to be the other way around. Her two older sisters had the run of the house, as her mom was always working abroad. Her mother was Puerto Rican and spent most of her time there. Mary only had time for her boyfriend and had barely acknowledged Brooke in weeks. Dana didn't speak to Brooke at all, just shouted at their father.

While her mom was a workaholic and barely ever in the house, her dad was a borderline alcoholic who spent all his time in front of the TV.

Brooke was eternally grateful for the escape school and her friends offered.

Things would be different if Adam was around.

Brooke ignored the voice in the back of her mind. Yes, things would've been different if Adam was still here, but they would've been worse too. Her brother hadn't ignored Brooke the way the rest of her family did, but everyone was forbidden to speak about Adam now, as if he'd never existed at all.

She entered her room, glancing at the walls filled with pictures and souvenirs of the past sixteen years of her life. She glimpsed the portrait Johnny had drawn of her last year. Although he'd missed out her big ears and the scar Adam had given her which made her forever look like she had a split lip.

A smile broke across Brooke's face when she glanced at the collage of her friends. But it soured when she heard her dad and Dana yelling at each other downstairs.

She slunk down on her bed and checked her cell; a message and four missed calls from her ex Ryan, accompanied by two texts from Johnny. She ignored them both. Ryan was too possessive when they were together, whilst Johnny had cheated on his past two girlfriends and she didn't fancy being the third.

Contemplating the stupidity of boys, Brooke threw her cell back on the bed and turned to her computer, quickly checking her emails.
Half an hour later, a message window popped up with Kate's name on it: Hey B. Get over to mine, now xxx.

Smiling, Brooke got dressed, applied a little make-up, made sure her hair covered her ears, and was ready to go.

She passed Mary again on the stairs, but her sister was on the phone and didn't even look at her. Brooke popped into the living room to tell her dad where she was going.

He only grunted, muttering unintelligibly.

"Okay dad, don't stay up," she called as she opened the door.

He grunted once again. Sighing, Brooke set off into the night. The feeling of unseen watchers, and the mysterious blonde boy, was far from her mind.