Wiccan Wishes

Chapter Three: Wicked Words

I entered the cafeteria searching for my sister’s golden curls and disapproving face. I spotted her in the back corner where all of her nerdy soon-to-be-millionaire friends liked to isolate themselves. Sitting to my twin’s left was a regrettable looking girl named Lilly who was a little on the plump side with limp brown hair and an unfortunate complexion. Then to Alina’s right sat none other than Kai, the magnificent. Kai was the guy who every girl imagined they would one day be married to: safe, smart, and good-looking in a generic way. Kai was gawking at Alina like she alone was responsible for all things good in this world while my darling sister stared at me like I was the most despicable thing to ever dare crawl out of the primordial ooze.

“What crawled up your ass?” I asked as I rudely planted myself between Lilly and Alina.

“Don’t be crude, Rose,” Alina huffed while she continued to glare holes into my hide.

“You know who you are acting like right now, right?”

“I thought you quit smoking Rose.”

I blinked in astonishment before narrowing my eyes. I leaned across my sister to confront the pest sitting on Alina’s other side,

“You seriously snitched on me to get in good with my sister?”

“I didn’t snitch on you,” Kai replied calmly in a very quiet voice.

“Like hell you didn’t! I am gonna knock your teeth through the back of your throat.”

“I would really love to see you try.” Kai replied in a still quiet tone that made his words seem even more obnoxious. His answer threw me partially because he had never said anything to challenge anyone, and partially because I was certain I could kick his ass.

“Trying to look tough for your crush?”

“No, what is tough about fighting a midget with a death wish?”

“What did you just say?”

“Are you really that slow? Here I’ll say it another way, I find it is beneath me, a particularly strong athlete, to try and fight you, an exceptionally tiny little girl who has a desire to kill herself either by biting off more than she can chew or by giving herself lung cancer; whichever one comes first.”

I was about to jump across my twin and rip the jerk’s head off, but my sister moved to face me.

“Rose, will you just stop? You are impossible! Where else would you have been? Plus I can smell the smoke on you!”

I sat back and took in what she apparently thought I had coming.

“You can’t make it through one conversation without it turning into an argument. You can’t just sit and have a nice conversation with anyone can you?”

“You done?”

“Yes.”

“Good, I am out of here.”

“Rose, where are you going? Rose?”

I could still hear her as I threw open the back doors to the cafeteria and walked aimlessly passed the other buildings before reaching the clinic, and then I had a plan. I walked in putting on the most pathetic face I could muster.

“Do you need something Hun?” The nurse drawled from behind her desk.

“I feel really sick. Can I call my dad and see if I can go home?”

“Sure, here’s the phone, and can I get your name?”

I picked up the telephone and while giving the nurse my name, dialed the number of my old friend, Santino. The phone rang a few times and I feared he wasn’t going to pick up, but at last I heard his deep, heavily accented voice,

“Hello, Santino’s?”

“Hey, Dad. It’s Rose.” I had just finished the sentence when the nurse picked up the cordless to speak to my “Father”.

“Hello Mr. Green this is Ms. Benningfield. I am the nurse at your daughter’s school and Rose isn’t feeling well. Is it alright to send her home? Yes? Alright, she should be home soon then. You too. Goodbye.”

“He said yes?”I rasped in a pitiable voice.

“Yes, dear you may go.” I grimaced at her term of endearment before heading to the parking lot where my car sat. I had a 1988 Ford F150 painted a shiny black. I had worked every summer since I was fourteen cleaning shop for Santino before he would let me buy it from him. I opened the door and tossed my trashed messenger bag into the back seat before entering the vehicle myself. I had replaced the stereo with top of the line equipment, so when I cranked the engine and my truck came to life my speakers boomed. I could feel the cab shaking with the sounds of “Howl” by Florence and the Machine. I laughed at the irony before singing along. I was about to put my truck in gear when I loud knock sounded at my window. Twice in one day someone tried to give me a heart attack. My silver eyes, rounded with fear, turned to meet Golden eyes.Correction, twice in one day a teacher had tried to give me a heart attack. I stared at him for a moment as he stood in the drizzle which had literally just begun to fall. Mr. Wulf was sport a tight white button up shirt that clung to him in a very appetizing way and dark pants. Cooper tinted skin showed on corded forearms and his handsome face. I blushed realizing I had just spent the better part of a minute checking him out in a very obvious way. I rolled down my window feeling moisture hit my arm before he leaned into the space putting his head very close to mine.

“Where do you think you are going Rose?” His brown eyebrows lifted to almost to his light brown hair with hints of deep red. I thought about lying to him but I already had the pass to leave and there was nothing he could really do at this point.

“I am gettin’ the hell out of here,” I did put my truck in gear then, but he did not move, “Two options: Step back or I run over your feet. Make your choice and make it fast.”

The man growled deep in his throat, his amber eyes shining with anger.

“I know you are smarter than that Rosalina dear.”

I felt my own hackles rise at the name. I had been compared to the dirty old hag my whole life, but never mistaken for her. Rosemary and I had several things in common: red hair, bad tempers, and haughty attitudes. Despite the similarities there were stark differences that were the traits the old bat shared with my fraternal twin: grey eyes, keenness for the rules, and a perfectionist attitude.

“Look Mr. Wolf, my name is Rose not Rosalina. I understand you are probably suffering from memory loss or whatever being about a million years old, but this is not that hard to remember.”

The wolf leaned in even closer to me, his face barely inches from mine. His facial expression told me he was trying to decide if he found me highly amusing or highly annoying. I had a feeling annoying would win out.

“I see,” His words were barely a whisper and it threw me for a moment, “Well tell my dearest friend Rosalina that Rafe says hello, and that he will be in touch. Soon.” The wolf stood back and I drove out handing my attendance slip to the parking guard. It wasn’t until I hit the main road that I realized my music had shut off. I decided not to linger on it as I headed to my favorite place. Santino’s Auto Repair.