Red Magic

Chapter 2

As always, Kali looked like she should be greeting people just getting off the plane in Hawaii. Her gorgeous black hair was tied up in a complicated braid and she was dressed like she was on island time too, wearing a floral dress that showed off her long dark legs.

Next to her best friend, Red usually felt like the ugly little sister. Even under Kali's long-suffering fashion advice, Red's clothing consisted of plain, black yoga pants, sneakers and t-shirts. But Kali had never said a bad word about Red's out of control hair, and Red loved her for that.

The girls rushed across the street and into school. They slowed down when they realized they wouldn't miss the first bell.

"So, what's the plan for your party?" Kali asked.

Red frowned. "Don't ask."

"Red, it's in two days."

"I know," Red snapped. Then she added, "You know my mom."

Kali just nodded.

Pushing the pile of frizz on her head behind her ear, Red smiled as she walked by Lukas' locker. Lukas smiled back, emphasizing his sharp cheekbones. Red was giddy by the time she reached her own locker, still smiling at Lukas. She only looked away to open her lock, but before she could dial her combination, the lock fell open in her hand. "What is with things opening today?" She muttered.

Red didn't have time to worry about it though. Lukas was closing his locker and coming toward her. Picking up her backpack, she shoved in a few textbooks, pushed her hair behind her ear again, and waited until he was right beside her before offering her best surprised, "Oh, hi, Lukas."

"Hi, Red," he offered in return.

She liked the way he said her name, like it was a secret between them. A delicious shiver went through her as their eyes met. Then, her hair escaped her ear and flopped into her face. I hate this stupid hair, she thought as she pushed it out of her eyes again.

The bell rang and Lukas waved as he walked away.

Red sat through English and Geography, alternating between thinking about Lukas and the dumb birthday party her mother was planning.

After the next bell, she dragged her feet to the girls' locker room. PE was Red's least favourite class, especially when they played dodge ball. She always got hit in the first 10 minutes and then had to sit through Coach Wimble's 'keep your eye on the ball' pep talk.

She took her time changing, enviously watching all the ponytails swooping down in perfect arcs bouncing into the gym. Red's ponytail looked like she had been playing with electricity. She stood in front of the mirror, closed her eyes, and imagined long, sleek, straight hair. She felt her scalp tingle, like it wanted better hair too.

Coach Wimble's whistle blasted the two-minute warning and Red's eyes snapped open. Staring at her in the mirror was someone she didn't recognize, someone with straight hair with gorgeous auburn highlights. Red looked over her shoulder, assuming someone had come back into the locker room, but it was empty. Slowly, she returned her eyes to the reflection in the mirror.

Blinking once, then twice, Red realized that she was staring at herself.

The whistle sounded again from the gym. Red raised her hands to tie her hair up, and in a flash it was back to an uncooperative tangle. Jogging to the gym, she decided she should probably do something permanent to fix her hair, because clearly her subconscious needed a change.

Lukas was shooting the dodge ball into the basketball net with friends when Red entered the gym. Red did not want to be on his team. It was one thing to get hit with the ball five minutes into class. It was another to disappoint Lukas. She breathed a sigh of relief when he got a blue pinny and she got a red one.