Spell Book & Scandal

Chapter Sixteen

Mom and Dad insist on taking me home with them, even though I weakly suggest that I could just ride the bus and save them the trouble. Surprisingly, they are silent the entire drive home, and I hunch against the window in the back seat, wondering what kind of punishment they're cooking up for me.

When we pull into the driveway, Dad clenches the steering wheel for a moment before his fingers relax. He and Mom exchange a meaningful look, and then he nods slightly and gets out of the car. Mom doesn't say anything as she follows him up the porch, and I'm perplexed as I climb out of the car behind her. The wind chimes sound discordant as I follow my parents into the house. Without a word, Dad heads for his home office, and Mom glances at me over her shoulder before she walks into the kitchen.

I pause in the foyer, weighing my options. Are they trying to give me the silent treatment? I bite my lip, wondering if I should just drop it and pretend the whole mess never happened, but the back of my neck prickles at that idea. If I drop it, what if Mom and Dad bring it up again and ground me when I least expect it? I heave a sigh and then I decide to talk to Mom. She's usually less strict than Dad, and I'm sort of hoping that the heart to heart we had the other day at her school will stand in my favor when it comes time for her to think of a punishment.

Taking a deep breath, I move into the kitchen. Mom is leaning over her spell book, studying the pages intently. I shift on my feet for a moment, and then I cough, but she still doesn't look up. Confused, I cross to stand beside her and glance at the page she's looking at.

"Grandma's spell for healing soup?" I ask skeptically. "But nobody's sick."

Mom shrugs. "I haven't made it in a while, and sometimes, healing is about more than just having a cold."

I'm not sure what she's saying, but her voice is laced with meaning, reeling me in. "What needs healing?"

Her gold eyes meet mine, and I'm surprised at the sadness I see reflected in them. I swallow nervously as she studies me. Finally, she says, "Will you show me some of your spells?"

I stare at her, stunned. This so wasn't what I expected, and I stutter, "What?"

Calmly, she repeats herself. "I know you said you hadn't sold any yet, but I imagine you wrote a few to see if they were any good. Can I see them?"

I feel a twinge of guilt at her words, and I wonder if I should just confess that I lied, that I have been selling my spells, and that, by all accounts of the gossip chain at school, at least one of them has worked. But I swallow the words and shake my head. "I don't know if they're any good," I say, although the real reason I don't want to show her my spells is that I don't want her to see the hateful things I've written about Christina, or the spells I wrote for Miah that I didn't get to give him. I have no way to explain either of those things to her that won't get me in more trouble, so I figure it's better to keep it all to myself.

Mom studies my face. "I think you know they work," she says softly, "and I wish you'd let me see."

Resolutely, I shake my head, and she sighs.

"Shelby," she begins, tapping the book in front of her, "you know that your father and I love you for who you are, right?"

The change of topic throws me for a minute, and I just stare at her. Finally, I manage to make some kind of noncommittal sound in the back of my throat, and she smiles wryly.

"I know we push, Dad especially, but we will always be proud of you."

"Because you think I can finally scribe?"

"Because you're our daughter. I hope you realize that there's nothing you could do, no trouble you could get in, that will change that."

A lump swells up in my throat and I look away, trying not to cry. "That's hard to believe, considering."

"Considering what?"

The words spill out now, even though I know I should keep them inside. "Considering how much fuss you make about Christina. It's like magical ability is all anybody cares about in this family, and given my history with spells, I doubt you or Dad think I'm very good in that department."

"Shelby, we—"

The front door bangs shut and a cacophony of wind chimes fills the house. "Where is everyone?" Christina yells as she walks around the corner. She stops when she sees me and Mom bent over the spell book. "Tell me it isn't true!"

Mom glances at me and then we both look at Christina. "What isn't true?"

She narrows her eyes at me. "I heard on the bus that you were trying to scam the normies by selling spells."

My jaw drops. "How did you even hear about that?"

"So it is true! God, do you have to be so embarrassing?"

"Christina, that's enough," Mom says, her voice holding a note of warning. "Your sister thought about it, but she hasn't sold any spells."

Christina looks at me, her eyes boring into my soul, and I try not to squirm. "Then why did Carla Ray say yes when Seamus Osborne asked her out?"

I suck in my breath through my teeth. Seamus is the quiz captain; Christina has named the only couple I know for sure exists because of one of my spells. "Maybe she decided she likes brains instead of beef?" My words are flippant, but my voice has a telltale quaver in it, and I know Christina hears it.

"You are pathetic, you know that? First, it's not bad enough that I'm stuck with a dud of a sister who can't even scribe for me, but then you go and embarrass the family with a stunt like this? What is wrong with you?"

The tears I was holding back earlier overflow. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? We're sisters, or did you forget that fact? What gives you the right to treat me like garbage?"

"That's enough, you two." Mom's voice is quiet, but it has a lethal edge to it. I look at her, nervous, and beside me, Christina tenses. Mom eyes us for a moment, but then she directs her gaze to my sister. "Go upstairs. I don't want to hear you speak to your sister that way again, is that clear?"

Christina nods once and whirls on her heel, and I exhale, wiping the tears that are still on my cheeks. Mom turns her gaze to me, and her expression is sharp. I swallow nervously.

"Is this true?"

I wince. I could kill Christina for spoiling everything; Mom and Dad were ready to believe me about the spells, and this whole thing was about to blow over, but now it looks like Mom might boil over instead. I hang my head. "I did sell a couple of spells," I begin, but then I hurry to add, "I have no idea if any of them worked."

Mom presses the heels of her hands against her eyes. "Shelby, this is bad. How could you?"

"I didn't think anyone would care," I say, my words brittle. Because you never care about what I do; the only way you'd care is if I were Christina.

Mom shakes her head. "I need to speak with your father, and I need you to show me every spell you sold. Every single one of them," she repeats, her words like a death sentence.

"I can forward you the emails," I offer, feeling small.

She just nods and turns to leave the kitchen. "That's a good place to start. And Shelby," she says, turning to look at me over her shoulder in the doorway, "you're grounded."