Southern Charms

St. Augustine

"What are you doing?"

"She's sliding under the table."

"I can see that. I want to know why."

"Then why didn't you ask why instead of what?"

Ash and Willow bickered across the table, but I could tell from the tone of their voices, it was all in good fun. I had to go by the tone of their voices because I couldn't see their faces. It was an unfortunate consequence of sitting so low in the vinyl booth.

When we entered the tiny town of St. Augustine, I'd felt relieved to be surrounded by objects and places comforting in their normalcy. The post office, its clapboard facade freshly painted white, sat just across the city line, the building one of the oldest in the town. Thin navy blue shutters edged tall windows on the front, and the double glass door had the words post office etched across it in bright, block letters. To make it picture perfect, hanging baskets filled with purple petunias hung from the curved portico.

I passed the building every morning and every afternoon during the weekday. It would look right at home on a postcard- in fact, I'm sure it graced several already. People would see a picture like that and imagine sitting on front porches, drinking lemonade, and swatting away lazy mosquitoes in the summer twilight. Just what the city wanted you to imagine.

 All the signs after the post office, directed tourists to the town square. There, they would find a time capsule- the place perfectly preserved to draw visitors back to the genteel southern past. St. Augustine's Preparatory School for Girls perched on a hill just above the square, giving its students a scenic view throughout the year.

But we didn't follow the signs to the square. Ash and Willow, not used to being about in the real world, wanted to experience St. Augustine as its citizens experienced it. As I experienced it on the rare occasions I ventured out with Flannery.

I watched their faces as Ash navigated the pothole riddled two lane road. What started out as curiosity soon morphed to dismay as the cheerful homes closest to the tourist portion of town gave way to sagging houses and rusting double-wides. The few businesses still open sported barred windows and signs with buzzing lettering. Those were the ones doing well. Some abandoned the neon signs, and pieces of paper with the company name scrawled across were taped to grubby, busted glass or thick boards.

People walked along the streets. Many carried grocery bags or held the hand of a child. Most waved at us when we passed by. Every now and then, a well-tended to business or home would appear, but within seconds, it was swallowed by its impoverished neighbors.

We reached a road lined with fast food options, and even with the windows closed, I could smell the grease in the air. I asked Ash to pull into the parking lot of Hastee Tastee's, a local favorite. Nearly thirty minutes had gone by since I'd thrown up, and the lack of substance in my stomach was causing it to make obscene noises.

Two minutes after placing an order, I spied a familiar face pulling into the parking lot, which is how I found myself practically sitting on the floor.

"Rose?" Ash's face appeared beneath the table ledge. "Are you alright?"

"Shhh," I said, shaking one hand at him while feeling across the table with my other. When I felt a fry beneath my finger, I snagged it and brought it to my mouth. "Don't say my name so loud."

Willow handed me another fry as she looked around the restaurant. A blind person would've known she was searching for someone. "Alright, chica. Who are you trying to avoid?"

I glared up at my friend. "Y'all... Just eat and leave me be."

"If we don't know who you're trying to avoid, how are we supposed to know it's safe to leave?" Ash asked.

Damn the boy. He made sense.

"Do you see the guy who came in just after we ordered? Tall, dark skin. Black rimmed glasses."

"I see him. Ooh girl. He's handsome."

"Is he an ex?" Ash asked. I thrilled at the hint of displeasure in his question.

"Oh gosh, no. Charlie would never give me the time of day. He's my friend Flannery's older brother. He goes to Ole Miss, but he usually comes home on the weekends when his dad is working offshore."

"Did he do something to you? Is that why you're hiding from him." From my hiding spot, I could see the hand sitting on Ash's lap clench into a fist. Thin tendrils of smoke wafted through his fingers.

"No! I-it's just... I told Flannery I couldn't hang out this weekend because I was grounded. If Charlie sees me, he'll tell her, and she'll get her feelings hurt." My life at home was bad enough. I didn't want to ruin the bright spot of my week by creating tension at school.

"Ah, that makes sense." Willow dunked her fry into some ketchup. "So what do we do? You want us to conceal you so we can get out of here?"

The memory of her magic tightening across my skin was too fresh, and I nearly gagged. "No, no. Just tell me when they leave."

"Could be awhile. He just got his food, and I think he's studying."

I groaned and sank lower. Only the stains and sticky spots on the floor kept me from dropping all the way to the ground. My pride was already down there anyway.

"He's definitely buckling in for a few hours then."

Flannery often complained about her studious brother. Before she could drive, she would beg him to take her out on the weekends, but he rarely agreed, too busy pouring over books. Solidly middle class, their family had always planned on Charlie and Flannery going to college, but he once confided to me during a rare moment we were alone, that he wanted to get a full ride so his parents could take the money they saved for his school and put it towards a new home in a city far away from St. Augustine.

"We could sneak out of here? Willow and I can make a wall?"

I pondered the idea. Ash was certainly tall enough. Willow... well, I'd just have to walk real close to Ash. It would be a hardship, brushing against those hard muscles and smelling his woodsy scent, but a girl had to do what she had to do.

"Okay, but we gotta be quick. Y'all get out first."

There was some squeaking and shuffling, and Willow must've known she wouldn't provide much of a screen because she moved out of the way for Ash. He lowered his hand and helped me to my feet, drawing me close to him as I stood.

"Just to make sure," he said, tossing me a wink.

"Of course."

"Y'all should go ahead. I kinda want one of these milkshakes."

"I want a malt," I said, twisting in the arm Ash had conveniently tossed around my shoulder.

"How do I do that? Is it one tap or two?"

"There's no tapping. Just, never mind. We can go through the drive thru." We had stopped right in front of the exit, and while I couldn't see Charlie with Ash blocking him, I was terrified he would hear my voice.

Willow pouted. "But I wanted the entire experience. You ordered the food."

"Willow," Ash snapped, tightening his grip. His thumb moved along my shoulder, offering comfort- almost as if he could tell my heart was thudding like thunder in my chest.

"Whatever."

"Okay, good. Let's go," I turned back around and nearly fainted on the spot.

Standing in the doorway, hands on her generous hips, was my human best friend. And if she had been a witch, whose looks could actually kill, I would've been dead. No questions asked.

"Thought you were grounded."

Well, rats.