Page 5 of sWitch

I chuckled and realized, to my horror, that I hadn’t stopped smiling since she arrived on my doorstep. God, I was truly fucked, wasn’t I?

We were late for the film but still managed to get tickets and make it to our seats in the empty theater. Somehow, it was Fauna, Trevor, Mary Jane, and me, all seated in a row. Far from Bubblegum, but I could still lean over and watch her expressions during the cute parts of the movie. It seemed like an anime she would like—a cute little witch on cute little adventures.

Mary Jane took my hand in hers, reminding me that she existed, and it took everything in me not to swat her away.

She leaned over and whispered, “It’s our first proper date.”

Yeah, that my idiot, asshole brother forced me into. He knew it too, shooting me a smirk as he overheard MJ’s declaration. Scratch that—when I got home, I was deletingthirtyhours of his saved game. It didn’t want todateMary Jane. That was never what it was for me with her.

I slid my hand out of my date’s hold and instead put my arm around her chair, flicking my twin off as I did so. Fauna got up and tip-toed out, and I watched after her, suddenly antsy. “I’ll get you a glass of wine. Pinot Grigio?” I offered.

Mary Jane’s red lips smiled. “You remembered my favorite. Yes, please.”

Actually, I hadn’t remembered anything, it was just a lucky guess, but I’d take the points anyway.

“Get me a bag of peanuts,” Trevor whisper-yelled after me.

“Youarea goddamn bag of nuts,” I called back, to which he chuckled and leaned over to say something to Mary Jane.

Good. They were distracted, and I could find and casually bump into the runaway princess unicorn. She stood in the concessions line on her phone. White striped mini skirt, thigh high pink socks, tight little top covered in flowers; Fauna was so cute, I wanted to kick something.

Casually, I stood behind her and leaned down to murmur in her ear. “Craving something sweet?”

She let out a breath and turned, looking up at me with those big eyes. Her face flushed and she bit her lip. “It should be a crime to see a movie without popcorn and candy.”

“I agree. My brother is a doofus for not knowing that.”

Her little giggle warmed my chest, and she moved to stand close next to me. I bet my arm would fit perfectly around her. “You and Trevor couldn’t be more different. Ya know, even though you’re twins.”

“Add some disappointment to your tone, and you’d get along great with our parents— who heartily share that sentiment.” I nudged her arm, unable to keep from touching her in some way. The urge to be close to her was growing to an extreme level.

She huffed a laugh. “I hope to meet them someday and counteract that disappointment.”

I raised an eyebrow. “So you’re impressed by my charm and exquisite physique? Wonderful. Everything is going according to plan, then.”

“What plan is that?”

To seduce you and steal you from my brother.

The clerk interrupted my thought. “Next customer, please.”

Fauna fiddled with her heart-shaped wallet. “A big popcorn with butter and a bag of chocolate candies, please.”

I waved my knuckles against hers. “Add a blue raspberry slushy, pack of gummies, and a bag of peanuts to that, please.” I swiped my credit card through the machine.

“Thank you,” Fauna said, tucking her wallet back into her purse.

I looked down at her, liking the feeling of taking care of her. “You obviously need a slushy too, and more candy. It’s just common sense.”

We walked slowly back to the theater, her shoulder bumping into my arm as we walked. I wondered if the contact was on purpose or accident. As we took our seats, my brother and Mary Jane straightened, halting their hushed conversation.

“Wow, got enough junk food?” Trevor scoffed at Fauna, who sipped her slushy.

I reached over MJ with his bag of peanuts and whacked him in the face with them. “Buy her whatever snacks she wants next time. What kind of idiot forgets to get their girl concessions?”

“Where’s my wine?” Mary Jane asked.

Some little black cat made a snarky expression on the movie screen that my twin mirrored perfectly, opening his bag of nuts. “Yeah, Remy, where’s Mary Jane’s wine? What kind of idiot forgets that?” Luckily the theater was empty aside from us, because we were being loud.

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