Page 49 of Spelling Disaster

I appreciate it more than I’m willing to tell him.

He’s stayed in his part of this. He’s done everything he’s promised to do, and delivered a smooth performance. I’ve got to silence my inner critic and participate in this if we want it to work. To sell it, as Theo said.

He’s my saving grace in this case. It’s time for me to step up and be that for him as well.

ChapterSixteen

“So.”

Theo’s voice startles me out of quiet contemplation and I jump, turning on him. “So, what?” I ask, my voice shaky.

“We might as well get to know each other a little better. As your boyfriend, there are certain things I’d know about you which I definitely don’t at this point.” His gaze turns questioning. “Do you want me to start or would you rather?”

Here I am acting like a nervous and shaking mouse. Rather than give into the undulating sensation in my stomach, a combination of excitement and worry, I channel Blaire. I channel Remi.

“There really isn’t much to my story,” I say. “I’m sure your life is much more interesting than mine. I was homeschooled and grew up in a library.”

There. That sets the stage without revealing too much about me. It will at least show him why I’m so good in class, why I’m much better with books than with people.

“You go,” I finish hastily.

“Well.” Theo draws out the word, facing ahead. “I didn’t want to come to this school. Nepotism at its finest, and not really a choice for me. I’m the oldest of four with three sisters. My father places a lot of expectations on me.”

“What’s it like to have such a big family? I only have one sister and she’s older than I am.”

“It’s a lot to take in some days. There’s always bickering, when Dad isn’t around. Lots of joking around and horseplay but love, too,” Theo admits. “Being the oldest comes with a lot of responsibility.”

“You know, I never had a witch cotillion,” I tell him, then instantly regret it. What is wrong with me? Talk about word vomit. Horrified, I hurry to recover. “I-I mean, my mother didn’t believe in dancing. So there were never impromptu dance parties or anything like that. Gotta keep quiet in a library.”

Theo stops dead in his tracks. “We’re going to have to fix that.”

I huff out a chuckle. “What? You’re going to throw me a cotillion?”

“Nothing so extravagant, but one of those dance parties you’re talking about? Entirely doable. I’m a pretty great dancer.”

“I’m sure you’re great at everything,” I reply.

He shakes his head. “Definitely not everything. Especially if you talk to my parents. They’ll tell you how things that are supposed to come easily for a guy like me have always been a bit of a struggle instead.”

I like getting to know him. I also have a hard time believing there are things that Theo is not good at doing. Then again, he’s the one who needs a tutor. And I liked the sound of dancing with him.

“We’re going to have to test your moves and see if you can back up such a bold claim,” I tease.

We stop in front of the door to what looks like a gardener’s shed just to the right of the greenhouse where the school grows herbs and flowers for potions.

No one is around yet, it’s just the two of us.

His smile remains reassuring as he pushes open the front door to the life and noise inside the space.

He leads the way inside where TVs are playing, silently, casting bright images against the walls. Pop music plays instead of the noise from the shows. Surprising, I think as I look around. We’re adjacent to the student campus parking and a good walk away from the main buildings but the inside is a mixture of 1950s diner and a modern-day Waffle House.

Which I only know because Blaire showed me one when we went out the first time.

Some kind of spell cast on The Shed makes the interior much more spacious than you’d guess from the outside. There are booths along both walls and the middle of the floor is a black-and-white checkered tile. Definitely embracing the fifties-diner vibe. I imagine people strolling between the booths with a pad and a pencil ready to take orders, or a short-tempered chef slapping burger patties down on a sizzling grill.

It’s an experience, and nothing like anything I’ve seen before.

Theo jerks his chin and we take a seat in one of the booths, both on the same side. My heart clutches as he slides closer and closer and I’m stuck between the wall and him.

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