Page 40 of Spelling Disaster

Gus scurries from his hiding spot, up my arm, to perch on my shoulder. Already alert with his whiskers twitching and his eyes on some point across the room.

“What’s the matter?” I ask.

The protection spell is wearing off, he says.You’ve got to spell another one before you go to class today. There’s something looming. I’m not sure what it is.

“You feel it?”

Don’t you?

Looming—I don’t like the sound of that.

Taking a second when I want to panic, I tune into the energies of the room and my own intuition. I don’t feel what he does but if Gus is worried enough to tell me, then it’s best to be on my guard and aware today.

Understanding his concern, I make quick work redoing the protection spell and his cold nose presses on my cheek.

“Thanks,” I say out loud. “You’re the best. What would I do without you?”

Suffer?I’m not sure.

He’s always looking out for me, watching and making sure I’m cared for. I don’t know what I’d do without him.

With the protection spell back in place, I stand in front of the closet to grab a clean uniform.

“You know what today feels like?” I ask Gus. I hold the hanger with my blazer out in front of me. It’s a step up from granny chic but not by much. “It feels like it’s time for a makeover.”

You’ve made the decision already, huh?

“It’s been a long time coming, too. Remi had been hounding me for years about dressing my age. I’ve already made up my mind. Everyone wears a uniform here. The basic look can remain the same but maybe I can spruce up the rest of things.”

And look a little more like the girl who might actually draw the attention of a guy like Theo. Not that there’s anything wrong with me and the way I look.

It’s past time. I’ve been thinking about a makeover since Blaire started telling me about her transformation magic. How the women she helped in the past told her she worked wonders. How much better would I feel, about myself, about being here, if I was confident in my outward appearance?

The saying is to dress for success.

I’ve dressed like a hermit.

There’s no reason to own anything nice when you work in a library. I never got out and I never saw anyone besides the coven members. Mom made sure to keep me isolated from the rest of the community, and loving books the way I do, escaping into them, I never minded. Much.

Now everything is different.

The only dress code was work casual at the library and the only people who saw me on any daily basis were Mom and Remi.

Being here might be a kind of imposed exile but there is no reason for me to not make the most of it, which starts with my appearance.

I glance at my watch. I’ve got just enough time to hit the campus store. I’ve always seen Remi wearing cherry lip gloss. She’d smack it across her lips, shoot me a smile, and go on with her day like she’s about to take over the world. Maybe that’s what I need, too.

It’s a small start, but it’s definitely a start.

“Stay here and hide,” I tell Gus. “I’ll be right back.”

You want to change out of your pajamas first? He laughs at me as I shake a leg, literally, staring down at my navy-blue pajama pants dotted with little polar bears.

“Yeah, it might be helpful.”

A few minutes later, I’m on my way to the campus store.

It’s not a huge space but I know they have a few toiletry items and makeup pieces in the back. Heading in that general direction, I force a smile on my face. Even when I overhear two girls chatting over a row of water bottles.

---