Crushing on the Wrong Joshua (10 page)

“Sounds like a plan,” Joshua said.

His fingers entwined with hers as they made their way to the table. Amber spotted Tamara standing in line. She waved at her, but Amber pretended not to notice. Tamara would join them soon enough.

“So I was wondering,” Joshua said.

Amber tilted her head to the side and studied his brown eyes.

“Yes?” Amber said.

“I was wondering would you go to the dance with me?” Joshua asked.

Amber's heart raced and she could hear the blood pumping in her ears. Whoosh! Whoosh! Thump. Thump. She focused on the sounds as her brain tried to wrap itself around the question.

“I can't,” Amber said.

“Okay,” Joshua nodded, looking down at the table.

“It's not that I don't want to, because I do. It's complicated,” Amber said.

“Girls always claim everything is complicated,” Joshua chuckled.

“No, this particular situation is very complicated and unbelievable, because it almost shouldn't be possible,” Amber said.

“What you have a secret boyfriend from Mars or something?” Joshua asked.

“That would be much simpler. We can go with that answer, if you like,” Amber said, attempting and failing at a smile.

“So you're already seeing someone?” he asked.

Amber's mind flashed back to the kiss they shared in the hallway.

“No!” she said quickly, “It's not like that. I'm not like that. I wouldn't have kiss... Just I'm not like that,” Amber said, “If I told you the truth you wouldn't believe me.”

“Try me,” Joshua said.

“I'd love to,”
Amber thought to herself.

Joshua Nelson walked by the table with Sandra attached to his arm. Amber glanced at him, but didn't swoon.

“You're the one who caused this
,” Amber thought to herself as she watched him walk by.

“You're not still caught up on him like you were in sixth grade, are you?” Joshua asked.

“No!” Amber said. Her words coming out more sharply than she intended, “Not anymore. Something cured me of that.”

“Yeah, I think she finally realized how dense and shallow he is,” Tamara said, as she took her normal seat at the table.

“Yeah, totally,” Amber said, springing to her feet, “The line's short now. We should go get lunch.”

“Yeah,” Joshua said following her.

Amber and Tamara exchanged a look of arched eyebrows, that said they totally had to have a talk soon.

“So what's really up, Amber?” Joshua asked.

“It's complicated,” Amber sighed.

“You're not going to tell me are you?” Joshua asked.

“No, because you wouldn't believe me anyway,” Amber said looking away.

“How do you know that?” he asked, “You're not even going to give me a chance?”

“Fine,” Amber sighed, looking around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation, “You only like me because of a love spell.”

Joshua studied Amber's face for a moment and then deciding it must be a joke, burst into laughter.

“I'm serious, Josh,” Amber said.

“You expect me to believe you're a witch and you cast a love spell on me? If you were a witch you would have cast a spell on Nelson to make him like you a long time ago,” Joshua said.

“Actually, I don't think I'm a witch. Not like a real one anyway. I've never done anything like this before, but I did cast a spell. You're right it wasn't on you. I was aiming for Joshua Nelson, but it hit you. He lied about his favorite color and the lie he told just happened to be your favorite color,” Amber said.

“You can't be serious,” Joshua said.

“I am,” Amber said with a shake of her head, “I told you that you wouldn't believe it. That's why I should have left it alone. I should have left it at 'It's complicated'.”

“I don't think I'm under a spell, Amber, and that's something I'm pretty sure I would know,” Joshua said.

“How? Are you a witch?” Amber asked.

“No,” Joshua laughed, “Believe me. The spell you cast, didn't make me like you.”

“How do you know that?” Amber asked.

“I just do,” Joshua shrugged, “What does any of this have to do with the dance anyway?”

“A lot. I can't keep doing this. It's not right. It's not  fair to you. If you only like me because of the spell,” Amber sighed.

“What if I told you, I didn't care whether it was a spell or not?” he asked.

“That would be the spell talking,” Amber sighed.

“What do I have to do to prove that I'm not spellbound?” Joshua laughed.

“Help me figure out a way to break the spell,” Amber said.

“Fine, we'll meet at the library on Friday and try to figure something out. I have to work every evening until then,” Joshua said, “But say we break the spell and I still like you, will you go to the dance with me then?”

“If you still like me after the spell is broken, I'll go to the dance with you,” Amber said.

“By the way, plan on being my date for the dance,” Joshua laughed.

“What makes you so sure you're going to like me after we reverse the spell?” she asked.

“Some things you just know,” Joshua said.

After school Amber stood by the stone pillar listening to Tamara ramble about Doug while they waited on their rides.

“He said yes! Then when we talked in Chemistry he said he wanted to ask me out, but had been too shy. He thought I'd say no! Girl, do you hear that? That's why us girls have to learn to go for these guys! They're chickens,” she laughed.

“I'm not so sure I would want to date a chicken,” Amber laughed.

“Whateva,” Tamara laughed, “So are you going to the dance with Joshua?”

“Maybe. If he still likes me after the spell is reversed,” she said.

“Amber, BFF, girl, tell me you didn't tell him about that stupid spell? Tell me you didn't. No, you can't lie to me. You did. Why did you do that?” Tamara groaned.

“It was only fair, Tamara,” Amber said.

“Is he still talking to you? Did he run away from you like you were a total psycho?” Tamara asked.

“No, actually, he still wants to go to the dance with me,” Amber said.

“Then either he's psycho or he really likes you,” Tamara said.

“Of course he does. At the moment at least. Remember he's under a spell,” Amber said, “There's Dad. I have to go.”

“See you tomorrow,” Tamara said

Friday

“So how are we going to reverse the spell?” Joshua asked, deepening his voice in a corny attempt at sounding spooky.

“You're vampire impression needs work,” Amber laughed, “but that's the problem I don't know how to reverse it.”

“And the library is supposed to help us?” Joshua asked.

“Well, it all started here,” Amber said.

“That it did,” Joshua laughed.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Amber asked.

“Nothing,” Joshua shrugged, “I was just agreeing with you. Why don't we go across to the plaza and get something to eat before we start searching for the magic g
rimoire.”

“We only have a few hours to look,” Amber said.

“Yeah, and if my stomach is growling I'm going to be useless,” Joshua said.

“Fine, but you're buying,” Amber said.

“Starting to take advantage of your love spell victim, I see,” he chuckled.

“What? No!” Amber said, “Never mind. I'll look and you can go eat.”

“I was just joking, Amber,” Joshua said and took her hand in his, “I already told you I wasn't under a spell. So you can't take advantage of me that way, but I will buy you dinner.”

“Good, because not all of us have jobs with our fathers,” she laughed, “and there's still a bit of time before I turn sixteen and can get a job.”

“Come on,” Joshua said, but before moving towards the exit he brushed his lips against hers quickly, stealing a kiss.

The restaurant was empty except for an old couple sitting at a corner booth. Amber watched them as they waited for the waitress to seat them. They were holding hands across the table and the old woman was laughing, Amber assumed at a joke her husband had told.

“Right this way,” a blonde waitress said appearing in front of them, “My name is Rachel and I'll be your waitress. Party of two or are you expecting more guests?”

“It's just us,” Joshua said.

“Follow me,” Rachel said.

Amber frowned at Rachel's natural blonde curly hair as they followed her.

“Wish my hair looked that good,” she thought to herself.

After they ordered Amber tapped her fingernails idly against the table trying to kill the silence.

“So how did you get into spell casting?” Joshua asked her.

Amber took a deep breath and launched into the story. She told him everything, except that it was the spell's failure that made her lose interest in the other Joshua. She also left out the part about her bagging up her Joshua Nelson memorabilia but being unable to take it out to the trash.

“Weird,” Joshua said, “I bet it Mrs. Galiey in costume or something. Maybe she's the real witch.”

“I don't think so. I mean she knows about a lot of things, but she doesn't look like the sort of person who has a secret that big,” Amber laughed.

“You never know. Some people are like that. You think you know them, but you don't. My dad owns an auto parts store, but he also spends three hours every night playing the cello,” Joshua said.

“Really?” Amber asked, “Music must run in the family.”

“Yeah, I tried the violin, viola, and cello when I was younger, but didn't like them. I couldn't get into them. Then I started with guitar and I like it so far. I don't have my father's patience,” Joshua chuckled.

Amber blushed when Joshua reached across the table and entwined his fingers through hers. For a moment she studied their interlocked fingers. She was going to miss him when the spell was over, after all he was the first guy she had ever really held hands with. The few others had always been hands cupped. That wasn't really holding hands. It wasn't real handholding until fingers were laced.

"Besides singing what other talents are you hiding?” Joshua asked.

“I'm decent at acting. I always ace drama class anyway,” she laughed.

“Do you plan on acting professionally?” he asked.

“No, I'm not pretty enough,” Amber shrugged, “I'm not being all self-depreciative to get compliments either. I'm just not Hollywood material.”

“I think you're pretty enough,” Joshua grinned, “but I don't think you'd like Hollywood. You tend to avoid large groups of people and if you were a famous actress you'd be surrounded all the time.”