Scent of Magic (6 page)

Starley and Rue sat together at lunch every day. Sometimes a few other girls sat with them, other times it was just the two of them. One day, Starley heard a loud commotion outside the cafeteria.

"Wonder what's going on out there?" Starley said. She stood on her toes, craning her neck to see. "Rue, let's go check it out."

Rue looked at her chips and sandwich longingly. She sighed and hopped to her feet to tag along.

Starley pushed through the cluster of people gathered around a girl. Several people watched as a trio of girls shouted and pointed fingers.

"Who is she?" Starley whispered.

"Beatrice Freeman," Rue said.

Beatrice had moved to Prosperity the previous year and had the misfortune of Hamilton Landry asking her out on a date. Not a big deal, except for one small problem. Hamilton already had a girlfriend. Elise Garner.

Beatrice hadn't known; she had been totally innocent. Elise found out and became furious. She went after Beatrice with a vengeance. Elise, the queen, and her three best friends, the royal court, had been constantly looking for ways to make Beatrice's life a living nightmare ever since. They were always doing unbelievably mean and vicious things to her.

Starley gritted her teeth and started forward to break it up. Rue put her hand on Starley's arm and shook her head. "No," she mouthed.

"We can't just stand here and do nothing!" Starley said and pulled free of Rue's hold.

Rue bit her bottom lip and hugged herself. She knew this wouldn't end well if Starley stuck her nose where the royal court didn't think it belonged.

"What's going on here?" A male voice boomed authoritatively.

The crowd dispersed like cockroaches after the lights are turned on in the middle of the night.

Beatrice cowered on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest. Tears flowed down her cheeks, and she had a trickle of blood smeared at the corner of her mouth. Mr. Eriksen, the Gym teacher, reached his hand out and helped her to her feet.

Starley blinked when she saw who Mr. Eriksen was. He wore a shiny golden crown and a cape of some sort. She glanced around, half expecting to see the white horse he'd ridden in on when he came to Beatrice's rescue.

Rue elbowed Starley. "Close your mouth and stop gawking."

Starley clicked her teeth together and shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Prince freaking Charming."

"Come on, can we finish our lunch now?" Rue asked.

Starley ignored Rue and went toward Beatrice. Starley handed her a business card from The Perfumery. "I'm Starley Duchesne. Come to this store after school today. You should meet my sisters."

Starley didn't give Beatrice a chance to respond before she turned on her heels and went back to the cafeteria.

"I know you meant well, but to stick your nose in that situation would have been social suicide," Rue said to Starley.

"So, what, I'm just supposed to stand around and watch them torment her that way and not do anything?" said Starley.

"You're creative, Starley. I'm sure you'll think of some way to help Beatrice without painting a big bullseye on your back," Rue said.

A faint smile crossed Starley's face. Isn't that why she'd handed Beatrice the business card? Juliette and Francesca would know how to fix the problem, and no one would suspect a thing. "I'm on it."

"By the way, if one of your sisters could maybe do something to Elise Garner and those skanky friends of hers, I'd be totally all for it," Rue said.

Starley chuckled. "Francesca always says there's no need for revenge. We just have to sit back and wait, and those that hurt you will eventually screw up all by themselves. If you're lucky, you'll get to watch."

After school, Starley ran home to take care of Poe and Larry. She put on her rollerblades and headed off toward The Perfumery.

"What's on your mind, Starley?" Juliette asked as soon as she noticed Starley's pinched forehead.

"Today, at school," Starley started. She sat down on the counter and tugged off her skates, exchanging them for her running shoes. "I stood by and watched some girls bully another girl until she was in tears, and I didn't do anything to help her."

"Oh, that isn't good," Francesca said.

Starley hopped down from the counter and began to pace the shop. "I know. I started to help, but Rue warned me to mind my own business, she said if butted in, those girls would turn on me, and I'd be as bad off as Beatrice -- the girl they were picking on."

"She was probably right," Juliette said.

"I know, but that doesn't make it any easier," Starley said with a sigh. "I gave her a business card for The Perfumery and invited her to come in."

Francesca tapped an ink pen against her lips. She did that when she thought. "I've never helped a victim of bullying before."

Starley scowled. "But you will, right?"

"I think what Francesca is trying to say is that she's not a hundred percent sure there's anything we can do for her," Juliette said.

"There must be something," said Starley. "If we don't do anything to help, then we're no better than the girls who do the actual bullying."

"Now, if you could ge
t
 
the
m
 
to come in..." Juliette said. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Juliette," Francesca cautioned. "Do not encourage her. You know yourself that Karma's a wicked foe."

"There has to be a way we can help," Juliette said draping her arm over Starley's shoulders. "Don't give up Squirt. We'll figure something out."

In spite of Juliette's words of encouragement, Starley still felt defeated.

"So, if you didn't stop the bullies, who did?" Francesca asked.

Starley pushed her glasses up and smiled. "Prince Charming, of course."

It was nearly closing time before Beatrice finally walked through the front doors. Starley had wondered if she would show up.

"Hello," Beatrice said quietly. She was a very pretty girl, and it was easy to see why she had attracted all the attention as a new girl in town. Maybe in another life, she had been a strong, confident soul. Now, she just seemed so … defeated.

Starley grasped Beatrice's hand and tugged her forward. "Juliette, Francesca, this is the girl I was telling you about. Beatrice, meet my sisters."

Beatrice took a couple steps and faltered. "I don't know why I'm here."

"You're here because Starley invited you," Juliette said, reaching toward the girl.

Beatrice shook Juliette's hand and nodded. "I guess."

The vile images that flashed in Juliette's inner eyes made her sick to her stomach. How human beings could be so cruel to other human beings was beyond her comprehension. The thought
,
 
poison them with their own medicine
, flashed before her like a mental ticker-tape.

"I have an idea," Juliette said quietly.

Francesca's eyebrows shot up. "Do tell, sister dear."

Juliette winked. "Beatrice, I have the perfect perfume for you. You're going to just love it. The only thing is, well, I need to place an order for a special ingredient. Would you mind waiting a few days?"

Beatrice blinked, and she looked like she might say no, so Starley linked elbows with her. "Of course! What's a couple of days to wait for perfection, right?" She infused her words with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, hoping it would be contagious.

It must've worked. "You're right! I can wait a few days, no problem," Beatrice said.

"That settles it then. I'll get the order placed first thing in the morning. Tomorrow's Tuesday," Juliette said, shooting Francesca a look. "How does Friday after school sound?"

"Great! I'll see you then," Beatrice said and started to leave.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow," Starley called out.

"Yeah, see ya!"

The Perfumery business began to thrive, and had several repeat clients. Francesca was over the moon happy, but Juliette remained cautiously optimistic. Juliette spent most of her time checking and rechecking figures.

"Why on earth did you tell that girl, what was her name? That you'd have something for her by Friday?" Francesca asked, planting her hands on her hips. "This might be one of the dumber things you've done."

"Oh, are you really going to go there? Compare notes on stupid moves?" Juliette asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, so far, this move has proved to be profitable, wouldn't you agree," Francesca asked nodding at the ledger where Juliette had her nose stuck.

"So far, yes," Juliette agreed. "And to answer your question, about
that girl
, Beatrice, I know what I'm doing."

Francesca shook her head. "I hope so. Are you going to let me in on the big secret?"

"It's no secret, really," Juliette said.

The bell over the front door jingled, interrupting their discussion.

"Good morning, ladies," Pastor Byrd greeted.

"It
was
. Until you came in," Juliette muttered beneath her breath.

Francesca kicked her in the shin behind the counter and beamed a fake smile at Pastor Byrd. "What a pleasant surprise, Pastor Byrd."

Juliette coughed and went toward the back room. "If you'll excuse me, I have some potions to whip up."

Francesca gave Juliette a heated glance.

"What can I help you with today, Pastor Byrd?" Francesca asked.

"Mrs. Byrd's birthday is this Saturday. I'd like to get her something unique," he said. "It's so hard to buy for a woman who has everything."

"How thoughtful of you," Francesca said.

"What do you recommend?" Pastor Byrd said.

"Hmm," Francesca said. She twisted her mouth to the side while she thought about what perfume the pastor's wife might like. Having never met the woman, Francesca was at a disadvantage. "I've got an idea. Why don't you give her a gift certificate? She can come in for herself, and I'll help her find something tailor-made."

"That's a fine idea. A fine idea indeed," Pastor Byrd agreed.

Francesca went behind the counter and dug out the gift certificates. "How much would you like me to make it out for, Pastor Byrd?"

The pastor twirled his hat around in his hands while he contemplated. "Fifty. She should be able to get herself something nice with that amount, wouldn't you agree?"

Francesca tugged at the front of her blouse, her breath caught in her throat and her eyes watered. She didn't like the way Pastor Byrd smelled. The foul odor seemed to suck the fresh air right out of the room. She couldn't put her finger on what it was exactly, but it smelled canine, but not
nice
canine like Larry. No, this was something more feral. More … dark.

"Most definitely, pastor," Francesca said. She hurriedly wrote out a receipt and took his fifty dollar bill. "I look forward to meeting your wife. I'm sure she's a lovely woman."

"Mrs. Byrd is a bit quiet. She doesn't get a lot," Pastor Byrd said.

The second he was out the door and out of sight, Francesca turned the ceiling fans on high and propped the door open a crack.

"You can come out now, he's gone now," Francesca called out to Juliette.

Juliette walked from the back and wrinkled her nose. "What is that awful stench?"

"You can smell that?" Francesca said.

"My stars, yes," Juliette grabbed a bottle of odor eliminator. Vinegar infused with cinnamon would do the trick. "What did he buy? I hope it was something to cover up that odor."

Francesca snorted and covered her mouth. "He got his wife a gift certificate for her birthday. He wanted to do something nice for her."

"Maybe when she comes in, we can get her some bullshit repellant," Juliette murmured.

"Be nice, Juliette," Francesca said.

"That
was
nice. Trust me, are a lot more nasty things I could think of," Juliette said.

"Speaking of which, what are you making for Beatrice?" Francesca asked.

"Since you're making me play nice, I'm making her a pheromone-based scent. Something that'll make her so irresistible everyone will be drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She might just become the most popular girl at Prosperity High," Juliette stated.

Francesca shook her head. "I don't know. I don't like this. It's messing with fate."

"Pfft, as if that's something we've never done before," Juliette said. "I think it's a brilliant idea. I'd still like to get those girls who are bullying her to come in. I have an idea for something equally as potent for them."

Francesca turned her back on Juliette. She didn't want her sister to see the smile curving her lips. "Be careful."

"Careful's my middle name, Frank. You know that," Juliette said.

Starley had never cared about homecoming, prom or any of that stuff. Popular girls thought about those things. In fact, she'd never gone to an extra-curricular event with any of the schools she had attended.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror over the bathroom sink. She took off her glasses and leaned closer to get a better look. Her eyes were the color of a cloudless summer sky. Her hair was the color of rich French vanilla ice cream.

Frowning, she slipped her glasses back on. She turned sideways and took in her profile. She had boobs. Not big ones by any means, but she still required a bra. Of course, no one could tell since she kept them hidden behind baggy clothing. She glanced down at her butt and groaned inwardly. Her pants were at least one size too big and hung on her like a garbage bag.

Starley took stock of all of her flaws. They were minor by anyone else's standards, but in her opinion, everything seemed magnified tenfold. She needed a new wardrobe. She wished she had contacts. She could use a more flattering hairstyle, and she could stand a lesson or two in how to apply makeup. She felt like a walking poster for homely.

"Why so serious, Squirt?" Juliette asked when Starley wandered into the kitchen.

Starley waved her hand down the front of herself. "Look at me. I'm a walking disaster. Why would Beau ask me to the homecoming dance?"

A glass crashed to the floor. "Sorry, must have slipped," said Francesca. She dried her hands on the towel and walked over to stand in front of Starley. "Did I just hear you right? You want to go to the homecoming dance?"

"I didn't say that," Starley mumbled. "Not exactly, anyway."

"You must be thinking about going if you believe he won't ask you," Juliette said.

"Short of a freaking miracle, I'm pretty sure I don't need to think about it," Starley said.

Juliette and Francesca exchanged glances. "Maybe we can help," Francesca said.

Juliette nodded. "Yes, I'm sure we can do something."

Francesca folded her arms in front of her chest and narrowed her eyes at Juliette and waggled her finger. "No hocus-pocus."

"See, you do think it's hopeless. That I'm hopeless," Starley said. She grabbed a can of soda from the fridge and stalked out the front door.

Juliette and Francesca walked to work that morning. They were silent as they strode through fallen leaves of at least a dozen different colors. When Francesca stuck the key in the lock of The Perfumery, and it opened with a click, she finally broke her silence.

"Starley
will
have a date to Homecoming," she vowed quietly.

"Okay, what can we do to help make it happen?" Juliette asked.

"You know how I feel about using magic for things like this," Francesca said. She dropped her keys into her handbag and tossed it behind the counter. "Plus, I have a lot of faith in Starley to do the right thing. One of us needs to take her shopping on Saturday. Contacts, new clothes, the whole nine yards. As soon as Beau Byrd gets a look at our new and transformed Starley, neither of us will have to lift a magic finger."

"Oh, okay," Juliette said quietly. She chewed on the inside of her cheek. Admittedly, she was disappointed. She liked using magic. "I thought maybe I'd make a little more of the same perfume I mixed up for Beatrice."

"I'm not saying no." Francesca tapped her index finger on her lips. "I'm not saying yes, either. Let's try it the
normal
way, first."

"Define normal, Frank," Juliette said.

Francesca pulled her lips between her teeth to suppress a smile. "So, shall I take Saturday off, or do you want to?"

"I'll do it, I have better taste than you do," Juliette said matter-of-factly. "I'll be in the back working on Beatrice's perfume. Starley can give it to her at school tomorrow."

Francesca waved her off. "Good idea."

***

"Are you going to the homecoming dance?" Starley asked as she swirled her fork around her mashed potatoes.

Rue wrinkled her nose and shrugged her shoulders. "Meh. Not really into school functions."

"So what you're saying is, nobody's asked you to go yet," Starley said.

"No, why? Are you asking me? You want to be my date, Starley?" Rue teased.

"Um, that would be a no," Starley said.

Timing being what it is, Beau just happened to walk by at that very instant. Starley turned about five shades of red when he stopped walking, stared right at her and said, "Did I hear you mention the homecoming dance?"

Starley's looked everywhere but directly at Beau.

Rue giggled and said, "Funny you should mention homecoming, Beau. Starley was just saying she wanted to go to the homecoming dance but doesn't have a date."

"That right, Starley?" Beau said, sliding onto the bench beside her.

"I don't think that was our exact conversation," Starley said, her mouth felt like the inside of a flour sack.

"Huh. I thought maybe you were looking for a date. I might know someone who would be interested in taking you. But if you're not going, well then, I guess that's his loss, huh?" Beau said.

If Starley had looked at him, she would have seen the twinkle in his eyes. But she kept her eyes on her sandwich, too embarrassed to meet his gaze.

Beau stood and put his hand on Starley's arm. "You let me know if you change your mind." He walked away, and Starley still didn't have a date for homecoming.

"Why didn't you say something?" Rue ran her hands through her hair. "I can't believe you just sat there and acted like he was speaking some language you didn't understand."

"He didn't say he was the boy who was interested in taking me to homecoming," Starley said. She stood to dump her trash, suddenly no longer hungry. "He just said he
might
know someone."

Rue stared up at the ceiling and slapped her palm against her forehead. "Tell me you are not that thick."

"Well, I guess I just blew it then, huh?" Starley said.

"Maybe not," Rue said climbing to her feet. "He probably just thinks you're shy or something. You might have to be the one to do the asking, but I totally think you'll have a date for homecoming."

"
What
? I can't ask him. That's so not going to happen," Starley said shaking her head. "Besides, look at me. Beau Byrd is way out of my league."

"Girl, please. Beau Byrd should have to stand in line to get a date with you!" Rue said.