UnEnchanted (17 page)

“
Yes?” Sara spoke warily,
her eyes darting worriedly between Brody and Charlie.

“
Well, someone was looking
for something that I didn’t have. They confronted me outside a
library last week, and two days ago in an alley, and it seems they
were here in our house just a few hours ago.”

“
WHAT?” Brody and Sara
said in unison. Brody didn’t know that Mina had been attacked in an
alley.

Sara looked at Brody. “What? You didn’t
know?”

“
Not about all of it. I
knew about the library, because I was there, but not about another
attack in the alley. It’s why I was asking about your safety.”
Brody had started speaking in the vague way Mina did, in an effort
to protect Charlie as well.

“
I see.” Sara sat down
calmly at the table and tried to compose herself. Charlie watched
his mother quietly. Sara leaned over and whispered to Charlie, who
brightened at her comment, ran to the freezer and took out a gallon
of ice cream, and went to his room. When Charlie’s door was shut
and the sound of cartoons could be heard from behind the door, Sara
turned to look at Brody.

He spoke before she could. “Are you two in
some kind of trouble? Are there people after you? What can I do to
help you?” Brody stood up and paced the kitchen.

Sara continued eating her dinner and wiped
her mouth daintily with her napkin. “This really is a family
matter, Brody. But don’t worry—we haven’t done anything illegal,
and I won’t let anyone harm my daughter ever again. I’ve moved
across country six times to protect Mina from what is after her,
and I’m prepared to move continents if I have to.”

Brody froze at her words. “You know what’s
after her, and you haven’t gone to the police?” He turned on Sara.
“If what you’re saying is true, then the police can find the
person. They can stop this man.”

“
I told you, this is a
family matter.”

Brody looked to Mina in a panic. “I won’t
let you run, not if I can help you. If you will just let me help
you…”

Sara pretended he’d directed his question at
her. “Can you help us run from a curse?”

“
What? I don't
understand,” Brody began, but Sara cut him off.

“
Brody, you've spent two
years at the same school as Mina, hardly talking to her, never even
realizing she is alive. Then she goes and does something crazy,
against my wishes. She placed her own life in danger to save
yours.” Her face became very still. “Now, because of those actions,
our whole family has to live with the consequences. You now feel
obligated to help her, like she did you. I get that, I really do.
But what gives you the right to question our actions and
lifestyle?”

Silence filled the kitchen. Mina held her
breath, afraid to move. Brody straightened in his seat and
swallowed slowly.

Sara brushed her hands over her forehead in
defeat. “You're enamored, that's it. In another week or so, you
will wake up, and this will all be a dream. You will forget that
Mina ever even saved your life. She will go back to being my
clumsy, forgotten, outcast teen daughter, and you will go back to
ruling the school and dating the head cheerleader.”

Silent tears fell down Mina's cheeks. How
could her mother say these things? Mina refused to look at either
of them, staring at her plate of uneaten pasta and letting her
mother’s words, words she knew were the truth, sink in. She could
have stopped her mother, but Mina knew that Sara was only
protecting her.

Sara pointed her fork at Brody accusingly, a
giant meatball stuck on the end. “I've seen it all before. This
will fade—it won't last, and you will leave Mina for another. We
aren't like you people. You two are oil and water. But how we live
our life is of no concern to you or your family. My daughter
doesn't challenge your choices or way of life, so don't do it to
us. You haven't earned that right or proven yourself worthy.” Once
Sara had her say, she set her fork down and began slicing the
meatball into bite-sized pieces. Placing a piece in her mouth, she
chewed slowly, challenging Brody with her eyes.

Mina was stunned at how well Brody took the
news. He listened and never once questioned Sara’s sanity, maybe
because it was her mother, and not Mina herself, who was explaining
things to him.

Instead he was quiet, contemplative. “That
explains a lot,” he said finally. Brody stood and excused himself
from the dinner table. “Thank you for dinner and an enlightening
evening, Sara. Mina.” Brody nodded his head in both their
directions and let himself out the front door.

“
What just happened, Mom?”
Mina asked. Her lip began quivering, tears flowing freely. Her
heart felt like it had been ripped in two.

“
I think you’ve just been
dumped.”

Chapter 14

Sara looked at her daughter, who was clearly
devastated, and immediately adopted a softer tone. “I’m so sorry,
honey. I judged him wrong. I thought he could handle the challenge
of the truth, that he could even be the one.”

“
What do you mean, Mom,
‘the one’? I don’t want ‘the one,’ just a boyfriend.”

“
That’s not your fate,
Mina. Anyone you’re not serious about – and even those you are
serious about – are going to get hurt. Think about it. Fairy tales
time and time again tend to have a hero who will battle it to the
end to save the heroine. I was hoping he would fight for you more,
challenge me, tell me I was wrong and be your knight, like your
father was for me. But I misjudged him. I’m sorry.” Sara tried to
put her hand on Mina’s, but Mina jerked it away.

“
Just…leave me alone. For
a little while. Can you least do that for me, after you drove him
away?”

Mina tried to ignore her mother’s hurt
expression and went to the living room window, peering out to the
street below. Sure enough, Brody’s car was gone. Still silently
crying, Mina went to the front door, locked it, and put a chair in
front of the handle. She then went to every window, checked and
locked all of them. Going to her bedroom, Mina grabbed a throw
blanket, opened her window, and crawled up the fire escape to the
roof.

The roof was Mina’s one retreat from the
world. As the only tenant in the small building, Mina had the space
all to herself and could lavish the roof with fun items, her own
personal touch. Since it was twilight, she went to a small
electrical outlet and switched on the power, illuminating the small
space with strands of white Christmas lights and various
illuminated patio lights. Last summer Mina had dragged up two lawn
chairs and had even planted fake plastic flowers in all the
planters.

Italian music played softly from a
restaurant down the street, and Mina collapsed in a lawn chair.
Wrapping herself in the blanket, Mina watched as steam rose from
various vents and chimneys across the building’s roofs. She cried
herself to sleep, unaware of the eyes that watched her.

Chapter 15

Mina spent the next morning avoiding
everyone, and trying unsuccessfully to transfer her classes with
the school office. It would mean giving up homeroom with Nan, but
Mina was desperate. She didn’t think she could stomach Brody’s
betrayal and Jared’s discord at the same time and survive. She had
looked for Brody’s car on the way to school and in the parking lot,
but didn’t see it. He wasn’t even at lunch. Mina pushed her food
around on her tray and waited for Nan to join her.

Along with feeling guilty and depressed,
Mina had opened her locker to find another note. Quite a few,
actually; her locker was stuffed with them. Some said LOSER, FAKE,
GOLD DIGGER, but the one that scared her most was the one written
in red ink.

I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! YOU’RE DEAD!

Mina couldn’t figure out what she could have
done to cause this kind of discord. She had tried to live a quiet
and unnoticed life, and had been relatively successful until the
school field trip. For two whole days she had been a celebrity, but
after that news died down, she was back to being boring Mina.
Except now someone was trying to intimidate and bully her through
notes. Her best bet was to try to finish whatever tale she was in
right now, and move on to the next as soon as possible. If only she
could figure out what the Story wanted from her. What did she need
to do to reach the ending?

She was so deep in self-pity that Mina
didn’t even notice when someone sat down next to her until they
began talking.

“
It doesn’t have to be
this way between us, you know.” Mina looked up to see Jared leaning
against the table, dressed head to toe in black with black jeans,
black shoes, and a black jacket.

“
I’ve decided that I would
rather not get to know you, since you don’t care enough to explain
things to me or even help me. So if you’re not going to do either,
then you’re just a thorn in my side. Now please, go sit elsewhere.”
Mina started to stab her chicken-fried steak with a
vengeance.

Jared looked at Mina’s lunch and laughed. He
had a very engaging smile, which only made Mina's mood turn darker.
Why should he be so cheerful when she felt so, well, grim? “Tell
you what,” he said. “You live out the week, and I will agree to
help you.”

Mina turned on him angrily. “Did you ransack
my house?”

“
What? No.” Jared’s smile
fell from his face. “I did not, nor have I ever, entered your home.
But I probably know who did.” His dark brows furrowed in thought.
“Strange, I wouldn’t have thought him smart enough to
try.”

“
Who, Jared? If you know
something that could protect my family, then you need to tell me.”
Mina was getting more frustrated by the minute. One minute he was
charming, the next minute he was as elusive and vague as the best
politician.

“
Grey Tail wouldn’t have
gone there on his own. He would have been sent by someone with
enough power to sway the wolf pack.” Jared looked
worried.

“
Wolf pack! Jared, what
are you talking about?” Mina felt the hair on the back of her arms
rise in fear.

She didn’t get an answer to her question,
because Pri and Savannah brought their trays and sat down next to
Mina. They began chatting like they were long-lost friends.

Jared leaned back and watched the exchange
with narrowed eyes.

“
So, Mina, what do you
think of the theme for this year’s dance?” Savannah asked, drawing
attention to her white-blonde hair by flipping it over her
shoulder.

“
What theme?” Mina asked,
barely hiding her annoyance.

“
They’re calling it
‘Enchanted.’ We’re all supposed to dress up as famous storybook
characters.”

“
I hadn’t heard, I guess.
I’ve been pretty busy.” Mina answered. She had visibly tried to not
cringe when she heard the theme. How ironic was that? She had been
so distracted she had forgotten completely about the dance, but
then she did recall Nan texting pictures back and forth with people
in possible dresses and costumes.

“
So then Brody Carmichael
hasn’t asked you to go with him?” Savannah asked offhandedly, but
her body stiffened, waiting for a reply. Mina could have sworn she
saw her hold her breath.

“
No, I don’t dance. I’ve
been told it’s bad for my health,” Mina answered casually, and
watched as Savannah visibly relaxed. What she’d said was true; she
had yet to attend a dance where it didn’t end in a torn dress,
broken shoe, or sprained ankle.

“
What about you, Jared?
Are you going with anyone?” Pri asked. Her loaded question hung in
the air like an atom bomb; she watched Jared like a lioness waiting
to go in for the kill.

“
Haven’t decided yet,”
Jared answered carefully. “I’m still getting settled in. New
student, remember.” It was a well-played answer, and Mina was
envious of his excuse.

“
Well, I am going as
Rapunzel, and I could use a Prince Charming.” Savannah actually
preened. Mina raised her eyebrows, surprised at her
brazenness.

“
Rapunzel is not a good
choice for you,” Jared said softly. “She was too naïve, too
innocent. I would peg you for someone more mature, more
cunning.”

“
Really?” Savannah leaned
forward into Jared’s arm and actually purred. “Who, then, should I
go as?”

Jared leaned away from her with disgust. “I
would peg you as a jealous stepmother.” Savannah’s face turned red
with anger. She was actually so mad she couldn’t form words.

“
Really! And what would
Miss Mina be, hhmmmm? The ugly stepsister? The greedy gold digger
who was after MY prince?” Savannah stepped away from the table, and
Pri followed after her like the good follower she was.

Mina covered her eyes with her hands and
tried to massage the headache that was beginning to plague her.
“You really shouldn’t have done that,” Mina chastised him. “You
just made my life even harder. Nice work.” She stood up and left
her lunch tray on the table, her fork standing at attention in the
middle of her chicken-fried steak.

Walking out the double doors into the hall,
Mina was surprised to see Brody coming down the corridor. Mina took
off down another hall, hoping he hadn’t seen her. Just seeing Brody
brought back a flood of feelings that she wasn’t ready to deal
with. She had actually felt relieved that he hadn’t shown up that
day for school.

When he called her name, Mina ducked into
the marked stage doors, hoping he would pass her by when he turned
the corner. She quietly walked up the steps onto the stage, and sat
down amongst all of the decorations the student council had started
creating for the dance.