Potionate Love Read Free Page B

his neck and
I clung to him as sparklers ignited in my brain. I could have lost half the
gray cells controlling math prowess, and I wouldn't have cared.
    Me. Clinging.
Incredible.
    I wanted my best friend's kisses.
    Surreal.
    Reality intruded. Nathan doesn't care about you. He's not
attracted to you. It's that darn brown sprinkle that caused this. How could
I take advantage of him like this? I didn't want him to kiss me just because he
was under the influence of a love potion.
    I pulled away from
him.
    "Oh no,"
I murmured.
    "Oh
yes." He grinned. "You're my girl now and you're going to the dance
with me, not that jerky jock."

 
    * *
* * *

 
    Standing in front
of the school that night waiting for Ronny to show, I resisted the urge to put
my head in my hands and tear my hair out. First, it would do no good to break
down and go crazy. Second, if I was going to go crazy, I might as well do it
with hair and make-up intact.
    After the kissing
debacle, we'd bundled Nathan into Gracella's car with
the idea she would drive him out to her aunt's house in search of a cure. He'd
protested.
    "Cure?"
he'd said. "I don't need a cure. I feel free. I'm free to finally show
what I've felt since freshman year."
    "It's worse
than I thought," Gracella had responded.
    "Please do it
for me," I pleaded with Nathan. "Go to see Aunt Vandi ."
    Giving a reluctant
nod, he'd stopped struggling and subsided into the passenger seat.
    When I suggested
going with them, Gracella shook her head. "No.
You'll only make things worse. We should minimize the effects of this potion
thing."
    "What does
that have to do with it?" I demanded.
    "Having you
around only accentuates its effects."
    "I guess
you're right," I said.
    "Besides," Gracella leaned in to whisper as Nathan strained to
listen from the car. "You can't stand Ronny up."
    "I
suppose." Suddenly, going to the dance with Ronny was the last thing I
wanted to do.
    Five hours had
passed since Nathan and Gracella left, and I hadn't
heard a thing from either of them. Neither of them answered their phones or
responded to my texts. Was no news good news or just no news?
    Fear clenched at
my stomach. I should go after them, but how? With no car and parents who
weren't going to loan me one, I had no options. Ride around on the bus? Hardly an effective vehicle for a widespread search.
    After taking my
cell phone from my purse, I examined the face. Still nothing.
    "Ring you
stupid thing," I shouted at it.
    A footstep sounded
behind me, and I heard Ronny laugh. "Is that the factory installed voice
activation command or did you specialize it?"
    "Ha.
No," I tried to joke. "I'm just expecting a call."
    As if on command,
the face lighted and my ring tone played. A name displayed on the screen: Gracella .
    "This is
it!" Turning my back to Ronny, my fingers shook as I punched at the accept
call button. "What's happening?"
    "I lost
him."
    "What!
When?"
    "Two hours
ago."
    Issuing a noise I
classified between a groan and a whine, I pounded the cell phone against my
forehead. Nathan was out there wandering around in a drugged state. Anything
could happen to him. Fear made me lightheaded...or maybe it was the blows from
the cell phone.
    Gracella was still talking, and I put the phone back to my
ear. "I thought I'd find him again."
    "Come get me
and we'll look for him together," I said.
    "No. Stay
put. Before he jumped out of the car, Nathan said he had to get ready to take
you to the Science Fair Fiesta. More than likely he'll come to you at the
dance."
    "If something
hasn't happened to him," I choked, blinking back tears.
    "Nothing's
happened to him," Gracella replied.
    "Have you at
least located your aunt?"
    "Not
yet."
    "Fantastic."
    "I'll be
there as soon as I can," Gracella said.
"But I don't know if Aunt Vandi can do
anything."
    "We have to
try. I don't want Nathan to love me because he's drugged."
    "But you want
him to love you."
    "No. Yes. I
don't know." Holding my head, I groaned. "What a mess. Just
hurry."
    I punched