That Witch! Read Free

her fifth-period biology class, she reiterated to herself for the thousandth time that day, none of the people she called her friends really knew much at all about the real her.
    She worked hard to maintain her image. Cassidy Rivers was the popular girl. She was the captain of the varsity cheerleading squad, senior class president, and the one with the expensive clothes and brand new car. She only had the coolest friends and was always the determining voice in what, or who, was in or out. She ran the school fundraisers and headed the pep rally coordination, as well as governed over the homecoming dance preparation. She was the girl every other girl wanted to be.
    And yet, she wasn’t herself at all.
    She walked into the classroom, took her usual seat in the back row of desks, and stared out the large bay window to her left. The bright California sunshine beckoned her, just as nature always did. She always felt compelled to go outside and enjoy the breeze, bask in the warmth of the sun, or appreciate the beauty of the beaches. The trees seemed to whisper her name, dropping leaves in a show of respect as she walked by. When lit, candles flickered a little brighter around her. Water changed to perfect temperature without her having to adjust the knobs. Even the air around her crackled with energy. Energy people thought came from her attitude, but in reality was just her magic.
    Yes, the real Cassidy Rivers came from a long line of witches dating back almost two hundred years before the Salem trials. No pointy shoes, though. Ugh. As if. Like the devil, witches wore Prada too. She looked down at her heeled boots to silently affirm that statement.
    So she was a witch, but of course, no one knew. Actually, she didn’t want the magic that bugged the heck out of her more and more each day. As a younger girl, it was nothing more than an odd attraction to all things in nature, but as she grew, so did the darn powers. If she wasn’t careful, she could expose herself with something as absentminded as snapping her fingers—which had recently proven to light all the candles in her bedroom one evening, scaring the crap out of her cat, Louie, in the process.
    She only had the cat because the darn thing had followed her home when he was a kitten and refused to leave. She let him sit outside for three days before finally asking her mom if he could come inside. Her mother agreed all too quickly, which was weird for a woman who didn’t even approve of pet fish, but whatever.
    “Good afternoon, class. Please open your textbooks to page eighty-two and silently read the lesson on cellular respiration.” Mrs. Wright’s gritty voice broke her away from her thoughts. She grabbed the book sitting on her desk and flipped the hard cover open, ready to turn to the chapter she needed to read. But when she looked down, the name scribbled across the inside made her huff in exasperation. “Brynn Michaels.”
    Ugh, what was it with that chick already? And why was she eyeballing her necklace earlier? The same necklace Nana had given her when she turned thirteen, along with a ridiculously long speech about the responsibilities tied to their heritage, the powers she would be coming into, yada yada yada. Truth be told, she wasn’t really listening then, and she refused to pay any more attention to Brynn today too.

Chapter 3

     
    “T IME ’ S up,” Mrs. Temple said from behind her desk. Pencils clacked against wooden desktops. Students sat back in their chairs. Some had confident smiles on their faces. Others looked scared to death. Brynn felt good about this exam. There weren’t too many equations that had tripped her up. That last minute studying she’d done during lunch really helped, despite the pause for the Cassidy Rivers show.
    “Pass your papers forward.”
    Mrs. Temple stood from her chair and walked down the front of each row of desks, peasant skirt elegantly flowing behind her as she strode across the room to collect the finished tests.