The Popularity Spell by Toni Gallagher

Author:Toni Gallagher
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2015-09-22T04:00:00+00:00

Growing up, I could never picture an afternoon when I’d leave school and wind up on the sand looking at the crashing waves of a never-ending ocean. I used to think that everyone in California lived next to the beach, but we’re actually a half hour away—even longer when there’s traffic. But we’re still a lot closer than I was in Ohio!

It’s chillier here than it was at school, but so what? It’s the beach! Dad and Terri are sitting on a blanket, bundled up in sweatshirts and jackets, talking and taking pictures with their phones. They look cozy, and I think about forcing myself in between them to be rude and annoying, but then I’d just be sitting and staring at the ocean, and that seems boring. So I take off my sneakers and socks and run into the water. It’s freezing, but I don’t care. I roll up my jeans and walk in a little farther, but when a wave hits me from behind and my butt gets wet, Dad says it’s time to get out. As the sun starts going down and the sky gets all cool and pink, I use a stick to draw in the sand. It’s too hard to draw one of my animated characters, so I go for something simpler: smiley faces.

Terri looks over. “They don’t look very happy,” she says.

I look down at the sand and she’s right. The smiles are more like straight lines. I guess they’re feeling the same way I do about what happened to Madison and what I saw with her parents. But I don’t want to talk to Terri about that. Instead I just drag my stick in the sand. “They’re not having a very good day,” I say.

“Is something wrong?” Dad asks. “Everything okay at school?”

That is a question way too complicated to answer, so I just say, “Yeah.”

“Hey, wasn’t your science presentation today?” Terri asks. “How’d it go?”

Ugh, these are way too many questions for a nice afternoon at the beach. “I’m doing it tomorrow,” I tell them. “But everybody saw Millie today, so I’ll leave him home.”

“So everything’s all right?” Dad asks again.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Except that my butt is wet.”

“Ah, there are worse things in life,” Terri says.

Dad nods. “That’s for sure. I, for one, would say it’s pretty wonderful out here.” Terri leans her head on his shoulder and he pulls her closer to him. They look happy, but after everything that’s happened today, I know I’d be happier if I were here with a friend like Sam. With Sam, I wouldn’t have to say things are fine. Sam knows me better than that.

—

Back at school, we find out Madison got suspended for at least a week. I feel a little guilty that she’s not there, but at least I’m not all tight inside anymore. I don’t go to school worried about what she might do or say. I guess this is the feeling that’s called relief. That makes me feel even guiltier, though—that I can be so free while Madison is probably trapped at home with her parents.

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