Petra tsks. “This is a library. It’s literally what we do.”
One hour later I’m standing outside the home of the girl I never thought I’d see again—the girl who was once my closest friend. The witchcraft book is hugged tightly to my chest like a shield as I mentally prepare myself to walk up the path to the front door of her small home business. It’d seemed like fate was finally pulling in my direction when she answered my call and said there was a last-minute cancellation so she could squeeze me in.
But now I’m not sure if I can go through with it. Knocking on the door, seeing her in real life, facing all the shit in the past, it’s harder than I thought it was going to be. I close my eyes and imagine Lex with me, holding my hand, her sharp blue eyes filling me with confidence, and letting me know that no matter what happens she’s got my back—spare pants and all.
After three shaky exhales I reopen my eyes and walk toward the door. I knock assertively, not like my insides have turned liquid and I feel like I could either hurl or shit myself at any moment.
The door opens seconds later, swinging inward and revealing the girl from my past. She’s petite and blonde and adorable, just like she was back then. Her bright smile fades immediately, eyes widening upon instant recognition, and she takes a step back. “Aubrey?”
“Please don’t slam the door in my face,” I say, inching closer.
Courtney regards me with confusion. “I’m sorry, I can’t talk right now, I have an appointment, and—”
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“Oh.” Her confusion clears and she gives me a slow, tight-lipped nod.
“I wasn’t sure you’d give me the time of day if I didn’t...” I trail off.
Courtney crosses her arms. “If you didn’t trick me?”
I bite my lip. “Yeah.”
She curls her lip in disdain, and then, just as I worried she would, she slams the door in my face.
I’m too stunned to do anything but stand there. I’m back to where I started, only this time, it’s worse. I can’t blame Courtney for shutting me out. If I were her, I’d do the same. Head hanging and heart breaking, I turn to walk back down the sidewalk toward my car. I should be planning a second course of action, an alternate route, trying to figure out how I can fix this fucked-up life I’ve built for myself, but every avenue I think of results in me ending up alone. It’s completely hopeless. Even if I—
“Wait.”
I turn; Courtney is on her doorstep, arms crossed, expression guarded. I hold my breath as she weighs my future in her hands.
“You came all this way,” she says finally. “I guess I can give you five minutes.”
Five minutes. Five minutes to determine the fate of my entire life.Here goes.Taking a few steps forward, I plant my feet firmly on the concrete and look up at Courtney with every single ounce of sincerity I have.
“I was a shit friend to you in high school. I ditched you to try and be one of the popular girls. I made up a rumour about you sucking dick in the boys’ change room. I laughed with the rest of the school when they bullied you for it. And then when Chad asked you out, I’d been so jealous that I helped the other girls try and curse you so he’d break up with you and ask one of us out instead.”
Courtney’s brow furrows. “What do you mean?”
“We all got together with a witchcraft book and wrote a spell to turn you back into the awkward, weird girl you used to be before you turned pretty over summer break. Then Chad dumped you and asked me out right after—which, I’m sorry for that, too. It was shitty of me to date him after he’d broken up with you.”
“Yeah, it was shitty.” She shakes her head. “But, wait, back up. You cursed me?”
“I tried to, but the spell completely backfired.”
Courtney grimaces, inching the door closed. “Sorry, this is a bit much.”
“You remember what happened after prom?” I step forward. “The whole ‘Queef Queen’ thing?”
Courtney nods. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure everyone in the surrounding three towns heard about it.”
My skin flushes with renewed embarrassment, but I keep going. “I thought it was just a coincidence, that something awkward had happened to me right after we did the curse. But it kept happening, again and again, with every person I dated. My life has been one long line of terrible dates, and it all comes back to this. To me being jealous of you, to betraying our friendship, to being petty and disloyal and...” I take a deep breath. “I’msorry. I deserved to have that curse come back and bite me in the ass. But I’ve changed. I’ve worked really hard to be a better person, and to make up for my mistakes, and to make things right. That’s why I’m here—to say sorry for stabbing you in the back, and for bullying you, and for being a terrible friend.”
Courtney is silent for a long moment. “You know, all that stuff you did to me really hurt.”
My face burns with shame. “I know.”
“But what hurt worse?” She bites her lip. “You running away without even an explanation. It’s like the moment things got tough, you left. It made me feel like all those years we spent together weren’t worth your time to just talk to me about it, to apologize and make it right.”
