First Magic by Raven Steele (ebook reader screen txt) 📖

It was nearing Halloween. May found me eating lunch with Matt and Tracey in the cafeteria and said, “Tonight a bunch of us are going to a corn maze. Do you guys want to go?”

“Sounds fun.” I finished the last of my milk and set it down.

Matt studied me for a moment, making me shift my weight in the chair. “I’ll go.”

“Isn’t this beneath you, Matt?” Tracey asked. May and I stifled a laugh.

Matt narrowed his eyes. “No.”

“Good," May said. "We’re meeting there at eight. It’s the one in Centerville.”

“I know where it’s at,” Tracey said. “Do you want me to pick you up, Llona?”

“Why don’t you pick us all up?” May suggested. “That way we can go together.”

“I’ll drive separately,” Matt said. “I live a ways out, but I’ll meet you there.”

A few minutes after eight, we pulled up next to Matt’s car. He jumped out to join us.

“Anyone else coming?” I asked May.

“Um, Adam, Christian, and whoever else they invited,” she said, averting her eyes.

I thought it strange Christian hadn’t said anything to me about it. We’d been friendly with each other the last couple of weeks, speaking nearly every day at school. But when we arrived that night and walked toward the entrance, I knew exactly why Christian hadn’t said anything. He stood awfully close to a girl I didn’t recognize. Adam talked on the other side of him with a date of his own. Matt had beat us there and had already joined them.

“How’s it going, guys?” May asked. She glanced over at me nervously, but I kept a smile plastered on my face and pretended the wound on my heart hadn’t reopened.

I learned the girl’s name was Haley. She and her friend, Anne, were from a neighboring school. Everyone began talking and laughing, about what I couldn’t be sure. My main goal was to appear like nothing was wrong. Every once in a while I faked a laugh and avoided looking at Christian as much as possible. As long as I did that, I could possibly endure the rest of the night.

Besides, I had no right to be upset. Christian had been very clear about not wanting anything serious.

Tracey asked, “Should we do this in teams?”

I snapped back to the conversation.

“Teams are a great idea,” I blurted. “Let’s do boys against girls. This would be easier if I didn’t have to see Christian with Haley the whole night.

May agreed. “Perfect!”

I still had yet to look at Christian, even though I could feel his eyes burrowing into me. I don’t know if Matt noticed or not, but he stepped closer to me, blocking Christian’s view.

Tracey began to hand out blue cards. “First team to get their card stamped at all stations wins. Meet back here when you’re done.”

I glanced down at my card, trying to figure out exactly what it was we had to do. Apparently, we had to find our way through the maze to various stations like “Demons Alley” and “Witches Way.” With it being a full moon and me feeling as great as I did, this should be a breeze. Already, if I concentrated hard enough, I could sense the first station, as I could hear kids talking at it.

“You ready, ladies?” I asked Ann and Haley.

They looked at Adam and Christian hesitantly.

“You’re not going to let them beat us, are you?” I prodded.

They shook their heads and smirked at the boys. “No way.”

“I didn’t think so. Let’s go.”

We were each handed a flashlight and, after parting ways with the boys, who spoke very confidently about their abilities, we sprinted off first.

Cornstalks towered well over our heads blocking most of the moonlight, and cool air nipped at my bare arms. I glanced upward into the sky. It felt like it might snow soon.

May tugged on my shirt. “This is freaky!”

“Turn your flashlights on,” Tracey said.

Beams of light cast shadows all around us. I peeled May off me. “Better?”

“Not really. I had no idea how scary this would be!”

“We’ll be fine,” I assured. “In fact, if you guys want, if we jog through it and you follow me, I think I can guarantee us a victory. I sort of have a sixth sense about mazes.”

Haley laughed and motioned in front of us. “By all means, lead the way.”

I didn’t have to be told twice. I ran forward, then took a sharp left all while focusing my hearing on different voices within the maze. Within a matter of seconds, we were already at the first station.

“You weren’t kidding about mazes, were you?” Haley asked, out of breath.

I pressed a stamp into our card. “Ready for the next one?”

They all half-heartedly agreed. I took off again and in less than ten minutes we had four more stamps.

“How about we walk to the next one?” Tracey suggested, panting heavily.

Though I would’ve loved to run, I agreed. From the back of the group I heard May call, “Hey, Llona. Wait up! My flashlight’s broken.”

“You guys go ahead. Take your next two rights.” I walked back to where May was standing shaking her flashlight.

“It just stopped working,” she said. “Stupid plastic piece of crap.”

“Let me see it for a sec,” I said.

She handed me the flashlight, and I pretended to examine it while I secretly transferred my Light into it. After a few seconds, it lit up as if the batteries were brand new.

“What did you do?” May asked, surprised.

I grinned. “My secret touch.”

We continued to walk. Up ahead, I could hear the other girls talking about the guys. I quickly tuned out when I heard Christian’s name.

“So what’s up with Ann and Haley,” I asked. “Do you think Adam and Christian are in to them?”

“I doubt it. I’ve never seen them hang out before.” She paused. “At least I hope not. I wanted to ask Adam out to a movie next weekend.”

“May!” Tracey’s voice called from up ahead. “Come up here. Haley thinks she knows your cousin.”

“I’ll be right back,” May said and jogged off.

I called after her, “Tell them to take the next right, and then the next two lefts.”

She raised a hand in acknowledgment.

As soon as May disappeared around a bend, I