The Witches (Book #1)

𝔏𝔢𝔱 𝔐𝔢 𝔅𝔢 𝔞 𝔗𝔯𝔢𝔢

Double Update!

☽🔮🃏🌕🕸✨🍃🕯🧿🌙🍄☾

My head smacks the car window as Yoomi stops short in front of my school. I rub my neck. I slept for crap last night. Not that it's anything new; I haven't slept well since my dad went into a coma.

"Here." Yoomi reaches into the backseat. "Bring these to class. They might soften people up a little and help with the friend problem." She hands me a box of pastries.

I realize she's serious. How can I say no? This is a big gesture for her. She must be legitimately worried about me. But seriously . . . pastries? This isn't one of her luncheons. If I bring these in on day two of school, it's only going to make me look like I'm trying too hard. Those girls will jump all over. The bell rings.

"Thanks." I try to muster a smile. I grab my stuff and run inside. By the time I turn down my homeroom hallway, there are only a few stragglers in sight. I swing Mrs. Huang's door open just as the second bell sounds.

Everyone is already settled, and the only available spot is next to Seulgi—the Lineage whose seta I accidentally took on the first day.

"Just in time, Ms. Bae. With offerings, I see." Mrs. Huang greedily eyes the pastries.

I should have dumped these in the garbage can. "These are just a . . . well, I thought . . . um . . . I brought these." Great, I sound like a complete idiot. The Lineage laugh as I hand the box to Mrs. Huang.

I pull out my strawberry-flavored lip gloss and my notebook with my calendar in it and sit down. Mrs. Huang passes around the pastry box. Everyone takes one except for the Lineage. I study my calendar, pretending I'm busy. I can't help but notice that my birthday is next month.

I'm going to be a year older. I hate my birthday. My parties were so awful when I was little that a rumor started that I was cursed. By eleven, I stopped celebrating altogether. Everything is already so crappy, the last thing I need is more bad luck.

I circle October 10 and cross it out. I put my pen down and glance at the clock. One more minute before I can get out of here. My pen rolls toward the edge of my desk and I make an attempt to grab it, but miss. Seulgi doesn't, though. She catches it midair before it hits the ground.

We lock eyes. Seulgi's red hair is in a neat bun, and she wears a black lace dress. She reminds me of a ballerina in a weird way. She doesn't have that mean edge the others do, either. She holds the pen out for me. Her nails are painted black.

"Thanks."

The bell rings. I shove my notebook in my bag and stand. The Lineages don't say a word on their way out.

When I'm in the hallway, people watch me. Not in that new-girl way, but in the they-know-something-I-don't way. So this is what happens when the Lineages doesn't like you. I really don't get the social structure of this school.

I turn the corner toward Korean history class. Wendy's black ponytail and black blazer peek out from behind an open locker. She moves her hands as she speaks, and I get a glimpse of Seulgi's face. I hug the wall and walk toward them. I mean,  I'm going that way anyway.

"I told you to drop it," Wendy says from behind the locker.

"You don't think it's strange that Kai's great-grandfather died last night?" Seulgi's asks as I inch closer, trying to hear them over the crowd of students. I pull my schedule out of my back pocket and lean against the lockers to look less conspicuous.

"He was ninety," Wendy says.

"Yeah, but how do you explain—"

"Enough," Wendy says.