The Witches (Book #1)

𝔓𝔢𝔬𝔭𝔩𝔢 𝔄𝔯𝔢 𝔇𝔶𝔦𝔫𝔤

I slip into my seat next to Seulgi in homeroom before the bell. It's Monday morning of the week two at Manyeo School, and my situation has only gotten more anxiety-inducing.

"Wendy," I say. Might as well go straight to the difficult one.

Wendy, Hyeri, and Seulgi turn—black clothes and dark expressions. There's something undeniable beautiful about them. If they weren't so mean, I'd feel the same awe other people do.

"Look, I know you hate. But I know something important about your families that you'll want to hear."

"I doubt you have anything to say that I want to hear," says Wendy. "Unless it's the sound of you shutting the hell up."

"Talking to you is basically the last thing that I want to do. But, again, it's important."

"Well, what is it?" asks Hyeri.

Wendy glares at her. "Hyeri, stop."

"What if it's actually important, Wendy? She said it was about our families."

Wendy rolls her eyes before facing me. "You have thirty seconds."

Man, I so wish I didn't have to be nice to you. "I can't be explained in thirty seconds."

"That took ten. Twenty seconds left." Wendy waits to see if I'll challenge her.

It takes all my willpower to smother my frustrations. "The simplest way to say it is . . . we're cursed."

Hyeri laughs. "You mean, you're cursed."

I can't help but wince. "I mean we, as in all of us. As in people are dying."

Hyeri laughs again, but Wendy and Seulgi don't. The bell rings.

"Welcome to Monday morning," says Mrs. Huang. "Fresh start to the week. We only have one announcement. This Wednesday, school's canceled for Remembrance Day—the official start to Manyeo's History Month." People hoot. "Now I'll give you time to sort your schedules and finish your homework. There will be no talking."

Mrs. Huang scans the room, looking for dissent. And even though I never talk, she glares at me. She's hated me since the pastry incident, when she threw up in the middle of the hallway.

I pull out my agenda. I honestly don't know how I'm going to get these girls to talk to me long enough to convince them. I'd think I was crazy, too. What a nightmare.

Seulgi sleps a note onto my desk. It reads Explain.

I stare at the small piece of paper without a clue what to write. I make three failed attempts, which sounds equivalent to "my gut told me something was wrong and then—bingo—I figured out people were dying."

With one minute left to the homeroom, I write read these, and pass the note back with Joohyuk's handwritten papers. Mrs. Huang looks ready to comment, but the bell cuts her off.

The Lineages leave without a glance. At least Seulgi takes the papers with her. I shove my stuff in my bag and rush to history. I didn't return Sehun's text yesterday, and I'd like to explain before class starts.

I barely step one foot inside the door when Mr. Wang says, "Suzy, you've been called to the principal's office."

"But—"

"No buts. Head over there."

I glance at Sehun's empty seat and leave. What's this all about? Seulgi wouldn't give those papers to a teacher, would she? I would look like a total psychopath.

When I open the heavy glass door to the principal's office, the secretary's eyes are glued to a book. I walk right past him, and I turn the handle of the door that says PRINCIPLA BYUN in a large font. Yoomi sits in a chair facing Byun's desk. I freeze.

"Is Appa okay? What happened?"

"Your father's fine. Baekhyunnie here just wanted to have a chat with us," Yoomi says in her I'm-the-nicest-person voice. Gross, did she just call him Baekhyunnie?

I look between them and take  a seat next to Yoomi. Am I in trouble?

"Now, Suzy," Byun says, "I know you've struggled to adjust in your first week at Manyeo School. Which is perfectly understandable given your father's illness and all. But it's come to my attention that the problem is larger than I imagined."

At least this isn't about those papers I gave to Seulgi. "Okay?"

"I think it best you visit the school counselor once a week for the next couple of months, to monitor your progress," Byun continues.

"Monitor my progress? Like therapy?" I glare at Yoomi. I'll give her one thing; she's persistent.

"Not therapy. Just an informal check-in. Baekhyunnie—excuse me, Principal Byun—thought it would make your transition easier. That way you could discuss anything that's bothering you."

"No."

"Suzy." Principal Byun runs his hand through his thinning hair. "It's not a request. I want you to go to the counseling office and set a schedule with Mrs. Linh before you return to class."

"You want me to go talk to someone named Mrs. Linh? If you—"

"Let's discuss this outside." Yoomi cuts me off. "Don't worry, Principal Byun, I'll handle it."

He looks at me sharply, but Yoomi stands, and her long legs distract him. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Yoomi. Suzy, I look forward to good progress reports."

I get up and walk straight through the waiting room and into the hallway.

"Suzy." Yoomi catches up with me. "It was the best I could do. Apparently, a lot of students complain about you. I know how it sounds, but the principal called all concerned about you not fitting in with the school. This seemed like the best-case scenario. That is, if you want to continue going to school."

"Whatever." 

"Do not give me attitude when I just saved you in there."

"I can't talk. Mrs. Linh is waiting."