Inner Demons

9. Her Dark Confidence

"I need a dress," I said to Courtney.

We were sitting on the couch Sunday afternoon watching TV. Ever since Agnes died, Courtney and I had started hanging out some when we were both home. She was only a freshman so I didn't see her much at school, but she was actually a pretty cool girl.

"I can't believe you're dating Drake Ashworth," she said with obvious admiration, pulling her legs up onto the couch to sit crisscrossed. She pushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"Me either," I said. "You should have seen him the first time we met. As soon as he learned where I was living, he couldn't get away from me fast enough."

"Really? What changed, do you think?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. One day I was a social outcast, and the next I was being invited to try out for the cheerleading squad. I guess that's when Drake started paying attention to me."

Of course, I didn't mention the fact that I shared a demon heritage with all of the other girls on the squad, but I knew now that was the reason why everyone treated me differently all of a sudden. Once you were chosen, you were in. What I didn't understand was why one girl was chosen and another wasn't, even though they shared the same basic magical abilities. I wondered if Courtney and Mary Anne could do magic, too?

The only problem was that to ask the question, I'd be admitting I could do magic. I wasn't sure I should be talking about those things with anyone outside of the Order.

"So what kind of dress are you going to wear?" she asked.

I grabbed a handful of popcorn. "I have no clue. It's not like I have any money to buy one, but all I have in my closet are some old skirts."

"I've never been to a school dance, but I'm pretty sure Mrs. Shadowford would give you some money if you need it."

I stuffed the popcorn in my mouth. I hadn't even considered asking Ella Mae or Mrs. Shadowford for money.

After what Lark showed me, I felt confident that if I found a cheap dress that was the right size and shape of the blue one that I liked, I could use magic to make it look exactly like the dress from the boutique store in the mall.

As I walked up the stairs, I tried to think of a store where I could find a cheap dress. That's when I saw Mary Anne step into her bedroom.

I hesitated in the hallway, then walked over toward her room. Her door was still open. I wasn't bold enough to walk in uninvited, so I knocked lightly on the door frame. "Mary Anne?"

She peeked around her closet door. As usual, she was dressed in all black. Her jet black hair was so dark against her pale porcelain skin. She stared at me, but didn't speak.

"Sorry to bother you," I said. "Just was wondering if you were planning to go to the Homecoming dance."

She shrugged, then turned back to her closet. God, this girl never gave me a break! Was she super shy or did she hate my guts? I honestly couldn't tell.

"I only ask because I thought you might have some ideas about where I could get a dress," I said. She was always wearing the coolest stuff from some thrift store in town, but I had no idea where it was or what it was called.

I stepped one foot over the threshold to her room, then immediately stepped back. An eerie feeling spread through my body. I'd never been in there before, but I didn't feel welcome. The room looked very similar to my own. Large carved-wood sleigh bed. Mirrored dresser. Private bathroom. But Mary Anne had put a black blanket over the bedspread and another one over the window. Like she was some kind of vampire in here. Geez. Depressing much?