Page 119 of Witch You Would
Felicia and Charlotte were arguing at their station, if I was reading their ice-queen expressions right. Both covered theirmics with their hands instead of turning them off.
Syd and the judges, minus Doris, watched from one corner, while Rachel stood in another. Tori followed Nate and his cameralike they were tied together with a rope. No one was taking chances now, I guess. I still couldn’t believe they were makingus finish this when it had clearly been rigged, but I wasn’t a lawyer ninja, so what did I know.
“You okay?” Gil asked.
I yelped and spun the pencil right off the table.
He caught it. “What’s going on in that big brain of yours?”
Felica cut the air with one hand, while Charlotte shook her head so hard I thought it would pop off.
“I think our spell needs something,” I said. “I don’t know what.”
Gil leaned on the table, looking up at me sideways. “Conversation hearts?”
I clicked my tongue at him. “No.”
“Jellyfish?”
“No.”
“Kittens?”
“No!”
“You’re right, it would be hard to keep them from going after the bunnies and birds.”
I bumped him with my hip. “I’m serious.”
“Me too! Look, so serious.” He narrowed his eyes and made a duck face at me.
I laughed and made the same face back. He crossed his eyes, so I stuck out my tongue.
Later, he mouthed, waggling his eyebrows.
Felicia put her hand up in front of Charlotte’s face, palm out, then walked toward the exit. She paused at the edge of thewarding circle, glancing over her shoulder at... me? With a sigh so deep her whole body got into it, she headed for ourstation.
“Incoming,” Gil said.
Hands opening and closing like she wanted to punch something, Felicia clacked to a stop. “Penelope,” she said through clenchedteeth, “can I talk to you?”
“Okay.” What could she want? Gil made big eyes at me and I shrugged.
We headed for the supply area, moving halfway into a row withdrawers of hardware and various kinds of wood. Felicia slowly got a grip on whatever was upsetting her until only the ice queen was left, then switched off her mic. I did the same.
“You owe me,” she said. “For telling you about Charlotte.”
I blinked at her, not sure what to say.
“She’s going to ruin our spell,” Felicia continued. “She wants to mix rose hip oil with garlic in our catalyst.”
“That won’t work,” I said. “They’ll cancel each other out.”
“That’s what I told her!” Felicia threw her hands in the air, pacing in a tight circle. “She won’t listen to me. She’s a stubbornasshole who thinks she knows everything.”
Memories flickered through my mind, of Past Penelope wanting to work with Charlotte so badly and freaking out about beingstuck with Leandro Presto. I grinned, unable to stop myself.
“Laugh,” Felicia said. “Go on. Get it out of your system. Then tell me how to fix this.”
