Page 46 of The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle
Liz hoped Rose was only joking, but grilling her would ruin what was turning out to be a nice, sisterly moment. “As if.”
“Just joking. I don’t have an ID. Some of my friends do though. ”
A prickle of worry niggled in Liz’s chest. “Is Devin one of those friends?”
Rose rolled her eyes. “Stop worrying, okay? It’s so annoying. I’m behaving and tonight you’re going out to relax and stop being so uptight.”
Liz’s jaw dropped momentarily. “I thought we were making up here.”
“Yeah, but all the niceness was a little too much for my comfort level.” Rose winked. “You look great. Go have fun, find a guy, and screw his brains out.”
“Rose!”
“And before you ask. No, I’m not doing that either. You’ll be happy to know that Devin and I are eating popcorn and watching sappy movies on TV tonight. No alcohol and no romance. We’re going to plan for prom.”
“Prom?” Liz’s breath stowed away in her chest. “You’re going to prom?” Liz tried to take a breath. How could her parents leave her here to deal with Rose’s prom?
Rose looked apologetic. “Devin turned down Jace. We might go stag. Maybe. But maybe not. I don’t know. Prom is kind of stupid, if you ask me.”
Liz tried not to freak out. She sucked in a breath and held it. Then she looked down at her outfit. Prom was a worry that could wait until tomorrow. “Are you sure I look okay?”
“You look like you robbed my closet,” Rose said, waiting for Liz to look at her again. “In a good way.”
To: Bri Johnson
From: Melody Palmer
Subject: Guess Who?
Bri,
It’s Melody. I know Liz writes to you daily. I hope it’s not too late for me to be a better friend. I’m not one to send email and certainly not every day, but I want to keep in touch. Sometimes, the longer you stay away or the longer you keep unsaid things inside, the harder it is. But once you cross that line or say those things, it’s suddenly easy.
The point is, I won’t stay away for too long. I won’t keep from telling you and Liz that you’re the best friends I could have asked for. The fact that you both tolerate me now, even after the way I’ve acted, is the mark of true friendship. Did I thank you for not kicking me under the picnic table during our visit? If I didn’t, I should have. My shin thanks you and so do I.
Now I’m off to have a girls’ night with Liz. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her.
Melody
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
MELODY
The music was loud and the conversation around them was even louder. Melody thought Liz’s smile looked a little too nervous and uncomfortable, and for a moment, Melody wondered if this was a good idea after all.
A waitress stepped up to their table and Melody ordered a Lemon Lime Margarita.
“And for you?” the waitress asked, turning to Liz.
Liz’s eyes were wide behind her glasses. Was she going to have a panic attack here at the tavern? Her skin looked splotchy and red. “The same,” Liz finally said, her voice a higher octave than normal.
“Hey?” Melody tapped a hand on the table’s surface to gain her attention. “Are you okay? Do you want to leave?”
Liz shook her head quickly. “No. It’s just, crowds make me a little anxious. And being out after dark makes me jittery too.” She looked around, seeming to assess the crowd. “I’ll calm down. Promise.” She took a deep breath and exhaled as she returned her gaze to Melody’s.
“Here.” Melody pulled off the charm bracelet and slid it across the table. “Put this on.”
Liz hesitated. “It’s not magic, Melody.”
