Page 33 of The 13th Daughter
"No, that's not it. Jeff is just not boyfriend material. He's inconsiderate and thinks he's the hottest thing on the market. Plus he has wet, slobbery lips."
"And how do you know that?" Emily wiggled her eyebrows.
I squirmed. "I kissed him."
"You kissed Neighbor Boy?" she squealed. "When?"
"Right before school started, at the Labor Day bonfire by the lake."
"And why were you kissing Neighbor Boy if he's not boyfriend material?"
"I don't know, curiosity I guess. It is not something I will repeat again."
"That bad?" she laughed.
"No, I guess not, but his lips were just too...wet," I grimaced.
She wet her lips and smacked them together. "So not too bad a smoocher, just too slippery when wet and wild?"
"Emily!" I laughed at her lewd expression.
"There, see, you're laughing. The world's not over because of some idiot boy."
"What would I do without you?" I grinned and threw a pillow at her.
We'd ended up in a pillow fight that had us both in tears from laughing so hard. She'd been right, though. The world wouldn't end because of an idiot boy. It'd just hurt like hell. It was also the last time I'd ever let a boy make me cry. I became the person who always got the boy's attention I wanted. I never thought I'd be in that position again. Ems had been right then and she was still right now. The world didn't end because of a jerk.
I was surprised to see that we had progressed to Halloween II and Michael was chasing Lori down the hospital corridor when I glanced at the TV. Kay was sound asleep. I collected the empty ice cream containers and went to throw them in the garbage. Everyone had already gone to bed so I didn't have to deal with the parents tonight.
Emily's door called to me on the way back up. I found myself in there instead of my own bed. I missed her so much. Kay wasgreat, but she wasn't my sister. I needed Emily, but since she wasn't here, her room would have to do. No one had been in here in a long time. A coat of dust covered the furniture and her clothes still lay on the floor where she'd thrown them. None of us had been able to pack up her room. I suspected it would stay just as it was forever.
I opened her closet and took a deep breath. Even now, three years later, a hint of her favorite jasmine perfume still clung to the clothes inside. I ran my hands over them, relishing the feel of the soft cottons, cashmeres, and knits. I spotted a box in the back corner. My mouth opened in surprise. Her Jimmy Choos! Her six hundred dollar Jimmy Choos. Emily had saved every penny to buy those shoes. She'd wanted to wear them to the winter solstice ball.
The box came out easily and I opened it. The shoes weren't in the box.
But her diary was.
This could hold the answers I was looking for.
I opened the leather bound journal.
Chapter Eleven
I stared at it,almost afraid to read it. Emily had been the one who convinced me to start keeping a journal. It would come in handy later if I learned to write things down, she'd said. My writing kept me sane, even if I hadn't done it in a while. I owed her so much.
This one must have been one she'd just started. The pages weren't full and the first entry was dated in September. These were her last thoughts in the weeks before she died. I took a deep breath and started to read.
September 09, 2023
Well, old friend, Dad gave me my own Book of Shadows today. He says anything I write about the Coven needs to go in it from now on. It's beautiful, bound in velvety soft black leather with my name etched in gold along the top. He had it handmade. It doesn't look that big, but he says when I need more pages, they'll be there. Who am I to judge after some of the things I've seen? If he says they'll be there, well, then I guess they will. He also told me to hide it in a very secure place, thatit's for my eyes only. A witch's BOS is sacred and personal. It's also very powerful. If you let others see your innermost thoughts and how you work your magic, you hand them a weapon to use against you. Yup, that's what he said, a weapon. So, I guess I'll have to find a good hiding spot for it.
I will share it with CJ, though. She's my sister and I trust her more than anyone else in the world. She would never use it against me. Besides, how can I not share it with her since she's practically written over half of my spells the last couple of years? She's much better at spelling than I am and she doesn't even realize it. It's only fair that I give her my spells in return for all the help she's given me.
Dad says that I'm not supposed to write anything else about the Coven in my journals, that all my insane ramblings go in the BOS, but I have kept a journal for so long, it's going to be a hard habit to break. How can I not confess everything to you? You're my secret keeper. Don't worry, I'll keep telling you my secrets for a while longer.
September 12, 2023
I'll kill him. How dare he? Who does he think he is? Cheat on me and think I won't find out about it? So dead.
