The moment she walked into the door, I knew she was going to be trouble.
It was a Tuesday. No, scratch that. It was a Wednesday. I remember, because Wednesday was and is the day I'm normally late due to my weekly hair washing (I don't care what anyone says, dirty hair is the best kind of hair to style...and I have a LOT of it, and washing and drying my hair, alone, takes four hours). But for some reason, on that particular fall hump day, I was early. My intuition as a witch is spot on and something told me to get to school early that morning. I skipped blow-drying my hair and just pulled it up into a wet pony, and flew off to school.
And I don't mean I actually flew. I am not that kind of witch. I am the kind that drives a silver 2016 Mercedes-Benz E350. Only hags and transients uses brooms. Gross.
But anyways, my girls and I met up in the triangle (an idiotic name for the triangle courtyard in the middle of our school) to discuss what we all felt. It was like we all woke up with this feeling, this wave of excitement. Like how you wake up on Christmas, and forget it's Christmas for a moment, and then you remember? That was how it felt that morning. But we had no idea what we were excited about. But we soon were going to find out.
Like magic (maybe it was magic?) the doors to the triangle wooshed open with nobody touching them and she walked in. And we just knew, we had to have her. Patent leather boots. Spiked black hair. Skull earrings that dangled to her shoulders. This bitch knew how to handle herself, and not having her on our side meant we'd have to deal with her. And who wants that? No, we had to get her to join us. Our little crew. Our gang of misfits. Our coalition of the baddest witches in town.
We are like Legion West's mafia, of sorts. You don't fuck with us. You don't look at us the wrong way. You don't owe us a favor, because we'll come collecting. Every witch fears us. Every witch wants to be us. That goes for the teachers and administration, too. Heck, I think the whole town is in unison with the slogan "The Gurlz Run Opal Bay". And a day doesn't go by when anyone forgets that shit. Not even once.
But Addison? She wasn't like anyone we'd ever met before. Sure, I am pretty badass myself, but Addy just didn't give a fuck. About anything. She was.....an extreme version of me. The only difference was that I was known for my temper. Get on my bad side, and I'll blow up. Literally. But not her. She'll just smile quietly, and plot her revenge. Addy was, is, and always will be the master of revenge. And even I know better to mess with that kind of talent.
Oh yeah, my name is Phee, which is short for Phoenix. Phoenix River. No, I am not named after a place, though my ancestors were. Nor am I related to that dead famous guy River Phoenix. Nobody my age even knows who that guy is, other than those of us who have seen "Stand by Me". And that's only a handful. When I was in grade school they used to sing to me "Take me down to Phoenix River, where the grass is green and her face eats slivers..."
It doesn't make any damn sense, but we were like seven. And kids are assholes (and the only reason we knew about Guns N Roses at that age was because we had an art teacher who played NOTHING but that band during class--he was so retro). But at least they stopped making fun of my red hair. They just wanted to piss me off to watch me catch on fire. The teachers used to tell my parents I was dangerous to have in school, but they insisted that I would not kill anyone as long as the kids would stop picking on me. Soon after, the administration cracked down hard on bullying and nobody said a word to me again. Like, ever. Until I got into school and joined The Gurlz. They weren't afraid of me at all. They used to tell me "Bitches who stick together, sick together." Which means we were each other's guard dogs and if somebody fucks with any one of us? We'll sick our guard dogs on them.
And we needed Addy to complete our pack.
(Phoenix's diary, page 1)
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"I need some espresso. Like, now," said Parker, while eyeing her watch.
"Why do you even wear that thing, Park? You look like a dumbass. I know you have a cellphone so you can check the time, don't you? And espresso yellows your teeth. Drink a Monster instead. With a straw," Casey pulled a pink can of Monster out of her bag and a straw out of the front zipper.
"Wow, you're always prepared, aren't you Case?" Parker smirked, yet still took the drink.
"Well, we are what we are, aren't we ladies?" Casey smiled her cheerleader smile.
"You know the pink ones taste like ass, right?" Parker took a sip. "Wait, why doesn't this one taste like ass?"
"Because it's the good one rebottled in the pink can, just for me!" she squealed. "Our daddies aren't rich for nothing."
Phee laughed. "You can say that again."
Dallas yawned. "Why are were so early today?"
"I don't know. Just something is coming, that's all. I can feel it," Phee answered.
"Me, too," joined Casey.
"Yeah," Morgan agreed.
Parker whipped around to look at Morgan. "Are you even a witch? I don't recall you ever once having any magical powers in our presence. Not once. So how you can even feel what we're talking about? Phee had to call you to get up and meet us here," she snapped.
Morgan looked down at her feet, looking like she might cry.
"Be nice, Park. Today isn't the day." Casey put a hand on Parker's shoulder.
"And stop calling me Park, Case. You know I hate that!"
Casey shrugged her shoulders. "I like when you call me Case. It doesn't bother me. Stop being a baby about things."
"Shut it! I don't care if you...."
But before she could finish her sentence, the triangle's doors few open, crashing to the walls behind them.
"Whoah," whispered Phee.
They all stared. And just as quickly as the doors opened, a girl appeared in the once empty doorway. She seemed to appear out of nowhere. Which wasn't abnormal for a school filled with witches of various capabilities. But it was still very mesmerizing.
And the girl was soon staring right at them.
"Are you the ones I am supposed to meet here?"
Casey stared back. "Huh?"
The girl spread her black lips into a smile. "You dumb bitches right there. You're staring like I am some kind of circus freak or something. Did the teachers or whatever send you guys to greet my ass or what? Or are you all just slow?"
Phee snorted. She already liked this girl.
"Come again? You have no idea who we are, do you?" Casey's hands went to her hips. "I would not be talking to us like that if I were you."
The girl smiled again, and walked a little closer. "Oh really now?"
Phee jumped in between them. "Settle down Casey. I'd like to know what this stranger's name is before we hurt her for disrespecting us." She held out her hand.
The girl stared at it. "As for disrespecting anyone, you girls are the ones staring at me. I kind of think you started it."
Phee withdrew her hand. "Touche, Addison." The name had just come to her out of nowhere. "Wait, how'd you do that?"
Addison threw her head back and laughed. "It's a parlor trick I picked up in Borneo." She leaned into Phee's ear to whisper "I can put thoughts into other people's heads."
"Sweet," Dallas chimed in. "What else can you do?"
"Well," Addison looked at her black fingernails to make sure none were chipped. "I can spot a liar from a mile away. And I can tell the future."
Dallas scoffed. "My grandma can tell the future. So can my mom. That's the most common witch trait there is."
Morgan stifled a giggle.
Addison leaned in close, her breath hot in Dallas's face. "No, I can tell you what bad deeds you'll do before you do them. Well in advance."
Dallas swallowed. "Well, that's different."
Addy stepped back. "Yup. Just like I know you're all going to ask me to be in your little group. Which is why I got here early. I could feel you bitches waiting to get a piece of me," she winked.
Parker laughed. "Everyone except Morgan."
They all laughed together. Morgan forced a smile.
"Watch out for this one, ladies," Addy pointed at her. "She may come into her powers one day, and then you'll be sorry."
This made them all laugh again. Except for Morgan, who was smirking.
Though nobody seemed to notice, but Addy...........
Click here for Chapter Two.
