Family Magic by Patti Larsen

Her pristine blue and white ’66
Mustang coupe was missing from the front of the house. She probably
had it at the car wash. Mom wasn’t what you’d call a materialistic
person by any means, but she loved that car more than she loved
us.
    I almost made it out the door when it swung
open. Erica and Jared let themselves in. Yet another thing that
bugged me about the coven. No one knocked. They waltzed into each
other’s houses like it was home and put their feet up. One more
thing for the list. I vowed to keep my door locked when I was older
and on my own.
    Erica tried a smile, but it was weak and I
knew she was still mad at me for Mom’s sake. Being my mom’s best
friend meant she heard all the gory details about us, including,
I’m sure, stuff I don’t want to know about Dad. I shuddered
thinking about it. But, it also meant she would take Mom’s side as
usual and give me a hard time.
    Her boyfriend Jared, on the other hand, would
play good cop and try to be the diplomat. I hated being tag teamed
and wondered if it was a setup.
    Erica tossed back her blonde bob, her soft
blue eyes pinning me so I couldn’t escape. She always dressed neat
and tidy, makeup flawless, matching outfit adorable on her slim
figure. She tried another smile and this one stuck.
    “Syd, I’m glad I ran into you.”
    Now I knew it was a setup. “You’re in my
house.”
    She frowned, the line between her brows
deeper than I remembered the last time we had ‘the talk.’
    “Syd, seriously, we need to discuss this
thing about your mom.”
    I rolled my eyes.
    “I don’t suppose it would help to tell you to
mind your own business, would it?”
    I’ve never seen Erica turn that particular
shade before. I clamped my lips together, knowing laughing in her
face would make it worse.
    Jared coughed, near laughter himself. He
winked at me from behind her, sharing the joke. I tried not to grin
back, but lost. There was something about the tall, dark and
handsome Jared Runnel that made you want to trust him with your
deepest, darkest secrets, the kind of person who would be great to
share a practical joke with. Didn’t hurt he was yummy, either.
Strong jaw, warm brown eyes, great muscles. Still there was a
secret behind those eyes, as if he privately laughed at all of us.
I wondered sometimes if I was in on the joke or part of it.
    “Erica,” Jared said, “I think Syd is
right.”
    Erica turned on him, fists on hips, doing her
best angry society girl. Pathetic.
    And they said I was a normal conformist.
    “Jared.” She gave him the dirty eyeball.
“Stay out of this.” She turned back to me, all business down to her
fake French manicure.
    I pulled myself up on the kitchen counter.
“Fine. Go ahead. But I already know everything you’re going to
say.”
    “Then why do I have to keep saying it?”
Erica’s stern expression softened. She leaned on the counter,
dropping the act. I liked Erica much better this way. “Syd, why do
you have to be so hard on your mother?”
    “I’m working on it,” I said.
    She looked startled. “Sorry?”
    “I know this isn’t doing it for either of us,
okay? I need everyone to back off and let me handle it for once.
Can you do that?”
    She couldn’t speak for several seconds.
    Jared’s whole being shone with laughter.
“Wow. Erica speechless.”
    I shot him a don’t-mess-this-up glare, biting
my lip to keep from smiling.
    He winked back.
    “Okay.” She looked at me like I sprouted
something unusual and she wasn’t sure if it suited me or not. I
hopped off of the counter, keeping my eyes firmly away from Jared’s
teasing.
    “Thanks for the concern. I have to go to
soccer.”
    I left the kitchen and a silent Erica,
leveling a mock punch at Jared’s shoulder on my way out. I almost
missed the speculation in his eyes behind his dazzling white flash
of teeth, and wondered what it meant.
    I glanced at my oversized sport watch as I
let the door slam shut behind me. I had about a half an hour to
cover