Lucky Me by Cindy Callaghan Page B

Why?”
    I didn’t answer. She’d just confirmed Quilly was my cousin too. This was a lot to process.
    â€œWhere does Quilly live?”
    She stepped farther away from me. “In the city.”
    My face must’ve asked, What city?
    â€œDublin. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”
    â€œCan you be a bit more specific, like maybe a street address?”
    â€œHe works as a tour guide on one of those double-decker buses.” She inched away and spoke louder. “Listen, Quilly has enough trouble. If you’re going to see him, it’s very important that you don’t give him any of your curse. Not even a little bit.” She continued, “Here’s what you have to do. Go to Murphy’s down the street. Get yourself a ladybug and one for Quilly, too.”
    Someone bumped Anna from behind and dumped their soda down her back.
    She glared at me. “Look at this. I’m drenched in soda!”
    Maybe she hadn’t noticed that she was covered in mud and everyone else was pretty much wearing soda too?
    â€œYou need to leave, and don’t come looking for me again.” I couldn’t believe she was genuinely mad at me because someone else had poured soda on her. She turnedaway, took the ladybug out again, and rubbed it through her muddy hair.
    I was pretty sure she didn’t like me. And I’d forgotten to invite her to the Spring Fling. Maybe she was going anyway since it was such a big deal. At least I had gotten a lead on Quilly—the second-to-last link—the key to finding the letter’s author and ending this whole mess.
    I shoved through the crowd looking for Finn. I didn’t see him, but my luck started to change when I saw who was sitting next to Mrs. Buck playing Go Fish.

Twenty-Five
    C arissa!” I exclaimed, shocked.
    She ran to me and hugged me.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” I asked.
    â€œYou said everything sucked, and I told you I was coming. Didn’t you get the message?”
    I laughed. “Yeah, I did. I didn’t think you were serious.”
    â€œAs serious as a monkey is about his last banana.” She hugged me again. “Guess where my mom and dad took me for spring break?” She didn’t wait long enough for me to answer. “Paris! So, awesome. But when I got your text on our layover in London, we just rerouted to Ireland.”
    â€œYou’re kidding.”
    â€œNot even a little bit. Then I called that castle you’restaying at— Hello, castle? Freakin’ awesome! They gave me Mrs. Buck’s digits because you’re not answering your phone. She texted me the deets of your location, and Mom and Dad just dropped me off. Guess where we’re gonna stay? Don’t—I’ll tell you. The castle.” She scanned the crowd of rugby players. “This place is awesome! I love Ireland!”
    A group of rugby players behind her heard her say this, and cheered. She cheered right back at them, and then they yelled back at her, and she was going to cheer back at them, but I pulled her away. “Stop that,” I said.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with a girl having a little fun?” She waved to the group of boys.
    â€œCome on. Boys can wait.” I moved her farther away from them. “I’m dealing with a curse here, or did you forget? We have something important to do.”
    She looked over her shoulder to see if the rugby team was watching her.
    With both hands I turned her face back to look at me. “It involves shopping ,” I said.
    â€œWell, why didn’t you say so?” she replied. She hooked her arm in mine and asked, “Where to? You name it. Any place you pick is fine by me. Hollister? Justice? Abercrombie? PacSun?”
    â€œUh-uh,” I said.
    â€œNordstrom?” Carissa asked.
    â€œMurphy’s.”
    â€œMurphy’s?”
    â€œMurphy’s.”
    â€œI don’t know that place. Let’s check it out,” she