“Rapunzel is not a good choice for you,” Jared said softly. “She was too na?ve, too innocent. I would peg you for someone more mature, more cunning.”
“Really?” Savannah leaned forward into Jared’s arm and actually purred. “Who, then, should I go as?”
Jared leaned away from her with disgust. “I would peg you as a jealous stepmother.” Savannah’s face turned red with anger. She was actually so mad she couldn’t form words for a moment. She stood up and stepped away from the table.
“Really! And what would Miss Mina be, hhmmmm? The ugly stepsister? The greedy gold digger who was after my prince?” Pri followed after her like the good minion she was.
Mina covered her eyes with her hands and tried to massage the headache that was beginning to plague her. “You really shouldn’t have done that,” Mina chastised him. “You just made my life even harder. Nice work.” She stood up and left her lunch tray on the table, her fork standing at attention in the middle of her chicken-fried steak.
Walking out the double doors into the hall, Mina was surprised to see Brody coming down the corridor. Mina took off down another hall, hoping he hadn’t seen her. Just seeing Brody brought back a flood of feelings that she wasn’t ready to deal with. She had actually felt relieved that he hadn’t shown up that day for school.
When he called her name, Mina ducked into the marked stage doors, hoping he would pass her by when he turned the corner. She quietly walked up the steps onto the stage, and sat down amongst all of the decorations the student council had started creating for the dance.
There was a tinseled park bench with lights strung around it. A giant gingerbread house stood with life-size candy, a vine-covered wishing well, and a large stone tower. Mina sat on the bench and pulled her knees up to her chest. She buried her face in her knees, gently rocking herself. She wished desperately that there was a way she could turn back time. Maybe if her mother had never signed the stupid permission form, she wouldn’t have gone on the field trip. She wouldn’t have saved Brody’s life and would never have been noticed by the curse.
She might have made it all the way through high school without having been attacked by a stranger. With what Jared said earlier, Mina became all the more skeptical of surviving this curse, because there was a wolf pack, as in plural, as in more of those crazy tattooed biker guys after her.
Mina thought she was alone on the stage, but the sound of a stage lever being pulled made her glance up in alarm. The stage was flooded with lights as the dance displays lit up in all of their beauty. They shone, sparkled, and dazzled Mina speechless. She actually had to cover her eyes to make out the person who triggered the lights.
A dark form walked out of the shadows and stood before Mina, tall and handsome. Mina actually shivered when she looked at Brody, feeling as if her body had gone without water for days, and here was the answer to her thirst. His blond hair and blue eyes conveyed a softness to his face above a strong, chiseled jaw. His hands were in his designer jeans’ pockets as he walked casually toward her on the bench. She felt as if she was under a spell, mesmerized by his movements. Closing her eyes, she tried to block out his glorious being. Maybe if she didn’t see him, he would disappear.
“Mina.” Brody’s voice sounded husky to Mina’s ears.
“Go away,” she answered weakly. Her heart thudded in her chest, and it felt like it would burst.
“I need to speak to you.”
“You’ve done enough talking. You made your point on the whole situation last night.”
“No, I didn’t.” Brody knelt before her and stroked the back of her hair. “Mina, please hear me out.” Brody reached out and wrapped his hands around her. She was so small that he was able to maneuver her so that when he sat on the bench, she was tucked across his lap. She tried to squirm at first, but Brody held onto her, nuzzling her ear, which made her freeze. “What your mother said last night…well, it scared me.”
“I know. It seemed enough to scare you away.” Mina tried to move away, but Brody nuzzled her again, making her freeze. It was both an intoxicating feeling and an overwhelming rush.
“Not like you think. I went home, destroyed a few classic guitars, rode my motorcycle across the county. I ended up in another state, and I still couldn’t contain my thoughts. You’re all I think about, and last night I had an uncontrollable rage warring within me. I want to fight this battle for you, but I know that it's not my fight. You will tell me what you’re afraid of when you feel ready. Your mother’s right. I have no right to judge your family. I haven’t proven myself yet. And I made it worse by leaving last night the way I did. I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have left.”