“Go away. Don’t touch me!” Mina sobbed. “You’ve brought me nothing but pain. I hate you.” She turned her face up to him in defiance, her brown eyes sparkling with tears. Jared’s sculpted jaw twitched with barely-contained anger.
Mina flailed, but Jared grasped her wrists to keep her from hitting him. Eventually she quit struggling and stood still, quietly looking out over the water, refusing to make eye contact. When a soft tear fell on his hand, Jared let go of her as if her tear had burned his hand. As soon as he released her wrists, Mina pulled away from him and marched toward the road.
She had no plan, but at the moment a familiar green pick-up truck happened to be barreling down the road. Mina waved her arms furiously, and soon she had a bewildered Asian couple in a green truck opening the back door to let her in. She refused to look out the window at Jared as the truck sped away.
Chapter 17
As soon as Mina got upstairs, she decided to call Brody and apologize for not meeting him after school. But there was no need, because he’d clearly been there. At the top landing was a beautiful bike with a large red bow on top. Mina screamed with delight, and Sara opened the door and laughed.
“It arrived a few hours ago. I couldn’t wait for you to see it.” Sara gently touched the bow and fingered a brown paper envelope. “There’s even a card for you, Mina.”
Mina ran her fingers over the handle bars of the red, fully restored vintage Schwinn It was the exact year as her other one, but with actual working brakes and a kickstand. She tore the red card open without even bothering to read her name on the front.
Mina,
Please forgive me for running out yesterday. I had a lot on my mind, mostly you. Ever since you risked your life to save me, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, and I don’t want to.
I want to be more than friends. I want to be the one to rush in and save you time and time again. I want to be your Prince. Please accept this gift and go with me to the Enchanted Dance.
Yours forever,
Brody Carmichael
P.S. Please say you will go.
P.P.S. If you don’t say yes, you can still keep the bike.
P.P.P.S. Say YES!
Attached was also Brody’s phone number. Mina jumped up and down in excitement and showed her mother the note. She rushed inside and grabbed the cordless phone from its hanger by the fridge. Her fingers were shaking so badly, she had to redial the number twice.
When Brody’s deep voice answered the phone, Mina almost lost her nerve and found she couldn’t immediately speak.
“Mina, is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me.” She smacked her head, wishing she could have thought of something better to have said.
“I missed you after school. Is everything okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine. I’m sorry, it was, um…family business that kept me from meeting you, but don’t worry. I wasn’t in any danger.”
“Oh!” He sounded relieved. “Is that why you called?”
Mina smiled into the phone. “I called because I love the bike. Thank you. When did you have time to find one just like it?”
Brody laughed softly into the phone, a whisper of breath that made Mina shiver in delight. “I actually ordered it the same day I rode over yours. I was going to tell you about it in the car but decided to surprise you instead. So have you decided about the dance?”
Mina couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “I don’t know if dancing is how I would want to spend my birthday.”
“Friday is your birthday? I didn’t know. We can do something else, if you want.”
“No, I think spending my birthday with you would be the perfect gift.” Mina smiled over the phone.
“So decide on what fairy tale couple you would like to go as, and then give me a call. I would prefer to not go as the frog prince, if you get my drift. Green and slimy doesn’t look good on me.”
Mina passed her bedroom mirror. She touched the fabric of her red jacket, a reminder of the many piles of red clothes that littered the floor. No matter what fairy tale princess or character she would try to go as, the Story would keep making her into the same one.
“How about Red Riding Hood?” Mina intoned sadly.
Brody’s voice brightened. “Then I will be your hunter. Never fear, Mina, I’ll keep the big bad wolf away.”
Those words sent a tingle of dread through her limbs. She felt the power of the Story at work and actually feared that very conclusion.
***
After the phone call, Mina climbed out her window and made her way up to her rooftop retreat. It was just after dark when she pulled out the red notebook. She decided to look through the Grimoire where her mom wouldn’t worry. Out of sight, out of mind, really was the best medicine. Mina reclined in the lounge chair and flipped through the notebook’s pages. Still only one story. She caressed the lines and spoke to the Grimoire.