Stirring Up Trouble (Stirring Up Trouble Trilogy 1)

“Good idea,” he said and opened the freezer to dig out the frozen fajitas.

I started packing up my equipment.

Still flying high on Friday from the success of the toad slime experiment, I started to actually have faith that I wouldn’t be punished for Indiana.

After school, I used Dad’s credit card to order more supplies off the Internet. Unicorn horn was expensive, but I didn’t have any ideas for creating a substitute for that yet. Then I tested the four trout samples Dad had left for me. They all worked.

Mom hugged me when she got home. “We aren’t going to tell the Council anything yet about your findings. We have thirty days, and that will give you time to do some more experiments without some overbearing scientists second-guessing your every move.”

“Good.” I’d been worried she’d want to tell them sooner. Luckily, magical people zealously guarded their privacy. We had a Bill of Rights that closely resembled that of the United States. We’d been persecuted enough throughout history to value our freedom. The Council could only monitor those who’d engaged in serious criminal activity in the past, so there wasn’t any way they’d know what was going on with us.

“Now, if you can tear your mind away from the earth-shaking discovery, you made…” She walked over to a department store garment bag she’d left on the couch. “I picked up something for you.”

Bracing myself for little girl pink, I cringed as she pulled it out. “Oh my God, Mom. I love it.” I jumped up to grab the stunning electric blue dress. The style was straight out of Cosmo, simple, but totally in right now.

“I thought you might like it. They say it’s a knock off of what the designers have been making for young Hollywood.”

Young Hollywood. How pathetic. But I loved the dress.

“Go try it on,” she urged. “I can’t wait to see you in it.”

“Kay.” With a huge grin on my face, I ran for my room.

Dad called as I finished getting ready.

“Just wanted you to know they’re headed your way.”

“Thanks.” I guess that meant he was at Sheree’s again.

“It’s so great that you kids are going together as friends.”

Friends? We were supposed to be playing this as a date. Had Jake really said friends? “Oh, well, I guess.” Had Jake slipped up? Not to mention my desire for him to take our date seriously.

“Kent’s mother will bring you kids back here after the dance. Is that okay?” He kept talking because he knew I’d agree. “I’ll get to see you all dressed up, and then we’ll head over to my apartment.”

“Right.” That’s how Jake and I had planned it anyway. We were hoping they’d both witness a big kiss. We needed to hit those two where it hurt. Their parenting skills.

“Have fun, hon. Oh, and I did that shopping you asked me to do.”

“Great. How much did you find?”

He lowered his voice. “I picked up fifty-seven cans of that store brand.”

“Thanks! That’s a lot more than I thought you’d find.” That would give me a pretty good supply even if that brand of tuna turned out to be the only one that worked.

He cleared his throat. “I, um, went to six stores.”

The thought of him driving around town to different groceries made me smile. He really was a great dad. “You’re the best.”

“See you soon.”

“Bye, Dad.” I shut my phone and turned back to the mirror.

My eyes were heavily lined which I don’t usually do. Mom said I could get away with more makeup at night. She also said she had to approve my face before I left because she didn’t want her fifteen-year-old daughter running around looking like a, well, ho.

I studied my reflection. I didn’t look like a ho. I looked a lot like that princess I’d been in my daydream.

Mom’s gasp in the doorway drew my attention.

“You look wonderful,” she said. Her eyes got glassy like she was about to cry.

“Don’t cry, Mom.” I ran over to hug her, carefully holding my face away from her to keep from ruining my makeup.

“I’m not. I want you to have a great time.”

I wondered how long it would be before I had to watch her get dressed for dates. She’d told me last night that she didn’t plan to date Dave and that she really didn’t think she was ready to get back out there yet. She promised to tell me when she was.

The doorbell rang, and she hugged me tighter for a second before tossing me backward. “I’ll go get it.” She took off down the hall at a run.

“Mom, it’s really not necessary,” I called. But I knew she wanted to make sure Jake came in so she could get a look at the two of us together.

Jake looked awesome. He wore a blue jacket with his khakis. He’d even put on a tie. I’d never seen him do that before. The amazing thing was that he didn’t look at all like a waiter. He just looked hot.

With an awkward glance at my mom, he stepped closer to the stairs. His eyes widened and his smiled. “You look great, Zoe.”

“Thanks,” I said, my face burning with embarrassment. I could almost hold my own with Jake in private. But Mom’s prying eyes were just too much.

“Let me get my camera,” Mom said and dashed for the kitchen.

With a groan, I turned to Jake. “I don’t suppose we could sneak out the front door now, could we?”

“No way. Your Mom would hate me forever. And my mother would just make us come back in.” He tugged at his tie.

“Chicken.”

“Here I come.” Mom ran from the kitchen with the camera. “Stand over by the fireplace.”

We complied. Jake draped his arm across my shoulder and we smiled for the picture.

“Just one more,” Mom said, messing with the zoom on the camera. “I promised Sheree I’d give her copies.”

When had she spoken to Sheree? They were friends now were they, with Sheree dating my dad? “One more, Mom.” I was surprised Sheree hadn’t come in. They could ooh and ahh together.

After saying “cheese” a second time, Jake removed his arm. Too bad I hadn’t let her take more pictures, I kind of liked his arm around me.

I led the way out the front door while Mom gushed all the standard goodbye’s and drive carefully’s.

When I reached the Volvo, Jake said, “No, wait.” And he made me step aside so he could open the back door for me.

“Thanks.” I tried to get in the car in a graceful way considering that he was standing right there. Maybe I should practice.

He shut the door and went around to the other side while I squirmed to adjust my dress.

“You look gorgeous, Zoe,” Sheree said from the driver’s seat. She sounded a little choked up.

Between the dress and the whole Cinderella fantasy, I was stressed out. I needed to relax and get things back to normal with Jake.

Luckily, he helped me out. He climbed in the back with me and said, “That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

“Now, Jake,” Sheree cautioned, backing out of the drive.

“Really? What were you expecting exactly?”

With a laugh, he said, “The first dance I went to with Anya, her mother used three rolls of film. We posed in the living room and on the back patio. It took almost an hour.”

I nodded. “She does that for birthday parties. I don’t know why I didn’t realize she’d do that for dances too.”

“Anya really likes to have her picture taken.”

He was right. Anya dreamed of modeling. The problem was her height. She was only five-two.

“I guess my house was a breath of fresh air after that.”

“Oh, yeah. I like your mom.”

“I like her too,” Sheree said.

“She likes you,” I said, thinking about how weird it all was.

Sheree dropped us at the school, and we had a few minutes to talk as we headed for the gym.

“My mom and your dad must think we’re going to this dance as friends. They were no

nchalant about the whole thing.”

“I got that impression too.” How flattering. Dad doesn’t think Jake would ask me out on a real date. It warms my heart.

“That’s fine with me,” he said. “It’ll be more of a shocker when we hit them with the PDA.” He sounded almost gleeful.

“You sound like we’re planning some kind of attack.”

“Well, we are. Kind of.” He glanced my way.

“So what’s the plan exactly?”

“I was thinking that, after the dance, we’d make sure they know we’re on the porch.” He opened the door to the gym. “Meanwhile, let’s enjoy the dance.”

I wished Anya and Brad wouldn’t be there.

“I hope we don’t have to hang out with Brad and Anya tonight,” he said as we searched the gym for familiar faces.

My jaw dropped. Could he read my mind? “You do?”

“Well, I know she’s your friend, but they are so annoying. Brad’s always slobbering all over her, and she’s so mean to him.”

“True. I was just thinking the same thing.” I didn’t see Camille and Kent yet. Since I didn’t feel comfortable talking about Anya, I asked, “Are Eli and Alicia coming?”

“Yeah,” he answered, “but they’re going all out on the dance thing. He told me he promised to dance every dance, so we probably won’t see much of them.”

I was surprised to spot Anya alone, sitting on the bleachers. She usually made us come to her, but tonight she dashed over to us as soon as she saw us.

Chapter Thirteen

“I thought you’d never get here! Zoe, you look great. Can I talk to you for a second? Sorry, Jake.” Anya pulled me over to an empty corner.

“What’s wrong, Anya?” She’d lost all her usual poise.