Stirring Up Trouble (Stirring Up Trouble Trilogy 1)

Milo’s dad called us over for an important update. “The good news is that frog and toad jokes are making a resurgence. Oh, and so far there are no human fatalities associated with the phenomenon. In other words. Nobody has croaked!”

“Dad,” Milo said.

“Uh oh,” Mom said after checking her email. “They’re talking about banning magic and travel on Halloween again.”

“Everybody is going to hate me,” I said, holding my head in my hands.

“The snakes will like you,” Milo said. “They love to eat the yummy frogs.”

“Snakes,” Milo’s mother said. She jotted something down on the notepad she had carried around all morning. “We should check into the snake issue.”

“Please,” Mom said with a shudder.

“This is like a huge biology project,” Milo said.

“That sure was one Hoppy Halloween,” Milo’s dad said.

We all glared at him.

Milo and his family finally headed out late Sunday afternoon. I gave Milo a big hug. “Come back soon.”

At school Monday, everybody was buzzing about the crazy frog situation, except Anya. She just babbled on and on about Brad.

Mrs. Amburn had filled six aquariums with various frogs and toads. I guess I’d be reminded of my Halloween Hiccup forever.

Jake caught up with me at my locker after first period. “What’s wrong, Zoe? You seem distracted.”

I looked up into his green eyes. “I’m okay. It’s just been a weird couple of days.”

He glanced up and down the hall and then put an arm around me. “Maybe this will help.” He touched his lips to mine, and suddenly I didn’t care one bit about the Frog Fiasco.

He hugged me tightly and whispered against my ear. “Better.”

I nodded.

He released me and flashed a confident smile. He was entirely too smooth for a fifteen-year-old boy. “So can we study together today?”

If only. My parents had been very clear. Get home and stay home. We still didn’t have a final verdict from the Council. “Tomorrow?” I asked.

“Really? Tomorrow then, and don’t even think about trying to back out.”

“Tomorrow. I promise.”

Once I got home, I realized that I didn’t know what to do with myself. I had no magic. I could feel its absence. Like the empty space in my heart when my friend Selena moved to Florida after fourth grade.

My dad had texted me earlier. He knew how miserable I was, and he was trying his best to distract me. He was expecting the results from his friend today about the different tuna brands.

Any progress I could make on the toad slime substitution would really help.

I tried to make myself find something to do. Instead, I sat on the couch and stared at the wall.

Dad finally called. “I got the results, Zoe. Compared to the other tuna brands, Fish Man has less mercury and more artificial coloring. I’ll bring the complete breakdown over in the morning.”

Okay. We’d need to add coloring and extract some of the mercury from the other brands. “Can’t you bring it now?”

“Sorry, Zoe.”

“Mom is supposed to call with the Council’s verdict as soon as she knows. She still hasn’t called.”

“It could be days, Zoe. You need to be realistic.”

I just sighed. “Thanks anyway, Dad.”

“Love you, Zoe.”

“Love you too.”

When Mom’s car pulled into the garage, I was still sitting there. I would have turned on the television, but I was afraid of late-breaking frog updates. I didn’t want to see an interview with a kid who had salmonella or a man eating a giant frog sandwich.

Mom came in, set her purse and keys on the counter, and walked into the living room.

She sat down next to me and put her arm around me.

“Tough day, kid?” she asked.

I didn’t answer.

“I guess it’s a good thing that the Council decided to let Dr. Finnegan move to Knoxville and tutor you then.”

What? “They did!” I turned and threw my arms around her. “Oh my God! They did. Mom! This is awesome.”

“Zoe,” Mom said. “You’re choking me here.”

“Sorry,” I said, jumping up from the sofa. “I can’t believe it! Dr. Finnegan. It’s like a reward. I got into trouble and the punishment is to have Dr. Finnegan tutor me!”

Mom’s lips spread into a wide grin. “I know. It’s crazy.” She stood and hugged me.

“How soon? When is he coming?”

“We don’t know yet. They have to make arrangements with Dr. Finnegan.”

“I get to keep my magic! When do I get it back?”

“I don’t know that either, Zoe.”

“I have to tell Milo,” I said and sprinted for the stairs.

“Zoe, wait!”

After skidding to a stop, I turned back to my mother. “What?”

“There is more that you need to know about Dr. Finnegan.”

“Mom,” I said, rolling my eyes, “I know everything there is to know about him. He’s the most renowned living potions scholar. He’s written every important text on potions, and he’s won the equivalent of three Nobel prizes.”

“Has he ever worked with a high school student before?”

“No,” I answered. I walked back to the couch and sat. “So why is he working with me? They said something about a predicament?”

“Exactly. He agreed to work with you as part of his probation.”

“I’m a punishment?”

“Yes, and no. I’m sure he’ll be happy working with you, Zoe. However, he didn’t have much choice in the matter.”

“Geez, Mom. What did he do?”

Mom sat back down and patted my knee. “Dr. Finnegan just turned ninety-five years old. Three years ago, he decided to trade his body for a newer model. He brewed a potion.”

The horror must have shown on my face, because my mother said, “That’s right, Zoe. He brewed a self-serving potion of phenomenal proportions. He made himself young again, and his punishment fit the crime.”

But what Dr. Finnegan had done! The punishment for making yourself young…I couldn’t begin to imagine.

“It was bad,” my mother confirmed. “They say he didn’t leave the house for three years. He stayed locked up with his rotting flesh as he slowly worked off the punishment brewing healing potions for charity. He must have suffered terribly,” she said, “but they say Dr. Finnegan made it through with his sanity intact.”

“He’s not still rotting, is he?” Even if he was the Albert Einstein of potions, I had serious problems with strong odors.

“The poor man is fine. I want to be sure that you fully understand the reasons for Dr. Finnegan being here. He may be your hero, but he is not infallible. I don’t want you to follow him blindly. You have your own conscience as your guide, and you will have your own choices to make.”

“Are you saying he’s dangerous?”

“Of course not. But I want you to stay alert and be aware. Follow the rules. Be true to yourself.” She laughed. “And a dozen other t-shirt slogans.”

“I get it, Mom. I’m going into this with my eyes open.” I pictured the elderly man with his skin rotting. “I doubt he’s going to want any more trouble.”

“True.”

I imagined the old man turning young, and then I thought about the rotting flesh. “Mom, what does he look like now?”

My mother actually shuddered. “I have no idea.”

“Nobody has taken pictures?”

She shook her head. “He hasn’t been out and about.”

“Am I allowed to tell Milo?”

“Yes, but neither of you needs to be spreading gossip. The man has suffered enough.”

“Right. When will he get here to start?”

“Two weeks or so. You’ll have sessions with him twice a week after school and then on Saturdays.”

I grinned. “This is going to be awesome.”

“

Run and tell Milo. We can plan later.”

Plan? “For what?”

“We aren’t going to be able to hide Finnegan from your friends and Jake. We need to convince them that he is your chemistry tutor. If they interfere, Dr. Finnegan may have to leave.”

No problem. “Jake won’t question the chemistry thing. The rest of my friends don’t come over much. Except—”

“—Anya!” Mom said with me.

“Uh oh.” I grabbed my mother’s arm. “If Dr. Finnegan actually looks nineteen, she could be a problem.”

“I doubt he appears as young as he intended, and even if he does, what are the odds that he’s going to interest Anya? Let’s be reasonable. He’d have to be pretty cute, right?”

I released my grip on her arm.

“And if I’m wrong, there are ways to distract her.”

I had a bad feeling that my future held more love potions and more toilets.

“Go call Milo.”