By the time school ends, I’m on the verge of bolting through the doors and racing all the way home so I can escape Aarushi's constant talking. It’s not that I don’t like her, it’s just…it’s so many words. My brain can’t process it all. I don’t think anyone has talked to me this much in, well, forever. Still, the idea of her wanting to be my friend…I think I can live with that.

Before I can bolt, Aarushi pops up at my side and stalks me all the way to the library. I can see the almost maniacal glint in her eye as if she knew what my plan was. Sitting at one of the tables, I sigh in defeat. Guess I just have to put up with it for now.

I pull out my books and decide to just work on my homework while she studies. Surprisingly, she isn’t as chatty as I thought she would be, only speaking in a quiet voice whenever she reads something she thinks is interesting in her history book. The tension slowly eases from my shoulders. Maybe expending all that energy at lunch finally calmed her down.

The soothing silence of the library washes over me, and I lose myself in thoughts of a world with only humans and no magic. I wonder what kind of world that would be like?

“Studying hard?”

I jump and whirl around to see Ryuji peering over my shoulder, uncomfortably close. I lean back as far as I can.

“Where in the world did you come from?” I gasp.

He’s still peering over my shoulder. Shifting his pile of books to under one arm, he points at my paper. “You got number eight wrong.”

“Hey!” I shove him away and he laughs.

“See you later, Kee!” He backs away, disappearing among the shelves in a rustle of feathers.

When I turn back to my paper, I spy Aarushi staring at me, a giant, goofy grin on her face.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing.” She taps her pencil on her open book. “I’m just really curious as to the relationship between you two.”

I frown at her. “We’re just friends.”

“But are you, though?” She narrows her eyes and raises her brows. “Are you sure he’s not in love with you?”

“I’m sure. Whatever you see, it’s all platonic,” I say, irritated.

“But is it love, though? Like, do you like him?”

I throw my hands up. “Why is everyone convinced that we’re in love or something? Can’t I just have a friend who’s a guy?”

Aarushi holds her hands up in a placating gesture. “Whoa, hey, I’m just curious. If you say it’s platonic, I’ll believe you.”

“Thank you.” I look down at my paper, not sure why I feel so irritated about all of this. And darn it, now she has me questioning exactly what it is I feel for Ryuji. I’d rather not go down the romance route, but what if…?

“But what if he likes you?” Aarushi leans across the table, a gleam in her eye. She gasps, her hands flying to her cheeks. “What if he’s in love with you, and it’s unrequited? Oh, that would be so sad!”

I groan and lay my head on my paper. “Please don’t say that. Then I’ll feel awful and start to question everything. We’re just friends, and I want it to stay that way.”

Aarushi sighs. “Sorry. I can’t help it. I just see the way he interacts with you, and I can’t help but jump to conclusions. He looks like a little puppy every time he sees you. His whole face lights up.”

I hold out my hands, my mind struggling to form words. “It’s more like…I guess you could say we’re more kindred spirits on the same path of creativity. Fellow creators reaching for the same soul. It’s our passion for writing that binds us, not love.”

Aarushi nodded, then shook her head. “Yeah, okay, I think I get it. Kind of. Kind of not.” She shrugs, then holds up her fists. “I guess it’s because I’m not all that creative. But I do love to swing my fists in the boxing club. I’ve already won two awards.”

She looks so proud of herself, so I give her two thumbs up to show my enthusiasm. It’s pretty impressive that she’s won awards, but I know zilch about boxing.

“But I’m not all brawn,” she says hastily. “If you’ve got math troubles, come right to me. I’m top in my class.”

“Oh, good. I’m terrible at it. If I need help, I’ll ask.”

This makes her grin. She goes back to studying, but now I can’t concentrate on my homework. What if she’s right about Ryuji? My cheeks warm, and I press the backs of my fingers against my face to cool them down. It’s silly. We’re just friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

Right?

Whispers distract me from my books, and I glance over to see two girls standing between the bookshelves. It’s quiet enough that they’re reach me.

“Did you hear what happened to Hohaia?”

“Oh, that pakepakeha boy? I heard his friends saying he hasn’t shown up to class in three weeks. They said he was sick.”

“That’s the thing. I heard that he’s been hospitalized…” the other girl leaned closer, the scales on her arms shimmering in the muted sunlight, “for a curse.”

My blood runs cold at her words. A curse? What kind of curse? I strain my ears to hear more.

“No way! Really? Do you know what kind?”

“It’s a new curse that’s been spreading around, but isn’t on the media yet. But my sister works at the hospital and told me it looks like a black smudge with thorny vines.”

The rest of her words are drowned by the pounding of my heart. I curl my hands into fists to resist looking at the curse mark on my own arm even though I know what it looks like. Someone else had my curse. What did it mean? Why was this person cursing people, especially young ones?

I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head. It would do me no good to dwell on it now.

Ryuji isn’t waiting for me this evening. Maybe he’s late, or maybe he wasn’t able to get away from whatever it is he needs to do. Either way, I try not to think too hard about it. I walk to the library by myself, my head filled with thoughts of curses. The girls’ conversation keeps turning over and over in my head.

When I arrive at the group, he’s not there. All night, he doesn’t show, and I have to call Dad to come pick me up, which I hate doing, since today’s one of his rare days off. I get in the car, and he looks at me through the rearview mirror.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say distractedly as I gaze out the window at the passing streets.

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

The rest of the car ride we sit in awkward silence. How long has it been since we had a real conversation? Since I was a small girl, always clinging to his leg if I wasn’t with Anwell. All those happy memories of childhood, of Dad reading me to sleep, of splashing around in Grandma’s pond, all those precious moments feel like they belong to someone else. Back then, Dad didn’t always look tired. He had a steady job.

He and Mom loved each other.

I don’t even know if they talk anymore.

A part of me wants to tell him about the curse, wants him to really worry about me like he used to. But that would be cruel to him. I know he’s trying his best. I shouldn’t bother him with things like this.

Dad pulls into the driveway, and I hop out, marching quickly to the front door, pushing all uncomfortable feelings surrounding Dad down. I can process those later. Instead, I can’t help but feel a little worried. Ryuji didn’t say anything about skipping the group tonight. In fact, he hasn’t said anything to me at all. I stop before the front door and send him a quick text.

You okay? You didn’t show at the group.

There. That’s all I can do for now. I push open the door. Warm light and the smell of cooking dinner hits my nose, followed by the scent of Mom’s perfume.

I look up in time to see her coming toward me, a scowl on her face. I swallow.

Looks like I’m in trouble, now.

Mom doesn’t give me time to catch my breath.

“Where have you been?” Her voice is like a whip, sharp and stinging.

I don’t have time for this. “Out,” I mutter as I kick off my shoes.

“’Out’ won’t cut it, young lady.”

I walk past her toward the stairs, but she keeps talking.

“You need to be studying for college. Not running around all day doing who knows what.”

“Mom, I still have most of this year and next year until I graduate. Can’t you just give me some time?” I say, stopping at the foot of the stairs. What I want to say is, I’m cursed! The last thing on my mind right now is college.

Moms holds out an envelope. I stare at it.

“What’s that?”

“It’s exam papers for our local business school. I want you to take the entrance exam and attend the school during your last year of high school. They offer night classes, so you can go then. Since it’s only for two years, you’ll be able to graduate in another year and start helping me with my business.”

I look to the door, hoping Dad will walk through and save me from this conversation. But he’s probably already off to one of his night jobs. Mom crosses her arms and glares at me.

“If you’re looking for your father, he’s already left for work. You made him late, you know.”

“Dad didn’t seem to mind,” I mumble.

“He doesn’t say anything because he loves you. But you need to know that you can’t always rely on us. You have to start looking out for yourself.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “If it’s so important to you, why don’t you just go to business school yourself?” I snap. I’m done playing Mom’s games. I still don’t understand why all of this is so important to her. “Besides, isn’t all of this for Anwell anyway? Why would you want me involved?”

Mom’s cheeks flush. “Anwell is your brother, Keelin McConaughy! And I don’t have to give you any answers as to why.”

“Then why don’t you get your precious Anwell to run it instead? You seem to only care about him, anyway.” I regret the words the moment they leave my mouth. Mom stares at me, shocked.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Anwell’s been dead longer than I’ve been alive. I know I don’t have any memories of him, but Mom does, and I’m sure what I said hurt. Turning, I rush up the stairs.

“Stop right there.” Mom’s voice is a dangerous growl.

I freeze in my tracks.

“Before you go anywhere, you need to tell me where you’ve been every Thursday. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

The smell of baking tomato sauce wafts up the stairs and turns my stomach. I grip the railing, my palms sweaty. What do I tell her? I can’t tell her that I’ve been going to a writer’s group. She’ll lock me up for sure. I grit my teeth, my mind drawing a blank.

“T-the library. I’ve been going to the library,” I say. Maybe I won’t have to give a reason why.

“And what have you been doing at the library? You haven’t been wasting your time with boys, have you?” she asks, almost accusatory.

I can’t help but snort at that. Me, messing around with boys at a library? There are plenty of more appropriate places I could be doing that at.

“No. I…I’m in a…a book club.”

Mom sighs. “Stop wasting so much time at book clubs and start focusing on your schoolwork. You won’t graduate this way.”

I want to argue and tell her that I’ve actually been getting passing grades in every subject, but it’s pointless. I make my way up the rest of the stairs and retreat to my room before she can follow me. Slamming the door, I throw my bag at the wall, hoping the heavy books inside will leave a dent.

They don’t.

I slump to the floor against the door and rest my forehead on my drawn-up knees. I stay like this, hands over my ears, blocking out all the sounds in the house until all I can hear is my heartbeat. Until I can project my mind into a world where I’m a fearless warrior without an overbearing mom and a passive father. Where I’m in charge of my own destiny and I build kingdoms and castles, start a new era, one that is…

Story ideas swirl through my mind and I let them play out, turning them over and inspecting every side. Elsha comes to my door, calling that it’s dinner time, but I ignore her. It’s only when everyone’s retreated to their rooms and the sound of the TV in Mom’s room echoes through the house that I move.

Light from the streetlamps pours through my open curtains and paints a yellow streak across the floor. I scratch at my arm through my sleeve, an itching sensation spreading across my skin.

I lift my sleeve and look down at my arm. My body grows cold. The black, smudgy curse mark has grown into a full-fledged inky spot the size of a baseball. I run my fingers over the cursed skin. Its hard and cold, as if already dead. Dread creeps through up my stomach and into my throat, gripping me in a stranglehold.

No. It can’t spread. Not yet. I haven’t started my story yet. I haven’t even begun to live the life I want.

Heavy reality weighs down on me like a blanket.

I’m going to die.

That’s right. That’s what happens when someone is cursed. They die. I was a fool to ever forget.