Read Strange Magic for Free Online

her.
     
              “What?  I believe in girl power.  You need to relax.  There’s no reason to be nervous.  You look great.”
     
              All too soon, we had arrived at school.  As we walked to our lockers, I noticed that more guys than usual said hi to me.  Even Brad.  I couldn’t remember him ever speaking to me before.
     
              “Smile,” Caitlin said.  “The clothes are only one part of changing your image.  You can’t be looking at the floor all the time.”
     
              I opened my mouth to argue then closed it.  I had asked for her help, and I needed to listen to her advice.  It worked, too.  I found that when I smiled at people, they usually smiled back.  I began to feel more confident.
     
              My nervousness only returned when I was walking toward English.  I braced myself for seeing Duncan.  Stop it, I told myself.  He’s just another guy.  Who cares what he thinks?  I pointedly ignored him as I took my seat.  I could feel his eyes lingering on me, and I was angry at myself for being so aware of him.
     
              “I must say, Susannah.  You look like sugar and spice and everything nice.  What’s the occasion?  Is it your birthday?  No, that’s September twenty-first.”
     
              “Stop reading my mind,” I told him.  “And stop talking to me in my thoughts.  How do we put up those mental barriers that you were talking about?”
     
              Duncan continued our silent conversation after class began.  “Why do you continue to pretend to be ignorant of your powers?  I’ve made it clear that I’m onto you.”
     
              “And I’ve made it clear that this is all new to me.  Furthermore, if you have something to say then speak out loud like a normal person from now on.  Or better yet, don’t speak to me at all.  I’m going back to my regular life, and you’re not part of it.”
     
              “I see,” Duncan said.  “Throwing yourself at me didn’t work, so now you’re playing hard to get.”
     
              “Throwing myself!” I fumed.  “You’re unbelievable.  I’m not even interested in you.”
     
              “Really?  You gave me a different impression on Saturday.”
     
              “That was just a stupid dream.  It doesn’t mean anything.  I would appreciate it if you would just forget about the whole thing.”  I wished that I could keep from blushing.
     
              “Then you shouldn’t have put that image in my mind.”
     
              “An image,” I said, momentarily forgetting that I was annoyed with him.  “You mean that you could actually see it instead of just hearing my thoughts?  How does that work?”
     
              Duncan studied me.  “Do you really want to play this game with me?  I thought that you wanted to put an end to this.”
     
              “Yes, I do.  Let’s just pay attention to the teacher.”
     
              He complied, and this time I could feel a break in our connection.  I somehow knew that he was no longer listening to my thoughts.  Hopefully, this had been the last time.  Communicating that way was much too intimate.
     
              By the end of the day, I felt good about the progress I had made with my more outgoing image.  I put my books away in my locker.  Out of nowhere, an image came into my mind.  Duncan was there leaning over me with my back pressed up against my locker.  His hand came up to caress my cheek.  Then his lips descended upon mine in a kiss that took my breath away.
     
              I stood there with my hand still on my locker the way it had been when I closed the door.  My breathing was shallow.  I tried to remember what I was supposed to be doing.
     
              “That’s how it works,” Duncan whispered in my ear.
     
              My