Chapter 20

The air in this world wasn’t as clean. The sky wasn’t as blue. The atmosphere wasn’t as calming. I missed Endova so much. I missed Starke and my mother. I missed Kara, Zoe, Jill, Bish. Hell, I even missed Sash. I missed my whole family. But I needed to come back here. I needed to do this.

It was mind numbing knowing that while I’d been on Endova for months, only four weeks had gone by here. Four weeks where my foster parents had thought I’d run off. Left without any explanation. And the worst part? They hadn’t even cared. They hadn’t reported me missing or even bothered to look for me. As a matter of fact, they’d both groaned in exasperation the moment I’d walked back through their door. And to be quite honest, the only reason I came back here was to collect my things and for Anna. She’d been the only person relieved to see me. She’d hugged me and told me how worried she’d been. She really was a good kid. The little time I needed to spend here, I’d put to good use to get her out from under her parents’ manipulative thumb and get her to stand on her own two feet. She deserved a better life than that.

All of us elementals had gone back to our foster worlds after the shit on Endova had calmed down some. We did have lives there after all. And with everyone on high alert and on the watch for Athena, we figured it was safe enough to leave to tie up some loose ends. Even knowing that I’d just helped save the universe, I still really wanted to graduate. I may be a lot of things; freak, witch, elemental, but I wasn’t a quitter. I’d come back with the intention of becoming a graduate. With Bish and Ms. Stitt’s help, the school had accepted my excuse of absence due to mono and had allowed me to take make-up tests so I could get my diploma today. Two steady weeks of studying and tests. Two weeks of missing Starke but him sticking to his word not to distract me for the whole time. My nightly visions of him were distracting enough. If he had come in person, I’d never have gotten any studying in, of that I was positive.

Everything still wasn’t complete with the multiverse. We still had a lot of work ahead of us. But things were coming together. The wolven had stepped in and helped with Amy and Bixby’s world. We were pushing them back, one step at a time. Zoe’s revolution on her world was in full swing and tilting her way. Even this world appeared to be having fewer problems. Far from perfect. Nothing was ever perfect. But that worry was for another day. This was graduation day. This was my day. The day that proclaimed I was moving on to bigger and better worlds. Literally. And after two weeks of not seeing any of my crew except for Bish, I knew today would be worth it.

I craned my neck over the sea of navy-blue grad hats, searching for the familiar faces in the huge crowd. Bish promised me he would get them here on time, and I knew he wouldn’t let me down. I just hoped they had sense enough not to look like they’d just stepped from the pages of medieval weaponry wear.

I found them almost immediately. Starke and Leera smiling like they were filled with pride. Bishop with his typical scowl, nodding as I caught his eye. Jill, Sash, and Zoe waving like idiots. Even Kara was here, wearing the most psychedelic swirled, wool hat to cover up her pointed ears. All sans weapons and leather breeches thankfully. Possibly Jill’s doing. I’d have to thank her later for making sure they all appeared here fairly normal for this world. But weirdos or not, I loved them all, and they were all here to support me on my day. My family.

Tapping my foot impatiently and looking back over my shoulder every few minutes, I waited for my name to be called.

“Bridjette O’Hare.”

Finally, my turn. I stood at my name and headed toward the stage of faculty through the aisles of graduates. I almost made it all the way without any hurled insults until I hit the front row of seated grads. That well-known, irritating hiss made its way through the crowd to me. “Hey, albino freak. Glad to see you made it back from the nuthouse in time to get your diploma.”

I turned to catch the nasty sneer of Lexa Buttface and the Scooby gang. Ugh. I’d manage to avoid her these past couple of weeks. She’d been on the bottom of my list of worries. But instead of her insult having the desired effect on me, I grinned at her choice of words. There was no anger, only amusement, since she had no idea how close her hurled slur was to the truth.

“Nice to see you too, Lexa. Glad to hear you missed me. Happy graduation day,” I answered sweetly, causing her look of nastiness to be replaced by a momentary look of confusion. Chuckling to myself, I nearly flew up the stairs to receive my diploma, basking in Ms. Stitt’s smile as well. She’d been a huge help to me these past two weeks, and I never would have done this without her. I winked my thanks at her as I marched off stage, my head held high and my rolled certificate held tight in my fist. I’d done it.

I made it through the rest of the presentations, the valedictorian and closing speeches. None of that held interest for me. I just wanted to get to my family. The moment it ended, I fought my way through the throng of cheering people and celebrating loved ones to where my weirdos stood waiting for me.

“Woohoo, you did it!” Jill was the first to wind her arms around my neck, planting a big ol’ wet one on my cheek. She hadn’t even let go before Zoe thumped my back.

“Trust you to care about graduating in between saving worlds and all that shit.”

I grinned at her. “Prioritites, right? Thanks for taking time out of your revolutionary duties and searching for Athena to come see me.”

“Meh, that’s what friends do.” Her words were stuffed with sarcasm, but her eyes spoke her emotions. She really meant it. Sash and Kara added their congrats before Bishop took over.

I waited for his words of wisdom. Some old adage for me to puzzle over its meaning. Instead, he smiled. Well, smiled-grimaced—almost as if he was in pain—before pulling me into a hug. Bishop was hugging me, and I wasn’t the one who had to instigate it. Holy moly! Mark this day on the calendar.

“I am proud of you, Jette girl, for graduating. You proved me wrong. You are not as daft as I first believed you to be.”

I snorted, not quite what I was expecting. I hugged him back tight. “Thanks… I think.”

He let me go with a tiny squeeze of my shoulders before his space was taken up by my mom.

Her sparkling eyes said it all. They were filled with love, pride, happiness, sadness. We’d missed so much together. So many years. So much time. But we would make up for that to the best of our ability. She reached out and ran her hand lovingly down my cheek before gripping both my hands tightly in hers. “You are so beautiful and smart and brave, my darling. I never believed I’d see this day. Athena took so much from us. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to guide you along the way. But I couldn’t be prouder of the woman you’ve become. If only your father were here to see you. He would be doubly proud. He always said you were meant to do great things.”

I blinked back the tears threatening to fall. “I guess I inherited good genes then, huh?”

“The best.” She laughed, even as twin tracks of wetness stained her cheeks.

“Okay, both of you stop it,” Jill wailed, wiping at her own eyes. “I’m ugly crying here. I can’t handle it. You’ll ruin my makeup, and my eyeliner is on point today.”

Her comment incited welcoming laughter. And then, it was his turn.

Starke gave me that smile that turned my insides to marshmallow and made my heart double in size. God, I loved that smile. His bright eyes devoured me, promising the things that would come later. A shiver of excitement at the thought of those things tickled down my spine.

“I missed you, little rabbit,” he growled, pulling me tight against his chest.

“Right back at ya, Princey.” My words were muffled against his shirt, but I didn’t want him to let go.

He released me, holding me at arms-length. “I know everyone else has already said the words, but I am also so proud of you. You have grown and accomplished so much in the time I have known you. You are no longer that whiny, little brat I first met in Dagger Woods.”

“Geez, thanks.” I cocked a brow at him. “Did you and Bish collaborate on your congratulatory speeches? ‘Cause if so, you both suck balls, just sayin’.”

He threw back his head and laughed. A huge laugh that bellowed around the crowded arena and caused more than a few eyes to glance appreciatively his way. But he didn’t even notice.

“I have something for you.”

I couldn’t help the shiver that wracked me from head to toe as his comment elicited a memory of my feverish dream. He had spoken those same words just as the morquals had shown up and burnt us all to a crisp in my nightmare. I glanced up at the high windows of the arena, relieved to see no threatening shadows, just a perfect blue sky. I felt my twisted innards relax as I realized that nightmare was just a memory now.

Kara excitedly handed him the gift bag she’d been carrying. It was covered with clowns and bright red balloons. Not quite a graduation giftbag. More like something you’d get for a five-year-old’s birthday bash, but oh well. I smothered the grin threatening to escape. It was the thought that counted.

Eager now, I ripped the gift from his hands and yanked out the tissue paper. Inside was a red cloth… something, and I pulled it from the bag in eager anticipation as the realization of what it was kicked in.

“Are you freakin’ kidding me?” I shrieked as my red trench coat unfurled itself. I touched the stitching at the shoulder and collar where Kara and Shay had repaired it… so many times. It was the same one all right. “What the heck? How did you get it?”

“Zoe brought it back. Madds was keeping it safe for you.”

“Thanks, girl,” I threw gratefully her way. She shrugged at me like it was nothing, but I could see the pleased excitement in her eyes.

“It was just sitting there. Madds tried to sell it, but it was so ripped up no one wanted it.”

“Ha, well their loss since this is a lucky jacket,” I responded as I yanked off the stupid graduation gown. Balling it up in my hands, I handed it off to Jill as I replaced it with my old friend. Wearing it again felt like a warm hug on a cold day. “Thank you,” I beamed, running my hands over the worn cloth. “This is the best gift ever.”

“Hmph, it’s bad enough weirdo is back to wearing that horrendous coat, but she also brought some of her nuthouse friends with her on grad day to make it look like someone actually cares about her.”

The voice abraded over my skin like a cheese grater on cheddar. I looked up to catch Lexa Buttface’s sneer as she regarded me and my family. Her look dismissed every one of us like we were trash, until she came to Starke. I saw the moment her eyes brightened with interest and she pushed her boobs and lips out like she was some abnormally heavy-chested duck.

Starke glanced over at her words, quirking a brow like he was looking at a piece of dog poo on his shoe. “Has anyone ever told you it is bad etiquette to intervene on other people’s conversation. Now, move along, annoying girl.”

I cracked up laughing. Like seriously, gut-busting laughter. Oh my God. I couldn’t love him any more. She bristled at his rude dismissal and stomped away, her cronies in tow.

“What the hell?” Zoe growled. “You didn’t tell me this world was filled with bitches. No one disses my crew. Want me to go teach her a lesson?”

“Naw, never mind her.” I grabbed Zoe’s arm holding her back. “She doesn’t matter. I’m not letting her ruin my day. You guys up for a bite to eat? My treat. I know the perfect place.”

“Um, you are not treating us on your grad day,” Jill admonished, clucking her tongue at me. “You think this is the end of your gifts? Wait until you see what’s in store for you.”

“What?” I asked in excitement.

“Nope. No ruining the surprise,” Starke teased. “But as you humans would say, ‘let’s blow this popsicle building’.”

“Stop. Just stop,” I groaned as we started moving away.

As we hit the fringe of the crowd, Lexa’s annoying nasally voice followed us once more. Only this time, her nastiness wasn’t centered at me. Maybe Starke’s dissing her earlier had made her overeager to find her next target since her and the ewes were already circling a couple of mortified-looking grads who had been minding their own business taking their happy little selfies.

“Why are you losers taking pictures? No one wants to see pictures of you two ugly ducks posted on social media. Seriously, I’m just saving you some embarrassment here, trust me.”

Jette, don’t get involved. Don’t say a word. Not your business.

And like always, I didn’t listen to the voice of reason in my head. I stopped to see what the hell was going on.

The laughter and hateful remarks they continued to throw at the girls baffled me. Why did some people really have to be this way? Why couldn’t they leave well enough alone? I knew that most bullies regretted what horrible things they had done as they got older, but that knowledge was not helping those two poor, humiliated girls in the here and now. Plus, knowing Buttface? She had a lot of hatefulness and malevolence still inside. It would be a while before she saw the error of her ways, if ever, and she could do a lot of damage in that time. She really needed to be stopped.

My crew stopped moving when I did, looking back in question.

“Just give me a second, guys.”

“Need help? Starke asked, glancing over to where my attention was centered.

“Nope. I got this. With pleasure.” I started to step away, before turning back. “Wait. Yeah, I will take help. Can you make us invisible to everyone else for a bit? I don’t want witnesses to what I’m about to do.”

“Got it.” Kara gave me a thumbs up.

“Oh man, this is gonna be epic,” Zoe snorted as I walked away.

I approached the circle of torture just as the two victims looked like they were about to cry at the nastiness spewing from Buttface like an open sewage pipe.

“Ahem.” I cleared my throat.

Buttface shut up mid-insult and turned around to glare at me. “What do you want, freak? Back for more?”

“Just to congratulate my fellow grads on their happy day.” I beamed a smile at the victims. “Ladies, why don’t you go take your pics elsewhere? You both look great by the way.”

They scurried off, eager to get away from their attackers.

Lexa narrowed her eyes at me and crossed her arms. “You never learn, do you? Always sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong.” She leaned toward me like we were co-conspirators on some big secret. “Is it true? Were you really sent to the nuthouse in a straight-jacket and all? At least, that’s the rumor that’s been circulating.”

I chuckled. “You mean the rumor you started? You know damn well it’s not. But I’ll tell you what.” I glanced around at the other girls. “Come closer, and I’ll tell you where I’ve really been these past four weeks.”

I knew they didn’t really want to appear that eager, but they moved in with all the enthusiasm of an eagle circling a mouse.

“I’ve actually been gone for months, not weeks. But on the other worlds, time runs differently. I went through a fire portal and ended up on a magical world called Endova. I’ve met Fae and Faeries. Witches and Warlocks. Wolven and dragons. I battled an evil, dark queen. Maybe a relative of yours? Most likely. I helped start a prism and stop a war. I even fell in love and found a family. Stuff your tiny brains couldn’t even begin to comprehend.”

Lexa rolled her eyes before sniggering uneasily and glancing around at her cohorts. “Oh. My. God. She really is as crazy as everyone says.”

I shrugged. “Probably. But you know the best thing I discovered? I’m an elemental. I have magic. So basically, I’m a witch, just like you’ve always said, Buttface. I guess even a broken clock is right twice a day, huh? Now, magic is not something to be taken lightly. You have to treat it with respect and reverence. But it is used to fight injustice, so I think the prism will forgive me for what I’m about to do.”

I called on the magic lying dormant in my gut. It answered my call immediately, blooming to life with gusto. I pictured in my head what I wanted it to do, giving it direction. I knew the moment it worked by the first gasp of disbelief, followed by a whole lot of shrieking.

“Lexa, your face!”

“Yours too. No. No! What have you done to us, freak?” The question came out as a terrified scream. No one took notice though, so I knew Kara had us cocooned in our own little bubble. I tried not to laugh at their panic. Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this. Maybe it was just another form of bullying, but they had to be taught a lesson, and I realized this was the only way they understood. I glanced around at the group of normally, perfectly made-up faces, now totally covered in pus-filled, green and yellow pimples and boils.

“Stop it,” Lexa squeaked in terror as her hands tried to rub away the over-the-top acne covering her face and neck. I hadn’t held back. “How are you doing this?” She looked like she was about to pass out. I almost felt bad for her.

“I told you. Magic. But I didn’t do this to you. You did. I just spelled you so that you’d get a boil for every time you’ve been mean to someone. For every time you’ve said a nasty word or made someone feel bad about themselves. Your outside appearances are now just as revolting as your insides, and it’s out there for everyone to see.”

“Stop it. Stop it now!” Lexa’s eyes were wide with fear, and she was breathing so hard I suspected she was hyperventilating. The others looked like they were about to turn tail and run, but Kara’s spell was holding them inside the circle.

“Trust me, you really don’t want to run and let others see you. Not looking like this. And not before you get the cure. Good news, it’s not permanent. It will go away. Bad news, for you lot at least, it will go away but only if you’re nice to someone. Now I know being nice totally goes against your grain but try it. Say something nice to me. Can’t be that hard right?”

“You really are a crazy, evil freak,” Lexa growled, only to shriek again as another huge boil popped right out on the tip of her nose, making her appear more like the wicked witch from the Wizard of Oz.

“Oh, that’s a monster one. No hiding that under foundation,” I winced, adding fuel to the fire. “But like I said, all you gotta do is be nice to have it go away.”

“I always thought you had really pretty hair,” one of the cronies blurted. Even as the last of the words left her lips, her pustules began to fade a little.

“It’s working,” another shrieked in relief.

“And you are really smart,” she continued. The marks faded even more.

“See? Told ya. All it takes is a kind word. Not hard at all. Just keep being nice, and no one will even know you were all so horrendous looking. Well, not unless I take a pic.” I started to pull out my phone to the unified shrieks of ‘don’t you dare’.

“Okay, I won’t. I’ll just leave you with these words of wisdom. The minute you show your nasty sides again, this?” I waved my finger at their faces. “This will come back. And every time it comes back, it will be harder and harder to get rid of.” I was lying through my teeth, but they didn’t know that. Once I left this world, so would my magic. But sometimes, the imagination was all the magic we needed to convince ourselves. My wide grin encompassed them all.

“Anyhoo, happy grad day, ladies. Have a good life and all that crap. Hope I never see you all again.” I slapped Lexa Buttface on the back as I walked away, leaving them all muttering niceties to each other.

I approached my laughing crew.

“Oh, that was so mean,” Jill admonished me, even as a grin split her face.

“Nothing they didn’t deserve,” I added.

“You feel better now?” Zoe asked.

“Oh yeah. Much better. That was so much fun. And hopefully, it’ll keep them on the straight and narrow and keep them from making some poor kid’s life a living hell until they grow out of the bullying stage.”

“Impressive magic,” my mother beamed at me. “That was very kind of you to care about the wellbeing of others. You remind me of your father so much.”

She patted my cheek, and I leaned into her hand. “Thanks, Mom.”

Mom. The word was becoming more familiar and easier to say. I liked it. I planned to be using it a lot more. We had a lot of mother-daughter talks to catch up on.

“Are we done here?” Starke asked, quirking a brow. “Or are there more nasty humans you want to hex?”

“Oh, there are plenty of those, trust me. But I’m done here.”I slipped my hand into his warm grip. “Let’s go home.”

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The End