Jab, jab, right hook. Jab, jab, uppercut.
But this thought brought me back to the argument I’d had with Mom and I became instantly annoyed all over again. Part of me didn’t want to bring it up, but I knew my dad was more rational than Mom was and wouldn’t likely blow up on me. “I just don’t understand why everyone thinks the Parrishables are still around,” I said, slightly out of breath.
“Hadley, you know that many of our ancestors were killed by the coven,” Dad said. “Nana used to tell your mom what it was like losing her grandmother at the hands of Samuel’s brood. It was devastating to her. So Mom’s vowed never to let you feel the same grief over losing someone you love. And between you and me, neither of us could handle losing you. So, please, just do whatever she asks, even if you do think it’s a waste of time. Humor your old man, will ya?”
“Do you really think they’ll come back, though?” I asked, throwing a particularly powerful punch his way. “I mean, really, Dad. You’ve got to know this is silly. I think you’re really only teaching me this stuff to fend off the college boys. I’m onto you.”
“Don’t even joke about college boys, Hadley Anne,” he said seriously, dropping his hands to his sides. “And just because you don’t see the Parrishables doesn’t mean they don’t exist. An intelligent man is wise enough to expect the unexpected.”
“Woman,” I corrected. “An intelligent woman is wise enough to expect the unexpected.”
Then I moved forward, closing the space between us within a second, and threw three punches in a row. He wasn’t prepared for the first but managed to block the others.
“I would say I’ve got that covered, wouldn’t you?” I said gleefully before walking over to the counter where he’d placed an ice-cold bottle of water. I pulled off my gloves, then twisted off the top and gulped down the contents in under a minute.
I definitely earned a Krispy Kreme this morning.
“Look, sweetie, we just want you to be prepared for anything,” he said. “As much as I wish I could be around my two girls twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to protect you, we both know I can’t. And it would just make me worry a lot less if you knew all the ways to defend yourself. Your mom feels the same. So do me a favor and just grin and bear it?”
I moaned to exaggerate the pain it was going to cause me to do as he wished. “Fine! I’ll try and lay off her for a bit. But I’m not going to be happy about it… .”
“Deal,” he said, reaching out and shaking my hand. Then he paused briefly as he looked at me sideways. “You were joking about the college boys, right?”
Chapter Four
“One last time and then we’re out of here,” I shouted to the rest of the cheerleaders, before turning and taking my place front and center. Someone cued the music and it quickly filled the practice room for the hundredth time. We’d been at the routine for over an hour and were so close to perfecting it that I almost didn’t want to let everyone leave. I also knew that Coach, who was letting me run practice today, was expecting us to rock our routine at the game next week. Even so, I’d learned long ago not to burn the team out. Better to leave on a high note and pick things up next practice.
As Bon Jovi belted out “Livin’ on a Prayer,” we began to perform the choreographed dance moves in unison. With a pop of my hip, I moved toward the back of the mat and prepared to do my signature tumbling run: a front tuck, round-off back handspring full-twisting layout. As I landed, a series of stunts went off behind me, and then I joined the rest of my team in time for the big finish. We each struck a pose as the music faded, and soon the only noise I could hear was our labored breathing.
“Nice job, guys! That would’ve gotten us to Nationals in March, easy,” I said, walking over to where I’d left my water bottle. “But first, the game next week. Bring that energy then and we’ll kill it out there. Let’s show them why we’re number one!”
Nobody dared groan even though I knew they all secretly wanted to. Instead, most of the squad collected their stuff and headed toward the locker rooms. I stayed behind to put away the equipment, satisfied with how well practice had gone. Following my lead, Trish, Sofia, and Bethany stuck around too, rolling up the mats and placing the crash pads and poms in our storage closet.
“You run a tough practice, Captain,” Trish said, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the bottom of her tank top.
“Oh, come on. That was nothing. Come Nationals, we’re going to be doing it full-out, three times in a row,” I said. “You’ll be lucky if you don’t throw up when we’re done.”
Trish made a face in distaste and smoothed her blond hair off her forehead. “Seriously gross, Had.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” Bethany cut in. One look at the gossip queen, though, and I could see she’d broken a sweat too. Her skin was dewy and her cheeks were pink with heat. I knew she was hurting just as badly as the rest of us, but she’d do anything to show up Trish. “In fact, I could totally go for a cheeseburger right now.”
She looked over at Trish, who’d turned a light shade of green at this, and smiled devilishly. “Doesn’t that sound good? A big, fat, juicy cheeseburger with bacon and onion rings and a ton of barbecue sauce slathered all over it. And french fries. I think I definitely burned enough calories for all that. Anyone else in? We could go to Sloppy Joe’s and see what’s going on there?”
Trish convulsed slightly and her hand darted to her mouth.
“Think you’re on your own this time, B,” I said, trying save Trish by changing the subject. “I gotta go and help my mom down at the shop. Thursdays are her busiest days. That’s when all the new ingredients come in for the perfumes… .”
My voice trailed off as I realized I would have rather gone to eat with the girls. Even though I’d told my dad I’d go easy on Mom, I hadn’t gotten over our argument from the other night. I knew that if I was stuck in the store alone with her for hours, she’d find some way of revisiting it. And then it would be a lot harder to keep my promise to my dad.
I looked at the girls, hoping they’d offer to help me out and give me a mom buffer. But they avoided my eyes as we headed across the room.
“Sorry, Had. My stomach’s calling,” said Bethany, patting her flat stomach.
“And I have a date with my DVR,” Trish answered, ignoring Bethany’s mention of food and not even bothering to get creative with her excuse as to why she couldn’t come.
“I’ll go with you,” Sofia offered, shrugging. “I’ve got some homework to do, but I guess it can wait.”
“Thanks, Sof. You’re the best,” I said, gushing at my faithful sidekick. “We’ll go get fro-yo afterward with as many toppings as you want.”
“Well, you know me. I’m not going to turn down frozen yogurt.”
We disappeared into the locker rooms and changed before taking off for Mom’s store, Scents and Sensibility. Mom had opened up the perfume shop a few years before I was born, and according to everyone who knew her, it had been a dream of hers ever since she was a teenager. She’d barely been old enough to wear perfume before she’d started mixing scents in with her spells, and the result was magically infused fragrances. Now when people came into the store, my mom created a perfume unique to each individual and her needs. She even made cologne for men.
As we walked through the front door, the sound of chirping birds filled the room, and once again I was reminded of how much I liked the sound that alerted my mom to customers. It was like stepping into a whole new world. One filled with an almost tangible energy. The smell of lavender, vanilla, and gardenia hit my senses and I was instantly put at ease. The scents were so familiar to me that anytime I smelled them, I felt like I was home. I sighed with delight, my anxiety and stress almost melting away.