A Witches Heart by Lisa Marie McDonagh (best short novels of all time .txt) 📕

couldn't understand, Daren shot his mother a glare.
"You have to be kidding me," I yelled at Daren in my room the day a few hours later, it was about noon. "I almost died not even two days ago and you expect me to go to the school dance?" 
Daren smiled apologetically. "I want, no, absolutely need, to give you something and I would like to give it to you tonight, and you have to go to the dance for me to give it to you. Please? Do it for me, please?" 
He looked so cute when he begged that I just had to give in, "Okay," I sighed, "for you and only you." 
He beamed at me and kissed me on the cheek. "I will be back at five to pick you up for dinner before the dance." 
Aunt Lyn cam into my room as soon as he left, "Are you sure that you are feeling well enough to go to the dance?" She was still freaking out about the sick story that Daren's parents had told her. 
"I already told you Aunt Lyn, it was just Daren overreacting, I fainted and he freaked out and took me to the hospital, it was nothing." 
"That boy really does love you doesn't he?" my aunt asked, finally getting it. 
"Yes, I know that." 
"Then don't let him get away from you. Well since it was just a love struck boy freaking out, then I guess we better get you ready for the Winter Formal then, huh?" 
Okay, next time, I say I was almost killed then she might just let me get out of dancing.  
She spent the next two hours-after I had finished my short shower- putting make-up on me and fixing my hair and spraying it with hairspray until someone could have dumped a bucket of cold water on me and it still would have stayed in place. 
She helped me into my dress and I truly admired it since we had bought it. The dress was light blue and strapless, the top half wrapped around my torso showing quite a bit of my cleavage and the bottom of the dress fluffed out to my ankles and was covered in sparkles, it was perfect. 
"You look absolutely beautiful," my aunt told me, "you mother would be so proud of you, you never gave up, you kept living you life. That's more than anyone would have expected." 
"Aunt Lyn," I sniffed, "you are going to make me ruin all the work you put into my make-up," I said, then hugged her. "Thank you so much, I don't know what I would do without you." 
The doorbell rang and she looked down at her watch. "He has good timing doesn't he? Any later and we would have both been crying our eyes out," she tried to laugh, but it was a little wobbly with unshed tears. "Give me a minute then come down the stairs," she told me heading out of my room. 
"Why?" I called after her. 
"You're going to make an entrance," she said, and then I heard the front door open. 
"Hello Daren." 
"Hello Ms. Whitney, where's Katheren?"  
"I am sure she will be down any minute," my aunt said and I figured this was my clue. 
I stepped walked slowly out of my room, careful of the high heels I was wearing, and walked even slower down the stairs. As much as I wanted to get out of this dance, I figured breaking my neck wasn't the best way to do it. I saw Daren standing by my Aunt, he looked absolutely handsome in him tux, I should really get him to wear those more often.  
My aunt looked like she was about to cry, not with sad tears now, but happy ones. Daren on the other hand, looked completely entranced by me; he followed my every move, never once taking his eyes off of me. As I got closer, I could see both love and even the smallest amount of lust in his eyes. "You look amazing," he whispered in my ear when I had finally made it to the bottom of the stairs. 
"Thanks, my aunt helped." 
"I didn't do much, Katheren," she told me modestly, "all I did was change your look a little bit, but the beauty is all yours. Oh, and before you guys leave, I need pictures," I groaned, but Daren smiled, he was enjoying himself. 
After the hundreds of photos that my aunt must have taken, for both her and Daren's parents, we finally escaped to his car. "I am glad that that's finally over," I told Daren as he opened up my door. 
He laughed, and kissed me lightly on the cheek. I thought I heard a note of nervousness in his voice, but I figured that I was just imagining it. He look me out to some fancy restaurant, and we ate foods that I had no clue how to say the names of them, much less know what they were.  
After we were done, both with eating and my excuses to get out of going to the dance, we headed towards school. He opened my door again silently and I linked my arm in his as we headed into the school. I still couldn't get over the feeling that he was nervous about something.  
The gym was just filling up as we got there; Daren led us to a table where Sabrina was sitting with her date. "Kate, you look so beautiful," she squeaked as we got within hearing, which wasn't that far away with the loud music.  
"Thanks Bri, you too." Sabrina was wearing a jade green dress that was also staples and wrapped around her waist, but hers didn't poof out like mine, it just fell gracefully to her feet, she also had her hair half up while all of mine was piled on top of my head.  
A slow song came on and Sabrina's date whisked her out onto the dance floor. Daren took my hand and asked, "May I have this dance please Kates?" 
Even though I hated dancing, I said, "You may." He grabbed my hand and led me into the mists of dancers. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I put mine around his neck. I didn't know what to do, so I just went where he led me, it was much easier and enjoyable than I thought it would be.  
We danced for about five songs before he said, "Let's go, I want to give you your present now." 
I nodded. I didn't want to come, but I did end up having a bit of fun. He took me to his car and he couldn't seem to stop fidgeting or shifting his position every few seconds. I was sure that he was nervous now. Why would he be nervous? Then I remembered all those movies I had watched, he didn't get us a... hotel room did he? I so wasn't ready for that. 
I told myself that he was a gentleman and wouldn't do that and I was able to calm down. 
He pulled into the park behind my house. I was confused, why did he take me here? He got out of the car and opened my door. When I was out, he reached back into the car and started a CD. 'Love Story' by Taylor Swift started to play. 
"I love this song," I told him. 
He smiled for a second and said, "I know," before going back to shifting restlessly. "Are you ready for your gift now?" he asked me. 
"Yes," I told him, but he didn't do anything so I just concentrated on the song and sand along. I got tired of waiting, wondering if you were ever coming around. My faith in you is fading when I met you on the outskirts of town. And I said 'Romeo, save me, I've been feeling so alone. I keep waiting for you, but you never come. Is this in my head? I don't know what to think.' He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said, 'Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone. I love you and that's all I really know. I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress. It's a love story, baby, just say yes.'" I finished then sighed. "I just love that song, it's so sweet." 
"I was hoping you were going to say that," Daren said, then got down on one knee and pulled a box out of his front pocket. "Katheren Elizabeth Whitney, will you marry me?" 
I finally understood why he was so nervous all night. There were so many ways I wanted to answer him; I pondered it for a moment. 
But he took the silence the wrong way. "I know that we are still young, that neither of us are eighteen yet, but I love you and I want you to be mine-" 
I stopped his frantic, embarrassed tirade by putting my finger to his lips. "Daren Coventry, I would love to marry you."  
He beamed at me and I beamed back at me, he slipped the beautiful engagement ring on my finger, admired it form a moment the stood up and hugged me. He lifted my feet off of the ground and swung me in a circle while kissing me. 
We were both laughing happily.  
When my parents died, I thought that I had been starting a new life. But I realize now that all I had been doing was just hanging onto the shreds that I had gathered up from my old life with my parents. I was finally beginning a new life, with my aunt, as a witch, and I planned on spending every minute of that new life with Daren.  
I finally knew my path, and I intended to follow it.  
 

By Lisa Marie McDonagh

Completed 01/09/2009
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Text: Lisa Marie McDonagh
Publication Date: 07-22-2012

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