The Secret by Stacey Clement (ebook reader that looks like a book .TXT) 📕

“Hey” I said “Is everything okay?” I asked, his hug said something was up.

“Um...” he trailed off and I knew what he was going to say was a little bit hard for him to say.

“You want to break up, ” I said, finishing his thoughts. He looked up at me, his eyes conveyed that I was right. I just nodded and then said “Okay” I stood up.

“You’re taking this really well” he said standing up. I swallowed and then said;

“I saw it coming” I knew by the way he looked at me he was expecting me to beg for him to stay with me to ask him the simple question that I knew he would never answer and that would be why?

“And you never bothered to say anything?” he said.

“How could I Kyle” I paused “You never bothered to pick up your phone when I called or answered when I texted you”

“I was busy” he said. He looked away and that was when I knew the truth. My suspicions were right, he was seeing another girl.

“Who is she?” I asked.

“What?” he said.

“Why did you even ask me out?” I said “Was it just to make the other girl jealous?”

“You’re talking non-sense” he said.

“Am I” I paused “am I really?” I was growing tired of this and when Kyle didn’t say anything back I said “Goodbye” and walked away. I heard Kyle yelling out my name but I didn’t bother to turn back around because I knew it wasn’t going to change anything. I got into my car and sat there for a moment, I was filled with maybe a million emotions but one that stuck out the most was relief. I was relieved that I no longer had to be with Kyle and that the truth was finally revealed. I took three deep breaths, looked once back at Kyle as he stood there watching me and then looked forward, started the car and drove off.

Emma’s house wasn’t far from the park about five minutes. I decided to her house before going home and grabbing some clothes. When I got to her house I shut the car off and then got out. The door was already opened and Emma walked outside.

“So how did it go?” she said.

“Were over” I said “Just like I thought we would be”

“I’m sorry” she said. “You’ll find someone better” I just stood there in silence and then Emma said “Are you hungry?”

“Not really” I said.

“Well, not really, isn’t no and I’m starving” she said, grabbing my hand and dragging me inside. Emma’s house was fairly big. As you first walked in you were welcomed by the smell of peppermint, sometimes you would think that you were celebrating Christmas almost every day since the house always smelled either like a Christmas tree or peppermint. The living room was maybe the biggest room in the whole house. On the right side, before you entered the kitchen were family portraits, and baby pictures. The TV was on the far side wall next to the hallway that led to the laundry room, bathroom and basement. Two couch set across from each other and the recliner chairs sat directly in front of the TV. There was a red and beige swirl designed rug that went well with the dark oak hardwood flooring. On the left side of the room there was a guest room and then stairs that spiraled up to the second floor.

Emma lived with her mom (Kate) and her brother (Luke). Luke was a year older than Emma and I. He was about six-foot black hair, light tan skin and muscular and almost every time I saw him he was either working or out or he just got back from a run. Luke and I have a history; He has always had a crush on me and about a year ago when I had a major crush on Kyle he told me that he liked me. Emma though never knew about Luke’s feeling for me and I couldn’t risk our friendship going down the toilet because I was with her brother and Luke knew that and now, things haven’t been the since then with him and me. Emma’s mom on the other hand works at a diner; she’s slim with the light tan skin as well. You can almost say Emma and her look and act the same because they do. Emma’s father, left about two years ago when he and my dad got into it and ever since then Emma has resented my father in some way.

“So, were you right?” she asked “Was he cheating on you?”

“Yeah” I said.

“Did you finish it or did he?” she asked.

“I guess you can say we both did” I said “I mean he didn’t know how to say so I did”

“Well, at least you’re a free woman ” she said, trying to cheer me up.

“Yeah, I guess you can say that” I said. Emma went over to her refrigerator and opened the freezer; grabbed little pizza bites, put them on a plate and popped them into the microwave.

“On the bright side though” she said “You didn’t lose much” this time she made me laugh. Emma had a really dry, sarcastic humor to her, but when used at the right times she could always make a person laugh. After waiting two minutes for the pizza bits to be done, we went upstairs and to her room. Her room was in the attic. Emma loved being the only one on the third floor; she said it was like she had her own little apartment with everything but a kitchen.

“So we should probably practice this” she said. She was referring to the spell she found online.

“We have until dusk to do that” I said.

“Yeah” she said “But we should still know which parts to say”

“Seriously?” I said “We have parts to this spell?” she just nodded as she popped one of the pizza bites into her mouth. “Emma it’s you realize this won’t work”

“I know” she said “But still it will be fun to try”

“You think this will be fun?” I said.

“Yeah” she said “Every girl needs a little bit of horror in their life”

“And being in the woods at dark times defiantly gives you that?” I said.

“You bet” she said. Emma and I sat on the couch practicing this spell and what we had to do all before we said the spell. The spell had three incantations apparently you needed three people to say the spell and we only had two. But, it said you only needed two to release the power.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked " I mean you spent money on something that won't even work"

"Alyssa" she said "I know you think this is stupid"

" I think this more than just stupid" I said. Emma looked at me and then I said "Fine I'll keep my comments to myself"

"Thanks " she said, looking back at the piece of paper and then repeating silently to herself the part she had to say. After a few moments of hearing Emma quietly whispering her part of the spell I got annoyed of waiting and made up an excuse to go downstairs for a moment. I got up and asked if Emma wanted to come, but she shook her head and ate a pizza bite.

As I went down stairs I ran into Luke. He was walking out of his room, just getting up I assumed since his hair was messy and his breath smelt awful.

"Hey" he said, quite happy to see me.

"Hey" I said. It was still awkward to be around him and I knew he felt the awkwardness in the air as well.

"I should probably...." I cut him off without meaning to.

"Yeah, me too, " I said. We stood there for a moment, looking at each other until I finally got the will to move my feet and walk past him. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass and filled it with water. I turned around just to see Luke standing in front of me. "I thought you were upstairs?"

" I was" he said. I noticed that his hair was no longer in it’s messy state; it was a little bit damp making it darker than usual.

“Did you just get up?” I asked.

“Kind of” he said. He walked past me and over the cabinet where the plates were. He took out a plate and then sat it down on the island that was in front of me.

“ Kind of?” I said posing a question without even meaning to.

“Yeah” he said “ I took a power nap before I had to go to work”

“ I didn’t know you had a job” I said actually quite shocked. “Where do you work?”

“ The Shack” he said. The Shack was a cafe that everyone at our school, hung out at. It was also probably the worst place to ever get a job at because it was always chaotic and pact which is my main reason for never going there. I can’t remember a day that the shack wasn’t full of loud people.

“Wow” was all I could say “ Good luck” I poured the rest of my water down the drain and walked away. I went upstairs and said “ You know your brother has a job at the shack?”

“Really?” she said more surprised than I was. I nodded and then went over to sit beside her. “Where?” she asked.

“The Shack” I said.

“Okay” she said “So don’t get mad at me for asking” she paused “But do you in any way like my brother?” I refused to answer her question because I truly didn’t know the answer to it. So instead, I said;

“Have you learned that spell by heart now?” she looked down at the piece of paper and then said;

“I think so”

“Well” I said “I’m going to go home, grab some clothes and then I’ll come back”

“Okay” she said. I got up and walked away and Emma turned around and said “Hey” I turned around and she went on “Ask your parents if you can stay the week, my mom is in California for the week”

“And she trusts us, alone in the house” I said mockingly. Emma couldn’t help but laugh and then she said;

"Don't be late" I turned back around and walked down the stairs and out the door to my car. It took about fifteen minutes to get from Emma's house to mine. But when I got home, I saw that my mom (Jenna) was home on her lunch break. My mom was a nurse at Frankfort Hospital.

"Hey, mom" I yelled as I walked through the door.

“In the kitchen" she said back to me. I walked into the kitchen and saw my mom sitting there eating her lunch. She had on light blue scrubs and white shoes. Her hair was up revealing her facial features; high cheek bones, sapphire blue eyes (Just like mine) and long curled black hair with strips of blonde. My mom was admired by many; she was beautiful in her looks and personality. They way she always analyzed everything and her very cunning questions that could trap you in a lie if you weren't careful.

"Can I spend the week at Emma's?" I asked. Mom stopped what she was doing and turned around to say;

“A whole week?" she said “Why?"

"Her mom is out of town and she doesn't want to be alone"

"I recall her having a brother" she said "Are you saying he won't be there?"

"Well he does have a job" I said.

"Good for him" she said "But does that job require him to be out all day and night"

"No" I