What were we supposed to do with that information?

I probably knew that there was something worth investigating the first time it happened, but we told each other that we wouldn't acknowledge it again. That wasn't true, obviously, but he was the one who mentioned it. I just thought about it silently.

Dominic summed it up pretty well with his utterance of dammit, and as I waited for him to say something else, the birds continued to chirp outside. Wasn't it about their bedtime?

But Dominic didn't say anything. He sat back down on the chair and put his head in his hands.

"It's not the end of the world, Dominic. You're being a little dramatic, don't you think?" I asked. I was kind of cute, and even if I wasn't that great of a person, at least he seemed to know that I tried a little bit more than people gave me credit for. It was just a lot easier not to care.

"It is the end of the world. You literally represent everything I hate," he replied.

What did I even represent? All I did was try to keep up with a talisman and fail miserably. That was it.

Besides, I had ten thousand times more reasons to hate him. He wasn't a part of the original talisman squad and I still let him stick around because I was nice, and the only time he was remotely nice to me was when we were alone.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.

He didn't look up. "Absolutely not."

"How'd you know kissing was going to fix the sky?"

"I told you not to ask me anything," he said. "You could probably figure it out anyway."

The sky turned right after we sat down to study, but I got the feeling that he wasn't really in the mood to be around me anymore. It was probably better to leave him alone to figure it out before he got any more upset with me, even though it wasn't my fault that he was having a hard time with his feelings despite the fact that he wanted me to believe that he had none.

Even though Jack and Sierra most likely weren't back from picking up our pizza, I stood up. "I should really get going for dinner. You know what Jack and Sierra are gonna think otherwise."

I let out a laugh, but Dominic didn't even crack a smile.

"I'll see you, Lindsay," he said, and I turned for the door.

I was half-expecting him to let me leave in silence, which I would have preferred by a mile. It would have been more awkward, but at least I would have had the last word.

I didn't even have time to think about what I felt about it because I was so concerned about his opinion.

***

Although Sherwood was a bit of a drive from Tillamook, I didn't mind having the weekends away from school. It wasn't like I had escaped magic, especially since I spent my time working for Butterfly, but it was different. It was a controlled magic that didn't rely on me (and someone else, it seemed).

The store was slowly being put back together after my incident with my mother and Dominic, and although it had taken years for Butterfly to stock her shelves with her potions, crystals, and aura-cleansers, she already had something on half the shelves once again. But Sierra had the one item I cared about—the second, silver talisman—and even though I didn't know how it fit into the picture, at least it wasn't in the hands of a xenophobic dentist, as Butterfly called him.

Butterfly usually tried to keep me away from all the breakable stuff on the shelves by having me type the prices into a calculator and gently handing the merchandise back to the customer, and I had to put my talisman in the back room before I even started my day. It was a little disrespectful, but I would have made me do the same thing.

I headed into the back room where Dominic and I accidentally got the party started with the first kiss, and I took my talisman out of my pocket.

"You're going to be on your best behavior today, okay? No accidents," I said. I was pretty sure it would be fine when it wasn't in my possession, but it was very possible it had a mind of its own and was letting me take the blame for its bullshit.

Something rustled from underneath the desk where Butterfly kept her records and recipes. "Good morning, Lindsay."

I hadn't noticed her when I came in. At least she was eccentric enough to know that I wasn't talking to myself.

"How's it going, Butterfly?" I said.

"Don't bother coming in tomorrow. We haven't been busy all week, and Sundays are always slow here. Enjoy the day instead," Butterfly replied.

I smiled as I went out to the main store "Thanks. I really could use it."

I wasn't going to talk to anyone the entire day and relax. It was the perfect way to unwind after Dominic and the talisman found the few ways to rattle me for the past couple of weeks.

I used to be so carefree. What had those two done to me?

Although the store had just opened, I already had a mental clock running down the time until I got to leave for the day. There was plenty of interesting stuff to look at in the store, so maybe that would keep me occupied for a while. Probably not, though.

I didn't necessarily believe in crystals or that essential oils could cure every ailment known to man, but there had to be something to them if people kept buying them. A ring with a piece of pink tourmaline sat in a box on the counter to my left, but I only recognized what it was because it was my October birthstone (and it said so on the box).

It was kind of pretty, and I deserved something nice to celebrate my day off tomorrow. Besides, Butterfly wouldn't miss it, otherwise, she wouldn't be selling it.

I flipped over the box to see the price tag. Seventy dollars? Before my parents cut me off, that would have been nothing, but now?

Before I could snatch it and put it in my pocket, the bell at the front door rang and someone came into the shop.

Even the sage burning at the entrance couldn't cleanse the holier-than-thou aura that flooded into the store. And while that sense of entitlement wasn't uncommon in Sherwood, the woman looked like an older, accomplished version of me.

"Dammit," I muttered under my breath. Saturdays must have been my mother's shop for worthless crap days, but I couldn't exactly judge her for that. That gene made it into my DNA.

She wandered the half-stocked shelves for a moment before she noticed me, and as much as she probably wanted to pretend I didn't exist, someone had to check out what she was buying. As long as she didn't even look at the pink tourmaline ring next to me, I didn't care what she brought to the counter.

Instead of choosing anything that seemed too good to be true, she ended up picking out a box of assorted teas and a few tall, skinny different colored candles. She set them on the counter in front of me and said, "Lindsay."

Just look at the price sticker. Nothing else matters. "Mom."

"So you work here now?" she asked.

I nodded. "Well, I need to pay back the damages and get money for school somehow, don't I?"

"It's a bit of a drive for a weekend job, isn't it?" She paused for a second, and when I didn't answer the question, she continued. "I didn't realize you were still in school after last semester's grades."

"I told you that it's just academic probation. It's not the end of the world as long as I get my grades up this semester. Are you still telling people I flunked out?"

"That's not what's important. Are your grades better this semester?"

"Yes."

She smiled, but it certainly wasn't kind or warm. "Then I did my job. I'm glad you're starting to figure it out."

My fingers hovered motionless above the calculator for a moment.

"Keep going. I know it's a difficult job you have, but I haven't got all day," she said with a silent sarcasm.

Of course.

I punched in the last of the numbers and finished checking out her stupid tea and candles. I didn't need her bitching when I was just trying to fix the giant mess she made me make, especially since my laziness was her number one complaint about me. Sure, it was a little true, especially in high school and my first year of college, but there were only a handful of people who knew everything that was going on behind the magical scenes.

That must have been fast enough for her busy schedule, and she picked up her stuff and headed for the door the moment she finished paying.

As soon as the little bell on the door stopped ringing, Butterfly peeked from around one of the shelves. "Yeesh. That was harsh."

I nodded. "It used to sting, but I'm kind of used to it at this point. It's better if I just do what I want instead of trying to impress her. At least no one can ever tell me something I haven't already heard from my mother."

Maybe that was why my perception of Dominic was that he was a minor irritation instead of the massive jerk he really was. Thanks, Mom.

"I would have said something, but she's one of my best customers and my gynecologist. My next pap smear would be a nightmare," Butterfly said.

"Thank you for that image," I said.

She laughed. "Anyway, if you need a break or anything else from me, just let me know. I'll be organizing our financial records."

I nodded. "Thanks, Butterfly."

The moment she left, my eyes darted back to the pink tourmaline ring. Supposedly the gemstone had certain powers or energy-purifiers or something, but that didn't matter. I had the talisman for that. But it glittered even in the dim window and candle light of the shop, so it would be even prettier outside.

Butterfly had definitely convinced herself that she was a witch—and I certainly couldn't prove that she wasn't—but I was pretty sure that it didn't give her the power to see through walls.

The ring was so small that I could only fit it on my pinkie, but the pink sparkle was a welcome addition to Sierra's stash of stuff to borrow.

Was I supposed to feel something? The only thing I felt was a Baggins energy deep in my soul.

I already knew Jack would be disappointed in me on a moral ground, but I was saving money. How could he complain about that?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Howdy, y'all! I hope you're doing well. Thank you so much for reading!

So for today's question, what is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

Coffee and an English muffin with peanut butter is my favorite, but most of the time, I just have the coffee and wonder why I don't feel too great during the day.