Football Stars Don't Date Cinderella: Part 3
“Saw you talking to Ethan earlier.”
I froze, clutching my lunch tray tightly. Craig had appeared out of nowhere and was blocking my way to my usual table. “We were talking about an assignment, that’s all.”
“Well, you’d better make sure that’s all it was. If you’re the reason my chances at being top footballer next year fail, I will make your life hell. You stay away from Ethan Reyes.”
He stalked away. I breathed out slowly and meandered towards my table, glad I wasn’t shaking. Craig would gladly follow up on his promise to make me miserable, and there was no way I was giving him an opportunity to do that.
I ate quickly, hoping I wouldn’t be late to meet Flora, but I couldn’t resist a sneaky glance around to see if I could spot Ethan. He was seated at one of the middle tables, among some of the other members of the football team. Two girls, Larisa Harcourt and Claire de Winter, were also sitting there. Larisa chatted happily to Ethan, light dancing on her dark curls.
Maybe it was best if I just forgot about him. He had one of the most beautiful girls in the college interested in him – why would he even think about looking twice at me?
I distracted myself by thinking about the upcoming Fashion and Textiles class this afternoon. As part of my free time in the summer holidays, I’d been working on three outfits, and they were secretly hidden away in the fashion cupboard. Later this term, I’d show them to our lecturer and see what she thought of them. Part of our latest assignment had been to make a pair of plain pumps more interesting or fashionable; I’d spent ages sewing tiny glass beads onto my pair.
Before I realised it, I’d eaten all my lunch. I hurried over to the metal stacks to deposit my tray – and fell right over an outstretched leg. My hands hit the floor hard. Craig discreetly tucked his leg back under the table, grinning as the other boys at his table laughed.
I got right back up again and kept walking.
“Are you all right?”
That was Ethan’s voice. I ignored it.
“Mina.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you all right? You just fell over and…”
“I’m fine,” I said, smiling brightly. “I’m not hurt at all – just tripped.”
His dark eyes blazed with anger. “No, that guy deliberately tripped you.”
This wasn’t good. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. He didn’t trip me, I fell.”
“But…”
“Thank you. I’m late to meet my friend.”
I walked away as fast as I could. If Craig saw that, I could be in serious trouble – and even more trouble if he told Claudia about it.
When I entered the library, the main librarian looked up at me from his desk, smiled at me once, then returned to the stack of books in front of him. Flora had to be around here somewhere.
I eventually found her, at a table tucked away in a corner. She beckoned me over eagerly; there was a large notepad and two pens on the table in front of her.
“I texted Mum,” she said, “and she’s OK with helping with the food so long as we tell her what we want in advance. It can take time and effort to grow certain things with magic, and I can’t help much with my power.”
Flora could help to grow things like fruit, vegetables and corn with magic, but since she specialised in flower magic, she got tired easily.
“I’ve had a couple of ideas already.” Flora showed me the things she’d jotted down in the notepad: carrot cake cupcakes, pumpkin juice/punch, spiced apple drink, pumpkin pie, caramel apples.
She would need savoury things as well as sweet, but… “What about salted caramel apples?”
“Great idea!” She picked up a pen and wrote it down.
“What about some battered mac and cheese balls, tear-and-share breads, little pizzas and sausages, and nachos and dips?”
Flora scribbled it all down. “And some garlic bread as well! OK, I think that’s enough food ideas for now. What about decorations? We’ve got lots of fairy lights in the attic that could go around the windows, or in some bottles.”
“What about some flowers in autumn colours, arranged in wreaths or displays?” I suggested.
“With some leaves as well! That sounds perfect.” Flora’s anxiety had completely disappeared; she could never remain fearful for long.
“So…” A mischievous look suddenly came over her face. “What was Ethan talking to you about on the bus earlier?” Her eyes gleamed as she leaned forward.
I clenched my fists in my lap to stop myself from fidgeting. “We were just talking about our latest art assignment, that’s all.”
“And he gave you a muffin.”
I shrugged. “He was just being kind because my stomach rumbled. That didn’t mean anything.”
“The Reyes brothers treasure their mum’s baking like it’s made of gold. There’s no way that didn’t mean anything, Mina.”
“He was just being kind.”
She scoffed loudly at that. “The guy you’ve been crushing on for years finally talked to you and that’s all you have to say? You don’t even look happy about it!”
“I’m being realistic about it.” No matter how much it hurt.
Flora reached out and touched my arm gently. “I meant what I said about my dad. If Claudia’s being too…harsh…please tell me and I will tell him.”
“Thanks, Flora. That means a lot.”