Chapter 6
Riya liked normalcy as much as the next person.
But deep in her bones, she knew that today was goingtoosmoothly.
Granted, she didn’t expect Andrew to come running to Mel first period, flowers in hand. But it was already halfway through the school day—Monday, the first school day after the full moon—and still, nothing had changed.
That left three unsettling possibilities:
The spell hadn’t worked. Maybe the graveyard wasn’t hallowed enough. Could microplastics in the soil ruin a spell?
It worked, but barely. Maybe Andrew’s new feelings had already faded. As in he ate breakfast, and promptly forgot Mel.
Itdidwork, but the effects simply hadn’t shown... yet.
Her mind suddenly conjured an unwelcome image of Andrew perched on the roof, shouting his confession to Mel for the whole school to hear, while the fire department tried to coax him down with a megaphone.
Riya really didn’t know which option was worse.
“I haven’t seen Andrewall day,” Mel said at lunch, pouting.
“The day’s not over yet,” Riya replied.
“God, it’d be so much easier if Andrew and I shared a class together! All we have together isgym, and that’s not tillWednesday. And now I have Physics, where I’m stuck playing catch-up, thanks toKian.” Mel groaned, resting her head in her hands. “Maybe I should go find Andrew myself.”
“Taking the initiative isn’t a bad idea.”
“But what if that makes me look desperate?” Mel frowned, tugging at her baby-blue headband as it slipped down her forehead. “I mean... the spell worked, right? Ifeltdifferent after you cast it. Like everything was going to be okay. But now I just—” She cut herself off, sighing.
“What?” Riya prompted.
“I hoped I’d feel less afraid by now,” Mel muttered. “But the weekend passed, and I still keep second-guessing everything. I thought the spell would make things easier, but...” She bit her lip. “I just feel... stuck.”
Riya didn’t know what to say. Mel’s blind faith in the spell—despite Riya’s own doubts—made something coil uncomfortably in her chest. She wanted to reassure her, to say something definitive. But the memory of that red thread—twisting in her fingers, wild and unpredictable—flickered behind her eyes.
“Maybe just... give it a little more time,” Riya said finally.
“Right. Like you said, the day’s not over.” Mel adjustedher headband again, trying for a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“So, how are you? How’s the essay going? That’s due at the end of October, yeah?”
It was September 29, which left her with only thirty-two precious days. The taste of metal rose in her mouth—the way it had this morning.
Outside the Astronomy classroom, Mr. Krug had been filling his thermos at the water fountain.
Caltech alum. PhD in aerospace engineering. Former NASA consultant. He’d been the one who’d encouraged her to compete in the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition, where she’d placed third. And just last week, he’d handed her a recommendation letter so warm, it practically burned.
“My star student!” he had chirped, sloshing water onto his sneakers. “Oops. You got my letter for Caltech just fine?”
“Yes, Mr. Krug,” Riya had said politely. “Thank you again. I know your good word will tip the scales.”
She’d meant it. Mostly. But reading the letter left her uneasy.
“Riya Khan is going to change the world.”
Lately, those words felt less like a promise and more like a job she hadn’t agreed to.
Caltech only accepted 2.7 percent of applicants. A glowing letter and stacked resume wouldn’t be enough. She hadto stand out from all the other type A overachievers clawing for the same spot.
