Poor Little Witch Girl Read online

  “How do you know that?” Poppy asked.

  “Because that’s how they’ve kept us from taking it back all these years.”

  Raven’s arms were crossed, and she was tapping her foot, again. “If we can’t use magic in the house, what’s the point of getting in?”

  “Once we’re in, we can use magic sparingly. From my understanding, the seal was placed to keep other witches out, but they still wanted to be able to use magic themselves. I say to use it sparingly because we all know we can sense the presence of other witches when they use their magic. If we’re careful, they might realize they’ve let a witch in, but they won’t be able to figure out who it is. My plan is to steal back the jewelry Mabel stole from my family and sell it. That should bring in a tidy sum of cash that will keep us all going for a while. And when the Marwoods realize the jewelry’s gone, they’ll know who took it, and I’ll get my revenge.”

  “Again, though, why should we help you?” Poppy could see Raven’s questions were getting on Stella’s nerves but before she could place a hush spell on her, Fiona piped up.

  “If you won’t do it to help Stella, then I’ll dare you to do it. If you get on the show and I don’t, I’ll match what they pay you. If I get on the show and you don’t, you have to apologize to Stella for being such a twerp.”

  She considered for a moment, then agreed. “Fine, I’ll do it. But I’m only going along with it to help Stella.”

  “Agreed.” All four witches held their hands out towards each other, and lightning crackled between their outstretched fingers.

  Poppy met Raven at the door. “I’m almost ready, Raven,” she told her. I just need to put this bow in my hair and we can go.”

  While she headed to the bathroom to fix her hair, Raven plopped down on her sofa to get licks and snuggles from Pearl. “This is really stupid. I don’t know why I agreed to this nonsense.”

  Raven’s comment irritated her, but it didn’t surprise her. While Poppy was usually sunny and cheerful, her friend was the opposite—always finding something negative to say. At first, it had put her off, but she quickly realized that Raven didn’t mean most of what she said. She complained about things but did them anyway. If any of them needed anything, she was always right there to help. She’d decided that Raven was uncomfortable letting anyone see her true colors, so she hid behind a veil of negative energy.

  “I don’t know either, but let’s go. I’m ready now.” She reached over and patted Pearl’s head, picked up her purse and followed Raven out the door.

  “Cattle call was right,” Stella mumbled under her breath. “Where did all these women come from? I didn’t think there were this many women in all of Georgia, let alone here in Greveswood.”

  “Quit complaining,” Poppy chided her. “This is so exciting. We all look amazing and we need to be on our best behavior, so they’ll pick us.” She bounced up and down and clapped her hands. This was so much fun, all of them together, trying to get on a reality show with a handsome bachelor. She couldn’t understand why Stella was so grumpy. On second thought, it was probably because they’d been standing out in the Georgia heat for hours and she’d worn a long evening gown and heels while the rest of them had worn sensible shoes and sundresses.

  “All right. Could we please have numbers 2030 through 2100 move to the front? Wonderful. Follow me, ladies.” A young woman with a headset spoke into a microphone, then headed off into the building.

  “That’s me, Stella said. She turned and waved goodbye to her friends, then joined the mass of women moving to the next step.

  They moved forward a few feet and she noticed that Fiona was being exceptionally quiet. “You okay, Fi?”

  “I’m okay. This is just way more people than I expected and it’s so hot.”

  “Well, you should be in the next group, so it won’t too much longer. We’ll be stuck out of here for a while, though.”

  Raven had stopped talking and was standing, arms crossed, looking like she was ready to punch someone; and Fiona, who was always put together, was starting to look a little worn out. She didn’t want to admit it, but the heat was starting to get to her, too. She lifted up her hair to cool her neck. A few minutes later, Fiona’s number was called and she headed off into the building.

  She turned to Raven and the young witch made a face at her. “If you’re about to tell me how much fun this is, you can just save it. It’s not fun. It’s annoying and hot.”

  Poppy sighed and turned so her back was to the sun. She looked up and saw a couple of balloons floating in the sky. Then she noticed the fluffy white clouds, high up, that looked like a sheep and an elephant. She giggled. It was going to be okay. Even if she was stuck with Miss Grumpy Pants.

  The woman with the headset finally called their numbers and they were ushered into a large room with benches and mirrors. “Help yourself to a cold water, iced tea or lemonade,” she called out. “If you need to use the restroom, fix your makeup or whatever, do it quick. We’ll be calling random numbers and if you don’t respond immediately, you’re out.”

  Poppy turned to ask Raven where she wanted to sit but found her making a beeline for the refreshments. She shrugged. She was going to find a seat and if Raven joined her, fine. If not, that was fine, too. She wondered if grumpiness was contagious and that’s why she was feeling a little out of sorts.

  She watched the women around her find seats and groan as they sat, feet, legs and backs tired from standing; exhausted from being out in the humid heat. Most of the women were quiet, but she could hear a few of them talking about how exciting this was, and what a great opportunity it was. For a moment, she felt guilty. She wasn’t really here to get the rich guy. She was here to help Stella. But these other women were looking for a love connection.

  “I wasn’t sure if you wanted lemonade or iced tea, so I grabbed one of each.” Raven plopped down on the bench beside her, letting out a sigh of relief as she took the weight off her feet. “Oh, yes, that’s the ticket,” she mumbled. She looked at Poppy. “Which one?”

  “Lemonade, please. And thanks, Raven.”

  “Of course,” she replied, taking a long sip from the cup of iced tea. “Oh man, I really needed that.”

  A number was called over the loudspeaker and the woman next to them jumped up, nearly tripping over her own feet. Raven flicked her wrist and kept the woman from falling, but Poppy shook her head. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Why the heck not?” Raven asked.

  “If we get in, we can’t use magic, remember?”

  “Well, yeah, but we’re not in yet, so what difference does it make?”

  “We have to stop and think before we cast any spells, or it’ll be too easy to mess up. And then all of this will have been for nothing.”

  Raven looked at her sideways, a smirk on her lips. “You sound like me, Pops. What’s up with that?” she laughed.

  “I do not! Take it back!”

  “Oh yeah, you do.”

  “Stop it, Raven.”

  A number was called over the loudspeaker and Raven grinned. “That’s me. See ya.”

  Poppy watched her friend walk away and crossed her fingers, hoping she didn’t do anything to get herself booted from the competition before it even began. She sighed. She was nothing like Raven and that was that. Or was it? She wondered.

  After a while, her number was called, and she bounced up, ready to go. Her sandals clicked as she walked across the tile floor and she giggled to herself, thinking she sounded like a horse, clip-clopping along.

  She was ushered into a room where three women and a man were seated at a table in the middle of the room. One of the women gestured to the chair, across from them, and Poppy took a seat.

  “How are you today, Miss ?” another woman asked.

  “Lovely, thank you. And how are all of you?”

  The man smiled at her as did two of the women, while one looked thoughtful, her nose twitching, as if she had an itch she was trying not to scratch.

  “We read your essay and have some questions for you, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not, that’s why I’m here,” she replied. “Ask me anything.” She thought she sounded confident, but she could feel her hands and legs shaking, so she crossed her ankles and folded her hands in her lap, hoping they wouldn’t notice.

  “Can you tell us why you want to be a contestant on The Catch of a Lifetime?”

  “Sure,” she said, with a nervous smile. “I’m just a simple, young woman whose family recently came into money. I didn’t grow up with money and I’ve never moved in the same circles as most of you.”

  Poppy paused and the woman who asked the question nodded her head, encouraging her to continue, while the woman with the twitchy nose finally reached up and scratched it. Her action reminded Poppy that they were just people, no different than anyone else, and her nerves suddenly disappeared.

  She answered all of their questions and even managed to make them laugh a couple of times, but she was still surprised when they told her she was in. She left with a notecard in her hand and a huge smile on her face.

  Once outside she realized she didn’t have a ride home, but that didn’t dampen her enthusiasm one bit. She tucked her notecard into her purse and started walking. She’d made it to the end of the block when she saw Raven pull up to the curb ahead of her.

  “Hey, stranger. Would you like a ride home?” Raven smirked and Poppy laughed.

  “Thanks! I didn’t expect you to be here, still,” she said as she climbed in.

  “What? You know I’d never leave you behind. Although I was about to melt and I think I lost 20 pounds in sweat,” she said. As they pulled out into traffic, she grinned. Raven may talk tough, but she was a sweetheart underneath.

  3

  The Four Rich Witches gathered round Stella’s coffee table to talk about their results. They’d promised not to say anything to anyone until they were together and, for once, they’d kept their mouths shut. Fiona, Stella and Poppy were helping themselves to pizza and lemonade, while Raven roamed around the room, still hyped up from the audition.

  “Come have a seat, Raven, and drink some lemonade. You were outside in the heat the longest and I’m dehydrated, so I’m sure you are, too.” Fiona tried to get her to join them, but she was too worked up.

  “Thanks, but can we just get on with it? I’m nearly jumping out of my skin waiting to spill.”

  “Fine, then. Let’s do this.” Stella’s lips twisted as she thought of a creative way to find out who was moving on. “I know, how about this. If you got in, create a rainbow over your head. If not, create a dark cloud.”

  Poppy clapped her hands. “This is so much fun. On the count of three?”

  The others nodded, so she counted down: “One. Two. Three.” Rainbows appeared over each of their heads and she clapped her hands again.

  “Really? We each got an audition?” Fiona asked. Suddenly they all started talking at once and she couldn’t tell who was saying what.

  “That’s so cool!” “I can’t believe it!” “Of course we all got in, we’re amazing!”

  Raven placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled. “Okay! I know we’re all excited, but how about we take turns talking! Poppy, you go first.” She sat down next to Stella and picked up a slice of pizza.

  “Well, it was pretty quick, really, after all that waiting. They said they read my essay and they asked me a few questions about why I wanted to participate. Then they said I was in.”

  “That’s how it went for me, too,” Stella spoke up. “They asked me to summarize my essay, I did, and they said I was in. How about you, Fi?”

  “Well, mine wasn’t so smooth. They wanted to know why someone with my pedigree would be willing to go on a TV reality show.” Fiona looked down at her nails and sniffed delicately.

  Raven snorted. “Get over yourself, Fiona. Just because you come from old money doesn’t mean you have a pedigree.”

  Fi glared daggers at the younger witch but kept going with her story. “I asked them if they’d asked Chadwick that, since his family goes back even further than mine. Then I explained that it’s hard to find men that want me for me. If they know who I am--who my family is--they see dollar signs or business mergers. I told them this is a chance for me to be seen for who I am as a person. That seemed to seal the deal.”

  Stella turned to Raven. “Alright Raven, it’s your turn. What did they say to you?”

  “They asked me why they should take a chance on someone who doesn’t have old money and doesn’t seem to have a way to support herself. I threatened to turn them all into toads and they agreed to let me audition.”

  Now it was Fiona’s turn to snort. “Come on, Raven. We told the truth. What did they say?”

  She sighed and picked at the hem of her dress. “At first they said they didn’t think I fit the profile of what they were looking for. They said my essay seemed superficial and I seemed very flippant.” She took a deep breath then looked up at Fiona. “I told them I thought that was what they wanted. That reality shows always pick women who either act overly excited, get emotional too easily, or who act like they don’t care one way or the other. They asked why I entered if I thought reality shows were fake and scripted.”

  Poppy held her breath as she waited for Raven to finish. Raven wiggled around on the sofa, then finally settled down. It was obvious she was nervous sharing the rest of the story, so Stella reached out, placing her hand on her friend’s arm. Raven looked up at her and she smiled her encouragement.

  “I told them that I haven’t had the easiest life and it’s easier for me to stay distant; to pretend I don’t care. But inside, I want to believe. I want to find someone to love and to spend my life with.” She paused and looked around. “I said that I’m worthy of being with someone like Chadwick because I’m smart, I’m funny, I’m attractive and I’m a good person. And then they said I was in.”

  “It sounds like they were looking for strong women who are capable and smart, not the usual ditzy social butterflies you see on other dating shows.”

  “Well, I don’t know about that, but this pizza is delicious and I’m going to have another piece,” Raven announced, leaning forward to grab the last slice of pepperoni and mushroom pizza.

  “Hey, I wanted that,” Poppy whined.

  “Here, you whiny baby,” Raven laughed as she snapped her fingers and another slice appeared.

  “Thanks, Ray.” She snagged the pizza and took a bite, making a moaning noise as she chewed.

  “You okay, Stella? You’re awfully quiet,” Fi asked.

  “We all got in, Fi. We all got in!”

  “Well, don’t count your chickens yet,” she replied. “We got into the auditions, but we aren’t on the show yet.”

  “I know, but what are the odds all four of us would make it through the first round?”

  “Have you seen us?” Fi tossed her head back and flipped her hair with her hand. “We’re stunning!” Stella laughed and Poppy grinned. Raven looked at them like they were crazy. Even though they got on each other’s nerves, she knew they cared about each other deeply. She wouldn’t want to be a Rich Witch with anyone else.

  Poppy walked up to the massive doors of the Crawford building. Two uniformed doormen stood to the side and opened the doors for her when she reached them. She took a deep breath, then walked into the lobby.

  This whole thing was so out of her league and she was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. She took a breath to calm her nerves. As she looked around, she found herself impressed with the décor. The room was warm and welcoming, with cushy, gray leather wingback chairs and thick, plush carpeting in a lovely pale blue with a dark blue swirl pattern. When she sat down, she felt like she was sitting on a cloud, the chair was so cushy. She bounced in the seat and sighed, grinning to herself. She wished the mean girls from sixth grade could see her now. They’d made fun of her because she wasn’t as smart or as rich as them, but she was here, and they were . . . somewhere else. She giggled. She wasn’t very good at smack talk, even in her thoughts. Maybe she should ask Ray for some pointers. That girl could talk smack with the best of them.

  “Miss Bennet? Would you follow me, please?”

  She followed a young man to a small conference room and took a seat in the chair he pulled out for her. “They’ll be here in just a moment. Would you like a glass of iced tea while you wait?” He gestured towards a decanter filled with ice, tea, and lemon slices. She nodded and he poured her a glass, setting it down on a lace doily in front of her.

  After he left, she took a sip and sighed with pleasure. Perfectly sweet, yet tart at the same time. She looked around at the photos of animals that lined the walls. They were beautiful. She heard a swish and turned to see a handsome young man and an older woman enter the room.

  “Hi, I’m Cash Crawford. Nice to meet you. I’m Chad’s younger brother and I’m producing the show.” He shook her hand, then sat down across from her. “This is my assistant, Greta, and she’ll be taking notes today, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not. It’s so nice to meet both of you.”

  “How did you feel about the first part of this audition process?” he asked.

  “At first, I was surprised by how many women showed up and how they were willing to stand in the heat for so long, but then I thought about it. This is an incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity, and what’s a little discomfort in the face of all that?”

  “So, you’re still interested in being on the show?”

  “Absolutely,” she nodded.

  Cash grinned and slid a piece of paper across the table along with an ink pen. “First, I’ll need you to sign a non-disclosure agreement. It covers the behind the scenes activities that don’t affect the outcome of the show. It’s necessary because we’re doing things differently than other reality shows and we want to keep our processes secret, at least for now.” He paused while she read over the contract and signed it.