Page 87 of Haunting the Deep

“So what’s up?” Jaxon says without any of his usual friendliness.

“Just wanted to see if you had the history homework,” Isay.

“It’s in the packet. Page twenty-seven, I think. Was that it? I’m kinda in the middle of something.”

“Also, I saw you got one of those bracelets.”

“Huh?”

“The bracelet you were wearing the other day with the anchor on it, the ones the dance committee’s selling?”

“Uh-huh,” he says, staring at his phone and not looking at me.

Man, is he rude. “I was thinking about getting one myself.”

“Cool.”

“Do you mind if I take a look at yours?”

“I’d rather not.”

“You’re saying you’re not going to let me see your bracelet?”

“I guess not.” He types on his phone, and a small piece of the blue cord peeks out from under his sleeve.

“It’s right on your wrist. Is it such a big deal to take it off for a second?”

Jaxon eyes me suspiciously. “Sam, I’m busy.” He looks down at his buzzing phone, and the tension leaves his expression. He smiles.

“Dude, you left me stranded in front of Niki’s this morning. The least you could do is look at me instead of your phone for the two minutes I’m in your room.”

Jaxon answers his phone. “Hold on just a sec, Nik.” He looks at me. “Sam, I gotta go.”

Well, that settles that. I walk out, because I don’t know what else to say.Jaxon’s definitely under a spell. How did I not notice this sooner?

I quickly head down the stairs and into the kitchen. The girls all look at me with questioning eyes, and I’m pretty sure my face betrays the answer.

“Cream puff?” Mary offers.

“No thanks. I just ate a big dinner,” I say.

“Now wait a minute,” Mrs. Meriwether says. “You look upset, Sam. Was Jaxon rude? He’s been in a mood recently.”

“No, not exactly,” I say.

“We think Jaxon might be under a love spell,” Susannah says.

Did she just tell Mrs. Meriwether that? The world blurs for a second.

“Samantha was checking out the bracelet he’s wearing to see if it has a love spell on it, and my guess is that it does,” Susannah says, and looks at me.

Mrs. Meriwether places her hand over her heart.

“Samantha, I think you should go home,” Susannah says, her voice measured and confident. “Alice, will you go get the spell book? I think between what we brought and what’s growing in Mrs. Meriwether’s garden, we’ll have enough ingredients if we need to do an additional spell.”

“A love spell?” Mrs. Meriwether says. “Iknewsomething wasn’t right about the way he was acting toward Niki, but I wouldn’t have guessed this.”

“I’m not leaving,” I say, incredulous. “If he’s under a spell, I want to help break it.”