Page 2 of Toto’s Tormented Trio

"Maybe tomorrow, you'll get to the table before us, and you can sit here. But today"—Dottie widens her stance and crosses her arms—"it's ours."

Dottie's friendship means more to me than she'll ever know. She's only been in Oz for a few months, but she's already the best friend I've always dreamed of.

Still, as much as I admire her bravery, Dottie doesn't seem to understand that sometimes being brave means acknowledging our extremely mortal limitations.

"Playing with the plebeians again, Griselda?"

Dottie stiffens beside me, and I close my eyes as Maddox Ozella joins the conversation. It's bad enough when it's two on one, but we don’t want to get on everyone's radar.

I glance at Dottie as I stand. Her eyes are locked on Maddox. "Dottie, they can force us to move," I whisper. "And they'll have fun making it as painful as possible." I have the scars to prove it. Their magic is somewhat restricted until they turn twenty-one, but not entirely ineffective. Especially Vera's.

I grab my tray and mumble, "I'm not hungry."

"I doubt that," Griselda snipes as she slides onto Maddox's lap, apparently satisfied she’s toyed with me long enough. I can only hope her having the last word is enough for her to let this go.

Vera barks like a dog as I tug on Dottie's sleeve, urging her to leave.

My cheeks heat. They've taken to calling me Dottie's lapdog, but I don't care. If being a lapdog means I'm fiercely loyal and love my friend, then fine. I’ll wear the name proudly.

Because right now, getting Dottie out of here is the only way I know how to protect her.

I thought this final year would be the worst one yet before Dottie showed up and changed everything. It's still tough, but having a friend who cares about me is going to get me through to graduation.

I clear my tray and race for the hallway. The women's restroom is ahead, and I dart for it as soon as I’m through the lunchroom doors. My heart pounds, and tears prick the backs of my eyes. I throw my backpack onto the floor and turn on the water. Staring into the sink, I watch the liquid swirl around the drain, wishing I could disappear with it.

"Toto." Dottie's voice is gentle as she closes the door behind her. "If you're going to stay in Oz, you can’t spend your whole life letting magical people make you feel powerless.”

"Oh, is that all?" I wipe away a tear as I lock eyes with her in the mirror. "Are you sticking around long enough to help me with that?"

Dottie drops her gaze and shakes her head. “No.” She lifts her eyes to mine again. "But you’re more than welcome to come back to Kansas with me."

I smile ruefully. The Wicked Witches aside, Oz is my home, and I refuse to be run off. Besides, I've been honing my skills as a chef for the past year, working with a local caterer who says I have a gift. He wants to sell me his business when he retires in a few years.

"Nothing can get you to stay?" I give her a watery smile. "Not even a certain sexy wizard?"

Dottie rolls her eyes. "You're out of your mind." I watch her carefully, but she won't meet my eyes. She denies it, but I see the way she looks at Maddox. Dottie has a soft spot for the angry, broody, rich boy who belongs to one of the most ruthless families in all of Oz. He's Griselda's boyfriend—it's even rumored they're engaged to be married. As far as I’m concerned, if he's willing to marry Griselda, he's bad news.

I sigh as I look at my friend. Dottie’s cheeks are flushed as she fluffs her hair in the mirror. I get it—some people get under our skin, even when it's a bad idea.

"Why don't you come over to my house after school?" Dottie asks, changing the subject. She leans her hip against the sink. "Nick wants a game night, and even Leo agreed to join us. Granger is cooking. You could sleep over."

My cheeks warm as I think about Dottie's three brothers—well, she calls them her brothers, but they aren't actually related.

Nick, Leo, and Granger are two years older than us and basically my every fantasy come to life. I have the biggest crush on all three of them, and somehow, Dottie has no idea. Apparently, turning beet red and stammering like an idiot every time they walk into a room isn’t the dead giveaway I assumed it was.

"Come on," Dottie begs, adding a little pout for good measure. "They always gang up on me. I could use some backup.”

God, I'd like them to gang up on me...

I clamp a hand over my mouth to muffle my squeak, terrified that my naughty thought accidentally slipped out. I've been reading too many of those steamy books Dottie introduced me to.

Dottie gives me a perplexed look, then laughs. "Are you trying to say yes?"

Why not? Sexy eye candy is exactly what I need after today.

Even as I think it, guilt overwhelms me. My best friend's brothers, adopted or otherwise, are off limits.

Doesn't mean I can't look while I spend time with my best friend, though.