Some Kind of Magic

The week that the twins were gone went by very slowly. The only time we got to see them was on Saturday when Emma and I ran into them down at the beach. Emma had called me up then to give me a little personality description on everyone at the table, just so I knew what to expect. Even though Lucy had told me things, she didn’t hang out with us because she had a separate group of friends but Emma went more in-depth and gave me a better idea. When we were getting onto the bus to go home, they were getting off so we exchanged a quick hello and told them we were happy to have them home again, but that was the extent of it. Then on Monday at the lunch table, Robbie, Dylan and Emma were all ridiculously excited about something that had them chattering and grinning, unable to look up as Broderick and I approached. He had gotten into the habit of meeting me at my locker before we went to the cafeteria together. Now, I was constantly under the impression that the minute I stepped inside, I was going to get pelted in the face with something covered in sauce. It had me living in fear. I still hadn’t been able to get that stain out of my white blouse completely. I was tempted to ask Broderick if he was interested in Emma but I knew that since we were only just becoming friends, it would be a little out of line to blurt it out of nowhere. I was going to have to wait until we were closer, when it was an acceptable time to get involved in his love life and make wishes for him and my best friend.

“What’s going on?” he asked the three of them, sitting down on Emma’s left. I sat beside him and across from Elsie and Dylan, while she gave me a smile but he barely even cast his eyes away long enough to see me. I didn’t really mind that much though, because it wasn’t a big deal. It was actually kind of funny to see him so concentrated.

“The band’s taking a trip to New York around the beginning of December. They do these kinds of things every year but the farthest we’ve ever gone is Niagara Falls,” Robbie said. My eyes went wide.

“Even to Niagara is really good. Most of the field trips at my old school consisted of museum tours that we could just walk to,” I said. “They were honestly only about a half an hour away, or at least one subway ride.”

“Well since the music department is so well-funded, we can go on really cool trips all throughout the year. And it’s not just the teacher’s union that helps support the bands; it’s the parents as well,” Dylan explained. “They barely even have a reason to but I guess around here, if you’re in band, it’s like you’re in some top secret, high-class society that only the most talented people get into.”

Elsie looked over at him and frowned. “That’s exactly what it is.”

He waved a hand in the air. “You know what I mean.”

“Don’t mind her,” Robbie spoke up, crossing his arms on the table and smiling at her. “Elsie’s just bitter because she’s not as cool as we are!”

She elbowed him in the stomach and he laughed, grabbing her arm and pulling her forward. They continued their small wrestle-slapping tournament for a few more seconds and I looked at Dylan expectantly. He smiled at me and reached into his backpack to pull out his lunch.

“So how long is this trip going to be?” I asked. “Because I could use the time away from my family and if it’s for more than just a few days, it would be like stepping into heaven.”

“It’s a week and a half actually,” he answered.

“And how much is it?”

“I think somewhere around twenty-five hundred,” he replied. I raised my eyebrows, surprised.

“Really? That’s surprisingly cheap for a trip to New York. You’d think it would be a lot more,” I said. “Although, two months isn’t a lot of time to get that kind of money together. I’d really like to go but I don’t think I’d be able to.”

“Well, only fourty seats could be reserved for senior band, and since there are seventy-eight of us, that’s a lot of people that aren’t going to be able to go. And if you think about it, most of the students going here are filthy rich, so they would have no problems getting the money for it. But we do fundraisers and stuff as well, so it lowers the price a fair bit. Plus, the opening concert of the year tends to give us a good amount to work with. You can assume the price will go down about one hundred dollars per student.” Dylan ran a hand through his hair and crossed his legs. “You should definitely come. We’d have a blast.”

“You mean we would have a blast,” Robbie cut in, raising his eyebrows at his brother.

“I said we,” he mocked.

“Yeah, but you didn’t mean we,” Robbie said, pointing at himself, Emma, Dylan and then me. “You meant you two.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Yes you did, but don’t worry about it, pumpkin. It’s all right,” he said, patting Dylan a little too hard on the cheek. Dylan looked at me quizzically and I couldn’t help but giggle at his expression, and the oddness of his brother. “Anyway, you should come. Music trips are always ‘da bomb’ and you’re cool too, so it would make it that much better.”

I smiled. “Well thanks, I guess.”

“Enough about this,” Elsie said, waving her hand in the air. “You’re bound to get a form on Wednesday at band practice. Can we talk about something else? Like this weekend.” She leaned forward with her arms folded over the table, an excited smile stretching across her face. “My family’s having a barbeque on Sunday since it’s supposed to be warm and sunny, and they said I could invite you guys if you would like to come. So what do you think?”

“I’m in,” Robbie said, putting his hands behind his head. His shirt lifted up at the bottom as he stretched his arms. “I love hamburgers.”

“We all know that. You ate like, five of them last year,” Elsie said, rolling her eyes. “Nice boxers by the way.”

“Thanks, gorgeous.”

“How are you not four hundred pounds? I’ve seen what you’re capable of eating without it coming out the same way,” she spoke with a disgusted scowl at the end.

“I’m fit. And I’ve got a man’s stomach,” he replied, flexing his arm muscles. “So who else is down for Elsie’s place on Sunday?”

“Me,” Emma said, lifting her pointer finger before returning to her pasta.

“Same here,” Broderick agreed.

“And you?” Robbie asked, looking at his brother, who shrugged his shoulders.

“Sounds like fun,” Dylan responded.

“And what about you, Isabelle? Are you going to come?” Elsie asked.

“Uhm . . . I don’t know. My parents might not allow it. It’s a school night and they’re very technical on the rules,” I said, biting my lip and feeling out of place. I felt so locked up compared to everyone else, who could just say “I’m going out” and not have to sit through a full interrogation before they were permitted out of the house for a few hours.

Robbie scoffed. “Come on. I’m sure they’re not that bad.”

“Oh they are,” Emma said with a nod. “I’ve known Isabelle for years now and believe me; her parents turn into freaking police officers if she asks to go out with some friends. It’s ridiculous.”

“Even if you just ask to come for dinner, that’s better than nothing,” Elsie said. “Plus, I’ll give you all the information you’ll need. I know what it’s like to have crazy parents so there won’t be one question they ask that you won’t know the answer to.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. I’d really like for you to come,” she smiled. Honestly, when I first met Elsie I thought she was going to be the hardest to communicate with. She seemed a little tough and I figured since I was easily intimidated and could be pretty quiet at times, she would be the one I’d have to do the most work on before she actually accepted me. For her to tell me this now made me feel completely different about her.

I nodded. “Okay, thanks. I’ll ask them.”

“Coolio. So everyone’s coming,” Robbie said, putting his thumbs up. “And Iz, if they give you a hard time, text me and I’ll come over to do some convincing for you.” He cracked his knuckles and I flinched. His eyes went wide when he realized what he was implying. “Oh no! That’s not what I meant. I just . . . I had to do that. I do it a lot.”

“He does,” Broderick said.

I laughed. “Okay. Because as much as my parents are hard to deal with, if you were to beat them up, I’d probably do the same to you.”

He snorted. “Bring it.”

“All right then,” Elsie cut in, putting her hand on his arm and laughing. “If you guys can get there for six, that’d be great. Oh, and Em, there’s someone I’ve been meaning to properly introduce you to. My cousin, Armando . . . do you remember that guy I brought with me to the movies that one time? You two exchanged names but never got to talk.”

“Oh yeah! I remember him. He was really nice,” Emma said. “I’d love to meet him again.”

I looked at Dylan then, whose eyes shifted obviously to Broderick. When I glanced at him, he was frowning into his sandwich. This gave me the excuse to ask him what was going on, and I didn’t even have to be that close to him for it.



“What kind of name is Armando anyway?” Broderick ranted while we walked to my fourth period class. His was just down the hall from mine, so it was the perfect opportunity to figure out if he had feelings for Emma. Of course, it was kind of obvious now because I hadn’t even said anything; he was the one who instigated the conversation. Robbie was on my other side since his locker was in that general direction, and was listening intently once he heard Broderick speak up.

“What?” I asked, playing dumb.

“I was with them that time they went to the movies. I’ve met the guy and I don’t like him,” Broderick scorned, shaking his head and tightening his grip on his binder. “Elsie’s making a huge mistake by trying to hook him up with Emma. She’s too good for him.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. “Do you like her or something?”

His head snapped in my direction, eyes wide with shock. “What? No. I just . . .” He paused, contemplating what to say. I noticed Robbie smirking pleasantly from the side. “Armando’s a prick. He’s a prick with a stupid name, and he has no respect for women. I’ve spoken to him before and all he cares about are a girl’s assets. How could Emma not see that? She’s the most mindful and understanding person I know.”

Robbie and I looked at each other.

“What? Broderick asked, glowering.

“It just doesn’t seem that you’re as clued into the situation as you like to think you are,” Robbie answered.

“In other words, you’re ignorant to your own feelings,” I added and Robbie nodded his accord.

“That’s not true. I mean—” He stopped himself and I couldn’t help but grin at his slip-up. He shook his head. “There’s nothing to be clued in about. I don’t like Emma that way. She’s my best friend and that’s all there is to it.”

“Are you sure about that?” Robbie asked testily.

“Screw you, man. I hate high school,” Broderick muttered and walked quickly down the hall, just trying to get away from us. I burst out laughing because his class was in the opposite direction.

“Awh, should we go after him? I think we were a little hard on him,” I said.

Robbie smiled. “Don’t worry about it. He’ll come around,” he replied. “Besides, if it’s really an issue on better judgment with Emma and her choice of boys, he’ll say something to her. He’s not that dumb as to let it go and if that Armando guy is really all that horrible, Broderick will bring it up. He can be very passionate when it comes to who Emma goes out with.”

“I can tell,” I said, folding my arms.

“You’d think she’d be pickier, huh?” Robbie shrugged. “Oh well. It’s their lives. They’ll come to their senses eventually.”

“And what about you?” I asked.

He looked confused. “What about me?”

“You and Elsie? I thought I saw something there.”

Robbie swallowed hard and shuffled his weight to the other foot. “We’re just friends.”

I snickered. “Right.”

“Come on, Isabelle. Are you being serious?”

“Dead.”

“All right. Sit,” he said, putting his hand on my shoulder and leading me over to the benches on the other side of the hall. We were in Turcotte Hall, and all it was basically was windows. From the start to the end, the wall adjacent to the quad was lined with massive individual windows that measured from the floor right to the roof, and in between each window was a brick pillar, then matching brick benches lined up on the floor measuring about a meter high against the windows and leading right into the foundation. “Elsie and I have been friends for so long that I’ve lost track. We’re closer than my brother and I are, which is saying a lot because he’s like my other half. Hell, he is my other half. But we agreed last summer that we wouldn’t let anything jeopardize our friendship, especially not dating. We’re too good together as it is for either of us to want to mess it up.”

“But do you like her?”

He shrugged. “I might, I’m not sure. There’s always been something about her that’s kept me . . . intrigued. I can’t help it if I think about being with her that way but everyone does that with their best friend at least once in their life. Dylan brings it up all the time; he thinks I love her but personally, I would never admit to it if I did.”

“Is it because falling in love in high school is considered just ‘thrown out there’?” I asked, using air quotes and rolling my eyes.

He pointed a finger at me. “You’re spot on. Parents think we’re incapable of that emotion but it’s like they never lived at all. I care about her a lot, Isabelle. I just don’t want anything to screw up what we’ve got because we have been through a lot together. I can’t risk it.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

“Broderick and Emma are different though. He won’t admit it to us but we already know he’s nuts about her. He’d rather date her than be friends with her. They’re practically made for each other,” he continued and with a sigh, ran a hand through his already messy hair. He pushed up his sleeves and leaned over his knees. “Can you imagine if everyone at our table dated though? Elsie and myself, Broderick and Emma, you and Dylan—”

“Whoa, wait,” I said, holding up a hand. “Me and Dylan?”

He looked at me, perplexed. “What?”

“I barely know anything about him,” I said. “And what makes you think we would date?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Nothing, no reason for it. I was just speaking hypothetically.” He stood up and offered me his hand. “Come on, we should go. The bell just rang,” he said, but I hadn’t even realized it.

My mind was reeling over one thought for the rest of the day; why would Robbie ever think Dylan and I would be together?