“What if it doesn’t?”
“Don’t doubt yourself, Roonie.” JJ squeezes my hands lightly, and I suddenly wish I had half the confidence in my song-writing abilities that he does. “Plus, I got you something. For inspiration.”
“It better not be another guitar,” I tell him as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small jewelry bag. “Jewelry? But it’s not even my birthday.”
“It doesn’t have to be.” JJ wraps a strand of my hair around his finger, and my pulse spikes. “When is your birthday, Roonie?”
“July 2nd, so not for a while. When’s yours?”
“August 11th.” JJ grins, and I mentally catalogue the date.
Then I start to wonder if we’ll even be in touch by the time either of our birthdays roll around. I’ll probably screw up the competition song. The guys won’t make it through to the next round because of me. They’ll want nothing to do with me. I’ll end up living on the street, or worse, at home with Father.
“Where did you go?” JJ asks, waving a hand in front of my face.
“Just lost in thought.”
“If you’re worrying about the song, don’t. It’ll be great. I know it will be.” He takes my hand, flips it over, and drops the small but surprisingly heavy jewelry bag on my palm. It feels like a watch, and I wonder if JJ got it for me to make sure I don’t miss their competition like I did their audition.
“Open it,” JJ presses before my self-deprecating thoughts can spiral any further.
I carefully reach inside the bag and pull out something hard wrapped in white tissue paper. Definitely feels like a watch. I unwrap it, and the item that emerges from the tissue paper is a surprise. It’s a bracelet made of shiny metal as black as my onyx pendant.
I turn it under the light, and it flashes with silvery rainbows. The metal itself is a deep, dark shade, but the way the light plays on it makes it look much brighter.
“Oh, JJ,” I whisper. “It’s beautiful.”
“When I saw it in the store, I immediately thought of you.” JJ takes the bracelet and fits it onto my right wrist.
“You did?” I ask as I twist my wrist under the light to watch the rainbows slide across the perfectly smooth surface of the bracelet.
“The heart pieces you’re wearing, this is the same color.”
“It is.” I smile up at JJ as my left hand drifts to my collarbone.
I wonder if he just happened to pass by a store, see the bracelet, and think of me. Or if he went searching for it. It doesn’t really matter, since I still don’t understand why he would get me a gift at all. I didn’t earn it.
Father never got me gifts, not even for my birthday. My friends didn’t either, though we did always get cake. There was another girl whose birthday was a week before mine, so we’d all pitch in and buy a cake to eat at lunch and celebrate them both.
Mom used to buy me little gifts all the time, but that feels like ages ago. And Charles and Tate both bought me stuff, but not like this. Not as a surprise.
“It’s good for your health,” JJ says, gesturing toward the bracelet. I blink at him, trying to figure out what he’s talking about. “It’s a magnetic bracelet. It’s supposed to do something to your body with, you know, ions and stuff.”
“Really?” I ask in surprise. I’ve heard of healing bracelets before, but I figured they wouldn’t be beautiful like this.
“That stuff’s probably all made up.” An adorable flush creeps across JJ’s cheeks. “I just thought you’d like it.”
“I love it! Thank you so much.” I throw my arms around him and pull him into a tight hug.
Then I realize I’m pressed up against JJ’s chest less than twenty-four hours after being pressed up against Charles’s. Quickly, I scramble away.
JJ looks like he’s going to say something, but then his pocket beeps.
“That’s my alarm,” he says. “I have to get to my next class. Our prof locks the doors at ten after, so I can’t be late.”
He leans in and gives my cheek a quick kiss. I can still feel his stubble against my face as I watch him race away.
Then, I’m alone again, but JJ’s right—this bracelet is exactly what I needed for inspiration. Happily, I dance around the living room, humming to myself. I let this feeling of fairy tale magic carry me, as I twirl and sing whatever lyrics come to mind.
Then suddenly... snap!
My wrist gets stuck on the post of the halogen lamp that sits in the corner of the living room. Oh, right. The bracelet is magnetic.
I manage to pull my arm back, but not without resistance. The lamp rocks in place for a precarious moment before steadying itself.
I’d better remember to be careful. Definitely no more twirling.
I flutter into the kitchen and head for the fridge. I reach for the handle and snap. My hand is stuck again. I don’t know where JJ found this bracelet, but he really didn’t think things through.
Holding the fridge door closed with my left hand, I yank my right wrist free. My arm swings back and snap. It sticks to the frying pan that hangs from the rack over the kitchen counter.
“Really?” I ask the universe. The universe doesn’t answer.
It’s time to take matters into my own hands, and that begins with reclaiming my hand. Carefully, I reach up over my head and grasp the frying pan from its perch. Once I’ve gotten it down, I pull my hand free with ease. Phew.
I put the frying pan back and take off the bracelet. Then I set it down safely on the couch where it is far away from all metal objects. Resting on the cushion, it looks quite regal. This seems like a fitting place of honor, but now all that songwriting inspiration I felt while wearing it is gone.
Maybe I should try writing the song outside. That way I won’t risk getting stuck to anything.
I grab a pen and paper—not willing to risk taking my expensive laptop outside—and slip the bracelet on. I lock up the door and manage to take the elevator down without getting stuck again.
There’s no sign of Marcus the RA as I make it outside without incident. There’s a quiet bench next to a nearby building, and I settle in and wait for inspiration to hit.
The sun feels great on my face. I look to the sky and take in the background of brilliant blue. A few wisps of cottony clouds trail through the otherwise clear sky. In the distance, students talk amongst each other or into their phones as they walk by. The only other sound is the quiet buzzing of the soda vending machine to my right. Its motor and vent sit near the ground and send a breeze up toward me.
The air on my face, coupled with JJ’s bracelet, renews my creativity. I close my eyes and start to hum, then open them again as the first few words of a song take shape. I scribble them on the piece of paper when a dark shadow towers over me. Silas!
He stands directly in front of my bench and stares at me. His lip piercings reflect in the sunlight and a small cut runs across his forehead, a reminder of what happened at the jewelry store.
He looks unimpressed as he takes me in, and I try to project the same amount of nonchalance. I’m not sure it works.
I don’t like how small I feel sitting on the bench while he’s standing over me, so I abandon my pen and paper and get to my feet. Then, I sidestep around the Dark Prince and lean against the soda machine. I try to look casual, but then... snap! My bracelet sticks to its surface, pulling my hand behind my back. Great, now I probably look stupid.