A Farewell to Charms (15 page)

“So, what’s the story with Reed?” Dad asked. “Your mother and I had no idea you two were so close. He’s a great kid, honey, but you are young and—”

“They’re moving again,” I said, monotone. “To Egypt.”

Dad’s voice softened. “I’m sorry, Des.”

I watched the rain pound the window. “Yeah. Me too.”

R
eed and I didn’t have many more chances to discuss his imminent move, or Vorvella trees, or Operation Caprice, or anything to do with Façade. Part of this was because we couldn’t ever find time to be alone, but I think another part was we weren’t ready to talk. The news was too big. Just when we were starting to get things going, he was leaving. Sometimes it felt like I’d lost him already.

Kylee, Celeste, and Annie were moved over to the decorations committee the week after Thanksgiving. The committee had received an anonymous donation, so they bought hundreds of dollars of additional decorations, making the setup a larger job. I wondered if Meredith donated the money to keep Reed and me apart. She was good at that.

At least my relationship with Kylee was less awkward. Now that word of Reed’s upcoming move was out, Kylee’s interest seemed to have lessened to the point that she was now able to talk in his presence. When the three, and sometimes five, of us were together, we just chatted about regular things. Celeste dropped pageant news, Kylee compared everything to scary movies, and Reed charmed us all. As for me, I was more quiet than usual. With the news about Egypt and the revelation that Reed was
not
Karl’s Match, I didn’t know how to act around Reed. Everything felt so doomsday and dramatic and like there was no hope for us or our Great Façade Plan. Which is not the kind of thing you want to hear while hanging garlands, so I just smiled and kept my mouth shut.

After two weeks of hard labor, it was finally December ninth, the night of the Winter Ball, which also happened to be the night before my fourteenth birthday. I liked the idea that I was exiting thirteen in style, thanks largely to the getting-to-know-me gifts from my Match.

Some of the stuff Floressa Chase sent me had no purpose in Sproutville. Like the red leather pants, or the hat made out of ostrich feathers. But in the latest shipment, Floressa had included a champagne-colored cocktail dress with lace overlay and chiffon. The dress was very old-screen-siren, and I couldn’t help but feel like Floressa had designed the piece for me. My mom did my hair in soft waves, and I even let her apply a bit of makeup. My dad got teary-eyed when he saw me and insisted on taking a million pictures. I took a couple of photos of my parents, my mom radiant in her new black maternity dress. Then my mom surprised Gracie and me with an early birthday present, new matching gray peacoats. When we walked out the front door, I caught a glimpse of our whole family, and even though I’d always felt like the odd girl out, tonight we looked like we all belonged together.

The transformation of the community center was magnificent, which I had to say was mostly due to Celeste’s input. She’d had the idea to string lights into a canopy over the gym with organza underneath, so that it felt like we were in a large white tent, not the place my dad played basketball on Saturday mornings. Then again, she also suggested they replace the Christmas carolers with hip-hop dancers, a request that was not granted.

We got there early, and I went straight to the ice-skating rink, hoping I could steal a few minutes alone with Reed before Kylee got there.

I wrapped my peacoat tight around my middle as I walked outside to the man-made frozen pond. “Have you seen Reed?” I asked his boss.

“The decorations lady had him putting some lights up in the magical forest. If you see him, tell him to hurry back. Skaters are going to be here soon.”

Reed was scheduled to sub for Barrett in L.A. sometime this weekend, but Floressa didn’t have me down until March. It seemed a little odd that Barrett would want to leave when he was in America visiting his girlfriend, but Reed said Barrett was getting tired of all the drama happening in Floressa’s life. Supportive boyfriend he was not, although at least Floressa had no clue that Barrett was peacing out and using a sub.

Reed looked at his job in L.A. as a plus—he’d have a chance to scope out the scene, maybe find some leads on where Caprice lived so that when we did finally sub together, we could contact her quickly. But I didn’t like the idea that Reed would be with Floressa. As Floressa’s boyfriend. Yeah, yeah, it’s part of the job, but would you want the boy-youthink-you-like hanging out with a gorgeous teen celebrity/ princess? Exactly.

I slipped into the “magical forest”—a small grove of trees planted before I was born, exclusively for this festival. We decorated a bunch of these trees, but there were also some sponsored by different businesses. I touched ornaments made out of nails and screws, courtesy of a hardware store. Then I heard a beeping in my purse and fumbled through until I found my manual. Reed must be leaving.

But no. An e-mail. And not the apologetic one I’d hope to get from Meredith, who hadn’t said boo except for her stupid text about Reed.

Ms. Bascomb:


You’ve been assigned another substitute position as a special request from Floressa Chase. Since your Match’s needs are now yours, you will sub for Princess Elsa while spending time with Floressa Chase, thus giving you the unique opportunity to acquaint yourself with your Match while working in the field. You have previously subbed for Princess Elsa and thus should have some familiarity concerning her personality and standing. Additional information will be sent concerning your princess, but remember the duality in your purpose. Please see that
both
of your clients’ needs are met. Façade is an organization built upon a rich tradition of impeccable impersonation.


Please employ your personal bubble ASAP.


Regards,


Dominick


Administrative Assistant to Genevieve


What in the world? This is the notice I get? Genevieve had to have known about this job before now. Reed gets a schedule; I get a last minute client switch. I didn’t know what Genevieve was thinking—if she was thinking—but at least she had given me a client I knew. I adored Elsa. Subbing for her had been pivotal for me as a person and in my Façade career. But why was I subbing for her
now
? Why would Floressa want me as Elsa, and not just as Floressa? And why did Elsa agree to this anyway?

I heard a crunch of pine needles and tried to stuff my manual into my purse, but I fumbled and it hit the ground instead. Kylee stepped into the little grove. She wore the short black dress she usually wore to her clarinet concerts, with layers and layers of scarves and sweaters over the top. “Hey, what’s that?”

“Nothing.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing. Show me.”

Kylee had found me during a moment of weakness. I seemed to be an afterthought to Genevieve, and my former agent had all but deserted me. If I succeeded the way I hoped to succeed, meaning, if I found Caprice, then I might not even have a job anymore. And I was sick of all the secrets and deception, especially when it came to my best friend.

I held on to my manual, deciding what to say. What if I didn’t tell Kylee anything, just showed her? Then I wasn’t breaking the rules, right?

“Did you get a new phone?” Kylee had on her rainbow mittens and held a cup of hot chocolate in each hand. “Your mom said you were out here freezing, so I brought you some warmth. Can I see your phone? Here, I’ll trade you.”

This was perfect. She would click around on the manual, see the application with princess profiles, or some frequently-asked-questions section that would reveal everything, and then she would understand why I’d been so weird and had to spend time with Reed, and everything could just go back to normal. Or a new version of normal.

“Desi?” Reed’s voice was just on the other side of the trees. “I need to talk to you. Are you in there?”

I didn’t say anything. I let Kylee have my manual, and nursed my hot chocolate while she explored. I raised my drink to my lips and took a sip, the liquid burning my tongue. Kylee’s eyebrows were knit in confusion as she clicked around on the manual. “What is this?” she asked. “Some virtual role-playing game? What’s with all the princess stuff? Dungeons and Dragons?”

Reed barreled through the trees. “Desi, I got the call. So I’m leaving now, but I have a plan to get you there—Oh.” Reed finally noticed Kylee, who wasn’t looking at either of us. She was mesmerized by the manual. “Wait, what is she doing?” He stepped closer and snatched the manual out of Kylee’s hands.

Kylee blinked at Reed. “Hey! I was looking at that. I can’t believe how many application things they have for a virtual game.”

The hardness in Reed’s face softened. “Cool, huh? Sorry I grabbed it. I’m always asking Desi if I can use it.”

“Hey, Truth Boy. No lying.” In one fluid motion, I reached around Reed and grabbed his manual from his back pocket. “He doesn’t need to borrow mine. He has is own.”

Reed stepped toward me. “What are you
doing
?”

I shrugged. Now that I’d had a second to think, I realized how stupid I was being. Reed and I had a major task ahead of us, and the last thing we needed was Façade watching us or punishing me because I blabbed about the agency. Our contracts even said to keep our mouths shut. But if I failed, they were going to take away my magic and memory anyway. Maybe Kylee could remember my magic for me.

Kylee tossed Reed my manual. “Here, take that one. They look expensive. Did you order them online?”

Okay. So unless I outright said,
Kylee, we are both magical royal substitutes and these are our manuals that provide us with
information about our royals,
she was never going to guess what was going on. And if she didn’t guess, I couldn’t tell. I blew on a stray wisp of hair. “Yeah. My dad got it for me. It’s, like, a beta model. I don’t know if it’s out yet.”

“Well, I want one. Maybe for Christmas.” Kylee glanced at Reed, who was closing his eyes and breathing deeply. “What’s with him?” she whispered.

Reed’s manual started to buzz in my hand. The words
ACTIVATE BUBBLE IMMEDIATELY
scrolled across the screen. “Uh…”

“Kylee, can you do me a favor?” Reed asked. “I was supposed to put some more candy canes on one of the trees, but I left them inside. Can you go get them?”

“Are you getting rid of me?” Kylee asked, half joking, half not.

“It’s freezing out here. I’ll come with you,” I said. “Just give me a second. Reed was going to show me a new app he downloaded.”

“Okay.” Kylee shrugged. “Wow, must be fun. I’ll have to borrow that again later.”

Reed and I waited in frozen anticipation until Kylee finally left. We breathed out at the same time, our sighs hanging in the air.

“What was that all about?” Reed shouted.

I kicked at a tree branch. “I don’t know, okay? I had a moment of weakness. She saw my manual and then—”

“You almost told her!”

“So, I’m not perfect!” I set my hot chocolate down on a nearby bench. “I messed up. We already know I’m not a model employee over here.”

“You know if they find out that you told, they’ll sanitize you in a blink.”

“Yeah, well, there are lots of things they could sanitize me for lately.”

“Trade me.” Reed handed me my manual. The same message was on my screen. That’s right. Now that I had my own bubble, no entrances by Meredith. Or Genevieve or her assistant for that matter. One click and the bubbles were here and we were gone.

“I just got the confirmation from Barrett that he is leaving because he needs a break from Floressa. She’s tripping out,” Reed said.

“Yeah, finding out your dad is a king who used to be secretly married to your mom would make a girl slightly stressed. Barrett’s such a jerk.”

“I think he doesn’t know how to handle it. Royals don’t usually show emotion, you know?” Reed rubbed his bare hands together and blew on them for warmth. “So we go forward with the plan. I’ll scope out the scene, see if I can figure out where this sub is, so that next time we go to L.A. as subs together—”

“Good news. I’m subbing too,” I said.

“But Floressa wasn’t on your schedule.”

Our manuals started to flash and beep. They were going to burp out a bubble any minute.

“She wasn’t,” I said. “She isn’t. I’m subbing for Elsa.”

“Karl’s new girl? Does she even know Floressa?”

I scrunched my nose. “You’d know better than I would.”

“Ah, shut up!” Reed yelled at his manual. “We only have about a minute. Listen. This might be the perfect decoy. Think of all the craziness that’s going to be happening with the wedding.”

“Wedding? Floressa and Barrett are getting
married
?”

“No, Gina Chase and the King of Tharma are getting married in a secret ceremony. Floressa didn’t mention that?”

Floressa shared a LOT with me lately. Five more boxes of expensive junk, one box filled with magazine interviews and video clips. And don’t get me started on the bogus “meal plan” she was trying to enforce. The root diet—if it wasn’t covered in dirt at one time, I couldn’t eat it. But something major like a wedding? No. Must have slipped her mind. “She didn’t.”

“I’d think it’d at least be on her latest Match letter to you. That’s how I found out from Barrett.”

“I didn’t hear from Floressa.” Just from Genevieve’s assistant, who was very bad at mentioning IMPORTANT DETAILS LIKE ROYAL WEDDINGS.