Chapter 24: Chapter 19 – Assistant

Because it was so late, Victoria left right after the show. Instead of getting ready for bed, I went to relax. This week had been particularly tough. My new shoes had come on Wednesday so I could work out and practice my spells in the morning. But combined with cheerleading practice that had been so intense that I was sweating like a pig by the time they ended, my body felt worn out. They were so bad, that I had to peel off my training outfit before going to shower. Homework had chewed up my remaining time so now that I had time, I was going to enjoy doing nothing before the game tomorrow.

For the next two hours, I didn’t try to get stronger, nor study, but instead I played a stupid, meaningless online game and had fun. After playing around and doing my nightly skincare routine, I didn't go to bed until around midnight. Our game was at three, so I had the morning to myself, so I set my alarm for nine and closed my eyes to get a decent night’s sleep.

I heard Victoria and Ann talking as I walked into the school’s gym. Victoria was saying, "Now's your chance to be on Janet's show. Her text said one of us could join her this weekend. Do you want to go?" Her voice held a bit of schadenfreude in it.

"Go to that place? No way, I want to live more than I want to be famous!"

"This isn't just a live broadcast but a real TV show. It should be safer with the crew."

"If you think so, you go."

Their conversation was muffled because others were talking, but I heard enough to know they were playfully trying to volunteer each other to help Janet. Janet's text of [SOS, need a teammate! Can one of you join me in the Bailey's mansion next Saturday and Sunday? PLEASE] had been sent to all three of us, so I knew what they were talking about. I was pretty sure that Ann would want to go since she had been complaining about not going all last week, so I had waited to reply.

Unconcerned about their banter, I went to get dressed. They were still playing hot potato as I walked back out and I noticed that Ann was firmer than I first thought. Her denial wasn't just her joking around but was her refusing to not go. After listening for a few more minutes, I finally asked, "Aren't you going? I thought you wanted to be on the show?"

“It’s not that I don’t want to go, it’s that the director for that shows crazy. The last group that when in, never came out and now he wants us to go in for ratings? No way!”

Victoria sighed and said, “Fine, I’ll go if you don’t want to. Just don’t complain when I’m famous.”

Ann snidely replied, “Hmph, as if I’d be jealous. Besides your father won't let you go, and you know it, so don't try to trick me."

I saw Victoria look regretful as if to say Ann was right about her dad but as Ann continued, I could see the anger building in her. A timely text from Janet came in before they could start fighting. [Guys? I need to let them know which of you is coming.]

I glanced at it and then my friends that were bickering. I replied, [I’m free next weekend] and then turn to Ann and Victoria. “Guys if you both don’t want to go, I will. But can one of you explain why neither of you can go?”

“Ann doesn't want to go because Bailey’s mansion is haunted. It’s on the outskirts of the city. The old master of the mansion Fredrick Bailey killed his three kids, wife, and all the servants before hanging himself. It’s been abandoned for years but every once and a while, people try exploring it to find the family fortune that went missing but they never come back out,” Victoria quickly filled me in because she knew I “lost” my memories. She paused and then added, "My dad doesn't let me sleep over at other people's houses because he's worried, I would fall in with a bad crowd."

She looked embarrassed as she said the last part, so I ignored it and asked, “So, it’s just a haunted mansion?” All this for an urban legend? I scoffed in my heart at Ann’s irrational fear.

My phone vibrated as Janet replied, [That’s great. I’ll give the show your email and phone number so they can contact you.]

[ok] I replied and then wrote out a message to my mom, [Mom, Janet needs me to partner with her on the gameshow for some reason. Can I help her Saturday and Sunday?] I briefly thought I might have wanted to ask before agreeing but then decided it wasn’t a big deal. Shrugging, I turned back to Ann and said, “Last chance, both Victoria and I are willing to step aside so you can pursue your dreams. Otherwise, I’ll go and give her a hand.”

Ann quickly waved her hands as if warding off some great evil and said, “No, no, you can go” but I could see the dissatisfaction in her eyes. She wanted to go; it was just that her fear of some imaginary ghost was stopping her. Victoria looked like she wanted to say something but stayed quiet and we fell into an awkward silence.

I felt my phone vibrate as we were waiting to go out. I glanced at my phone and saw my mom’s text, [Out of state? NO!]

I thought about how to word my reply, so she’d agree and finally sent, [No, it’s at a mansion near here and it’s just for two days.]

Her reply came quickly, [I’ll think about it.]

Her think about it was another way for her to say no, so I added, [Ann bailed on Janet, and Victoria’s dad won’t let her go. I don’t think she has anybody else to ask and you’ll get to see me on TV!]

Her reply came slower this time, and I was debating on piling on the guilt. I knew my mom and if I didn’t tell her Janet was in a pinch, she would never agree. It was just that I already felt bad using guilt to manipulate her. I wanted to help Janet but didn’t want to be too scummy about it. As I shoved my phone back into my skirt’s waist band, it vibrated once more. Her reply of [We'll talk about it tonight] made me smile because it meant she was halfway to agreeing.

I sent a quick [ok], put my phone away, and waited for the game to start, in a happy mood. Unlike the last game, knew what to expect and didn't get distracted as the players used magic. That isn't to say I didn’t get distracted. Ms. Mirth kept looking across the field where the other teams coach was. He looked to be in his forties but the "assistant" next to him was a girl in her twenties. From the gossip, He was Ms. Mirth's fiancé and the girl next to him is her cousin that she let stay with them. From the look on Ms. Mirth's face, I was guessing the rumor was true.

Because of her desire for revenge some of the moves we were taught were a bit more risqué, but nothing too over the top. These moves flashed a bit more skin or highlighted our budding breasts and tended to distract the other team. But it was a double-edged sword, because boys from both teams seemed to look over more often. As we worked up a sweat, our skin glistened in the sun, and between the clinging fabric, our highlighted contours, and magic displayed, we became the center of attention. Even the fans voices increased in volume as they cheered with us.

Whether we played a part or not, I didn't know, but we decimated the other team to the point it was embarrassing. The sardonic smile on Ms. Mirth's face, as our score went up another seven points, got bigger. It was as if beating his team was hitting him and she enjoyed every minute of it.

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After showering, I caught a ride with Victoria and went home to convince my mom I should go to the show. Once we dropped off Ann, Victoria said, “She is going to complain all weekend that you went.”

“Well, it’s not like we were not going to help Janet. If she didn’t go, naturally we would step up so I’m not sure why she’d be mad. Doing anything less isn't being a true friend. I doubt she will but if she does, just ignore her."

"I will. Is your mom really going to let you go?" Victoria had a dubious look on her face as she asked.

"Not sure, but don't you think it's strange that Janet had to let them know now, when she would be back tomorrow and could ask us in person? I think the cast from the show was watching over her shoulder to see if one of her friends would come. Maybe to test popularity or something stupid like that. If she couldn't get anybody, there would be talking points and they'd get more views at her expense. And while I wasn’t sure if I was overthinking it, I didn’t want to risk it since she wants to become a star."

Victoria nodded as if I was right but said, “Yup, definitely overthinking it” and then laughed.

I put on a grumpy face but wasn’t upset. She was probably right but I playfully defended myself by making up an elaborate drama with an evil director toying with the lives of his actors as we drove to the apartment building. By the time we arrived the director was well on his way to dominating the world through his actor minions who had no choice to help if they wanted to be on his show. We walked up the stairs laughing at my stupid story.

We separated when we got to my floor, and I went to convince my mom. It was just that I didn't see my mom when I walked in. Roy was sitting alone on the couch. He was on the far end, so I figured my mom went to the bathroom.

I gave a friendly, “Hey Roy, nice to see you again.” I had thought of sneaking to my room but there was a notification on my phone from Kanto Productions. It was an email that was mostly a greeting, but the end had a schedule and two attachments labeled, waiver and contract. I didn't open the attachments. I was waiting to read them on my computer. But that wasn't why I stayed. No, it was because I needed my mom's signature on them since I was a minor and still needed her to agree for me to go, so I was going to wait for her to come back.

He looked over his shoulder and greeted me, "Hello Stephanie, how was your game?"

"Not bad, they forfeited in the third quarter."

"Oh, did they lose that badly or was there technical issues?"

"We had an overwhelming score and they feared we would damage their self-esteem or so my coach told us."

As we talked, I notice that other than his head he hadn't shifted his posture. It was weird. But as I stared into his brilliant blue eyes, I heard a faint slurping noise. It came from the couch, and I knew what that noise was because I made it while I was "babysitting". He looked at me as if my mom wasn’t blowing him and said, "That's good to hear."

I didn't know what to say so I stammered out, "I... I will be in..in my room. Tell my mom to come see me when she gets back from the bathroom" and fled. 'I must have misheard,' I told myself, but I didn't look to see if she was laying on the couch. She was small enough to be completely hidden if she had been. But I couldn't ignore the fact that the bathroom door was open, and the light was off. I wasn't angry, just shocked. I didn't think she would do such a thing and it took me a second to wrap my head around that thought.

My mom knocked and nervously came into my room five minutes later. I finished reading the contract and ignored her slightly tousled hair and puffy lips. She broke the silence by saying, "You're home early. Why don't I grab you some dinner."

She was already turning around to get me something to eat when I called out, "Can we talk first?"

I meant about the show, but she took it a different way and after turning back around said, "Ummm honey, you know men have needs and we don't see each other that often… and you weren't supposed to be home yet. So..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to come up with an explanation.

I hurriedly interrupted before she could, "No, no, I can understand that. I meant about the show."

"Ohhh, OH! I'm not at ease sending you to a strange environment. You just got your magic and you're still not familiar with using it. What if something happens?"

I thought about it and repeated what Victoria had told me, "They have security and the older team members are strong so we will be protected." Then I added, "Plus Mr. Stagnik said that now that my magic manifested repeated attempts or stressful moments might trigger new spells." I could see her waiver when I said the last part. I knew it would.

She stood there thinking and then finally said, "Fine, but you need to text me every night."

Happy, I agreed, "I will." She left to rejoin Roy, forgetting that she offered to get me food and I wasn't confident enough on what they were doing to walk out to get anything. So, I sat in my room practicing magic as my stomach grumbled. I didn't come out until I heard the squeaking of my mom's bed.

I listened to my mom as I reheated the now cold dinner. She seemed to be half-complaining as she said, "I can't believe I let you talk me into doing that!", but Roy's husky voice answered her complaints by saying, "That little thing? I almost distracted her, and she didn't see you. Plus, with the internet, she probably seen much worse. Let me make it up to you." After that her words became more fragmented. "Maybe but she will... always be... my little... girl. Oh God... you fill me up... Never been... Soooo Goood." By the time I ate and got back to my room, she had gone from sentences, to rambling, to incoherent moaning.

My nipples hardened as I listened to them have sex and my body reacted. The more I listened, the hornier I became. I knew I should react like this and when I finally got into bed my body and mind were still warring with each other. My body was telling me I had needs too while my mind was saying be a good girl and go to bed. My hand was halfway into my wet panties when I forced myself to go to sleep.

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