37 Ways to Start Fire - Episode 3

       

       Here are the previous parts:

• Part 1
• Part 2

POV of Nicki Hoffman

       To think that one small letter ruined my life. Well, “ruined my life” might be a little dramatic, but I had certainly been upset all week. Isabel barely talked to me anymore, I was a terrible spy, and we had yet to hear anything else about the letter. Pretty much ruined, if you ask me.

      “This is NOT good,” Molly said, pacing the floor of the pink room. The pink room had become something of a secret hideout for The Order of the Phoenix (Molly was still open to name suggestions, but no one had any better ideas). 

       I rolled my eyes, careful that neither Courtney or Molly would see. Molly was a touch over dramatic, and it didn’t matter anyway that Lea asked what we were doing. Actually, Lea had seemed very confused when we toppled into the kitchen. Of course Molly and Courtney thought she was onto us now, especially since Courtney was “mortal enemies” with her. 

       Maybe it was just my bad mood, but the more I hung out with Molly and Courtney, the less I found myself hopeful we would be friends. I felt bad, though, and refused to admit it out loud. Clearly, they liked me a lot. And it wasn’t that I didn’t like them. The whole thing was too complicated to work out in my head. 

       “Earth to Nicki!” Courtney said. “Did you hear what Molly was saying?”

       Embarrassed to have been caught lost in my thoughts I flashed a smile and said: “Oh. Yeah.” I had no idea what Molly said, but  how could I admit that? 

       “Good. So you agree that the mission should be put on hold?” Molly asked. 

       I nodded. That might have been the best thing I had heard all day. Ideally, I wanted to learn more about the letter, but my spy skills were very much lacking. I’m not the observant kind. Nor am I patient, which I wish I had known were essential skills that secret agents needed. Plus, as Molly said, “we’re spies, not detectives. We gather information, we don’t figure out what it means.” I need to know what things mean. On top of that, it was me who had blown our cover to Lea earlier today. It was obvious, I wasn’t meant to be a spy. Maybe I was the one that should leave. 

       Suddenly, I knew. I would volunteer to leave. That way, Isabel could stay where she was happy. 

***

       “Why are you pacing like that?” A voice said. I stopped pacing the kitchen floor and looked up to see Isabel, grabbing a soda from the fridge. 

       I felt a little bad that I hadn’t told her about the letter. “I’m waiting for Marie Grace to get back.” I said sheepishly.

       “Well, your pacing is making me nervous. Is everything alright?” She responded. 

     Suddenly, the anger I had been holding inside of me escaped.  “Why don’t you just go back and hang out with you new sisters who you obviously care about a lot?!!” I yelled, tears forming in my eyes. 

       She looked at me surprised. 

       “I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I didn’t mean it. Well, I did, it’s just… I’ve been upset since….”

       “Oh Nicki…” she said softly. “Upset since when?” 

       I took a deep breath. It hurt, but it couldn’t be avoided forever. No matter how much I wished things would never change, this was inevitable. I saw that now.

       “I was upset that you were spending so much time with Isabelle. I thought you were replacing me and I let it get over my head. I was jealous, I guess, that fitting in was so easy for you, and that you weren’t helping me to do so.” 

      “Replace you? Never! That is preposterous, Nicki Pearl Hoffman. But, I guess that’s more than fair. I was feeling overwhelmed and Isabelle was just so kind to me. I thought since everybody here is so nice, you’d make friends just as fast as I did. And you did.” 

       I wrinkled my nose. “No I didn’t?”

       “Well, you hang out with Molly and Courtney way more than I hang out with Isabelle!”

       I laughed and wiped a few tears away, “It’s more of a club I think… After spending so much time with them, I don’t think they’re my people. I just don’t want to hurt their feelings.”

       “That makes sense. Well, friendships should come with free trials and unlimited lifetime warranties, in my opinion. You don’t have to be good friends with them. Maybe if they invite you to do things, politely decline and spend more time with people you really get along with.”

       “That’s good advice.” I nodded. 

       Isabel laughed. “I know, right? I should take my own advice from time to time!” 

       I felt a flicker of remorse in my chest. She needed to know about the letter.

       “There’s something else…” I explained the whole thing to her. Her eyes grew sad and scared looking. 

       “That’s… not good,” she said. 

       “I know.”

       Isabel opened her mouth to say something more, but before she could speak, E burst through the door. 

       “Hi Isabel, hi Nicki!” She said. “Who wants to meet the new girl?” 

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       BUM BUM BUM!! *evil laughter* I think this plot twist deserves an award! Seriously! My friend made this meme, and it deserves to be in this post:

       So, who do you think the new girl could be? And, will Isabel or Nicki be sent away FOREVER? Or could the letter have been referring to someone else? *hint hint, wink wink* All will be revealed shortly! 

       Until then, have an absolutely amazing week and remember to eat your vegetables! (Also- this is my 30th blog post!!!) 

       Bye! <3