Rose was fixing my strawberry blonde hair into a half-up style in my room for the party we were already late for. We lost track of time talking and playing video games in my room when we noticed we only had an hour to get ready. An hour for me was no problem, but Rose had insisted on doing my hair and makeup. She joked that I looked unsightly without it. I think she instantly regretted that comment when she herself said I looked better before the makeup.

  Our pink dresses blended in with the decor of my bedroom that I hadn't thought to update since I was seven. I didn't particularly mind it, though. Pink has always been my favorite color. It was the soft pink, too, not the bright neon hot pink little girls tend to have. I remember wanting hot pink, but my mom had decided on the shade for me. In the end, she had been right. Perhaps one of the only few things she had been right about. Pink had coincidentally been Rose's favorite color as well, hence the matching.

  "Makeup just doesn't look good on you, Ella." Rose shook her head.

  "I don't think it's that so much as you used too much eyeliner." I chuckled.

  Rose had done my makeup plenty of times before, and it always came out stunning. She was in a rush today. That must have been it.

  "You should wash off the excess eyeliner, and I'll fix your eyeshadow again. Gosh, I'm sorry, Ella. I'm only making us later by the second."

  "It's fine." I shook my head and patted my friend on her shoulder. I walked to the bathroom that happened to be right next to my bedroom to wash off the makeup.

  I stared at myself in the mirror. Definitely too much eyeshadow. At least my hair looked nice for once. Medium-length hair was so hard to style. I went to grab cotton balls to dab my makeup remover in and knocked over a bottle of perfume in the process. Guess Rose wasn't the only one in a rush. The loud sound of glass hitting the floor startled me, and my hands became covered in ice.

  Literally.

  I sighed, wondering when this was going to stop happening. This strange phenomenon began a week ago when I decided to play a horror game with my friends over a group call. The jumpscare was so bad my hand literally iced over. Freaking out and not knowing how the others would react, I calmly muted myself and explained I would be right back. It took a good ten minutes for it to disappear. Since then, it's happened every other time I've been startled or scared.

  "Elaina? Are you okay in there? What happened?" Rose knocked on my door after hearing the glass.

  "Y-Yes, I'm fine!" I called out. "I just knocked something over. I'm okay though!" I tried to stress the "okayness" of the situation.

  "Can I come in?"

  "N-No! Don't do that! T-There's glass by the door that I don't want you stepping in, especially in heels!" I tried not to sound as terrified as I felt, but that didn't exactly go too well.

  "Okay, don't panic. I'll be here when you get back out."

  I sighed in relief. I was more terrified that she would see my hands than step on broken glass, which was... awful when I thought about it. I sound like a terrible friend. One day, I would tell her. But not while we were rushing to get to a party fashionably late.

  I focused on calming myself down. That seemed to help the last few times it happened. Once the ice melted, I dried them on the towel next to me and grabbed the dustpan from the closet. Once that was cleaned up, I started walking back to the bedroom before realizing I never washed the makeup off... Oops...

  Rose fixed my eye makeup, and we headed downstairs to meet my dad, who would be driving us to Carol's party. We both had gotten our driver's licenses a few months ago and weren't legally allowed to drive with the other as a passenger. My dad, being the good law-abiding citizen he is, offered to drive us, especially since Carol's house would be swarmed with cars as it was. Especially this late.

  "Wow... You two look... nice," my dad tried to compliment. He was never good at complimenting others; especially after the divorce.

  "Right?!" Rose beamed, ignoring that his compliment may not have even been a compliment. "Matt's just going to love it." She winked at me and I tried to shush her.

  Matt was my childhood friend who I had a crush on for the past two years. I had just asked him out yesterday and he shockingly said yes! To think that I had put off asking for years because I was afraid of rejection! Part of the reason I was so excited about this party (and allowed Rose to dress me up) was because it would be the first party the two of us would attend as a couple. I had always been jealous of the other couples... Now was someone else's turn to feel jealous.

  I also, uh, hadn't told my dad we were together yet. I didn't think he'd have an issue with it, but he had always been strangely protective of and untrusting of me. He wouldn't even let me into his filing cabinet!

  "Matt?" My dad raised an eyebrow. "Are you two...?"

  "Yes." I sighed, realizing now I had to tell him. "Just yesterday."

  "Why didn't you tell me?!" He looked genuinely surprised and... happy? "Matt's a good kid! His parents have been secretly hoping the two of you would get together." Oh, that totally wasn't weird. But at least it meant they approved of me?

  "I wasn't trying to hide it from you. ...Okay, maybe I was. I also couldn't find a natural way to bring it up. ...And I felt like it would be awkward to talk about."

  "Oh, it's definitely awkward." My dad chuckled. "My little girl is finally growing up—"

  "Dad, can you not?" I whined, embarrassed that Rose was chuckling at us.

  "I'm just teasing." He offered a genuine grin. Whew, I was glad he wasn't upset. "I'm happy for you and Matt. You'll make a great couple."

  The car ride was long and tedious. It wasn't supposed to be, but the lights were asinine — especially during rush hour. Rose listened to music through her earbuds the whole ride, not liking the country music my dad had turned on (understandably so), which defeated the purpose of us riding together. I looked out the window, bored out of my mind. It was 7PM, and the sun had just started to set. Riverside was so boring with its half-dead grass and jungle of palm trees. It didn't help that it hardly ever rained.

  We finally arrived at Carol's house where cars were parked down the street. Thankfully, we didn't have to look for a spot to park. My dad pulled up to the driveway and let us out, telling us to text him when we were ready for him to pick us up. He mentioned "before midnight" more times than I could count.

  We knocked on the door and Carol answered. She wore a simple white dress and jean jacket, a bit more casual than what Rose and I were wearing."You're finally here!" Her voice sounded desperate as her eyes closed behind her glasses.

  I always felt bad for her whenever she and her brother Jessy threw parties like this. She always wanted a small affair, but her brother would invite half the school. Both would get in trouble when something inevitably broke. It didn't help that Carol was an introvert.

  "Is Matt here?" Rose smirked and I debated removing the pins from her high bun, forcing her to redo the whole style.

  "Yeah, he's been here for a while now. One of the first." Carol offered me a genuine smile and I felt butterflies in my stomach. He was so sweet and considerate, and I was so late.

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  Carol opened the door wider, her black braid bouncing as she did so, and allowed us to enter.

  I was immediately greeted by the sound of loud dubstep music that was bass-boosted and flashing lights coming from a strobe. Something Jessy had bought for the party, no doubt. I could vaguely smell pizza that Carol's parents had no doubt ordered, not wanting to cook for dozens of teenagers.

  I quickly brushed past others, trying to find Matt. He was dressed up in a nice sweater and slacks, but not quite as formal as my pink tulle dress. He was talking to his friend Vincent in the sitting room. His eyes briefly glanced over to me, causing him to do a double-take before he excused himself and walked over to me.

  "You look great tonight!" Matt beamed, reaching out to push a rogue strand of hair behind my ear.

  "So do you." I giggled. "Have you been here long?"

  "Not that long. I was surprised you weren't the first person here."

  "Well, uh... We had some setbacks..." I smiled sheepishly. I wanted to blame Rose but it wasn't entirely her fault.

  "I imagine 'all of this'," he motioned to me, "doesn't happen in ten minutes?"

  I giggled. "That would be part of it, yes. I also had to tell my dad about us. Thanks to Rose."

  "How did that go?" He looked genuinely concerned. He knew that I was waiting to tell him.

  "Better than I expected. He's happy for us. So are your parents."

  He pulled his head back in surprise and confusion. "O...kay? They could've told me themselves." He chuckled.

  A couple of guys on the football team rushed in, football in hand, as they reenacted their previous game. This wasn't anything new, and I wasn't sure why Carol's brother kept inviting them. Carol rushed in, quickly grabbing furniture and frames they had knocked over, and begged them to stop, but her tiny voice couldn't be heard over the loud music. One of the guys pushed me over, and my head would've gone into the wall had Matt not caught me in time.

  "Hey!" Matt snapped at the two quarterbacks. They turned and laughed at him before continuing their little game. Matt sighed and turned to me. "Want to go somewhere else?"

  I nodded, offering Carol an apologetic smile as I watched her struggle to balance several frames and a vase.

  Matt let me outside to the backyard. There was a covered deck and a pool, the same as most houses in Riverside. It was quiet out here except for a couple of other girls talking by the edge of the pool. It was slightly too cold to go swimming, considering it was early April.

  "Thank you," I said quietly. Not wanting to invite the other girls to eavesdrop.

  "No problem. There's no need for you to experience what the men's locker room is like on a daily basis." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

  I chuckled back. "Is that why you never joined the football team?"

  "I just like baseball more." He shrugged. It was a shame he never made the team.

  We sat in silence for a bit. It was the comfortable silence, not the awkward one where you realize you've made a terrible mistake dating the person.

  "It's funny how we used to joke all the time as kids how we'd grow up and marry each other, and now we're dating." I smiled fondly at the memory, hoping he wouldn't think I was cheesy.

  To my delight, he nodded back with just as big of a smile. "I imagine you don't still want Iris as our bridesmaid?"

  "Ew, no!" I waved my hands defensively. Iris was a childhood friend of ours we broke off with years ago. She used to experiment a lot in the kitchen, and someone would always end up getting food poisoning. She joined a clique in middle school, and we haven't seen her since. She was quite rude about her departure, too.

  "Also, now that we're dating, there's something I have to admit." His voice sounded ominous, like bad news was going to follow.

  "What?" I asked; suspicion and horror laced my words, and I immediately noticed my hands started icing up again. No! Not now! Thankfully, my hands were hidden under the table we were sitting at.

  "Part of the reason I hadn't asked you out sooner was because uh, Jules may have had a crush on you..."

  I paused. That wasn't so bad. It was awkward, yeah, but not worth having my hands ice over. "Oh?" I replied, urging him to continue.

  "Yeah. He hasn't mentioned it in several months, though, so I figured it would be okay to make my move."

  "Make your move? I'm the one who asked you out!" I teased.

  "Give me your hand." He held his hand out.

  "Why?" I asked hesitantly. My hands were still covered in ice, and I definitely didn't want to reveal them in the middle of a party...

  "Just do it." He laughed.

  I shook my head and tried to come off as teasing and stubborn, hoping he'd find me cute rather than obnoxious.

  "Really? You're going to be like this?" He laughed, and I could tell he wasn't actually bothered. "I may have gotten you a promise ring." He pulled out the ring from his pocket. The sentiment was so sweet and warm that it melted the ice on my hands. Too corny?

  I smiled and placed my hand on the table for him to slide the ring on.

  "Gee, Ella! Your hand is freezing!" He yanked his hand away from mine once the ring was on.

  "I-It's a little chilly out here," I lied. It was evening and the temperature was dropping, so it wasn't too far-fetched.

  "Want to go back inside?"

  I nodded my head, and he led the way back in.

  "I'm going to grab some pizza since I haven't eaten yet. Want anything?" I asked.

  "Just get me a Coke. Not spiked."

  "Why would it be—" And then I remembered the debate team was also here. "Never mind."

  I walked into the kitchen to see a guy with brown hair and heterochromia whom I didn't recognize. Did he even go to our school? He was struggling to eat a slice of pizza; the cheese just didn't want to separate.

  "Hey, I don't think we've met. What's your name?" I asked.

  "Wouldn't you like to know," he mumbled as he finally managed to rip the cheese off and slurp it up.

  "O...kay. Do you even go to Ramona?"

  "What's that?" He stared at the pizza as if its existence somehow offended him.

  "The high school that all of us go to...?"

  "Oh, that? No." I waited for him to elaborate, but he never did.

  "So, how do you know Carol and Jessy?" I asked.

  "Who?"

  "The people that live here!" I flailed.

  "Oh, I don't."

  "Then who invited you?"

  "I invited myself." He smirked at me. Matt is still the hottest guy in the world to me, but this guy was objectively good-looking. His face was without blemish — not a single pimple or patch of dry skin. Something about his appearance was almost otherworldly.

  "I don't think you can just invite yourself to a party hosted by people you don't know." I blinked in confusion.

  He was messing with me, wasn't he? Someone probably invited him and he thought it would be cool to seem all mysterious — or at least he'd get a laugh out of it.

  But he wasn't laughing.

  "You could say that you invited me. You're the reason I'm here, after all. I'm here to investigate you and those hands of yours. They keep icing over, don't they?"

  "How do you know that?!" I snapped. Had he been outside with me and Matt? Because I sure didn't see him in my bathroom.

  "Ella? What's wrong?" Carol's voice caused me to turn around. She was staring at me, confused and concerned. Her hands looked unusually empty, considering she had been holding stuff almost all evening.

  "Do you know who that guy is?" I pointed to the guy I was just talking to.

  "What guy?" Carol asked.

  I turned to see that he had vanished. Had he snuck out when I turned to look at Carol? No, he wouldn't have had enough time without her seeing him.

  "There was a guy with brown hair and two different-colored eyes. He had a black bomber jacket on, too."

  "Hm... Maybe one of Jessy's friends? I can't say I've ever seen him before. I'm sure I would've remembered his eyes." Carol shook her head.

  He knew about my hands. I had to find out how.

  "Ella! Where are you going?!" Carol called out to me as I swung the side door open and ran outside, hoping to find the mysterious guy.

  I ran, looking both ways, wondering where he could've gone. By now, the sun had completely set, and it was getting harder to see.

  "Am I that irresistible?" The same cocky voice I heard before sounded behind me.

  I spun around to see the guy with mismatched eyes smirking at me with his impossibly flawless lips.

  "How do you know about my hands?" I demanded. "And how did you disappear without a trace earlier?"

  "Magic." He shrugged nonchalantly.

  "I'm tired of your mind games. Just give me an answer already!"

  "I will... if you come with me." He extended his hand out to me.

  "Ew, no thanks." I crossed my arms.

  He sighed. "Either you come with me or I'll take you by force. Actually, I'd prefer to take you by force." He smirked again. Something about his expression was dangerously serious, and I felt that I had made a mistake following him out here.

  I turned and started running for the door, but he appeared in front of me and grabbed me by the wrist. At the same moment, my hands, and by extension, wrist, froze over in ice. He winced in pain and let go.

  "Shit, I forgot you can do that." He shook his hand out.

  "H-How did you do that?! You were right behind me!" I shouted loud enough to hopefully garner someone's attention.

  "I already told you, magic." He rolled his eyes at me.

  It was at that moment I started to wonder if he might actually be telling the truth. That would explain my frozen hands.

  Before I could reply, he grabbed my forearm and a nauseating sensation came over me. The area began to spin and contort until I couldn't make anything out. Once the feeling subsided, I found myself indoors, but not in Carol's house.

  I was standing in a pristinely white office with white walls, bookshelves, and a desk. Whoever designed this room clearly had an obsession with the color white. A few plants spruced up the place, adding color along with the spines of books.

  And in front of me was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen: Blonde hair in a messy bun with a white blouse and black pencil skirt. Her face was just as flawless as the man who seemingly kidnapped me.

  Oh gosh, I'd been kidnapped!

  By a wizard!

  Probably.

  "Welcome home, Elaina," the woman said.