Second Skin (Skinned) by Judith Graves

the spells wouldn’t take. Some highly targeted hexes only worked if the victim believed. The very fear that the hex had come down on them was the origin of its strength.
Maybe it was that simple with our night mare issue. What if we all chose not to believe in the demon? Would it weaken? Be banished? I’d tried to get rid of it that morning in just this way. Maybe I wasn’t convincing enough.
I closed my eyes. I don’t believe. Nope, I certainly hadn’t felt the pat of the demon’s cold dead hand. I don’t believe. Nope, hadn’t seen my aunt and uncle taken over by a couple of demonic bounty hunters.
“Eryn?” Phillips voice sharpened. “I asked you a question.” My eyes flew open. My mouth dropped. “Um…ah…I….”
No clue as to what I should be answering on the amused faces around me.
I don’t believe this.
“And there you have it.” Phillips nodded to the class. “As I said, no matter how many blonde jokes, hair color is no sign of an individual’s intelligence.”
The bell pealed over the laughter of the other students. Har-de-freaking-har.
My hand slapped against the washroom door, and I shoved it open. I followed the narrow corridor and rounded corner, hating that feeling of being a rat in a maze. Why did they do that in washrooms? Did they think the door being closed wasn’t enough protection while we were using the john?
Try casting a protection ward or two. Much more efficient. I reached the stalls and row of sinks and stopped dead.
Inside, with their backs to me, were the three blondes and Paige. But not really WITH her—they had her cornered. I met her panic-stricken gaze and held a finger to my lips.
“What is it with you, Paige?” Janie’s voice was as tough as her bombshell status would allow.
“Yeah, what gives?” Jane said, crowding Paige, keeping her snug against the sinks.
Jan just let out an impatient sigh. Also her job description. That and eye-rolling. She’d probably done that when she sighed, but my view was blocked.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Paige stammered. My cousin. Stammering. This was all my fault. Mine and Kate’s.
“Your hair’s a mess. You’re dressed like a bag lady, and yet you think we’ll let you hang with us? Good lord, Paige, you know the expectations.” Janie flapped her skinny arms about in frustration. “What if we all showed up looking like you? What do you think would happen to this school? To the kids who look up to us?”
“Yeah, what do you think would happen?” Jane said. She turned to Janie, “What would happen?”
Jan laughed. My opinion of her went up a notch above gnat height. Maybe she was quiet because she was smarter than the others.
“Epic social hierarchy fail,” Janie announced. “Think bargain- bin sales, perms, maybe even legwarmers. I tell you those are never coming back. Not on my watch.” She took a step closer to Paige.
“And you could make it all happen if we accepted you like this. OMG, don’t you know, just the way you are is just an expression. You gotta look the part if you want to be our friend.”
Paige’s eyes filled with tears.
“How ’bout I tell what happens if you three sleazeballs aren’t out of here in the next five seconds?”
The three blondes whipped around to face me. Their perfectly made-up faces all sported the same shades. All had the same straight-from-the-stylist dos.
Janie grimaced and shot a look back at Paige. “Backup from your freak cousin? How the mighty have fallen.”
My athame rested safely in the leather holster under my hoodie. I resisted the urge to say to hell with what was left of my reputation and give them the scare of their lives.
“Don’t stress, Eryn, we were just leaving.” With that, Janie and her minions shouldered by and giggled their way into the hall.
Paige gave a gasping snort and then burst into tears. She rested her hands on either side of the wall-mounted sink, leaned over it, and sobbed. Why did girls always end up crying in the washroom? High