Page 6 of A Witch’s Guide to Surviving Halloween

It’s not until Oliver grabs my hand and makes a grand gesture that I realize they all think I staged the whole thing as an elaborate prank.

I glance down at Lucy, looking for some sort of direction on what I should do, but her eyes are wide with questions.

I shrug and shake my head, letting her know I’m just as confused as she is.

I start toward the edge of the float to jump down, but before I have the chance, the whole thing lurches forward.

The moving floor sends me off-balance. I reach out to balance myself against Oliver, but he’s no longer by my side—he’s already on the street below.

He throws me an apologetic smile, maybe for abandoning me, before melting into the crowd, leaving me behind to face the world on my own.

One of the teenagers appears at my side, laughing and waving. She beams with the thrill of being the center of attention, and I do my best to play off her endless energy.

Together, we ride the float all the way to the end of the parade.

When the float finally turns out of sight of Main Street and comes to a stop, the teenage girl with a cloud of coiled black hair bounces on her toes. “That was so cool! How did you do it?”

My cheeks ache from all the smiling, and I have to work my jaw before answering her. “Do what?”

She rolls her big brown eyes in the dramatic way only teenagers can. “The skeletons and brooms, obviously. How did you do it without anyone knowing?”

My mouth falls open, but no words come out.

I have absolutely no idea what to tell her, and I realize I’m about to be bombarded with about a hundred more questions just like this.

Specifically, from outraged parents of flying ballerinas and a festival coordinator who had her entire schedule thrown off.

Mercifully, Lucy’s voice cuts through my thoughts and the ever-growing awkward silence, saving me from a bumbling explanation.

“Nope. No revealing your secrets!” A mess of red hair appears at the base of the float and holds out a hand to help me down.

I give the teenage girl an apologetic smile, much like the one Oliver gave me, and force myself not to sag with relief. The moment my feet hit the ground, Lucy throws an arm over my shoulders and leads me away.

“What the hell was that?” she whispers frantically.

I shake my head. “I don’t know.”

“But wasn’t that the stuff you donated? And did you feel whatever happened with the magic?”

I nod, opening my mouth to answer, but she’s already off on another ramble of questions.

“And what was up with that Oliver guy? What was he doing?”

I grab Lucy by the shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. “I don’t know! I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what he was doing. I have no idea what’s going on. The books earlier and now this?”

“Well, you better figure it out pretty damn quick,” Lucy whisper-yells back, her voice rising to a pitch that is so unlike her it sends a thread of panic through my heart.

“Amelia!” Stacy shouts behind me.

My spine goes ramrod straight, and I exchange an alarmed look with Lucy before smoothing my face into a pleasant expression and turning on my heel.

“Amelia, there you are.” The coordinator breathes a sigh of relief at the sight of me before ushering me back toward the town square and away from Lucy.

“Your little side quest threw everything off. I need to get you back to the stage so you can be ready when the parade ends. Oh, and we’re going to have to discuss that stunt you pulled.

I appreciate a good prank as much as the next person, but we’re aiming for organized fun here.

I need you to check in with me first before you do anything else like that, so I can ensure it fits into the schedule. ”

I absently nod to her rambling, only half listening since I definitely don’t have any other surprises up my sleeve.

Stacy leads me to the back side of the stage. Like a babysitter wrangling a toddler, she gives me a place to stand and tells me not to leave my little box. The panicked coordinator takes off, triple- and quadruple-checking her clipboard as she chatters into her radio.

I shift on my feet, my mind reeling, when I catch sight of a large figure leaning against a tree at the far end of the square. Oliver gives me a small wave, and even from this distance, I spot a twinkle in his steely eyes and a mischievous curve to his lips.

I watch him for a moment, considering marching right over and demanding he explain himself and the role he played in what just happened, but I realize that doing so would invite questions for which I also have no answers.

So, instead, I give him an appreciative nod back and mouth the words, “Thank you.”

Whether he played a part in this or not, he did help get it all under control, and for that, I’m grateful.

“Okay, Amelia, you’re up. Let’s go!” Stacy shouts at me from the stairs.

I hurry toward her, throwing one last glance over my shoulder, but Oliver has vanished.

The space beneath the looming oak tree is conspicuously empty, leaving nothing but the swaying branches and the autumn leaves dancing beneath the glow of the street lights.