How to [Not] Smell Teen Spirit 1
«Eĺza, have you seen the new guy?» one of my classmates whispered excitedly, leaning across the table during lunch. «He's seriously cute!»
I had, of course. One just had to glance toward the noisiest part of the cafeteria to spot Bogdan. He looked like he'd stepped straight off a movie poster, tall and handsome with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. A gaggle of girls from our class had already flocked around him, batting their eyelashes and striking their cutest poses.
Rolling my eyes, I shrugged nonchalantly and returned to my sandwich.
Though, I couldn't help overhearing their conversation. The girls were breathlessly recounting the tales of "supernatural" occurrences in our school – chilling drafts in the middle of summer, eerie whispers in the wind, and objects mysteriously shifting places when no one's looking. They sincerely believed our school was "haunted". Perhaps they tried to impress him, but Bogdan didn't seem to share their enthusiasm. He laughed off all the "proofs", dismissing them as childish pranks.
My cheeks flared with irritation. Pranks?! My carefully crafted illusions were not some stupid pranks! As a witch, I was proud of my witchcraft, and wouldn't let just anyone talk trash about it.
Suddenly, my lunch didn't taste so great. But then the girls began reciting an old school legend from 50 years ago – the tale of the Locker Room Phantom – the ghost of a student who had lost his uniform (the dress code those days was even stricter than it's now) and roamed the school in search of it. Decades ago, there were reports of uniforms mysteriously disappearing, only to be found later, resewn in an outdated fashion style. I'd heard this story too. In fact, it had inspired my "haunted school" hoax. But, it was still just a legend.
Surprisingly, this seemed to pique Bogdan's interest.
«Have there been any recent incidents involving uniforms?» he asked, to which the girls responded with uncertain shrugs.
My irritation melted into a grin. Now, that was an idea worth exploring.
That evening, as I sprawled across my bedroom floor, I was engrossed in my grand plan. I'd already rummaged through my grandma's ancient closet to get a feel for the fashion from 50 years ago, and was now hunched over her old spellbook. The pages were filled with various tailoring-related spells – shrinking and expanding cloth, stitching, embroidery. There was even a spell named [Untangle], for unraveling threads, which I found absurdly hilarious, imagining the tailoring skill of someone who'd need it.
The final ingredient to my plot was an invisibility potion. I scoured the pages until I stumbled upon a recipe. It seemed simple enough, but it would only render my body invisible, not my clothes. I frowned, contemplating the implications. For this to work, I'd have to be naked, an idea that filled me with unease. But after a moment, I rationalized it away. I'll be invisible, after all. No one will see me, right?
As the night crept on, I found myself filled with nervous anticipation. The thought of pulling off such an elaborate prank was exhilarating. Yet the possibility of being caught mixed a bit of thrill in it. But I pushed it aside. Tomorrow was going to be interesting! And as I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but giggle at the thought of the chaos that would surely ensue.
The next day at school, I kept glancing at the clock, waiting for the perfect moment to set my prank in motion. Just before PE class, I put on my best sick face, clutching my stomach and pretending to sway a bit. The trick worked – the teacher sent me to the infirmary, where the school nurse met me with a sympathetic expression.
«Lie down, dear, and try to rest,» she advised before leaving the room.
Perfect. My alibi was set.
As soon as I heard the infirmary door close with a soft click, I sprung into action. I downed the invisibility potion in one swig, my heart pounding in my chest. I held my breath as the world around me shimmered and my own body disappeared from sight. It was a peculiar feeling, seeing right through myself, and for a moment, I marveled at the magic.
Then I stripped off my clothes, stashed them in my bag and under the bunk. My face heated up, even though I knew no one could see me. Still, there was something undeniably stirring about being naked in school. My heart pounded with exhilaration and a dash of fear.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Taking another deep breath, I slipped out into the school corridors. Now, timing was of the essence. My classmates had PE class, so my goal was the gym locker rooms. With the only entrance being through the gym, I carefully edged the gym door ajar, sneaked inside and couldn't help halting in my tracks as I saw Bogdan showing off his remarkable soccer skills.
The girls from my class, their faces flush with excitement, were joyfully cheering on the boys as they dashed after a soccer ball. But the focal point of their admiration was Bogdan, of course, as he expertly dribbled the ball around his opponents.
A pang of longing swept over me when I thought I'd love to stay and watch the game too. But I had a mission. With one last glance, I slipped through the gym and into the girls' locker room.
The room was still and silent. One by one, I went through the lockers, meticulously transforming the uniforms using the tailoring spells I had found the last night. The skirts shortened, the blouses cinched at the waist, and each outfit received a touch of embroidery, along with a lucky charm stitched into the hem.
My grin broadened as I imagined the girls' surprise. This was turning out to be more fun than I had expected.
Feeling triumphant and slightly giddy, I decided to brave the boys' locker room next. I tiptoed across the gym, weaving between the oblivious players and the cheering crowd. Entering the boys' locker room, I felt a pang of awkwardness. As a girl, this was forbidden territory, but I shook off my hesitation, reminding myself I was invisible and hence, unstoppable.
Smiling to myself, I started with the transformation. Pants were turned into bell-bottoms, reminiscent of the disco era, with embroidery and the lucky charms, as usual. The challenge was both exciting and hilarious, and I worked swiftly, occasionally stifling a chuckle.
But halfway through, the room door swung open, and Bogdan walked in, tugging off his sweaty T-shirt. For a moment, I froze, my eyes wide at the sight of his toned torso. My face burned as I quickly averted my gaze, scolding myself for ogling.
But then a thought struck me – it was the perfect opportunity for a little scare! Grinning mischievously, I prepared to spook him, maybe make the lockers rattle, or the showers switch on suddenly to make him shriek a bit for dismissing my "pranks" so lightly.
I was about to perform my ghostly act, when Bogdan turned around, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the room.
«Eĺza?» he looked straight at me.
As his voice echoed through the locker room, my heart skipped a beat – I was standing stark naked in front of a guy, convinced I was invisible, and he just called my name.
I let out a startled squeak and bolted from the locker room, my heart pounding in my chest. As I dashed past the soccer players and cheering crowd, my bare feet slapped against the gym floor. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice a naked girl sprinting across the gym.
I raced through the school corridors, my mind spinning with panic. Could Bogdan really see me? I dismissed the thought as I skidded into the infirmary, where I planned to grab my clothes, dispel my invisibility, and make a quick exit. Except… my clothes were gone.
My heart plummeted. My bag, which I'd carefully stashed under the infirmary bunk, had vanished. I scoured the room desperately, my heart pounding at the horrifying thought of the invisibility potion wearing off while I was still unclothed. Running home wasn't an option – I'd become visible long before I could reach safety.
On the verge of tears, I froze as the infirmary door creaked open and Bogdan's voice echoed within the room.
«Eĺza!» he called again.
I gasped, unable to move.
«Can… Can you see me?» I stuttered, my voice barely audible.
«No,» he said, amusement clear in his tone. «But I can smell your shampoo. Something… herbal?»
I felt my face heat up as I blushed, cursing my grandma's shampoo recipe. Of all the things to give me away, I'd never imagined it would be this.
«It's nettle,» I found myself retorting, a touch defensively. «With burdock. Neither smell that strong.»
Then, the absurdity of the situation got the better of me.
«What are you, a dog?» I quipped, unable to hide the tremor in my voice.
He laughed softly, a sound should've been soothing, but not when you're caught red-handed by a guy having a better sense of smell than a bloodhound.
«Sort of,» he responded to my cocky question, sounding far too amused for my liking. «My family owns a ghost-hunting agency. My sense of smell is enhanced with magic, to detect ghosts and spirits. Much like dogs or cats do.»
My heart thudded in my chest. So, he's a mage! Of course! It all clicked into place. His dismissal of the ghost stories, his out-of-place good looks, his interest in the Locker Room Phantom. It was all so obvious now. But then again, who'd have expected a ghost-hunting mage in a quiet school like ours?
«I was dispatched to investigate the spectral activity that had been reported in this school,» Bogdan explained, still speaking my way as if he could actually see me. «I have to admit, though, I wasn't expecting to find a witch here playing haunted house.»
His words stung, but I swallowed back another retort bubbling up inside me. Instead, I mumbled,
«O… Sorry to disappoint.»
He couldn't see my face, but the sarcasm was clear in my voice. To be fair, though, he didn't seem to be angry or mocking. Instead, there was a strange sort of warmth in his voice that made my heart flutter despite my predicament.
«Don't be,» he said. «After all, I've still found something interesting here.»
To be continued…