Free Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall

one of Kate’s signature blinding smiles. “Hey there, shopgirl, I need some help ASAP.” She banged her hand on the bell that sat on the counter.
    Maddie rolled her eyes. “Kate, why are you here?” Maddie said weakly. She was afraid of what they would say or do. The girls were eyeing the store ravenously, looking for something to use against Cordelia at school.
    “That’s no way to treat a paying customer. I think you need a lesson in customer service, young lady.”
    Darcy squealed as she ran over to inspect a large oak barrel filled to the top with crystals and polished stones. She dug her hand deep into the pile of smooth stones and grabbed a handful, inspecting each one closely. “This is so cool!” she said excitedly. Kate shot her a look, and Darcy, as if on cue, dumped the contents back into the barrel and sheepishly joined the group.
    “Welcome to Rebecca’s Closet,” Rebecca said cheerfully, coming up behind Maddie. “Are you friends of Maddie’s and Cordelia’s?” she asked innocently.
    Kate seemed to be the designated spokesperson for the group. “We’re friends of Maddie’s,” she said pointedly.
    “Ah, but soon you’ll be the best of friends with my little girl as well. I can tell,” Rebecca said brightly as she continued unpacking a box filled with packs of tarot cards.
    “How can you tell?” Kate asked with a feigned wide-eyed innocence. “I mean, are you a psychic or something?” Maddie seethed as she heard the other girls choke back their giggles. Rebecca seemed oblivious to Kate’s sarcasm, and Maddie was thankful for that.
    “Well,” Rebecca said, choosing her words as she narrowed her eyes in thought, “we are all a little psychic. It just takes practice to harness those powers. We all have gifts. You just need to know how to use them.”
    Rebecca’s answer was so earnest that it broke Maddie’s heart because she knew that the girls were just playing along.
    “So can you tell people’s future?” Bridget asked excitedly.
    Kate gave her a withering look. “Of course she can,” Kate said under her breath. “She’s a witch.”
    If Rebecca heard Kate’s comment, she didn’t show it. Silently, Maddie prayed that the girls would just turn around and leave. She stared at the incense burning on the counter and willed it to set off the fire alarm, forcing everyone out onto the cobblestone street. Anything that would remove them all from this potentially explosive situation.
    Rebecca eyed the girls for a moment and then reached underneath the oak counter. “I can’t tell things just by looking at you, but if I use tools like these,” she said pulling out a pack of tarot cards, a bag of rune stones, and a crystal pendulum, “they help me focus my energies and look into the future.”
    Kate moved forward inquisitively and looked at the divination instruments laid out in front of her. Just then, Cordelia came bursting into the store, her arms filled with bags.
    “Help!” she called over to Maddie cheerfully. Her enthusiasm died down suddenly when she saw Kate and the other girls. “Oh, hey,” Cordelia said offhandedly.
    Kate beamed. “Your mom is going to tell our future. Isn’t that cool?”
    Cordelia eyed Maddie and Rebecca as if they were traitors. “Yeah, cool,” she said. She turned to her mother. “How much are you charging her for a reading?”
    Rebecca looked confused. “Oh, I wouldn’t think of charging your friends for a reading.”
    Cordelia laughed sharply. “Friends?” She shot Kate a look. “Like I said, how much are you going to charge Kate?”
    Rebecca flushed, suddenly realizing what Cordelia meant. “Well, I…oh…I don’t mind doing it just this once.”
    Kate gave one of her phoniest smiles. “I’d love for you to give me a very complete reading. Is this enough?” She handed over a crisp one-hundred dollar bill as offhandedly as if it were a five.
    Maddie’s stomach flip-flopped. How was it possible that she had never realized how