Enchanted, A Paranormal Romance / Fantasy (Forever Charmed) Read Online Free PDF

she was a new specimen of flower that Nana had just put up for sale. Like she was being examined. She felt as if she was playing her role in a most unbelievable way and she was scared everyone could somehow see through her façade. She knew how she was supposed to come across: as Nana’s friendly, sweet, outgoing granddaughter. Mandy supposed she was friendly at least, but only after she got to know someone. And in order to know someone she had to first overcome her shyness. Outgoing, ha! She was the furthest thing from outgoing that existed in this whole town. She was sure of that. But, Mandy didn’t want to disappoint her grandmother, so she tried to play the role she had been assigned to the best of her abilities. She smiled and waved, and tried to act like any normal teenage girl.
    In between the ongoing introductions Mandy thankfully had the inconsequential job of taking down special orders, answering the phone, and running the cash register. She could handle those tasks. She had worked last summer at the Victory grocery store in Boston as a cashier. Comparably this job was pretty easy. The pace was slower and more laid back. She didn’t have an angry manager scrutinizing her bagging techniques or long lines of customers glaring at her because she couldn’t get the coupon to scan. On the contrary, most of these people, Nana’s friends and acquaintances, seemed rather friendly and happy and interested even to meet Mandy. She would rather have gone incognito, but as that idea was impossible, this alternative wasn’t so bad she supposed.
    There was another girl working in the flower shop who was introduced to Mandy as Alyssa. Nana informed Mandy that Alyssa would be going to the same school as Mandy, and what a coincidence, would also be starting her senior year. Alyssa had smiled at Mandy and said, “Everyone calls me Ally.”
    Mandy had smiled back and nodded at Ally. “So, do you like it here? Your grandma said you were from Boston. Must be a big change, huh?” Ally pointed out.
    “Yeah, I mean, I knew it would be. I’ve been coming up here every summer since I was a kid.”
    “Oh really? I’m surprised we never bumped into each other at the beach or anything.”
    “Well, I’m not really much of a beach person. I’m more the type that thrives in sun and heat, rather than overcast places.”
    Ally laughed and threw Mandy an odd look. “It’s not all that bad, you know. The kids at school are really nice, and believe it or not, we do get sun and nice days. Maybe we can hang out after work tonight. I can introduce you to some kids.”
    “Um, okay, thanks. After work, then,” Mandy struggled to form her lips into the fake smile as she inwardly grimaced. She wanted to smack her hand against her forehead for agreeing to that one, but she supposed that would not be keeping to her role very well as a well-rounded, adaptable, fun-loving teenage girl.
    All day long she cringed as the clock neared five o’clock. For at five o’clock, the little flower shop would close. Nana would lock the door, they would count up and lock up the money, sweep up, and leave. She would be forced to go hang out with Ally, whom she barely knew, and who knew how many more kids that she didn’t know at all. She would be introduced and shown around and forced to make small talk and answer questions and be expected to be normal and laugh at the right moments and effortlessly fit in. What in the world was she going to do?
    Mandy contemplated the alternatives. If she gave in to the nervous breakdown she was surely on the brink of having, she probably could get out of tonight. But then she would have the reputation as the weird, unstable new girl. She didn’t exactly want that. She could start breaking all the vases or pour bleach on the flowers. Maybe Nana would fire her and then she could leave before five o’clock and “forget” to meet Allie. Only she doubted Nana would actually fire her. She could “accidentally” break a vase