A Witch Like No Other (23 page)

“
She
doesn’
t know where Dreamer is,
Marlon. I
’
ve called already.”

“
Look at you,”
scolded Agnes, placing a bowl of warm soup in front of her
daughter. “You look terrible, Dreamer Black.”

“
Mama, please.”
Dreamer shook her head. “I don’
t want to hear it.”

“
You
will
hear it,” said Agnes, heat rising. “Running away
isn
’
t
the way to deal with this, Dreamer. You have to go
back.”

“
No.”

“
Why
not?”

“
Miriam and Ted
love me too much, and I cant handle it.”

“
That much I
agree with, but what about your children?”

“
My children
are young adults, Mama. Eighteen and nineteen years
old.”

“
They’
re still children,
even if they
’
re forty one and forty two,” Agnes said firmly. “How do you
think they
’
re dealing with this?”

“
You will have
your dinner, Dreamer, or I’
ll
take the wooden spoon and lay it about you until
you
’
ll
be desperate to get back to Ted Stone, and leave this very
evening!”

“
Why cant
Miriam understand?” she said between mouthfuls of soup. “We can
work this out properly; me, her and Ted.”

“
How about we
get Miriam over here instead?” asked Agnes, but before Dreamer
could protest she clapped her hands.

Miriam appeared, looking knocked for six. She blinked
several times before everything swam into focus- Agnes standing
there, beaming at her, and Dreamer-
Dreamer.
She refused
to look at Miriam.

“
You may feel a
little giddy, dear.” Agnes led her to a chair. “Sit
down.”

“
She can share
me, Mama. But she wants me to herself.”

“
You’
ve neglected her for
a very long time,” Agnes replied. “From her point of view,
it
’
s
always been Ted this, Ted that.”

“
But-”

“
She’
s sick and tired of
being second best,” Agnes said firmly. “Which is why she behaved
that way. I would have too, Dreamer Black.”

“
Thanks for the
support, Mama.” Dreamer was furious. “I’
m the victim!”

“
Miriam and Ted
are the victims,” Agnes said, glaring at her daughter.
“They’
ve been topsy-turvy
since you came back into their lives.”

“
I could wipe
their minds and leave again,” Dreamer shot back, hurt.
“Pandora’
s and
Marlon
’
s too.”

“
You’
ll do no such thing,”
Agnes said, temper rising. “Apologise to her!”

“
I’
m sorry Dreamer,”
Miriam said quickly, but Agnes shook her head.

“
I meant
Dreamer, Miriam.”

“
Me!” Dreamer
burst out. “I did nothing, Mama!”

“
Exactly! And
in doing so you’
ve hurt not
only Ted, but Miriam as well!”

“
I visited
Miriam,” said Dreamer hotly, glaring at Agnes.
“I’
m not lying!”

“
You visited
Miriam while you ignored Ted, and then you smooched with Ted while
forgetting about Miriam!” barked Agnes, making Dreamer recoil. “You
apologise to Miriam right now, and Ted afterwards!”

“
You see?” said
Agnes, reading Miriam’
s
thoughts. “She doesn
’
t even care if you don
’
t apologise, as long as
you
’
re
happy!”

“
Then
what’
s the fuss about?” said
Dreamer cheekily, then she stood swiftly as Agnes pulled out a
magnificent wand, jet black. Miriam nearly smiled as Dreamer pulled
out her golden wand too, ready as ever. That was Dreamer all right.
Not afraid of anyone or anything.

Agnes blinked, surprised. “You
’
ll duel with your
mother?”

“
You’
ll duel with your
daughter?” Dreamer countered, and Agnes laughed as she lowered her
wand. Dreamer only lowered hers when her mother placed her wand
inside her robe, laughing still.

“
You get your
bravery from your father.”

“
Papa is a
coward,” Dreamer said coldly, sitting back down. “If he were brave
he’
d return home-
don
’
t
you agree Miriam?”

“
Well, I- I… he
has his reasons for staying away, I think-”

“
Well said,”
said Agnes, sharply adding “Now apologise, Dreamer.”

“
Sorry.”

“
Properly!”

“
I’
m sorry,
Miriam!”

“
Good,” smirked
Agnes. “Now, Miriam, you’
ll
stay the night.”

“
Oh, I- I
couldn’
t stay,” said Miriam,
looking at Dreamer. “I don
’
t want to intrude or
anything, Agnes- this is um… mother daughter time.”

“
Ok,” she said
quickly, and they laughed again.

“
Remember when
you made Miss Minis’
wig fly
off her head?” Miriam burst out laughing in her bed, Dreamer as
well. “That was hilarious!”

“
I did a lot of
things at school,” Dreamer answered, across the room from her in
another double bed. “But the best time was when-”

“
Sorry Mama,”
Dreamer called, then she shook her head. “We’
re grown women and she
’
s treating us like
we
’
re
still thirteen.”

“
Because you
act it,” said Agnes, popping her head round the door. “Running away
and trying to control each other, jealous of your best
friend’
s husband while the
best friend forgets her children- that shut you up,
didn
’
t
it?” Dreamer and Miriam were both looking shamefaced. “Good. Now go
to sleep, or at least whisper. Turn out the lights.”

“
Yes Mama,”
Dreamer said resignedly, obeying. Smiling in the dark, Miriam said
“Goodnight Agnes. Thanks for having me over.”

“
Anytime,
dear.”

Dreamer waited until the passage lights went out and
Agnes
’
s bedroom door closed before muttering “Suck
up.”

“
Hey Pandora,”
said Alice brightly, coming in. “Hear from Dreamer?”

“
She’
ll call,” said Alice
reassuringly. “Today, I bet you five pounds.”

“
You’
re on,” said Marlon
angrily. “And I
’
ll be laughing when you hand it over- and then I can
take Emily to the cinema like I promised.”

“
Who’
s Emily?” Pandora
said curiously, but Marlon shook his head.

“
I made her up,
but that’
s not the point. I
just want Mum back.”

“
And she will
come back,” Alice said gently. “I promise.”

“
I’
m back!” called Ted,
entering though the door in the kitchen- the back door. “Did you
two survive without arguing?”

“
Yeah,” said
Marlon, a smile forming now. “We didn’
t argue at all.”

“
Good. Hello
Alice,” said Ted, shaking his head at her. “You’
d think this is your second home;
you
’
re
here almost everyday.”

“
It’
s only been two weeks,
Mr Stone,” Alice said shyly. “I
’
ll be out of your hair
when Dreamer comes back, I promise.”

Ted smiled at her, saying “We wouldn
’
t want that, would we
Pandora?”

“
No,” Pandora
said grudgingly, and Alice beamed at her.

Marlon watched her as he set about making his father a cup
of coffee. He found Alice annoying, too happy. A girl version of
James really. He wouldn
’
t mind a girlfriend who was just like his best
mate. Two James
’
in his life would be awesome. But there was Pandora to
think about here, Marlon thought as he poured the water into
Ted
’
s
cup. He remembered her reaction to his seeing Janice, her ex best
friend, his ex girlfriend. She hadn
’
t spoken to either of
them for almost four months- and with most people that
would
’
ve been hard, especially when one person lived with you and
the other you saw everyday at school. But not for Pandora, Marlon
thought with a small smile. She treated me like nothing,
and-

“
Camel mouth.”
Pandora interrupted his thoughts. “You’
re making a mess, look.” She pointed at the counter.
“Clean that up, ok?”

Water sloshed over the side of the counter, splashing on
the floor- scorching Marlon
’
s bare feet.

“
OW!!” he
yelled, dropping the kettle. “Dad!”

“
Baby,” said
Ted amusedly, getting up and picking up the mop. “Go and sit down,
I’
ll make the tea myself.
Thanks, though.”

“
No problem,”
Marlon muttered, feet stinging. “Least I tried.”

“
You
could’
ve tried making it by
magic,” Pandora told him smugly. “Then nobody
would
’
ve gotten hurt, don
’
t you think?”

“
Shut up,
Pandora!”

“
Dad, my feet
hurt,” mumbled Marlon, looking at Ted. “I want a hug.”

“
Go and sit on
the sofa,” Ted answered, and Marlon obeyed.

“
Can you
believe him?” Pandora said, amused as she looked at her brother.
“You’
d think
he
’
s
still a baby.”

Not so much like James- James would
’
ve stuck up for him. The
doorbell went, Ted sighing as he said “That
’
ll be James.”

“
Don’
t you like James?”
Alice asked her curiously, after Pandora shut and locked her
bedroom door with them inside. “You always run when he comes over,
did you know that? But when other people come, like your
dad
’
s
clients from work or neighbours or Marlon
’
s other friends,
you-”

“
I chose Forest
Academy because he was going,” blurted Pandora, making her stop
short. “I didn’
t choose it
because it was a good college.”

Alice tried not to smirk. Pandora was human after all: she
had a crush on James. Sitting down on Pandora
’
s bean bag, she said
“Spill.”

So
Pandora told her everything about James, that they were best
friends at primary school and even in secondary school- up to Year
Nine. James hardly spoke to her afterwards: he was besotted with
everything she wasn
’
t included in.

“
It
wasn’
t like I liked him then
anyway,” she said flatly, shrugging a shoulder. “I had my friends,
especially Janice, and a boyfriend as well.”