A Witch Like No Other (24 page)

“
An idiot.
Marlon and Janice got together at my fifteenth birthday party,
James had some other girl, I had Jonathan (the idiot), and we was
all happy. Even when Mum got killed, Janice and Jonathan helped me
and Marlon and even Dad. Everything was all gravy until Jonathan
cheated on me with Janice-”

“
No
way!”

“
Yes way,” said
Pandora bitterly. “Two best friends gone in ten
minutes.”

Alice couldn
’
t help herself. “Was Marlon ok?”

“
No. You might
have noticed he’
s a real
emotional guy,” Pandora said, smiling a little.
“He
’
s
got girls on the side, though, but he-”

“
Never mind
that,” said Alice quickly, not wanting to hear that Marlon was a
playa. “We was talking about James.”

“
I still
haven’
t spoken to him,”
mumbled Pandora, feeling guilty. “Since he gave me his number ages
ago- where
’
s Miriam, Alice? I need to talk to her about a lot of
stuff, but she
’
s been off for two weeks. Does your dad know where
she
’
s
gone?”

Pandora opened her mouth, then closed it.
She
’
d
never thought of Miriam outside the office, not properly. Even
though she was her godmother- godmother!

“
Her and my
Mum!” said Pandora, mind racing. “They was best
friends.”

“
Probably still
are,” Alice answered, wondering what she was thinking.

“
They might be
together,” Pandora said excitedly. “I mean, how come as soon as my
Mum disappears she does too?”

“
She
didn’
t,” Alice argued. “Miss
Hughes was around for a whole week.”

“
Something
still isn’
t right about her
leaving.”

“
Smart girl, my
Pandora,” Dreamer said to Agnes amusedly. “She thinks Miriam might
be with me, Mama.”

“
And she is,”
Agnes replied, smiling at Miriam. “Before her manager thinks
she’
s slacking she must go
back home- you as well.”

“
That place
isn’
t my home,” Dreamer said
huffily. “It
’
s just… Ted
’
s.”

“
Call the boy
and ask how they are,” Agnes answered, stirring the broth in her
cauldron with a giant wooden spoon. “Go on, little one.”

“
Mama,
I’
ve told you to
stop…”

“
Shouldn’
t you be going
home?” Marlon asked coldly, as Alice came downstairs jauntily.
“This isn
’
t a youth centre, you know.”

“
I’
m hanging until eight o
clock,” Alice answered just as coldly. “If Dreamer
doesn
’
t call by then, you
’
ll get your five
pounds.”

“
Where’
s Pandora, hiding
upstairs still?” he asked lightly, and Alice smiled at him. Marlon
immediately felt his stomach writhe with jealousy as she said “I
don
’
t
know why she keeps doing that.”

“
Maybe I scare
her,” joked James, and Alice’
s
smile grew. Annoyed, Marlon said “What did you come down for,
Alice? You
’
re not wanted.”

“
I came to talk
to James,” Alice shot back, “So
you
’
re
not
wanted.”

“
Fine,” Alice
said blithely, pushing past him even though there was plenty of
space to pass without touching him. “Come on James.”

James obeyed, to Marlon
’
s anger.

“
Be right
back.”

“
Did you know
Pandora’
s going to Forest
Academy?”

“
No,” he said,
surprised. The house phone rang inside as he said
“You’
re not joking with me,
Alice?” Alice said no. “How come she
’
s-”

“
Maybe because
it’
s a good college,” shrugged
Alice, but James waved that away as he said “She
’
s going because
I
’
m
going.”

Alice raised an eyebrow. “Isn
’
t that a bit
arrogant?”

“
No
it’
s not, because
I…”

Meanwhile, inside the house, Marlon was speaking so fast
into the telephone the caller couldn
’
t understand a word he
was saying.

“
Sweetheart,
calm down for me. Where’
s
Pandora and Ted?”

“
Upstairs, and
I’
m not getting them,” Marlon
said stubbornly. He rarely had a moment alone with his mother, and
he was going to use this time whether Dreamer liked it or not. Ted
jogged downstairs with his daughter as Marlon said
“I
’
m
packing up, Mum. I
’
m coming to you right now.”

“
Give the
phone!” shrieked Pandora, startling him. Before Marlon could react
Pandora socked him in the stomach, winding him completely. Marlon
dropped the phone, gasping for breath as Pandora picked it
up.

“
Mum, are you
all right? Are you angry with me?”

“
Why would I be
angry with you?” said Dreamer, puzzled at her.

“
Because I
didn’
t give the phone to Dad
when you asked me to-”

“
Oh,” said
Dreamer, vaguely remembering the incident. “No
I’
m not.”

“
Promise?”

“
I promise,
love. How are you?”

“
Rotten,”
Pandora said, eyes filling. “Ok on the outside, but-”

Ted took the phone, saying “She
’
s been crying every
night since you left, Dreamer. We
’
ve all been miserable as
heck- where are you?”

“
I’
m with Mama right now,”
Dreamer said cautiously. “I…”

She trailed off, not knowing what else to say. Ted listened
to her silence, Marlon and Pandora behind him. Finally Dreamer said
“I
’
m
sorry.”

“
What for?”
said Ted, Marlon and Pandora in unison, startling Ted as he turned
to look at them. Grinning, Marlon said “Inner hearing,
Dad.”

Marlon looked too, then he said “They
’
re probably getting
together.”

“
I’
m going to my
room.”

“
Ditto.”

Ted frowned as his kids traipsed upstairs, but he
didn
’
t
call them back. He was focusing on the love of his life.

“
Are you coming
back home, Dreamer?”

“
I-
I-”

“
You cant stay
away,” said Ted, pleading in his voice. “You cant.”

“
Ted, I just
need a few more days.”

“
Are you with
that woman who was making you say everything?”

“
I’
m with Mama,” Dreamer
said quietly. “I told you already.”

“
A few more
days.” Ted drew a deep breath, then he said “Then will you come
home? Back to me and Marlon, and Pandora?”

Dreamer didn
’
t know what to say. Miriam was looking at her,
her brown eyes cold and dark. For the first time in her life,
Dreamer was afraid of her best friend. She knew if she went back to
Ted Miriam would never forgive her. She
’
d been with Ted for so
long, practically ignored Miriam for years. She
couldn
’
t do it to her again.

Miriam
’
s head shot up in surprise, Agnes shaking her head at
her.

“
You’
re lucky Dreamer has
a good heart, my girl.”

Miriam nodded, Ted saying “She
’
s with you at
Agnes
’
s place??”

“
Yes she is,”
Dreamer said softly. “She needs me, Ted.”

“
Who the hell
is she?” demanded Ted, angry tears welling up. Alice and James
entered the house as he said “Dreamer!”

“
Tell him,”
urged Agnes, and Dreamer whispered “I cant, Mama!”

“
You can,” said
Ted gently. “Do I know them?”

“
Yes-
you’
ll lose your temper and do
something to them-”

“
No I wont,”
lied Ted. “I wont touch them if they’
re a woman.”

“
You’
re lying.”

“
I’
m not!”

“
Yes you are,”
said Dreamer flatly. “I can hear it in your voice.”

“
Dreamer, just
come home- please!”

“
I’
m staying with my
friend, ok Ted?”

“
Where do they
live? Can I at least visit you?”

“
I’
ll visit you instead,”
Dreamer replied, and Miriam scowled. Smiling at her, Agnes
whispered “You cant have it all, Miriam.”

“
I suppose,”
Miriam whispered back, then a sudden thought struck her. “Dreamer-”
Dreamer looked at her. “Don’
t
come to mine.”

“
What?”

“
Don’
t come,” Miriam
repeated, then she drew a deep breath. “Unless
it
’
s
what you want. I don
’
t want you to come unhappy.”

Agnes
’
s smile grew as she looked at Dreamer, who was
surprised.

“
Now you want
to go back to your old self?”

“
I
don’
t want you to come
unhappy,” Miriam repeated. “Against your will. I
’
m being selfish-
I
’
m
only thinking about myself. ”

Ted frowned as he listened. The woman
’
s voice sounded a little
familiar.

“
If
it’
s not what you want,”
Miriam said slowly and clearly, as if Dreamer
couldn
’
t understand a word, “Don
’
t come. Is it what you
want?”

“
Say no,” Ted
said angrily, not touched at all. Dreamer was.

“
I thought you
wanted me to leave Ted and stay with you?”

“
She what!”
exploded Ted, but Dreamer wasn’
t listening to him.

“
I do, but… I
don’
t want you
unhappy.”

“
You cant stay
with her, Dreamer. She’
s a
fricking queer!”

“
Be quiet,
Ted!” snapped Dreamer, feeling uneasy in her stomach. Miriam smiled
at her, saying “It’
s your
choice.”

But he knew he had to play it smart, just like this mystery
woman. She was using charm on
his
woman, and he
could feel her slipping away.

“
She’
s right,” he said
smoothly. “It
’
s your choice, Dreamer.”

“
You heard me,”
Ted said calmly. “If you want to stay with your friend, I wont stop
you. I just realised I shouldn’
t order you about- it
’
s your life.”