A Witch Like No Other (6 page)

“
What’
s wrong?”

“
Nothing,
‘
Dora. Nothing,” Ted said
quietly. He wasn
’
t about to tell her anything. She
’
d get her hopes up and
maybe try and do something silly. Pandora accepted the chocolate,
watching as he sat on her chair.

“
Have you
thought about college, Pandora?”

“
Miss Hughes is
going to help me choose a course.”

“
You
didn’
t like Science, did
you?”

“
I hated it,”
said Pandora disgustedly. “I’
m
never studying it again.”

“
When you got
an A-star in your Science GCSE?”

“
I got As in
most of my other subjects,” Pandora pointed out. “Ok?”

“
Ok. Did Miriam
call you back at all?”

Pandora shrugged. “I didn
’
t answer the house
phone. I never do.”

“
Then how can
you expect- does she have your mobile number?”

“
No.”

“
Pandora,”
started Ted, then he decided scolding her wasn’
t necessary. He had learnt from Miriam that
talking calmly and rationally was the best way to deal with
Pandora.

“
At least
you’
re seeing her tomorrow
anyway.”

James sped down the motorway, saying
“You
’
ve got to help her.”

“
Who?”

“
Pandora,” said
James. “She’
s your sister,
man. She needs you.”

“
You
wouldn’
t say that if I told
you what she said this morning.”

“
She told me to
flip you over and suck your… you know.”

“
Whoa! Are you
serious?”

“
Yep.”

“
So
she’
s still Miss Feisty,
then.”

“
Sure.
She’
s the same really, but she
hardly smiles or laughs, she stays in her room to pretend she
doesn
’
t exist and she hates socialising.”

“
I was close to
her once upon a time.”

“
Yeah, when she
was flipping ten years old.”

“
It’
s not my fault she met
Janice at high school and forgot about me.”

“
Like what?
Wait- no.” James shook his head. “Don’
t get it twisted, Marlon, I
’
m not interested in
Pandora. Nope. Never.”

“
You’
d better not
be.”

“
Hey,
I’
ve got a girl already. You
know that already.”

“
Yup.
Cindy.”

Though it had been six months since James had actually
spoken to Cindy, six months since they last saw each other. They
split up ages ago, and James didn
’
t want to tell his best
friend. Marlon would tease him and then suggest what went wrong.
Nothing went wrong, not with him. Cindy was the one who
cheated.

“
Pandora,
though. Is she going to college this term?”

“
She is, but
she’
ll probably drop out
again.”

“
Don’
t you have faith in
your little sister?”

“
James, come
off it. I love Pandora, but we have to be realistic. She left
school with high grades and she ditched all her friends just
before. She just wants to be alone; ever since Mum died
she’
s been like that. I try
with her, but she shrugs me off. She hardly speaks to me anymore,
except at breakfast. Seriously James, I
’
m the one who has to
start the conversations, like all the time. And it always turns
into an argument.”

“
Maybe
it’
s the things you
say.”

“
She just
doesn’
t want to socialise.
Stile
’
s lucky he
’
s in prison, because I swear I
’
d have killed him. He
told her things, James- I know it. She
’
s scared of people
because of what he said to her- did to her.”

“
It’
s sick, man.” James
shook his head. “It
’
s sick.”

“
I wont give up
on her,” said Marlon heavily. “I promise.”

“
Marlon, are
you even thinking about Pandora?”

“
She was
friends with James when she was ten,” Marlon pointed out, James
nodding as he looked towards the stairs.

“
But that was
many moons ago,” Ted said reasonably. “You know about your
sister’
s… socialising
issues-”

“
It’
s ok, I understand,”
said James. “May I use the bathroom, sir?”

“
Pandora?”

She flinched at James
’
s gentle voice, not
answering.

She didn
’
t answer.

“
Pandora,
it’
s been ages. Remember the
fun we used to have?”

“
Um… I know you
hate people and er… don’
t want
any friends. You just don
’
t want to socialise,”
said James, sitting down by the closed door. “But I uh… look, if
anything remember I
’
m still here, ok?”

He
scrawled his mobile number on a bit of paper he had and pushed it
under her door as he said “That
’
s my mobile
number.”

Still she said nothing. James understood, having counselled
Marlon on Pandora many times. There was nothing he
didn
’
t
know.

“
Call me
anytime you want. Do you know what college you’
re going to?”

“
Well,
I’
m going to Forest Academy.
Maybe I
’
ll see you there, yeah?”

“
James!” called
Marlon, making him leap up. “Hurry up!”

“
Anytime you
want to talk,” whispered James, “Call me, ok? Bye.”

“
Dude,” said
Marlon in mock disgust, “Never eat egg rolls again!”

Marlon watched him go, then he knocked on his
sister
’
s door.

“
I’
m back,
‘
Dora.”

“
I’
m glad,” she answered
sarcastically, making him laugh.

“
Can you at
least try and get along with me, Pandora? For once?”

“
What’
s the point? Since
my seventeenth birthday you
’
ve been a-”

“
So have you,”
he said, prodding the door as if it was Pandora. “Yes?”

“
I
don’
t care.
You
’
re
worse than me because you
’
re a guy.”

“
Well thanks
for letting me know,” pouted Marlon. “Night, Pandora.”

“
Night.”

Pandora crawled across the carpet, reaching out and picking
up the piece of paper. James
’
s number? Whatever, she
thought amusedly, turning to her golden box. She placed the paper
in there by itself, then she grabbed the candle that materialised
minutes later, lit it and placed it on top of the paper, then she
closed the lid down.

James Henbit was part of her past; there was no way
he
’
d
become her present. Never.

When Pandora woke up she could tell straight away something
wasn
’
t
right. She got up slowly as she always did, then went straight to
her box on her desk. It felt warm. Curious, she opened it and
looked inside.

Pandora shrieked, stepping backwards. Then she reached out
and picked the box up, staring down at it
’
s contents though there
shouldn
’
t be any.

“
Great,”
muttered Pandora, then she looked at her mother’
s picture. “Am I supposed to keep it or
something, Mum?”

Dreamer
’
s ravishing smile seemed to grow: Pandora smiled
back.

“
I’
d bet all my money
you
’
re
still alive somewhere, not joking.”

Elated, she saved James
’
s number in her mobile
phone.

“
Pandora, can
you pass the salt?”

“
It’
s in the middle of the
table, Marlon. You can reach it yourself.”

“
Why,” demanded
Marlon, “Are you so damn difficult?”

“
Don’
t talk to your sister
like that,” said Ted warningly, as Pandora smiled before saying
“Because that
’
s how I like to be. Problem?”

“
Go and see
your shrink, you deluded little hermit.”

“
I’
m going
anyway.”

You really love my little girl, don
’
t you?

“
Yes,” said
Miriam happily, turning to whoever spoke. “I really-”

“
It cant be.
There’
s no way Dreamer can
be-”

“
Can I come in,
Miss Hughes?”

“
Sorry
I’
m late, but I went in the
park for a bit and I- are you ok?”

“
No, not
really. I- never mind me, love. How are you?”

“
I’
ve decided I want to do
a writing course at- at Forest Academy.”

“
Good for you,”
said Miriam, pleased as she turned to her desk.
“I’
ve got the prospectus here
somewhere, with some others-”

“
No,
it’
s Forest Academy I want to
go to.”

“
Because- this
is embarrassing.”

“
No darling,
sit down. Talk to me.”

“
I think he
wants to be friends with you again, Pandora.”

“
What about my
Mum?”

Miriam swallowed. “Well- you don
’
t know it was Dreamer
who-”

“
It was her, I
know it was,” said Pandora, eyes sparkling. “That box
hasn’
t ever done that before,
and I swear her smile got bigger when I looked at her
picture.”

“
Pandora,
it’
s just wishful thinking.”
And unexplainable events, she added silently, hating
Pandora
’
s disappointed face. “That
’
s all it is.”