Strange Magic (13 page)

          “I don’t care how long it takes, I just want to know what’s going on.  I know you came here as an excuse to be close by Duncan’s house.  Are you keeping secrets from me again?”

          “Duncan and I kissed.”

          “What?” Caitlin squealed.  “When did this happen?”

          “Last week,” I admitted.

          “How could you not tell me that?  That’s great!”

          “It was great.  It was amazing, actually, but now Duncan is freaking out because of Anna.  He’s totally paranoid.”

          “And you’re going to talk to his mom about it?”  Doubt showed on Caitlin’s face.  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

          “Not really, but I don’t know what else to do.  I’m worried about him.  He said that he’s starting his job today, so it’s the perfect time to go over there.”

          “Okay,” she said.  “Well, good luck.  I’ll be waiting to find out how it went.”

          I forced myself to walk down to Duncan’s house and knock on the door before I lost my nerve.  His mom opened the door and smiled at me.

          “Susannah!  I was wondering when you’d visit us again.  It’s been too long.  Unfortunately, Duncan’s not home, but let me make you some tea.”

          I stepped inside.  “I actually wanted to talk to you, if that’s okay.  I need to leave before Duncan gets home.”

          “Of course.”  She led me into the kitchen and motioned for me to sit down.  “What’s the matter, Susannah?”

          “Okay, I know this is weird, but I have no one else to turn to about this.”  I nervously played with my hair.  “Duncan and I.  Well, Duncan and I…”

          A happy smile lit up her face.  “I knew he would come around sooner or later.”

          Encouraged, I continued.  “See, that’s just it.  Now he says we can’t be together because of Anna.  I don’t know why.  She seems to have moved on just fine.  I mean, she’s even dating my ex boy—“  The expression on her face stopped me cold.

          Her smile had been replaced by a look of utter horror.  “Anna is here?”

          I was completely taken by surprise.  “Duncan didn’t tell you?”

          “How long has she been here?”

          “A few weeks,” I said.  “She’s become a friend.  We sit together at lunch.”

          “Have you told her about your abilities?”  She asked this with an intense urgency.

          “No.  Duncan made such a big deal about keeping that a secret.  He’s become completely paranoid.”

          “Duncan is not wrong to fear for your safety.  In fact, you shouldn’t even be here now.”

          “I don’t understand.  Why are you both so afraid of her?  What did she do to Duncan?”

          Mrs. Mkkenna looked like she was on the verge of panic.  “I’m sorry, Susannah.  I have to ask you to leave.”

          I had no choice but to do what she said.  She walked me to the door.  “Please be careful around Anna.  She’s not at all what she seems to be.”

          Our meeting had not turned out like I planned.  I now had more questions than answers.  I walked back to Caitlin’s house completely confused and disturbed by Mrs. Mkkenna’s reaction to the news of Anna’s presence in town.

          I spoke to Duncan the following morning before school began.  I had been waiting by his locker for him.  “I’m so sorry.  I didn’t know it was a secret.”

          “It’s okay.  I shouldn’t have kept it from her.”

          “I feel bad that I upset her,” I said.  “I just thought that you were…”

          “Overreacting.  Maybe now you’ll take it seriously.  Did Mom convince you?”

          “I don’t know what to think anymore,” I admitted.  “I haven’t had any problems with Anna.”

          “I’m trying to keep it that way.”  His eyes lingered on me as the warning bell rang.  “Bye, Susannah.”

          “Bye.”  I was glad that he wasn’t angry with me.

          I missed seeing him in English, although it made it easier to pay attention in class.  Duncan was not in the cafeteria either.  I had no idea what he was doing for lunch.  After school was the worst.  I made dinner and did my homework, and I was so restless that I even cleaned the house.  That evening seemed like an eternity.

          The next day I went to the mall with Caitlin after school, because I had decided that I needed to get a job.  I planned to apply everywhere that they had a help wanted sign, and I immediately spotted one at a clothing store.

          “Cool,” Caitlin said.  “They have cute stuff.  If you work here you’ll get discounts on clothes.”

          After I asked for an application, the manager asked me when I could start.

          “Well, anytime after school or on the weekend.”

          “How about today?”

          “Well, sure, I guess.  I just have to call my mom and let her know.”

           “Great!  I’m short-staffed.  One of my best employees got another job after she finished her degree.  I have one gone on her honeymoon and two out with the flu.”  She looked as frazzled as she sounded.

          “Wow, that was easy.  Call me later, Suzy.”

          “Okay.  Bye, Caitlin.  Thanks for the ride.”

          The manager led me into the back room.  “Here.  Fill out these forms, and then I’ll work with you and show you what to do.”

          First I took out my cell phone and called Mom to tell her the news.  She told me to call her back later and let her know what time to pick me up.  My first day on the job went well.  It was a relief to stay busy, because it helped me not to think about how much I missed Duncan.  Last week had been so wonderful between us, but now we were apart again.

          My dad was delighted that I was working.  Now he wouldn’t have to worry about me having boys over after school.  I found that between work, dinner, and homework I barely even had time to talk to Caitlin on the phone.  One of her drama friends lived close to the mall.  The next day I rode his bus after school and got off at his stop to walk to the mall.

          It wasn’t until the following week that I ran into Duncan at the mall.  I was on break and going to get a smoothie at the food court.  He was walking away from the food court with a Pepsi in his hand.

          “Hi, Susannah.”

          “Hi, Duncan.”  I couldn’t help smiling at him, because it was so good to see him.

          He smiled back at me.  “Doing some shopping?”

          “No.  I actually work here now.”

          He didn’t look pleased to hear that.  “So do I.”

          I hadn’t known that when I applied for my job.  He told me that he worked at the shoe store, and I told him which clothing store I worked at.

          “So, how have you been?”  I couldn’t take my eyes off him.  It seemed like much longer than a week since the last time I had seen him.

          “Good.  How about you?”

          “Okay.”  This polite conversation was strange after how close we had become.

          “Well, I’ve got to get back to work.  See you, Susannah.”

          “Yeah, see you.”

          Duncan walked down the corridor and turned to look at me.  When he saw that I was still watching him, he waved and continued on his way.  With a sigh, I went to the food court to get my smoothie.

          I didn’t see Duncan again until Caitlin’s birthday party that weekend.  Anna was there without Brad.  Caitlin didn’t like Brad and the feeling was mutual.  She hadn’t invited him, and Anna hadn’t complained.  It was me, Duncan, Anna, Alex, and some other kids from school.  Many of them were from Caitlin’s drama class.  Including Caitlin, there were fifteen of us at the party.  We were hanging out in her basement where everything had been set up for the party.  Her mom had gone to a movie with a friend.

          “Remember, I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”  She looked sternly at Caitlin.  “No drinking.”

          Caitlin rolled her eyes.  “Don’t worry.  We’re going to trash the house, but we’ll be sober while we do it.”

          Her mom’s friend laughed.  “C’mon, let the kids have their fun.”

          We were listening to music, talking, and eating snacks.  A couple of the boys were playing a video game.  It was so much more intimate and mellow than the party I had been to with Brad.

          “Well, Duncan.  I’m leaving.”

          I was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room.  The music was loud, but I heard Anna as clearly as if she had spoken right into my ear.  She was sitting on the couch next to Duncan.  The girl that had been sitting on the other side of him had gotten up to get something to drink.  Even if she had still been sitting there, she wouldn’t have heard what Anna was saying.  Anna was communicating with her thoughts.

          “Now?”  Duncan also spoke with his thoughts.

          “Soon.”  Anna placed her hand on his knee.  “Let’s go somewhere private and say goodbye properly.”

          He removed her hand.  “Not interested.”

          “Okay, then I’ll leave you to your exciting new lifestyle.  Just give me what I came here for.”

          “To make amends?”

          “I’m losing patience with you, Duncan.  Let’s just drop the act.  I want what you stole from me.”

          “What I stole from you!  You’re the thief.”

          “Do you really want to play games with me, Duncan?”

          “Again, you’re the one who plays games.”

          “I mean it.  You’d better give it back to me.”

          “Anna, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

          “Okay, Duncan.  Let’s play.”

          The room suddenly went completely silent.  I felt dizzy for a moment.  When my head cleared, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  People were slumped where they had been sitting or sprawled on the floor.  Anna and Duncan were the only ones who were unaffected.

          I jumped out of my chair.  “What happened to everybody?”

          “They’re just taking a little nap.  The question is, why aren’t you?”  Anna turned back to Duncan.  “You didn’t tell me that your new girlfriend is one of us.”

          “Anna, what the hell are you doing?  Bring them out of it!” Duncan shouted.

          “Calm down.  They’re fine.  Now, where were we?  Oh yes, you have something that belongs to me.  I’d like it back.”

          I was on my knees beside Caitlin and Alex.  They seemed to be asleep.  “Caitlin!  Caitlin!”  I shook her, but she didn’t respond.  “What’s wrong with them?  We have to call 911.”

          “Release them,” Duncan yelled.  He seemed to be furious.

          Anna laughed.  “I will, once you give me what I want.”

          Were they crazy?  They seemed to be in some kind of battle of wills.  I took out my cell phone out of my pocket, but it flew out of my hand and smashed on the floor.  I stared at it in astonishment.

          “Leave her alone!  She has nothing to do with this.”

          “Be a good boy, Duncan, and go fetch my crystal.”

          “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

          I’d had enough.  Someone had to get help for Caitlin and the others.  I began to walk upstairs to use the kitchen phone.  The door to the basement slammed shut before I could reach it.  The knob turned, but it wouldn’t open no matter how hard I pushed at it.  I walked back down the stairs and stood staring at Anna.

          She looked at me with hate in her eyes.  “I’m not letting your girlfriend go until I get my crystal back.”

          “She’s not my girlfriend, and I don’t know anything about your crystal.”

          “Do you really think that you can fool me?  I saw what was between you that first day I found you with her.  You don’t waste any time,” Anna said bitterly.  “Now give it to me, or I’ll kill Susannah.”

          “Anna,” Duncan pleaded.

          A chair suddenly came flying toward me.  I put my arms up in a protective stance, but the chair stopped inches from me and dropped to the ground.

          “Very good, Duncan.  I see you’ve recovered, but you’re still not strong enough to stop me.”

          Anna stood very still.  She seemed to be concentrating very hard.  Duncan ran up the stairs and tried to open the door.  I stood where I had been frozen in shock.  Now I felt something change in the air, and I looked at Anna.  Darkness swirled around her.  I sensed power emanating from her, but it felt wrong.  In response, I started to feel a strength I never knew I had.  I squared my shoulders in determination as raw power surged through me.

          Duncan turned away from the door in frustration.  “I can’t get it—“

          There was a crash as all the snacks and drinks on the table slid to the floor as it was lifted into the air.  Then the table and the couch both came hurtling toward me and dropped harmlessly to the floor.

          “No!” Anna screamed.  “This is not over, Duncan.”  Then she pushed him out of her way as she stormed out the door, which opened easily for her.