Wish (15 page)

      Jenny didn’t say anything. She stared at Cody with a
strange expression. Cody glared back, focusing on his anger at her interference
in our little family drama. I think it kind of helped him to focus on something
else other than talk of witches and craziness. Being pissed off at Jenny
diverted his attention. The truth had put a wrinkle in his neatly pressed
pants.

      “Beat it cheer girl,” he said and stomped past Jenny to
Stevie. “You okay, Stevie?” he asked in a gentler voice.

Jenny reached out to touch Cody as he hurried past, and
pulled back when Cody flicked her hand away in anger.

      “Cody?” Jenny/thing said. His voice sounded almost
amusing. A man doing an impression of a girl’s voice.

      Cody reached for Stevie’s shoulder and wrapped an arm
protectively around her. I actually giggled as them while he glared at Jenny
with disgust.

“What’s wrong with your voice? Too much cheerleading
practice? Get out of here would you, this is personal family business.”

      Jenny/thing didn’t move or speak. Cody ignored her and
turned to Stevie. “Are you okay?” he asked her.

      Stevie bit her quivering lip ring and shook her head
back and forth. “No. I’m not.” She stared at me with wide eyes. “Sydney’s a
witch!” she cried. “And Jenny’s possessed.”

Cody pulled her closer and she buried her face in his
underarm. I giggled again at their public display of affection. I so wanted to
tease them. I made a mental note if life ever returned to normal, to torment
them about this moment to no end.

“Sydney, focus,” Keith hissed.

My giggle dried up. “Stay back from him,” I called to Jenny.

      Jenny ignored me, staring at Cody, the black eyes
clouded and troubled. “Cody. I’m sorry,” Jenny/thing said in the phony female
voice. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

      I snorted out loud. I mean really. All concerned about
Cody. What about me?

Jenny glared at me and then turned to Keith and batted her
eyelashes. It was almost comical. Almost.

“Keith, just the person I’ve been waiting for.” Jenny/thing
said in the fake girl voice. She clapped her hands together. “I need you to do
me a little favor.” Jenny/thing held her hand out to Keith. “I know you feel
it, too. Come on. I need you.”

       Keith stared at Jenny and frowned and shook his shoulders
out a little, rolled his neck and looked disgusted.

“I am so not interested in doing anything with you. And what
is with your voice?”

Jenny rubbed her temples, exasperated.

Keith frowned again and stumbled and stroked his hair. Then
he frowned again and stood straighter.

“You were interested in doing things with Jenny not so long
ago.” Jenny smirked.

I made a fist.

Keith looked like he might pass out. He rubbed at his eyes.

Jenny/thing smiled. “They’d make a cute couple, wouldn’t
they? Keith and Jenny,” she said in her girl imitation voice.

“What the heck is she talking about?” Keith asked.

“What am I? A witch and a psychic?” I demanded, distracted
from the problem at hand for a moment by an image of Keith with the real Jenny.
Oh my God. I’d gag if I thought about Keith with the skank for another
second.  

I scowled at Keith. “Jenny? That is so gross.”

“For God sake, Sydney, focus,” he shouted at me. “Think about
your Mom. We need to get away from this psycho nutjob.”

Jenny/thing took a quick look from Keith to me. “Yes. Your
Mom. Go to her. But first, Keith. I need my favor.”

Jenny/thing smiled. The most sinister thing I’d ever seen.
She glanced at Cody and the expression changed, but she moved her gaze back to
me and then batted her eyelashes at Keith.

      I wanted to cower and hide behind Keith, but I
remembered my resolve and sucked in a big breath, filling up my belly. I stood
as tall as I could and tried to look menacing.

“We are so talking about this later,” I whispered to Keith
without looking at him. I would handle other more pressing matters now but he
was going to cough up the truth about him and Jenny.

Keith grabbed my arm. ”Forget her,” he said in a low voice.
“We have to get out of here. Your mom. We have to go to her.”

I tugged away from him and trained my senses on Jenny/thing.

A cat hissed and I glanced down. Magic circled around my leg,
leaving pieces of his soft fur on the fabric of my sweatpants.

“Oh, so now you come out.” I bent down and scooped up my cat
as Jenny/thing locked eyes with me. I couldn’t look away. I stared into the
blackness, and almost lost command of my senses. Darkness seduced me and my
limbs weakened. My mind stumbled, lost focus, and forgot the will to fight.
Magic hissed and my chin snapped up. I forced myself to close my eyes, to look
away from Jenny’s.

I shuddered. I’d peered inside a dark soul. I opened my eyes
and a shadow passed across Jenny’s face. I saw the image, the person I’d seen
before.

I shook my head, careful not to look into the black pupils of
my archenemy. I knew who he was. And what he wanted. 

I considered kicking him right in the shins, but Jenny’s body
would suffer the consequences. I thought of her with Keith. Maybe a kick
wouldn’t be so bad.

I glanced at Cody. He still held Stevie tight. They watched
us with wide eyes. 

S
he’s
in charge of making sure we’ll be okay? Cody
thought.

I nodded at him, attempting a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry.
I’m a witch, right? I’ve got this all figured out.”

Uh huh. Sure I did.

We are so dead.

I
glared at Cody.

“Hey. Be nice,” I told him.

Jenny laughed.

My anger resurfaced and I focused on her, narrowing my eyes.

“What are you going to do,” Jenny mocked. “Make a wish.
Doesn’t work so well here, remember?”

He dropped his female impression and spoke in his own deep
male voice.

“You are making a big mistake,” I warned. “I will not let you
hurt my friends or my family.” I grabbed my necklace and clutched it in my
fist. “My family.” 

“I won’t hurt you, Sydney. I only want what’s best for you.
Just like Keith does.” His dark eyes flitted over to Cody. “I would never hurt
you, or your brother.”

Rage poured through my veins, infecting my blood with fury as
it did a quick lap of my entire body. I quaked with the anger.

“It’s kind of too late for that. Isn’t it?”

He laughed.

I took deep breaths, trying to calm the rage bubbling under
my skin.

I wish he would show himself.

I waited. Nothing. I frowned. I needed to use powers.
Quickly.

I pointed at him. “I know who you are.” 

The anger bubbling in my blood threatened to spill out. A
powerful darkness surged under my skin. For a moment, I feared what I would do.

Jenny’s face changed. Understanding reflected in the
blackness of her eyes. She glanced at Cody and then back at me.

“I don’t know what you mean?” Jenny lied.

The shadow crossed her face again. The true features of the
being possessing Jenny’s body.

      I smiled without emotion, hoping I looked as cold as I
felt. “Of course you do.”

Magic hissed and snarled, kneading my arm with his claws.

Keith tugged at me and Jenny/thing lifted her hand towards
him. A surge traveled through me.

“Don’t you dare,” I shouted as I stepped in front of Keith,
shielding him from the spark and blue dust.

Magic jumped hissing nastily and accidentally swiping my skin
as he soared to the ground. I lifted my arm grabbing the scratch. Warmth
vibrated from the wound.

      Jenny/thing took a step back, her eyes. I looked down.
The scratch healed and then disappeared.

      “You’re even more powerful than I thought,” he said.  

      “Sydney, your necklace is glowing,” Stevie shrieked,
peeking out from underneath Cody’s arm.

      My hands fingered the purple jewels. Energy swelled
beneath them. On my shoulder my tattoo beat with each thump of my heart. It
strengthened me. The branding of the Witch.

Jenny/thing growled and swiveled, leveling a hypnotic, angry
gaze on Stevie and lifting her hand. The flash and blue dust flew and Stevie
crumpled to the ground. Cody bellowed in anger as Stevie fell.

Jenny glanced towards him. “I’m sorry, Cody.” Her arm lifted
again and Cody folded onto the ground beside Stevie.

      I reached for Keith’s hand. I dug nonexistent nails
into his palm.

      “It’s okay. They’re not hurt,” I told him. “He wouldn’t
hurt Cody. They’ll be okay. He’s focused on me.”

      “Who is he?” Keith asked.

      I looked straight at Jenny/thing.

      “That is my Dad.”

Sirens wailed. My dad’s eyes widened. “So, you guessed.” He
grinned. “You’re smart. Like your old man.”

      I tugged on Keith’s hand trying to drag him away but
didn’t move, looking back and forth between the two of us. “Your father?”       

I pointed at Jenny.  “In there. He’s possessed her or
something. Poor Jenny. I hope she’s okay.”

      “You’re wasting your sentiments on this girl,” Daddy
interrupted, sweeping a hand in front of Jenny’s body. Which, let’s review, oh
yes, he happened to be inside of at that moment.

“She has nothing but dislike for you. It’s roaming inside of
her. Festering. That’s why I got in.”

       “Jenny Truman thinks I stole her boyfriend, of course she’s
pissed off. Otherwise, she wouldn’t waste her time on me.” I realized her lack
of interest didn’t bother me at all.

I squinted at him. “Anyways. Where’s your own body? Why are
you using hers? Is she going to be all right?”

      Dad glared at me through Jenny’s eyes. “You actually so
feel sorry for her?” He sneered. Jenny sneered. My brain hurt.

      “Obviously you don’t quite get me, do you Dad?” I spat
out the parental term with lots of sarcasm.

My brain re-focused. The sirens got closer.

“Uh.
Sydney.” Keith’s voice quivered and for the first time I heard him sound a
little scared. “The police seem to be heading this way.”

“The police are looking for Mike. They think I did something
to him. And I did! He disappeared after I wished he would go away when he came
to my house. I did it. I wished him away. With my stupid wish.”

“Not so stupid,” Keith mumbled.

I bit back a nervous giggle.  Then I squeezed my eyes shut
and concentrated. “I wish Mike Cameron would go home. Right now. To his house.
Now. I wish he were at home.”

“Sydney?” Keith asked.

I staggered a little from the force of my thoughts. 

Dad made a loud snorting sound, which didn’t suit Jenny’s
body at all. A lion’s roar coming out of a kitten’s mouth. “So, that was cute
and all kids, but we need to get to business. Now. Hand the necklace to Keith, Sydney.”

Keith and I looked at each other, surprised. My hand went up
to protect the jewels and I took a step away from Keith. “I’m not handing over
the necklace to anyone.”

 Dad growled. “See that’s where you’re wrong. You need to
hand him necklace. Sydney. Because if you won’t give the necklace to Keith then
he can’t give it to me. And I need it. Otherwise, your mother, your friends,
even your brother. Well you’re putting them all in danger.”

“I’m not taking her necklace,” Keith said.

Dad glared at him with Jenny’s blackened eyes. “You have no
idea what you’re getting into, kids. You’re playing a game you can’t win.”

      I ignored Jenny’s face and focused on the black eyes. I
thought about the person inside her. My dad. A guy who abandoned my family.
He’d hurt my mom. Cody too.

      “Give the necklace to Keith and no one will get hurt,”
he said. “I promise Keith will take it.”

 “I think you’re bluffing. And guess what? I don’t like
people who bluff. But you wouldn’t know that about me, would you, Dad?  You
see, the thing is, I can’t stand to lose.”

      “It’s true,” Keith said. “She can’t. She cheats at
monopoly all the time.”

      I glared at Keith and then back at my dad. “You can’t
take the necklace from me yourself.” I wracked my brain trying to figure things
out, but I was winging it. “If you could, you would have taken it already.” I
crossed my arms, proud of myself for guessing that much.

      “You have to give up, Sydney. The powers. They’ll only
cause you trouble.” He lowered his voice, trying to sound sympathetic. “You’re
not strong enough. You can’t handle it. Your mom couldn’t handle it. Give it to
Keith. He’ll know what to do.”