Mishy and I are besties and Sarah and Maddie are besties too, but we all hang around together in one big group. Every now and then I wished I could tell them that I was a witch, as it would help explain why I acted so weirdly at times. But I knew it was forbidden. It's the first rule of the sacred code 112 not to divulge. Bad things happen if I break the rules.
I remember the time in a life epoch when I broke the rules. It was way back in the 1800's and was with a different family (obviously). I was sentenced to one lifetime epoch living in the dungeon of a dreaded giant acting as his servant. It was appalling. This was my diary entry that day.
Diary Entry Wed March 12th 1849
I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM! He is the reason I lost my life. That scoundrel Billy Bob came over again today and started throwing stones on our roof. One smashed through the window, nearly knocking Elizabeth out of her high chair. Dad was in the fields ploughing and Mom was working at the factory in town. I hate it when she works for so long. I have to do all the house work and look after Elizabeth when I'm supposed to be at school. How is anyone to have time for reading and Math around here when all you do is sweep, make bread, launder clothes and nappies and look after children?
So when I heard the clattering on the rooftop I almost jumped through the rafters, it gave me such a fright. I ran and hid under Mom and Dad's bed as it was bigger than mine. Then I remembered Elizabeth was still sitting in her high chair. I ran back to get her and a stone came pelting through the smashed window and hit me in the leg. Boy oh boy it hurt and I forgot my fear for a moment as the anger within me procured my emotions.
Then I heard some boyish giggles disappearing into the fields. That's when I knew who it was. I closed my eyes and chanted the spell that would take me to where the beastly boy was running gutlessly away. As I landed, a smoky haze and rumbles of deathly thunder enclosed around me as I grabbed the villain by his braces from behind. His futile attempts at fleeing from my clutches made him look ridiculous as his legs jogged up and down, but he made no advance. He couldn't speak, he was stuttering and his petrified face was as white as a snowman in a blizzard. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. Little did he know it was a witch he had seen instead.
Billy Bob had been mean to me ever since my papa punched his Father in front of the general store. There was a rumor that his father, who owned the factory where Mama was employed, had tried to make a pass at her while she worked, so she could keep her job. I'm not sure what a pass is, but it must be very bad for a gentle soul like Papa to become violent.
At that moment I was about to turn him into an ugly frog with a big wart on his nose with extra loads of slime dripping from his body. As I started to chant the spell, I looked into his terrified eyes. I could see that finally he knew the pain and terror that he had caused myself and other children, and I crumbled, unable to inflict the punishment he deserved. "You're lucky," I said to him as I pushed him to the ground. "It would have been a big improvement to see you squished on the ground by a horse and buggy."
"What are you? A witch or something?" he screamed as he scrambled to his feet.
"YES!" I exclaimed, wanting to shock and torment him, but as the words spewed forth uncontrollably out of my mouth, I knew I had broken the sacred code 112. I had enlightened the mortals of what I was.
As the thunder roared and lightning encircled my failing body, I knew my time in this life epoch was over.
I'm more careful these days not to give my identity away by doing stupid things. Sometimes it's really hard though, because even though I dig my school, there are some really mean kids there.
Every now and then, like a couple of times a day, I get this strong urge to use my powers and turn someone into a frog or an ant. And sometimes an even bigger urge beckons me to go and stomp on the ant. Seriously though, I only want to inflict evil on those that create their own kind of evil on helpless kids. I'm talking about the bullies of the school. It's not like I would ever want to hurt them badly though. I'd just want to help a seagull drop a big white clanger in their eye, or have them trip over their own clumsy feet, face first into a steamy clump of dog poo. It might even be cool just to have them blurt out something inappropriate in a silent English test in Miss Cranski's class. She's so mean. Mom says she's just strict, but I say she's mean. I think she might have been a bully when she was a kid and grew up to be a senior bully.
Miss Cranski absolutely ruined my Summer holiday last year. I have never been so totally embarrassed in this whole life epoch as the day I was walking with Mom behind my dad at the beach. This rather large woman sunbathing in a red polka-dot bikini (who definitely shouldn't have been wearing a bikini), got up and sort of smiled at Dad and batted her eyelids at him. When we got closer I realised it was Miss Cranski. I nearly puked. OMG! That was my teacher! That was my dad! That was one woman who should not be allowed out of the house in a bikini!
There is one particular girl who I would love to make swear in Miss Cranski's class, or to step in dog poo. That girl is Tiffany. She brings out the wickedness in me, like, ALL THE TIME! If only she would stop causing me to have these wicked thoughts. If only she could have been nice to everyone and not just the boys, things might have turned out a little differently for her this year.
5. Koolbar Princesses
On Fridays after school, our gang always hangs out at Koolbar caf? to grab a smoothie and share some hot chips. It's a good place to check out some of the boys, though most of the time we just act like we don't even like them, which is sort of true. Although I think Mishy really likes Zayne. Zayne's friend Josh is sort of cute but he's going out with one of Princess Tiffany's friends. They're both in the eighth grade so they probably don't even know we're alive. Most of the time they just hang out with Tiffany and her princess gang, Krystal, Chantelle and Kaitlyn. They're the prettiest and most popular girls in the eighth grade and boy, do they know it! They're also the dumbest. I'm sure their boobs have developed quicker than their brain cells.
My mom says that will happen to me too soon, but believe me, I am quite happy to wait a bit longer for that major milestone to occur. It will just mean having to put one more piece of uncomfortable underwear on and having something jingle up and down while you're running. And having boys gawk at you! Not to mention the embarrassment of slipping on a bikini at the beach.
Last Friday when we were slurping our smoothies, competing to see who could blow the most bubbles out of the cup, Tiffany and her princess gang were mingling in the corner making all the boys drool over their hamburgers. Even James, the most sensible of all the eighth graders was hanging in there trying to sneak in a funny joke, trying to get a laugh. It was sickening.
Why do boys have to go all 'goo ga' just because a girl is pretty and wears fancy clothes? On the football field some of these boys are so rough and macho, but around Lady Tiffany and her princesses in waiting, they become like gooey green slime, dripping through her fingers waiting for her to hand out morsels of her time.
This day was different though. Something was not quite the same with the princess gang. As I looked over at them, trying to pretend I was looking elsewhere, I tried to figure out what was different. It wasn't until I was riding home Friday afternoon, that I realised what it was.
Friday 17th October
Dear Diary and whoever else who wants to stick their nose in my business (yes Dan, I mean you),
Today I found out why I am here. I don't mean why I am here in this bedroom, or in this town or anything. Ok I'm not making sense am I? What I mean is, why I am here, in this life epoch, and what my next main mission is.
I wish you had a name diary so I didn't have to keep calling you diary. What's a good name for a diary though? Deborah diary, Denise diary, Di, Debbie, well I suppose you could be a Damien Diary. But definitely NOT a Dan diary. No I think you're a girl diary- Debbie diary, that's gonna be it!
Debbie, my next target in this epoch is just a young girl like myself. She's in the eighth grade and she lives in my
street. Her name is Kaitlyn. I think she's in trouble, but she doesn't know it yet!!
After we had left Koolbar, Mishy had been dinking me home on her bike. Yeah I know we're not supposed to do that, but at least we had our helmets on. It looked hilarious with Mishy pedalling like crazy lugging me behind on the seat. It would have been easier if she'd contorted herself into the carry basket and I could have chauffeured her home.
As we turned onto my street, we just about did a face plant onto the sidewalk because some dumb person had left their bike jutting out from behind a tree. I could see Mishy lose control as she tried to steer the bike away from the offending wheel. I closed my eyes and chanted the sacred spell of safety in my head as quickly as I could. Sacred rule 352: only use the powers you have for safety of self or others. In a nano second, actually it was more like a mini nano, micro second, I could see Mishy and I doing an aerial somersault and being pinged like a sling shot off the bike, landing ungracefully in the gutter, probably head first into a steaming pile of dog poo.
Miraculously, (well not really, because I used my witch craft) Mishy was able to steer the bike to safety as her tyres magically ploughed through the bike on the ground. She kept saying over and over, "What just happened, what just happened? I thought we were dead!"
I said to her, "Its ok Mish, you saved our lives."
"Sorry guys," a timid voice popped out from behind the tree. "It was kind of lying against the tree when I left it. It must have fallen down. I hope you're both ok." As soon as I saw Kaitlyn sheepishly step out from behind the tree, it suddenly clicked as to what had been missing back at Koolbar. It was Kaitlyn. She wasn't there and she was always dutifully there with Tiffany.
Kaitlyn Ramsay was part of the princess gang, though she wasn't as fake as the rest of them. Every Friday the four of them always sat in a corner of Koolbar, slurping on their shakes and getting guys to slurp on their every word. I don't think I've ever been there on a Friday when the four of them weren't huddled up together batting eyelids and preening themselves, whispering and fussing. Which is why it seemed so strange when I didn't see her.
As she stood under the branches, the sun sprinkling filtered light onto her face, I could see that her normally creamy colored complexion was blotchy, and her eyes were red and hazy. Her makeup was streaky under her eye's with smudges of black casting shadows. She looked a little bit like Dracula's daughter meets prom queen Barbie, but she put on this big phony smile as though nothing was wrong. As if! Did she think we were born under a rock?
"So what's happening guys?" She tried to sound cheery.
"Nothing much, we're just on the way home from Koolbar," Mishy replied. "What about you? What are you doing hanging around a tree?"
"Yeah Kaitlyn, we didn't see you at Koolbar. What's the deal? You're always there on a Friday with the others." Kaitlyn's face crumpled momentarily when I questioned her, then just as quickly went a fake shade of happy again.
"Agh, I didn't really want to go today. I have aghh ?.some other things I want to do," she stuttered, searching for words.
"Like bird watching?" Mishy giggled.
"You didn't want to go? That's not like you Kaitlyn." I added.
"So are you two going straight home now?" Obvious change of subject from Kaitlyn.
"Yeah I have to babysit my kid brother while my mom and dad go out on their date night.
"Aren't your parents married?"
"Yes, they just like to have a date night once a week where they don't have to be bothered by us kids. Apparently they need a break from us every Friday. Wanna come over and chill with us? We've got three bags of candy."
"Is your brother going to be there?"
"Well yeah, I'm babysitting him remember."
"No, your older brother, Dan isn't it?"
"Who? Oh him, Sorry, I try to forget about him when I can."
"Why, he's really cute?" Kaitlyn was starting to look happier again, her mind obviously distracted from her previous thoughts.
"Cute!! Eewgh! I try not to put the words cute and Dan in the same sentence. It kind of makes me puke. But yes he'll be there, hopefully locked away in his bedroom so I don't have to see his big dopey face." Kaitlyn laughed at me ridiculing my brother in jest.
"Look guys, thanks for the invite, but I'd really better get going, I have some things to do."
"Are you ok Kait?" Mishy questioned, as Kaitlyn started on her bike.
"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" She was looking down to the ground so we couldn't see her expression.
"Oh nothing, it's just that you look??"
"Mishy." I interrupted. "We need to get going. I'm running late and Mom's going to kill me if Dad doesn't get to me first." Really, I just didn't feel right about pushing Kaitlyn into something she didn't want to say. I jumped on the back of the bike and held it up for Mishy to use her pedal power again. I felt sorry for her. I mean, I wasn't fat, but I wasn't exactly as light as fairy floss either. I looked back at Kaitlyn as she slowly rode off on her bike. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on and how I could help her.
Kaitlyn lived at the other end of my street and was usually a bubbly and popular girl in the eighth grade. But she had seemed different; withdrawn. I wasn't sure whether something bad had happened at school or whether she had problems at home that she didn't want to face. But whatever it was, I had an uneasy suspicion I was going to be needed.
Monday 20th October
Dear Debbie
Today I bumped into Kaitlyn on my way to science. I had to walk past where the eighth graders hang out. Some of the seventh graders don't like walking past that area and they go out of their way to avoid it. But I don't care, it doesn't worry me. If they want to stare and snigger they can. I pity them that they haven't got anything else to talk about. I should tell them to take a picture, it will last longer lol.
Anyway Kaitlyn was standing with the other princesses.
You know what dear Debbie diary? I think she snobbed me. I said hi to her and I'm not sure whether I missed it while I was blinking or whether she ignored me. Can you believe that? After Mishy and I actually felt sorry for her on Friday, and we chatted to her. I mean, seriously, she even said my brother was cute. I should have known then that she was a bit loopy.
Is it just me or does every-one find it really annoying when some kids like you one minute, and treat you like you're their BFF, and the next minute like you're their WEF. That's short for 'worst enemy forever'. Yeah I just made that one up. I might start a new trend.
Seriously I don't care if she doesn't like me and ignores me. I can deal with that, as long as she's consistent about it. I mean, I can't be liked by everyone, that would be like, really draining, being invited to all those parties all the time. But this 'friendly' one minute, 'ignoring' the next is really boring.
My mom, who thinks she knows everything, says it's probably because she's insecure about herself and that I should feel sorry for people like that and try and just treat them nicely. I don't know why Kaitlyn would be insecure when she's pretty, has heaps of friends (even if they are mean) and she's good at school. Unless there is something that is making her uneasy at home. I don't know what's going on with her. I'm a witch, not a psychologist.
6. To Stalk or not to Stalk
I didn't see Kaitlyn for the rest of the week at school or in my street which was really unusual. Usually Kaitlyn gets picked up by the princesses after school and they go off on their bikes or roller blades boy hunting. Chantelle and Krystal both have boyfriends but it doesn't stop them from going off flirting with the others.
I do basketball training with Krystal's boyfriend Josh. He is the assistant coach. I have no idea what he sees in Krystal. She may be pretty, but she's also pretty bossy. I don't think Kaitlyn has a boyfriend. I think she used to go out with Connor, but he seems to hang around with Chantelle a lot now. Typical boy, changing their girlfriends as much as they change their undies.
On Thursday after school, Mom asked me if I could deliver s
ome party invitations to the ladies in the street. "Oh great, can I ask some friends too Mom?"
"Ah NO, not a good idea," she retorted firmly.
"Why not? You always let me have friends when you have a party."
"We only have parties once every ten years Lily!" She laughed.
"Well I had friends to the last one didn't I?"
"LILY, this is not the type of party for your friends."
"Why not? They like any party, as long as there's food and drink."
"Because it's not a party, party. It's more of a sales meeting type party where people buy things."
"Oh I know, like those plastic container parties where Dad says you buy useless bits of plastic and pay ten times more than in the shops, and someone demonstrates muffins that turn out perfectly. But when you try it, they are never the same."
"Well yes, sort of I guess," Mom said rather hesitantly.
"So what are you selling Mom?"
"Nothing you'd be interested in."
"Why not? Of course I'm interested. I might want to buy some."
"Lily!"
"What?"
"Lingerie, if you must know!"
"What's lingerie?" I quizzed, puzzled.
"Clothing."
"Really? What sort of clothing?"
"Oh really Lily, you ask too many questions," Mom answered becoming exasperated. "Bras and undies and other stuff if you really must know."
"WHAT?" My mouth nearly fell onto the floor and hit the tiles at the thought. "Why would you want to be buying undies in public Mom? Eewghh! How embarrassing. What about Mrs Big Bum at number 56? She can't come and try on undies and bras in front of all our neighbors."