A Witch Like No Other (47 page)

“
See,
that’
s Miriam- let go of me.”
Dreamer pushed him away, laughing as she went and opened the front
door to her friend. “Hello Miriam.”

“
Dreamer,”
Miriam said, beaming at her. “How have you been?”

“
Fine, fine-
come inside.”

“
Are you
ok?”

“
What? Oh-
I’
m fine.”

“
You’
re all out of breath,
though.”

“
Because of
Ted!” said Dreamer, laughing as Ted popped his head around the door
of the living room with a sly grin on his face.

“
Hey Miriam.
All set for dinner later on?”

“
Um… yes, I
brought a change of clothes in the car.” Miriam smiled nervously,
then she looked at Dreamer. “Is Baby Julian asleep?”

“
Yes,” Dreamer
said, as the baby called “Mummy!”

“
Well, he was,”
Dreamer said grudgingly, as Julian called again.

“
Mummy!”

“
I’
ll go and get him,”
Miriam offered, and Dreamer nodded.

“
Minnyam!”

“
Yep,
he’
s in good hands,” Ted said
thoughtfully. “Ready?”

“
Where’
d it
go?”

“
It’
s in an invisible
pocket,” Dreamer replied. “Shall we?”

“
Yep.”

“
Have a nice
time!” Miriam called, at the foot of the stairs with Baby Julian in
one arm. He sensed Mummy was going… with the stranger.

“
Mummy, where
you go?”

“
Across the
road, sweetie. To Barbara’
s
house.”

Baby Julian reached to her, mouth trembling.
Dreamer
’
s heart melted, and she felt like cancelling lunch and
staying with her baby. Stepping closer, she took him off Miriam as
tears trailed down his cheeks.

“
Don’
t cry, baby.
I
’
ll
be back soon.”

“
Soon?” he
repeated, not knowing what that meant. “What soon mean?”

“
I wont be
long. Don’
t cry honey,
you
’
ll
make Mummy cry too.”

“
Why
don’
t we take him with us?”
Ted suggested. “Miriam can let in Pandora and Marlon- if she
doesn
’
t want to come too?” he added hastily, when Dreamer glared
at him. Miriam smiled and shook her head.

“
I’
ll let in Pandora and
Marlon for you. It
’
s already a quarter to three.”

“
This is a very
late lunch, then,” Dreamer said, conjuring a tiny pair of trainers
for Baby Julian. His tiny puff coat sailed out of his wardrobe, out
of his room and downstairs, Dreamer catching it easily.

“
Are you sure
he needs that?” Ted asked. “I mean, it’
s only across the-”

“
I cant risk
him getting a cold, Ted.”

“
Honestly
Dreamer, you worry so much over him,” she murmured, as Baby Julian
giggled, squirming at her gentle touch on his feet.

“
I bet you
looked just like Julian when you was a baby, Dream.”

“
Yep,” said
Miriam, while she wondered if Ted had always called Dreamer
‘
Dream’, just how
she
had always called him Teddy.

“
You
shouldn’
t be drooling like
that,” she said, shaking her head at him as a dummy appeared. Baby
Julian grabbed it happily, Dreamer looking into the eyes that
mirrored her own. “No running around at Barbara
’
s, ok honey? You can
take your teddy with you.”

“
Back soon,”
Ted added to Miriam, who nodded.

“
Mummy, what
those?” asked Baby Julian, reaching for Dreamer’
s earrings. Dreamer caught his hand gently,
saying “My jewellery, baby.”

“
Oh,” he said,
gazing at them. “They nice, Mummy.”

“
Thank you
sweetie.”

She couldn
’
t wait to see Pandora again.

Pandora felt a little miserable as Alice linked arms with
her. Though it hadn
’
t been as if she
’
d been speaking to him
constantly for ages, she kept remembering when her and James had
been inseparable in primary school. And a bit of secondary
school.

“
Pandora, are
you even listening to me?” demanded Alice, pouting.

“
I miss him,”
Pandora mumbled, and her face softened.

“
Shall we go to
the Sports Building? He should be finishing now.”

“
But I cant
talk to him, can I, because Marlon’
s going to be there.”

“
I’
ll distract Marlon,”
Alice said quickly, and Pandora raised an eyebrow. Alice smiled,
saying “What? I
’
m not even going to lie to you-”

“
You like my
brother.”

“
I think
he’
s cute,” Alice said,
shrugging. “That
’
s all.”

“
You know,
normally I’
d be mad at you,
but I guess that
’
s being a bit of a hypocrite,” Pandora said. “I like
his friend, he likes my friend-”

“
Marlon cant
stand me,” Alice answered, and Pandora smirked.

“
He acts like
it because he doesn’
t want to
get rejected. I can tell he likes you, he used to look at Janice
the same way before I clocked.”

“
Mmm,” Alice
answered. “So is it ok to tell Marlon about you and-”

“
No!
He’
ll kill James,” Pandora
said, quickly filling her in about Marlon and his accurate crystal
ball. “I had to scarper real quick.”

“
I get that,
but up a tree?” Alice couldn’
t
believe what she just heard. “Boy, you must be quick on your
feet.”

“
I am,” Pandora
answered. “So… should we go to the Sports Building?”

“
Yes,
lets.”

“
Marlon, tell
her I’
m not interested!” James
said angrily, as Cindy smirked at him. “We broke up ages
ago-”

“
I lied, ok
bro? We broke up at least six months ago!”

“
No wonder I
haven’
t seen you,” Marlon said
to Cindy, smiling broadly as Alice and Pandora turned the corner.
“Don
’
t
listen to him, he
’
s been missing you. He told me he missed you about
three days ago.”

“
I know he
misses me, because I miss him too.”

“
Aaaah,” said
Marlon, amused as James smiled a little. “See,
he’
s smiling! Cindy, how about
we go out at the weekend?”

“
Ok, sure.
Marlon, aren’
t you going to
grow?” Cindy laughed as she looked up at him.
“You
’
ve been the same since high school!”

“
Don’
t start on me!”
Marlon said, making her laugh again. “Focus on your man, and slap
him for staring at your- hey
‘
Dora!”

“
Pandora! What
are you doing here?”

“
Waiting for
Marlon like I always do,” Pandora said smoothly, Marlon saying “You
remember Cindy, don’
t
you
‘
Dora? James
’
s girl!”

It
’
s a wonder Cindy kept smiling, James thought nervously. The
look Pandora gave her was so cold he swore the temperature went
down.

“
Hi.”

“
Hey Pandora!”
said Cindy, smiling at her. “I haven’
t seen you in ages!”

Pandora shrugged. “I don
’
t really speak to anyone
from high school anymore.”
Including you!
“How come
you’
re here at
Forest?”

“
I just came to
talk to my man,” Cindy answered as she kissed
James’
s neck.
“He
’
s
been missing me, haven
’
t you Jamie?”

“
Wow,
you’
re nearly as tall as
James!” exclaimed Cindy, Pandora countering “You
’
re nearly as
small
as-”

James coughed loudly, saying “Cindy! Let
’
s go, ok?”

“
She’
s Cindy?” she
whispered. “She
’
s really pretty.”

“
She’
s a flea in a short
skirt,” Pandora answered, and Alice burst out laughing. Marlon
struggled to keep a straight face for Cindy
’
s sake, but even James
was biting his lip to stop himself from laughing.

Cindy glared at Pandora, taking James
’
s hand.

“
I thought
you’
d be glad to see me again,
Pandora!”

“
I’
m glad to see
you
’
ve
grown a centimetre,” Pandora answered flatly, and James burst out
laughing with Marlon, who said “Cindy, don
’
t worry-
she
’
s
not in a good mood or something. What happened, Pandora? Did a guy
try and get your number?”

“
James,
I’
m gone. I
’
ll see you later,
Cindy.”

“
Bye,” Cindy
answered, James casually saying “Bye Alice, Pandora.”

“
Bye,” they
answered, Pandora’
s eyes
resting on his for a moment before she turned and walked away,
Marlon following her with Alice behind. Cindy watched them go, then
she looked down at herself.

“
Oh! She hates
pink, I forgot! Pandora!” she called, and Pandora glanced over her
shoulder at her as she walked, not even stopping. “I forgot about
the pink, I’
ll wear blue next
time! Is that ok?”

Pandora hadn
’
t even acknowledged the colour until she
mentioned it.

“
Wear what you
want, I’
m not
bothered.”

“
Well, I know
you don’
t like pink and…”
Cindy swung on James
’
s arm as she spoke, holding tighter when James
tried to pull away. Pandora stopped walking, watching the Barbie
doll speak. “And I remember that time Janice came to school in
pink, and you didn
’
t speak to her for like… the whole day until she got
home and took it off… how is she, anyway?”

Pandora
’
s green eyes seemed to darken as she stared at her,
Cindy
’
s smile fading as James blurted “It
’
s not what it looks
like- I swear, it isn
’
t-”

“
What’
s not what it looks
like?” Cindy said, looking up at him. “Pink?”