Be Careful What You Wish For (5 page)

I stared at her. My mouth dropped open in horror. “They’re gone?”

“They’re gone for at least a week,” Audrey said. She bent to lock the office door.

“They —
what?”
I squeaked.

She had trouble pulling the key from the lock. “They went to the doctor,” she repeated. “Their moms called this morning. They’re very sick. Both girls have the flu or something. They felt weak. Too weak to come to school.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. I was glad Audrey had been concentrating on the door lock, so she hadn’t seen the horrified look on my face.

Audrey hurried off down the hall. As soon as she was out of sight, I slumped against the wall. “At least they’re not
dead,”
I moaned. “She scared me to death!”

Cory shook his head. “Audrey scared me, too,” he confessed. “See? Judith and Anna just have the flu. I’m sure the doctors —”

“They don’t have the flu,” I insisted. “They’re weak because of my wish.”

“Call them later,” he suggested. “You’ll see. They’ll probably be much better.”

“I can’t wait till later,” I said in a trembling voice. “I have to do something, Cory. I have to do something to keep them from getting weaker and weaker until they shrivel up and die!”

“Calm down, Sam —”

I started pacing back and forth in front of him. Some kids came hurrying by on their way to their lockers. Someone called to me, but I didn’t reply.

“We’ve got to get to class,” Cory said. “I think you’re getting all weird over nothing, Sam. If you wait till tomorrow —”

“She said I had three wishes!” I exclaimed, not hearing a word Cory was saying. “I only used one.”

“Sam —” Cory shook his head disapprovingly.

“I’ve got to find her!” I decided. “I’ve got to find that strange woman. Don’t you see? I can wish to have the first wish undone. She
said
I get three wishes. So my second wish can be to erase the first!”

This idea was starting to make me feel a lot better.

But then Cory brought me back down into my gloom with one question:

“How are you going to find her, Sam?”

I thought about Cory’s question all afternoon. I barely heard a word anyone said to me.

We had a vocab test near the end of the day. I stared at the words as if they were in Martian!

After a while, I heard Lisa, my English teacher, calling my name. She was standing right in front of me, but I don’t think I heard her until her fifth or sixth try.

“Are you okay, Samantha?” she asked, leaning over me. I knew she was wondering why I hadn’t started my test.

“I feel a little sick,” I replied quietly. “I’ll be okay.

I’ll be okay as soon as I find that weird woman and get her to erase her spell!

But where will I find her?
I wondered.
Where?

After school, I reported to the gym for basketball
practice. Everyone on my team was absent, so practice was canceled.

Absent because of me …

I trudged upstairs to my locker and retrieved my down jacket. As I slammed the door and locked it, I had an idea.

The woods. Jeffers’ Woods.

That’s where I’d found Clarissa.

I’ll bet I can find her there again.

Maybe it
’
s her secret meeting place
, I thought.

Maybe she’ll be waiting for me there.

Of course,
she will!
I told myself, giving myself a pep talk. Why did it take me so long to think of this? It made perfect sense.

Humming to myself, I started jogging to the door. The hallway was nearly empty.

I stopped when I saw a familiar figure in the doorway. “Mom!”

“Hi, Sam.” She waved to me, even though I was standing right in front of her. She had a red- and-white wool cap pulled over her short blond hair, and she was wearing the tattered red ski jacket she always wears.

She hadn’t been skiing in years. But she liked dressing like a ski bum.

“Mom — what are you doing here?” I cried, not meaning it to sound as unfriendly as it did. I was eager to get to my bike and ride to Jeffers’ Woods. I didn’t need
her
here!

“You didn’t forget about your appointment with Dr. Stone?” she asked, waving her car keys in her hand.

“The orthodontist? Today?” I cried. “I
can’t!”

“You have to,” she replied sternly, tugging the arm of my jacket. “You know how hard it is to get in to see Dr. Stone.”

“But I don’t
want
braces!” I cried, realizing I was sounding a little shrill, a little babyish.

“Maybe you won’t need them,” Mom said, pulling me to the door. “Maybe you can get by with just a retainer. We’ll do whatever Dr. Stone says.”

“But Mom — I — I —” I searched my mind for an excuse. “I can’t go with you. I have my bike here!” I cried desperately.

“Go get it. We’ll put it in the trunk,” she replied without blinking.

I had no choice. I had to go with her. Sighing loudly, I pushed open the door and hurried past her toward the bike racks.

I found out I’m going to be wearing braces for at least the next six months. I had another apppointment with Dr. Stone the next week to have them put on.

I suppose I should have been upset about it. But it was hard to think about braces with Judith, Anna, and the other girls on my mind.

I kept picturing them wasting away, getting thinner and thinner, weaker and weaker. I kept seeing this terrifying image in my mind. I was in the gym, dribbling the ball back and forth, faster and faster. And Judith, Anna, and the others were lying flat on their backs on the bleachers, trying to watch but too weak to hold their heads up.

That night after dinner, I was feeling so guilty, I called Judith to see how she was feeling. I think it was the first time in my life I had ever called her.

Mrs. Bellwood answered. She sounded tired and tense. “Who is this?” she asked.

I had a sudden impulse to hang up. But I told her, “It’s Samantha Byrd. I’m a friend from school.”

Some friend.

“I don’t think Judith can come to the phone,” she replied. “She’s just so weak.”

“Did the doctor say what —?” I started.

“I’ll ask Judith if she wants to talk,” Mrs. Bellywood interrupted. I could hear Judith’s little brother shouting something in the background. And I could hear cartoon music from their TV. “Don’t stay on too long,” she instructed.

“Hello?” Judith answered in a faint, little-girl voice.

“Oh. Hi, Judith. It’s me. Sam,” I said, trying not to sound nervous.

“Sam?” Again the faint voice, nearly a whisper.

“Sam Byrd,” I stammered. “I — I just wondered how you were feeling.”

“Sam, did you cast a spell on us?” Judith asked.

I gasped.
How did she know?

“Judith — what do you mean?” I sputtered.

“All the girls are sick except for you,” Judith replied. “Anna is sick. And so is Arlene. And Krista.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean —” I started.

“So I think you cast a spell on us,” Judith interrupted.

Was she joking? I couldn’t tell.

“I just hope you feel better,” I mumbled awkwardly. I could hear Mrs. Bellwood in the background telling Judith she should get off the phone.

So I said good-bye and hung up. I was grateful it was a short conversation. But I couldn’t decide if Judith was kidding or not about my casting a spell.

Her voice was really weak. She sounded so weary and lifeless.

I felt angry that she had accused me, joke or no joke. That was so typical of Judith. Finding a
way to make me angry even when I was calling to be nice.

But I also felt guilty. Whether Judith had guessed it or not, I
had
cast a spell on her and the others.

And now I had to find a way to have the spell removed.

The next morning, two seats in my class were empty again. Judith and Anna were both absent.

At lunch, I asked Cory if he wanted to come with me after school to go searching for the strange woman.

“No way!” he cried, shaking his head. “She’ll probably turn me into a frog or something!”

“Cory — can’t you take this seriously?” I screamed. Several kids turned to look.

“Give me a break,” Cory muttered, blushing under his Orlando Magic cap.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” I told him. “I’m really stressed out — you know?”

He still refused to keep me company. He made up a lame excuse about having to help his mother clean the basement.

Who cleans the basement in the middle of winter?

Cory pretended he didn’t believe my story about the woman and the three wishes. But I had the feeling that maybe he was a little afraid.

I was afraid, too. Afraid I wouldn’t find her.

After school, I jumped on my bike and began pedaling toward Jeffers’ Woods.

It was a gray, blustery day. Enormous dark clouds rolled rapidly over the sky, threatening rain, maybe snow.

It’s a lot like the day I ran into Clarissa,
I thought. For some reason, that fact encouraged me.

Some kids in my class waved to me and called out. But I rode past them, leaning over the handlebars, shifting gears to pick up speed.

A few minutes later, Montrose Avenue curved away from the houses that lined both sides, and the bare trees of the woods came into view.

The tall trees formed a dark wall, darker than the charcoal sky above.

“She’s got to be here, got to be here,” I repeated in rhythm with my pedaling feet.

Got to be here, got to be here.

My heart nearly leaped out of my chest when I saw her, huddled low at the edge of the road. Waiting for me.

“Hi!” I called out. “Hi! It’s me!”

Why didn’t she answer?

As I pedaled closer, my heart pounding happily, I saw that she had her back turned to me.

She had changed her outfit. She was wearing a purple wool beret and a long black coat down nearly to her ankles.

I screeched my bike to a halt a few feet behind her, my tires skidding over the pebbly road. “I need to make another wish!” I called breathlessly.

She turned, and I gasped.

I stared into a face full of freckles, a young-looking face framed by short, curly blond hair.

“I’m sorry. What did you say?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at me, her expression bewildered.

“I — I’m sorry,” I stammered, feeling my face turn hot. “I — I thought you were someone else.”

It was a different woman.

I felt so embarrassed, I just wanted to die!

Behind her, I saw two blond-haired kids tossing a Frisbee back and forth at the edge of the woods. “Tommy — don’t throw it so hard. Your sister can’t catch it!” the woman instructed.

Then she turned back to me. “What did you say about wishes? Are you lost?” she asked, studying my face with concern.

I knew I was still blushing, but I couldn’t help it. “No. I thought you were —” I started.

“Tommy — go chase it yourself!” she shouted to her little boy. The two kids started squabbling. She hurried over to settle it.

“Sorry I bothered you,” I called. “Bye.” I turned my bike around and started pedaling rapidly toward home.

I was embarrassed that I’d said such a stupid thing to a total stranger. But mainly I was disappointed.

I really had expected the strange woman to be there.

Where else could she be?
I asked myself.

I remembered that I had shown her the way to Madison Road.
Maybe,
I decided,
I will get lucky and run into her there.

It was a real long shot. But I was desperate.

I turned my bike around and made my way to Madison. The wind had picked up, and my face began to feel cold and raw. I was riding against the wind, and the sharp cold was making my eyes water.

Even through the blur, I could see that the woman was not hanging around on Madison, waiting for me to show up.

Two mangy brown mutts trotted side by side across the street, their heads bowed against the wind. They were the only living creatures I saw.

I rode slowly back and forth a few times, my eyes searching the rambling old houses of the neighborhood.

A total waste of time.

I was completely frozen. My ears and nose tingled with numbness. My watering eyes sent cold tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Give up, Sam,” I instructed myself aloud.

The sky darkened. The storm clouds hovered low above the shivering trees.

Feeling miserable and defeated, I turned and headed for home. I was pedaling furiously down the center of the street, trying to keep my bike upright in the gusting wind.

I stopped when Judith’s house came into view. It was a long, low, redwood ranch-style house set back from the street on a wide, sloping front lawn.

Maybe I’ll stop for a minute and see how Judith is doing
, I decided.

It’ll give me a chance to get warm, too,
I thought. I reached up a hand and felt my nose. Totally numb.

Shivering, I rode up the driveway and lowered my bike to the ground. Then, trying to rub some feeling into my poor nose, I jogged up the walk and rang the bell.

Mrs. Bellwood seemed very surprised to see a visitor. I told her who I was and that I just happened to be riding by. “How is Judith feeling?” I asked, shivering.

“About the same,” she replied with a worried sigh. She had Judith’s green eyes, but her hair was nearly entirely gray.

She led me into the hallway, which felt toasty and warm. The house smelled of roasting chicken. I suddenly realized I was hungry.

“Judith! You have a visitor!” Mrs. Bellwood shouted up the stairs.

I heard a weak reply, but couldn’t make out the words.

“Go on up,” Judith’s mother said, putting a hand on the shoulder of my coat. “You look so cold,” she added, shaking her head. “Be careful, dear. You don’t want to get sick, too.”

I climbed the stairs and found Judith’s room at the end of the hall. I hesitated at the doorway and peered in.

The room was dimly lit. I could see Judith lying in bed, on top of the quilt, her head propped up on several pillows. Books and magazines and a couple of school notebooks were scattered over the bed.
But Judith wasn’t reading. She was just staring straight ahead.

“Stork?” she cried, seeing me in the doorway.

I entered the room, forcing a smile to my face. “How are you feeling?” I asked softly.

“What are
you
doing here?” she asked coldly. Her voice was hoarse.

“I — I was riding my bike, and —” I stammered, staying by the door. I was startled by her anger.

“Riding your bike? In this cold?” With great effort, she pulled herself up to a sitting position. Leaning against the headboard, she glared at me suspiciously.

“I just wondered how you were,” I muttered.

“Why don’t you just fly away, Byrd!” she growled nastily.

“Huh?”

“You
are
a witch — aren’t you!” she accused.

I couldn’t believe she was saying these things. I was stunned. Shocked! It was no joke. I could see clearly that she was serious!

“You
did
cast a spell on us. I know it!”

“Judith — please,” I cried. “What are you
saying?”

“We did a unit on witches in social studies last year,” she said in her hoarse voice. “We studied spells and things.”

“That’s crazy!” I insisted.

“You were jealous of me, Sam. Of me and Anna and everyone else,” Judith accused.

“So?” I cried angrily.

“So, all of a sudden all the girls on the team feel weak and sick. Except for you, Sam. You feel fine — right?”

“Judith, listen to me —” I pleaded.

“You’re a witch, Sam!” she screamed, her weak voice breaking. She started to cough.

“Judith, you’re talking like a crazy person,” I insisted. “I’m not a witch. How could I be a witch? I’m sorry you’re sick. Really, I am. But —”

“You’re a witch! You’re a witch!” Judith chanted, her voice a shrill whisper. “I’ve talked to all the girls. They all agree. You’re a witch. A witch!”

I was so furious, I thought I’d explode. I had my hands balled into tight fists. My head was throbbing.

Judith had been talking to all the other girls, spreading this story that I was a witch. How could she do such a crazy thing?

“A witch! You’re a witch!” she continued to chant.

I was so upset, I totally lost it. “
Judith
—” I shrieked. “
I — I never would have done it to you if you hadn’t been so horrible to me!”

I realized immediately that I’d made a terrible mistake.

I had just admitted to her that I
was
responsible for her being sick.

I had just blurted out that I
was
a witch!

But I was so furious, I didn’t care.

“I
knew
it!” Judith croaked in her hoarse voice, her green eyes glowing excitedly, pointing an accusing finger at me.

“What’s going on here? What’s all the shouting?” Judith’s mother appeared in the room, her eyes flashing back and forth between Judith and me.

“She’s a witch! A witch!” Judith screamed.

“Judith — your voice! Stop!” Mrs. Bellwood cried, running to the bed. She turned back to me. “I think Judith is delirious. She — she’s saying such crazy things. Please don’t pay attention. She —”

“She’s a witch! She admitted it! She’s a witch!” Judith shrieked.

“Judith — please. Please, you have to calm down. You have to save your strength,” Mrs. Bellwood pleaded.

“I’m sorry. I’ll go now,” I said sharply.

I darted out of the room and ran down the stairs and out of the house as fast as I could.

“A witch! A witch!”
Judith’s hoarse chant followed me out.

I was so angry, so hurt, so humiliated, I felt about to explode. “I wish Judith would
disappear
!” I screamed. “I really do!”

“Very well. That shall be your second wish,” said a voice behind me.

I spun around to see the strange woman standing at the side of the house, her long black hair fluttering behind her in the gusting wind. She held the glowing red ball high. Her eyes glowed as red as the ball.

“I shall cancel your first wish,” she said in her shaky old lady’s voice. “And I shall grant your second.”