VooDoo Follies (13 page)

"Me too," she said. "Every day." Stephen's mom
handed me the prescription for my own mom, I paid, and we said our
good-byes. Stephen watched me leave without a word. I was at least
a little happy that he had finally been with his family. It didn't
stop me from missing him though. It took every bit of strength in
my heart to walk out of that pharmacy and to my car.

~...~

I walked in my house and put the prescriptions
on the counter in the kitchen. "Hey, Seraphine!" My mom called from
her bedroom. I walked back towards her room and poked my head in
the door. Roger was massaging my mom's shoulder for her, trying to
get the kinks out. In between wincing at what he was doing and
trying to ease her aching shoulder away from his hands, she looked
up at me. "I left some money on the counter, can you run by
Kastello's and grab a pizza for dinner? I just don't have it in me
to cook anything tonight."

"Sure mom." I walked back out of her room and
grabbed up the money that was sitting on the counter.

"Sera, use what's left for your gas
tank."

One look at the twenty dollar bill in my hand
told me it wouldn't mean that much to my gas tank. "Okay, anything
else?"

"No, I think that's it," my mom called and
then I heard her say, "Ow! That's enough, this hurts worse than
before."

By the time I got to Kastello's for pizza I
was worn out and fighting off a headache. Just as I reached for the
door it swung out to greet me, barely missing my nose. I jumped
back, and to my surprise, was greeted by that grin - the one I used
to look forward to seeing. Trevor was there, pizza box in hand,
holding the door for none other than Simone, the girl from my
English class who liked to date other people's boyfriends behind
their backs.

"I'm beginning to think you really are
stalking me." Trevor said as he started checking himself over. "I
don't see any pin holes. You left the voodoo doll at home this
time?"

Simone began laughing, and sounded like a
braying donkey as she did. When I turned my eyebrows up and gave
Simone the "what the hell was that" look, Trevor looked her way
too, frustrated that his date was less than perfect in the face of
the first girl he had asked out.

"Maybe not," I heard a familiar voice from
behind the door. I couldn't help it, that voice brought a smile to
my face. Trevor looked at me, annoyance gripping him in a vice, as
he walked around me.

"You can't blame THAT on a voodoo doll." I
said as I nodded my head toward Simone.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked as
Trevor grabbed hold of her arm and half drug her off to his
car.

"Never mind," was all he said to
her.

"I've been following him around, trying to
figure out what exactly you saw in him." Stephen was talking to me
as I walked to the counter, I didn't say a word. I had learned my
lesson about talking openly to ghosts in public. "When he's by
himself, he's not so bad. I think this is all bravado with him
trying to fit in at a new school."

I paid for my pizza and thanked the guy behind
the counter. It wasn't until I got to my car that I was able to
speak to Stephen again. "I wish I wasn't the object of his
bravado."

"I'm sorry, Seraphine."

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

"You know. I'm the reason you're being picked
on at school now."

"Picked on? Come on, what are we five again?"
I laughed half-heartedly and then the tears were there, threatening
to spill over, once again. "I missed you," I whispered as I started
the car and drove off toward my house.

"I know," Stephen said, "I missed you
too."

I wiped away my tears and remembered seeing
him at the pharmacy earlier, "you went to see your mom."

"I was following Trevor. When he stopped
there, I had to go see her." We sat in silence the rest of the way
to my house. I was beaming inside because Stephen was back. It's
funny how just having him around gave me that feeling of
contentment. "He really likes you still, you know." The sudden
outburst from Stephen startled me as much as his words confused
me.

"What are you talking about?"

"Trevor."

"Yeah, well I think you missed the part in
school where he mocks me with hand drawn voodoo dolls and laughs
about it with the rest of the class." I put the car in park and
grabbed the pizza, ready to just take it in the house and be done
with this crazy day.

"I'm serious, Seraphine. I told you, I was
following him. He talks to himself a lot."

"Well, his kindergarten approach to things
isn't getting him anywhere is it?" I said as I got out of the car.
"Are you coming in? My mom's been worried about you too, you
know."

"Sure. I can come in for a while."

I smiled. I couldn't help myself. I had
Stephen back. Even if Trevor wanted to continue treating me like a
pariah, I had my best friend. "Mom, we have company for dinner." I
shouted as I walked through the house. My mom came out of her room
with Roger in tow. She smiled brightly at Stephen, while Roger just
looked around quizzically.

"I thought you said we had company,
Seraphine?" Stephen walked over to Roger and held his hand up close
to Roger's face. We all watched as Roger shivered visibly and
backed a step away. "Oh! That kind of guest." Roger said, his face
going a little pale.

"Don't worry, it's Stephen. He's just showing
off." Stephen turned his grinning face toward me, his hair
cascading down across his eyes as he did.

"So, you two have worked out whatever drama
kept you apart then?" My mom was never one to be subtle. She winced
as she reached for pizza, but waited for a reply from either of
us.

"We did," I said.

"What's wrong, Angelique?" Stephen
asked.

"Oh, nothing, I just pulled a muscle or
something in my shoulder." She took her pizza over to the table and
sat down gingerly, turning at the waist to look back at us, since
she couldn't move her neck much without it hurting. Stephen walked
over to her and placed his hand up over her neck and then down
across her shoulder. My mom's stiff stature appeared to flow away
and a look of complete and utter relief washed over her. "Stephen!"
She looked up at him, then over to me. "I felt tingling and then it
was all gone, the pain and stiffness are gone
completely."

"I don't know if it's permanent or just
temporary, like a spirit aspirin or something. I noticed it worked
on my mom's headache the other day." Stephen shrugged.

"Wow," I said as I watched my mom and Stephen,
awestruck.

"Wow - what? What did I miss?" Roger was
asking. My mom explained to him what had just happened while I got
my food and sat down.

***

The Accidental Spell

I went to school the next day as usual.
Stephen had other things to do and bowed out. I could understand.
If I didn't have to sit through another day of Mr. Maybach's
droning on and on about the classics and how today's literature was
crap in comparison - I wouldn't either.

"Psst" I heard as I sat down in my seat. I
ignored it, thinking maybe it was another volley of torment about
to be hurdled my way by my Neanderthal classmates. "Psst, hey,
Sera..." It was Tina. I turned to look at her as she clamored
closer to my desk, sitting in the seat behind me that Trevor used
to occupy. "Hey, has anything strange been happening to you
lately?"

"My whole life is strange. You might want to
be a little more specific," I whispered back to her.

"Have you been running into anyone in
particular since you left my house the other day?"

I turned and looked at her as I responded, "I
ran into Trevor several times yesterday and..." I stopped myself
short before mentioning Stephen's name and then I noticed the gleam
in Tina's eye, and knew she was up to no good."Oh, no! What did you
do, Tina?"

"I just..."

"Ladies, if you don't mind, I'd like to start
class now." Mr Maybach was not in a great mood today. "I have some
important things to go over with you."

"After class," I whispered back to Tina, who
simply nodded in affirmation.

Mr. Mayback continued on from his desk, "I
have some tragic news, actually. Many of you know Mr. Daniels,
umm," he conferred with his note and then added, "Trevor." Mr.
Maybach now had my full attention. "He was in an accident yesterday
and is in the hospital in critical condition. His family asks that
you all respect their privacy at this time, and they will let you
know when he is well enough to accept visitors." Mr Maybach seemed
uncomfortable delivering the news, he fidgeted with the paper in
his hands and then added, "I have also been told to inform you that
counselors are available in the office, should anyone have a hard
time with this news." He put the paper down, and I watched as he
pulled out the book we were supposed to be starting today. I stared
at him in utter silence and shock as the rumblings of conversation
began to spring up all around me. The tapping on my shoulder, from
Tina was a bit unexpected, making me jump up in my seat.

"Sorry," she whispered. "Are you
alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Seraphine, he's the one you kept running
into. You just said it yourself. I cast a spell..."

"You did what?"

"I know you didn't want me to, but I...
well... I thought if it worked you would... I don't know, be happy.
It was just a spell to find your true love. It was harmless. It
just makes you bump into the person repeatedly, so that you both
begin to realize..."

"Stop." I was turned fully around in my seat,
ignoring the warnings being shouted from the front of the class
that we must quiet down and get to work.

"I just thought."

"Stop," I repeated, this time rather loudly.
"I can't believe after what I told you... ugghh, I can't believe
you did this. I certainly hope him being in the hospital isn't your
fault!" I had gotten loud, and certainly someone in the class had
just overheard me blame Tina for Trevor's condition. I got up,
slung my book bag over my shoulder, and walked out of class with an
angry Mr. Maybach trailing behind demanding to know where I was
going.

"Counselor." I answered.

"Well, this wasn't the way to go about that,
Seraphine!"

"Sorry, I'm..." I couldn't think of the words
to express what I was. Tears began flowing down my cheeks. I hadn't
cried so much in all my life as I had over the past few weeks. This
was beginning to be ridiculous.

"Go," Mr. Maybach said upon seeing my tears.
At least they were proving useful this time, instead of just being
an embarrassment. Mr Maybach went back to class and I walked right
out of the school, bypassing the counselors who were supposed to be
there to help me through this trying time. I was rounding the
corner to the parking lot when I saw Stephen. He took one look at
me and said, "I guess you heard then?"

"Yeah. What happened?"

"I don't know how it happened, but he's in a
coma right now." I watched as Stephen's eyes grew wider and his
expression slackened into one of pure shock at what he was seeing
over my shoulder, so I turned around and there was
Trevor.

"Holy crap! Did you get discharged from the
hospital? They made it sound really bad in school." I was rambling,
and I think Trevor had the same look of shock on his face that
Stephen was wearing only moments ago. "Trevor?"

"He's like me, Sera." Stephen said
quietly.

"He's what?" I turned and looked at Trevor
again.

"You can see me?" Trevor asked
quietly.

"Of course I can see you." It dawned on me, a
little late as usual, "Oh! Oh! I have some things to explain to
you." I looked around and noticed a few more people heading out to
the parking lot. Apparently, I wasn't the only person who was going
to be ditching school today. I was, however, the only person who
could see the two guys I was talking to so I thought better about
saying anything else out loud. I dropped my head and started toward
my car again, whispering as I went. "Can we go somewhere else to
talk before I get even freakier in the eyes of everyone at
school?"

I held my car door open, pretending to look
for something in my purse while I did it. Trevor and Stephen both
climbed in the back seat and sat there waiting while I got in,
started the car, and drove home.

"So, this guy is dead?" Trevor was pointing to
Stephen who sat beside him.

"Yes," I said simply.

"Did you kill him?"

"NO!" I looked back in the rear view mirror in
time to see Stephen giving Trevor one of those, 'don't be stupid'
looks.

"I'm dead now too, then?"

"I don't think so," I said, remembering the
fact that Trevor's body was still sitting in the hospital in a
coma. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I got in my car, headed to your
house..."

I cut him off, "my house? why?"