Witch Ball - BK 3 (16 page)

Soon we were leaving Sheridan Valley and on
the freeway headed north. K.C. had a job at a
super Wal-Mart. According to his sister, he stocked
shelves.

Entering the well-lit store felt like going from
night into day. I was surprised to find so many customers this late. I'd expected the store to be quiet like the school halls after hours, but instead all kinds
of people were shopping, even mothers pushing little kids in carts.

After asking around, we headed to the rear of
the store and entered a door marked Employees
Only.

"Target sighted," Manny said in a low voice.

I recognized K.C. right away. He wore a uniform with a store logo and name badge. He was
stacking boxes with his back turned to us. Manny
and I whispered together, deciding that I would go
forward while Manny circled around and blocked
K.C. from running again.

While Manny slipped behind some boxes, I
watched K.C. as he worked, paying close attention
to his aura. He moved with his head down, his
brown hair falling across his face. I expected to see
bland colors, but he glowed with soft, lovely pastels, much brighter than the average person.

Cautiously, I stepped forward and spoke gently, "Hi K.C."

He turned, panic flaring on his face and I could
tell he was ready to run. So I offered a comforting
smile and said quickly, "Wait. Please don't go."

"What do you want?" He clutched a box.

"To talk to you."

"I got nothing to say. Leave me alone."

"I'll leave as soon as you answer one question,"
I spoke gently.

But he was sharp with suspicion. "What
question?"

"About the school carnival. You were there,
weren't you?"

"Maybe I was, what's it to you?"

"You went to Mystic Manny."

His eyes narrowed. "That's why you look so
familiar. I saw you with Mystic Manny. Why were
you chasing me?"

"So we could talk about his prediction for
you.

"Really?" he asked curiously. "That's all he
wants?"

I nodded solemnly.

"Well . . . okay." He relaxed his grip on the
box, setting it on the floor. "I felt bad about ditching Manny. I respect him and all-I just don't want
him writing about me."

"He won't," I assured.

"Better not. I like things private."

I nodded, understanding this all too well.

"I'll take my lunch break early, so we can talk
somewhere quieter." He raised his voice as the
ground rumbled and a mini-forklift roared by.

It seemed weird to take a lunch break at night.
Since K.C. seemed more relaxed now, I confessed
that Manny was waiting nearby.

"He's here?"

"Yeah. We came together."

"Well ... okay. But he better not use his mystic powers on me."

Powers? It took all my control not to laugh. I
thought maybe he was joking until I looked at his
expression. Totally serious.

"Manny won't do anything mystic." I lifted
my hand solemnly. "I promise."

A few minutes later, the three of us were heading towards a back exit on the way to K.C.'s car so
he could get his sack lunch. As we walked, K.C.
glanced at Manny with a look of awe. "Sorry for
running from you before."

"It's okay, man."

"I never miss your column and it blows me
away how you know so much. But what do you
want from me? Your powers tell you anything you
need to know."

"Not always." Manny's dreads swayed as he
tilted his head. "Using my ... er ... abilities takes
a lot of concentration so I have to conserve my
energy."

K.C. nodded. "Oh, that explains it."

"It does?" Manny asked, surprised.

We reached the exit door, and I glanced at K.C.
who was regarding Manny with admiration and awe.

"Sure. You watch out for the people who get
your predictions. But don't worry about me, it
turned out okay."

"Uh ... great." Manny paused, his hand on
the doorknob. "What exactly happened?"

"Like you don't already know. Your prediction
was so accurate, it already happened,"

"It did?" I asked in a choked whisper.

"Yeah-weeks ago. I got things under control
now, and no one knew-except Manny. He nailed
my prediction."

I felt like walls were closing in on me, and I
needed some air. I pushed past Manny and yanked
open the door, rushing outside. Only a dim bulb
above the door brightened the black night. Darkness closed in, shadows shifting like silent watchers. Chilly air made me shiver and I clutched my jacket
tightly around me.

"Beany, you okay?" Manny asked as he and
K.C. came up beside me, the door banging shut
behind them.

I bent over slightly, catching my breath. "I-I'm
fine."

"Panic attack?" K.C. guessed with a sympathetic look. "I know how bad they can be. Breathe
in and out till you calm down."

"I just want to know about your prediction," I
said weakly.

"It can wait till you feel better."

"No." I shook my head. "Now."

K.C. glanced uncertainly at Manny. "Didn't
you fill her in?"

"Not yet." Manny shook his head. "My readings are all confidential. I wanted to talk to you first
since I respect the privacy of my clients."

K.C. nodded, like this completely made sense.
And I realized that Manny did have super powers.
He was a master at B.S.

We stood on the cement landing, my hand
closing around a cold metal railing as K.C. began to
talk."I always read Manny's column, but I didn't know how major his powers were till the carnival,"
he explained. "His crystal ball glowed with real
magic. He went into a trance and told me, `You will
suffer isolation when you lose your home.' It was
like-wow! He knew all about us getting evicted
when Mom had to go away."

Thinking back on my conversation with his
aunt, I mentally translated "go away" as being arrested and sent to jail.

"Tough break," Manny said. "So you had to
move in with your aunt?"

"How did you know that? Of course-the
power thing." K.C. slapped his forehead, then added
with awe, "You really do know everything."

"But you had already lost your house before
the prediction," I pointed out. "Manny said you
would lose your home, not that you had lost it.
Technically the prediction didn't come true."

"Manny was close enough."

I didn't argue, although I felt as if a huge
weight had been lifted. The witch ball ghost hadn't
been one hundred percent accurate. If she'd only
been "close" this time, she could be wrong about
my prediction.

We kept walking to the parking lot. Finding
out some good news gave me hope for more good
news. Tomorrow I'd see josh at school and I'd finally find the courage to tell him about my past. It
wouldn't be easy, but I'd make him understand
that a psychic gift wasn't that different than inheriting a talent for music or art. Even if he never believed in ghosts, he'd at least know I was really
sorry for standing him up.

I was imagining being surrounded by friends
who applauded while josh and I shared this really
romantic make-up kiss, when a sharp cry jerked my
thoughts back to the parking lot.

"It's gone!" K.C.'s hand flew to his pale face.

"What's gone?" Manny and I both asked.

"My car!" K.C. pointed to an empty space between two trucks. "It was right here!"

"Are you sure?" Manny asked, swiveling his head
to look around.

"Positive! I was nervous after you chased me,
so I parked out of sight between these two trucks.
I usually park closer ... Ohmygod! This can't be
happening! Not my car!"

"Hey, take it easy. You'll get it back," Manny
assured, patting his shoulder. "Call it in right away
so the police can start looking."

"The police?" K.C. shook his head. "No! Not
them! They'll make me go back to-" He cut off
abruptly.

"To what?" Manny asked.

"My aunt. And I'd rather die. I totally hate her!"
His dark eyes burned. "No one can make me go
back there. You don't know what she's like!"

"I have a good idea," I said grimly. "But I'm
confused here. She told me you lived with her."

"That's what she wants everyone to think. She
goes on about how kind she was to take in two
kids, but she's only in it for the support money she
gets. Not that she uses it for us. We fought a lot
until I couldn't take it anymore and split."

"Where do you live now?" I asked.

"Nowhere. My car wasn't just a car-" His voice
cracked. Miserably, he pointed at the empty parking
space. "My car was my home. And it's gone."

K.C. had lost his home-just as Manny predicted.

Manny offered K.C. some money, but he refused. For a guy with next to nothing, he had a lot
of pride. He said he'd get by, and watch out for his
sister, too. Turns out he secretly passed on money
to her for clothes and school supplies.

"If you want to help me," K.C. told Manny.
"Use your powers to find my car."

Manny hesitated, then he said solemnly, "I'll
do my best."

"Thanks." There was nothing average about
K.C. as he lifted his chin, straightened his shoulders, and said he'd better get back to work.

On the drive to my house, Manny didn't say
much and seemed focused on the road. I thought
he was worrying about K.C., but I was wrong.

"That makes three," he said in the most serious tone I'd ever heard from him.

"Three?"

"Predictions. I could ignore one or even twobut three is beyond coincidence."

"It doesn't mean anything." I spoke confidently,
but to be honest, I was getting scared. It was freaky
how the predictions only came true after I got involved. My presence made it possible for Jill to see a
ghost, Jacques stepped in the oil while talking to
me, and K.C.'s car had been parked in a hidden spot
after Manny and I had chased him. The common
denominator each time was me.

Manny slowed the car to a stop sign, an odd
expression playing on his dark face. He sucked in a
deep breath as he turned towards me. "Drastic
means are required."

I arched an eyebrow. "How drastic?"

"Beany, can I sleep with you tonight?"

"What!" I couldn't have been more shocked if
he'd announced he was going to shave his head,
give up girls, and live in Tibet.

"Hear me out. You need someone to get you
through tomorrow. I'll stay close and watch out for
you. You don't have anything to worry about-it's
not like I'm after your body."

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically.

"That didn't come out right." Manny slapped
his forehead. "I mean, you have a hot body, but I
think of you as a friend not a girl. Okay, that came
out wrong, too."

I wasn't sure whether to smack him or laugh.

Brave soul, he tried again. "What I'm offering
is to be your bodyguard."

"I can guard my own body-thank you very
much," I told him firmly. "Nothing is going to
happen."

"You can't ignore the powers of my predictions."

"They weren't your predictions. They're from a
pathetic ghost named Hortense. Anyway, I have no
plans to die tomorrow."

"Check your watch. It's already tomorrow."

I looked down at my wrist and shivered. Seven
after midnight.

But I shrugged it all off. I wasn't going to
change my life because of a disturbed ghost. Hortense couldn't hurt me. Her only power was in causing fear, just like Evan. Neither of them could win
if I refused to be afraid.

"Those predictions are harmless," I told Manny.

"I'm not willing to take that chance." His hands
tightened around the steering wheel as he accelerated. "I'll sleep on the floor if I have to, but I'm going
to make sure you're protected for the next twentyfour hours."

By the time we reached my home, we'd reached
a compromise. Manny could stay the night, but
not in my bedroom. I went to get blankets and a
pillow so he'd be comfortable on the couch.

I expected a restless sleep, but I was so exhausted, I fell asleep immediately. I only woke up
once, after dreaming that I was watching car races,
only to find out the motor I heard was from the
purring of my cat Lilybelle. She curled up against
me and I fell back asleep to her rumbling purr.

When I awoke, I was surprised to find out it
was after nine. I couldn't believe that I had slept that
late on a school day. Why hadn't Nona woken me?

Jumping up, I rushed around my room searching for shoes, a clean pair of jeans, and a T-shirt. I
twisted my hair in a ponytail, only giving it a quick
brushing, and skipped applying makeup. Then I
grabbed my backpack, raced downstairs-and found
Manny and Thorn sitting at the dining table.

I stared in astonishment. "Where's my grandmother?"

"Out running errands," Manny said casually,
like nothing was unusual and I woke up every day
to find these two having breakfast at my home.

"Manny is a great cook," Thorn said after swallowing. "These are the best pancakes I've had in
ages.