A Witch Like No Other (28 page)

“
You
don’
t look like
you
’
re
into the film.”

“
I’
m thinking about…”
Dreamer trailed off, shaking her head. “Nothing.”

“
You can tell
me, Dreamer. I-”

“
Shh!” hissed
Marlon and Pandora at the same time, making Ted smile as he said
“You sound like a bag of snakes.”

“
Shh!”

Dreamer snuggled up to Ted, closing her eyes. Ted pulled
her closer, not knowing she
’
d fallen
asleep.

“
What are you
doing tomorrow?” Silence. Ted shifted to look at her, then he
smiled. “Never mind. We’
ll
talk about it tomorrow.”

Dreamer woke up, startled. It was silent in the living
room. The movie had begun to display the credits, but nobody was
watching. Marlon was sprawled out on the living room floor, snoring
softly. Pandora was curled up in Ted
’
s armchair, sleeping
soundly with Shadow the rabbit on her lap. Ted was fast asleep too,
arms around Dreamer.

“
I’
m losing patience,
Stile.
Where
’
s the witch
’
s
headquarters?!”

“
I told you, I
don’
t know!” said Damon,
desperately trying to keep his eyes open. He was still in the
Detention Room at the top of the prison; Brown refused to let him
go back to his cell. The man was acting demonic:
he
’
d
leave Damon be for half an hour, only to go to his office and think
up more random questions to ask him. Damon clapped a hand to his
burning eyes, the he said “Sarge, it
’
s one in the morning! I
need to sleep! I
’
m shoveling all morning tomorrow- I wont if I
haven
’
t-”

“
You will!”
snapped Brown, glaring at him. “You’
ll shovel until you drop, Stile! And then
you
’
ll
have one glass of water before I bring you back into this room, and
you
’
ll
talk!”

Dreamer was disgusted. Damon slumped in his chair, rubbing
his head wearily. This is what he got for opening his big mouth and
letting these idiots know Dreamer was alive and kicking. He
should
’
ve kept it on a low, like George told him. Damon gritted
his teeth, cursing silently as he realised George
wasn
’
t
on shoveling duty in the morning. The big guy could sleep for a
good twelve hours with no worries.

Brown stood, saying “I
’
ll get it out of you
before dawn.”

“
Yeah
right.”

Dreamer appeared, saying “What
’
s wrong with that man,
Damon?”

“
Looks like
he’
s going crazy over you,”
Damon answered, Dreamer staring at the iron door as if it was
Brown. “He
’
s got mega issues.”

“
It’
s your fault,” Dreamer
said coldly, and Damon shrugged.

“
I
know.”

“
This place is
awful.”

“
I know. I
deserve to be in here, still.”

Suddenly Agnes
’
voice punctured her brain, sharp as
heck.

Why on earth are you with that boy, Dreamer?
You
’
ve no need to be with him, especially at this hour! He told
you what you wanted to know, so get yourself right back home to
your family!

“
He said to
come back at one in the morning,” Dreamer said feebly, as if Agnes
was glaring at her right this minute. Damon frowned at her as Agnes
answered
Never mind what he
said! GET BACK HOME!!

“
Sweetie? Wake
up.”

“
You fell
asleep,” Dreamer said gently, as he opened his eyes. “Time to go to
bed, ok?”

“
Fine,” yawned
Pandora, stretching in her black pyjamas. “Night.”

Ted rose as Pandora left the room, mumbling “We
didn
’
t
even finish watching the film.”

Ted smiled, saying “Next time we
’
ll stay up, right
son?”

“
You bet, Dad.”
Marlon
grinned at his father.
“Night.”

Dreamer woke to Ted
’
s handsome face,
transfixed as he watched her.

“
What is it?”
she asked, and he smiled and shook his head.

“
Nothing. You
look so innocent when you’
re
asleep.”

“
I
don’
t want to
move.”

“
You
don’
t have to,” Ted replied
softly. “Breakfast in bed?”

“
Yes
please.”

“
What do you
fancy?”

“
What
‘
Dora brought us last
time.”

“
Dreamer, what
are you thinking about?”

Dreamer opened her mouth to say nothing, then she frowned.
She
’
d
never kept anything from Ted before she died. Why start
afterwards?

“
Damon Stile,”
she said heavily, sitting down on the sofa. Ted joined her, angry
already. Just hearing the name had him furious.

“
What about
him?”

Dreamer averted her gaze, not answering. Ted touched her
arm gently, acknowledging the guilty expression on his
woman
’
s face.

“
What about
him, Dreamer?”

“
You what!” The
words exploded from his mouth, Dreamer flinching. “When was this?
What did you talk about?”

Then Ted felt sick to the stomach as he remembered
Dreamer
’
s affair with the man they were talking about.

“
You want to go
back to him?”

“
I wanted to
know why he hurt Pandora,” Dreamer said softly, looking at him. Ted
melted down a little at her innocent expression.

“
He
didn’
t tell the police why,”
he muttered, rubbing his forehead. “Pandora
’
s scared stiff if you
even say his name- she wont talk about him for gold dust. I
don
’
t
know why he- what did he say?”

“
Stile! Get
up!”

“
What for?”
said Damon angrily. “I don’
t
want to talk to the Sergeant again, ok? I told him already
I
’
m
not talking-”

“
You’
ve got a visitor,”
snapped the officer. “Up.”

Damon stared into his former best friend
’
s murderous face,
shocked.

“
T-Ted? What
are you doing here?”

“
Sit down,
Stile!” called an officer, and Damon sat quickly. Ted was his first
visitor in a whole year- his mother was away to cope with the
stress. Damon felt bitter as he remembered Mom asking him why he
hurt Pandora, and when he told her she broke down in tears, slapped
him hard across the face, was restrained by security, and then she
left. She didn’
t come back
after that.

Ted didn
’
t even
blink.
Damon
swallowed, knowing this wasn
’
t good. Suddenly he
found himself reminiscing about the past, having Ted Stone as his
next door neighbour. Ted, two years his senior, saw Damon as the
little brother he never had. Damon remembered asking Ted something
that was really important to him.

“
How do you
tell girls you like them?”

“
True,” said
Damon, thinking of Miriam and her trying to get Dreamer to tell her
about some mystery boy Dreamer met a while ago. Personally, Damon
thought she was just making it up so the guys could leave her
alone. How would he tell Dreamer she was his sun, moon and
stars?

“
Rule two,”
said Ted without even looking up, “Don’
t start blubbering when you tell her. You know, the
whole
‘
I
’
m just telling you because blah blah blah,
I
’
ve
liked you for ages and blah. Wait for her to answer
you.”

“
Give her ten
seconds,” Ted said. “Count the seconds too. If she talks by then
and she says she likes you too, invite her to the movies. If she
just stares at you but in a good way, ask her if
she’
s all right. If she gives
you a dirty look give her one back and walk off. If she stays quiet
the whole time, kiss her.”

“
Kiss her?”
Damon repeated amazedly, and Ted grinned at him.

“
That should
make her snap out of it.”

Damon burst out laughing. “You
’
re so silly,
Ted.”

“
Only to you,
little brother. Who’
s the
girl?”

“
Someone in my
class,” mumbled Damon, not sure he could tell Ted that she was the
sorcerer’
s daughter. He knew
what Ted thought about magic.

“
Bet
she’
ll love you,” Ted said
confidently, making Damon smile shyly.

“
You think
so?”

“
Course! Hey,
can you keep a secret?” Damon nodded. “I’
ve got a girl.”

Damon frowned. “You
’
ve
always
got
a girl.”

“
Not like this
one,” Ted said, finally putting the magazine down. For the first
time he was real serious. “She’
s a witch.”

Damon
’
s jaw dropped. “What did you say?”

“
A witch,” Ted
repeated. “Agnes and Paul Black’
s daughter.”

“
Yeah, you know
her! How?”

“
She’
s in my class at
school,” Damon said, looking at his feet. “She
’
s one of my best
friends.”

“
Great, so I
don’
t have to introduce you
when I bring her over. My parents are going mad over me seeing her;
you know, fraternizing with the evil.” Then Ted frowned at him.
“She
’
s
your best friend?”

“
After you,
Ted. But I’
ve known her since
Year Seven,” Damon said defensively. “And I
’
m not scared of magic
like
some
people. Me and Miriam go to
Dreamer
’
s house all the time.”