A Witch Like No Other (30 page)

“
You’
d better
be!”

Dreamer wrapped her arms around Ted from behind, murmuring
“Are they still there?” Ted nodded. “They
’
re not going to go
away.”

“
Yeah they
will,” Ted answered flatly, as she rested her head on his shoulder.
He stared down at the car through their window, saying “What do
they want, anyway?”

“
Me.”

“
Well they cant
have you,” Ted said roughly, and Dreamer laughed as she raised her
head to kiss his neck.

“
I
know.”

“
There!”
screamed Jules, pointing upwards. “Get the camera,
quick!”

“
Damn it-
where’
s the
camera?”

“
They’
re going to- to see
us- Dreamer, stop-” Ted
’
s voice was smothered by
Dreamer
’
s tender kisses. Little did they know a camera clicked with
each kiss she gave.

“
Mum!” howled
Marlon, at the foot of the stairs. “‘
Dora ate my muffin!”

“
Another one on
his plate?” asked Ted, and she nodded.

“
You got
it.”

“
Atta girl
Dreamer!”

“
Cast a spell, cast a
spell!” said Jules excitedly, bouncing about in his seat like a
baby. Peering upwards excitedly, they saw Dreamer pull Ted away
from the window. Cruise smiled broadly, satisfied. Finally they got
something worth showing Brown!

“
Cruise, did
you see the stick? I mean the wand?”

“
Yeah.”

“
Gold,” said
Jules greedily. “Pure gold!”

“
Shut up,
Jules. You’
d be crazy to steal
it,” said Cruise, shaking his head. “That
’
d be your whole career
gone in a moment of madness.”

“
Dreamer, stop.
I have to go to work,” Ted said desperately, feebly trying to pry
her wanting body off his. “Pandora’
s leaving soon to go to Miriam- I have to see her off. So
do you.”

“
Mmm,” was only
Dreamer’
s response to his
statement. She loosened his tie mischievously, Ted unable to stop a
smile spreading across his face.

“
You’
re something else,
Dreamer. I
’
m going to be late!”

“
Dad, are you
leaving yet?” Pandora called. “Can you drop me to the clinic on
your way to work please? You don’
t normally start late afternoon. Can you, Dad?
Please?”

“
I’
m coming,” Ted called
back. “Oh- and leave the wand inside!”

“
Ha ha,”
Pandora said sarcastically. “Stick to the psychic stuff,
ok?”

Marlon grinned, saying “I will, don
’
t worry.
There
’
s things about me you don
’
t know,
‘
Dora. I know
exactly what you
’
re thinking.”

“
Whatever,”
Pandora shot back, surprised at how jealous she felt. “Get ready to
go out with your boyfriend, camel mouth.”

“
James
isn’
t my boyfriend,” Marlon
said hotly, glaring at his sister as the doorbell rang.
“We
’
re
best mates, that
’
s all.”

“
Well the way
you smile at him is a bit off,” Pandora answered, casually backing
out of the living room and jogging upstairs as Marlon went to open
the door to his friend.

“
Coward,” he
grinned, and Pandora scowled at him.

“
Who’
s this guy?” Jules
demanded, as Marlon smiled broadly at James. Cruise gaped at the
silver wand in Marlon
’
s hand.

“
What’
s the kid doing with
it??”

James
’
jaw dropped as he reached for it, but Marlon shook his
head. James shrugged as if he wasn
’
t even interested,
Marlon letting him inside. Cruise grabbed the binoculars, focusing
them before peering through the front window. Marlon and James were
hitting each other playfully, the wand still in
Marlon
’
s hand.

“
Wow!” yelled
Jules, awestruck.

“
Marlon!”

“
Mum,
I’
m sorry! I
didn
’
t
mean to- I was only-”

Dreamer stared at James
’
body, then she glared at her
son.

“
Give me the
wand, Marlon.”

“
Nice one,”
Pandora added, Marlon holding out the wand.

“
Mum, I… I
didn’
t mean to-”

Dreamer took the wand and pocketed it, using her gold one
to siphon James
’
blood off his face as she knelt beside him. Her jaw
dropped.

“
What on
Earth…?”

“
Wow,
man.”

He
grinned at Marlon, who stared back at him in horror.
Ted
’
s
stomach churned, but he knew he couldn
’
t turn away.

“
Cool,” said
Pandora, unable to hide her smile. “That’
s really cool.”

“
It
isn’
t,” Dreamer said softly,
cupping James
’
chin in her hand and staring at his face. His pupils
expanded as he stared into her green eyes- Dreamer was so
beautiful. Dreamer breathed out, relieved. He seemed fine, apart
from the fact that… James inhaled sharply as he tried to memorize
every inch of Dreamer
’
s face. Her eyelashes, her lips… Ted, knowing
full well what he was thinking, coughed loudly the same time
Pandora did. Father smiled at daughter lovingly, then they looked
at James again. Dragging his eyes away from
Dreamer
’
s face, he looked at Marlon.

“
Did you send
me to another planet or something?”

“
He sent
your
nose
to another planet,” Pandora said flatly, and
James laughed.

“
Nah, he just
knocked me out. Now you want to talk to me, Pandora?”

“
I
wouldn’
t be talking to you if
you had a nose,” Pandora snapped, folding her arms. “Touch it if
you don
’
t believe me.”

“
Touch my nose?
Sure I’
ll touch
it!”

James lifted a hand to touch his cute nose, as girls called
it. Everyone held their breath, Marlon still horrified by what he
saw. Pandora was the only one who was seriously fascinated. She
watched amusedly as James
’
s smile faded, his chin
still in Dreamer
’
s hand. Feeling smooth flat skin instead of his nose
made him scream like a woman.

“
Where is
it?!!”

“
Man,
I’
m sorry!” said Marlon, as
James
’
began scrabbling at his face frantically. “I
didn
’
t
know it would blow your nose off, did I? I was just messing
about!”

“
Messing
about!” cried James, the same time Dreamer said it.

Marlon flinched under his mother
’
s stern gaze, saying
“I
’
m
sorry!”

“
Sorry!” yelled
James, eyes welling. “I’
ve
gone from good looking guy to good looking monster in under ten
minutes, Marlon!”

“
Mum can fix
it,” Marlon started, but not before James’
body went limp. He passed out. Dreamer let his face
go, James thudding back on the floorboards. Pandora burst out
laughing, saying “Wow.”

“
Ted,
you’
ll be late for work,”
Dreamer said softly, looking up at him. “And you
’
ll be late for your
appointment, Pandora.”

“
I’
ll be home by eight
latest,” Ted said, as Marlon hung his head. “Call me if you need
anything, Dreamer. You too, Marlon.”

“
Bye Mum,” said
Pandora brightly, making Dreamer smile and Marlon scowl at her.
“Take your time putting the nose back. Can you film it?”

“
Freak!” said
Marlon disgustedly, as she laughed her head off. “Get
out!”

“
I’
m going,
don
’
t
worry. Come on, Dad.”

“
Afternoon,”
Pandora replied flatly, sitting down opposite her.

Miriam found she didn
’
t want to go on with
this formality anymore.

“
Would you like
to go to the park, Pandora? We can talk there.”

“
Tony’
s going to swing for
somebody if we go,” Pandora said, amused. “Besides,
I
’
ve
got something really funny to tell you.”

“
Please
Dreamer, I don’
t want to stay
at home alone.” James looked up at her, eyes brimming.
“I
’
ll
have nightmares or something.”

“
Who’
s at home with you,
James?”

“
Nobody,”
Marlon answered for him. “He lives by himself.”

Dreamer was amazed. Despite her circumstances, she
didn
’
t
believe a parent should make their child leave before they were
twenty one, whether they wanted to or not.

James sipped his tea, trembling as he said
“Don
’
t
make me leave- can I please stay here with Marlon? For the
night?”

“
I
don’
t see why not-”

“
Let him go!”
Pandora burst out from the kitchen, making them jump.

“
When
did
you
get back?” Marlon said, surprised. Pandora
decided not to answer that, glaring at James. He was huddled up on
the sofa. She didn
’
t think she could sleep under the same roof as him. No
way.

Dreamer shook her head at her child.
“Don
’
t
be so rude, Pandora.”

“
Mum,
he’
s sucking up to you,” said
Pandora, heat rising as James looked at her. “I
don
’
t-
I cant stay with a stranger.”

“
Oi! James is
my mate,” said Marlon from across the living room, glaring at her.
“And he’
s not a stranger.
You
know
he
’
s not a stranger. If you didn
’
t act like
he
’
d
breathe fire if you went near him-”

“
He’
s got his nose back,
hasn
’
t
he?” said Pandora, scowling at James. James thought she looked real
pretty when she was fired up. “He wants sympathy, look at him!
Shaking and all of that snap.”

“
We’
re not all like you,
Pandora!” said Marlon as he started laughing.
“He
’
s
traumatized! What would
you
do if you
couldn
’
t feel your nose?”

“
Streak in the
park,” Pandora answered amusedly, making everyone laugh. Smiling at
her, Dreamer said “Let him stay for tonight, ‘
Dora.”

“
Fine. But
I’
m staying in my
room!”

“
If you want to
you can- but you’
ll be down
for dinner at half seven.”