Worry Magic (3 page)

I knew I was dreaming this time – while it was actually happening. But it wasn't a proper dream again – just lots of little glimpses of random things  … 

Mum with a pink mop, Dad standing on a stool. Both of them smiling. The
‘You've Been Framed!
' theme tune  … 

And then a fade to nothing.

Well, that was weird. What was
that
all about?

I felt myself lift off the floor, and my eyes flew open. Dad was picking me up and sort of staggering.

He sat down heavily on the big kitchen chair and he held me on his lap. He was hugging me so tight that my face was getting squashed against his fluffy dressing gown, which was all damp and smelt of lemon sweets. I pushed away from him, and sat bolt upright, blinking.

Mum knelt down next to me.

‘Courts?' she said, her voice all quivery. ‘You OK?' She was squeezing my leg hard, like she was checking I was in there.

‘Ow! Yes, yes, Mum  …  I'm fine.'

Kyle came clumping in just then, holding an empty mug. He stopped in the doorway.

‘What's going on
now
?' he asked.

I slid off Dad's lap, and shook myself.

‘Nothing,' I said. But actually I was hoping that a LOT of magic had been going on.

I looked around at everyone. Had the dream done its business again?

Really? Had it?!

Kyle shrugged and turned away, pulling the instant hot choc jar out of the cupboard. I swear he lived off that stuff.

‘No, no, Courts – please sit down. I really think you should rest a bit,' said Mum.

Mum and Dad were signalling to each other.

‘Yes, sit while I get you a drink,' agreed Dad, getting up and patting the chair cushion. ‘Actually, Kyle, make your sister a hot choc too, will you?'

‘Yes
sir
,' muttered Kyle under his breath, so Dad didn't hear. He looked really hacked off, but he got another mug out.

He handed me my hot choc without looking at me, and then shuffled out.

And so I sat there, sipping away, with about ten cushions stuffed behind me like I was on a throne, while Mum and Dad cleaned the kitchen.

Together.

Really.

They were both doing it, and no one was even moaning.

Mum and Dad were being nice to each other again. And it could only be for one reason  … 

THE WORRY MAGIC HAD WORKED!

And when I saw Mum tug the pink mop out of the cupboard I was even more sure.

Aha! It was like watching a repeat on telly that you'd already seen. I kept knowing what would happen next.

While Mum mopped, Dad stood on the stool and wiped the rice blobs off the window, his hairy-man legs sticking out beneath his dressing gown. TICK! Just like in my dream.

And THEN even more amazing  …  Dad turned the kitchen telly on, and  …  I held my breath  …  would it be?

And it was. TICK! The ‘
You've Been Framed!
' theme tune blared out.

Just wow. Gigantic, huge, massive WOW.

I was so blown away, I had to hide my stunned face behind my mug.

Yep, there was no doubt this time. It had happened twice now. This was magic. Proper, REAL magic!

Dad stopped wiping the cupboards to watch a man go flying head-first into a snowdrift. He giggled and winked at me, and then Mum smiled too. A tired, tight smile. But she actually
smiled
at Dad.

That just never happened these days  … 

By now the kitchen was spotless, and Mum started shooing me upstairs to have a bath.

‘Early night for you,' she said. As I got to my feet, she grabbed me and hugged my head. ‘And, darling – just so you know – me and Dad both think you should go to the doctor's tomorrow. Just for a little check-up – you know, to see why you fainted,' she said, twirling a long strand of my hair. ‘That OK?'

I thought about saying that I hadn't fainted, but I'd actually fallen asleep and dreamt everything better in a
magic
sort of way. But obviously I knew they'd never believe me, and I'd sound weird. And Dad was nodding, agreeing with Mum for once, so I just shrugged and nodded too, and went upstairs.

As I passed Kyle's room, I saw him hunched over his laptop in the dark apart from a pool of light from his desk lamp.

I stopped by his door for a second. I knew it was a dumb idea, but I suddenly really,
really
wanted to tell him about my magic.

But no  …  there was no point – he'd just laugh in my face. Kyle liked real things you could kick with a football boot or look up on Google. Magic was deffo NOT his bag.

I walked on past to the bathroom and turned on the bath taps full blast.

Kyle was a boring old muggle-face, but maybe I could tell Lois. Lois had been my best friend since Year Two, and our favourite game when we were smaller was Being At Hogwarts and Making Up Spells. But somehow now it turned out that I really
was
a bit magic.

Ha, ha.

I poured loads of peach bubble bath into the water, and whipped up masses of sweet foam.

Yes, I was going tell Lois. The next day at school.

I couldn't wait  … 

I stepped into the deep bath and sank right down into it, floating off the bottom and blowing at the crackly bubbles.

Now something else was fizzling through my brain.

Exciting, but super-scary.

If the worry magic could fix things, could it even make GRAN better?

COULD IT?

And what if I worried about Gran actually
on purpose? C
ould I panic myself, bring on the magic, and CURE her?

Whoa! This was so freaky.

But it was worth a try  …  and why not RIGHT NOW?

I ducked right under the water, and screwed up my eyes tight. I didn't really want to, but I made myself think about all the horrible, scary stuff to do with Gran  … 

Coming home that day to find her gone  …  Dad telling us about the ambulance  …  his frightened face  … 

I imagined Gran lying there with her tubes stuck in her  …  not getting better  … 

Brrrrrrrr!

I shivered under the water, and popped my head out with a gasp, my heart beating loudly in my ears. Ugh, it was working. I was really upsetting myself. But I couldn't have a worry-dream in the bath – I might drown.

I clambered out, wrapped myself up in a huge towel, sat on the bathroom floor, and carried on worrying and worrying.

I worried until tears were dripping off my cheeks.

But still no dizzy feeling came.

Still no magic  … 

I sighed, and rubbed my face hard with my towel.

It was hopeless. I couldn't MAKE myself conk out or have a dream. It was like trying to sneeze – just impossible.

The magic didn't seem to work long-distance. But I was sure that if I saw poor, ill Gran – up close, with my own eyes – I'd get so, so, SO worried that the magic would come straight away.

I pulled my dressing gown off the back of the door, and dragged it on.

Dad had promised to take me to the hospital on Saturday, if Gran was well enough.

That was the day after tomorrow.

Yes  … 

Please
come then, worry magic!

At breakfast, Mum told me she'd got me a doctor's appointment at ten to four that afternoon, She um-ed and ahh-ed, but eventually she said I could go to school and meet her at the doc's after home-time – but if I felt faint in the day, even a bit, I should tell a teacher straight away.

Yeah, yeah, Mum – like I was going to tell a teacher  …  All I could think about was getting to school and telling LOIS about the magic. I felt like if I didn't tell her soon, I'd go pop.

But when I got there, school was really annoying.

I hardly saw Lois all day, and never by herself. Now we were at secondary we had lots of different lessons and only English, Art and registration together. And I knew I couldn't wait for her after school cos I had to rush off to meet Mum at the doc's.

But then when I pushed through the corridor to the lockers after last lesson, I was amazed to find Lois already there, out on time for once. She bear-hugged me, her long plait swinging in my face.

‘Hey, it's not raining – shall we go up the park for a bit?' she said. ‘We could buy some Flumps to scoff on the way.' Lois loved Flumps. I was sure if I ate as many as she did, I'd look like an actual giant Flump, but she was all skinny-bummed and lanky.

‘Aw, I really want to, but can't today, soz,' I said, stuffing my PE kit in my locker. ‘I gotta meet my mum in town.' I didn't say anything about the doctor – I didn't really want to explain  … 

‘Oh no, that's boring!' she groaned, sticking out her bottom lip, and making her eyes go all puppy-sad. She has these amazing eyes – huge and Smurf-blue. ‘Can't you just tell your mum you've got something more important to do?' she teased.

‘I wish! But maybe you can walk some of the way with me  … ' I began. I was thinking I could tell her about the magic as we went.

But right then her phone flashed silently in her hand.

‘It's Bex,' she said, poking her screen. ‘She wants to meet me  …  and, oh, here she comes now!'

Bex pushed through the double doors. She was only in Year Seven like us, but she was really tall, and had this layered, teenagery haircut and, when she could get away with it, loads of eyeliner – sometimes she looked like she was in about Year Nine. But she was
really
annoying – loud and showy-offy, and basically just trying to copy her big sister.

She wasn't friends with me at all, but she LOVED Lois. Their surnames started with the same letter, so they'd been sat next to each other in registration since the first day back in September.

But just in the last week or so, Bex had been hanging around Lois all the time. I was actually starting to worry that she was trying to take Lois away from me.

‘Hey, Lo,' cried Bex, hugging her, and completely ignoring me. ‘Wanna come over to mine now?'

‘Um, OK,' said Lois. ‘Yeah, yeah, cool.'

I looked at her, trying to work out if she meant it. Lois was always nice to
everyone
.

But she seemed to be smiling – like she really was pleased to go.

Ugh, well, I would
never
want to hang out with Bex  …  but maybe Lois actually liked her.

A little worry wriggled into my mind. Was Lois starting to get into more teenagery stuff like Bex these days, leaving me behind?

Lois was tugging her things out of her locker while Bex sat on the radiator, waiting, cracking gum and checking her face in a small mirror. She pulled out a pot of lipgloss from her pocket and smeared some on, and offered Lois the pot. Lois stuck her finger in and slicked some on her lips. It stank like cheap, party-bag sweets – proper sickly.

‘Aw you're so pretty, babes,' cooed Bex. ‘Hey, I know – why don't I give you a makeover at mine!'

Lois nodded. And smiled again – like she meant it.

I couldn't believe it. Lois had never bothered with make-up before. It wasn't her thing.

Or maybe it was now?

I realised I hadn't moved. I was just standing by my locker, shuffling about. I had to run now or Mum would be waiting.

I slammed my locker hard.

‘Bye, Lois – I gotta rush,' I said, swinging my bag over my shoulder. I grinned at her, trying to be normal so she didn't see I was fed up. I didn't want her to think I was being silly or babyish.

‘Oh, see you tomorrow, Courts,' she said, running to give me another hug.

I pushed through the doors and down the stairs, leaving Lois with Bex.

Grrrr  …  why didn't Bex just bog off?

I'd been just about to tell Lois all about the magic, but suddenly I wasn't sure if I wanted to any more. What if she thought it was kids' stuff, now she was trying to act all grown up like Bex?

I felt a lump in my throat coming. So as soon as I was outside the school gates, I started running. I ran as fast as I could all the way to the doctor's.

Mum was waiting outside for me. We rushed in the door just as the receptionist called my name.

It was the old-man doctor I didn't like very much – Dr Prop. He was a bit unfriendly and muttery, and used confusing, long words to tell you what was wrong with you. Me and Kyle had called him Dr Plop since we were little.

Mum did all the talking, but of course she missed out the most important bit – like, about the magic
.
Not that I wanted to tell the doctor anyway – obviously, no way. I could just tell that magic and Dr Plop didn't go together.

The doc let Mum finish, and then he scooted his wheely chair over to me. He listened to my heart with his doctor thingy and then he looked in my ears, down my throat and inside my eyes. Then he scooted his chair back to his desk really fast. I so wanted to have a go on that chair – it looked too fun.

Next he got me to lie down on his doctor bed, and he pressed my tummy about. All the time he was talking to Mum using his long, ploppy words. Then he looked at me.

‘So can you tell me what happened just before you fainted, Courtney?' he said.

‘I was feeling a bit funny, and my head was going round,' I said, shrugging. ‘And then I just fell asleep  …  I mean, fainted.'

Mum took over. ‘She's very stressed out at the moment, Doctor. Her grandmother's in hospital.' She lowered her voice. ‘Quite bad  … '

‘So you were feeling anxious, Courtney?' the doctor asked.

I nodded. I thought about saying that it was also because Mum and Dad were yelling. But then I worried that he'd think they were rubbish parents or something and make me go and live in a children's home, so I didn't.

‘Yes, about my gran,' I said firmly, not looking at Mum.

I got off the bed, and the doctor turned back to Mum again, and said loads of other stuff I didn't really get.

‘ …  well, no signs of infections. We could take bloods for anaemia but there are no indications of that  …  blah, blah  … '

Annie what?

‘Really, these sound like classic panic attacks,' Dr Plop said, tapping his biro in his hand. ‘So I think the best thing is to keep an eye on her for now. And try and keep her stress levels down.'

Panic attacks? Er, don't you mean amazing, fantabulous magic dreams, Dr Plop? Pah, he didn't know what he was talking about. And I actually reckoned my worry magic would be better than his clever-doctor medicines at curing people.

Like Gran  … 

I crossed all my fingers in my lap.

On Saturday  … 

We thanked the doc and left his room. As we went out the surgery doors, Mum put her arm around me.

‘Well, there you go. Nothing too much wrong with you – we've just got to keep you calm,' she sighed. ‘And we know what a worrywart you can be, so I really think  … ' She stopped –

‘Oh hi, Ju!' she called out, waving at someone across the street. She stood on the kerb, mouthing stuff over the traffic and laughing. Mum always knew everyone in town.

Ugh, and there was that old
worrywart
thing again. People sometimes called me that, as if worrying was bad – like warts are bad. Well, I knew worrying did churn you up sometimes, but really it was dead useful – it helped you think of the bad stuff that might happen, so you were more
ready
 … 

Mum waved at her mate again and we walked on.

‘So, where were we? Yes  …  er  …  but I hope you understand, darling, that this means you can't come and visit Gran,' Mum said, glancing down at me. ‘It's bound to upset you too much seeing her so poorly.'

WHAAAAT?!!!!

‘But, Mum, I have to!' I cried. She couldn't stop me seeing Gran  …  she couldn't do that!

Especially not now that I had my worry magic, which might actually help Gran get better.

‘No, sorry, Courts – we have to be sensible. You heard what the doctor said.'

I started to moan, but as we turned a street corner, there was someone ELSE that Mum knew – Maddie, one of her friends from the sanctuary.

I groaned to myself.

‘Oh hi, Donna,' said Maddie. ‘Ah, this is lucky – I wanted to ask you about that new dog – you know, the lurcher  … ' They immediately started chatting on and on, so I was left just waiting again, with my hands in my pockets like a right twerp.

I scowled, and kicked an old squashed conker around on the leafy pavement.

How could Mum even
say
that I wasn't allowed to visit Gran?

The doc had gone and ruined everything, ploppy old him  … 

And I just hadn't seen this coming at all. I hadn't even worried about it.

I kicked the conker down a drain and it hit the water below. With a big plop.

Grrrr – it was all too
unfair
.