BeSwitched
Page 17
Chapter 17
A police car sat on the curb outside of Idis’s. At the front door, a lady officer talked with a Chinese woman who wore a red trench-coat. “So, what you are trying to tell me is, you were suddenly transformed into a… puddle?”
“Yes! Crazy Americans. I tell Gramma ’bout this one. First prane to China!” Two dirty shoe-prints marked the back of her coat as she scurried off into the night.
The officer put out her fist to knock on the door, but it creaked open on its own. It was Marilyn, but he was different now. His black hair was combed back into a neat, small, ponytail. His eyes were a pretty gray-green, and even more, his whole Gothic wardrobe was gone. He stood there in a preppy striped sweater-vest and beige khaki pants. “Hello.” His voice was rich and smooth. “What can I do for you?”
“Well,” she started. “I got a ‘disturbance of peace’ call and …,” she paused from what was about to be said, “a spinning house. Can you tell me of any strange occurrences that may have happened in this house?”
“Now I’m going to tell you the honest truth here.” He rubbed his chin in thought. “All I remember is, one day I was having a drink with a very attractive and famous woman. We were getting very drunk,” he continued, “and woo! She told me she was like a virgin…”
“Yeah.” She had no idea where this story was headed, but her eyes showed obvious curiosity anyway.
“So, of course I was very taken by her. I mean, this very attractive woman was interested in me and I remember she looked deeply into my eyes and said that I must be her lucky star. Then, in the next moment, I am a huge rock star and my name isn’t Marvin Manson—it’s Marilyn Handsome.”
“Uh huh.” The officer was still interested, but said, “What’s it have to do with tonight?”
“I’m getting to that part.” He smiled and leaned an arm against the door-frame. “Well, life as a rock star was not what I thought it would be like. It didn’t make me happy. I dreaded the word ‘fun’ and hadn’t cracked a smile in four years. All I remember about tonight is… I was turned back to my old self.”
She laughed in response and said, “Well, now that you aren’t a famous rock star anymore, what do you plan on doing?”
“Oh, I’m going to Disneyland!”
She heard the seriousness in his voice but laughed anyway. “Is there anyone else here I can talk to about tonight?”
“…Other than twelve possessed witches, I don’t… Wait, the witches are already gone.”
She laughed some more. Then the sound of metal clanking caused Marilyn to turn toward the inside the house. “I guess there is someone else here.”
Dressed as a knight, a man with brown, long hair took off his helmet and greeted Marilyn and the officer. “My heavens, I feel splendid.”
“Interesting costume. It looks very authentic,” Marvin said.
“That’s because it is authentic, my fellow. The name is Vladimir.” He extended a hand to them both, one at a time. “What a great night.”
The officer then began to question him for her report, but he had nothing to offer except to say he wasn’t a ‘mere reflection’ of anyone else anymore.
“So, I don’t understand. Why would I receive a disturbance of peace call? You two seem like very well-mannered men.”
“I don’t know…” Vladimirror worked his heavy armor off, to which he now bore a delicious physique.
Marilyn answered, “Maybe it was all the cats meowing.”
“It was probably a prank call then, ’cause why would someone see a spinning house anyway, unless they were watching The Wizard of Oz.”
“Wait, actually, this does look like the back door.” Marilyn pointed out the plastic cat-door. “And where’s the driveway?”
Within the next couple of seconds, they heard a motor start, then a yellow station wagon sped from the backyard, to the front and down the road.
Vladimir cut into the perplexing moment by saying to the officer, “Do I know you from somewhere?”
“I, uh, don’t think so. But your voice sounds very familiar.” She worked on putting a loose strand of curly hair back under her hat.
Slowly, he reached his hand forward and pulled off the hat. Out plummeted a mound of beautiful blond strands.
Quickly, Vladimir’s eyebrows raised in realization. “Cindy?”
“Uh, yes,” she said, confused.
He then said, “Cindy? 1-555-Cuff-Me?”
She blushed and Marilyn stood there silent, looking at the two in curiosity.
“Well, I guess I’ve got my report.” She arched an eyebrow.
“Hey, why don’t I escort you to your car.”
She accepted, and as Vladimir opened the driver-side door for her, he added, “I always keep your number on redial.”
“How long have you been interested in police procedure?” Marilyn heard her say.
Chapter 18
What’s going on in each of the character’s lives:
Pussface, after setting Idis’s broom on fire and sending it through the sky like a shooting star, became a hero. He still had to go back and live with Gretchen, which he doesn’t mind. The relationship they had was much better than Surla and Idis’s. On occasional visits back to Cathy’s town, he still pursues Diamond, and thinks she will finally come around.
Tiffany hasn’t been seen at school since the embarrassment she made of herself at Washington and Jefferson High’s Halloween Bash. Chrissy says she still sees her come out of her house to get the mail. Right at this moment, Tiffany is working with a tutor in the privacy of her own home. She’s on Independent Study.
Craig hasn’t been able to get a date in months. The news spread around school about what he did to Cathy on their date, and now girls don’t even want to look at him. Right now, he’s spending a Friday night home alone, watching Jeopardy with his mom.
Chrissy had the pictures developed from the party. She decided to sign up for Journalism next semester, so she could help write and choose photos for the yearbook. The one of Cathy and Todd dancing will be placed right next to the one of Tiffany dropping her carnations with mortification in her eyes. Right now she is laughing for her hundredth time about that night.
Marvin Manson did go to Disneyland and had a blast riding Space Mountain over and over again. He has written a book about eating sushi with meditation and it will be released next June.
Vladimir has been seeing the officer, Cindy, for the last couple of months. They aren’t interested in a serious relationship; they’re too wild and flirtatious for that (give him a break, he’s been a mirror for the last couple hundred years). It turns out, he is interested in the entertainment industry as well. Right now he is tearing off his shirt for a wrestle-mania championship.
Surla is still best friends with Cathy and she hopes it will last forever. She can be found lying on the porch with her two other friends, Pussface and Diamond, on sunny afternoons. Lately, her thoughts have been on the deeper meanings of magic and the influence it has had in her life and others’.
Cathy is still with Todd. She became homecoming queen and is thinking about being a veterinarian some day. All she wanted in her teen-life is finally piecing itself together. Right now she is brushing her hair in front of her mirror, which is plastered with pictures of her and Todd at different events together.
Todd became homecoming king and is thinking of becoming a pro football player. But if that doesn’t work out, he wouldn’t mind being a professor of Chemistry. He has stayed madly in love with Cathy since the night of the Halloween party. Right now, Todd is on his way over to pick up Cathy for another date.
Idis was brought to the morgue on the night of the Halloween party. The coroner could have sworn he saw her big toe twitch. Right now, Idis is…
THE END
*Check out the sequel, BeSwitched Witch.*
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