Heidi Heckelbeck Has a Secret

by Wanda Coven

  The teacher came to the table and watched as Heidi painted.

  “Nice work,” said the teacher. “You must be Heidi. I’m Mr. Doodlebee.”

  Heidi kept painting.

  “I’m here if you need help,” said Mr. Doodlebee, and he moved on to another table.

  What Heidi really needed was some brown paint to mix in with the red. She got up and went to the paint station. She pumped a glop of brown paint from a jar. But when she came back, Melanie was at her place. She had painted a zigzag mouth on Heidi’s picture.

  “Stop it!” said Heidi.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Melanie. “I just made your picture look more like you.”

  Heidi picked up her paintbrush and wiped it across Melanie’s smock.

  Melanie shrieked and swiped her paintbrush at Heidi. But Melanie missed because Mr. Doodlebee had grabbed her arm in midair.

  “Come with me,” said Mr. Doodlebee, and he marched Melanie straight to the principal’s office.

  Heidi crumpled up her self-portrait and dropped it on the table. Melanie Maplethorpe had to be the meanest girl on planet Earth. She felt a tear roll down her cheek. She wiped her eyes with the back of her arm. She could hear kids whispering things.

  “Are you okay?” asked Lucy.

  “No,” said Heidi. “I’m not okay. I want to go home!”

  Tears spilled from Heidi’s eyes.

  When Mr. Doodlebee returned to the classroom, he asked Heidi to come into his office. He gave her tissues and told her that everything would be okay. Heidi felt too embarrassed to say anything. She stayed in his office until the end of art.

  Then there was a knock on the door. It was Lucy.

  “Hey, Heidi,” she said. “I’ve got good news.”

  “What?” asked Heidi.

  “Melanie got in BIG trouble.”

  DRAMA QUEENS

  Big mouth.

  Big liar.

  Big meanie.

  “That Melanie is nothing but BIG trouble,” said Heidi.

  Heidi and Lucy laughed as they walked to play practice. Heidi hadn’t laughed all day. It felt really good.

  In the auditorium a round lady with curly orange hair was playing the piano. Heidi recognized the song. It was “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” The girls walked onto the stage and sat at a table. Behind them was a set of the Yellow Brick Road with the Emerald City in the distance. When everyone was seated, the lady stopped playing. Her heels clickety-clacked up the stairs and onto the stage.

  “Hello, boys and girls!” said the teacher. “I have your scripts today!” She waved an emerald green script back and forth so everyone could see.

  “Melanie and Stanley, please pass these out.”

  The teacher handed them each a stack of scripts.

  A script landed in front of each student.

  Melanie paused when she got to Heidi.

  “Mrs. Noddywonks?” said Melanie sweetly. “Does the new girl get one too?”

  “Yes, dear. Everybody should get one,” said Mrs. Noddywonks.

  Melanie dropped a script in front of Heidi. It landed with a thud. Heidi kept her eyes on the table. Then Mrs. Noddywonks called her name.

  “Heidi?” she said as she put on her glasses and looked for Heidi. “Heidi Heckelbeck? Did I pronounce your last name correctly?”

  Heidi nodded.

  “Hello, honey,” said Mrs. Noddywonks. “Welcome to the wonderful land of Oz! Our play has already been cast, but don’t worry, we’ll find something fun for you to do.”

  Phew! thought Heidi. She didn’t have to worry about being in the play. But wait. What was going on? Meanie Melanie was whispering something to Mrs. Noddywonks. Mrs. Noddywonks nodded and looked at Heidi.

  “I have wonderful news, Heidi!” Mrs. Noddywonks said excitedly. “Melanie has found a part for you in the play!”

  Heidi’s hair stuck straight out of her head—or at least it felt that way. She did not want a part in the play. She did not want to be a flying monkey. She did not want to be a tin girl, a cowardly lion, a scarecrow, or anything else.

  “No, thank you, Mrs. Noddywonks,” said Heidi. “I would rather not be in the play.”

  “I know how you feel,” said Mrs. Noddywonks. “Melanie told me all about it.”

  “All about what?” asked Heidi.

  “About how you feel left out.”

  “But I want to be left out,” said Heidi.

  “Hogwash!” said Mrs. Noddywonks. “Please tell Heidi your idea, Melanie.”

  Melanie nodded and smiled.

  “As Heidi’s new friend,” began Melanie, “I am happy to say that she will play the role of a scary apple tree in our school play.”

  “You know the trees I’m talking about,” she went on. “The ones in the Haunted Forest.”

  Everyone looked at Heidi.

  She wanted to throw her script at Melanie.

  Lucy squished Heidi’s foot under the table. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered.

  “Well, then, it’s all settled,” said Mrs. Noddywonks. She put on her glasses. “Let’s practice pages one through sixteen.”

  Heidi wanted to scream. Melanie thought she was so BIG. She acted like she owned the second-grade. There was only ONE role for that girl: the Wicked Witch. She wouldn’t even need to act! But Melanie hadn’t gotten the part of the witch. She had gotten Dorothy! Heidi folded her arms. Talk about UNFAIR. But then Heidi realized something. If Heidi played a scary apple tree and Melanie played Dorothy, then that could mean only one thing. Heidi would get to throw apples at Melanie.

  Now, THAT sounded like fun.

  FOUR ANSWERS

  Somehow Heidi lived through an entire day of school. But for her, it felt like an entire year of school. She wanted a medal, a hug, and a big bowl of peppermint ice cream with hot fudge sauce. Instead, when Mom picked her up, she got to sit next to Henry, who had his finger in his nose.

  “That’s so gross,” said Heidi.

  “What?” said Henry. “Boogers taste great.”

  “Double gross,” said Heidi.

  “Did you miss me?” said Henry.

  “No,” said Heidi.

  “Well, I missed you all afternoon,” said Henry. “It’s boring without you.”

  “You’re weird,” said Heidi. “But thanks, bud.”

  Mom smiled in the rearview mirror.

  “So,” said Mom, “how was your first day of school?”

  Now that was a juicy question. Heidi thought of four answers. She could:

  1. remain silent

  2. scream without stopping

  3. explode

  4. tell it like it was

  Heidi chose answer number four.

  “I hated being new,” said Heidi. “I felt like an alien all day.”

  “That’s so cool!” said Henry. “What planet are you from?”

  “Planet I-Hate-School,” said Heidi.

  “Never heard of it,” said Henry.

  “It’s awful,” said Heidi. “It has a mean-girl leader named Melanie.”

  “Does she smell?” said Henry. “Because if she smells, you could call her Princess Smell-a-nie.”

  “Worse,” said Heidi. “She said that I smell!”

  “Wow,” said Henry. “She must have a smelly problem.”

  “Enough smelly talk,” said Mom. “I’m sure Melanie didn’t mean it.”

  Of course she meant it, thought Heidi. The name Princess Smell-a-nie was perfect. All Melanie needed was a stinky crown on top of her head.

  ZING!

  When Heidi got home, Dad was in the kitchen. He had two plastic bottles filled with dark liquid on the table. One was labeled SAMPLE NUMBER 1, and the other was labeled SAMPLE NUMBER 2. There was also a bottle of water and a stack of mini paper cups.

  “She’s home! My big school girl is home!” said Dad. Dad gave Heidi a great big squeeze. She managed a small smile.

  “Are you ready?” asked Dad.

  “Ready,” said Heidi.

&nbs
p; Dad had on his white lab coat. He set out two cups and then rubbed his hands together for the big moment.

  “Welcome to the Heckelbeck Taste-Testing Laboratory,” he said. “As you can see, we have two mystery drinks to choose from today. Please sample one, followed by a glass of water. Then sample the second one. Do not. I repeat. Do not make yummy faces or yucky faces during the taste test. We do not want to sway the other tasters.”

  Dad poured a cup of dark fizzy liquid and a cup of water. He placed both of them in front of Heidi.

  “My trusty assistant, Heidi, will go first,” said Dad. “Remember, no faces!”

  Heidi took a sip of the soda. She felt the tingle of the bubbles on her tongue. It had a nice cherry flavor to it. She set down the cup and sipped some water.

  “Now for sample number two,” said Dad. He poured the second mystery liquid and handed it to Heidi.

  Heidi slowly sipped it. Wow-wee! she thought, trying not to let the wow-wee show in her face. This soda had a super-tingly, super-zingy cherry flavor. She set down the cup and sipped some water. Then Mom and Henry took their turns.

  “Okay, let’s hear from taste-tester number one,” said Dad.

  “I choose sample number two,” said Heidi.

  “Taste-tester number two?” asked Dad.

  “I pick number two also,” said Henry.

  “Taste-tester number three?”

  “Number two,” said Mom.

  Dad pumped his fists in the air.

  “I’m happy to say that the taste test was a success!” said Dad. “Cherry Zing is the winner!”

  Dad looked so happy. He worked so hard on his soda formulas. He wanted them to be the best. Heidi was very proud of him.

  “Thanks for your help, guys,” said Dad. “So, Heidi, how was your first day of school?”

  Oh no, thought Heidi. Not THAT again. She felt the fun drain right out of her body. Droooooop.

  “Going to school was absolutely, positively the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life,” said Heidi.

  “Worse than fabric shopping with your mother?” asked Dad.

  “Way worse,” said Heidi. “I felt like a complete doofus all day. I just don’t fit in at school.”

  All the yucky feelings of the day bubbled up all over again. Heidi felt awful. She ran upstairs to her room and slammed the door.

  SMELL-A-NiE

  Heidi kicked off her shoes and flopped onto her bed. She buried her face in her pillow. Maybe she could stay in bed the rest of her life. That sounded perfect.

  Heidi heard the doorknob turn. It was Mom. She came in and sat down on the bed beside Heidi.

  “Pretty yucky day, huh?” said Mom.

  “Yup,” said Heidi in a muffled-pillow voice.

  “I know how you feel,” said Mom. “It happened to me too.”

  Heidi rolled over and looked at her mother.

  “It did?” questioned Heidi. “When?”

  “In grade school,” said Mom. “Some of the girls in my class thought I was—you know—different.”

  “Well, we are different,” said Heidi. “So, what did you do?”

  “I made two really good friends, and then the mean girls didn’t bug me as much.”

  Heidi sighed.

  “You know what I wish?” said Heidi. “I wish I could just be my real self. Why can’t I just be a—”

  Before Heidi could finish, Henry burst into the room. He had on Mom’s high heels and a pair of glasses perched on the end of his nose. He had an open book in his hand.

  “Wanna play school?” asked Henry. “We can both be the teachers and my stuffed animals can be the students.”

  “Not in the mood,” said Heidi.

  “But I already set up all the stuffed animals on chairs and everything,” said Henry. “They’re ready to learn!”

  “Maybe later,” said Heidi.

  “Why? Are you still upset about that Smell-a-nie girl?” asked Henry.

  “Pretty much,” said Heidi.

  “Well, I have an idea,” said Henry.

  “Shoot,” said Heidi.

  “When Smell-a-nie talks to you, pretend that she has a pair of underwear on her head,” said Henry. “Then she won’t seem so scary.”

  “You are a total Froot Loop,” said Heidi.

  “Who knows? It might work,” said Mom. “But one thing I can promise is that school will get better. Now, who’s up for an after-school snack?”

  “Cookies?” asked Henry.

  “Why not?” said Mom.

  Henry raced out the door.

  Mom got up and looked at Heidi.

  “Uh . . . I’ll be down in a sec,” said Heidi. A brilliant idea had just popped into her head.

  “Okay,” said Mom.

  THE SECRET!

  Once Mom and Henry were gone, Heidi shut the door. Then she lay down on her stomach and pulled her keepsake box out from under her bed. It was bejeweled with rainbow gems and glitter. Heidi undid the silver latch and opened the box. She pulled out a golden medallion on a long chain. In the middle of the medallion was the letter W woven into another W. Heidi slipped the medallion over her head. It hung all the way to her lap. She held it in one hand and studied it. Heidi traced the W with her finger. A big smile bloomed on her face. Her idea was beautiful. And wicked. But before starting she would need a snack. She stuck the medallion back into the box and ran downstairs.

  “Mom, can I have some cookies?” asked Heidi. “I need some energy to do my homework.”

  “Coming right up!” said Mom. She put two chocolate chip cookies on a plate.

  “Does that mean you’re going back to school?” asked Henry.

  “Yup,” said Heidi. “Your underwear trick was just what I needed.”

  “Really?” asked Henry.

  “No,” said Heidi.

  Heidi ate her cookies, gave Mom a big hug, and went back upstairs.

  Mom almost dropped the milk jug.

  “Whoa,” said Mom to Henry. “What just happened here?”

  Henry shrugged.

  As soon as Heidi got back to her room, she pulled out her keepsake box again. This time she pulled out an old worn black leather book. The title on the cover read Book of Spells. She opened the book. The first page had a list of fancy signatures. Above the signatures it said “The Witches of Westwick.” Heidi flipped through the pages. She stopped when she came to the one that read: “How to Make Someone Forget.”

  “Perfect!” Heidi said to herself with a smile. “Let’s see what happens when Princess Smell-a-nie forgets her lines in the play. . . .”

  Heidi folded her arms.

  One thing’s for sure, thought Heidi. I’m not going to forget who I am. I’m Heidi Heckelbeck, and I’m a WITCH!

  HERE’S A SNEAK PEEK!

  Imagine how Meanie Melanie will feel when she forgets all her lines, thought Heidi. She could hardly wait.

  Heidi studied the list of ingredients she would need for the spell.

  1 eye of a gingerbread man

  1 black plastic spider

  1 piece of straw

  1 teaspoon of salt

  3 cornflakes

  2 sour gummy worms

  1 puppy tooth

  1 tablespoon of catnip

  3 splashes of water

  Wow, thought Heidi. Where am I going to find all this stuff? It would be a treasure hunt, that was for sure. She copied the ingredients on a piece of paper and stuck it in her pocket. Then she read the directions carefully.

  Mix ingredients together in a red sand pail. Close your eyes and place one hand over the pail. Hold your Witches of Westwick medallion in your other hand. Chant the following words:

  Oh, special juice,

  let your powers loose!

  Help me quickly,

  show me soon the signs.

  Make [name of person]

  forget [his or her] lines!

  I better get started, thought Heidi.

  eidi Heckelbeck Has a Secret