Billy looked baffled.
“This morning,” hinted Joe. “You said you needed to talk to me.”
“Did I?”
“Yes,” said Joe with a sigh.
“Can’t remember,” said Billy.
Joe frowned. “I saw your mum this morning.”
Billy looked a little embarrassed. “She’s not my mum,” he said.
“Sorry,” said Joe. “I just thought—”
“That’s Agatha,” whispered Billy with a snarl.
“The, er, witch that turned you into a boy?” asked Joe, raising an eyebrow. “Hmmm. She didn’t look much like a witch.”
“Of course she didn’t. You don’t think she’s going to come to school all green and warty, do you? Then everyone would know, wouldn’t they?”
“I suppose they would,” said Joe. “But she tidied your hair and everything.”
“Oh she’s good. She’s very good.”
“Look,” said Joe, getting cross. “You are not a wizard, OK? You are not a wizard and your mother’s not a witch!”
“What are you two going on about?” said a voice behind them.
They turned, and standing next to Joe was a stocky boy from a couple of years above them, whom Joe had already noticed. He always seemed to have a group of boys with him. His name was Rick. He had short ginger hair and freckles all over his face – even on his ears. “Look, some of us are playing football on the sports field this Saturday. Saw that amazing catch you made just then. We need a goalie. Fancy a game?”
If there was one thing Joe hated more than playing football, it was being in goal when he was playing football.
“Yeah,” he said. “That’d be great.”
“Cool,” said Rick.
“I am a wizard!” said Billy.
“What did he say?” asked Rick.
“He says he’s a wizard,” said Joe.
“Weirdo.” Rick turned back to Joe. “Saturday – about ten o’clock,” he said as he walked away.
“Cool,” said Joe.
“Cool,” repeated Billy in a smarmy voice.
“I am a wizard!” repeated Joe in a silly voice.
“I am!” shouted Billy. “If I wasn’t a wizard,” he went on, raising his hands above his head, holding his hands like claws and staring after Rick, “would I be able to do this?”
Billy threw out his arms in the direction of Rick’s retreating figure and waggled his fingers about while looking boggle-eyed. Nothing happened.
“Wow,” said Joe in a bored voice.
Billy hunched his shoulders, screwed his hands into fists and stomped off towards the quiet area of the playground, where he sat on a bench and muttered to himself.
“What a weirdo,” said Joe. “What a total weirdo.”
Chapter 3
Wizards Like Chocolate Cake
AT THE END of the day Joe joined all the other children to fetch his coat to go home. Billy was collecting his coat from his peg on the other side of the narrow cloakroom. Molly Mason and her friend Charlotte were chattering away as usual.
“Don’t forget I’m bringing Little Danny in tomorrow,” said Molly.
“He’s so cute,” said Charlotte as they both went back into the classroom to line up.
“Who’s little Danny?” asked Joe.
“Don’t know,” said Billy. “Her baby brother, I think.”
Neil squeezed along towards them. “I saw you talking to Rick Bellows,” he said above the din.
“So?” said Joe.
“He’s trouble. You should stay away from him.”
“Should I?” said Joe crossly. He was beginning to get annoyed with the way Neil kept interfering.
“Yes,” said Neil. “You should.”
“Well, he wants me to play football with him and I said I would,” said Joe.
Neil tutted and walked off shaking his head. Joe scowled and followed him back to the classroom, where everyone quietened down and lined up in a queue ready to go home.
When Joe marched out into the playground, he could see his mum talking to one of the other mothers. As he got closer he realized that it was Billy’s mother. Joe grinned to himself. If Mum only knew, he thought to himself, that she was talking to the hideous Agatha, the Wicked Witch of Wherever-it-was.
As Joe walked up to them, his mother gave him a kiss and said to Billy’s mother, “Here he is. This is Joe.”
“How are you, Joe?” said Billy’s mother.
“Very well, thank you,” said Joe. “How are you?”
“I’m very well, thank you,” she said with a very un-witchy smile. “What a polite young man. And here’s Billy.”
Billy shuffled up with his hands in his pockets and his shirt hanging out of his trousers on one side. He scowled at each of them in turn. Joe’s mother backed off slightly.
“Now then, Billy,” said Billy’s mother. “Joe’s mother here has very kindly said you can go back with them to Joe’s house and play for a while. What do you say?”
Billy mumbled something that could have been “Thank you” but could have been many things.
Joe’s mother looked as though she was already regretting making the offer and when she looked at Joe, she saw him frowning darkly at Billy.
“That’s settled then,” said Billy’s mother. “I’ll pick you up at five thirty. Behave yourself, Billy,” she added as she turned to go home, a worried look flickering across her face.
They started to walk home, both boys scowling. Joe saw Rick Bellows getting into his father’s car, a smooth silvery sports car. Joe had admired it the day before.
“Rick!” he called with a wave. “See you tomorrow!”
Rick looked baffled for a minute, as though he had never seen Joe before in his life. “What?” he snapped, but then he remembered. “Oh, yeah, right.” Then he spotted Billy and patted his father on the arm. “Hey, Dad, there’s that weird kid I told you about!” He chuckled loudly. “Look at him. What a dork!” Rick’s father joined in the chuckling as they got into the car. They put on matching sunglasses, the engine roared and they drove noisily away.
“What a horrid boy,” said Joe’s mum.
“Who, Rick?” said Joe. “Nah, he’s all right.” Billy snorted. “At least he doesn’t think he’s a wizard!” hissed Joe.
“What’s all this about wizards?” asked Joe’s mother.
Neither boy answered. They plodded silently along after her, scowling all the way to Joe’s house.
“I’ve got some chocolate cake, Billy,” said Joe’s mother as she unlocked the front door. “Would you like some?”
“Yes please,” said Billy.
“Take your shoes off, boys, and sit yourselves down,” she told them. “I’ll bring it through in a minute.” And she went off into the kitchen.
They took off their shoes and Billy followed Joe into the dining room. Joe’s mother came through with the cake and some apple juice.
“So wizards eat chocolate cake then,” said Joe as soon as she had left the room.
“Yeah,” said Billy, picking up a huge slice of cake. “Some do. A few do. I do.” He took a huge bite, smearing his nose with chocolate cream.
Joe was trying to stay annoyed with Billy but he couldn’t stop himself from laughing, and Billy joined him, almost choking on his cake.
“That’s better,” said Joe’s mum, putting her head round the door. “I thought you two would never cheer up. Why don’t you go up to your room, Joe, and show Billy all your toys? I don’t mind how much mess you make as long as you clear it up later.”
So Joe dragged box after box out of his cupboards and down from his shelves and the two boys played happily for the rest of the afternoon, setting up a huge game involving all Joe’s animals, his knights and his battery-powered spaceship.
Joe’s dad popped in to see him when he came back from work. “Hi, Joe – er, children,” he said, stopping cautiously in the doorway when he saw Billy.
“Hi, Dad,” said Joe, without looking up.
“This is Billy. From school.”
“Oh … er … hi, Billy,” said Joe’s dad a little nervously.
“Hello,” said Billy as the spaceship zoomed out of control towards a group of knights.
Joe’s father stood there for a few moments looking lost, twiddling his fingers, then left them to it. Not long after, they heard the doorbell and Billy’s mother was calling him to go home.
“He wasn’t any trouble, I hope,” she said as Billy put his shoes back on.
“None at all,” said Joe’s mother. “I barely knew they were there. They got on like magic.”
Joe and his mother waved from the front door as Billy and his mother drove away. Billy wasn’t so bad after all, thought Joe, even if he was a bit crazy. Perhaps he had been too hard on him.
“Billy is sweet, isn’t he?” said his mother, closing the door.
Joe shuddered. Sweet? Sweet? Urggggh! It was one thing for Billy to be bonkers, but sweet – that was too much. This is what happened if you were not careful about choosing your friends and let your mother get involved. Sweet!
Chapter 4
Vanishing Rick
JOE WAS IN a much better mood when he went to school the next day. He chatted to his mum on the way and they laughed and joked just like they used to when they lived in Gaston.
“I’m glad you’ve made a friend like Billy,” said his mother as they walked past the war memorial. “He’s so much nicer than those awful boys you got in with when we lived in Gaston.”
“Who?” asked Joe defensively.
“Carl Denton and his gang,” said his mother.
Joe frowned. “Carl was all right.”
“Carl was not all right,” said his mother. “Carl was a menace. He was always getting in trouble. He was a nasty bully and you followed him round like a little puppy.”
“No I didn’t,” said Joe.
“Never mind.” His mum sighed. “It doesn’t matter now. Carl is in Gaston and we’re here. Hopefully there aren’t any boys like him at your new school anyway.”
“Mum,” said Joe as they arrived at the school gates, “would it be OK if I played football on the sports field on Saturday morning?”
“I suppose so,” she said. “Who with?”
Joe remembered his mum saying what a horrid boy Rick was. “Oh, you know, with, er, Billy and, er, this other boy – Neil.”
“Yes, why not,” said his mum.
“Great!”
“I can do my shopping in the afternoon instead, I suppose. And it will give me a chance to chat to Billy’s mum. She seems very nice.”
“But … but …” began Joe.
“You didn’t think I was going to let you go wandering round the village on your own, did you?”
“But Mum,” said Joe.
“Never mind ‘but Mum’,” she said. “I promise I won’t laugh if you fall over.”
Great, thought Joe as he said goodbye and tramped into the classroom. He had finally got in with the really cool kids in the school and now his mum was going to turn up with him like he was a baby or something. There must be something he could do. It was so unfair.
As Joe was leaving the classroom at play time, he saw that Molly Mason was talking to Miss Parker and crying. Then he heard her say, “He’s disappeared, miss. I can’t find him anywhere.”
As Joe walked out into the playground Rick came over.
“Still on for Saturday?” he asked.
“Yeah, sure,” said Joe. “Definitely.”
Billy walked past and Rick pointed his thumb at him. “Not bringing that weirdo with you, I hope,” he said.
“Nah,” said Joe. “Course not.”
“Good,” said Rick. “See you later.”
Joe had not realized but Neil had been standing nearby and wandered over, scowling at him.
“What’s the matter with you?” asked Joe.
“I thought Billy was your friend,” he said.
“Yeah … no … not really,” stammered Joe.
“You always seem to be talking to him,” said Neil. “I thought he went round your house last night.”
“Well, yeah – he did. So what?”
Neil muttered something under his breath.
“What?” said Joe.
“Look, what do you want to hang around with someone like that for anyway?” asked Neil.
“You mean Billy?” said Joe.
“No,” said Neil. “I mean Rick.”
“It’s only a game of football. That’s all. What’s it got to do with you anyway?”
“Nothing,” said Neil.
“Nothing,” said Joe. “That’s right. Exactly. Nothing. OK.”
Neil wandered off and Joe scowled after him.
“What’s up with you?” asked Billy, who had suddenly appeared at his side.
“Nothing,” said Joe. “That Neil is a bit of a whinger, isn’t he?”
“Neil? Don’t know. He seems all right. Not like some of the creeps in this place.”
“Hah,” said a voice behind them. “If anyone’s a creep in this school it’s you, weirdo.” It was Rick. He barged Billy out of the way and stood in front of Joe. “Got any money?”
“Money?” asked Joe.
“I’ll pay you back on Saturday,” Rick said, holding out his hand.
“No, sorry,” said Joe. “I haven’t got any.”
Rick frowned.
Over Rick’s shoulder Joe could see Billy raising his hands like he had before and flicking out his fingers towards Rick’s back. Rick could tell by Joe’s expression that something was happening behind him and turned round to find Billy there, frowning at him, arms outstretched.
“What are doing?” he asked.
“Yeah,” said Joe. “What are you doing, Billy?”
Billy frowned even more but said nothing. Rick laughed and Joe laughed with him.
“Weirdo!” said Rick, and he grabbed Billy by the collar and almost pulled him off his feet. Then he shoved him as hard as he could and it was all Billy could do to stop himself falling over. Rick’s friends started a chant of “Weirdo! Weirdo!”
Joe stopped laughing.
“Trying to make me look stupid, are you, weirdo?” said Rick, giving Billy another push. This time Billy did fall over.
“Hey,” said Joe, shoving Rick in the back. “Leave him alone!”
Rick stopped and turned round. “What?” he said. The whole playground seemed to go silent.
“Leave him alone,” said Joe, a little more quietly.
Rick started to walk back towards Joe with his fists clenched, when someone stepped between them.
“And what is going on here?” It was Miss Parker.
“Nothing, miss,” said Rick.
“Nothing, miss,” said Joe.
“Nothing, miss,” said Billy.
“Good,” she said. “Billy and Joe, you can help me set things up for art, and Rick, you can … you can go somewhere else.”
“Yes, miss,” he said and slowly walked away across the playground.
“Do you want to get thumped?” hissed Joe at Billy as they followed Miss Parker towards the classroom. “I mean, if you do, that’s fine. You’re doing great.”
“No, I don’t want to get thumped,” said Billy.
“Do you want me to get thumped?” asked Joe.
“No,” said Billy.
“You’ve spoiled everything!” said Joe. “I was going to play football on Saturday, and now look what you’ve done with your stupid wizard rubbish! Why do you have to be so … so … different?”
“What’s wrong with being different?”
“Well, you might not want to have any friends but I do!”
“Course I want to have friends!” said Billy. “But not ones like Rick Bellows!” He scowled and turned back towards the playground. He raised his arms and flicked out his fingers towards Rick, who still had his back to them as he returned to his little gang.
“Will you stop doing that!” hissed Joe, as Billy caught up
with him at the classroom door.
Suddenly there was a huge bang and Joe’s heart felt like it had just tried to jump out of his chest. He looked back towards the playground, and there was a wisp of bluish smoke drifting across it where Rick had been standing only a few seconds before. Rick … Rick had completely disappeared.
Then Joe noticed a tiny white mouse running across the playground and heading for the caretaker’s shed. He stood staring, his eyes wide open and his mouth not far behind. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen.
“What’s up with you?” said a voice beside him. It was Neil.
“What? Me?” said Joe. “What’s up? Er … nothing … Nothing’s up.”
Neil gave him a funny look.
“Joe!” called Miss Parker. “Come on, come on. We haven’t got all day!”
As he walked in, Molly Mason came out, her eyes red from crying.
“What’s up?” asked Joe.
“It’s Little Danny,” she said, beginning to sob again. “He’s vanished.”
Chapter 5
Zapped!
JOE COULDN’T REALLY concentrate on his work for the rest of the morning. He kept looking over at Billy, who was drawing away with his tongue sticking out, as if nothing had happened; as if he were just some ordinary boy.
“What did you do to Rick?” whispered Joe when he found Billy in his usual place in the quiet area at lunch break.
Billy held up his hand and frowned, flicking out his fingers. “I zapped him,” he said with a grin. “That’ll teach him.” He repeated the move with his hands and chuckled.
Joe looked horrified. “But you can’t just go round zapping people.”
“Can’t I?” said Billy. “Why’s that then?”
“I … I … I don’t know. You just can’t.”
“Anyway,” Billy explained, “I don’t just zap anybody. I only zapped Rick because he’s horrible and if anyone needed zapping, he did.”
Billy Wizard Page 2
