by Amanda Ashby
“Get an ice cream,” Malik interrupted. “The first rule of all flying lessons is that you need to take an ice-cream break.” As he spoke he nodded over to a fancy-looking ice-cream store at the far end of the park.
“Did you direct us here on purpose?”
“Of course,” Malik said. “I felt like ice cream, and what’s the point of your practicing your landing where there’s no ice-cream store? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Yes, but—” Sophie started to say, before catching sight of a shoe store right next to the ice-cream store. Then she put her hand over her mouth so Malik wouldn’t see her smiling; but seriously, it was like the Universe was commanding her to go and look in there. She could definitely get used to this.
TEN MINUTES AND TWO CARTONS OF FULL-FAT cookies-and-cream ice cream later, Sophie and Malik were once again up in the air and on their way home. There also might have been the most adorable pair of nude-colored, peep-toe boots sitting in her lap. Not that she’d stolen them from the store; she had simply seen them in the window and wished for her own pair. And they were perfect. She had been wanting something with a heel to make her look taller, but since she couldn’t actually walk in heels, not to mention the fact that her mom would flip out, she had compromised on a small wedge, which gave her an extra inch without increasing her chances of her breaking her neck.
For a moment she felt bad that she hadn’t chosen them with Kara, but then she realized it would simply give them more time to shop for Kara’s own outfit and really that’s what was—
“Hey, hello there. Anyone at home? Because if you don’t turn now, you’ll probably hit that bird, and then you’ll be picking feathers out of your hair for a week. Of course, that is a valid lifestyle choice, and if it’s something that you really want to do, then be my guest,” Malik said. It sounded like he was still a bit put out that she hadn’t followed his advice and conjured up the hot pink clogs that he’d taken a liking to.
“Sorry.” Sophie quickly steered the carpet to the left of the bird, and a couple of minutes later she caught sight of her house not far below. She sucked in a breath of air and focused her thoughts, determined that this landing would be smoother than the last.
“That’s it.” Malik nodded his approval before leaning back, obviously unable to stop pretending that he was the one flying the carpet. “Now, you want to slow down your speed as much as you can. And then I want you to think about the basement.”
“What?” Sophie turned to him in surprise, causing the carpet to wobble. She quickly refocused until it was once again still. Then she took a deep breath and resisted the urge to wipe away the sweat that was beading up on her brow. “So tell me why I am thinking about the basement? I hate the basement. More importantly, I hate the spiders in the basement.”
“I am not a fan of it, either, but since the carpet is too big to land in your room, it’s the only place for you to practice teleporting. Besides, it’s not like the spiders in your basement are going to eat you. I mean, their teeth aren’t even big enough to pierce the skin. Of course, if it was a Tibetan blue-lipped spider that would be a different story altogether, because those bad boys have fangs like you wouldn’t believe. But those little guys in your basement are completely harmless.”
“You fill me with confidence,” Sophie said in a dry voice, as she tried not to think about giant fanged spiders and focused on her flying. “So you’re saying that I just need to think of the basement and that’s where I’ll land?”
“That’s right,” Malik said. “Oh, but don’t forget to visualize a large bubble around the carpet before you do that. It will stop your face from feeling like it’s been pounded by gale-force winds. Then you just need to blink three times.”
Sophie looked at him to see if he was joking, but it was impossible to tell. So she took a deep breath and prayed that the Universe knew what it was doing. Then she focused on the basement and pictured a giant bubble surrounding the carpet. Once that was done, Sophie blinked three times before she felt a gentle tugging sensation in her stomach.
“Nice work,” Malik said as Sophie cautiously opened her eyes. She let out a small whoop of excitement as she realized they were in the basement. She quickly uncrossed her legs and shook her limbs to get her circulation going again as she stared around her. Then she clicked her fingers and said, “Visible,” before checking herself in the chipped mirror that was hanging up near an old workbench. Apart from the fact that her blonde hair now resembled a bird’s nest, she looked the same as she always did. She turned back to Malik and grinned.
“I did it! We flew, we teleported, and we shopped. That’s amazing.”
“No,” Malik said in confusion. “Amazing is the way Jell-O dissolves in your mouth when you eat it. Flying a carpet and teleporting and conjuring up items is just magic.”
“Er, right,” Sophie said as adrenaline continued to course through her veins. She tried to ignore it as she took her new shoes off the carpet and quickly rolled it up before wishing it would go into the far corner of the basement. A second later it did, and she turned back to Malik. “But that was seriously amazing. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Malik said as he floated over to the collection of packing boxes that held all of her dad’s old possessions. When they had been gathering up the ingredients for Solomon’s Elixir, they had checked the boxes and been delighted to discover that some of the ingredients were neatly packed down at the bottom of one in between some old shoes. “Besides, you did exceptionally well for your first time, and if you keep this up, then you’ll definitely be ready to fly to Los Angeles.”
“Really?” Happiness radiated off her, and for a moment Sophie closed her eyes and pictured what it would be like to see her father again for the first time in four years. Would he think she had grown? That she totally rocked a flying carpet? That she—
“Well, would you look at that?” Malik’s voice broke her thoughts, and she opened her eyes to see that he was holding her father’s favorite David Bowie T-shirt up to his chest to see if it would fit. “Tariq the Awesome and I are the same size. I wonder if he would mind if I borrowed this?”
“I mind.” Sophie immediately pulled it away from him and clutched it to her chest. “Besides, my dad will be home soon, and then he’ll need all of his old clothes,” she added in a firm voice.
“Or alternatively, he might decide that it’s time to say good-bye to the old part of his life and get ready for a new chapter. In which case, he wouldn’t even miss one little impossible-to-buy-anymore David Bowie Serious Moonlight concert T-shirt...Okay, fine, so the T-shirt stays.”
“Thank you,” Sophie said, feeling bad that she was keeping it from him after all his help. She wasn’t even sure if she could explain her reasons. “It’s just, the thing is, I—”
But the rest of her words were cut off when the basement door opened and her mom walked down the stairs, looking very confused.
“Sophie, what on earth are you doing down here? I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
“O-oh,” Sophie stammered, since she had completely forgotten that there was a definite drawback to practicing invisible flying when her mom was at home. “Well, here I am.”
“Yes, but I’m still not sure why you’re down here. And who were you talking to?”
“See, it’s like she can just feel my presence,” Malik said as he puffed his chest forward and gave a coy little half wave. Despite the fact that Sophie’s mom couldn’t see him, Malik was convinced that they had a connection because they were friends on Facebook. Sophie was convinced he was delusional. “Oh, and I like what she’s done to her hair. It’s cute.”
“Of course no one’s here with me,” Sophie said in a firm voice as she shot Malik a warning look.
“Really?” Her mom looked around in confusion. “Because I was sure I heard you talking
to someone.”
Again Malik grinned, but Sophie ignored him as she searched her mind for a suitable excuse. She could hardly say that she had been practicing her carpet-flying skills, and since she didn’t own a cell phone she couldn’t say she had been talking on it, which meant there was only one thing to do.
“I was...er...talking to a spider,” Sophie finally said, resisting the urge to shudder.
“A spider?” Her mom raised an eyebrow in surprise. “But you hate spiders.”
“Yes, yes, I do,” Sophie reluctantly agreed. “But since I’m such a positive person, who prefers to be at one with the Universe, I’m trying to make myself get to know them. I mean, maybe I’ve been misjudging them all these years? Anyway, I think the spider and I have come to an understanding now.”
“You know, you really are the worst liar I’ve ever heard. You could’ve just said that you were singing a Neanderthal Joe song,” Malik said in a helpful voice that only she could hear. The fact that he had a good point didn’t improve her mood. “Anyway, as delightful as it is to watch you talk about spiders, I’ve got to go.” Without another word he snapped his fingers and disappeared from sight.
“Well, I’m happy that you and the spider have cleared the air,” her mom said before catching sight of the David Bowie T-shirt, which was still in Sophie’s hand. Her mom’s eyes filled with concern. “When I agreed not to throw away your father’s things, I didn’t think it would encourage you to spend so much time moping down here. Should I be worried?”
“Of course not,” Sophie quickly responded. When her djinn powers had first come through, Sophie hadn’t quite managed to make the most stellar start to sixth grade. That was one of the reasons why her mom had wanted to sell the house so that they could move to Montana. Not something that Sophie wanted to experience for a second time.
“Really? Because I’m not convinced, so how about you tell me the real reason? And this time I don’t want to hear about any spiders.”
Sophie chewed her lip for a moment and took a deep breath. “I’m, er, saying good-bye to an old part of my life and getting ready for a new chapter,” she improvised, using Malik’s words. Besides, it wasn’t really a lie; as soon as her dad was back it would be a whole new chapter. More importantly, it was obviously exactly what her mom wanted to hear, because the worry lines around her eyes instantly disappeared as Sophie put the T-shirt down.
“Oh, Sophie, I’m so pleased. And I know it’s been a tough few years, but I really feel like things are starting to get better.”
“Absolutely.” Sophie nodded in agreement. “S-so...did you want to ask me something?”
“Oh, right. Yes, I did. Max Rivers just called. He’s got Ryan staying with him for the week, and he wanted to know if you could babysit for him after school tomorrow for a couple of hours.”
“What?” Sophie was immediately taken aback because not only was the six-year-old Ryan a biter of legendary status, but the last time Sophie had been at Mr. Rivers’s house, she had managed to get herself turned into a djinn. And while logically she knew it was unlikely that he would accidently have another djinn-infested vase lying around, Sophie wasn’t exactly eager to repeat the experience. She instantly shook her head. “I promised Kara I’d go with her and her mom to the mall. Not to mention all my homework.” Or the fact that she would rather stab herself in the leg with her scissors than have to be in the same room as Ryan the biter.
“Well, you can do your homework at Max’s house, and I’m sure that Kara would understand if you missed out on tomorrow’s shopping trip. The thing is, I’d really appreciate it. Max has been such a wonderful help to me lately. He’s the one who convinced Monica Tait to order so much of my work.” Then her mom coughed. “Is there...a particular reason why you don’t want to do it? Is there something you don’t like about him?”
“What?” Sophie asked in surprise before quickly shaking her head. “No, I guess he’s nice enough.” Which was kind of true, since while she didn’t like the fact that he had a crazy nephew and had managed to have a djinn-bound bottle in his basement, he seemed okay. Plus, there was the added advantage that he lived next door to Jonathan Tait, which was why Sophie had agreed to babysit Ryan the first time around. “The thing is, I really did promise Kara that—”
“Are those shoes I can see over there?” Her mom suddenly looked over Sophie’s shoulder in the general direction of where the pair of nude-colored, peep-toe wedge boots were sitting. Sophie silently groaned as she realized too late that they weren’t invisible. Thankfully, the basement lighting wasn’t the best, and so Sophie quickly tried to block her mom’s view while glancing in the other direction.
“S-shoes,” she stammered. “I can’t see any shoes.”
“No, not that way,” her mom said. “Over there. In the corner. I’m sure it’s some—”
“So about this babysitting tomorrow. I’d love to do it,” Sophie quickly broke in, and the moment her mom stopped looking in the direction of the shoes, Sophie made a quick wish, sending them to the back of her closet, while making a mental note never to shop and fly at the same time.
“Oh?” Her mom was immediately distracted as she looked at Sophie in delight. “You would? Sophie, that’s wonderful. Max will be so thrilled.”
“That makes two of us,” Sophie lied as she followed her mom up the stairs and wiped her brow. That was way too close for comfort. Still, the important thing was that, according to Malik, with some more practice her flying skills would be good enough to rescue her dad. Suddenly, the idea of having to babysit Ryan the biter didn’t seem so bad.
SO, WHAT HAPPENED? I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING,” Harvey demanded the next morning as they pushed their way down the aisle of the bus and squeezed onto the two-person bench seat, as was their habit.
“It was fantastic.” Sophie grinned before proceeding to tell them everything that had happened. Right down to the ice cream and the shoes.
“Shoes?” Harvey shook his head in disgust, his long bangs swinging. “You ruined a perfectly good flying adventure by stopping to buy shoes?”
“Well, it was Malik’s fault for wanting ice cream,” Sophie protested, before remembering just what a nuisance the shoes had been. She turned to Kara and took a deep breath. “But actually, there is something I need to tell you. I kind of promised that I would babysit Ryan the biter after school today,” she said, bracing herself for their reaction.
Yep. There it was.
“You what?” Kara and Harvey yelped in unison, their faces matching masks of horror. Kara added, “Why didn’t you tell us about this first?”
“Because I knew that you would both freak out and start making faces. See.” Sophie pointed to them both as proof.
“Yes, well, we’re making faces because it is a very bad idea,” Kara retorted. “A very, very bad idea. After all, if Mr. Rivers can keep a djinn in his basement, then there’s no saying what else could be in there.”
“Plus, don’t forget that he has very strange body language,” Harvey added. “I still haven’t figured out if he’s a serial killer or has an eating disorder, but there’s definitely something weird about him.”
“Look, you guys, I don’t want to do it, either. Especially since I’m supposed to be going shopping with Kara at the mall.”
“So don’t do it,” Kara immediately replied. “Just tell your mom that you can’t cancel because it’s a fashion emergency. I mean, I could totally buy the wrong outfit if you’re not there.”
“Of course you won’t,” Sophie assured her, since her friend, who was tall and willowy, tended to look amazing in pretty much anything she put on. Paint-splattered clothes included.
“Yes, but that doesn’t change the fact that Mr. Rivers is evil,” Harvey pointed out. “So if you just mention it to your mom, I’m sure she’ll change her mind. I mean, she’s hardly going to make you babysit for som
eone evil.”
“I know it’s not ideal, but Mr. Rivers has been helping her out loads lately with her pottery business. Plus, he had no idea that Malik was trapped in a vase in his basement,” Sophie protested as the bus pulled into Robert Robertson Middle School and they all scrambled out. “Besides, it actually helps me with the tricky problem of how to explain to my mom that I could afford my new outfit for the anniversary party when she knows that I only have three bucks in my bank account. The important thing to remember is that Malik said that flying was going really well and that I should be ready in time.”
Thankfully, that seemed to keep her friends happy, and Sophie spent the rest of the day dreaming of what it would be like to see her dad again. When he left she had been only seven. Back then she couldn’t even pronounce her th sounds properly, but now, not only was she four years older, but she was also a djinn. The only djinn to have created Solomon’s Elixir.
By the time the final bell rang, Sophie was buzzing with excitement. Not least since at lunch Kara had received a text message from Malik to say that he finally had a lead on Manny and he would BITSYFC, which they had finally decided must mean be in touch soon you funky chickens.
Soon. It would all be okay soon.
Then she caught sight of her mom’s old Toyota pulling into the parking lot and she ran over.
“You look happy,” her mom said as she headed toward Mr. Rivers’s house. “And while I’d like to believe it’s because you’re looking forward to babysitting Ryan today, I have the feeling it’s something else.”
“Of course I’m looking forward to babysitting Ryan,” Sophie assured her mom quite truthfully; now that she could turn herself invisible, Ryan would be getting a nasty shock if he tried to bite her and she just disappeared. After all, if it worked at school, then it was sure to work on a six-year-old kid.
