“EWWW! That’s gross. I guess you’re right. It could be worse. When Austin and I were younger, we played together a lot. And, that was fun . . . then,” April said, glaring at the dog. “He’s become such a mean pain in the butt. Remember last week?”
“What? I forget . . .”
“He asked me if I wanted to do an art project. I said ‘yes.’ You know I love art. It’s my fave.” April took a deep breath.
“He gave me a plain white t-shirt and asked me to put it on. I thought—stupid me—he was spray painting on the back or something. He told me to lie straight back on a sheet of white paper he said he put on the rug. I didn’t check—stupid me. He told me it was a new technique he learned in art class. I tried to turn around to look at the paper. But he told me if I moved too much I might mess up the picture he painted on the shirt. So, I lay straight back. He pulled my hair, said ‘I’m the Prankster of the Year.’ Then he ran away. When I tried to get up, I couldn’t. I was stuck to the rug! He covered my back with instant dry glue. There was no paper. It was so traumatizing!”
“Oh my . . .” Grace covered her mouth with her hand.
April looked down at the rug, wringing her hands. “My mom had to come get me. She helped me slide out of the shirt. She had to use paint thinner to get the shirt off the rug. He got in a lot of trouble, but I felt like such a nothing. That’s when I Googled that spell,” April said. “But I never, ever imagined it would work, let alone in the school bus! I just thought of the spell in my head and . . . poof! It happened! I’m just glad nobody noticed and I was able to sneak him quickly into my backpack.”
Grace put her face right in front of Austin’s. “Well, maybe now you’ll stop playing jokes on April.”
“Grrr . . .”
Bam!
April and Grace stared at each other without blinking. They turned to the closed bedroom door.
“Hello? Anyone home?” Mr. Galapagos called.
Grace turned to the computer and started typing super fast. “We’ll have to talk about this more later. We need to start searching NOW.”
six
“Hello?” Grace’s dad said cheerfully. They heard Grace’s mom and dad talking. Then, there was a long pause.
“Ugh, April! I think they’re kissing,” Grace said, grabbing her stomach.
“So annoying. My parents do that, too.”
“Gross.” They said at the same time. They both laughed.
“Michael! Grace! Kids, are you home?” They heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
“Oh no, Grace! He’s coming upstairs,” April said, trying to whisper.
“Quick! We have to find a place to hide Austin. I know my dad will ask a ton of questions, and, and, and—”
They both jumped up. April’s body shook from the fear that Mr. Galapagos could find Austin—as a dog.
She ran around the room, looking in every corner.
Grace walked right to her closet door and yanked it open. She picked up something from the floor. “This is the purse I had from Aunt Mary’s wedding a few years ago.”
“Oh, it’s so pretty. Your dress was purple and shiny like that too, right?”
Grace unzipped it and dumped her lip-glosses on the closet floor. “Yep.”
April held Austin with both hands. She turned his face to hers. The beating of her heart slowed. Staring at his wide eyes reminded her of her brother years ago—when he was nice.
She whispered in his ear, “Please be quiet. I am begging you.” She stuffed him into the purse. Grace zipped it back up and dropped him on the closet floor.
“Arrr . . .”
April kneeled down on the floor. Hovering over the purse, she whispered, “Shhhh, Austin. But, uh, sorry about that.” She glanced up at all of Grace’s clothes hanging perfectly in the closet, as the steps grew louder and closer. Hopping to her feet, she closed the closet
door.
“He’s coming,” Grace said in a hushed voice.
Tippy-toe, tippy-toe, tippy-toe. Flop. April landed on Grace’s bed, kicked off her shoes, and crossed her legs. Grace slid back into the desk chair, and started typing, P-R-E-S-I-D-E-N-T.
“Hi, girls,” Mr. Galapagos said, smiling as he opened the door. His smile went away and he tilted his head to the side. “April, why are you sweating? Are you okay?”
“Uh . . .” Grace jumped in.
Say school lunch, thought April. I’m sick from school lunch. No, don’t say that. That would get me a trip to the doctor. Or even worse, a trip to the hospital. Say something. What else . . .
“We did relay races at school. So, I am . . . uh . . . hot and tired,” April said, staring at the closet door.
“Oh, okay,” he said, raising one eyebrow. “Are you staying for dinner, April?”
“Ummm . . .” April said, still staring at the closet. Grace’s dad looked at the closet door.
Grace kicked April.
Ouch! Ok, now stop staring at the closet. April looked at Mr. Galapagos. Breathe. Say something . . . say anything.
seven
“We were just about to call her mom now,” Grace said, reaching into April’s book bag for her cell phone, and then waving it. “Can you ask Mom if it’s okay?”
“Sure, Honey Bear.”
“Dad!”
He jerked his head to look at Grace. “Sorry. I forgot you’re in middle school and not my Honey Bear anymore.” He walked over to Grace and gave her a kiss on her forehead. “Well ladies, we will order enough pizza. But April . . .” Mr. Galapagos glanced at the closet door again.
Oh no. He knows something. Oh no!
“April, just rest up before dinner.”
“Thank you, Mr. Galapagos.” Breathe before you turn purple. Whew!
He looked at his watch, then the computer screen. “Oh. I have to go get your brother soon. You kids finish working on your essay.” He walked out of Grace’s room and left the door open. “Honey, need help cleaning up?” he yelled to Grace’s mom.
“Whew!” Grace exhaled. “He’s gone.”
“That was close,” April whispered, listening to Mr. Galapagos walk down the stairs.
“We have to work fast,” April said, stretching her legs out on Grace’s bed. “Where were we?”
“I am searching for a spell breaker. Remember?” Grace turned to the computer and started typing. “You said you found it in The Book of Magic, right?”
“Oh yeah, oops. Let me get Austin.” April sprang to her feet and opened the closet door. She looked down at the purple purse on the ground. It had landed in the only empty space among the perfectly paired shoes. He wiggled back and forth in the purse. She picked it up and opened it.
Austin shoved his nose out.
“Grrr . . .” He growled and showed his teeth.
“You didn’t bark or say anything.” April hugged him and gave him a big kiss on the head. “Thank you, Austin!” He grumbled at her. “Oh stop it,” she scolded. She looked at his wide brown eyes.
Why does he look so scared? He was always such a tough guy. But, is he scared now?
She relaxed her hand, not holding him so tightly.
“Are you afraid?”
“Grrrr . . .” Then, he attempted to wiggle out of the purse as if he were trying to run away.
“Austin, if you don’t stop, I’m going to put you back in the purse.”
She took him out and pinned him between her elbow and her body again. She gently scratched him under his chin and sat on Grace’s bed.
“I can’t find anything,” Grace said as she turned to look at April.
“Really?” April peered over Grace’s shoulder at the computer screen.
“Is that the dog breathing on my neck or you? Ewww.” Grace said, standing up from the computer chair.
“Fail.” April smirked at Grace.
“OK genius. Fine. You give it a try.” Grace took Austin from April’s arms.
April sat down and typed “Book of Magic spell to reverse turning someone into a dog.” She
pressed ‘Enter.’
Click. Click.
“Here it is!” April pointed to the screen.
“Seriously? Seriously?” Grace dropped Austin on the bed. She hovered over April, looking at the computer screen. “I searched those exact same keywords and I didn’t get anything. Hmmm . . . Maybe it’s because I’m not a witch so I, uh, couldn’t find it.”
April stopped breathing, fixated on Grace’s eyes. Just as she took a breath, Austin jumped off the bed and ran out Grace’s door.
eight
They watched Austin’s little tail wiggle as he ran through the door and down the hall.
April screamed, “Ahhh!”
She ran to the doorway. Austin ran past the linen closet, past Grace’s parents’ bedroom, past the bathroom, and into Michael’s room.
Grace’s mother yelled up the stairs, “Everything OK?”
“Oh yeah, it’s fine, Mom,” said Grace. “We . . . uh . . . thought we saw a bug. But it . . . wasn’t. Sorry!”
“OK, girls,” she said, going back into the kitchen.
“Oh no,” Grace whispered. “Michael’s room is so junky. I have no clue where he went in that pigsty.”
“Oh, Austin’s room is a disaster, too.” April nodded. “Austin should feel right at home in there.”
They heard footsteps walking toward the front door.
“Rita, I’ll be right back. I’m going to get him now and pick up the pizzas,” Grace’s dad said to her mom. The front door closed.
“Oh no!” they said at the same time.
“Michael will be here soon,” Grace said, her eyes growing as big as a high school girl’s hoop earrings.
April felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Beads of sweat formed on Grace’s forehead. They tiptoed down the hall into Michael’s room.
April’s eyes bulged. “How in the world can he even tell what is clean and what is dirty? I guess it’s all dirty. There has gotta be mold or a fungus growing somewhere in here.”
A cracked bat was wedged between underwear and a grass stained white t-shirt on the floor. Books sat piled in the corner with what looked like a granola bar wrapper peeking out from underneath a book cover. In the other corner was what appeared to be a pile of dirt but were actually dirt-covered track sneakers. His walls were covered with posters of famous athletes.
“It smells like a locker room mixed with a school cafeteria,” April said, wrinkling her nose.
“I think there’s actually a picture of a baseball, basketball, and football on this rug,” Grace said quietly.
“There’s a rug under here?”
Grace rolled her eyes. “I know. Hard to believe.”
“Where would a little dog hide in this room?” April asked. “Austin, I know you’re mad at me. Heck, I would be mad at me, too, but, but seriously.” She stamped her foot, but lightly so as not to alert Mrs. Galapagos. “Seriously, please come out so we can fix this.” April let out a huge sigh.
Grace got down onto her hands and knees, slowly lifted the blanket hanging from the bed, and looked under it. “Some dirty clothes and socks.” She reached under the bed and pulled something out, holding it with two fingers. With her other hand, she pinched her nose.
“Ewww. I guess that sock used to be white,” April said.
“This is gross.” Grace dropped the sock to the floor and stood up. “Your turn . . .”
April got down and crawled around the floor on her hands and knees.
Austin is always so annoying. Why won’t he just come out so we can try to fix this? What if we can’t find him? What if we get caught?
Her breath quickened. She looked under Michael’s desk.
“Nope, only an old bag of Doritos.” She looked under his dresser. “Nothing but lots of lint and dust.” April threw her body back and flopped onto her butt. She put her head in her hands and swallowed hard. “This is hopeless!”
“We have to find him fast,” Grace said, pacing and biting her lip. “My dad will be home soon with Michael.”
April stood up. “I know.” She cleared her throat, fighting back the tears. “And, we don’t want to tell Michael about all of this. He’d get us in so much trouble—because you know how he loves to try to get us in trouble.”
Grace closed Michael’s door. “Austin?” she said quietly. “We found the spell to fix this. If you come out, hopefully we can do it—”
“Austin, I will do anything you want,” April interrupted. “I am sooooo sorry!” She started to cry, wetting her glasses with tears. She took them off and wiped them with her shirt. “Gosh, not only did I turn my brother into a dog, now I lost him.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Austin stick his head out of Michael’s closet. April jumped on Austin and hugged him. She squeezed him so tightly he let out a little yelp.
“Chillax, April,” said Grace. “Chillax.”
“Sorry, Austin. I didn’t realize my strength,” April said with a chuckle. She stood up, still hugging him.
nine
A
pril was overjoyed that she had found Austin. She was still hugging him.
Grace came over and gave Austin a kiss on his head. She looked up at April as if she smelled sour milk. “Ewww. I just kissed your brother.”
April laughed and kissed him on the head, too. Austin grumbled but gently rubbed his nose against April’s hand. April kissed him again. She felt her cheeks tremble from her big, broad smile.
“We’d better get out of here before Michael gets home,” Grace said, opening the door.
They did a running tiptoe down the hall back into Grace’s room. April quietly closed the door behind them. Grace ran to the computer, sat, and started clicking.
April sat on the bed holding Austin and started to pet him. He growled again. She knew he was growling at her for treating him like a little doggie. She smiled because she felt as if things would go back to the way they had been. Austin would go back to being an annoying brother and she would have nice new glasses again.
“Now where were we?” April asked.
“April? Are you serious? Remember, the spell breaker?” Grace said.
“Oh, yeah.”
“I wonder how many people can get to this book,” Grace said, her eyes glued to the computer screen.
“Right, are there other witches out there?” April asked, looking into space. “I wonder who else can do this kind of, uh, stuff.”
Grace’s eyes bulged as she started reading. “April, put Austin in the closet and close the door.”
April placed Austin on the closet floor as nicely as she could. Austin sighed and lay down. April gently closed the door.
“Now repeat after me,” Grace said.
“Heaven, please help with the recent past,
To undo the spell that I just cast.
Please take this request as formal,
And turn my brother back to normal.”
April repeated each line as Grace said it.
“Did it—” Grace swallowed, “did it work?” She looked at the closet door.
“I’m scared to open it,” said April.
Grace raised her shoulders. “Why?”
“Well, what if it didn’t work?” April’s eyes burned as they filled with tears.
Grace stood up and gave her a hug. “Don’t cry. If it didn’t work, we’ll . . . we’ll figure it out. But, the only way to know if we have to keep searching is if you open the door. It might have worked.”
“But . . .” April cleared her throat.
“Just open the door! For the love of God.”
April turned to face the closet. She stared at it. She could not move.
“Did I tell you about the time Miss Meanie gave me detention for talking in class? Jimmie was in detention, too—as usual. He’s such a troublemaker. He threw spitballs and paper clips at me when she wasn’t looking. I told Austin how mean Jimmie was to me. I don’t know what he said to Jimmie. But, the next day, Jimmie said sorry to me.” April swallowed hard.
“A
ustin always bothered me,” she said, staring at the closet door. “But he was a good big brother. He didn’t let anyone else pick on me.”
“Did you just say Austin was a good big brother?” asked Grace. “April, if this doesn’t, work we WILL figure it out. Geez, we are, like, two of the smartest girls in school.”
“You’re right. Ok—”
“Maybe I would like Michael more if I turned him into a dog,” Grace said, staring into space.
April’s heart beat faster and her breaths quickened. She reached for the knob and, with her eyes tightly shut, turned it very slowly. Then she slowly cracked one eye. She opened the door slower than a slug crosses the sidewalk.
Her heart sank. The little white dog stared sadly at April.
ten
Austin’s glassy eyes looked so sad. April sighed as Austin hung his head. She collapsed to her knees to get closer to him.
“It didn’t work.” She picked Austin up and held him with both hands. “I’m sorry, Austin,” she whispered in his ear. She kissed his head, and the lump in her throat grew bigger and bigger.
Swallowing hard, she dropped onto the bed, tears falling from her eyes.
Her glasses were dripping, and her tears wet Austin’s head. She put him on the bed. He lay down with a sigh, turned his head away, and covered his face with his paws. She dried her glasses with her shirt.
What have I done? I’m such a super horrible sister. How come it didn’t work? Why can I make some things happen but not this one little—well not so little—thing happen? What if I never get him back?
Grace’s eyes darted from the open closet door to the window to the bedroom door. She was feverishly tapping a pen on her desk. She always had that focused look when she was thinking hard about something.
“Oops. I forgot to close that closet door,” April said, putting her glasses back on.
BAM! The closet door slammed shut. April held her breath. She and Grace looked at each other. Neither of them blinked.
OMG... Am I a Witch?! Page 2
