A Witch Like No Other (32 page)

On
screen, Agnes received a phone call. James marvelled at how much
she looked like Dreamer, like Pandora. Though
Agnes
’
s eyes weren
’
t green, they were grey. Paul
Black
’
s eyes were green.

“
You’
ve got
Paul
’
s
eyes,” murmured James, looking at Pandora. She frowned at him, and
he added “Your grandfather.”

“
Oh.” She
smiled shyly, saying “Mum used to tell me that all the
time.”

“
Yeah?”

“
Yeah,” she
said, putting her cup on the coffee table. James faked stretching
to yawn, resting his arm behind her. Then he put it around her and
drew her closer to him, half expecting her to resist his arms. But
Pandora welcomed the embrace gladly, shifting closer to him. James
let her rest her head on his shoulder, Pandora wrapping her arms
around him bravely. James was pleased: she was finally loosening
up.

“
I said we
could’
ve done this ages
ago.”

“
What, cuddle
on your sofa?”

“
Stuff like
that. I was just being stupid.”

“
Who’
s going to play cops
with me if you
’
re going?” she said, eyes filling as she looked at
James. “I don
’
t like the boys in my class.”

“
I’
ll still come over
everyday, don
’
t worry. We
’
re still best friends?”

“
Yes,” wept
Pandora, and he let her go as he ran after Marlon.

“
James?”

“
Yes Pandora?”
he said quietly, Pandora looking up at him.

“
Why did you
stop speaking to me in high school? After high school as
well?”

“
I… hey,
don’
t try and pin it all on
me,” James said, frowning at her. “You stopped coming up to me,
remember that?”

“
Because I
thought you didn’
t want to
speak to me.”

“
I was wrapped
up with other stuff, that’
s
all.”

“
You forgot
about me.”

“
Yeah,” he said
truthfully. “Yeah, I did.”

Pandora said nothing for a moment. At least he was honest.
Then she said “I wasn
’
t bothered about it then, but now I wish we
carried on talking.”

“
Well, why
don’
t we catch up on what we
missed out,” James suggested softly, but before Pandora could ask
how his soft lips met hers.

“
It
wasn’
t,” she said softly, and
Ted glared at her.

“
Just because
you believe in romance-”

Dreamer kissed him before he could finish, Ted melting
immediately. Suddenly he realised what she was doing, but he
didn
’
t
want to break away. Seconds later Dreamer pulled back, smirking at
him.

“
You
don’
t believe in romance,
Ted?”

“
Liar.”

“
Look,
it’
s nice Pandora and James
are um… you know, getting along. But we cant leave them down there,
Dreamer. I mean, what if-”

“
Don’
t you trust out
daughter?” Dreamer asked, frowning at him.
“Pandora
’
s just like you, Ted- her head is screwed on way too
tight.”

“
She’
s like you too,” Ted
shot back. “She goes all dreamy when it comes to romance. All he
has to do is say
‘
I love you
’
and she
’
ll-”

He
broke off, realising what he was saying. It wasn
’
t Pandora he was talking
about, not anymore. He was talking about the woman staring at him.
Swallowing, Ted said “I didn
’
t mean-”

“
She knows what
she’
s doing,” Dreamer said,
unable to keep the frostiness out of her voice. “Is there anything
else you want to say which implies what I
’
ve done with Damon
Stile?”

“
Good, because
I’
m going to
sleep.”

“
Dreamer-”

“
Goodnight,
Ted.”

“
You’
re so
warm.”

“
Agnes will be
back next week Thursday, ladies and gentlemen. Please do not
attempt to call Dreamer Black’
s hotline number, for she is unavailable. To book a private
meeting with Agnes, please apply online at
www.AmazingAgnes.com.”

“
I want to see
her,” Pandora said, nestling closer to James.
“I’
m going to ask at breakfast
tomorrow if we can go visit her.”

“
Mmm,” James
said. “You know, I don’
t know
why Europe
’
s so hyped over your family- well, Agnes and Paul. And
Dreamer too, these days.”

“
What’
ve they been saying
about my Mum?” Pandora asked curiously. “I mean, nobody even knew
they had a daughter until-”

“
Apparently one
idiot went out of his way to find out,” James answered, not a bit
tired. “It was on the news- Paul got him good and proper when he
found the guy at his window looking at Dreamer- and apart from that
he was drunk. Apparently he killed the guy and two more people, but
they haven’
t got any proof.
The guy just went missing, and the two people… the papers just said
they had a stroke.”

Pandora swallowed, thinking
Dad
’
s parents.

“
Paul Black was
just… I mean, wow.” James shook his head. “He had Europe wrapped
around his little finger. Still has, actually. Nobody can stop
talking about him and Agnes, I’
m not joking.”

“
You’
re not scared of
him?” Pandora asked, and James shrugged.

“
I’
d be lying if I said
no. I mean, he
’
s a sorcerer. Powerful. And Agnes…” James shivered.
“She
’
s
as powerful as he is. They
’
ve done loads of things
in their time, seriously. They
’
ve even got books on
them.”

“
Books?” said
Pandora, mystified. “How long have they been around?”

“
Centuries, I
heard-”

“
Centuries?!”

“
Yeah,” James
said, frowning as he remembered the history lesson at high school.
“In history at school (before the teacher got sacked), I learnt
they’
d been around for
centuries. It was only… nearly thirty four years ago they calmed
down.”

James nodded, saying “Exactly. I cant believe
I
’
m
telling you about your family, Pandora. You should know all of this
already.”

“
I bet my
mother doesn’
t know the half
of what everyone
’
s saying, and about all these books
you
’
re
talking about.”

“
She must
know,” James said uncertainly, then he thought about this.
“Actually, maybe she doesn’
t.
I mean, it is centuries of storytelling.”

“
Exactly,”
Pandora said. “I don’
t think
my grandma or grandpa would
’
ve sat her down and told
her everything.”

“
True.”

“
Don’
t you dare!” shrieked
Marlon, gripping the ball.

“
I’
M GOING TO KILL YOU,
YOU SON OF A-!!”

“
What are
you
doing?”

“
Go back
inside!” she panted as she took a leap at the apple
tree.

“
JAMES!!”

“
Wow,” he said,
just as Marlon burst into the living room. Ted followed slowly, in
a daze. It was only six in the morning!

“
Where’
s Pandora?” spat
Marlon, looking around furiously.

“
Pandora!” said
Marlon angrily, Dreamer joining Ted. “She was with you just now, I
know she was! You- you was- you was-”

“
Bro, I only
came to get a drink,” said James innocently, leaning against the
fridge. “I haven’
t seen
Pandora since dinner last night.”

“
But- but I
saw-”

“
Son,
it’
s too early for this.” Ted
yawned, Dreamer softly adding “It
’
s not even seven yet,
Marlon. Pandora
’
s fast asleep.”

“
What!”

Marlon rushed upstairs and, without knocking, entered his
sister
’
s room.

“
I um…
don’
t tell her anything, ok?
Sorry about that.”

“
No problem,”
said James offhandedly, yawning. His eyelids were closing on their
own accord; he and Pandora had thrown away the thought of sleep or
even a small nap, instead spending the rest of the night and start
of day talking to each other, both amazed at how easy it was to
confide in one another.

“
Bed,” said
Dreamer softly, and James nodded. He knew she knew what had
transpired between him and Pandora, and he wasn’
t about to try lying to her either. But Ted was a
different story… unless he knew too?

“
Goodnight- I
mean, morning.”

“
See you
later,” Marlon answered, following him back upstairs.

“
Are you mad at
me?”

“
Let go of me,”
Dreamer replied coldly: a straight yes.

“
Look,
I’
m sorry about what
I-”

Dreamer pulled her arm away and carried on walking, giving
no indication that she
’
d heard a word come out of his mouth.

“
Morning,” said
Dreamer, and Miriam smiled. “Were you sleeping?”

“
Seeing as
it’
s just gone six, yes I was.
How are you?”

“
I’
m fine,
you?”

“
Fine.
How’
s the family?”

“
All right.
Ted’
s being a pain in the
neck, though.”

“
You
should’
ve stayed with me,”
smirked Miriam, not bothering to ask why he was being a pain. “We
could
’
ve been trying to make breakfast together or something like
that if you was here.”