A Witch Like No Other (52 page)

Pandora watched him over Marlon
’
s shoulder, James
avoiding her eye.

“
He’
s here,” she told
Marlon flatly, and Marlon looked around.

James stepped backwards, Marlon opening his mouth to tell
him not to be such an idiot. Realising James was suddenly nervous
of him, he looked at Pandora before saying “Call him,
‘
Dora.”

“
James,”
called
Pandora, and Marlon
cringed at how soft her voice was. “Come here-
don
’
t
act like he
’
s going to kill you.”

“
He wants to,
though,” James answered. “You can tell.”

“
Glad you can,”
Marlon said, and Pandora glared at him. Marlon quickly
took a minute to take a breath,
controlling his temper. “Listen bro, just come. I need to talk to
you about… all of this.”

James looked at Pandora, and Marlon snapped “How long have
you known me, idiot? Suddenly you don
’
t know if you can trust
me?”

“
I can,” James
said, offended as he walked over. He winced, holding his side. “You
know I had to go to casualty, right?”

“
What for?”
demanded Marlon: Pandora bit the words back.

“
You bruised my
ribs when you slammed your size nines into them.”

“
I had every
right,” said Marlon, though he felt guilty. “Er… sorry.”

“
Sorry?” James
repeated. “Thanks to you, I’
ll
have to sit in the stands while the team goes head to head with
Hertfordshire! I cant play football until
everything
’
s better again- but yeah, you can!”

“
I wont play,”
Marlon said firmly. “They’
ll
have to get another guy.”

“
No
what?”

“
You have to
play. You know you’
re one of
the best in the team.”

“
I’
m one of the best
because I know you
’
ve got my back!”

“
Er, sorry to
interrupt,” Pandora said flatly, looking from her brother to James
and back. “But I didn’
t come
here to hear you discuss ball, or wonder if you guys really are
gay. Can we get back on the subject?”

“
We’
re not gay,” Marlon
and James said together, and Pandora smirked.

“
You said that
too quickly.”

“
Ignore her,”
Marlon said to James, face growing hot. “Basically,
I’
ve decided to give you my
blessings.”

James burst out laughing. “Isn
’
t your dad supposed to
give the blessings?”

“
Fine,
I’
ll make this quick then.”
Marlon held his hand up, and started counting off his fingers.
“One. Act normal around me and other people. Nobody needs to know
you
’
re
hitting on my sister. She doesn
’
t take publicity well.”
James nodded. “Two: I don
’
t want to hear you go on
about each other when you cant be together. That
’
s just
weird.”

“
Three: if you have an argument, don
’
t talk to me about it. I
was against this relationship from the start. Number four…
I
’
m
not a mentor. I don
’
t want to listen to any problems you might be having.
You want to talk, go find Miriam or-”

“
Alice!” said
James, smiling broadly
as she
neared them. “Hi!”

“
Who’
s the guy?” muttered
Marlon, and Pandora smirked.

“
Her father,
you id
iot.”

“
Daddy, this is
James Henbit,” Alice said, beaming at her father.
“He
’
s one of my
friends.”

Tony nodded, shaking James
’
hand.

“
And this is
Marlon, Pandora’
s
brother.”

Tony smiled, clasping Marlon
’
s hand as he said “I
haven
’
t seen you since you first came to the clinic. Good to see
you, Marlon.”

“
You too,”
Marlon offered, and Tony’
s
smile grew as he looked at Pandora.

“
Pandora Black, you
’
ve got Miss Hughes very
upset.”

“
Good,”
Pandora
answered, and Tony
laughed.

“
Still with my
father,” Pandora said amusedly, and Tony pouted.

“
Tell her that
I’
d like to call a meeting
with her, if you please.”

“
You mean her,
me and my father.”

“
No, I mean her
alone.”

“
Daddy,” said
Alice warningly, as Marlon demanded “For what?”

“
To speak about
Pandora. Your father will be at work,” Tony said, a little smugly.
“And you shall be
in college.
Give this letter to Miss Black.”

“
It’
s only to discuss
whether you still need to be under the care of Miss Hughes,” Tony
said reassuringly, and Pandora said “No I don
’
t.”

“
You cant be sure of that though,” Tony said reasonably.
“You
’
re both steamed up, aren
’
t you? While you both
say you don
’
t want anything to do with each other, in a
week
’
s
time you could make up.”

“
And your
mother knows Miriam better than Ted,” Tony said, a little
desperately as Pandora watched him. “It’
s better that she come.”

“
Fine.
She’
ll have to bring my baby
brother along,” Pandora said with a shrug of her shoulder, and Tony
nodded.

“
What?” said
Marlon sharply, and everyone looking at him. “What did you
say?”

Everyone frowned at him. “He didn
’
t say anything,
Marlon.”

“
I swear he
did,” Marlon said, but they shook their heads.

“
Daddy
didn’
t say anything,” Alice
said, but Pandora looked her brother right in the eye,
silent.

Yes she can. Let him try it on, Mum
’
ll let him have
it.

They didn
’
t answer, Marlon repeating himself.

That
’
s her business. As long as she comes clean with Dad so
it doesn
’
t hurt too much.

I
just want Mum happy. Don
’
t you?

Mum
’
s already happy,
Marlon replied
. You
know she is.

“
We’
d better get going,”
Tony said, freaked out by the silence. Were they talking to each
other in their heads?

Mum
’
s unsure of herself right now. All she
’
s sure of is Baby
Julian.

And us, I think. I don
’
t think
she
’
d go with Tony.

What
if she
does?
The thought terrified
Marlon. He didn
’
t know life with Ted and Dreamer separate. Neither did
Pandora, not much
.
‘
Dora!

I
don
’
t know, ok? We
’
ll have to wait and see what happens.

But Alice is my girlfriend. I don
’
t want her as a
step-sister!

Don
’
t think of her as any kind of relative, because she
isn
’
t. She
’
s your girlfriend, leave it at that.

“
What was you
saying?”

“
That we need
to get going,” Tony said, Alice nodding.

“
I’
ll call you guys
later.”

James stuck his thumbs in his pockets, asking “So…
we
’
re
cool now?”

“
What? Oh-
yeah,” said Marlon, nodding. “Yeah, we’
re cool.”

“
I’
m going home,” Pandora
said, walking away. They looked at her in surprise, Marlon calling
“What
’
re you going home for?”

“
To stay in my
bedroom and pretend I don’
t
exist.”

“
Those days are
long gone, Pandora!”

Dreamer cuddled her son as he sat on her lap, watching a
children
’
s show.

“
Is it nap time
for Julian?” Agnes asked gently, and Dreamer nodded.

“
L
ittle one,” he said
gently, looking at her. “I did say you should have stayed with us a
little longer. You
’
re still very muddled up.”

“
Do you think
it’
s the curse of the flames?”
Dreamer asked, but Paul shook his head. Agnes sat down on the sofa,
saying “It
’
s not the curse of the flames, darling.
It
’
s
the curse of your fear.”

“
What are you
afraid of, little one?” Paul asked. “Ted?”

“
I give my all
to him, when I never have before.” Dreamer sighed as she spoke.
“When he came that night and we shared a kiss, I felt a tremendous
change in our relationship. Yet…”

“
Yet I see
myself hurting him one more time,” Dreamer whispered. “One last
time. And I cant avoid it happening.”

“
Why ever
not?”

“
Because… I want it to happen,” Dreamer confessed. “I want
to know if he has felt the change too. If he can forgive me
anything like I can now forgive him anything.”

“
Mr.
Stone?”

Ted looked up from his laptop, quickly minimizing
Dreamer
’
s photograph and opening up his notes on a
client.

“
Yes Brandy?
What can I do for you?”

“
I brought your
coffee, sir. Along with a sandwich and cake.”

“
I know, but I
heard your stomach growl.” Ted’
s PA, Brandy Shakes, walked over holding a tray with two of
everything. “There you go.”