Family Magic (24 page)

To my surprise, I stumbled on Alison. She sat
on the curb with the borrowed shawl wrapped around her, staring
blankly out into the street. I stopped, not sure what to do but
unwilling to leave her there alone.

I took a seat next to her, hugging my knees,
discarding the hat to one side.

“Thanks,” she said.

“My pleasure,” I answered. “I just wish…”

“What?” She toyed with the laces of her red
stained sneakers, once pristine white.

“That I reached you sooner. Before they… you
know.”

She hugged the shawl to her. “It’s tradition.
I was expecting it.”

“What?” How horrible was that?

“Well,” she said, “not quite that way. But
when you are kicked off the squad, you have to give your uniform
back. The girls usually make a big deal of it. But I think I’m the
first to be publicly stripped.”

She gazed off down the street as she spoke. I
knew it was because if she looked at me while she said it, her
resolve would break and she would burst into tears. How did I know?
Because
I
would have.

I shook my head in disbelief. It made me
sick.

“Sorry,” I said, “but I still wouldn’t have
done what you did.”

“I know,” she said. “Pretty stupid, huh? I
thought I could be, you know, tough about it, like I didn’t
care.”

“I think they got that,” I said.

She laughed bitterly. “You probably would
have destroyed it yourself and left it in her mailbox or something,
wouldn’t you?”

“Or something,” I muttered, thinking far
darker thoughts. Like a midnight visit from a scary demon or two
for Miss Suzanne and her bitch squad.

“It’s okay,” Alison said. “I really did
deserve it, Syd.”

“No one deserves that,” I argued. “No
one.”

“I guess not,” she said.

“Would you have done it?” I challenged
her.

She blushed but didn’t turn away.

Wow.

“The old me,” was her answer. “Thanks to you,
I’ve turned over a whole new leaf. My mom hates it,” she giggled.
“Not that she’s around much, but she doesn’t know what to do with
me now.”

“Yeah, I’m kind of going through the same
thing with my mom,” I said.

“Well, I guess I’ll go home.” She didn’t seem
very happy at the prospect. To be honest, neither was I. How was I
going to explain this? I watched a couple of little kids decked out
as super heroes wander across the street in their costumes. I
wondered if Meira was having fun.

“Well, I can’t go home yet,” I answered.

“I hope I didn’t get you into trouble,”
Alison said.

“Not exactly,” I winced a little. “It’s just…
there’ll be the questioning and the meddling and the grilling and
after that the third degree, and I’m not in the mood at the
moment.”

Alison laughed. “Lucky you,” she said.

“Are you kidding me?” I asked.

She shook her head and rested her chin on her
knees. “I wish,” she said so softly I had to lean in to hear her.
“There’s no one at my house.”

In a flash of insight, I knew exactly why
Alison was the way she was. I felt a huge rush of regret for her. I
struggled my whole life against the enveloping pressure of my
family, feeling smothered and overwhelmed they wanted to be the
center of my life.

Alison was my opposite. I could barely
imagine it.

Two more kids found their way down the
street. I had an idea.

“Let’s go trick-or-treating,” I said.

Alison made a face as she gestured to what
was left of her clothes.

“Syd, seriously,” she said. “Who am I going
as? A stripper?”

We both laughed at that.

“I’m wearing about six layers of stuff here,”
I said, getting to my feet. “I’m sure we can share.”

A sparkle I had never seen before lit her
eyes. She stood up, still smiling.

“Let’s do it.”

We ended up in the bushes in front of
Suzanne’s house. The giggling commenced immediately. Two scarves
made a nice skirt for her while a glittery pink shawl tied up into
a nice shirt. Another scarf made a jaunty kerchief. In the end we
looked more like a couple of sparkly bag ladies, but the hat was a
perfect candy holder and it was good enough for us.

As we emerged, we dodged an ambulance roaring
around the corner. It squealed to a halt at Suzanne’s driveway
before pulling in. I could hear the distant sounds of puking and
winced.

Alison frowned at the ambulance.

“What’s going on?”

I tried to be nonchalant while my stomach
flipped over in sympathy. “Maybe someone was sick from the
punch?”

I hurried her away, partly to keep her from
seeing what I did and partly so I wouldn’t have to witness it
myself. My imagination was bad enough.

Man, I wouldn’t want that cleaning bill.

Alison and I giggled and strutted our way
through the whole neighborhood, ringing doorbells and squealing,
“Trick-or-Treat!” like a couple of six-year-olds. I had never in my
life had so much fun. I think from the expression on Alison’s face
she hadn’t either.

By the time we hit the last house in full
dark, I had my first real friend ever. I was glad things turned out
the way they did in the end. Being with Alison, laughing and
carrying on like a normal teenager, I managed to forget everything
that was happening, had happened, and just be Syd.

As we reached the end of the driveway at the
last house on the block, I peered into the overflowing hat at the
huge pile of treats.

“Wow,” I said. “Meira’s going to love
this.”

Alison rigged a hammock for her treats out of
a scarf. It was also way too full and threatened to dump candy on
the ground every time she took a step.

“Then here,” she offered me her haul. “Give
her these too.”

I shook my head as she did her best to tie up
the bundle and hand it to me.

“No way,” I said. “You earned those fair and
square.”

She smiled at me, open and happy. “I don’t
need them, Syd. I already had my treats.”

I took the scarf, knowing exactly what she
meant.

I felt a brush of familiar power. Uncle Frank
waited on the corner, leaning against a tree, grinning. I ran to
him, relief pouring through me. I hugged him hard, ignoring the
stray treats hitting the ground as I juggled the bag, the hat and
Uncle Frank.

He hugged me too. When he leaned back, there
was unspoken gratitude in his eyes.

“Uncle Frank!” I said. “You’re okay!”

He smiled, but his gaze went to Alison. It
was only then I remembered we weren’t alone.

“Yeah,” he whispered, kissing me on the
forehead, voice only loud enough for me to hear, “because of you.
Thank you, Syd.”

“Any time,” I whispered back.

I turned to Alison and waved her forward. She
joined us, a little shy.

“Alison,” I said, “This is Frank Hayle, my
uncle. Uncle Frank, Alison Morgan.”

Uncle Frank’s eyebrows raised but he greeted
Alison kindly. I noticed his color was normal, his body warm. He
had already eaten, thank goodness, or she would probably have run
from him, screaming.

“Nice to meet you, Alison,” he said.

“You too,” she dimpled.

“I thought you went to a party?” Uncle Frank
looked back and forth between us. When his eyes hit mine I knew,
knew
, he knew what I did. My heart fell.

Crap.

“We decided to go trick or treating,” Alison
said. “Syd’s idea.”

“Really,” Uncle Frank said. “Looks like a
successful night.”

I lowered my gaze to my hands full of candy.
Alison answered.

“You bet! Way fun, right, Syd?”

“Yeah, way,” I said.

“We should probably get you home, Syd,” Uncle
Frank said. “Your mom will want to hear all about it.”

His eyes were unreadable.

“I guess,” I said. I turned to Alison. She
looked at me funny. I winked at her. Her face softened.

“Did I get you in trouble?” She whispered as
she came close enough to hug me goodbye.

“No,” I whispered back, “I managed to do that
all by myself.”

She hugged me hard and let me go.

“I’ll get these things back to you,” she
said.

“No hurry,” I answered.

“Thanks, Syd,” she said. “For being there for
me. For suggesting this,” she laughed as she gestured to her
costume. “For everything.”

Despite what I was about to face at home,
knowing I not only helped Alison but made a friend, made everything
I did so worth it.

***

I waved at Alison as she walked away before
turning back to Uncle Frank. He held out his arm, formally. I
shifted the candy haul enough so I could link up with him for the
walk home.

That act alone eased some of my concern. If
he was really mad at me, and he was never mad at me, he wouldn’t be
so casual about it. I relaxed and sighed away some of my
tension.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “I’m glad you are, too. Did
Mom tell you Sassy’s missing?”

Frank’s eyes scanned the street as we walked.
I wondered if it was a vampire thing or if he was being cautious
after everything that happened.

“I’m sorry, kiddo. But don’t count him out,”
he said. “He’s been around a long time. You never know with
Sassafras.”

“Yeah,” I said, feeling a little better. “For
all we know, he could be shielding himself to stay safe,
right?”

“Anything is possible,” Frank said. “Even the
weirdest things. Like, say, a whole houseful of kids getting food
poisoning all at the same time. That’s weird. Don’t you think
that’s weird, Syd?”

I tried to swallow, my throat dry. “It could
happen,” I said.

“Yup, you’re right,” he said. “It could.”

Uncle Frank started to snicker. His merriment
grew, laughter getting louder and harder until we had to stop
because he was clutching his sides and wiping tears from his face,
barely able to breathe. I smiled a little at first, tentative. I
started to laugh too as the tension of what I did ran out of me,
leaving behind the absurd mental image of all those kids puking
their guts out all over Suzanne’s beautiful house.

Uncle Frank and I laughed together. Finally,
eyes sparkling from unshed tears and good humor, he grabbed me and
hugged me hard enough I felt his power but wasn’t in any danger of
being hurt.

“Oh, Syd,” he said, mirth still in his voice.
“What are we going to do with you?”

I shrugged in his arms, face pressed into his
chest. “I’m sorry, Uncle Frank,” I said.

He pulled back. “I know you didn’t do it on
purpose. Did you?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I just…”

“Just?” He turned me and we started walking
again.

Now knowing I could safely confess
everything, eternally grateful to whoever gave me my Uncle Frank as
a confidant, I poured it all out to him, from the bullying, to the
confrontation with Alison, right up to everything that happened at
Suzanne’s. By the time I finished, Uncle Frank was angry, but I
knew it wasn’t at me.

“Syd,” he said, “if you tell your mother I
said this, I’ll deny it, but good for you.”

What? First rule, biggest rule, was never use
your powers against normals unless your life was in danger. Was
Uncle Frank really congratulating me?

“Don’t get me wrong,” he went on, “I don’t
agree with what you did. But, damn it, Syd, I wouldn’t have been
able put up with it. And I’m glad you stood up for your friend.
Despite everything, she seems nice. I think you’re a good influence
on her.”

“Perish the thought,” I grinned. “Me, a good
influence on anybody.”

Uncle Frank laughed again. “Seriously, kiddo.
But, you realize what happened was wrong, not because of what you
did, but because you did it unconsciously.”

“I know,” I whispered. “It’s been getting
stronger, lately. Stuff’s been leaking out all over the place.”

“You’re sixteen,” he said. “And only now
coming into your power. They’ve let you off the hook before now
because you haven’t really manifested anything. But, Syd, they’re
not going to let you get away with it for much longer.”

“I get it, Uncle Frank,” I said. “I already
told Mom I’d start taking lessons.”

“I think it’s past that. You need to start
studying seriously. Right away. Before someone gets hurt. Including
you.”

Concern creased his face.

“Grow up and be a big girl,” I said. “Suck it
up and stop whining about it, right?”

“Yes,” he agreed. “As much as I love you and
want you to have whatever life you want to live, I think we both
know being normal is no longer an option for you.”

I wanted to cry. Why me? Just as quickly,
though, I shook myself. This was the way things were going to be.
Complaining and sulking about it all the time was only going to
make things harder for me and everyone around me.

Get over yourself, Hayle
.

My demon roared happily back.

We reached my driveway. Uncle Frank
paused.

“We could keep this from your mother,” he
said, not meeting my eyes. “I only found out by accident because I
went looking for you. She would never have to know.”

I admired him standing there, so handsome and
boyish, his black hair gleaming, face peaceful and still. I loved
him so much at that moment I could have burst from it.

“Thanks, Uncle Frank,” I said, “but we both
know what I have to do.”

A sweet smile broke over his face. “Good for
you, kiddo,” he said.

He opened the kitchen door for me. I took a
deep breath. He winked. I knew no matter what happened in the next
few minutes, Uncle Frank had my back.

I entered the dragon’s den.

My mom stood at the table waiting for me. She
saw Uncle Frank behind me. Whatever was in his face must have
warned her because her expression passed from happiness to
concern.