OMG... Am I a Witch?! (5 page)

thirteen

“I'm going to ask if I can stay over to eat pizza and sleep over,” April told Grace as she typed out the text message. “So, when we text from your mom's phone, my mom will just say, ‘Yeah, sure.'”

“Oh. Good idea,” Grace said as they sat on the edge of her bed.

“Mom,” April said aloud as she was texting, “can I stay at Grace's house for pizza? And, can I sleep over? Thx.” She hit
send
.

“Now we have to go downstairs and get my mother's phone,” said Grace. “Do you remember what I told you?”

April was still looking at the phone's screen.
“
'Bout what?”

“Hello? Earth to April . . . About where the phone is?”

Gosh. First, I lied to my mother. Now I'm planning to steal Mrs. Galapagos's phone.
April lifted her head and fixed her glasses. “Oh, yeah. On the dining room table . . . in her purse, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Who knew I'd be getting quizzed over here?” April said, rolling her eyes.

“Come on.” Grace grabbed April's hand and pulled her to the door. April left the phone on Grace's bed.

They tiptoed down the stairs. One stair, two stairs, three stairs . . .
creak. Creak! CREAK!

“Shhh,” Grace said quietly, her finger over her mouth.

“I'm trying. You're being loud, too.”

“Hello? Girls?” Grace's mom called.
They could hear Mrs. Galapagos's steps getting closer to the stairs.

“Come on,” April said, walking faster.

She has to stay in the kitchen.
If she stays in the kitchen, she can't see me digging through her purse on the dining room table. She would have to walk really close to the doorway to see me digging through her bag.
April's stomach churned and did flips.

They reached the bottom of the stairs. April's heart thumped so loudly she put her hand on it, hoping that would slow it down. Grace turned as her mom passed through the kitchen doorway, and quickly walked to meet her mother before she entered the dining room. April slowly strolled behind her.

“Mom, do weee . . .” Grace cleared her throat to stop her voice from cracking. “Do we have any juice?” She looked at the refrigerator.

“Oh, yes. Would you girls like some?” Her mother turned around and walked farther into the kitchen, with Grace behind her. As her mother turned her back, Grace whipped around to look at April. Wide-eyed, she dramatically pointed toward the purse on the dining room table.

April narrowed her eyes on the bag. Her heart thumped harder and harder with each step she took. She straightened out her glasses and closed her mouth. Her lips were chapped from breathing through her mouth. She swallowed hard. She licked her lips. April opened the purse.

Please, oh please let it be where Grace said it would be . . . Is it here? Side pocket, right?

April heard Grace and her mother talking in the kitchen.

“Yes, please,” Grace said, standing right behind her mother.

Her mother opened the refrigerator. “Would you like apple or white grape?”

“Ummm. I don't know. Uh, oh yeah, and can April sleep over?”

“Did you ask your mom if you can sleep over, April?” April heard Mrs. Galapagos ask loudly.

“OH! I'll take WHITE GRAPE and um . . . April is apple's favorite. I mean, I mean, apple is April's favorite.” Grace chuckled.

“Uh, ok.”

April heard the refrigerator door close. She heard footsteps coming back toward the dining room.

“April did you talk to your mo—”

“Oh, Mom! Can, um, can we, um . . .” Grace muttered.

The footsteps stopped. “Sweetie, are you okay?” April heard Mrs. Galapagos ask.

“Yes . . . yes . . . I'm fine,” Grace said nervously.

“YEP!” April jumped into the doorway so they both could see her, a smile plastered on her face. “I asked my mom. She said ‘yes' as long as you say okay.”

Grace smiled back and took the juice boxes from her mom's hands. “Thanks, Mom. So, can she? Please, please, please?”

“Sure,” her mother said, bending down to give Grace a kiss on her forehead.

“Thanks!” said Grace.

The girls ran up the stairs, into Grace's room, and closed the door behind them.

fourteen

The girls were both breathing heavily from running up the stairs. “I . . . got it,” April panted. She bent over to pull up the leg of her jeans and slid down her pink sock. She grabbed the phone and stood up.

“Ta-da!” She tried to smile and catch her breath at the same time. “How awesome . . . am I?”

Grace took the phone. “OK . . . fingers crossed that this works.”

April crossed her pointer and middle finger, then her ring finger and pinky. “Yep.”

“Hi Abbey,” said Grace as she texted, “can April and Austin stay over for pizza and a sleepover?” Grace hit
send
.

Each time April blinked felt like an eternity. They stared at the phone.
Silence.

Grace swallowed. “Ya know, Eve's grandma may be right.”

“
'Bout what? Having a gift?”

“Yep. I mean . . . remember the door? You may be able to do other stuff. Like last week when my dress was tucked into my tights by accident after I left the bathroom. 'Member that?”

April smirked.
Don't laugh. Don't laugh. She was SO traumatized.

Grace continued, “Do you know how many kids screamed ‘fail' and ‘loser'? I seriously wished I were invisible. But, as much as I wished for it—
nada
! But YOU wanted the door to close, and you did it. You wanted Austin to stop picking on you and . . . POOF!” Grace threw her arms in the air. “Now he is smaller than my grandmother's mop. And, you turned on your fan in your bedroom just by thinking about it.” She ended her speech by putting her hands on her hips and nodding her head.

“Ok . . .” April wiped her sweaty hand on her pants. “But, I don't want to get into a mess like this again.”

“I know. But, think about what WE could do,” Grace said, smiling.

“We?”

“Yeah! You, me, and Eve can fix stuff.” Her smile stretched from ear to ear.

“What kind of stuff?” April asked.

“I don't know . . . uh . . . we could make sure all the puppies at the pound get a home. Uh . . . we . . . could . . . Oh! You could get Ms. Meanie back for giving you that detention. You could make her come to school looking like a clown. Imagine it! Her makeup painted all over her face.”

They both laughed.

“But, what if something goes wrong again?” April asked.

“We'll have Eve's book,” said Grace. “What else could possibly go wrong?”

fifteen

Ding. Ding.

April looked down at the bed. She saw she had a text message and quickly picked up her phone.

She read aloud, “
Sure honey. See you tomorrow.
YES!” April threw back her head.

“Cool. Now text her and ask if Eve can come over tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, yes,” April said, feverishly texting and focused.

Thx Mom! Can a new friend Eve come over 4 a playdate in the morning?
<
3

Buzz. Buzz.

“Oh your mother texted back,” Grace said, opening the message on Mrs. Galapagos's phone and showing it to April.

Sure Rita. If you want, I will take the next sleepover.
J

“YES!” Grace and April screamed. They jumped up and down.

BAM!
The front door slammed.

“Girls! Come on downstairs. Pizza's here,” Grace's mother yelled up the stairs.

Boom, Boom, BOOM, BOOM.
Someone was running up the stairs. April and Grace looked at each other.

“Oh no, Michael's home,” Grace said.

Michael swung the door open.
WHACK!
It slammed against the wall.

“Awesome. Two of you to bother tonight.” His evil grin grew.

“MOM! Michael is bothering us!” Grace screamed.

April stared at the closet door.
Oh no. Austin, please don't make a sound.

“Arrr. Arrr.”

Michael looked around the room. “What's that?”

Grace walked over to the closet door and stood in front of it. “MOOOOOOMM! Michael is in MY room bothering us!” she screamed again.

“Michael, leave your sister alone!” Grace's mom yelled. “Everyone come downstairs NOW and wash your hands.”

“What's that?” Michael said, looking at the bed.

Oh no! I have to do something. Michael can't get the phone then he will know. He'll get us in more trouble than we are already in.

April grabbed the phone. “It's my phone.” She busily pressed buttons on the phone, opening the text messages.

Delete message: Yes.

Michael snatched it from her hands.

“No it's not—this is Mom's phone. What are you guys doing with Mom's phone?” He glared at both girls, then looked at the phone. “What are you two doing?”

“Arrr. Arr
r
!”

April swallowed. She wiped her hands on her pants again. “I thought it was my phone. Oops. It looks just like my phone . . . SEE . . .” She picked up her phone from the bed. She waved it in the air. It was the same kind of phone as Mrs. Galapagos had.

Michael pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. “What is that sound?” He looked at the closet door and Grace standing in front of it.

“MOM! Can you come get Michael? He won't leave my room!” Grace whined. April started biting her lower lip nervously.

Grace's mom stomped up the stairs. “I am tired of you two always bickering!”

Michael raced out of her room. Running behind him, Grace followed.

He pointed at Grace. “Mom, they had your phone. I think they're up to something. And, I heard this—”

“Mom,” Grace interrupted, “April accidentally picked up your phone 'cause she thought it was hers.” She pushed Michael's hand down out of her face.

April jumped in to stop Michael finishing what he was going to say. “Our phones look alike Mrs.—”

“Fine, fine, fine. Everyone downstairs. It's time for dinner. NOW!” Mrs. Galapagos pointed down the stairs, and took the phone from Michael.

As they walked downstairs, April whispered to Grace, “I deleted it.”

April and Grace exhaled a sigh of relief. And, Grace smiled.