Flipping the sWitch

Chapter 4

Nothing like a long drive to clear a person's mind.

At least, that's what Jessie Novoa's dad always said. But being that Jessie was only 10 years old, and basically nowhere near old enough to get behind the wheel, she'd figured that two wheels would have to do. So, Jessie had taken her bike out of its spot in one of her family's three garages, and decided to take it for a spin.

Because she had a lot on her mind for a 10 year old.

For instance, she'd recently come into her witchy powers, but had no idea how to use them. And since she was "still too young to be playing with magic on her own"—a direct quote from her father, brother and, oh, every one else around her—Jessie had pretty much been forbidden to use her gifts without parental or Guardian consent.

Not that it had kept her from trying to sneak a spell in here or there. But after the last time she'd been caught casting when she'd thought no one was looking, her father had somehow dismantled her abilities, making it so she couldn't use them when he wasn't around.

It was like magical groundation and it was totally unfair.

But two could play at that game. If her dad thought she'd get into trouble as a witch, just wait until he saw what trouble she could get into as a regular tween. By the time Jessie was finished wreaking havoc, he'd be begging her to turn her focus back on the magic world.

And this brought her to the second thing that was on her mind: What to do next.

Jessie had never been a difficult kid per se. Yeah, she'd run away from her mom not too long ago in order to travel cross-state to find her long-lost father and brother, Jax. And there had been that one time where she'd "borrowed" Jax's cell phone to trick Emma into coming over to their house under false pretenses. But she'd had a good reason. Honest.

At least that's what she'd told them when she'd gotten caught.

But now Jessie needed to come up with a different plan. One that would annoy her father so much that he'd be forced to let her finally learn to use her magic. So, where to start?

That's where Jessie's mind had been when she'd taken her bicycle out that day and started riding around her block. Then, her block had turned into the next block. And she kept riding onto the next and the next. As she peddled she thought and she schemed.

But now Jessie had been on her bike for almost 45 minutes and still nothing. She was beginning to think that her dad's suggestion of going for a ride to clear her mind was just another elaborate plot to get her to do what he'd wanted. Act like a normal kid for once.

Well, it wasn't going to work.

Come on Jessie, think!

And then as if the universe were fulfilling her wishes, the answer came to her. Well, rather, it happened in front of her. Because as she continued down another random block, something completely bizarro happened.

The sky that had previously been blue and gorgeous, turned dark grey as clouds swiftly covered the sun. And it hadn't rolled in like your typical storm. It had developed as if a light switch had been turned off. Just like that.

Just like...magic.

Jessie stopped pedaling and skidded to a stop, looking around for the person who'd made the weather go all wonky. But there was no one out on the street with her. As far as she could tell, she was alone.

Had she done this without realizing it?

Had her father's spell worn off somehow?

No way. Her dad was a strong wizard and strict to boot. His spells didn't disappear unless he wanted them to. And Jessie had yet to work her mojo on him to force him to raise the no spell ban he'd created.