How To Become A Magician 101

chapter 5

I didn't tell anyone about the glowing eyes.

Not even Zeke. I desperately wanted to call Kingston and tell him but something held me back. I'm not sure what. They knew something I didn't and I didn't like it.

That night I fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion. When i woke I looked to the corner. All that was there was glowing red dust. I didn't touch it. I needed to call Kingston but I'd wait.

I got dressed and tromped down stairs. My head was pounding and everything seemed loud. It hurt. When I arrived in the kitchen I saw my family sitting there, eating and talking happily. Something was missing though. I realized as I sat down that Zeke had not yet emerged from his room.

I was almost done when Zeke came in, bags under his eyes and rumpled hair. He came in and winced. He covered his ears and said rather loudly "can you guys be quiet?"

They all stared at him. Did they not hear how loud they were?

"How loud were we being?" Dad asked.

"Very loud" Zeke and I said in unison.

The looked at each other and then back at us with curious expressions.

"We weren't being any more loud than we usually are." Taylor replied.

I shrugged and slipped my dish into the sink water. I caught Zeke's eye and rubbed the back of my neck. He nodded and did it back. This was our sign. When we wanted to talk alone we would rub our necks. Casual so nobody took any notice. We had kept this secret for so many years now that nobody knew.

After breakfast we climbed into the crawl space under the stairs that we used for umbrellas and such. We hadn't done this since we were 10 and we were a bit cramped with new lanky legs and arms.

"Did you notice how loud they were?" He asked, moving some soccer balls out of his way.

"It hurt my ears" I nodded.

"You look awful" he said

"Have you looked in the mirror? And, I didn't get any sleep. Something kept me up"

He narrowed his eyes "what was it?" He asked.

I hesitated. How could i tell him about the red eyes? "Just...couldn't sleep."

He looked sceptical "but you said-"

"If you don't tell me what happened between you and Kingston than I don't tell you what kept me up." I stated matter of fact

He sighed and leaned his head against the wall. "We need to talk to him. Together."

I nodded, crossing my legs in the cramped space. "When?"

"Soon, but not yet. I want to see if other... stuff happens."

"There were red eyes in my room last night." I whispered, looking at my hands.

"Yea. My room too. I was too scared to move and Lisa and dad wouldn't believe it."

My head shot up and I stared at him. "Really?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"No" he had never lied to me.

"Kids! Mimsi is coming tomorrow and we have to get her room ready!" Lisa called

I sighed. This should be interesting.

***

"She should have been here 10 minutes ago!" Taylor complained.

"Oh, mimsi is always late! I wouldn't worry." I reassured.

Taylor and I were waiting on the porch for mimsi when I spotted her far away on the road.