Once Upon a Witch's Moon

Once Upon a Witch's Moon Chapter 9

Her mom's pleasure flowed through the phone speaker. "You've joined the school newspaper?"

"No. The literary journal," Twist explained.

"And you're sure Karla's mom will give you ride home?"

"I'm sure. Karla always has after school activities, that's why she never comes home with us."

"I'm so pleased."

"Me, too." Twist went with the simple truth. It was such a relief to know that she was causing her mom joy, instead of worry. She smiled, as she said, "I think it will be fun."

"I know it will." Her mom agreed. "Don't forget to call if for some reason you can't get a ride home with Karla."

Fun was probably overstating things, Twist thought, as she approached the classroom that had a big sign with the name of the school newspaper - The Rock Cove Buzz, and a tiny little sign with the name of the literary magazine. Someone had graffitied a monocle over the o in Rock. Her stomach tightened as she stepped inside.

A teacher Twist didn't know, a harried older woman who looked a bit like one of their scratching chickens, nodded at her. "The literary journal staff works back there." The woman pointed a bit grudgingly to the back of the room.

Twist navigated through a bank of computers to the darkest and dingiest corner of the school newspaper office. Apparently, the news kids were afraid they might catch literary cooties from the staff of The Light at Rock Cove.

Her heart began a painful double beat as she saw Brian. He looked up and gestured her closer. Her heart beat faster and louder. How could Brian not hear it? Why didn't the other two kids at the table notice? Sometimes she was glad she was the only one who saw thought dust.

Brian smiled and said, "Welcome, Twist Rhodes, author of the first story of the year." Why did that slightly crooked curve of his smile make her feel like she was walking on the edge of a boiling volcano?

He pointed to the other two. "Erica Kent and Steve Lowland." They waved, and Twist nodded and said, "Hi." But she kept looking at Brian and his smile.

A memory from fourth grade bubbled up. Tommy James. She'd been sure she could make him like her. She'd given him a valentine. He'd spit on it and given it back. Which was bad enough. But his spit had come with a nice gray spatter of truth. He thought she had weird colored eyes and she was stuck up to the max. Some things a girl just didn't need to know.

Maybe Tommy'd have changed his mind about her. Maybe. But his family moved across country a month later.

She'd seen other kids who she'd thought would hate each other forever become best friends and, over the last few years, sometimes boyfriends and girlfriends. She'd also seen friendships and crushes go bad in an instant. Friendship meant a constant risk of hurt feelings and broken hearts.

It was always a shock to see that bright fierce bond of either friendship or crush wink out and die with no hope of rekindling. That didn't stop people from trying to forge those bonds, but if they could see what she could see.... No way did she want to risk that with Brian.

She sat down at the table, hoping her thoughts weren't plain on her face, glad, once again, no one else could read thought dust.

Brian started the meeting by bringing out a stack of submissions. "Here are the ones that didn't get picked to be published first day. Our job is to weed through these to pick the stories for next week."

Erica laughed. "And the next one, and the next one."

Brian nodded. "Right." He hefted the stack. "Fifty stories, thirty-six poems, and an homage to Mark Twain called Hucklefairy Flinn."