A Witch Like No Other Read Online Free PDF

immersed in her book as she drank her tea. Marlon
tried again.
    “ I was being an
idiot-”
    “ As
always.”
    “ And
I’ m sorry.”
Silence.
    Marlon looked at Ted, who said “Pandora, your
brother ’ s talking to you.”
    “ Cant you see
I’ m reading, Marlon? Talk to
me afterwards.”
    “ I give up,”
said Marlon angrily, getting up. “I’ m going to watch TV.”
    “ Try getting a
job,” Pandora replied, turning a page.
    “ You’ re such
a-”
    “ Nothing worse
than you, big brother.”
    “ Hey,” said Ted
warningly, when Marlon opened his mouth furiously.
“It’ s still morning time. What
are we doing today, then?”
    “ I’ m staying home,” Marlon
said, looking daggers at Pandora.
    “ I’ m staying in my room,”
Pandora said flatly, then she glanced Marlon ’ s way. “Keep out of my
way, Marlon.”
    “ I’ ve got nothing to say
to you anyway.”
Ted sighed, picking up his briefcase. “See
you this afternoon.”
    “ Bye
Dad.”
    “ Bye,” said
Pandora, not even looking at him. Ted smiled, feeling that they
were getting somewhere. Before Pandora wouldn’ t even have acknowledged his leaving, and now… he
knew he had to thank Miriam.
     
* * *
     
Pandora picked up the house phone a week
later, then put it down.
    “ Just call
her,” said Marlon, annoyed. “Stop moping around.”
Pandora glared at him. “Why are you still
here?”
    “ I’ m taking my time,
little sister. And I want to see if you ’ ve got the guts to call
your godmother.”
    “ If you
wasn’ t such a loser maybe
I ’ d
share her with you.”
    “ If you
wasn’ t such a freak
I ’ d
consider your offer.”
    Pandora ’ s eyes flashed. “Why don ’ t you flip James over
and suck his-”
    “ Pandora!” said
Ted, surprised at her. “Curb your tongue.”
Pandora glared at them both and punched the
numbers in the phone, waiting impatiently.
    “ St.
Peter’ s Clinic. How may I help
you?”
    “ Uh…” Pandora
swallowed. “Is Miriam Hughes there please?”
    “ She’ s in a meeting right
now. Can I take a message?”
    “ Well, I- um… I
just…”
Pandora looked at her father for help, not
used to speaking to other people. Ted took the phone, saying “Tell
her Pandora Black called.”
    “ Yes sir. Have
a good day.”
    “ See what being
a loner does to you?” said Marlon, shaking his head. “You cant even
talk to other people anymore.”
    “ She was a
stranger!” said Pandora, eyes filling. “I didn’ t know what to-”
    “ Never mind,”
said Marlon reassuringly, as the doorbell went. Ted opened it to
James Henbit, Marlon’ s best
friend.
    “ Wassup, Mr
Black!”
    “ Hello James,”
said Ted wearily. James was one of those people who could do your
head in just by smiling at you.
    “ Marlon, you
ready to go?” James looked their way, then he exclaimed in
surprise. “Pandora! Hey girl, how you doing?”
    Pandora opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She
hadn ’ t
seen James since she was fifteen, him sixteen. He was a guest at
her birthday party… then they moved away. Marlon refused to lose
contact with him, expectedly. They ’ d known each other
forever. But Pandora changed big time. Now she
couldn ’ t stand people at all.
James frowned at her, wondering what the
silence was for.
    “ Pandora?”
She shook her head and fled upstairs,
slamming her bedroom door behind her. James looked at Marlon,
amazed.
    “ You
weren’ t kidding,
bro?”
    “ No,” said
Marlon heavily. “Come on, let’ s go.”
     
* * *
     
Ted got home a little late, due to train
delays. “Pandora?”
Silence.
    Ted knew she was in, she just didn ’ t bother answering him.
Marlon wasn ’ t back yet. Ted dropped his briefcase on the kitchen table,
then he sat down as he thought of his late wife. He felt angry that
she had betrayed him, sad because she was gone.
Rubbing his forehead, he asked “What should
I do about Pandora?”
Have a cup of coffee first, Teddy Bear.
Then talk to her.
Ted gasped, falling