When I arrived home—the ice cream already gone—I headed into the computer room hoping to have received an email from Marnie. I logged into my account and was thrilled to see that she’d been thinking about me today—in the middle of her third period computer class according to the time stamp.
Nessa! What the heck? You don’t call me or email me for days and then all I get is some crazy short email about how your grandma’s crazy and your new life sucks. What happened to the girl who always made me laugh and knows how to have fun? The island doesn't have to be cool Nessa, because you are. Make your own fun.
I know you're hurting and it totally sucks being stuck on some island in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, but that doesn’t mean you won’t make it back to civilization sooner or later. And when you do, you won't want to be crazy. So forget about the witch-thing and just pretend everything is normal. Pick up a magazine, steal your grandma's boat, and go to town to buy some chocolate and a cute top. Watch a good chicks-kick-butt movie, and just go back to being my insanely awesome NORMAL best-friend. Because that's who you are. I know it. And I know you can make it through whatever your grandma, mom, and crazy new classmates put you through. Because we'll eventually hang out together again (most likely Christmas—you’d better not make me wait longer than Christmas). But even if we have to wait two years for University, I’ll still be here for you. FYI—I'm still planning on going to the University of British Columbia to become some classy, high-priced lawyer—so you'd better go there too!
Your super-best-friend,
Marnie
Her name, as always, was written in a curly pink script. A practice she would have to drop if she really wanted to become a fancy, high-priced lawyer.
I sighed, pushing the mouse back and forth on the pad, debating whether or not I wanted to write Marnie back after reading her email. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. She thought I was losing it—or joking. Her advice would be great if I was crazy, but I wasn't. I was completely sane. I was a sea-witch. And I couldn’t just forget about the witch-thing and… a gust of warm air rushed out from my lungs. And I didn’t want to. But I didn’t want to be stuck at home without any friends either.
I heard the door open and close, which meant Grandma was home. Without writing Marnie back, I powered down the computer. I curled my fingers, working up the courage to beg Grandma to let me go to the First Day Back Celebration. Just as I was pushing the chair back in under the desk, the phone rang. I ran out into the kitchen, hoping it was Marnie calling to talk. Grandma beat me to the phone. She waved me off with one of her tanned hands, picking up the receiver with the other.
“Hello?.. Oh, Marie.”
Mom. I froze, debating between demanding the phone, my mom, and my old life, and running upstairs and hiding under my comforter, away from all the pain she'd already caused me.
“She what? Oh. I see. Yes, I'll tell her that you paid the balance and that the card is only for emergencies.” Grandma turned and looked at me with her stern sea-green eyes. I cringed, moving closer to the wall. There was no way she’d let me go to the party now. She waited while Mom said more. She nodded. “Yes. That sounds acceptable. I can give her an allowance to spend on a weekly basis—although right now she won’t be spending much of anything as she’s busy with her studies.” Fixing me with another stern look, she ripped away all lingering hope I had of hanging out with the other students tonight.
Slowly, I backed out of the kitchen, faintly hoping that Mom would ask to speak to me.
“No. Yes, I think she’ll fit in fine here if she gives it time... Alright then, goodbye.”
“Wait.” I stepped back into the room. “I want to talk to her.”
Grandma looked at me, considering my request. “Nessa would like to talk to you… Alright.” She handed me the receiver. My heart rumbled in my chest. I hadn’t spoken to Mom since leaving Surrey.
“Hi Mom. How are things?”
“Hi, Nessa. It’s good to hear your voice.”
Tears welled in my eyes. I twisted the phone cord around my pointer finger. “Yours too. Are you still… you know… Are you still at that place?”
“For a few more weeks.” I could hear the sigh at the end of her sentence. She sounded tired. I felt like an idiot. I thought she’d be excited to speak to me, that she’d sound happy, but she still sounded like she had after Dad had died: like her spirits were completely obliterated.
“I started school today. Learnt some really, really cool things. It’s too bad you aren’t here.”
“Maybe I’ll be able to make it out next summer.”
My stomach dropped like I’d just swallowed a bag of sand. “Next summer? But that’s so long. Won’t I be home by then? I was thinking Christmas would be a good time to come back to Surrey. You know, classes will be done. It’s mid-year…”
“Nessa, I love you, you know I do. But I have a lot to figure out. And you sounded so happy just now, talking about school. Your grandma assures me your fitting in just fine. I’ll come see you as soon as I can. I promise. I have to go. They’re about to serve dinner. I love you, Sweetheart.”
“Yeah, love you too.” I hung up the phone. I knew she was sick, but I’d been sure she’d want me to come home soon. My body felt like it was expanding like a balloon.
I ran upstairs to my bedroom, burying myself in bed before I burst. The tears poured out and kept coming. Blindly, I reached over to my nightstand and found my iPod, plugging it into my ears, turning the volume to max. I didn’t care if I damaged my hearing; apparently nobody else did either. I grabbed my vampire novel and began reading. The less I had to think about my life right now, the better.