A Pinch of Moonlight

  Chapter 9. Missing and Wishing

  Demi-Lee phoned Vicky after Sunday lunch – supposedly to ask for help with a computer problem, but mainly to chat. Blackbird was at the grove, and her parents were out enjoying the sunshine, so for once Vicky could talk freely.

  Demi’s magical skills were increasing with the waxing moon, and as well trying to eat more healthily and meditate, she’d gone out in the moonlight as often as possible.

  ‘Kathy Elms was bugging the hell out of me yesterday, but I got rid of her by charming a wasp to come over and scare her off. She hates wasps!’ Demi-Lee laughed. ‘I wish knew how I did it – I’d been out in the moonlight for ages, and I was just so annoyed, then I sensed this wasp going past…well maybe it was just a coincidence, but it felt good. And the neighbours’ dog doesn’t yap at me when I go past their house any more. I’ve been practising charming him, too.’

  ‘Well done kiddo,’ Vicky said. ‘Only way to find out if you can really do it is to keep practising. And with girls like her around you’ll have plenty of chances.’

  ‘She’s such a cow,’ Demi said,‘keeps calling me fat.’

  ‘You’re not fat! That’s ridiculous!’

  ‘You’re always telling me I should eat healthier.’

  ‘Yes, but healthy eating isn’t just about losing weight,’ Vicky said. ‘I just think if you cut out the junk from your diet it would help you focus better – and you need that for your magic.’

  ‘Jodie-Marie says I must be fat, 'cos why else am I eating health food all the time?’ Demi said.

  Vicky sighed at the idiocy of the comment. If only girls like Kathy and Jodie-Marie would put their energy into something more creative than thinking up insults! But then, she reminded herself, not everyone is as hyper-logical as you.

  ‘Anyway’, Demi continued, ‘I got them off my back by promising to shoplift some vodka.’

  ‘What! Please don’t for God’s sake!’ Vicky said. ‘How will you get vodka anyway? It’s always behind the counter.’

  ‘I know. Don’t worry, I was going to nick a bag of Jelly Bugs instead and tell them I couldn’t get the vodka. They’ll be okay with that. Prefer the sweets, really.’

  ‘Pay for the sweets, will you?’ Vicky said.

  ‘And lie to my mates?’ Demi said.

  ‘Why not? Half the stories they tell you are probably made up. I bet that Kathy Elms doesn’t know one end of a boy from the other, for all her bragging. Demi, those girls aren’t worth getting into trouble over. Try not to fall out with them while you still have to see them everyday, but it won’t be forever.’

  The conversation continued, including discussion of Vicky’s disappointing Skype with Dave and Demi-Lee’s crush on Dean – no progress there, although he’d dumped Susie Ricketts – until Vicky heard another voice in the background, and Demi-Lee reported her mum was telling her to end the call and get on with the homework.

  ‘Oooh- kayy, Mum,’ Vicky heard Demi call back. ‘Vicky says Hi. Oh, Vic, I didn’t tell you, did I? I found out why Ms Roberts is called Cheeseface. Apparently she turned up at school one day with a really red face, like she’d been sunburnt, and because she’s got red hair and a little round head she looked like an Edam, so people started calling her Cheeseface. It was all a bit weird, ‘cos it was the middle of winter, and apparently when one of the other staff asked how she’d got sunburnt, she just said she didn’t want to talk about it.’

  ‘She’s quite the mystery your Welsh teacher, isn’t she?’ Vicky said. ‘Good luck with the homework, and I’ll call you soon.’