Worry Magic Read online

  ‘Yeah, yeah, Dad.’ I nodded. Although actually I had NO idea what’d just happened to me.

  I went to sit up.

  ‘No, just stay still for a minute, darling,’ Mum said. She leant over Dad and put a cool hand on my forehead, her faced all pinched.

  ‘Really, I’m OK, Mum,’ I said.

  Dad nodded up at Mum. ‘She’s fine, Donna.’ But he said it in a nice voice for once – sort of gentle. ‘I think she just fainted.’

  Did I faint? No, I was sure I’d been asleep … but since when did I fall asleep in the middle of the flipping day?

  ‘Come on – hup you come now.’ Dad scooped me up into his arms like I was a baby again, and carried me to the sofa. Mum followed behind, putting cushions under my head, and covering me up with her knitted throw. I saw Kyle hover in the doorway for a minute, and then slip away up the stairs.

  Mum and Dad stood in the middle of the lounge, half whispering. I tried to catch their words, looking back and forth between them.

  ‘Maybe she has a bug?’

  ‘No, she hasn’t got a fever – I felt her forehead … ’

  ‘So what was it? Like a panic attack … ?’

  Dad glanced down at me and saw my ears wagging. He tugged Mum’s arm and they went right through into the hall where I couldn’t hear, but I could still see them

  They were stood close together. Two shadows against the street-lit glass porch door.

  And that was when my dream suddenly filled my head again.

  Silhouettes! This was exactly what I’d seen. Dark shapes …

  Then I watched Dad kick off his trainers, still talking nicely with Mum. Uh … ? But that was like my dream too!

  I rubbed my eyes. This was all a bit weird.

  And then it just kept getting weirder and weirder.

  Mum came back in, and put her hand on my head again.

  ‘How you feeling now?

  I nodded. ‘I’m honestly fine.’ And I really was.

  ‘OK … ’ she said, doubtfully. ‘You know, I think you were right – it would be better if I took Widget back.’ But she whispered it, like the words hurt her to say.

  Really? Oh phew!

  ‘Karen’s on duty at the sanctuary tonight, so she can take him home with her,’ Mum said, picking up Widget.

  I nodded slowly, but my brain was doing cartwheels.

  Mum leaving with Widget … just like in my dream.

  ‘Is that OK, darling?’ Mum said, giving me a long look and pulling on her green coat. ‘Dad’s going to sort tea … I’ll be back in a bit.’

  Her GREEN coat … That was in my dream too.

  What was going ON?

  I nodded again, trying to look normal.

  But when Mum hurried out, I just lay there gawping, listening to Widget squeak in the hall, and the front door clunk as Mum left with him.

  Was I losing it, or what? Dreams don’t just come true!

  Dad was scrabbling about in the sideboard drawer. And when he turned round, I nearly rolled off the sofa. He flapped some red and yellow pages at me.

  A takeaway menu …

  He pointed at it, and I knew what he was going to say even before he’d opened his mouth.

  ‘Sweetcorn and pepperoni – your favourite, madame?’

  OMG.

  We never had takeaway these days – way too expensive.

  And OMG times a million OMGs – that was the final piece of my dream.

  Now the whole thing had all come ABSOLUTELY TRUE! Every teeny-tiny bit of it.

  Whoa! An amazing thought fizzled right through me …

  This was like actual MAGIC …

  Magic that had cast a spell on Mum and Dad and brainwashed them into being nicer. Magic that had sorted out everything I’d been panicking about … Widget, and even the dumb quiche-for-tea.

  Like a special kind of magic that fixed worrying things …

  Worry magic.

  But, pah, noooo, I was going loony … I loved magic stuff – me and my best friend Lois knew all the Harry Potter books off by heart – but this was proper cuckoo. Only people in storybooks had magic powers. Not real, alive people like me.

  I fell back on my cushion and listened to Dad ordering the pizzas out in the hall, tingling all over.

  But – wow – if this was really and truly happening, it was just too EPIC.

  Chapter Four

  We all sat in front of the TV later and ate the pizza together, which hardly ever happened any more. Dad often had his tea in his Shed if it wasn’t too freezing, especially since he’d got a better radio and comfier chair in there. It was like his den.

  I sat right in the middle of Mum and Dad on the sofa, and Kyle was slumped over the armchair. No one spoke much, but at least no one was yelling. And anyway all I could do was chomp on my pizza and stare at the telly in a daze. I was still feeling so weirded out by all that dream stuff.

  When we’d finished, Mum went off to do things in the kitchen, and Dad changed the channel to some boring darts match.

  Kyle just sat there, chewing his pen and frowning at one of his duh-brained sudoku puzzles. But when Dad went out to the loo, Kyle started looking at me a bit funny and sideways. He sighed, and I thought he was going to say something – but then he just stuffed some leftover pizza crusts from the box into his mouth instead.

  ‘Eww, those weren’t even your crusts,’ I said.

  He made one of his cross-eyed monster faces at me, and ate with his mouth really wide open, so I could see all his chewed-up pizza.

  ‘You are SO gross,’ I said.

  Dad came back in just at that minute.

  ‘Kyle – leave it out, will you!’ he snapped, screwing up his nose as he sat back down.

  Kyle didn’t say anything – he just glared at his puzzle, his face suddenly all dark and grim. Then he got up, grabbed his laptop, and stalked out of the room and up the stairs two at a time.

  Grumpeeee!

  I looked at Dad, but luckily he didn’t seem to have noticed. His eyes were stuck back on the darts.

  What had got into Kyle? I felt some worry prickle in my tummy again. Why did he have to be so stupidly moody? If I really had magicked things calmer, he’d better not go and ruin it …

  But actually the house went lovely and chilled out after that.

  Mum was still in the kitchen, Dad went off to have his bath, and I was left by myself in the lounge. I turned the telly to silent – ahhhh! It was so quiet …

  There was a funny noise outside the window … but it was just Puddy, standing up on his back paws, scratching on the glass – chut-chut-chut – to come in. He was always doing that. I let him in and he cuddled up in a ball against my tummy, like a hot-water bottle.

  Then I listened to his loud, sleepy purr, and let my mind rewind and replay my magic dream and all its coming-trueness over and over again – until everything started blurring together, and it felt like the whole thing might’ve been one big dream.

  Had it really happened?

  I just couldn’t get my head round it.

  I stretched and yawned.

  Still, I wasn’t complaining.

  Magic or no magic, everything was calm now.

  Chapter Five

  I was still lazing on the sofa when Dad plodded back downstairs and popped his head round the door. He looked all scrubbed in his dressing gown, and was wafting a lemon-soap smell. He gave me a hard look like he was checking up on me. Then he did a thumbs-up, and padded off towards the kitchen to get his usual after-bath cuppa.

  But then one second later, there was a loud clink and a smash, and –

  ‘ARGGGGGH! What THE … !’

  I nearly jumped out of my skin. Puddy bounced in the air and shot out the door.

  Dad’s voice boomed in the kitchen –

  ‘ARRGH! Who left that on the floor?’ he yelled.

  What was going on?

  I legged it to the kitchen and stopped dead in the doorway.

  Dad was standing in a pud
dle of white, gooey stuff, next to a broken, upside-down dish. And it looked like he’d trodden on the edge of the dish and flipped it over, because loads of the goo had flicked up his legs and dressing gown, and all over one of the cupboards. There were even some small dollops on the window.

  Mum was just leaning against the side, giggling helplessly. Her shoulders were shaking like mad, and she’d gone bright pink.

  ‘Oh yeah, ha, ha!’ Dad said, although he didn’t sound too angry. ‘What IS it?’ He tried to flick some splodge off his leg, but it was all stuck to his hairs.

  ‘B-b-baby rice,’ spluttered Mum through her giggles, wiping away a tear. ‘I put it down for the p-p-piglet, but he didn’t like it.’

  Dad did a big sigh, but he caught my eye, and for a tiny moment, I thought I saw the corner of his mouth twitch. I stared at him hard, not knowing whether to smile, hoping he might be catching Mum’s giggles. Please, Dad – just laugh! It’s just some silly, spilt piglet rice.

  ‘Blinking madhouse,’ he muttered. ‘I’m gonna need a clean sponge.’ And he tugged open a cupboard.

  But then he stopped completely still, his face clouding over as he glared into the cupboard. He pressed his lips hard together, squashing my hopes of a smile. And then without a word he took some things out and lined them up neatly on the working surface next to Mum.

  Baby wipes. Two boxes of baby rice. A packet of rusks. A big tin of powdered baby milk. A new feeding bottle with teddies on …

  ‘I wasn’t aware we had a baby,’ he said in a tight voice.

  I felt myself stiffen. Uh oh … look out! I started gulping. If the magic really had made Dad nicer earlier on, then it looked like it had worn off already. Because OMG, he was giving Mum daggers now.

  ‘Those are just a few bits I got for the piglet,’ Mum said, her giggles vanishing. ‘I’ll take it all to the sanctuary for him tomorrow.’

  ‘Ah right, I see,’ Dad snapped. ‘And I s’pose you bought it all with the thin air in our bank account, did you?’ His ears had gone pink and were wriggling up and down as he spoke. ‘Organic milk too. Only the best, eh!’

  Mum scowled then, and my heart did a blip. Oh no, they were going off on one again – I could just tell by their faces …

  How could I get them apart? What could I do?!

  ‘Andy, will you just GET OFF my case for once?’ Mum snapped, folding her arms hard across her chest.

  ‘On your case? What case is that, then? A nutcase? A hopeless case … ’ Dad was being well sarky. Mum hated it when he got like that.

  My heart started beating fast in my throat, and my eyes went blurry.

  Oh, why did they keep arguing so much? They never stopped – and it was getting worse and worse. I just wished Gran was here – sometimes she could referee when they got like this. Because they wouldn’t listen to me. They seemed to have forgotten I was even there.

  I blinked hard and gulped down some breaths.

  ‘And this flipping stuff is gluing me to the floor!’ growled Dad, lifting one leg, his slipper squelching off the lino.

  ‘Well, perhaps next time you’ll look where you put your big feet!’ Mum said, swinging away to the sink. ‘In the meantime, get mopping!’

  ‘WHAT?’ spluttered Dad. ‘I’m not cleaning this up … you left the dish there.’

  Oh … my head was muggy … heavy …

  My throat was so tight I felt like I couldn’t get enough air.

  I sat down with a bump on the kitchen stool. I held my head in my hands to try and stop it from wobbling. But it was no good. My eyelids were closing.

  I fell forward onto all fours …

  ‘Courtney … ?’ I could hear Mum’s voice … somewhere … echoing in my brain …

  And then I just face-planted into the rice gloop on the floor.

  I was gone.

  Fast asleep again.

  Chapter Six

  I knew I was dreaming this time – while it was actually happening. But it wasn’t a proper dream again – just lots of little glimpses of random things …

  Mum with a pink mop, Dad standing on a stool. Both of them smiling. The ‘You’ve Been Framed!’ theme tune …

  And then a fade to nothing.

  Well, that was weird. What was that all about?

  I felt myself lift off the floor, and my eyes flew open. Dad was picking me up and sort of staggering.

  He sat down heavily on the big kitchen chair and he held me on his lap. He was hugging me so tight that my face was getting squashed against his fluffy dressing gown, which was all damp and smelt of lemon sweets. I pushed away from him, and sat bolt upright, blinking.

  Mum knelt down next to me.

  ‘Courts?’ she said, her voice all quivery. ‘You OK?’ She was squeezing my leg hard, like she was checking I was in there.

  ‘Ow! Yes, yes, Mum … I’m fine.’

  Kyle came clumping in just then, holding an empty mug. He stopped in the doorway.

  ‘What’s going on now?’ he asked.

  I slid off Dad’s lap, and shook myself.

  ‘Nothing,’ I said. But actually I was hoping that a LOT of magic had been going on.

  I looked around at everyone. Had the dream done its business again?

  Really? Had it?!

  Kyle shrugged and turned away, pulling the instant hot choc jar out of the cupboard. I swear he lived off that stuff.

  ‘No, no, Courts – please sit down. I really think you should rest a bit,’ said Mum.

  Mum and Dad were signalling to each other.

  ‘Yes, sit while I get you a drink,’ agreed Dad, getting up and patting the chair cushion. ‘Actually, Kyle, make your sister a hot choc too, will you?’

  ‘Yes sir,’ muttered Kyle under his breath, so Dad didn’t hear. He looked really hacked off, but he got another mug out.

  He handed me my hot choc without looking at me, and then shuffled out.

  And so I sat there, sipping away, with about ten cushions stuffed behind me like I was on a throne, while Mum and Dad cleaned the kitchen.

  Together.

  Really.

  They were both doing it, and no one was even moaning.

  Mum and Dad were being nice to each other again. And it could only be for one reason …

  THE WORRY MAGIC HAD WORKED!

  And when I saw Mum tug the pink mop out of the cupboard I was even more sure.

  Aha! It was like watching a repeat on telly that you’d already seen. I kept knowing what would happen next.

  While Mum mopped, Dad stood on the stool and wiped the rice blobs off the window, his hairy-man legs sticking out beneath his dressing gown. TICK! Just like in my dream.

  And THEN even more amazing … Dad turned the kitchen telly on, and … I held my breath … would it be?

  And it was. TICK! The ‘You’ve Been Framed!’ theme tune blared out.

  Just wow. Gigantic, huge, massive WOW.

  I was so blown away, I had to hide my stunned face behind my mug.

  Yep, there was no doubt this time. It had happened twice now. This was magic. Proper, REAL magic!

  Dad stopped wiping the cupboards to watch a man go flying head-first into a snowdrift. He giggled and winked at me, and then Mum smiled too. A tired, tight smile. But she actually smiled at Dad.

  That just never happened these days …

  By now the kitchen was spotless, and Mum started shooing me upstairs to have a bath.

  ‘Early night for you,’ she said. As I got to my feet, she grabbed me and hugged my head. ‘And, darling – just so you know – me and Dad both think you should go to the doctor’s tomorrow. Just for a little check-up – you know, to see why you fainted,’ she said, twirling a long strand of my hair. ‘That OK?’

  I thought about saying that I hadn’t fainted, but I’d actually fallen asleep and dreamt everything better in a magic sort of way. But obviously I knew they’d never believe me, and I’d sound weird. And Dad was nodding, agreeing with Mum for once, so I just shrugged and nodded too,
and went upstairs.

  As I passed Kyle’s room, I saw him hunched over his laptop in the dark apart from a pool of light from his desk lamp.

  I stopped by his door for a second. I knew it was a dumb idea, but I suddenly really, really wanted to tell him about my magic.

  But no … there was no point – he’d just laugh in my face. Kyle liked real things you could kick with a football boot or look up on Google. Magic was deffo NOT his bag.

  I walked on past to the bathroom and turned on the bath taps full blast.

  Kyle was a boring old muggle-face, but maybe I could tell Lois. Lois had been my best friend since Year Two, and our favourite game when we were smaller was Being At Hogwarts and Making Up Spells. But somehow now it turned out that I really was a bit magic.

  Ha, ha.

  I poured loads of peach bubble bath into the water, and whipped up masses of sweet foam.

  Yes, I was going tell Lois. The next day at school.

  I couldn’t wait …

  I stepped into the deep bath and sank right down into it, floating off the bottom and blowing at the crackly bubbles.

  Now something else was fizzling through my brain.

  Exciting, but super-scary.

  If the worry magic could fix things, could it even make GRAN better?

  COULD IT?

  And what if I worried about Gran actually on purpose? Could I panic myself, bring on the magic, and CURE her?

  Whoa! This was so freaky.

  But it was worth a try … and why not RIGHT NOW?

  I ducked right under the water, and screwed up my eyes tight. I didn’t really want to, but I made myself think about all the horrible, scary stuff to do with Gran …

  Coming home that day to find her gone … Dad telling us about the ambulance … his frightened face …

  I imagined Gran lying there with her tubes stuck in her … not getting better …

  Brrrrrrrr!

  I shivered under the water, and popped my head out with a gasp, my heart beating loudly in my ears. Ugh, it was working. I was really upsetting myself. But I couldn’t have a worry-dream in the bath – I might drown.

  I clambered out, wrapped myself up in a huge towel, sat on the bathroom floor, and carried on worrying and worrying.