“Can’t we take an hour off from being good guys and enjoy doing something a bit wicked?” I conjure up Jax’s favorite pie—figgy pudding—and his eyes go wide. “Let’s eat before we plot!”
My friends and I begin slicing up the desserts in front of us when poof! They disappear right in front of our eyes.
“Hey!” Ollie’s fork hangs in the air over a now-empty plate. “Who did that?”
I look around the courtyard. Through the stained glass windows inside the school, I can see flashes of light every time a wand is used. Some hallways are filled with water where mermaids swim with ease and students have transformed into sharks and octopuses. Other windows show students dressed like princesses and pirates, while another set of windows shows mischief that could get those kids detention for a week with Madame Cleo. But I couldn’t see a single person pointing a wand our way.
Then I hear a sinister laugh. I exhale sharply and look closer at my surroundings. I point my wand directly at the black gargoyle statue near the courtyard door that I don’t remember seeing earlier. The statue starts to spark and then it transforms into a girl with long, dark hair in a black dress covered with stars and moons.
“Ouch! That hurt!” Jocelyn rubs her butt, which has a burn mark on one of the half-moons. “You singed my dress!”
“You stole our dessert.” I wave my wand, wondering what I could do to Jocelyn next. Turn her into a toad? Make her wear a pink princess dress since she’s allergic to any color but black? Lock her in a tower to keep her from casting any more spells?
“Sorry for the interruption, students,” Miri’s voice is back over the magical loudspeaker system. “Headmistress Flora would like me to remind you that illegal use of magic—such as escape attempts, turning your roommate into a toad, or using wand work for monetary gain—is not allowed. Today’s Wand What You Want experiment is to see how you handle having a bit of wand freedom. Remember that. Thank you!”
Fiddlesticks.
“Did you want to join us?” Maxine asks awkwardly. She may be slightly afraid of the Evil Queen’s little sister, but I’m not. Professor Harlow is now tucked away in the FTRS dungeons. Why Headmistress Flora allowed Jocelyn to stay in school is beyond me.
“She’s not welcome here,” I say calmly. “Give our food back.”
Jocelyn shrugs. “Make me.”
I use my wand to make the food reappear.
Jocelyn zaps it and makes it disappear.
I bring the food back.
Jocelyn makes it vanish.
Appear, disappear, appear, disappear.
Finally I snap. With my wand high above my head, I lift Ollie’s giant apple pie and let the whole thing drop on Jocelyn’s head. She screams. “Score!” I shout.
“Gilly, don’t start with her,” Kayla says, growing nervous. She’s still a bit jittery around villains. I can’t say I blame her. She was blackmailed by Alva for years, forced to help the evil fairy in exchange for information on the whereabouts of her missing family. (Who are now trees. It’s complicated.)
“I’m fine!” I say, but while I’m laughing, Jocelyn is conjuring. Smack! A piece of pudding pie flies into my face.
“How does the pudding taste, Cobbler?” Jocelyn taunts. “I bet you guys could never afford pudding in your boot.”
“We can now, while you’re an orphan with an evil sister in lockup.” I shoot a cherry pie at her face. It explodes and covers her with cherries. Hee. I look to Kayla for approval, but that “orphan” comment leaves her cold. Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh. I’m so busy staring at Kayla that I don’t feel the crackle ’til it’s too late.
“My hair!” I screech as my head begins to glow for a second, then stops. I feel my hair. It’s all still there. I exhale. “Ha! Your spell didn’t work!” I sing out.
“Um, Gilly?” Ollie asks. “Did you always have a purple streak in your hair?”
I pull the front of my hair forward and gasp. A deep purple stripe is now running through my long, brown hair. Jocelyn bursts out laughing.
“Change it back!”
Jocelyn shrugs. “Can’t. I didn’t spell you. I cursed you. It can’t be undone.”
“Why you…” Zap! I send a vat of chocolate ice cream raining down on her head.
“Enough!” Ollie says as a wall of dead fish smacks him in the face, leaving a slimy trail on his light-brown skin.
“You can’t do that.” Jax sounds funny holding his nose. He quickly conjures up a massive bowl of cooked spinach, which hits Jocelyn with a loud splat.
Soon food is flying through the air like hail. Broccoli is raining from the rooftop. Mashed potatoes create walls we can use as barricades. Radishes hit Kayla in the head and give her welts. We’re so busy conjuring up food that we don’t hear the sound at first.
KABOOM!
The noise and the low rumble that follows are enough to make us all jump.
Kayla wipes stew from her hair. “What was that?” She sounds worked up.
Jocelyn spits out cherry pits that have appeared in her mouth. “Don’t get your wings twisted. I’m sure Professor Biggins just misfired a potion he was working on.”