Free Shifting by Rachel D'Aigle

at all that Meghan performed magic, seeing as Colin had already done it.
    Before bed, Colin, hidden behind his curtain, opened Magicante, hoping to ask it a question he knew it probably wouldn’t answer.
    “Book, tell me, is there a way to make myself taller?” Colin swore he heard the book sigh, and then in a whisper it barked its answer.
    “Yes! By learning how not to waste my time!” There was a pause, and then more words appeared, but in the form of a poem which the book did not speak.
    Now if you don’t mind,
    I’d like to unwind,
    I think you will find,
    That someone is going to arrive any minute now!
    “Huh? Doesn’t rhyme.” Colin shook his head, listening, as footsteps approached. He hid the book at the bottom of his dresser and crawled into bed. Through the open bedroom door, and a crack in his curtain, he spied Ivan Crane going into his room. His sister barged into his head.
    “Hey, Col. Awake?”
    “Yeah, I’ve been waiting for Jae to come up. Must’ve had a ton of school work to catch up on.”
    “I don’t think he has taken a break since he got home today. Just wanted to say goodnight,” she said.
    “K, night, Sis.”
    A few hours later, Colin awoke as Jae sauntered in. Colin poked his head out of the curtain and was about to rib Jae about working so hard when he heard sniffling. He sucked himself back behind his curtain, holding his breath.
    What was the right thing to do? Ask Jae what was wrong, or pretend he did not notice. He desperately wanted to wake Meghan, but decided it was best for at least one of them to sleep.
    Colin supposed it could wait until morning. Confrontation was her strong forte after all, not his!
    39
    5
    Days had passed since Colin had awakened in the middle of the night, having overheard Jae crying. After discussing it with Meghan, they decided to wait and see if Jae volunteered any information. However, a chance for volunteered information had not yet developed, as Jae was busy morning until late at night, typically with his father.
    The twins were also busy with their Uncle Eddy, practicing simple spells. Meghan had the book help her change her hair color back to red, keeping a single blue streak, to draw less attention.
    Colin had successfully used magic to pick up a rock, and hurl it thirty feet, hitting his target straight on ten times in a row. He hoped there would be no occasion when this talent would become useful…aka… a Scratcher attack.
    Meghan, however, struggled without the book’s help. She worked on creating fire, by touching a pile of wood and telling it to burn.
    “You couldn’t start a fire, magic or not!” Colin joked.
    She could not argue.
    “I’m not sure why I’m even trying this spell. I’m all thumbs when it comes to matches and lighters.” She persisted, though. For some reason she liked the idea of a roaring fire, but when the day ended, the pile remained unlit.
    “Meghan, you better get up,” sent Colin from the backyard, a few mornings later. “If you don’t hurry you won’t get to see Jae at all, he’s leaving with his dad, again.”
    “Okay, okay, I’m up already. What is with this place, getting up so dang early all the time?” she mumbled haughtily.
    “If you’re worried about your beauty sleep, don’t bother,” he teased, laughing, which silenced everyone at the breakfast table. It became awkwardly obvious that the conversation he had not been attending to was not humorous. Colin stuffed his face with food, pretending it didn’t happen and the conversation continued. A whisper found his thoughts.
    “Serves you right, little bro.”
    “Hey! Not fair,” he shot back.
    The Mochrie’s were having a heated conversation.
    “Maybe this will be your turn, Irving. Even Vinson Troast cannot ignore what a fine job you do at the bank.”
    “I wouldn’t be so sure, Sheila. I not only have to pass the approval of Troast, but also Vian Sadorus. I don’t think either of them wants me for the job. I’ve been hearing