Free The Unwilling Witch by David Lubar Page A

back.
    â€œSure you could,” Jan said.
    Why not? Trying not to giggle or attract attention, I got out my notebook and drew a heart on a piece of paper. Then I tore the heart into tiny pieces and gathered them in my hand. I was pleased that I was getting so good at using the power.
    I turned and puffed the pieces of paper toward Danny.
    â€œWatch out. Coming through!”
    â€œMake way!”
    I jerked back as someone ran between me and Danny. Then I cringed as all my fragments of heart scattered across my two worst nightmares—Clem and Clyde Mellon.
    If ever I’d hoped to fail at something, now was the time. I held my breath—my magical, powerful, witchy breath.

 
    Twenty-two
    HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
    Clem and Clyde stopped running and stared at me as if they were watching a sunrise over a mountain lake or a rare flower blooming.
    â€œYou sure are pretty,” Clem said.
    â€œSaw her first,” Clyde said. He pushed Clem.
    â€œDid not,” Clem said. “I saw her first.” He pushed back.
    Clyde took a swing at Clem. Clem ducked and tackled Clyde. They went flying like a sack full of melons, punching and shouting and hitting. Another hulk rumbled past me as May dived in, yelling, “Break it up, you two!” In an instant, she was hauling them apart, clutching each by an ear.
    â€œI’m not hungry anymore,” I said to Jan. Part of me felt guilty about pulling these stunts, but I had to admit, except for the part with Clem and Clyde, I was having fun. And then I felt guilty for enjoying myself.
    As I left the cafeteria, exhaustion dropped on me like a mountain of rocks. I staggered, then leaned against a wall.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Jan asked.
    â€œI’m tired,” I said. I felt better after a moment, but I realized it took a lot of energy to use my power. I held back from doing anything else for the rest of the school day, and I made sure I avoided Clem and Clyde whenever I walked through the halls.
    I went with Jan to her house after school. “So, what’s it like?” she asked when we got to her room. “I mean, how do you do it?”
    I’d been trying to figure it all out myself. “It’s sort of like imagining. I have to pretend that what I want to happen is already real. But it’s also like wishing.” I looked around for something to use as an example.
    â€œSounds kind of like daydreaming,” Jan said.
    â€œYeah. That’s not a bad description.” I went to Jan’s dresser and got a white handkerchief. I held it and imagined that it was green.
    â€œWow,” Jan said as the handkerchief changed color. “Can you change it back?”
    â€œI don’t know.” I tried, but it didn’t work. “Hey,” I said as I thought of a good way to explain it. “Remember when my dad took us bowling?”
    â€œYeah. How could I forget?” Jan grinned. “I kept throwing the ball into the next alley. What’s that got to do with this?”
    â€œNear the beginning, I threw the ball perfectly once. I knocked all the pins down. I thought—hey, this is easy . But as soon as I tried to do it again, I couldn’t.”
    â€œYeah.” Jan snapped her fingers. “That happened to me with tennis. I hit a great shot, and as soon as I try to do it again, I can’t. But with your power, if you think about something the right way, you can do anything, right?”
    I shook my head. “Just small stuff. Big stuff is harder. I need to use something to help my mind focus.” I got up and faced the bed. I imagined the bed rising, and at the same time I lifted the handkerchief.
    â€œHey!” Jan shouted as her bed started to rise.
    As the bed rose an inch from the floor, I could feel myself getting tired. I relaxed and the bed fell with a crash.
    A moment later, Jan’s phone rang. She picked it up and said, “Sorry.” Then she hung it up and told me,