Free Just Add Magic by Cindy Callaghan Page A

I’ll take it over right now.”
    I scooped up the pie pan with a kitchen towel and took the path next door. Then a thought hit me.
    I don’t want to hex all the Barneys, just Charlotte. How am I going to do that?
    Think, think, think.
    What would Darbie do?
    I got it!
    I peeked in the back window and saw Mrs. Barney moving around the kitchen. She was dressed like one of those ladies on
Desperate Housewives
. I got my facial expression ready and made a distressing noise right outside their back door.
    Mrs. Barney opened it. “What on Earth?” She saw me and three quarters of my fabulous Hexberry Pie on the ground. “Kelly Quinn, what happened? Are you all right?”
    â€œOh, I’m fine, Mrs. Barney,” I said with just a hint of on-demand tears in my eyes. “But, my mom is going to kill me. She sent this delicious pie over for you because she feels so badly about the tree falling down.”
    â€œWell,” Mrs. Barney said, “that tree should have been cutdown a long time ago. It was just a matter of time.”
    â€œYes, ma’am,” I said with my saddest voice. “And stupid me, I dropped the pie. There’s only one piece left. And I really wanted Charlotte to try it. I’m so sorry, please don’t tell my mom.”
    â€œOh, nonsense. I won’t say anything.” She took the dish from me. “Give me that. I’m packing Charlotte’s lunch right now. I’ll put the pie in it.”
    I wiped my pretend tears with the back of my hand. “Thanks Mrs. Barney, you’re the best.”
    And off to the bus stop I went.
    Operation Hexberry Pie?
Success
.
    Charlotte got on the bus ahead of me, and over her shoulder she said, “Oh, thanks for the pie you made us with the blackberries that you stole from my yard.”
    â€œYou’re welcome,” I said. “I hope you like it.”
    She sat in the very front seat. I headed to the back row. “If you ask me, that tree should’ve been taken down a long time ago,” Charlotte called after me.
    â€œYou’re probably right.” I tilted my head and gave Charlotte a heartfelt smile.
    â€œOh, and my mom wants to know if you can feed the cat next weekend,” Charlotte said. I feed their cat every weekend when they go to their beach house. Come to think of it, I’m kind of like the pet caretaker of Coyote Street.
    â€œI’d love to. Enjoy the pie.”
    â€œLINE UP, LADIES! Let’s stretch for today’s run.” Coach Richards’s back was to us. He grabbed his foot behind his butt and bent down. I hopped closer to him to read the back of his shirt. It said UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT .
    â€œAnd stretch your arms,” he said, dropping his foot and turning around to find me in his personal space bubble. “Quinn?”
    â€œSorry, Coach. Um, I was, um, stretching really far and, umm . . .”
    â€œJust get back over there.”
    â€œOkay.” I moved back with the rest of the ANtS and I saw Darbie running down the hill, her shoes laces untied. She tripped and fell, got up, and ran down the rest of the way. Right behind her was Charlotte Barney, still in her school clothes, limping.
    â€œYou’re late,” Coach said to Darbie. He looked at his watch. “Rule number one: a push-up for each minute. Down on the ground and give me eleven.” To Charlotte he said, “What’s the
problemo
Barney? Why aren’t you dressed for practice?”
    She bent over and touched her feet. “Terrible blisters, Coach. They’re killing me like you couldn’t believe.”
    Blisters?
    â€œWhat’s rule number three, girls?”
    Go hex, go hex! Woot! Woot!
    The girls chanted, “If you’re injured, you come to the practice and games suited up and you will stretch with and cheer for your teammates.”
    â€œExcellent,” Coach said. “Put your stuff on the bench and give me