Super Freak

by Vanessa Barger

“Ms. Widdershins, I want you to know, we did sneak up here yesterday, but we were just goofing around. We didn’t do this.”

  Her lip stiffened, and the look she sent me could have stripped paint. “Don’t try to get out of your punishment now, Caroline Bennings. I could have pressed charges. Be grateful I didn’t.”

  “Ms. Widdershins, we couldn’t have done this,” I insisted.

  She huffed and fisted her hands on her hips. “And why not?”

  I held my arm over my head and stood next to the house. My fingertips grazed the bottom of the top line of words. “We’re not tall enough. Not even Diana is tall enough to write these.”

  Doubt crept into her gaze. She compared my hand to the letters, her eyes searching the soft mulch at my feet. I suppose she was looking for ladder marks or something. I didn’t wait for her to make up her mind. “We’ll still clean it up because we shouldn’t have been on your property anyway, but we would never do this.”

  Diana nodded and added, “You’ve known Leo and me our entire lives. We’ve never done anything remotely like this.”

  Ms. Widdershins looked between us and finally nodded once. “You all have a point. And I must admit I couldn’t quite believe it when I got the phone call yesterday. I’ll speak to your parents, but it doesn’t excuse you from today. You have no business creeping around someone’s house and playing Peeping Tom!”

  Her words were punctuated with sharp hand gestures.

  “Ms. Widdershins, who called and told you we did this?” Leo asked.

  He gained some brownie points. I wanted to know, but I’d done enough talking already.

  She turned. “I don’t know. I didn’t think to get his name. It doesn’t matter. I’ll report this to the police and we will see what they can find out.”

  She went back into the house. Diana threw her arms around me and squeezed.

  “You are brilliant, Caroline! I didn’t even think about not being able to reach.”

  Leo nodded behind her. “Yeah. Now maybe I’ll only be grounded for a couple centuries instead of all eternity.”

  I laughed. “Really? That’s what your dad told you?”

  Leo shook his head. “No. Dad is still deciding on his punishment. Mom grounded me. Part of Dad’s punishments is the waiting to find out what the punishment is.”

  I patted his shoulder. “Sounds like a mind game to me.”

  “It is,” Leo said, very matter-of-fact. “He’s a master at that.”

  Diana moved over to the group of buckets and sponges resting on the concrete, filling them with the hose. Ms. Widdershins brought a couple of wooden crates and a stepstool for us, and then retreated back inside. We each grabbed one and started scrubbing at the paint on the siding. The work was hot and sweaty, but I felt lighter. At least Ms. Widdershins knew it wasn’t our fault. Until we arrived, I hadn’t realized how much it bothered me that everyone believed we’d done it. That she thought we hated her so much that we’d write all over her house.

  I scrubbed a little harder. Not that I wanted to admit her approval mattered, but it certainly made life easier. And whoever did this would pay for dragging us into this.

  “Caroline?”

  Leo’s voice was soft. Diana and I stopped to look at him. He squeezed his sponge with more force than necessary.

  “What?”

  “Is this what it’s like for you all the time?”

  “What what’s like?”

  He rubbed his nose. “Life. We’ve seen people bugging you. I know Diana said something to some people, and so have I. But is getting blamed for stuff and all this what it’s like to be normal?”

  “You guys have been telling people to leave me alone?”

  Diana looked away then grinned at me. “You’re my friend. I wasn’t going to let them keep on pestering you.”

  “Yeah,” Leo agreed.

  I scrubbed at the wall slowly. “No, my life isn’t always like this.” I hunted for words. I wanted everyone to think that none of it bothered me. And mostly, it didn’t. I didn’t see how magic really made things all that better. They missed out on things like Life Science and art because their parents insisted that Advanced Casting and History of Magic were more important.

  But sometimes, if I was really honest, I kind of wished I had a little magic. Just to see what it was like.

  “People are mean still. They play pranks. Last week Fred Alloy turned my nose brown in Mr. Darcy’s class. It’s a pain. But you get used to it.”

  Leo shook his head. “It’s just mean.”

  I nodded. “It is. But I can’t exactly run and tell on them. That only makes it worse.”

  Diana attacked the siding with vigor. “Well, we’re watching your back now.” She smiled. “Friends stick together.”

  I smiled. “Thanks.” I started to say they should stop, that I could handle it.

  Instead, I looked at the siding and my wrinkling fingers and stayed quiet.

  Chapter Ten

  We worked until Ms. Widdershins came out with a tray holding a huge pitcher of iced tea and three glasses, along with three peanut butter sandwiches. She set them on one of the buckets and waved us over.

  “Take a break, it’s lunchtime. I’ve been thinking about what you said, you may not have done this, but I think you know why they did.”

  She pinned me with a stare I couldn’t avoid. “Caroline, they stole the paint from your house. I think you should start talking.”

  I took a huge swallow of tea, grateful for the cool liquid. It gave me a minute to think. Diana and Leo just sat and watched me; Diana twisted her fingers together. How much should I tell her? I looked her straight in the eye, rolling the glass of tea between my palms. My lie, however, is not what emerged.

  “We followed you home after we went to the library. We saw you leave and figured you had the reference books we needed.” I clapped my hands over my mouth, but my lips seemed to have a life of their own. Beside me, Diana hissed my name, her eyes like saucers. “But you weren’t here. We left and went to Leo’s house. We saw you leaving, and you had a book that looked like one of the ones we wanted. Then we went home.”

  I bit my lip, the urge to speak fading. Unbelievable. My Paranormal Ethics teacher had just fed me a glass of tea with a Truth spell built in. Too bad we’d already finished the “magic for personal gain” unit in her class. I’d have a lot to say about it now.

  Diana must have had the same thought. Her brows furrowed and she dropped her glass of tea back on the tray like it would bite her. “I thought you were supposed to teach us ethics.”

  Ms. Widdershins crossed her arms. “Do as I say, not as I do. Besides, I remember telling you to leave well enough alone. The curse is a rumor. Nothing more.”

  I raised an eyebrow and dropped my hands to my lap. The spell passed. “If it’s nothing, then why did this happen? Why does everyone get so irritated when we say something?”

  Diana shifted next to me, adding, “We aren’t trying to stir up trouble. We’re just trying to find out what’s going on. If we’d gone to the library and gone home empty-handed, we’d have lost interest. But this proves that something is going on. Don’t you see?”

  Ms. Widdershins hovered on the edge of being convinced. Her arms fell away, one hand playing with the monocle hanging from the chain around her neck. “You children shouldn’t play with curses. It’s dangerous. The last time someone tried to solve the riddle of the Harridan House curse, they disappeared.”

  Her words didn’t surprise me. But they did send a jolt of cold fear down my spine.

  “I shouldn’t even tell you that. Stay away from anything to do with it. You have no idea what might happen. The curse is harmless as long as you leave it alone.”

  A lie. It was obvious in the hunch of her shoulders and the way her eyes flicked around the yard, as if she were waiting for someone to come out and contradict her. Diana and I exchanged a glance. Ms. Widdershins’ mood swings confused me. She di
d, at least, seem concerned for our safety. But there was fear there too. And not for us. Someone had scared her, and since she still seemed to look around for them, I figured it was recent.

  “Ms. Widdershins–”

  “Don’t go looking for trouble, Caroline. Sometimes when you find it, it’s more than you expected.”

  Beside me Diana gasped a little. The threat echoed in the air around us like a living thing. Ms. Widdershins pretended not to notice.

  “Sure thing. We’ve had enough of this, haven’t we guys?” Leo piped in, shooting me a look and bumping Diana’s elbow.

  We nodded and Leo added, “My parents wanted to kill me anyway when they heard about this. I’m just relieved you know the truth and are going to tell them.” He paused. “You are going to tell them, aren’t you?”

  Ms. Widdershins huffed. “I already called. They were all quite thrilled to receive the news.”

  Leo’s entire body seemed to melt a little with relief. I didn’t know what his punishment might have entailed, but at least now he was safe.

  “Thanks, Ms. Widdershins,” Diana said.

  I wasn’t sure she meant it, but at least she sounded sincere. Ms. Widdershins stood there, watching us for a moment. “I’ll call your parents and tell them to pick you up. I think you’ve done enough work for today.”

  She turned to face the house, muttered a few words under her breath and clapped her hands. A cloud of purple, sparkling magic enveloped the house then dissipated. The paint cans were now empty, the brushes clean and neatly arranged on the lawn. The house was pristine, spotless, and freshly painted.

  “Really? She could have just done that at the beginning and saved us the trouble,” Leo muttered.

  “Ah, but everyone wanted to teach us a lesson,” Diana grumbled, stalking toward the front of the house after Ms. Widdershins. “And what did we learn?”

  “Not to get caught next time,” I whispered back.

  Diana grinned and winked.

  Ms. Widdershins’ head turned slightly, but she didn’t say anything. Based on the frown, I’m pretty sure she heard.

  “You can all come in and wait inside, if you like.” Ms. Widdershins said, opening the front door.

  I wanted to laugh, but instead I forced out a polite “no.” Like I was going to be inside her house after she put a spell on me. Before the door closed, a black cat slid through the door, coming out on the porch with us. We relaxed on the stairs, the feline purring loudly and bumping his head on Leo’s hand. Leo relented, scratching under his chin.

  “You know what this means, don’t you?” Diana asked once Ms. Widdershins was safely inside.

  “She’s gonna be more obnoxious in class from now on?” I asked.

  Diana snorted and leaned forward. “We are onto something.” Excitement lit her eyes. I didn’t intend on giving up, but I felt a little better knowing Diana was right there with me. “She knows more than she’s telling. And I’ll bet my dad does too. So do your parents, Leo.”

  He shrugged. “Probably.”

  “But, Diana, we can’t get to the reference books,” I said. Disappointment fluttered in my gut. “How can we find out what we need now?”

  She waved a hand at me. “I’m going to sneak around my dad’s archives at work. I’ll wait until he’s out on a story, and I’ll slip in. No one will notice. Trust me.”

  “Do you think you can find what we need?” Leo asked, sitting a little straighter. He stopped petting the cat, and it meowed loudly in protest, moving to lick Diana’s arm. She pulled it into her lap, stroking the fur absently.

  “I know I can, because Dad told me to stay out of there on pain of punishment when I got in trouble last night. He wouldn’t have said that unless he knew there was something in there we could use.”

  My smile couldn’t be contained. “Fantastic. Do you need help?”

  Diana thought about it for a minute. “No. It would be better if I went alone. Sneaking me in there isn’t easy, but both of us would be too much. Dad’s secretary might notice.”

  I tried not to let my disappointment show. The cat, who had been purring until now, suddenly hissed at something in the bushes, his claws digging into Diana’s arm and drawing blood. She yelped and shoved him off her lap. He streaked around the porch and into the shrubs.

  “Stupid cat,” she grumbled, wiping at the cuts with her shirt.

  Ms. Widdershins threw open the front door, startling all of us. “Eddie! You ungrateful beast, where are you? I know you slipped out!”

  She pinned us with a hard glare. “Where did he go?”

  I pointed toward the bushes. “Somewhere over there.”

  Stomping to the end of the porch, she leaned over the railing. After a few moments, she stomped back into the house with one last glare at us. As if it were our fault the stupid cat ran off.

  I stared at Diana, then at her arm. The cuts were already closing, but something about it made me uneasy. “Are you all right?”

  She waved a hand. “Yeah. It’s just a scratch. Hey, I meant to ask you–have you found any other pieces of the diary?”

  I couldn’t believe I had forgotten. “I did! I think I figured out where to look now. You have to come and help me search the house though. If I do it myself, it will take all year.”

  Leo and Diana both looked eager.

  “What did you find?” Leo asked.

  “Some more papers and a locket. Nothing interesting in the papers though, and the picture in the locket was damaged.”

  His face fell. “That sucks. But it’s something. It means there are more to be found.”

  I nodded. “How about a sleepover Friday night? We can hunt then.”

  “I’ll ask my dad. I’ll make him feel guilty about today if he gives me any grief,” Diana said.

  Leo rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, I think I’ll pass. No offense, but a sleepover with two girls? I’ll never get a date again.”

  He had a point. He’d be labeled forever. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ll call you if we find anything interesting, how about that?”

  “I’ll leave my cell on. Diana has the number.”

  I bit my tongue, keeping my comment to myself. Diana caught my eye and a blush traveled from her neck to her hairline. Instead, I nodded.

  “I think this is my cue,” Leo said, keeping his eyes on the ground. His face was also slightly pink. His parents’ sleek sedan pulled up and he headed off the porch in a hurry. With a brief wave, he climbed in and they were off.

  I turned back to Diana and raised an eyebrow. “So, you’ve got his phone number, huh?”

  Chapter Eleven

  The rest of the weekend my parents catered to me. Mom kept bursting into tears and apologizing, and made three dozen of my favorite cookies. My dad just hugged me and made sure we ordered Chinese food and let me have control of the remote all day on Sunday.

  And though they were both sorry for assuming the worst, I could tell something else was going on. When they thought I wouldn’t notice, they gave each other this glance that worried me. My parents looked scared. No matter what had gone on or where we had ended up, they had never been afraid.

  It had something to do with the stupid curse. It didn’t take a crystal ball to know that.

  Sunday night, just before I headed upstairs to bed, I stopped in the doorway of Dad’s study. He sat, hunched over a worn leather diary, his glasses perched on the end of his long nose, intent on what he was reading.

  “Dad?”

  He jumped, slammed the book closed, and looked up. “Caroline. I thought you were headed to bed.”

  I stepped inside and closed the door. “Dad, tell me the truth. You’ve never lied to me before. Not about important stuff. Why is everyone so afraid of this curse?”

  Dad stared off at a point over my head for long minutes. Just when I was sure he wouldn’t answer, he rose from his desk. “Sweetheart, I’ve always tried to be honest with you. Maybe too honest sometime
s. But this thing you’re after isn’t like any other mystery you’ve heard of. This curse is real and dangerous, especially because you’re a Bennings. You have to promise to leave this alone.”

  His eyes caught mine and held them. I didn’t want to make a promise I couldn’t keep.

  “What does it have to do with being a Bennings?” I asked.

  A small smile pulled at Dad’s mouth. “You would focus on that part.”

  He tugged my hand, motioning to the other chair. I sat and he leaned on the edge of his desk. “Your mother and I didn’t buy this house, Caroline. I inherited it from a distant relative. Apparently the Bennings were one of the founding families of the town.”

  It still didn’t really make sense to me. “So the curse has to do with the founding families?”

  I had thrown the question out blindly, but I hit a nerve because Dad looked away, intent on his desk for a moment. “The curse is nonsense, Caroline. But there have been instances in the past where some psycho has used it to do others harm. Someone set you three up at Ms. Widdershins’ house. I don’t want my child involved if some sort of nut job is looking for victims.”

  I wanted to throw a tantrum. It sounded good, but he was lying. The books and papers on his desk were from the research and all of it was intertwined. My parents were afraid of something. I wanted to know what.

  “Dad, everyone keeps insisting the curse isn’t real. Are you saying it could actually hurt us?”

  He stiffened. “That’s silly, Caro. How could I move us into a house if I thought it might end up with someone being hurt? Now, promise me you’ll let this go.”

  His fingers stroked the spine of the journal he’d been looking at. I didn’t think he even knew he did it. But it told me where I needed to look for answers. I heaved a dramatic sigh and crossed my fingers, hiding them under one leg.

  “Fine, Dad. I promise.”

  “I know you think I’m being ridiculous, Caroline, but you’ve given me your word.”

  “I said I promised, Dad. I don’t have to like it.”

  He did chuckle then, and I got up, squeezing my arms around his neck and pecking his cheek.