wicked witches 06.9 - you only witch once Read Free

thinking that fire and hot metal sticks could be dangerous.”
    I hadn’t thought of that. “We’ll have to watch them,” I said.
    “Or we could grill the hot dogs ourselves,” Marnie countered. “I’d rather do the work than try to dig a flaming stick out of Lila’s eye if Thistle loses her temper.”
    I hate it when she’s right. “Okay, we’ll grill the hot dogs. Have you seen Aunt Tillie?”
    “She’s helping Bay, Clove and Thistle unpack,” Twila said.
    “Does she know about Rosemary yet?”
    Twila shook her head, her bright red hair flashing against the green backdrop. “I thought you would want to tell her.”
    Marnie snorted. “You mean you were too scared to tell her,” she said. “You know very well that Aunt Tillie is going to have a fit when she finds out Rosemary is here. She hates that kid.”
    “We all hate that kid,” I muttered.
    Marnie pursed her lips. “It’s not Rosemary’s fault that Nettie and Aunt Willa raised her to be so … cold.”
    “I know that,” I said. “I’m constantly reminding myself of that every time I see that girl. But still, she’s … odd.”
    “Bay, Clove and Thistle are odd, too,” Twila said. “I happen to like odd.”
    “Rosemary is evil odd, though,” I said.
    “You might want to keep thoughts like that to yourself,” Marnie said. “Rosemary is going to report back on every little thing we do. You’re only going to give Aunt Willa more ammunition if you’re mean to her.”
    “I have no intention of being mean to her,” I said. “Do you think I’m a monster?”
    “You have your moments,” Marnie said. “I don’t think you’ll be mean to her, though. I still think you might want to keep your distance.”
    “Does that mean you’re going to take Rosemary in all your groups?”
    “Of course not,” Marnie said, making a face. “I can’t stand that kid. She’s going to have to be Twila’s problem.”
    “I think you guys are overreacting,” Twila said. “Rosemary is going to loosen up now that she’s away from Nettie and Aunt Willa for a few days. Just wait and see.”
    Marnie flicked the end of Twila’s nose, causing her sister to jump back. “What was that for?”
    “I’m trying to see whether your rose-colored glasses are invisible,” Marnie said. “It’s nice that you have faith Rosemary is a good kid. I don’t share that faith. Speaking of Rosemary, which cabin is she in?”
    “I put her in the first cabin,” Twila said.
    “Uh-huh.” Marnie glanced over her shoulder, making sure it was still only the three of us within hearing distance. “Did she talk to any of the girls when got in there?”
    “Yeah,” Twila said. “She was friendly. In fact, she seemed to make instant friends with a few of the girls.”
    “Which girls?”
    “Hope Daniels and Lila Stevens.” Twila realized what she said. “Oh, crap.”
    “Lila Stevens?” My voice sounded squeaky. “Are you telling me Lila and Rosemary are hanging out?”
    “Well, that can’t be good,” Marnie said. “That means evil is joining with evil. Everyone should run for their lives now.”
    I shot her a look. “We’re going to have to watch them,” I said. “They’re going to cause trouble. They were going to cause trouble apart, but now that they’re together they’re going to cause bigger trouble. We can adapt. We can deal with it.”
    “I have a better idea,” Marnie said, turning and moving toward the cabins.
    “What?” I asked, worried.
    Marnie didn’t answer. Instead, she opened her mouth and let loose a bellow that could be heard three counties away. “Aunt Tillie!”
     
    “I CAN’T believe that little … .”
    “Don’t call Rosemary names,” Twila warned. “It’s not fair. She’s still just a child.”
    Aunt Tillie gripped her hands together, trying to remain calm. “Fine. I can’t believe that little ray of sunshine is our problem for the next few days. I just … why didn’t you tell me?”
    “I honestly forgot,” I