Witch Read Free Page A

‘Why haven’t I met you guys before?’ I asked.
    â€˜We’ve seen you around,’ Amelia said, ‘but you always seemed to want to be on your own, so we didn’t want to be pushy.’
    â€˜But then you ran into us, and you have a copy of one of our favourite books,’ Alyssa continued. ‘It seems like fate. That book is really rare, you know – it only finds its way to certain people.’
    â€˜Well, I’m glad I ran into you,’ I said. ‘I truly would love to come over and meet your mum and eat her “vegetarian mush”.’
    â€˜Come this Friday,’ said Alyssa. ‘It’s Vania, right?’
    â€˜That’s not her being psychic,’ Amelia whispered in my ear, ‘it’s her paying attention in class. So, dinner Friday. You can catch the bus home with us.’
    â€˜That would be the bus that’s leaving in three minutes,’ Alyssa said in a sudden panic.
    â€˜Bye, Vania,’ they chorused and hurried off down the hall, leaving me feeling slightly bemused.
    A boy’s voice interrupted my thoughts: ‘Vania.’ I turned to see Bryce standing there, and for the second time that day I wondered what he wanted with me.
    Because I’d been chatting with the twins I’d missed my bus, and Bryce offered to walk me home. It wasn’t too far out of his way, he said, but I was still pretty surprised that he would bother – even if he was class president. I wondered what Cassidy would say if she knew – not that there was anything to it, of course.
    â€˜You know you didn’t have to walk me home,’ I said once we’d set out. ‘I’m totally fine on my own.’
    Bryce smiled at me, and with the sun setting behind him he looked kind of angelic. Once again, I started to feel dizzy. What was this guy’s power over me? Sure he was good-looking, but there was something more to it than that.
    He suddenly reached out and took my arm, making me jump. His hand felt cool and smooth, and I felt hot and bothered. Before I knew it he had steered me around a big puddle on the path. It was really sweet. I decided I needed to know more about this guy.
    â€˜So, have you been at Summerland High since your freshman year?’ I asked.
    â€˜Yeah. I was destined to come here. I went to Summerland Elementary across town, and we all got shunted over here to Summerland High after our incarceration there.
    Why did you come here from Australia? Rumour has it that it’s the greatest place on earth. Awesome beaches, kangaroos . . .’
    â€˜Yeah, that’s true, especially the kangaroos – they’re all over the place. We have to kick them out of our classrooms at school all the time,’ I said.
    â€˜Are you serious?’ he said, his eyes wide.
    â€˜I’m kidding!’
    He laughed, and it struck me how unlike me it was to be cracking jokes with a hot guy. With anyone, for that matter. I told myself to get a grip.
    â€˜Actually, my parents are originally from here. Dad’s a policeman, but he took a job as head of an international crime task force in Australia just after I was born. They made him an offer he couldn’t refuse, I guess.’
    â€˜So why the move back to Summerland now?’
    â€˜My dad’s here to replace Captain Sharpe.’
    â€˜Whoa, the police chief?’
    â€˜Yeah. Did you know him?’
    â€˜Well, this is a small town. His death was really sudden and unexpected – he got some weird kind of food poisoning.’
    â€˜That’s what my father said. He’s not very emotional, but he took this pretty hard. Apparently they were friends back in the day.’
    â€˜Do you miss your friends?’
    â€˜I didn’t really have that many back there, to be honest.’ Good one , I thought. Now he’s going to think you’re a super- freak . ‘I was sad to leave, though. Australia’s beautiful. But . . . so is