Chapter 7
A couple weeks passed. Our class was focused on putting on the best fourth-grade play anyone had ever seen in the history of Nikola Tesla Elementary School.
During this time, Emily made everyone’s lives particularly miserable. Not just mine. This “star of the show” attitude that she had was getting old. Emily was bossy and would throw a fit if she was not the center of attention. She even managed to push away her best friends, Susan and Kate.
Even so, I was actually enjoying myself. When I put on my costume, with its pointy black hat and long black dress, I felt like another person. I wasn’t Krystal Ball, fourth-grade fortune-teller. I was Krystal Ball, Wicked Witch!
Claire looked beautiful in her puffy, sparkling white gown and ruby-crusted crown. “We are mirror images of each other,” Claire pointed out.
“You’re right!” I said with a laugh.
We giggled again as Billy came up behind us. He was wearing a green suit and vest, with a glittering green blazer over them. His usually messy hair had been slicked back and looked very dashing. “Behold, the Great and Powerful—”
Miss Callisto clapped her hands, interrupting Billy. She told us to form a line.
“Listen up, class,” she said. “We’re going to the auditorium for our dress rehearsal. We’ll be performing on stage as if it was the real night of the play.”
How exciting is that? I thought to myself. This is going to be so much fun.
For someone who could see the future, I could not have been more wrong…
“Okay, everyone, let’s take it from the top of the scene!” Miss Callisto cried from the back of the auditorium.
We were up to the part where the Wicked Witch of the West (me) captures Dorothy (the annoying Emily) and friends in her giant castle. The Witch wants to take Dorothy’s Silver Shoes because they are full of magic and power.
Dorothy then throws a bucket of water onto the Wicked Witch, causing her to melt away.
Instead of real water, Miss Callisto filled a plastic bucket with blue, green, and white confetti and glitter. When Emily splashed the fake water onto me, I would spin around and drop onto the ground. Then, I’d pull my black cloak over myself and lie still until the curtains closed.
And so, we began.
“Give me the Silver Shoes,” I cried in my witchiest voice.
“You are a wicked creature,” Emily said while reaching for the bucket.
A split-second later, the bucket came sailing through the air right at me. I dodged it, but it grazed off my shoulder. It really hurt, too! I rubbed my arm as the bucket landed behind me.
“Krystal, are you all right?” Claire asked, running out from behind the scenery.
“Yeah,” I said, looking at Emily. She didn’t seem the least bit sorry. She did it on purpose!
Miss Callisto walked onto the stage. “Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed.
“Clumsy me,” Emily said. She clasped her hands dramatically. “Accidents happen.” Emily reached over and put her hand on my shoulder. “You poor thing!”
I flinched and then something happened. I caught a glimpse of the future.
I closed my eyes and tilted my head. Emily’s touch sparked a memory. My dream about the tornado and my house landing on someone came flooding back in an instant.
Without opening my eyes, and in a low whisper, I said, “Yes…accidents do happen.”
BRIIIING! The bell rang. It was time for lunch. I couldn’t wait to change and put the whole nasty event behind me.
As Billy and I sat at our lunch table, I asked, “Remember when I said something bad was going to happen to Emily?”
“Yeah,” he said, smiling widely. Peanut butter and jelly was stuck to his teeth. “I keep waiting for this dream to come true!”
“That’s not funny,” I said, but Billy’s face made me laugh. “I got a strong feeling when she touched me. It was just like the day she broke my pencil. Something’s going to happen today. I don’t know what it is or what to do.”
“There’s nothing to do,” Billy said. “She’s a nasty person, and she deserves whatever she gets. Are you gonna eat that?” Billy reached over and snagged one of my carrot sticks.
I wanted to believe Billy. What he said sounded right, but the knot in my stomach told me otherwise.
“What would you tell her, anyway?” Billy continued. Bits of carrot sloshed around in his mouth. “Beware, Emily! My psychic powers tell me that something bad is going to happen to you, so don’t do anything for it may be your doom!”
Before I could reply, a voice cried out behind us. “I knew it!”
I whirled around to see…Claire. She had been standing nearby holding her lunch box. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.
My body went numb. Billy’s mouth dropped open. The carrot stick landed on his lunch tray.
“Oops,” he said weakly.
“H-how much did you hear?” I stammered.
Claire placed her lunch box on the table and sat down next to me. Looking me in the eye, she said, “Everything!”