This is because most books on witchcraft were written by men.
― Neil Gaiman
I messed things up with Sylvia but was determined to set everything straight again.
So I dropped by the library hoping to see her, but she wasn’t there. Frizzy was manning the desk in her absence.
“Do you know what happened?” I asked.
She smiled sadly. “I’m so sorry, Jay—I feel this is all my fault.”
“Your fault?” I asked incredulously. “Why would you say that?”
“I have a confession to make—I’m a witch.”
If she meant to impress me, it didn’t work.
“Ah,” I said sarcastically, “well that explains everything.”
“No, Jay—you don’t understand. I helped Sylvia avoid you.”
“You did? But I thought you wanted us to get together.”
“I do—it’s just back at the beginning, before I got to know you, Sylvia asked me to put a spell on you. She said you were some ‘menacing pervert’ who was stalking her. She gave me your picture and I made an image of you…and well, I taught her how to stick pins in it.”
“You taught Sylvia to use Voodoo on me?” I croaked.
“No—not on you, exactly—on this ‘pervert’ who was stalking her. But then I met you and found out you were really sweet—and you loved her. Since I knew Nicholas didn’t, I decided I had to protect you.”
I threw up my hands in exasperation.
“Great—just great! Not only does Sylvia despise me, but she wants to kill me.”
“Oh no—that will never happen—I made sure. I put a limiting spell on the effigy. She can only twist your arm, or make you limp.”
She looked down at my sore foot. “Oh dear, I'm sorry, Jay.”
I put my hand out and mussed her frizzy curls. “Don’t worry, Frizz—that sore foot wasn’t caused by you. I twisted my ankle chasing Sylvia up some wet stone stairs.”
“Oh, that’s a relief. Perhaps, I could make a healing potion…”
“NO! No more witchcraft, Please! I don’t want anything muddying the waters.”
She shook her head sagely.
“I told Sylvia not to trick you by making you stay out in the rain.”
“Wait a minute—how do you know about that?”
“I was talking to Sylvia on her cell phone. She knew the weather forecast and wanted to teach you a lesson, but I guess it back-fired on her.”
I sighed in despair, “Yeah, I suppose it did.”
Suddenly, Frizzy brightened. “I could put a spell on her, Jay.”
Her cute face looked so concerned; I had to smile in spite of myself.
“Thanks, Frizz—but it just wouldn’t be right—I want to win her free and clear so I’ll know she’s really mine.”
Hearing my words caused a cloud to pass over Frizzy’s features.
“Oh, oh dear…”
“What? You haven’t already bewitched her, have you?”
“Well…not exactly.”
The girl was making me into a hysteric. My voice kept going up.
“What exactly does, ‘not exactly’ mean?”
“It means, I’ve also been using a “warding off” spell to protect you.”
I felt all the air go out of me.
“Has it come to that?”
“Do you promise you’re not angry with me?”
I glowered darkly at her, but she looked so damn shy and vulnerable, I knew I wouldn’t stay mad at her, despite her inanity.
I tweaked her cute nose, “Okay, Frizz—we’re friends forever, regardless.”
She brightened and I chucked her softly under her chin. “Now, let me go and try to see Sylvia—if she’s willing to let me into her apartment, that is. At any rate, I’ll update you in the morning.”
Her eyes were huge and moist. “I hope you and Sylvia work it out, Jay—you’re perfect for her—she just doesn’t know it yet.”
“I know,” I chuckled, “that’s what I keep telling myself.”