something under his breath. “Games like that almost make me forget about the spell and who I really am. For a while, anyway.”
“The
spell
?” asked Joe. “Who you
really
are?”
Billy glanced nervously about and stepped a little closer. Joe stepped a little back.
“Look,” said Billy. “I shouldn’t tell you this. It’s against the rules, if you know what I mean.”
“Not really, no.”
“It’s just that I’m not really a boy,” said Billy.
“You’re a girl?” asked Joe.
“No, you idiot,” said Billy. “I’m a man. A grown-up.”
Joe squinted at him suspiciously. “Well, you certainly
look
like a boy.” “Well of course!” said Billy. “What kind of spell would it be if I didn’t? Agatha may be an crazy old witch, but she knows her stuff.”
“A witch?” Joe started to back off again.
“Haven’t you been listening?” said Billy with a sigh. “She caught me off guard. You’d think an old wizard like me would know better, but there you are.”
“A wizard?” said Joe.
“Will you stop repeating everything I say?” said Billy. “It’s simple enough. I’m a wizard and I’ve been turned into a boy by a witch. What’s the matter with you?”
“What’s the matter with
me
?” said Joe.
Just then a teacher rang the bell right next to Joe, and he nearly jumped out of his skin again. But at least he could get away from Billy. He almost ran into the classroom. This is great, he thought. The only person who wants to talk to me is completely crazy.
It was going to be a long day.
Chapter 2
Weirdo
“SO,” SAID JOE’S mother when she picked him up from school. “How was your first day?”
“OK,” he muttered.
“Did you make any friends?” she asked.
“Not really,” he said. “Did you?”
His mother laughed. “No, not really,” she said. “We’ll both have to do better tomorrow.”
Joe tried to smile, but it was like his face had forgotten how.
“It’s nice to be able to walk home from school, isn’t it?” said his mum.
“I suppose so,” said Joe. “But what if it rains?”
“Then we’ll bring an umbrella, silly.” Joe shrugged.
When they got home, Joe watched TV for a while, but there was nothing on that he liked. He went to his bedroom and lay on his bed and flicked through a book his gran had sent him through the post. A few pages in he came across a full-page illustration showing a wizard in long robes and a purple pointy hat all covered with stars and moons.
He had a wand and there were sparks of magic streaming out of it. Joe thought of Billy at school and smiled.
“Crazy,” he said to himself.
It would be cool to be a wizard though. If something was not how you liked it, you could just change it –
shazam!
You would never have to put up with anything you didn’t like ever again. He could magic himself up a couple of really cool friends. It would be great.
Joe’s father came home from work later. Joe listened to him go on and on about his new job and how great it was and how it was the best thing he had ever done. The people in his office were great and the job was really interesting and he was getting paid more money too. He asked Joe how
his
first day had been.
“I don’t know,” muttered Joe.
“Well, what did you do?”
“Can’t remember,” said Joe.
“Not even one teeny-weeny thing?” asked his dad with a smile.
“No,” said Joe sternly.
“Come on, Joe,” said his dad. “Don’t be like that.”
But Joe
was
like that for the rest of the evening. He was like that through dinner and right through to bedtime. He hardly spoke a word until he said “Good night” to his mum after she had read a chapter from the book his gran had sent.
“Try to cheer up, sweetheart,” she said. “And try not to give Dad such a hard time. It’s not easy for him either, you know.”
“Hmmph!” said Joe. “He’s having a great time. You heard him.”
Joe’s mum smiled. “He doesn’t want us to worry. But I’ve
“The
spell
?” asked Joe. “Who you
really
are?”
Billy glanced nervously about and stepped a little closer. Joe stepped a little back.
“Look,” said Billy. “I shouldn’t tell you this. It’s against the rules, if you know what I mean.”
“Not really, no.”
“It’s just that I’m not really a boy,” said Billy.
“You’re a girl?” asked Joe.
“No, you idiot,” said Billy. “I’m a man. A grown-up.”
Joe squinted at him suspiciously. “Well, you certainly
look
like a boy.” “Well of course!” said Billy. “What kind of spell would it be if I didn’t? Agatha may be an crazy old witch, but she knows her stuff.”
“A witch?” Joe started to back off again.
“Haven’t you been listening?” said Billy with a sigh. “She caught me off guard. You’d think an old wizard like me would know better, but there you are.”
“A wizard?” said Joe.
“Will you stop repeating everything I say?” said Billy. “It’s simple enough. I’m a wizard and I’ve been turned into a boy by a witch. What’s the matter with you?”
“What’s the matter with
me
?” said Joe.
Just then a teacher rang the bell right next to Joe, and he nearly jumped out of his skin again. But at least he could get away from Billy. He almost ran into the classroom. This is great, he thought. The only person who wants to talk to me is completely crazy.
It was going to be a long day.
Chapter 2
Weirdo
“SO,” SAID JOE’S mother when she picked him up from school. “How was your first day?”
“OK,” he muttered.
“Did you make any friends?” she asked.
“Not really,” he said. “Did you?”
His mother laughed. “No, not really,” she said. “We’ll both have to do better tomorrow.”
Joe tried to smile, but it was like his face had forgotten how.
“It’s nice to be able to walk home from school, isn’t it?” said his mum.
“I suppose so,” said Joe. “But what if it rains?”
“Then we’ll bring an umbrella, silly.” Joe shrugged.
When they got home, Joe watched TV for a while, but there was nothing on that he liked. He went to his bedroom and lay on his bed and flicked through a book his gran had sent him through the post. A few pages in he came across a full-page illustration showing a wizard in long robes and a purple pointy hat all covered with stars and moons.
He had a wand and there were sparks of magic streaming out of it. Joe thought of Billy at school and smiled.
“Crazy,” he said to himself.
It would be cool to be a wizard though. If something was not how you liked it, you could just change it –
shazam!
You would never have to put up with anything you didn’t like ever again. He could magic himself up a couple of really cool friends. It would be great.
Joe’s father came home from work later. Joe listened to him go on and on about his new job and how great it was and how it was the best thing he had ever done. The people in his office were great and the job was really interesting and he was getting paid more money too. He asked Joe how
his
first day had been.
“I don’t know,” muttered Joe.
“Well, what did you do?”
“Can’t remember,” said Joe.
“Not even one teeny-weeny thing?” asked his dad with a smile.
“No,” said Joe sternly.
“Come on, Joe,” said his dad. “Don’t be like that.”
But Joe
was
like that for the rest of the evening. He was like that through dinner and right through to bedtime. He hardly spoke a word until he said “Good night” to his mum after she had read a chapter from the book his gran had sent.
“Try to cheer up, sweetheart,” she said. “And try not to give Dad such a hard time. It’s not easy for him either, you know.”
“Hmmph!” said Joe. “He’s having a great time. You heard him.”
Joe’s mum smiled. “He doesn’t want us to worry. But I’ve
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