ASTRID

Chapter 9 A Witch To Be

"Everybody loves Sarah! Dad loves Sarah because she is a sweetheart; Mom loves Sarah because she is not troublesome; Astrid loves her because Sarah hangs on every word of hers; worships her! But nobody cares about me or my interests and my friends! 'He is no good for you because he's two years your senior' or 'This girl is not a positive influence on you'. For crying out loud! Her mother is a tattoo artist, not a killer! It's strange that she didn't text Mom or Dad about my piercing."

Something metallic hits the floor.

"Snitch is all she wants! You both blame me for being a bad friend and a bad sister, but you both left me. Sarah stopped talking about magic as if on purpose, having pretended that she had no idea what is going on! She made new friends at school and forgets about me, but when they all dumped her, she finally decided to come crawling back! And she was so genuinely surprised that I had my own normal friends and normal life without magic!" she says, sobbing.

"Maybe she did forget about magic. I always forget lots of things! Sometimes, I hide nuts in knotholes of different trees or in someone's attics and forget about them."

"As you forgot about me? You promised to visit me and call me, but you never did!"

"But I did call you using Astrid's phone, and I sent you letters. I'm not good at writing, but Lev and Astrid helped me. I even drew you a picture of my oak tree where I live. I swear!" the squirrel girl says passionately. "But you never wrote me back, though Lev promised me to read your answers if there were any. Once I even came to your place. I pleaded one of the banshees to take me with them when they were heading to the big human city. I knocked at the door. A tall human opened it and said that you are busy and told me not to come again. I turned into a squirrel and climbed the ivy that grew on the wall of your house and got to your bedroom window. I looked inside, but nobody was in. I really wanted to come in and secretly wait for your return. I wanted it to be a big surprise! But I was not invited, and a human toddler noticed me and started shrilling 'Sqwivel! Sqwivel!' I was scared of him and had to hide in jasmine shrubs. Astrid and Lev were sooo angry at me for having fled to you. They thought I was lost, and I was really lost for a while, but later they found me in the park not far from your house. And now I am not allowed to go outside the village and the forest territories alone."

"But I don't understand! Who told you that I was busy? Was it Mom? Of course it was Mom! Who else! And she never told me about your visit!" I can hear Billy's hissing. "And I never received any letters from you. It could have easily gotten lost in the mail: it's so old fashioned to send real paper letters! Besides, it causes massive damage to trees," she draws the line like a real activist.

"I'm not really good at telling people apart. I'm sorry. And I will never send you any paper letters again: I had no idea that letters could be so dangerous!"

"Don't say sorry! It's not your fault! I had to be more persistent, but, instead, I was too stubborn to call you or text you myself. And now I lost you as my friend too."

"You did not lose me," giggles Nina. "I'm here, silly, sitting in front of you or a bad magician made something bad to your eyes?"

"Seriously, Nina! I messed up, but you are not angry. Why?"

"I don't understand you. You are here, and I'm here! I was told that humans can't let go of the past. But it's just past that doesn't exist anymore."

"I don't know what to tell you about that," Billy's voice is soft and surprised.

"Do you have any sweets?" asks the squirrel eagerly.

Billy laughs, "You have a great talent to switch from philosophy to real life," she speaks through her nose, for it is still stuffed because of the crying. "Tell me everything about your life when I was absent, meanwhile, I will try to find a candy for you."