Countdown (completed)

3.

We finally got home late this morning, and even now, at 11:30, I still feel exhausted. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and hobble downstairs. Mum is standing over the frying pan, next to her, a pile of pancakes and bacon. As I pour the silky maple syrup over the pancakes mum asks me how my night was.

"Great!!" I say.

"That's really good... I wish I'd got to see my favourite bands from when I was young - but I guess my friend wasn't," mum stops and coughs, "going away."

I stuff I pile of pancakes in my mouth, letting the salty sweet taste spread around my mouth.

"I got Maya's mum's number, were gonna go see her today." Says mum.

"Why?" I ask.

"Well," mum replies, "I guess I just want to talk to someone else with a morsten as a daughter. Anyway, we're going soon, so hurry up and get some proper clothes on."

I go upstairs and get changed and before long we are at Maya's place.

I follow Maya up to her room whilst our mums talk downstairs.

"That was amazing last night Maya," I tell her, "How did you do it though? The tickets, limousine? It was like magic."

"Have you ever considered that it was?" Replies Maya, her face serious.

I laugh. "Good one Maya. How actually did you do it though?"

"I told you. Magic."

"Shut up Maya. How?"

"I told you," says Maya, exasperation in her voice, "Magic. There are forces out there. Nobody belivies. I do. So I have the powers."

The mode in the room is now serious. A long silence stretches between us.

"Wow.." I breathe. I know said I would believe in magic now after all the crazy stuff going on... buy I didn't really mean it. I mean my life is just so crazy. Last week I was a normal teenager enjoying life with my best friend... now I'm surrounded with ideas of magic and with signs of Ruby dying....

"I will teach you Saiko. I will, I promise. First we need to listen to our parents." Says Maya.

We tip toe down the stairs and hide outside the door. It reminds me of a long time ago, when me and Ruby were 5, and we snuck into the room where the presents were kept at Ruby 's house. Good times.

We manage to hear snipets of muffled conversation.

"... able to deal with it.... friends for years... with best friend dying..."

It's kinda the stuff you would expect, and its not particularly interesting. We tip toe back upstairs, but not missing the tiny skull burnt into the banister.