Chapter 8

Bad Jokes

Lzzy was lying on her stomach on the bed, she had some desolately white sheets in front of her and fiddled with the pen in her mouth. She wanted to write down some ideas, but these had disappeared as soon as she had picked up the pen. So she stared at the void as she nibbled at the pen. A hole in the road shook the bus and she dropped the pen. Lzzy took it back and started to doodle listlessly on paper. When she finished, in the middle of the white page there was a writing with elaborate and fluttering characters: "Who Are You?". "Who are you Icy? The impenitent witch everyone in your world seems to fear, or the fragile and spontaneous girl I think I saw?" She could not give herself an answer. For two weeks now she and the boys had been going to Magix almost every day and she loved that world more and more. After a long time, she had found a place where she was just a girl and not a rock star, where nobody expected anything from her and she could take a breath for a few hours. She loved her life, but sometimes it seemed to her that people forgot that she was human too. She looked at the small purple and gray device that Tecna had given her to open the portals, which could very well be mistaken for a small mirror. The fairy of technology had arrived a week before together with Aisha to give the change to Bloom and Stella, and had immediately involved her boyfriend, a shy tall boy with carrot-colored hair, in the development of an "untraceable interplanetary communication system" between the Halestorm's cell phones and her computers. As much as she appreciated the effort, Lzzy adored her for another reason: she had modified her phone so she could make video calls. She and Icy had talked for hours in that way, even all night sometimes, with the result that their dark circles could be seen from miles away.

She smiled to herself, thinking how easy it had been for them to become friends. Darcy had noticed this, and one day she had taken her aside and told her:

- You have no idea how much it costs me to admit it but... you are very important to Icy. Knowing you and the guys is helping her to turn the page. Her mood is getting better every day and it's all thanks to you. And I have to ask you a big favor. -

- Tell me. - she replied.

- You have to help me. You have to find a way to tell her to react, not to let go again. You didn't see her at the worst moment, or even the best one for that matter, but you will have realized that she is... - she had hesitated, not finding the words.

- ...depressed? - Lzzy asked timidly.

Darcy had nodded and she had said:

- I realized it. One moment she looks happy and the next she has her gaze lost in space and her eyes shining. She tries to hide it, but it's clear that she hasn't overcome... anything she has to overcome. -

- We tried everything, but she always kept us at a distance. - Darcy had resumed, - Instead she is more open with you, she is letting you in Lzzy. Please... -

- Count on me. - she said.

She had not particularly committed herself in that sense though: she was convinced that the best way to help Icy was to behave normally, without putting pressure on her. When the witch was lost in her thoughts, she merely attracted her attention. Only once she had asked her if she wanted to talk about it but Icy had replied no, looking down, and she hadn't tried again. She wanted to win her trust, and it would have been no use fooling around.

Lzzy got out of bed to get her guitar, since she couldn't write at least she would have practiced a little. She made some scales, just to warm up, then started playing the Amen base. While her fingers ran over the guitar, she hummed the song softly. She felt an incredible energy running through her, and she liked it. She had almost arrived at the end of the song when the pseudo-mirror fell from the shelf on which it rested without an apparent motive. She picked it up and put it back in its place, resuming her playing. A few moments later it was an old group photo, accompanied by the mad fluttering of the white sheets she had left on the pillow. Lzzy frowned. It looked like a spell.

- Girls! Show yourselves and stop with this trick. - she said to the empty room.

The sheets began to whirl around her, and a shiver ran down her spine.

- Girls, it's not funny! -

All the sheets turned around her faster and faster, except for the one with the writing, which remained suspended in front of her. Arejay opened the door of the room, attracted by his sister's voice.

- What is it Lz? -

Then he saw her looking around in fright, surrounded by the sheets.

- Lzzy! - At the sound of her voice, she whirled toward him and the sheets fell suddenly.

- What the hell is going on here? - he asked, stunned.

His sister put the guitar beside her and replied:

- I have no idea Jay, I was playing and the sheets started to flutter like crazy, I thought it was a joke of one of the girls but it seems that there is nobody... -

As always when she got upset, she was talking like a machine, gesticulating. The door slammed shut behind Arejay, making the two jump. Lzzy was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

- Now stop! - she shouted, and at the same time the wardrobe doors opened wide.

- What the...? - Arejay left the question pending.

Lzzy stared dazedly at the open wardrobe as a suspicion appeared in her mind. She still felt the energy of a little earlier, and it seemed to have increased. "Magic can be powered by positive or negative energy", hadn't Icy said so? Energy. And if... Lzzy stared at a drawer, calling herself a fool in her mind. "Imagine if I am able to... FUCK!" She had screamed as well as thought the last word. The drawer had opened and had even fallen on the floor with a certain noise. At that point, Josh was also alarmed.

- Hey, what's going on here? - the bass player asked.

Arejay turned and answered:

- I don't know, Lzzy said that while she was playing the sheets, they started flying, I arrived and... -

- It... it's me. - Lzzy whispered.

Josh looked at her.

- Sorry what? -

A little louder, she repeated:

- It was me. -

Josh smiled.

- Come on, Lzzy, don't talk nonsense. You're not magic... not from that point of view. -

A few moments of silence followed, then Arejay approached his sister and sat down next to her on the bed, taking his phone.

- Let's find out. - he said.

§§

A telephone rang in Magix. Without taking her eyes off the book she was reading, Icy reached out and opened the call.

- Hey how you doing? - she said, without turning around.

She heard Arejay's voice.

- Icy, did you play a trick on Lzzy? You know, like making things move... -

The witch looked at him questioningly.

- No, why? -

She saw Lzzy cover her mouth with her hand and lean forward, out of sight.

- Guys? What happened? - she asked in alarm.

Arejay gave her a quick look, more worried about his sister.

- See you in a while, girls. - and closed the call.

Icy looked at Stormy, who was sitting next to her, but she couldn't help but shrug.

§§

- Lzzy. Lzzy, try to calm down. -

The girl was still doubled over and wept bitterly while her brother stroked her shoulders. She would need Joe in that moment, but he was busy. Arejay pulled her up and hugged her.

- I did it, it was me, it was me... - Lzzy kept repeating, her vision blurred by tears.

She sniffled and Arejay held her closer to him, waiting for her to stop crying. He didn't speak, there was nothing to say. His sister was magical. It wasn't a tragedy (maybe), but it certainly was a great shot. How could this have happened? Lzzy had never demonstrated paranormal abilities, where did these powers come from? He felt that the sobs were diminishing, so he ventured to ask:

- Shall we go to Alfea? -

Lzzy nodded. Through the tears she could see one of the sheets, with indistinct lines in the center. She didn't need to see to find out what was written on that sheet.

Who Are You?