"Hello Polly," Amanda cooed. She dumped her book bag on the floor and
slumped in to her computer chair. Reaching down to pet Polly she sighed
heavily. Why is life so complicated for me? She wondered as she reached
around to scratch behind Polly's ears. Just a few years ago she had found
out about her parents divorce. It had been hard enough to deal with that,
but when she found out her mother was getting remarried, well, she didn't
like to think about. She smiled down at Polly. When she had gotten her nine
years ago, life had seemed so innocent, so perfect. Amanda had known
nothing of divorce, hurt, pain, loss. Somehow, looking at the little bichon
frise made her feel like she was little again. Worried about nothing more
than the playground bullies, or scraping her knee. She shook her head sadly
and went to go get something to eat.
Her mother had left a note of the refrigerator. "Don't worry about the mail, I've already brought it in. But there was a letter for Mr. Elithab. I tried to take it over to him, but he wasn't home." That's odd, Amanda thought, he's usually always either at home or at school. Shaking her head she looked back at the paper, "So I would appreciate it if you'd take it over to him and see if he's home. I'll be home around seven. Pizza for dinner." Her eyes sank down to the last paragraph, "P.S. Don't forget to do your homework!" Amanda smiled to herself, and tucked the note in to a drawer. Her mother reminded her every night to do her homework, and she had never yet turned in a late assignment.
After an hour of television, she resigned to the nagging sensation at the back of her mind and went to do her homework. She flopped on to her bed and opened her Social Studies book. I wonder where Jessica could be, she wondered. They had an upcoming project due and Jessica had been absent for weeks now. Amanda had tried calling her, but her parents never answered the phone. But what else is odd, Amanda thought suddenly, is how John, who she knew Jessica had liked, wasn't being his funny self lately. He looked pale and stressed and whenever someone mentioned sweethearts, he would turn red and change the subject. Shaking her head, she turned back to her book. It was getting dark outside.
"Oh no," she said to herself, "the mail." She went out in to the hall and spotted the small pile of letters sitting on the table. She thumbed through it lazily, until she came to a letter that certainly wasn't meant for her house. It was a brown parchment envelope that had Mr. Elithab inscribed on the front. Set reached out her right hand to pick it up. But the second her fingers made contact with the paper, she felt a jerk from somewhere behind her navel and she was falling in to nothing.
Back at Hogwarts, Jessica, Harry, and Hermione sat in the Common Room waiting for Ron to return. It had been two days since they sent off the Portkeys and Ron had been checking the staff meetings to see if they knew anything about it.
Soon, he returned shaking his head, and they all breathed a sigh of relief. These days, Jessica was finding it harder and harder to get a good night's sleep. She was becoming even paler than before, and the bottom of her eyes were turning puffy and shadowy. The three of them had noticed this change, but whenever they asked what was causing it, she would simply shrug and hastily change the subject.
The truth was that Jessica was becoming extremely homesick. She hadn't been prepared to just up and leave everything she knew. Her family, friends, infact, her entire life was back in little Poland, Ohio. She longed for it now like she never thought she could. She often thought of her school. The humid hallways, the crazy students, and the stupid, yet fun, teachers. She sighed, wishing she could have it all back. But most of all, she admitted sadly, she missed John. She had made him a promise that she couldn't keep. Sweetheart's was a big dance for both of them, they had both really wanted to go. And when she sat down and thought about it, she realized she really did love…crash. A banging sound was coming from her room, followed by a series of screams. She stood up and quickly ran to the door. Jessica paused with her hand on the knob, wondering whether or not it was a good idea to enter. But she had to, she decided. Throwing caution to the wind, she flung open the door.
A girl was standing trembling with fear in the far corner of her room. She seemed too scared to scream. Her eyes were wide behind her oval glasses. Her blonde highlighted hair was messy on her shoulders, and she was visibly shaking all over. As Jessica stood stunned in the doorway, studying her, she realized that it looked like….oh, but it couldn't be, she thought slowly…
"Amanda?" Jessica said in little more than a whisper.
Amanda's eyes widened like a deer's that had been caught in a headlight.
"Jessica?" she said in a shaky voice.
Jessica nodded. Amanda broke down in to sobs. Jessica hurried over to her, and put an arm around her. Still too stunned to speak, they stood quiet for a moment. Finally Jessica found her voice.
"How did you get here?" she asked quietly.
At this question, Amanda stopped shaking and looked up at Jessica. "I don't know," she said finally, "I just know there was this letter, and I…"
"Letter?" Jessica said suddenly, "What letter? Who was it addressed to?"
Amanda thought for a minute. "Mr. Elithab," she said finally.
Jessica felt the blood drain from her face.
"I think you'd better come with me, Amanda," she said softly.
Her mother had left a note of the refrigerator. "Don't worry about the mail, I've already brought it in. But there was a letter for Mr. Elithab. I tried to take it over to him, but he wasn't home." That's odd, Amanda thought, he's usually always either at home or at school. Shaking her head she looked back at the paper, "So I would appreciate it if you'd take it over to him and see if he's home. I'll be home around seven. Pizza for dinner." Her eyes sank down to the last paragraph, "P.S. Don't forget to do your homework!" Amanda smiled to herself, and tucked the note in to a drawer. Her mother reminded her every night to do her homework, and she had never yet turned in a late assignment.
After an hour of television, she resigned to the nagging sensation at the back of her mind and went to do her homework. She flopped on to her bed and opened her Social Studies book. I wonder where Jessica could be, she wondered. They had an upcoming project due and Jessica had been absent for weeks now. Amanda had tried calling her, but her parents never answered the phone. But what else is odd, Amanda thought suddenly, is how John, who she knew Jessica had liked, wasn't being his funny self lately. He looked pale and stressed and whenever someone mentioned sweethearts, he would turn red and change the subject. Shaking her head, she turned back to her book. It was getting dark outside.
"Oh no," she said to herself, "the mail." She went out in to the hall and spotted the small pile of letters sitting on the table. She thumbed through it lazily, until she came to a letter that certainly wasn't meant for her house. It was a brown parchment envelope that had Mr. Elithab inscribed on the front. Set reached out her right hand to pick it up. But the second her fingers made contact with the paper, she felt a jerk from somewhere behind her navel and she was falling in to nothing.
Back at Hogwarts, Jessica, Harry, and Hermione sat in the Common Room waiting for Ron to return. It had been two days since they sent off the Portkeys and Ron had been checking the staff meetings to see if they knew anything about it.
Soon, he returned shaking his head, and they all breathed a sigh of relief. These days, Jessica was finding it harder and harder to get a good night's sleep. She was becoming even paler than before, and the bottom of her eyes were turning puffy and shadowy. The three of them had noticed this change, but whenever they asked what was causing it, she would simply shrug and hastily change the subject.
The truth was that Jessica was becoming extremely homesick. She hadn't been prepared to just up and leave everything she knew. Her family, friends, infact, her entire life was back in little Poland, Ohio. She longed for it now like she never thought she could. She often thought of her school. The humid hallways, the crazy students, and the stupid, yet fun, teachers. She sighed, wishing she could have it all back. But most of all, she admitted sadly, she missed John. She had made him a promise that she couldn't keep. Sweetheart's was a big dance for both of them, they had both really wanted to go. And when she sat down and thought about it, she realized she really did love…crash. A banging sound was coming from her room, followed by a series of screams. She stood up and quickly ran to the door. Jessica paused with her hand on the knob, wondering whether or not it was a good idea to enter. But she had to, she decided. Throwing caution to the wind, she flung open the door.
A girl was standing trembling with fear in the far corner of her room. She seemed too scared to scream. Her eyes were wide behind her oval glasses. Her blonde highlighted hair was messy on her shoulders, and she was visibly shaking all over. As Jessica stood stunned in the doorway, studying her, she realized that it looked like….oh, but it couldn't be, she thought slowly…
"Amanda?" Jessica said in little more than a whisper.
Amanda's eyes widened like a deer's that had been caught in a headlight.
"Jessica?" she said in a shaky voice.
Jessica nodded. Amanda broke down in to sobs. Jessica hurried over to her, and put an arm around her. Still too stunned to speak, they stood quiet for a moment. Finally Jessica found her voice.
"How did you get here?" she asked quietly.
At this question, Amanda stopped shaking and looked up at Jessica. "I don't know," she said finally, "I just know there was this letter, and I…"
"Letter?" Jessica said suddenly, "What letter? Who was it addressed to?"
Amanda thought for a minute. "Mr. Elithab," she said finally.
Jessica felt the blood drain from her face.
"I think you'd better come with me, Amanda," she said softly.