"Hi, Miss Ingledew. Hi, Em. Hi, Kris," Michelle greeted the three females in Ingledew's Bookshop as she stepped into the back room with Tancred and Lysander close behind. Gabriel was currently using the restroom, and was unavailable for conversation. The six had grown close since the day they had met. Charlie, Fidelio, and Olivia were left out of the whole thing because Fidelio was wrapped up in music, Charlie was being 'punished' by his grandmother, and Olivia was starring in a film with her mother. Tancred, Lysander, Gabriel, Emma, and Kristy had wasted no time explaining everything that had happened to their new friend, and now Michelle Alexandria Turner was part of the Tristan Ghost Rescue Team.
"Hi, Mishie," Kristy answered, smiling up from a book as her best friend Gabriel rushed back from the bathroom. "Hey, Gabe. Back again, I see?" The small fourteen-year-old grinned at her sheepishly and waved to Tancred, Lysander, and Michelle.
"Would you three like sandwiches?" Miss Julia Ingledew offered, holding out a tray of sandwiches filled with exotic fillings. They accepted, for her sandwiches were the best of the best.
"So, have you found anything yet?" Tancred asked, taking a seat beside Kristy, who was sitting next to Gabriel.
"No," Emma replied, her blue eyes scanning Herbs to Horticulture. "Nothing yet. Can any of you help us research?" Michelle and Lysander picked up books to help Tancred, Kristy, Emma, Gabriel, and Miss Ingledew.
Suddenly, Kristy bolted up from her seat. "Oh, my Gosh! I totally forgot! I'm supposed to be—oh!" Gabriel tried to calm her down, but failed to succeed.
"Forgot what?" Tancred said to the hyper girl. "What did you forget, Kristy? Tell us, or I'll blow your shirt off."
"I bet you wouldn't mind that," said Lysander with a huge grin.
"Mr. Yewbeam! I was supposed to meet him five minutes ago! D'you guys mind if I leave?" Kristy said, jumping up and down.
"We don't mind," they all chorused. Waving, Kristy leaped out of the bookshop and ran to number nine, Filbert Street. It was a new record fit for the Guinness.
The brazen track star rang the doorbell to find a gray-haired woman dressed in black staring grimly at her. This was obviously Mrs. Bone, Charlie's grandmother. "What do you want, you ruddy girl?" she screeched impatiently. Obviously, she wasn't welcome here.
"Let her in, Grizelda," a rich voice ordered behind the old woman. Grandma Bone 'hmph'ed and stood aside, revealing a tall man with luxurious black hair and kind eyes.
"You must be Mr. Yewbeam," Kristy said. "I'm sooo sorry I'm late. I didn't mean to. I just—" Uncle Paton raised a hand to stop her.
"It's all right. You must be Kristina. I haven't seen you since you were little," he said, smiling brightly. "Come in. I hope my sister didn't frighten you." Relaxing at his patience, Kristy stepped into Charlie's house. Charlie himself was sitting on the couch, crunching on potato chips.
"Hi, Kris! I thought you weren't going to come!" he greeted her, his worry vanishing. "Hope my grandma didn't scare you." Laughing, Kristy gave him a friendly hug.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about, Mr. Yewbeam?" she asked Charlie's great-uncle after sitting down on the couch and accepting an offer of a bag of Sour Cream & Onion potato chips.
Paton Yewbeam hesitated for a second. Then, suddenly, Charlie blurted out, "It's about your dad, Kristy." At this, Uncle Paton looked up warily, and Kristy's bright eyes glowed like big, mysterious green lanterns in the dim light.
"Charlie, that was before—" Paton started, then took a deep breath. "Before her aunt's unfortunate predicament."
"So you must have found the cure!" Kristy piped excitedly, shaking with curiosity. Paton sighed wearily. Charlie was surprised. His great-uncle was hardly ever like this.
"I won't deny it," Paton replied slowly. "But the cure will be . . .well, it will be very hard to find."
"But I thought you already found it," Charlie said, puzzled. Kristy raised a slender finger to her lips, commanding silence.
"No, Charlie," Paton continued. "But I do know where you can find it."
Kristy couldn't stand the suspense anymore. She let out an unladylike growl of frustration. "Can you just please tell us? I'm going to die if you don't tell the cure in two seconds!"
"I'm counting," Charlie said quickly. "One, two. You can die now, Kris."
The girl rolled her almond-shaped eyes. "You know, Chazz, you can sometimes be really annoying."
"That's what I live for," Charlie answered with a huge grin. "To annoy you."
Paton cleared his throat quite loudly. "I thought we were discussing how to find the cure for your aunt," he said gruffly. Kristy's undivided attention returned to her friend's great-uncle's words. Charlie and Paton could almost actually feel her tension radiating from her. The silky smooth strands of shining auburn locks seemed to be quivering, and the green eyes they knew so well were swelling up, becoming more luminous by the second. Now they looked too big for her face. Charlie stifled a gale of laughter, and even Paton had to hold in a chuckle, though the situation was supposed to be serious. Kristy was faintly annoyed, but her glowing face couldn't show it; her enthusiasm was too great.
"First," Paton said, smiling widely. "You must find a hypnotist." Charlie and Kristy glanced at each other and were about to speak, but he interrupted. "Don't ask questions until the end. Since the box is using a powerful source of hypnotism, you must find a power greater than its source." Kristy looked like she was about to burst with the questions forming in her cramped mind. Paton raised a hand and went on.
"I found out from one of the ancient books that history may be repeating itself. So, your aunt, Kristy, will be put to a deep sleep. Then, you must travel back in time. There, a sorcerer will help you."
"And Aunt Tristy will be cured?" Kristy piped squeakily.
"Then your aunt will be cured," Paton said.
"And everything will be all right," Charlie said quietly.
"And after that, we can find your dad, Chazz," Kristy mumbled. Charlie stared at her with wide eyes like walnuts. He gulped, searching the right words, for he knew from experience, that Kristy's chaotic temper could be awakened easily.
"You know where he is?" Surprisingly, it was Paton who had asked the question, looking exactly as Kristy had when they were talking about Tristan.
Kristy smiled that mysterious smile only Kristy could. "You'll see. You'll see," was all she said, still wearing that half-smile.
Five minutes later, Kristy said good-bye to Paton and Charlie, sprinting to Ingledew's Bookshop, where Tancred, Lysander, Gabriel, Michelle, and Emma were waiting, eager for a summary of their friend's visit with Paton Yewbeam. Julia Ingledew was listening intently, too. When Kristy was done recalling the tale, the bookshop was quiet. You could hear a pin drop in there.
"So we have to find a hypnotist," Gabriel whispered, "then go back in time?"
Kristy shrugged. "That's what Charlie's uncle said," she said promptly.
"But that's impossible!" Tancred and Emma said in unison.
"Go back in time?" Lysander and Miss Ingledew murmured.
Michelle was completely silent. She was looking at Kristy with her amethyst eyes. The thirteen-year-old girl finally noticed her gaze and glanced back with bright emeralds.
"Is there something you want to tell us, Mish?" Kristy inquired loudly, so everyone could hear. The muttering stopped. Michelle looked shyly around the room, which was very unlike the bold, brazen girl she usually was.
"No," she said, dropping her gaze to the floor. "Nothing at all."
Everyone could see she was lying, but what did it matter? It was her privacy, and they would be the ones that would be doing wrong if they invaded it. This was the thought of everyone in the room, especially Lysander.
"Why isn't she telling us anything?" Gabriel whispered to Kristy. "We can be trusted."
Kristy shook her head once. "She doesn't know enough about us yet," she said knowingly. "But there's something mysterious about her . . .she has a strange aura about her." Any other person would have stared at Kristy as if she were insane (well, maybe not Tancred), but Gabriel Silk, being her best friend, knew enough about her to tell that she was probably right. He nodded to show that he had heard.
Tancred, however, was not so understanding. He was looking at Kristy and Gabriel intently. His gaze was suspicious. The two friends were close together, whispering. What are they up to? he thought to himself. If Gabe even thinks that—
"Tanc?" Emma's clear voice interrupted his thoughts. Her soft, youthful fingers were waving in front of his wide blue eyes.
"What?" Tancred snapped sharply. Emma seemed startled, then she looked at the direction the turbulent boy was staring, and figured out what was making Tancred so edgy.
"You worry too much, Tane," she said soothingly. "They're just being the best friends they are."
"Well, they could at least stay farther away from each other," Tancred replied, the tone of his voice annoyed.
"Aww, c'mon," Emma said cheerfully. "I know Kris and Gabe well enough to know that they won't—you know—do whatever you're thinking."
"I'm not too sure about that," Tancred said darkly. Emma sighed. This boy was as stubborn and headstrong as a mule, completely unlike the mature fourteen-year-old he looked on the outside.
"Just shut up and cheer up," Michelle's voice drifted into their conversation. Tancred and Emma looked at her abruptly. Their new friend's bright red cheeks had cooled down, and the violet sparks that were her eyes were calm and collected. They felt the same thing Kristy did. They knew that Michelle Alexandria Turner was out of the ordinary.
Author's Note: I finally updated! Sorry, but my computer got a virus and all, and I had no time because my teachers LOADED me with homework. Ergh. I can't believe I said the disgusting word.
Thanks for Reviewing! I forgot my promise; I only got 3 reviews.