"Maybe you might not like what I'll have to say."
Milo ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up. "Milo, just tell me!" Milo nodded. "I want to find my mum. I want to see why she left. Grandad isn't telling the truth. I just know it." Mandy smiled slightly. "Where would you start?" Milo looked down at his hands.
"I don't know. I can't ask grandad, he'll freak. But I just wanted to know if you'll help me." Mandy sighed. This wasn't just some walk in the park. Mandy spoke.
"What
about your father?" Milo looked up from his hands. "I don't
know. I want to know him, but I'm afraid." "Of what?"
"I-dunno," Milo looked back down at his hands. "Milo, just tell
me. No secrets?" "No. No secrets." He sighed. "He killed my
great Aunt Miranda. He's killed a whole family. I don't know…What
if he hasn't changed?"
Mandy tried to look as if she wasn't
shocked. "Well," she started; giving the best advice she could
muster. "The only way is to find out. Truly." Milo's shoulders
slumped as he sat with his back against the wall.
Mandy crawled over to him, and put her arms around him. "It's okay. Trust me." But she couldn't shake off the feeling he hadn't told her something.
"He doesn't, okay? Just drop it!" Mandy yelled angrily. "Oh, yeah? Well, why the hell did he want to talk to you? Alone, for god sake!" Cindy yelled back. Erica turned up her stereo in her room. She hated it when Mandy and Cindy agued.
Mandy stood by the blue couch in the lounge room, while Cindy stood near the TV.
"I can look after myself! I'm fourteen, you know!" "I'm your guardian, so you will do what I think is best." "Best?" Mandy shrieked, "This crap? I'd rather live in a dumpster than with you!" Cindy didn't react to this, because she had heard it often. "If your not happy, you can go to a foster home! Go to an orphanage for all I care!" "Maybe I will!" growled Mandy. She rubbed her left arm unconsciously, which made Cindy freak. "STOP THAT!" she roared, "I HATE IT WHEN YOU DO THAT! CAN'T YOU JUST DO SOMETHING TO GET RID OF IT!" Mandy's eyes began to water, but she didn't let it reach her voice. "You know I can't," she said coldly. "And I wouldn't if I could. Milo is not hurting me, and I can make my own decisions for myself!" Cindy looked furious and ready to slap Mandy. "I'm doing what I think is best for you and Erica! Milo might be showing you dark magic, so if you think I'm not concerned, you can leave!" Mandy ignored Cindy, knowing this would upset her. "You are not to see that boy. You are going to Opiol State School of Magic, and you will not leave the house in the afternoons." "What! But you already enrolled us at Maxwell!" Cindy gave a small smile. "Lucky," she said smugly, "I lost the forms, so I filled in Opiol's."
Mandy's heart began to beat furiously. "You didn't even ask us!" Mandy screeched. "I'm the one that decides for you!" retorted Cindy.
Mandy strode over to the door and wrenched it open. "Oh, yeah? Well, I'm going to Maxwell whether you like it or not!" she hissed. She slammed the door behind her and started to run as fast as she could away from the house. How dare she! Mandy thought venomously, as she ran. She can't do this! Mandy only started to slow down when she had reached the beach.
Shaolin Beach was Mandy's haven. Her security. Mandy's long brown hair blew across her face, as the waves lapped the sand. It was lunchtime, but the beach was completely empty, except for a couple of teenagers splashing in the waves.
Mandy took off her sandals and hitched up her blue skirt. The blue sky was cloudless, and the water a range of colours.
Mandy sat down after a while, and tried to clear her mind, like her mother had taught her before she had gone into hiding.
Mandy didn't want to know why. She still didn't, but she had some idea of what it might be. Their uncle Bryce had been in a terrible accident, with Mandy's parents and some close friends. Maybe the friends knew who caused it? And her parents wanted to tell the police, but the friends vowed to hurt anyone who spoke?
Mandy sighed. She didn't know anything any more, it seemed. She was going to a new school; a new grade. 'High school,' her father Andrew had said, 'is a big step for you two. So if you ever need anything, just ask.' Sure, Mandy thought, ask. How am I supposed to ask you for anything if your not here! Goddess! Help me!
"Mandy!" Mandy looked up and saw Milo looking down at her. "Hi Milo," she mumbled. "What are you doing here?" Milo sat down beside her. "Granddad knew I was up to something, so I told him. He completely went berserk. You?" "Cindy. She reckons your showing me dark magic." "What! That bitch!" "I know. She's obsessed with catching me at it," Mandy gave a small shudder. "I wouldn't. But at the rate she's going at, she'll drive me to do it."
Milo sighed. He looked out at the ocean, but didn't seem to really see it.
"She's forcing me to go to Opiol instead of Maxwell. My dad wanted me to go to Maxwell, but Cindy doesn't." "Can't you tell the Carers?" "Erica doesn't want me to. She's really upset when I bring it up."
"I don't know, Mandy," sighed Milo, "She's always been quiet." "Exactly! I don't get it! We're twins, but we're not alike. Something's are, but something's aren't. I just hate it when she sides with Cindy!" Mandy vented all her frustration in her last sentence. Cindy, Erica, school…the list just kept going.
Mandy felt tears threaten to overflow. Her heart was ready to break with all she had been hiding.
"Hey, it's okay," Milo murmured, placing his arm around Mandy's shoulders. "I guess it's my turn to cheer you up. It's gonna be okay." Mandy let the tears roll silently down her face. Under normal circumstances, this would be embarrassing. But they had known each other so long, it didn't matter.
"Thanks, Milo," Mandy whispered. "Hey, it's alright. We'll figure this out. Erica's just confused, that's all."
Mandy didn't say anything, but wiped away her tears. "Are you okay? Should I take you home?" Milo asked, concern etched on his face.
"I don't know. I don't want to see Cindy. She'll-she'll force me to do more bad stuff. She knows when she's being lied to. She'll know I saw you. Dark magic." Milo nodded slowly, thinking. "Hey," he exclaimed. "I know! You can stay with Grandad and me! He'll let you, and you can stay as long as you want."
Mandy looked at him. "Are you sure?" she asked, doubtfully. Milo grinned. "Sure."
"Well, dinner then. And don't ye complain if ye don't like it," said Grandfather Norlan, eyeing Mandy and Milo. They sat at the table, and ate their broth in silence.
Milo looked a lot like his grandfather, despite being sixty. His green eyes studied his food, often moving chunks of carrot to the side. Milo and Grandfather Norlan had the same habit of separating the meat from the vegetables, and as they did, Mandy couldn't suppress a smile.
Grandfather Norlan's nappy white hair blew slightly in the small breeze the open windows provided. The wooden rose wood table was polished to a shiny sheen, and had matching chairs. The dining room was rather bare, but it was more decorated than first thought.
The walls were made of cherry wood, and gave a false sense of texture. Like the table, the walls were varnished, but not so much as to see a reflection. The window frames were square and were made of cherry wood. It was a pleasing effect, as well as the fireplace, whose mantle place was covered in odd objects.
"Thank you for letting me stay," Mandy said quietly. She felt it odd to speak at all in this room, which gave the odd feeling of silence.
"Ye welcome," grunted Norlan. "Ne'er liked tha' Cindy girl. She wasn'a ever nice ter me. But ye canna blame her for how she grew up."
Mandy didn't know what to say, but Milo answered for her. "Grandad," he said, "Do you think you could talk Cindy into letting Mandy and Erica go to Maxwell instead of Opiol? Please?" Mandy sat up a little straighter. Norlan looked a little surprised. "Eh? She's makin' ye go to Opyal? She canna do that!" "Why? What's wrong with Opiol?" said Mandy quickly. The surprise grew on Norlan's face. "Ye dunna know? Opyal is a terrible school. No scholar I know from Maxywell ended up like tha'. Terrible. Poor bairnies. Poor blanky things." "Ended up like what?" Mandy and Milo asked together. Norlan studied them both for a minute, then put down his spoon. "They train ye as if ye were a sojer. Slap to yeh face, as soon as ye walk through those gates. Poor bairns ended up like sojers." Milo glanced at Mandy's confused expression. "He means that the kids are treated like soldiers. And that they end up like that when they leave school," he explained, "Why aren't there people like that here then?" "They are forced to go to the army, because the neighbours hate their marching, and their hard words. Magic ain't to be treated like daily life. It's a gift, and not to be misused. It's a gift all may know, but it can be used for wrong if ye don't learn it righ'."