The Blue Ruby's Chapter4-The Jorney

Chapter 4
The Journey

Amy grasped the handle of the white stick she held in her hand. She had been told that it was carved out of unicorn’s horn.
Her attention was drawn to all of her books, and ingredients for potions, that were laid out all over her bed. She looked at her wand again and ran her thumb up and down its handle. Just holding it gave her comfort unlike any other.
She spun with it in her hand just for the fun of it and knocked her jar of dragon scales to the floor. They made a loud noise as the scales bounced around in the jar. Amy flinched as the noise echoed around the basement room.
“Amy,” Mrs. Wrights called, “what was that noise I just heard?”
“Nothing!” That was the worst answer a child could give to a parent, and Amy knew her mother didn’t believe it. But Amy also knew that even though her mom didn’t believe it she wouldn’t go down into the basement anyway.
Amy put down her wand then walked up the stairs to the living room to find her mom reading in the big red armchair. “Mom,” she asked, “I need a ride to the bus stop in town, could you perhaps drive me?”
“Sure honey. Are you meeting someone there?”
“Yeah. This girl named Bell. I met her while me and Sam were out yesterday. We’ll take a taxi to the airport, maybe a bus.”
“Well okay. Where is this boarding school of yours?” asked Amy’s mom.
“Um,” Amy thought a moment, “somewhere in California- I think.”
“You think?”
“Sam got us tickets, so I wouldn’t worry.” She said.
“Ooo-kay, well you best get a good night’s sleep then. You’re getting up a 5:00 weather you like it or not.” Mrs. Wrights called as Amy turned to go back to the basement.
Amy didn’t answer back, but took off down the steps to go and repack.

The journey begins 6:00 tomorrow. Now I’ll be recording more than ever…maybe. Hey you never can tell can you? I’m gonna be meeting Bell at the bus stop at the edge of town at 5:30 a.m. After we land in California Sam said he’d meet me and Bell, if we’re still together, then lead us to a subway that will carry us all the way to Gontel. Sam, aka, Mr. Melcony’s, always talking about his best friend, James Bartox, Mr. Bartox to me, who teaches potions at school. I think he’s hinted around that I might have a blast in his class, though I’m not expecting anything. Also he said that there was a Mrs. Carinton I don’t know what she teaches. The other teachers are Mr. Paz. Mrs. Ross sounds so cool! Then there are these other teachers that I’ll meet when I get there. He didn’t even tell me who the headmaster or headmistress is. OMG, this is so complicated. Well we’ll see if all this is worth what I think it is.
Amy

Amy glanced out if the small rectangular window for a last peek at the night sky over this particular spot. Tomorrow she would be on her way.

* * *

The morning air was crisp and cool. Amy and Bell stepped into the airport, and headed to gate A-17 to board their flight.
Their luggage was heavy, and with the extra weight of her potions things, and books, well it didn’t help.
The line was long and went slowly but when she did get on the plane she was grateful for rest even though she and Bell were sitting in different seats.
Amy snuggled down in the seat and looked to the empty seat next to her. Gee, she thought, I hope some big fat guy doesn’t sit here.
As it turned out no adult took the spot at all, but a kid Amy’s age slipped into the seat just about six minuets before flight.
The girl had poufy black hair, and gentle brown eyes. She wore a burgundy blouse with a fake flower pinned near her shoulder. Her skirt was red, white, and black plaid, and her expression was one of those that were concerned for anyone all the time, even though nothing was happening for them to be concerned over. Daintily the girl pulled out of her bag, a leather bound book, and a bare crayon, then began to write.
Amy watched as the girl weaved together the most amazing story Amy had ever seen anyone write. And she’d seen a lot, because her next door neighbor, Jenifer Moss, wrote her little novels that made no sense what-so-ever. This, on the other hand, was different.
The silence was almost unbearable, Amy was dying to talk, about something, about anything, particularly that story.
“Hello.” She said. Isn’t that how most first conversations start out?
“Hi.” The girl whispered. She must have been very shy because she didn’t say any more.
“I’m Amerisa Wrights, and you are?” she asked.
“Maya Boris pleasure.” Maya held out her hand. Maya pronounced her name like My-uh.
“I see that you’re writing a story there.”
“Oh! This? No, no, no, no, this is my ‘Fantasies Journal’. I write down all my dreams, thoughts, important notes for school, and other stuff that I might find interesting or just plain weird.” Maya smiled.
Amy laughed. It seemed like a million years ago, was the last time she had done a real good one.
“And I suppose you also have you’re favorite foods, drinks, colors, friends, animals, and smells.”
Now it was Maya’s turn to laugh. “America is that what you said your name was?”
“Amerisa.” Amy replied.
“Amerisa.” Maya repeated, “D’ya have a nick-name?”
“Yeah. Amy.” She replied.
The next hour passed pleasingly. Maya and Amy started singing all sorts of songs. Soon a movie came on and everyone watched silently. Then Amy got everyone, even the flight attendants, singing ‘Deck the Halls’:

“Deck the halls with boughs of holly.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
‘Tis the season to be jolly.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Don we now our gay apparel.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Toll the ancient yuletide carol.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
See the blazing Yule before us.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Fallow me in merry measure.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
While I tell of Yuletide treasure.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Fast away the old year passes.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Hail the new ye lads and lasses.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Sing we joyous all together.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Headless of the wind and weather.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!”

Amy knew that there was still a few months before Christmas, but who said it was ever too early to get in the Christmas sprit?
Lunch came around, the lunch attendant laid out the food in front of them then asked if they would lead another round of caroling.
They led a round of the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’, and ‘The Twelve Days of Star Wars.’
It was fun and one of the pilots came out to see what was going on then congratulated the two girls for getting everyone in the mood, even though it was Christmas and not some other soothing mood that you’d normally find on a plane.
With all the commotion the plane accidently took a wrong turn and they landed in Utah so the flight was delayed while they were refilling fuel, and making a new schedule for them.
As they were waiting on the plane Amy started singing ‘The Twelve Days of Star Wars’ to herself, “…On the sixth day of star wars Obi Wan gave to me, six star wars films, five pod racers! Four X-Wing Fighter, three routy jhollas, two old droids, and a light saber from my daddy…”
“Hey Amy?” Maya asked.
“Mmm.” Amy said aweknologing that Maya had said something.
“Um, I was wondering do you ever feel that you’re different?”
“All the time.” Amy answered. This was true, of course. Amy always went out of her way to be different. On the first day of school she wears silly outfits such as what she was wearing now, bell bottom jeans, 80’s style boots, a tie-dye loose long-sleeved shirt, and a large golden peace sign necklace, and on the last day of school she always wore insane outfits! Like the time she wore her Elvis Presley costume that was a size too small, or when she wore an army soldier’s uniform, and a zombie mask from three Halloween’s back. Also there was the fact that she preferred to read and write on the weekends. Oh, and to go even farther, she was a witch. Need there be anymore said on that subject? So Amy’s answer came out faster than she meant it too.
“No, not like the normal different I mean a kind of freaky different.” Maya repeated.
Amy arced and eyebrow, “ ‘Freaky different’? Maya you’re making no sense at all.”
“I know!” yelled Maya.
“Passengers we’re just about to take flight for California so please fasten your seatbelts and thank-you for you’re cooperation.” The pilot said over the loud speaker, and off they went.

Amy was reading some previous journal entries, when they hit an unexpected patch of rough air. The journal was thrown onto Maya’s lap, and Maya to the floor. Others across the plane were experiencing the same type of difficulties.
The jiggered, and jumped for another moment. Amy faced a few head injuries, and slight bruising on her left knee, and back.
Maya apparently was having some trouble with her right ankle. Also her chin was in no condition to be messed with anymore than a chin can be messed with.
A few minuets later they came out of the rough air patch.
Amy lunged for the journal, but Maya was too fast, and not to mention, too close. Maya brought the journal up to her eyes as if about to hand it back, but something caught her eye. Amy pondered about which page she could be looking at. Then it dawned on her that the page could be none other than one of the pages she wrote about Gontel.
“That’s nothing.” She said pulling the book away, “Just something I considered writing a long time ago…” her voice trailed off.
Maya lowered the book and shut it with a “bum”. Maya sat there a moment as if in a trance then she found her voice, “You too.” She said.
Amy turned and faced the window.
“Then you beta tell me what ya know ‘cause I’m clueless!” she exclaimed.
They exchanged what they knew about Gontel.
Pretty soon Maya fell asleep with excitement. Amy decided she would wake her up when it was time to land.
It was sunset. Amy saw when she looked out the window. One of the flight attendants came bustling up the isle toward them. “We’ll be landing in about thirty minuets. The staff was wonder-… oh, um would you like a blanket for her?”
Amy looked to Maya who was sleeping like a baby next to her. “No I think we’re all set.”
“Anyway there is this child see and he’s afraid of plane landing’s I was wondering if you could perhaps sing them a song or something before we land so they aren’t as scared?’
“Um,” Amy said, “I guess so.”
“Thank-you.” She let Amy up and out of her seat, “This way.”
The kid was about five years old, and looked really paranoid for the moment. The kid had brown hair, and green eyes.
He was so easy to put to sleep; Amy was headed back to her seat in under a minuet.
As Amy strapped herself to the seat she thought, Why the heck did they make me do that? People have strange reasons for the things that they do sometimes. She reasoned.
Amy looked out the window. A habit she had developed over the last year. She looked out of a window anytime one was there unless of course she was occupied, which right now she wasn’t. The sun was setting turning the sky a bright pink with hints of orange, the clouds were just giant pink puffs of fluff, and the birds soared gracefully across the plane. Amy sighed. Right then back in Boerne she would be starting to fall asleep in bed getting ready to start school the next morning. Instead she was flying to California heading to a school that she hoped was real and not just some practical joke set by Jeenie, and some other people from the complex.
Maya stirred next to her. “Amy?” she whispered.
“Yeah?” replied Amy.
“Are we there yet?”

* * *

“I have to ask,” Bell was saying as Amy, Maya, and herself were walking to the next flight, “Amy are you a hippie or do you just like being weird.”
“Just like being weird,” Amy answered. “Thought I prefer the term different, Bell. I love going out of my way to be different.”
“We can see that.” Bell remarked glancing at Amy’s peace sign necklace.
Amy caught her, “You should’ve seen me last time I came to an airport.”
“Why?” asked Maya.
“Because I had a dream catcher strapped to my back, moccasins, and a whole bunch’ a war paint.” She answered.
“I see you’re point.”
“Yeah,” commented Bell, “you sure set the fashion statements it sounds like.”
“Don’t get me started on that.” Amy warned.
“Sounds like you like you’re fun.” Came a new voice from behind.
The girls turned to see a new girl with short blond hair, to her cheek bone to be exact, that bounced as she walked. She wore a white shirt and a blue skirt, with a blue head band to tie it all together. “Lola Marie Peters.” She said holding out her hand.
Amy took it, “Amerisa Demetra Wrights, Amy for short, weirdest person you may ever meet, not normal even by my standards. Which by the way my standards are quite large.”
Bell stepped up, “Bella Coriander Nichols, please call me Bell. I am French and remembering long words is not a pass time of mine.”
“That’s funny,” said Lola. “You don’t sound at all French.”
“Did I mention I was good at ze Eenglish accent?” She said with a French accent.
Lola laughed as Maya took her hand, “Maya Lisa Boars.” She said quietly, “Lover of all animals, unfortunately scared of any kind of spider, and the fastest runner in my family.”
“Well,” Lola giggled a little more, “to tell you a bit about myself. I can fluently speak two languages, English, and little sister. Lover of fact, not fiction, which includes unicorns, faeries, and magic. Oh and my personal favorite, an all the time user of rather large, and completely rare words such as, a.” She curtsied.
The others curtsied back.
Amy glanced at her watch. “Eyee!” she exclaimed.
“What is it?” inquired Bell a little concerned.
“We need to hurry up and meet Mr. Melcony. To be more exact in two minuets.” She replied.
“Wait, wait, wait, hold up!” said Lola waving her hands out in front of her. “Did you just say Melcony? Sam Melcony?”
“Um…” started Maya.
“Why you know ‘im?” asked Bell quickly.
“I guess you could say something like that.” Lola replied. “He will be my teacher after all.”
“Good, looks like we can talk freely of our differentness from the rest of the world.” Amy said.
Lola looked utterly puzzled. “‘Differentness’?” she repeated.
Amy looked at her plainly as if what she said was supposed to make perfect sense (to anybody it was addressed to). Lola seemed to understand, miraculously, then what she meant.
The four girls fell into a line headed for the entrance/exit of the airport.
Amy, Maya, Lola, and Bell. Four witches, four friends, one adventure in the making.