I Live With A Witch (Chapter 4)

It took me a full five minutes before I had finally worked up the courage to actually use the bathroom. I had never been more embarrassed in my entire life. When I finally walked out of the stall, Eva was waiting for me with a big smile on her face. I lowered my head in shame...unwilling to look at her.
"What's wrong, Alice?" Eva asked.
"You know perfectly well what's wrong!" I hissed angrily. Eva sighed and touched my arm. I turned and finally met her gaze.
"Okay, I'm sorry." Eva whispered. "I probably went to far with that."
"Ya think?" I grunted angrily. Eva rolled her eyes.
"Look, just put up with it a little longer, okay?" I turned away from her and kept walking away. I suddenly felt her hand grab my shoulder. I cried out and spun to face her.
"What was that for?!" I cried.
"I just had a great idea!" Eva said happily. I groaned and gave her an accusing look.
"You know I hate it when you get those." I moaned. Eva ignored me and knelt down next to me. She started messing with my little green dress, trying to look like a big sister should. However, I knew that there was something else on her mind.
"Not far from here is one of my favorite spots in the whole world!" She whispered. "Right after we finish shopping, I'll take you there." I frowned at her, a puzzled expression on my childlike face.
"Hold up...I thought you were gonna change me back after this." Eva nodded and then leaned close to me.
"I promise, as soon as we get home, I will change you back...but first I really want to show you this place while we're out and about." She then put her hands on my small shoulders and looked me right in the eyes. Her deep red eyes seemed to tear into my very soul. "Please, Christian?" She begged. She had called me by my name....she hadn't called me Alice, or mocked my appearance...she had called me by my name and asked me...like I was her friend. I sighed and nodded.
"Okay, I'll go with you." Eva beamed and stood up straight.
"Thank you!" She cried, "I promise that you won't regret it." She held out her hand and then spoke up a little. "Okay, Alice...hold my hand or you might get lost." I sighed, knowing that there was no point in resisting any more.
"Okay, Eva." I answered. I took her hand and followed after her through the store; ignoring all of the other people who watched and commented on what a well behaved little girl I was. For the time being, I was just stomaching it. I could play along and be a good little sister...I just didn't want to make Eva upset...especially after all she had done for me.

"Okay, Alice...are you ready to see this place?" Eva asked. We had finally left Wal-Mart and Eva had finally let go of my hand. In both of her hands were bags of groceries, and over her shoulder was her purse. Her hands were so full that there was no way I could hold her hand.
"Looks like you're carrying a lot, Eva." I pointed out. Eva nodded.
"Yeah...would you mind carrying a bag or two?" She asked. I grinned wickedly and shook my head.
"But, I can't big sis!" I cried in my little girl voice. "Mommy said you were responsible for the groceries, not me." Eva groaned and gave me a very cold look. I shrugged it off and kept walking next to her.
"You've made your point, Alice." She admitted. I smiled and ran up next to her and hugged her legs.
"What was that, big sis? I didn't hear you." I said loudly.
"Watch it, or I'll keep you like this over night." I let go of her legs and kept on walking. I grinned, knowing that I had finally won a small victory. We walked for a while until Eva had led me into the park. We walked down the park pathway for a while until Eva suddenly started walking off of the pathway and into the woods. I was nervous, but I followed her all the same.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"You'll see in just a moment, Alice."
"Enough with the baby sister routine...there's no one else around." I scowled. Suddenly, Eva came to a stop and set her bags down. She rubbed her shoulders. She then turned and grabbed my hand, dragging me up a small hill. When we got to the top, she sat down, and motioned with her hand for me to join her. I plopped down next to her and folded my hands over my lap.
"This is what I wanted to show you...Christian." I looked out and...I was taken aback.
The park seemed to stretch on for miles. The trees were a lush green and the grass was a bright complement to them. The breeze brushed the trees causing them to sway steadily. Beneath us was a crowd of people and children, laughing and playing without a care in the world. The world felt like an open book...and it was gorgeous. I couldn't take my eyes off of the scene before me! I could see why Eva loved this spot...but it also brought questions to my mind. Why was THIS her favorite spot?
The world was full of beautiful views...many even better than this one. How many of them had she seen? Had she really been cooped up in her cottage so long that she hadn't gotten the chance to really see the world? Was this all that she had ever been exposed to? I made me feel very sad for her.
"Wow." I said. Eva wrapped her arm around me and beamed.
"I thought that you might like this."

"HEY, LOOK OUT!" I looked up just in time to see a soccer ball come flying towards us. Instinct kicked in. I jumped to my feet and caught the ball with my outstretched arms. Because I was an 8 year old girl, the ball fit in my arms nicely. The force of the impact pushed me backwards, but I managed to hold my footing. Eva looked in awe, and so did I. From down the hill I could see an older gentlemen and a young boy about 9 or 10 years old running our way.
"No fair, she touched it with her hands, dad!" The boy shouted. The man with the boy laughed.
"Well, she did catch it for us." He said kindly. He then turned to Eva and me, smiling. "Hi, sorry about that. I'm Jordan Hadner and this is my son Philip. We didn't mean to interrupt you two." Eva smiled and waved it off.
"It's perfectly alright, right Alice?" Eva asked me. I nodded back, not sure what to say.
"Here...here's your ball back." I said, holding out the ball to Jordan. He looked from me to the ball and then grinned.
"You caught that ball like a professional goal keeper...how'd you like to show Philip here how to play some soccer?" A shiver of fear ran through my spine at the thought. I spun to look at Eva who was grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh, I'm sure you'd love that, wouldn't you Alice?" I shot a scared look at Eva, but I knew that it was no good...she had made up her mind. "Go on and go play with Philip." I turned to see that Philip had already run back down the field.
"Well don't just stand there, girl! Kick the ball!" He shouted. Suddenly I felt a twinge of irritation at this kid. I threw the ball up into the air and watched as it came back down. I timed it and then punted the ball hard towards Philip. The ball flew like a rocket into the air and back down to earth where Philip was waiting to receive it. I ran down the hill after it, determined to show him what I was capable of.
"You play pretty good, for a girl." Philip commented. I felt that same twinge of irritation again. Why did it bother me so much to hear him say that? Maybe it was because I had played soccer in high school and I knew I was twice as good as him...or maybe it was the idea of me having to interact with this kid at all. "But you still can't take me." Philip said. I looked up at Eva who was talking to Mr. Hadner still. I groaned and then turned back the boy.
"I'll take that bet." I said stiffly. The boy cocked his head and smiled.
"Okay...how about this..." Philip dropped the ball at his feet and began to dribble it back and forth. "If you can take this ball from me, then I'll admit that you're better." I looked at the ball and then at him....this was a joke. I could steal that ball in my sleep!
"Deal." I agreed. I moved instantly. I knew what Philip would do...when I moved to kick the ball, he would feint and try to move around me....which is exactly what I wanted him to do. I shot in quick and moved for the ball...and Philip moved at the exact same moment towards me....

*smooch*

For a brief moment, the world stopped. My whole world suddenly seemed to crash around me like a breaking glass. It was like someone had shattered me and torn me in to pieces...spit on the pieces...and then burned them. I was so stunned, so mortified, so disgusted, and so upset...that I didn't have any words to say. In that instant, there was nothing else... there was just me...and Philip, whose lips were planted on mine. Philip pulled away and grinned slyly.
"Gotcha!" He laughed.
Oh...he got it alright.

Blinded by tears and by anger, I lost control. I screamed and punched Philip hard across the jaw, sending him flying backwards. I turned on my heels and ran up the hill towards Eva, tears falling down my face. I was crying loudly...out of embarrassment, out of anger, out of fear...and out of everything that had happened. Mr. Hadner wasn't there anymore...he had run down the hill to help his son off the grass. I ran to Eva, who was staring in shock at me.
"Eva, turn me back! Please for the love of God, turn me back! I can't take this anymore!" I cried. I threw myself on her and cried hard into her shirt. Eva had no words to say...nor did she make fun of me. She stood up and grabbed the grocery bags at her side. She turned and walked quickly down the hill, with me following close behind her, still choking and crying from the humiliation.
"I am so sorry, Christian!" Eva cried when we were finally out of the park. "I seriously didn't mean for that to happen!"
"But it did!" I screamed. "That little...that piece of...that son of a..."
"Calm down, Christian!" Eva hissed. "You're drawing attention to yourself!" I forced myself to fall silent and follow Eva silently back to the woods where the cottage was waiting.

Thirty minutes later, we were back at the cottage. Eva walked through the door and set her grocery bags down on the kitchen counter. She turned to me as I stood like a statue by the table. I had stopped crying, but I wasn't speaking...I had no words to say. My anger and my embarrassment had been made complete.
"Christian...I am really sorry." She cried.
"Just...change me back, Eva." I groaned. Eva snapped her fingers and I closed my eyes, allowing the change to take place. I felt the familiar haze and a strange warmth as it overtook my body. Within moments, I was back to my normal gender, height, and age. I was wearing my normal clothes again, and I was completely Christian...Alice no more.
"Christian...I..."
"I just want to go to bed, Eva." I moaned, interrupting what I was sure would be another apology. I didn't want to hear it anyway. I turned and walked away, climbing up the stairs. I got to my room and threw myself on the bed. I didn't want to think about anything...I just wanted everything about today to just vanish from memory...I drifted off to sleep, trying to forget and trying not to cry again.