Willowbranch

Willowbranch

The early summer morning sunlight fell through the window and lighted on Judy Lawrence's face. Not quite ready to wake up, she laid her arm over her blue eyes and rolled over, only to wake with a start moments later. She pulled her long frame which was showing the beginning signs of maturation from the bed. Casting a loathful look at the empty bed beside hers, she began dressing.

Her long dark blue robes swished as she left the dorm for the Windham common room. Waiting for her at the entrance were two of her best friends, Josh and Brian. Josh Hardone was short, with olive skin, and dark hair and eyes. He was witty, but in the sense that he was a wise-ass, and was usually cracking jokes. Brian Everett was tall, but not so much as Judy, with light brown hair and hazel eyes. He was quiet, sensitive, klutzy, and had almost no common sense. He occasionally made jokes, but more often than not they were only funny to him.

This was the day they would be leaving Willowbranch Academy for the Magically Gifted for the summer vacation. It was also the day their other friend, Connie Longsworth, was to return from her year abroad at Hogwarts, the magical school in England.

Willow Hall was hot and noisy by this time. Fortunately, the three of them were able to find a table that was quite out of the way. For what seemed no apparent reason at all, Judy, Josh, and Brian were resented by their classmates, for an understatement. They were frequently the butt of cruel pranks, the topics of vicious rumors, and other things that young people do to each other. It was because of this that they were all friends. They hadn't minded being taunted before, but before they had Connie. She had made everything bearable. Revenge was always sweet and the confusion on the part of their adversaries was always sweeter. Only through Connie was it all possible.

As far as witches go, Connie was quite special indeed. Not many knew this, but Connie never used wands. In fact, if she even touched one, it would explode. Their headmaster, Maxwell Onderwater, had tried to prevent her from attending Willowbranch. However, Onderwater was concerned enough about how people would take to her powers that he required that she channel her magic through an old disabled wand, if only to maintain the appearance that she was a normal witch.

Of course, this wasn't on the minds of her three friends. Their attentions were on their headmaster, who had just risen from his seat to address the students.

"My dear students, we have just completed another extraordinary year at Willowbranch."

"They should change the name from Willowbranch to Dildobranch," Josh whispered. Judy elbowed him.

"I wish you all a good summer and look forward to seeing all of you who are returning in September looking all refreshed and ready to learn. I expect nothing less than what you are all capable of and we all know we are capable of everything we set our minds to. Now, before we leave, could we please have Kaitlyn Dowers up to sing the school song?"

This was the job normally taken by Connie. She had an amazing voice, and was bound to be famous someday. However, most of the other students were glad not to have to listen to her. Judy, Josh, and Brian on the other hand, were more than willing not to have to listen to the song. It was all a bunch of corny bull.

Willowbranch, we've loved you

Since we started here one fall

The love had started flourishing

When we first saw Willow Hall

Your hallowed halls of learning

Nurtured all our able minds

Our intellects kept growing

Now there's no answer we can't find

When we leave forever,

We'll hold you in our hearts

Our dear old Alma Mater,

Willowbranch Academy.

The other students went wild. Josh, Judy, and Brian, however, along with several teachers, looked at each other incredulously. They didn't know much about music, but they knew when a person didn't sing a single note correctly, and they knew when someone had a horrible voice, and this was one of those times. However, it was not the caterwauling at the front of the room that they were concerned with, but the fact that their raven-haired friend was coming home at long last. They were anxious to see her and hear of her adventures. First, though, they needed to get to New York.

The latter was easy enough to accomplish, as their parents already knew they had wanted to meet Connie off the plane; and the school train brought them to wherever they lived, and they all lived in the Tristate Area. However, their parents didn't want them wandering the city alone at all hours of the night.

"Did you tell your parents that Isabelle was going to pick us up, Brian?" Josh asked.

"Yeah, they bought it. Don't really see how, though. I mean, after all these years..."

"I know," Judy added, "Your father at least ought to have seen through it. He's not stupid enough to think she has no chance of changing." Brian knew Judy well enough to know she meant nothing ill towards his mother. Martha Everett had always been, if anything, oblivious.

"Oh, what does he know about wizards?" he asked, waving his hand impatiently. "My mom's not exactly Merlin material, is she? He doesn't understand how our minds work."

"Brian, would you mind telling us how his mind would function as compared to those of Judy's parents?"

"Well, they would solve conflicts differently, my father using logic and the Lawrences using magic."

"But aside from the obvious..." Judy prompted. Brian thought deeply, then bonked himself on the forehead.

"Nothing. Do me a favor, ok? If I ever turn into my mother, make me live the rest of my days on a farm." Judy and Josh looked quizzically at one another.

"No problem," Josh answered brightly, "But only if you don't mind sharing a stall with Bessie. Actually, I wouldn't mind that. Free milk whenever I want it, and when I get sick of her, hamburgers and steak. And then, I can move in with a hog or two and start all over. And drink...milk from another cow." He rapidly shoveled his fork into his mouth.

"But you're Jewish," Brian stated. Josh looked up with him and wiped ketchup off his mouth.

"Tho? Your poin' tis?" Josh responded muffledly, through a mouthful of sausage and scrambled eggs.

~

LaGuardia Airport was crowded that evening as Judy, Brian, and Josh waited at gate eighty-six for the 10:15 flight. Brian stood on tiptoe and scanned the crowd of tired looking people. Judy, who was often referred to as a California Amazon and still taller than him by almost a head, giggled. Blushing slightly, he lowered himself to his normal height.

"I don't see her anywhere."

"Maybe it's the wrong flight," she said, still slightly inclined to giggle.

"Of course it's this one," Josh said slightly exasperated. Though on the short side, Josh had a good eye for spotting things in a crowd. "I see someone who kind of looks like her, but it can't be. Connie would never be seen with her hair looking like that." Two or three minutes later, the girl in question rushed up and threw her arms around Brian's neck.

"Bri! It's so good to see you," she said with a slight British accent.

"Ummm, who are you?" he said blankly. Looking rather hurt, she let go of Brian and turned to Josh and Judy.

"D'you two know who I am?"

"No idea," they chorused.

"Funny thing life is, you leave the country for a few months and your old friends forget you."

"There is no way you're Connie Longsworth. You can't be, your hair is all wrong." The response had a threatening tone to it, and the girl stepped towards Josh as though she was going to slap him.

"Joshua Melvin Hardone, the fact that I changed my hair does not make me a different person." Ever the peacemaker, Brian stepped in.

"All right, all right. We'll just have to test you. If you are Connie Longsworth, then what is your middle name?" The dark-haired girl wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes.

"Harriette," she said irritably, folding her arms across her chest. Connie never shared that information with anyone, except for them. She hated her middle name.

"It's her, all right," Josh said, throwing his arms around her. The others followed suit, and commented favorably on her hair. They had hated the buns on each side of her head.

"It's thanks to a few new friends, and someone who used to be my friend."

"What happened?" Judy asked. Connie was in no mood for discussing her old "flame."

"I'll explain later." Then, cutting right to the chase, "So, did my 'mother' bring you guys here?" Brian rubbed the back of his neck and answered.

"Err...no. We came on our own."

"Uh-huh...you'd think one would want to see her only daughter after a ten month separation," Connie replied nonchalantly. She had learned long ago not to expect anything from her mother, but it never stopped her from being angry. Josh put a comforting arm around her.

"Hey, don't worry about it, we still love you."

"Wish someone else did," Connie muttered to herself.

"What was that?" Judy asked inquisitively.

"Nothing, Jude. Just let me warn you about the guys over there. They all have sexy accents, and if you don't snatch them up as soon as you've got them interested, someone else'll steal him."

"There's a story behind that, isn't there?" Josh asked.

"I'll tell you later, meanwhile I've got to tell off that thing that calls itself my mother." Judy rested her elbow on Josh's shoulder.

"So what time should I expect you at my front door?" Judy asked casually.

"Why don't you come for the festivities? That way, I won't have to wake everyone in your house at the crack of dawn."

"Can I come too?" Brian asked eagerly. "I want to be there to see you knock her flat on her fat ass."

"Trust me, Brian, there will be no fist fighting," said Connie, "No magic, either, only yelling." Brian's face fell.

"What about you, Josh?" he asked.

"As much as I like fights, even non-contact, I think I'll pass on this one," he said, stifling a yawn. "However, I'd appreciate it highly if you'd record it for me." They knew it was because his parents were so strict. The look in his eyes made it apparent that he wanted to go with them.

"Oh sure, no problem, we'll just rob an electronics store on our way to Connecticut," Judy replied sarcastically.

"No need. I have my mom's magcorder in my trunk. She forgot Connie was going away this year, and wanted me to get all the Quod footage. Didn't have the heart to remind her," Brian said, wiping his glasses on his shirt. "Let's go see the fireworks."

After seeing Josh to his train to New Jersey, Connie, Judy, and Brian headed north-east to Connecticut. It was almost four in the morning by the time they slipped quietly through Connie's front door. At least Judy and Brian did. Connie didn't even pretend to be quiet as she started slamming doors, throwing her trunk down with a loud bang, and basically making enough noise to wake the dead. It wasn't long before Ms. Longsworth came tromping down the stairs, quite beside herself. Brian stood in the corner, a big grin on his face as held the magcorder to his eye.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she yelled, not at Judy and Brian, but at her daughter.

"In case you haven't noticed, Isabelle, I live here. I also happen to be your daughter, in case you've forgotten."

"Why in God's name are you making all this ruckus at this time of night?"

"Because you didn't bother to come get me at the airport after a ten-fifteen flight."

"You expected me to go all the way to New York just to pick you up? If you can't get yourself there and back, don't go until you can Apparate. How many times must I tell you that, you stupid thing?" As angry as Connie was, it was the last sentence that really put her over the edge.

"How dare you call me stupid? Where do I go to school? Willowbranch Academy for the Magically GIFTED. I'm fifth in the class, and I just returned from spending one year at the best magic school in the world, top of that class, at a level two grades higher from where I should have been. What did you do at school, besides get knocked up by a married man? You are one sorry ass excuse for a mother, Isabelle, and I couldn't care less if your jugular vein was sliced right now and you bled to death. And in case you didn't know, your jugular vein is in your neck."

"You ungrateful, insubordinate little wench. How dare you speak to me like that? If you hadn't come along I..."

"What? You still think that guy would have left his wife and son for your fat ugly ass? You're pathetic. He never loved you. He never gave the slightest damn about you. He only used you for sex because he was horny and couldn't get any at home. Face it, you were only a free piece of ass for him. You were nothing but an easy whore." Isabelle slapped Connie hard across the face, knocking her to the floor.

"Get out," she growled menacingly, "GET OUT!" Hand mark on her face, Connie jumped to her feet as though nothing had happened and grabbed her trunk.

"Oh, don't you worry, Isabelle. I'm going, and I'm not coming back, either. Let's go Judy, Brian." As Judy and Brian exited, Isabelle called Connie back.

"I made you what you are, Constance, I made you, and don't you dare forget it."

"You haven't made me anything, Isabelle, I made myself, and don't you dare forget it." And with that, she slammed the door.