The First 1,000 Words

Chapter One:

The Curse

Clio wanted to disappear.

If she closed her eyes and concentrated really hard, she could probably even do it for real as far as everyone on the school bus was concerned. Except Mary. Clio could never do that to Mary. That trick only worked on people she didn’t like.

Clio glanced over her shoulder. Laura and Lauren, the school’s ninth grade bullies, sat right behind her. She couldn’t remember if Laura was the blond or the brunette, and with her luck there’d be a pop quiz right after the older girls beat her up.

“Clio, I promise those girls don’t care that we snuck onto the wrong bus,” Mary said beside her. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I don’t like bullies.”

Today of all days, she really didn’t want to have to deal with boneheads like Laura and Lauren. As the bus bounced along, Clio smoothed out the scrap of newspaper she’d been clutching and stared at it for the hundredth time. Mrs. McNulty’s obituary. Below a smiling photo of the wrinkled old woman, it told the story of how she’d come to America in the 1950s. The newspaper left out how she’d liked to be called “Nutty” and how she’d raised both Clio and her mom before her. And how Clio had screamed into her pillow when she’d found out her nanny had died. Then at the end of the obituary, it said: Condolences for Hazel McNulty can be sent care of Anna O’Neill. Clio’s mother.

The thing was Clio’s mother had died five years ago. Or so she had been told.

That’s why Mary had come up with the idea of sneaking onto the wrong bus. Clio was going back to visit her childhood home to find out the truth.

Behind Clio, one of the bullies growled loud enough for everyone to hear: “Parker, what did I tell you would happen the next time you forgot the gummy bear tax?”

From across the aisle, a small boy stammered, “You’d push my face in. I’ll bring double on Monday! I swear!”

“Make it triple and you and your face have a deal.”

Clio clenched her jaw. She really didn’t like bullies.

It had been Nutty who’d comforted Clio on her first day of school, when she’d come home devastated and crying because of bullies. “The wee skitters did what to ye, now?” The old woman had exclaimed. “Laughed at yer red hair? Ach! I hope ye gave ’em all a good thump on the nose.”

Young Clio had smiled through her tears. “We’re not allowed to do that, Nutty.”

“The hell ye say. Anna! Time to move yer daughter to a new school. This one’s defective!”

Clio had always loved Nutty’s coarse wisdom and coarser language, the way she could crack hazelnuts with her tiny bare hands, the way she’d always taken Clio’s side. The hundreds of Irish fairy tales she’d told as if she’d really been there.

“Hey, Mary.” The brunette – Laura, Clio was pretty sure – leaned forward and hung over the back of the seat. “Cute Tinkerbell backpack. Shouldn’t you be on the little kid’s bus?”

Mary didn’t flinch. “If I was just a lit-tle bit bigger, I’d kick both your butts.” Even though they were both thirteen, Mary was almost a foot shorter than Clio.

Laura laughed. “If you were a little bigger, my dog would eat you for a snack.” She snatched Mary’s backpack and sat back.

“Hey!” Mary spun in her seat, grabbing for the pack and missing. “Give me back my stuff.”

“Okay, half-pint.” Laura unzipped the backpack and dumped everything out on the seat next to Mary. Loose papers and pencils spilled onto the filthy bus floor. Both older girls laughed.

Fuming, Clio stood up, but Mary put a hand on her arm.

“Don’t!” she hissed. “If the driver notices us, she’ll take us back to the school.”

“I’m not letting them just steal your junk.”

“Thanks, but I don’t need you to take care of me, okay? I’m small, not helpless. Let it go.”

She was not going to let this go. Nutty had been right. The only way to deal with bullies was to give them a good thump on the nose.

The bus slowed and shuddered to a stop, and the door opened with a rusty squeal.

Laura and Lauren grabbed their things, including Mary’s backpack. As they came forward, Clio stuck her foot into the aisle, sending them both sprawling face-first on the grimy bus floor, one on top of the other. Laughter erupted as kids stood and leaned to catch a glimpse of the fallen bullies.

Laura climbed to her feet and growled, “How…?” She looked right through Clio to Mary sitting against the side of the bus, where her short legs couldn’t possibly have reached the aisle.

With a stab of shock, Clio realized that she had disappeared again. Nobody on the bus could see her except Mary. She hadn’t even meant to do it this time.

Laura lunged for Mary, but Clio stood up right in her face.

“Hi.”

The laughter stopped, replaced by gasps as everyone saw Clio appear out of thin air.

The older brunette jumped back. “What the—?”

“Mary didn’t trip you, Laura. I did.”

“I’m Lauren, you mouth-breather! Now I have to beat you twice.” She raised a threatening fist as her blond friend, Laura, stood behind her, glaring daggers.

Clio refused to blink. “Actually, I think from now on you two are going to leave Mary alone. Know why? Because if you bother her ever again, you’ll have me to deal with.” She leaned close. “And you’ll never see me coming.”

Lauren sneered but reluctantly shoved Mary’s backpack into Clio’s hand. “Why do you even care?”

“Because she’s my sister! Any more questions?”

The blond glanced at the driver, then hissed, “This isn’t over, O’Neill. We’ll see you on Monday.” After flashing their patented menacing scowls, the two older girls sauntered off the bus.

Clio sat back down, wishing everyone would stop staring at her. This was probably why she didn’t have any friends. Maybe she could do the disappearing trick again. As the bus sputtered and lurched back into motion, she closed her eyes in relief. Apparently, the driver hadn’t noticed anything unusual. Clio handed Mary her backpack.

“Thanks. You shouldn’t have done that. You could have gotten hurt.”

“Totally worth it.” Clio fought to control her shaking. She’d just stood up to Laura and Lauren. And lived to tell the tale … so far.