I had to take another bite so I carefully mixed a small amount of chili in with a hunk of bread.
Sean finished his bowl and got up for seconds. Ian grabbed another piece of bread and hopped up too. He hadn’t finished his first bowl, but he never let Sean beat him at anything. Even being an idiot apparently.
Over the years I’d found that chewing as little as possible and swallowing quickly helped.
Last year I’d tried to bribe my mom into telling Dad I had an ulcer and couldn’t eat the chili.
As she shifted in her seat and chugged some more soda, I felt some hope that she’d finally give in. Or maybe she’d claim her own ulcer.
If we genies hadn’t sworn not to use magic in the Treaty of the Bermuda Triangle, I could just make my chili and my mom’s bland. Or at least edible. Or I could make one of the boys throw up and this whole chili ordeal would end once and for all.
Mom jumped up to refill her glass. She topped off everyone’s and sat back down. We exchanged a look of misery, and she dove back into her bowl.
Mom really didn’t want to hurt Dad’s feelings. She basically ran the house, and they both had high powered jobs. Since she was the mom, me and my brothers tended to go to her more. She told me that Dad thought of cooking as his special talent. I had drums. Ian had guitar. And Dad had chili.
“Delicious,” Mom said, wadding up her napkin and placing it strategically to hide most of the leftover chili.
While Dad beamed at Mom, I used my second giant square of cornbread to shield my bowl. Then I hopped up and in the spirit of helping, rinsed out my bowl. I’d had a lot of practice getting large amounts of chili into the garbage disposal where no one could see it without turning it on.
Mom jumped up right after me and guided her chili safely out of sight in the disposal.
“You boys ready for more?” she asked, picking up the pot and ladle.
Sean nodded.
Ian said, “I think I’m full.”
“Just a little,” Sean said when Mom scooped some into his bowl. “I’m almost full.”
Dad grinned. “What’s my rating?”
Sean always went first. “Seven.”
“Six point five,” Ian said.
“Ten,” Mom said. She always said ten.
“Uh, nine,” I said, picking up the bread basket and some glasses. Even dad wouldn’t buy into a ten.
“New recipe next week,” he said, getting up from the table with a grunt.
“Uh, uh,” Sean said. “Next week is our turn.”
Dad’s face dropped. He really liked his chili Sundays, but once a month, they let the boys try to outdo him.
I didn’t mind so much because I didn’t have to eat more than a bite on those days. I didn’t mind hurting their feelings, and the chili was usually barely edible. Last month, they’d added pickles. Mom said it actually helped cut the Tabasco sauce a little.
“Jen’s turn to help with the dishes,” Mom said.
When Dad and the boys had left the room, Mom said, “If it gets much worse, we’re going to have to challenge them too. That way, we can eat something decent once a month.”
I didn’t want to cook chili, but Mom was right. It might come down to life or death.
She picked up the chili pan and waited for my signal.
I glanced around for any sign of dad, then said, “You’re clear.”
She poured three fourths of the leftovers down the sink. Then she scooped the rest into a small plastic container.
“B-bye,” she said and turned on the garbage disposal.
“He is a good dad,” I said when she finished. “I guess he’s worth it.”
“He is,” Mom said, tweaking me on the nose. “Now get the rest of those bowls.”
She grabbed the antacids from the top of the fridge. “Better start dosing myself.”
We were just finishing up when the phone rang. I took another swipe at the counters as Mom answered.
“Oh, yes, hi,” Mom said.
She motioned that she’d be a while so I waved and headed out.
I was curious about Leo. He’d gone back out last night after band practice. Maybe I should call him.
When I got to my room, I fished the cheap phone out of my purse and thought about what I was doing. I didn’t have to worry that he’d think I had a crush on him. He’d know I was calling for a real reason.
I don’t know why I didn’t want him to know I liked him. I just didn’t. I’d never let any guy know I liked him. Not on purpose. In fourth grade, Sheila Easterly had told Steven McGregor about my crush. After that, he’d avoided me.
I shook my head. Just dial the number, Jen. Leo couldn’t avoid me. He needed me.
Seconds later, Leo said, “Hello?”
“Hi, um, how’s it going?” I stood in my room, unable to sit and relax.
“Not good. Hold on.” I heard him talking to someone in the background, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.
“I’m back,” he said. It sounded like he’d gone outside. “They won’t let me in to see my father.”
“What? Why not?”
“Something about a seventy-two hour rule. They’re saying his hearing is on Wednesday.”
“I thought it was next week.”
“Yeah, it was.” He lowered his voice. “I don’t know what’s going on, Jen. But it isn’t good.”
I didn’t know what to say. He only had until Wednesday to figure out what was going on? A team of investigators couldn’t work that fast.
I opened my mouth to say it would be okay, but he spoke first.
“I’m in the car now, Jen. I could really use your help. I heard back from the investigator and the leads are dead ends. I’ve got over half of the names to cover. Any chance you could sneak away?”
Even with my help, I didn’t think he could get through the list, but I had to try. “I can get away for a couple of hours. Then I have to get back to practice drums and to finish my homework.” Dad’s chili would give me the perfect excuse to slip out.
“Great! Should I pick you up?”
“Meet me at the Wendy’s close to my house. I have to grab something for lunch.”
“Sounds good. I didn’t eat either.”
“See you then.”
After I hung up, I went down to check in with Mom. I was in luck. She was still on the phone. She wouldn’t want to come with me and she’d be distracted.
I stood in the doorway and mouthed, “Wendy’s.” Then I made eating motions.
She nodded.
“I’ll probably stop by Target too,” I said.
She just nodded again.
Excellent. Mom knew I could spend hours in Target.
I snuck past the den where Dad and the boys were watching television. Poor Dad and his nasty chili.
I stepped onto the driveway and headed for the car. Just about ten traffic lights between me and Wendy’s. I wanted to see Leo almost as much as I wanted a decent chicken sandwich.
The image of my favorite fast food place in my mind, I thought how cool it would be to just zap myself over there. My stomach growled. I could be walking into Wendy’s right now. I reached out to stick my keys in the lock.
And smashed my hand into the large glass door. Not the car door. The door at Wendy’s.
Somehow, I’d just beamed myself to the restaurant.
I blinked at the door in front of me. I realized I was staring through the glass at a heavyset woman in a red jogging suit.
I blinked again, trying to breathe.
Finally the woman reached out and gently nudged the door open.
Still I didn’t move.
How had this happened?
“Excuse me, honey,” the woman said, and I realized I was blocking her from leaving the restaurant.
Uh. “Sorry.”
I stepped back and let her pass. Then I slumped against the brick wall.
Had I really just teleported? I did it all the time to grant wishes, but I wasn’t using my own
magic. Was I?
I reached behind me and placed my hand on the cool brick. The sandy surface scraped into my skin as I pressed. I know my world was not exactly normal, but I thought I knew how it all worked.
Finding out I didn’t really shook me up.
“Jen?” Leo said, putting his arm on my shoulder.
I hadn’t even seen him approach.
“Are you okay?”
I shook my head trying to focus on his face.
He took the car keys from my hand. “What’s wrong? Where’s your car?”
Finally focusing on his handsome face, I said, “At home.”
He wrinkled his brow. “At…Oh.” He glanced around the parking lot. “You portaled here accidentally?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’ve never done that before.”
I shook my head.
“You can do it anytime you want, you know. Well, as long as you aren’t worried about getting caught.”
“I didn’t know,” I said, my shock turning to irritation. “Nobody told me. I could have been doing this all along instead of sitting at the movies last month waiting for Ian to remember to pick me up.”
Leo winced. Then he pulled out his wallet and handed me a twenty. “Go inside and get your lunch. I’ll be back in a minute with your car.”
The car! My mind hadn’t gotten that far yet. Mom would freak if I was gone and the car was still in the driveway. How was he going to…