Bursting with Confidence (7 page)

"Haley just kiss the boy
before he has a tantrum and raises that terra cotta army in the
basement!" Abigail shouted.

Haley turned from Peter and
she looked at Abigail. "You said what?"

"Haley!" Peter
shouted.

Haley turned around
quickly. She caught sight of Peter's face just inches from hers
before a pair of lips made contact with her left cheek.

Haley took a small step
forward and she pinched Peter's ear. "I told you no!"

"Ow!" Peter said staggering
away from Haley. He held his ear while he looked at Haley with a
dreamy smile. "I was aiming for your lips but your cheek is nice
too."

"Ha ha change me back!"
Haley bellowed.

"Alright," Peter said. "And
I'll fix the room too."

Peter raised his
hands.

The large room was filled
with smoke.

The white vapor cleared and
everything was as it was before.

The fire had vanished. The
stone dragons rested beneath the hearth. And the mummy was
gone.

"Good all of that stuff is
gone," Haley said in a high pitched voice. "Hey!"

Haley looked down at her
body. Her form was still small and thin.

"What?" Haley demanded. She
looked at Peter. "Change me back!"

"Okay but it might take a
second," Peter said. "I did a lot of magic today. Did you like it?
The magic cause I've been practicing."

"No I didn't like any of
it," Haley said.

"Those birds in the
fireplace trick was kinda cool but the mummy thing was scary,"
Abigail said.

Haley turned to Abigail
with a gasp.

"Abbie stop encouraging
him!" Haley shouted.

Abigail shrugged and said,
"Sorries but it was cool. The birds not the fire or the
mummy."

"After my nap I can do some
more magic," Peter said.

"Can you make those suits
of armor dance?" Abigail asked.

"Sure just pick the music,"
Peter said.

"Cool my IPod is in my
purse," Abigail said.

"Abbie!" Haley
shouted.

Abigail looked at Haley
with a startled expression across her features.

"What?" Abigail
asked.

"Not helping," Haley said
coldly.

"Sorry but it's not every
day that you get to see like four hundred year old steel dance,"
Abigail said.

Haley turned to
Peter.

"Peter," Haley said.
"Change me back please."

"Okay," Peter said. He
raised his hands and moved them in Haley's direction.

"Is that it?" Haley
asked.

"Yeah it'll just take a
minute," Peter replied.

"Okay," Haley said
tentatively.

"I can't believe you're a
kid again!" Abigail hooted.

Abigail rose to her feet.
She moved to Haley and pinched her friend’s cheeks.

“
Haley, you’re such a
pretty little girl. You should have went into modeling,” Abigail
said teasingly.

“
Ow stop it!” Haley cried
slapping Abigail's hands from her face. “I’m not pretty and I don't
want to be a kid anymore. I want to be a teenager!"

“
Abbie," Peter asked. "Can
you take our picture?”

Peter reached into his
pocket and he pulled out a silver digital camera. He moved across
the room and stopped in front of Abigail. He thrust the machine in
her direction.

“
Sure!” Abigail exclaimed
taking the camera.

“
I can’t believe you
Abbie," Haley said. "You’re not going to take the picture are
you?”

“
Yeah," Abigail replied.
"We need to remember this.”

Abigail raised the camera
in her hand.

Peter moved closer to
Haley. He pulled her into a hug.

"Hey!" Haley cried pushing
Peter away from her.

Peter looked at Haley with
an expression of sadness across his features.

Haley stared at Peter for a
few moments before she released an irritated huff and pulled the
young boy into a hug.

"Alright you get your hug
but a quick one," Haley said with irritation.

Peter hugged Haley with a
laugh.

Abigail raised the camera
in her grasp.

“
Say cheese!” Abigail said
cheerfully.

“
Cheese!” Peter
said.

“
Just take the damned
picture!” Haley cried.

Abigail pressed a button
atop the camera.

A flood of white light
poured from the object.

Abigail looked at the rear
of the portion of the digital camera with a smile.

“
You two look so cute,”
Abigail said.

“
Let me see!” Peter
exclaimed.

Peter removed his arms from
Haley. He rushed to Abigail. He took the camera from her grasp. He
stared at the screen on the rear portion of the device and gazed at
the photographic image that hovered atop the tiny
monitor.

“
Come and look Haley,”
Peter said.

Haley folded her arms
across her chest and she moved to Peter. She stood beside the
little boy and stared at the picture.

“
It looks fine," Haley
said. "Now how long will it take for me change again?"

"It's done already," Peter
said.

"Huh?" Haley
asked.

"Just a few more seconds,"
Peter said.

Haley opened her mouth to
speak and she stopped with a choke.

The strange tickling
sensation passed over Haley’s body. She gasped when she felt her
rapidly expanding bosom press against her folded arms.

She lowered her limbs from
her chest. She looked down at her body.

Haley's form was tall, lean
and shapely once more.

“
Oh I’m so glad,” Haley
said with a sigh.

“
Well," Peter said
cheerfully. "Whenever you want to be a kid again. Let me know,”
Peter said.

Peter turned away from
Haley and Abigail. He slid the camera inside of his pocket with a
cheerful whistle. He walked in the direction of the door and
stopped in the center of the room. He took a few running steps
forward before his form rose from the floor.

The young boy laughed gaily
while he flew from the interior of the room with near blinding
speed.

Peter soared into the
hallway and the sound of a deafening explosion echoed in the
house.

The entire house shook
violently for a few moments before it was still.

Silence filled the space
just before a flood of laughter poured from the nearby
TV.

Haley and Abigail jumped at
the sudden noise and they looked at the TV.

"I can't believe what just
happened," Haley whispered.

"Yeah it was crazy,"
Abigail said. "And crazy is what people would call us if we like
told them half of what happened here."

"Yeah."

"So we keep it a secret
right?"

"Yeah."

"So you wanna stay and
watch Cribs? The Larsens will be in soon. And Peter well, he got
his kiss
and a hug
the little player. So he won't be bothering us
anymore."

"I think I should just go
home."

"Come on and stay, Haley.
We can watch a movie. A chick flick totally cause after what just
happened I can't like not even think of watching some horror movie.
Or magic movie. Or any movie that doesn't involve like cute guys
and a girl who's like not annoying who get together at the end.
Without someone dying. Yeah."

Haley laughed.

"So are you staying?"
Abigail asked.

"I guess so," Haley
said.

"Great you pick the movie,"
Abigail said.

"Okay." Haley
said.

About the Author

Amanda Lawrence Auverigne writes
fiction.

To read more of her stories or find
out about upcoming fiction projects please visit her
website

http://auverigne.com

Cover Art

"Dagger" by Nwhaa

Dreamstime.com