Billy Wizard (2 page)

“Did it, Thomas?” she said with a smile. “Well, I’m sure that was very exciting, but can anyone remember their first day at school?”

The boy who had been staring at Joe put his hand up.

“Neil,” said Miss Parker. “What can you remember?”

“It was scary, miss,” he said. “And I didn’t know anybody.” A couple of the girls giggled and the boy called Neil went a little red in the face.

“That’s enough,
Molly
,” said Miss Parker, frowning at the most giggly of the girls. “It was scary. Yes, Neil. Starting school can be very scary, can’t it? And not knowing anybody can be a bit frightening too.” Everyone nodded.

“Well, then,” she went on, “I want you all to close your eyes and have a little think about what it might be like if today was your first day at school and you didn’t know anyone.”

Everyone closed their eyes. Joe wasn’t sure if he was meant to close
his
eyes. This
was
his first day, so he didn’t have to imagine it. A boy with curly hair picked his nose.

“OK,” said Miss Parker. “Now I want you all to hold onto that thought of what it feels like to start a new school, because as you may already have noticed we have two
new
children in the class today …”

Two? thought Joe, and he looked around trying to guess who the other new boy or girl was.

“So let’s give our new classmates a big welcome,” said Miss Parker, “and make them feel at home. Joe” – she
beckoned
him towards her – “and you, Billy. Up you come and let everyone see you. Come on now. No one’s going to eat you.”

Joe felt his ears going red again as he got to his feet and walked over to stand next to Miss Parker. The boy called Billy had been sitting right at the back and took a little longer to get there. He was about Joe’s height, but skinnier with a mop of blond hair. He looked miserable.

The morning passed quicker than Joe had expected and all of a sudden it was playtime. Not knowing anyone in his class did not seem to matter when they were listening to a story or drawing a picture, but now, as he looked out on a playground full of children, Joe’s heart sank once more.

He scanned the playground. He
had
to find the cool kids. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally end up making friends with the losers. These first few minutes might decide who he was going to play with for the next few years.

The children were all rushing about in groups, intent on whatever game they were playing. Joe just stood by the wall and watched. Eventually one of the boys from his class – the one called Neil – came over.

“Do you want to play?” he asked.

“Don’t know,” said Joe suspiciously. Neil was the one who had said he had been scared on his first day. Joe remembered how the girls had giggled. You had to be so careful. “What are you playing?”

“Dog, Cat, Monkey,” he said.

“Cat, Mouse, what?” said Joe, frowning.

“Didn’t they play Dog, Cat, Monkey at your old school?”

“No, they did not!” exclaimed Joe.

“What
did
they play then?” asked Neil.

“Loads of stuff,” said Joe. “Loads of
really
cool stuff.”

“Like what?”

“Like … like … er … like …” began Joe, but the truth of it was that he could not remember a single game from his old school. Neil smiled and walked off. Joe muttered to himself and was still muttering when he realized there was someone standing next to him. It was Billy – the other new boy.

“Hi,” said Billy.

“Hi,” said Joe.

“What a dump,” said Billy.

“Yeah,” said Joe. “They tried to get you to play Dog, Mouse, Turkey yet?”

“You mean Dog, Cat, Monkey?” said Billy. “No. I love that game, don’t you?” Joe muttered something
under
his breath. “Games like that almost make me forget about the spell and who I really am. For a while, anyway.”

“The
spell
?” asked Joe. “Who you
really
are?”

Billy glanced nervously about and stepped a little closer. Joe stepped a little back.

“Look,” said Billy. “I shouldn’t tell you this. It’s against the rules, if you know what I mean.”

“Not really, no.”

“It’s just that I’m not really a boy,” said Billy.

“You’re a girl?” asked Joe.

“No, you idiot,” said Billy. “I’m a man. A grown-up.”

Joe squinted at him suspiciously. “Well, you certainly
look
like a boy.” “Well of course!” said Billy. “What
kind
of spell would it be if I didn’t? Agatha may be an crazy old witch, but she knows her stuff.”

“A witch?” Joe started to back off again.

“Haven’t you been listening?” said Billy with a sigh. “She caught me off guard. You’d think an old wizard like me would know better, but there you are.”

“A wizard?” said Joe.

“Will you stop repeating everything I say?” said Billy. “It’s simple enough. I’m a wizard and I’ve been turned into a boy by a witch. What’s the matter with you?”

“What’s the matter with
me
?” said Joe.

Just then a teacher rang the bell right next to Joe, and he nearly jumped out of his skin again. But at least he could get away from Billy. He almost ran into the classroom. This is great, he thought. The only person who wants to talk to me is completely crazy.

It was going to be a long day.

Chapter 2

Weirdo

“SO,” SAID JOE’S
mother when she picked him up from school. “How was your first day?”

“OK,” he muttered.

“Did you make any friends?” she asked.

“Not really,” he said. “Did you?”

His mother laughed. “No, not really,” she said. “We’ll both have to do better tomorrow.”

Joe tried to smile, but it was like his face had forgotten how.

“It’s nice to be able to walk home
from
school, isn’t it?” said his mum.

“I suppose so,” said Joe. “But what if it rains?”

“Then we’ll bring an umbrella, silly.” Joe shrugged.

When they got home, Joe watched TV for a while, but there was nothing on that he liked. He went to his bedroom and lay on his bed and flicked through a book his gran had sent him through the post. A few pages in he came across a full-page illustration showing a wizard in long robes and a purple pointy hat all covered with stars and moons.

He had a wand and there were sparks of magic streaming out of it. Joe thought of Billy at school and smiled.

“Crazy,” he said to himself.

It would be cool to be a wizard though. If something was not how you liked it, you could just change it –
shazam!
You would never have to put up with anything you didn’t like ever again. He could magic himself up a couple of really cool friends. It would be great.

Joe’s father came home from work later. Joe listened to him go on and on about his new job and how great it was and how it was the best thing he had ever done. The people in his office were great and the job was really interesting and he was getting paid more money too. He asked Joe
how
his
first day had been.

“I don’t know,” muttered Joe.

“Well, what did you do?”

“Can’t remember,” said Joe.

“Not even one teeny-weeny thing?” asked his dad with a smile.

“No,” said Joe sternly.

“Come on, Joe,” said his dad. “Don’t be like that.”

But Joe
was
like that for the rest of the evening. He was like that through dinner and right through to bedtime. He hardly spoke a word until he said “Good night” to his mum after she had read a chapter from the book his gran had sent.

“Try to cheer up, sweetheart,” she said. “And try not to give Dad such a hard time. It’s not easy for him either, you know.”

“Hmmph!” said Joe. “He’s having a great time. You heard him.”