Lioh Connor and the Lost Wizard- Part Two

2 ‘Home.’

After school, of course, I head home. I sling my backpack over my shoulder-yup-time to go ‘home.’ You’d be wondering, why are there apostrophes? Uh, well, you see, my ‘home’ isn’t really my home. And because that makes no sense whatsoever, I’ll just say that I’m an orphan.

Well, no, not that kind of an orphan, as in I live in the streets or anything. As in I have no parents, but I live in my Uncle’s house. I hate living there, because my Uncle always hates me. My Aunt too. Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Julian have hated me ever since I was born. They hate everything about me.

“Why are his eyes so painfully blue? They’re too bright!”

“Why his hair a dark dirty blonde? Oh, god I hate that color!”

“His hair is all over the place! It never stays put!”

“He looks too normal. Does he have any talent at all?”

These are the only words I remember when I approach the big blue house I live in right now. I knocked on the door.

“Steph, dear! Open the door, the little rascal has arrived!” voices came from inside.

“Oh, most surely not him! Why can’t he just go away?”

Aunt Stephanie opened the door and glared at me. If looks could kill, I’d already be dead by just looking at that deadly go jump off a cliff glare she was giving me right now.

I halfheartedly smiled and asked, “May I come in, dear Aunt Stephanie?” Of course, I didn’t really mean what I was saying. If I didn’t ask this way, though, she’d probably slap me and never let me in again, because what I really wanted to say was, “Um, can you move aside, please. Really need to get inside, you know. Homework and all.

“In.” She said simply, like she did the last three hundred twenty two days I lived here. I stepped inside the house. As usual, Buddy was the first to greet me at the door. He’s a border collie-Labrador retriever mix, with thick black and white fur that was always standing up on his back like he’d been electrocuted. Buddy happily wagged his tail.

“Hey, Bud. What’s up?”

He barked. That meant he was hungry. Me and Buddy were friends since I still had my parents around. They died in a tragic accident, of course, but we knew each other. We kind of-um, communicate, as crazy as it sounds, basically like best friends. Other than working on homework, me and him play together. A lot.

Uncle Julian walked to the door, his usual cap placed on his head. A newspaper was in his hand. Right then, by that look on his face, I knew he was thinking, Please let Lioh come home in fifteen pieces instead of one. Aw, well, too bad, dear old Julian, here I am.

“Um,” I muttered, “Buddy wants to be fed-’’

“His name is Anderson Samuel, you idiot! I expect you call him that!” Uncle Julian rudely interrupted.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, then realizing what I said wrong, I added, “I mean, yes sir.” I added it in quickly so he didn’t judge me before he realized it was a mistake.

“I’ll feed him, Lionsus. I need you to go away to your room, please. Out of my sight.” Aunt Stephanie said.

I went to my room. Well, it wasn’t a room. It was actually one of those supersize closets. There were cupboards to put the clothes in, but I instead left those empty except for a few things. A small twin bed mattress was on the floor-just a mattress, actually, with a blanket and a stuffy pillow piled on top. A handy little desk at the corner. And by little, I mean little. Barely enough for me to sit.

I lay on my bed. Next to my bed was a nightlight. A pretty one, decorated with lace. It projects a picture on my ceiling when you turn it on-a picture of a sign. I never knew what it meant though. Momma gave it to me-when I still had her around. She was real pretty. She had beautiful, soft hair that was a dark Dirty-Blonde. Her eyes were really sparkly, and she had thick eyelashes. She was nice-with a faint sense of humor. She gave me it when I was ten or something, for my birthday, all like “Lioh, this is a very special nightlight,” and I was like, “mom, you can get these for ten cents at Walmart.” I was kidding, of course. I really liked it.

My dad had given me a pocket knife. I liked it and all, but I got it when I was eight or so, and I was like, “dad, you don’t give an eight-year-old a knife.” He laughed at that. My dad can make anyone laugh. He’s real funny. “You really inherit my sense of humor, Li,” He said. The pocket knife was currently in my jeans pocket. I took it out. It was like any normal silver pocket knife, but it had this symbol on it-the same symbol on my nightlight. I flicked it open. It had a silver blade. On the handle, it had a blue gem. It was so pretty and blue. Kind of reminded me of dad’s eyes-they were so deep blue. So stunning. If you look into them for long, your heart feels like it’s falling. “I loved your father at first because of his beautiful eyes,” My mom said.

Mom’s name was Cyndi, and my dad’s name was Jack. I guess I was really happy to have such fun parents. I had a little of both of them in me. I had dad’s blue eyes, and mom’s dirty-blonde hair. I had my dad’s humor as well, as my dad said, anyway.

A bark came from outside the door.

I opened the door and let Buddy come in. He barked and nuzzled me. That meant he wanted me to follow him.

I got up and let him lead me to the living room. Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Julian were there, watching football (just then I knew something was wrong, since Aunt Steph couldn’t stand people tackling one another).

“Um. Hello, Uncle Julian.” I said.

“Oh, hello there, boy.” He said dully.

Aunt Stephanie kicked him in the shin.

“Oww! I mean, yes, dear?” Uncle Julian leaned in.

Aunt Stephanie whispered something.

“Oh, my! Why have you made this decision ? Oh well, let’s tell him-’’

“Quit it.” I said.

“Excuse me, Lioh?”

“Quit acting. Tell me what’s up already.”

“If you wish,” Aunt Stephanie said, “we’ve decided to send you to Freddy Jude’s school for Misbehaved and Mental Children.”

“What?”

“We saw your recent F,” Uncle Julian said, “and it’s a disgrace.”

“How? I always get Fs!”

“Ha, ha, ha, dear. The child has a sense of humor,” Aunt Steph waved her hand, “see, Lioh, that’s the whole point.”

“WELL, I’M NOT GOING!” I yelled. Yup, one of those things that comes out of my mouth without me knowing it. Why did I have to say that, just why.

“THAT TONE OF VOICE IS NOT PERMITTED IN THIS HOUSE, LIONSUS CHASE CONNOR! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?” Uncle Julian yelled back angrily.

“I’m not mental!”

“But you’re misbehaved.” Aunt Stephanie pointed out.

“We’ve already sent them your full details. You are to go tomorrow.” Uncle Julian informed me, “and you won’t be coming home until summer.

Just go jump off a cliff or something, Uncle Julian.

“I’M NOT GOING!” I said.

“QUIET! BE QUIET, BOY!” Uncle Julian said. “UNDER MY COMMAND, YOU ARE TO GO.”

“I DON’T WANT TO GO-’’

“YOU WILL!” Uncle Julian raged.

Now, things are getting a bit weird.

“I. WILL. NOT. GO!” I screamed loud as ever. Just then, a blinding golden light filled the room. Then, the light shrink back and disappeared. It seemed to have come… from me.

Aunt Stephanie looked as if in the verge of tears. Uncle Julian’s eyes were as wide a ping pong balls.

“This is getting serious, Julian,” Aunt Stephanie whispered.