Part 7 (1/2)

'Like numchuck skills, concentrationing, understanding Shakespeare, having real friends that like you coz you rock, not just coz you're pretty,' she explains.

Rain begins to slosh against the window. Lecky wipes her face again. I pinch the corner of the doona on the far side of the bed and wrap it around her shoulders. She opens it up and invites me into the folds. I snuggle next to her. She smells of peaches and coconut.

'I'd rather be Gate One,' I say.

She turns to me, her face restored to its flawless complexion, like a still lake after a skipping stone. 'No, you wouldn't. It's overrated. Roxy, you're smart, gutsy, fast, people are still talking about the way you saved that kitten. You'll always have friends because you know who you are, you don't just adopt your friends' personalities.'

I sink deeper into the doona and the warm embrace of my sister. I've never heard my sister speak like this before. I feel like I could conquer anything.

Lecky laughs again, shaking her hair out of her eyes. 'It must be these powers. They're making me drop truth bombs.' She pauses, then says, 'I'll let you help me with my powers now. And if you help me, you could end up in my favourite things song.'

'I'd like that. As long as I don't have to listen to it again,' I say. 'It was catchy, but you can't sing.'

'I know,' she admits and we burst into laughter.

'Hey, I almost forgot,' Lecky says. 'I'm having a viewing party in the living room for the Teen Choice Awards red carpet after school on Monday. You want to come?'

My heart does a gymnastic leap. 'Cool! Do you want me to bring anything? I'll wear whatever you want me to.'

'Come as yourself.' Lecky smiles. It's the first time she hasn't tried to style me.

Mum knocks on the door. 'This is new,' she says, pointing to the two of us under the blanket. 'May I?'

We open our arms and Mum jumps under the doona with us. Then we gossip in the glowing warmth of each other's company until we gently fall asleep.

EIGHT.

'Thanks for coming with me, Lecky. This is my favourite place in the world,' I say.

Elecktra is quiet as we walk along the tree-lined street on Sat.u.r.day afternoon. Jackson walks just behind us. He found out about the motorbike attack and insisted on coming for extra protection - I'm not complaining.

'Don't you love trees?' I ask as they rustle in the biting breeze.

Lecky is lost a million miles away in thought. 'Hmm?'

'Trees are so positive,' I say.

'What's negative?' Elecktra asks.

'Trucks and whipper snippers.'

'True,' she agrees.

'We're here!' I sing.

In the front window of the pet shop, puppies pad the gla.s.s with their miniature paws. Elecktra leans her face against the gla.s.s. A puppy rushes up to lick the window and she giggles.

'I can't believe you've never been here,' I say.

Elecktra traces her finger along the gla.s.s and the puppy follows it. 'Neither can I.' She giggles again.

'Cute,' Jackson says. 'I'll wait out here.' He parks himself on a bench in front of the shop.

Inside there are cages of kittens curled in paper, parrots on perches pecking seed bells and fluorescent aquariums filled with coral, fish and teacup-sized turtles. I run to a box filled with my favourite pets and scoop up a white rabbit. Ted looks up from the counter where he is feeding a parrot on his shoulder and I wave. Ted is a Gate Two in Year Eleven. I come here a lot with Cinnamon and he allows us to hold the animals. I think Ted is Cinnamon's secret crush.

'Here.' I hand the rabbit over to Elecktra. At first she is awkward trying to find the right position for the fluffy parcel. She crosses her legs and sits down on the spot so she can better cradle the animal. The rabbit burrows into her lap and she gently pats its head and threads its ears through her fingers.

'I've been working my way up to a rabbit,' she says. I look at her, confused. 'In my magic.' She holds the rabbit up above her head, then nuzzles its stomach into her cheek.

'I really wish Mum would let us have a pet,' I say.

'Mum says we have to be more responsible. But I am responsible, environmentally at least - I recycle my outfits.'

I smile. No matter how much change Lecky is experiencing, I know some things will stay the same.

'Are you okay?' I ask when she clutches her forehead.

'I'm dizzy.'

'I was dizzy when my powers came in. Don't worry - it's all part of the transformation to ninja,' I whisper, picking up a black rabbit and settling in beside her.

'I tried to talk to Mum about it. She said everything will be fine: I've always been different and we'll deal with it,' she says sadly, tracing the rabbit's nose. 'I'm sick of being different to you and Mum.'

'It's better than being different at school,' I say.

Lecky shrugs. 'We'll leave school one day.'

I pat the rabbit. I guess I'd take fitting in with my family over fitting in with friends any day.

'Chantell is being weird about the magic thing. She told everyone at school I'm a freak,' Elecktra says.

The rabbit tries to bury itself into my bent knee. I scoop it up and rub my cheek against its fur. 'I've been called a freak heaps of times,' I say.

'I know! At this rate, I'll be Gate Two by the end of the week,' she says.

'Gate Two's not that bad. You wouldn't have to work so hard to get volume in your hair - the spit bombs do all the work for you.'

Elecktra laughs.

Ted comes over with the parrot on his shoulder. He gently takes the rabbits out of our hands and places them back in the box. 'Would you like to see something totally awesome?' he asks.

'Would I ever,' Elecktra says.

Ted looks at her warily. He never trusts Gate Ones.

'Jackie!' Ted calls and a caramel spaniel pads out from the back of the shop. Jackie sits at Ted's feet and wags his tail. Ted puts his index finger up to his shoulder and the parrot steps onto it.