"W.I.T.C.H. 8

W.I.T.C.H. Черные розы Меридиана (книга 8) ("Out of the Dark")

Пока только первая глава, но впечатление составить можно (честно взята с www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com). Кстати, она на инглише (скоро переведу и выложу русский вариант, хотя и так понятно ;) ).

Глава 1
Will Vandom shifted the position of her hot-pink backpack. It was loaded up with textbooks -- and it was heavy. Walking home from school with her four best friends, Cornelia, Irma, Hay Lin and Taranee, Will wondered what she would do without them.
Those friends were basically the first people she had met when she moved to Heatherfield at the beginning of the school year, and they'd made her feel right at home. Now the five of them were like fingers on a hand -- all very different from one another, yet connected in a very important way.
Their differences were quite apparent -- Cornelia's long, blond hair and self-confidence, Irma's smirk and sassiness, Hay Lin's long, silky pigtail and sweet smile, and Taranee's wild braids and mellow hipness. What connected the girls, however, was more than skin deep: They all had magic powers.
Sometimes Will still couldn't believe it.
As they passed over piles of snow covering the sidewalks, Will gazed over at Taranee, whose sparkling brown eyes, with long, dark lashes, peeked out from her round specs. She wore an orange dress with funky stripes, a cool, beige jacket, ankle socks, and clogs. Taranee was sweet and down-to-earth and sometimes a bit shy. Will guessed that that was why Taranee was so crazy about photography -- she could capture the action around her without having to be the center of attention.
As the girls turned a corner, Will looked over at Hay Lin and smiled. Hay Lin was always ready with a big grin. She was carefree and full of enthusiasm about the world around her. A talented artist and a funky dresser, she even had her very own look. Today's special featured a fuzzy, pink zip-up sweater, extra-baggy jeans, a sporty messenger bag, two-toned sneakers, a gray jacket, and matching bubble goggles on her head. A definite fashion diva-in-training, thought Will.
And then there was Irma -- the jokester in the group. Will could see Irma being a stand-up comedian one day. Or maybe a hotshot Hollywood record producer, since Irma loved listening to music. Today, her wavy, auburn hair was pulled into pigtails and chock-full of kitty-shaped barrettes. Her big, blue, mischievous eyes sparkled as she stood there in her blue sweater, wide-cuffed brown pants, and comfy-looking, zipper jacket. Irma was a definite goofball, mused Will, but her sense of fun was irresistible.
While the rest of them were stumbling over mounds of snow, Will noticed that Cornelia gracefully floated over the snow, without breaking her stride. You could practically tell she was a champion figure skater by the way she carried herself. Cornelia was also really smart -- she questioned everything, in a logical, no-nonsense, thoughtful way. Today she sported a pink turtleneck, purple knitted cap, and, as always, a long, flowing skirt. Across her brown, faux fur-trimmed coat, she carried a maroon shoulder bag, and dangling from the strap was a little, plastic, roly-poly, googly-eyed, toy key chain. Cornelia wasn't always serious.
Yeah, Will's friends were great -- really awesome, in fact. The only problem was that, at this particular moment, each one of them was in a cranky mood. So, if the five of them were like the fingers on a hand, Will mused, then today, that hand was more like a fist.
And even though everyone had pretty much made up by the time they had left the school yard, a bit of tension still hung in the air. Plus, Will could tell that something else, besides Irma, was bugging Cornelia.
Will admitted to herself that she wasn't in the best of moods, either. She had homework up to her eyeballs and couldn't help being overwhelmed at the thought of it.
A cool breeze whizzed by. Will felt cozy in her puffy, navy-blue coat, thick socks, and fur-lined boots.
And there was actually some good news, too, Will thought excitedly. No, make that amazing, fantastic, incredible news. Will and her friends were going to the Karmilla concert on Sunday!
Will couldn't wait. And the best part of it all? Matt's band, Cobalt Blue, was going to be the opening act.
Ah, Matt. Will blushed just thinking about him. She had a major crush on that boy. Matt was one year older than Will and, without question, the biggest hunk in school. He was totally dreamy. With his brown hair, tall, lanky body, superstrong jawline, and scruffy goatee, he fit the role of lead singer and hottie perfectly.
School, homework, friends, crushes -- all of it made for another normal day in Heatherfield. But the truth was that nothing was really very normal in Heatherfield . . .
Will remembered it had all started -- the time she had first noticed her magic powers. She had been riding her bike down the street and had seen her reflection in a bookstore window. She had been stunned by what she saw. It was her reflection, but in a transformed, enhanced, mature version -- and she had sprouted wings.
It turned out that all five of them had been given magical powers. Cornelia had control over the earth. Hay Lin was all about air. Taranee was friends with fire. And Irma manipulated all things related to water.
And Will held the key to all those powers -- which made her the leader of the group. (Will didn't like to talk about it; she still wasn't sure about this leadership role.) As leader, Will was the keeper of the Heart of Candracar, a glowy, crystal orb that popped out of her palm when she needed it. And every time Will unleashed the pink, glowing orb, she and her friends all turned into winged, fierce, don't-mess-with-us superteens.
They even had a group name for themselves -- W.i.t.c.h., which was an acronym made up of their first names: Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin.
Will and her friends soon discovered that there was a whole bunch of other worlds floating around out there beyond earth. One of those worlds was Metamoor, a dark, Gothic place inhabited by talking blue-and-green monsters. It was a land that had been taken over by evil. And that was why the all-knowing Oracle of Candracar had created the Veil, which was a sort of barrier that separated Metamoor from earth.
Will stopped to tie her shoelace and looked up at Cornelia's big, heart-shaped face. Cornelia's pink-glossed lips were set in a tight, tense line. She was missing Elyon and wanted her friends to give Elyon another chance.
Elyon Brown had been a friend of the girls'. But as soon as they had been handed their mission as Guardians of the Veil, Elyon had traveled through a portal, never to return.
Elyon had tried all sorts of dirty tricks to harass Will and her friends. She'd teased and tormented them and then almost killed them, with the help of some weird, wiggling brick walls. Finally, she'd kidnapped Taranee and deceived her into believing that her friends had forgotten her. Soon afterward, the Guardians had rushed to Metamoor and rescued Taranee.
After all of that, how could Will trust Elyon? Will didn't know Elyon as well as Cornelia did, and she wasn't able to forgive and forget as easily.
"Remember what she did to Taranee, and all those traps she set for us?" Will cried. "She is the enemy, Cornelia. You can't forget that!"
"But she was my best friend," Cornelia explained. "And when I was in Meridian, she helped me. You don't know her like I do."
Irma interrupted. "Well, I have to go this way," she said casually, raising an eyebrow and turning away. It was obvious that she wanted an easy escape from the tense conversation.
"I'll come with you," Taranee said quickly, throwing her multicolored, kente-cloth bag over her shoulder. She was another one who'd had enough controversy for one day.
With a brief wave and a sympathetic smile, Hay Lin joined Irma and Taranee for the walk home. Her long black pigtails danced behind her back as she turned to go.
Cornelia was clearly bummed at her three friends' leaving. "We are never going to solve the problem this way," she called after them. "We need to talk about it."
But apparently, this wasn't the right time.
Cornelia shrugged her shoulders and continued walking with Will.
"Do you feel the same way, Will?" Cornelia asked.
Will was definitely confused. "It's hard to say, Cornelia," she answered. "But from what I've seen . . ."
"I'm positive that Elyon got caught up in something beyond her control," Cornelia pleaded. "Maybe she needs our help."
The two of them strolled toward Will's apartment building.
"Why can't we give her the benefit of the doubt and forgive her?" she continued. "You just forgave Irma."
"It's not the same thing, and you know it," Will answered.
"Can't you promise to just think about it?" Cornelia suggested, as they now stood in front of Will's building.
"I promise," said Will, squeezing Cornelia's hands and looking into her eyes. "See you later, Cornelia."
Just at that moment, Will's mom pulled up in her red car and parked in front of the building. "Will!" her mom cried cheerfully. Will was happy -- and surprised -- to see her. Her mom rarely got home from the office that early. She worked crazy hours as a consultant at a huge, swanky computer-technology company called Simultech.
"Hi, Mom!" Will cried, after waving good-bye to Cornelia.
Her mom had popped open the trunk, which was filled with grocery bags, and was starting to unload the bags. Will walked over to her mother and gave her a kiss hello.
"I'm glad you're here," her mom replied, struggling with the bags of groceries. "Could you give me a hand with these shopping bags? They weigh a ton."
"Ugh," Will said, picking up several bulky plastic bags and hauling them toward the front door of their apartment building. They were very heavy. Her mom followed behind carrying her own load, which included a large six-pack of bottled water.
"What's with all these groceries?" Will asked, peeking inside a bag containing fresh fruit, vegetables, homemade pasta, fancy cheese, and gourmet ice cream. Usually her mom just picked up a few things here or there for the two of them.
"It's for Sunday," her mom said with a big smile as they approached their apartment. "I want the party to be perfect." Her mom slid the key and opened the door.
"The . . . party?" Will asked once they were inside. Her voice echoed throughout their loft-style apartment. Is there something I'm forgetting? she wondered, suddenly panicking. Will followed her mom straight into the kitchen and placed the bags on the breakfast table.
"Don't tell me you forgot?" Her mom looked stunned. "It's my birthday!"
"Of course I didn't forget," Will said, although it had in fact slipped her mind for a minute. She felt a bit embarrassed. "It's . . . it's just that I didn't think you were having a party."
"It's a private lunch party, actually," her mom explained with a grin. "Just for the two of us. Isn't that great?" She pulled a carton of milk and a jar of pickles from the bag in front of her. "And then afterward, we'll take a trip to Roseville," she continued. "It's been so long since we did anything fun like that." She sounded excited.
Roseville was a charming little town with antiques shops, art galleries, cozy cafйs, and funky clothing stores. Back when Will and her mom had lived in Fadden Hills, they had used to hang out in Roseville whenever they had the chance.
Her mother placed the cheese, soda, and vegetables inside the fridge. Will pulled a chair over so she could stand on it and reach the cupboard. Birthdays were a funny thing, she thought, as she put away the cereal, crackers, and cookies. There were some people who didn't care much about them (or at least pretended not to). And then there were people who liked to make a big deal out of them. Her mom was definitely a big-deal birthday person. Wow. This wasn't going to be easy.
Will turned to her mother apprehensively. "It's a fantastic idea, Mom," she said enthusiastically. "There's just one little problem." She closed the cupboard and climbed down from the chair. They were now eye to eye. "I can't do it this Sunday. There's a concert in town and my friends and I are going. Irma's dad is bringing us -- "
"I had really hoped to spend the day with you," her mom interrupted. Her face looked serious.
"We can always go to Roseville next weekend," Will offered, trying to sound hopeful.
"Next weekend it won't be my birthday anymore," her mom scowled, crossing her arms. "I'm sorry, Will."
Boy, she sure is being firm, Will thought, rubbing her head.
"We never see each other anymore," her mom continued. "You spend all your time alone or with your friends."
"What am I supposed to do?" Will cried out with frustration. "It's not my fault you're never here."
"I have to work, Will!" her mom answered angrily. "You always seem to forget that."
"I know!" Will yelled back. "But you always manage to find time for Mr. Collins, don't you?" The last part came out harshly, and Will knew she shouldn't have said it, but it had just slipped out. Part of her didn't care that she was acting like a brat, however. She was upset, and the whole conversation seemed majorly unfair.
Mr. Collins was a teacher at Will's school that her mom had been dating. Yes, dating. And it was definitely a touchy subject between them. The idea of her mom dating was weird enough, but her mom dating her history teacher?
Sure, he was a nice enough guy, but that was beside the point. The whole thing made Will feel really uncomfortable.
The last comment about Mr. Collins had really set her mom off. She stood with her hands on her hips, staring at Will.
"Don't use that tone with me!" she ordered, looking both worried and angry. "With the way things are between us, Sunday's schedule will now be a little different." She took a deep breath and glared at Will, her big brown eyes practically popping out of her head.
Will's face turned red as nervousness spread throughout her body.
"You will not go to the concert," her mom continued now pretty enraged. "And I won't give any party! We'll stay here at home in silence." As a parting shot, her mom added, "The conversation is over!"
They both fell silent. Will stood like a statue -- she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Could her mom actually be that mean? Will stared back at her, tears welling up in her eyes. She was pouting big-time.
Will turned away from her mother, stormed up the stairs, and stomped down the hall into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Leaning back, with her shoulders up against the tall, wooden door, she sobbed.
Through her tears she noticed piles of books and heaps of clothes strewn across her room. And everywhere she looked were members of her enormous toy-frog collection -- you could practically hear a chorus of "ribbets." But at that particular moment none of those adorable green frog dolls or knickknacks could cheer her up.
She stopped crying just long enough to notice something moving around on the floor. It was her pet dormouse -- the one Matt had encouraged her to bring home. The small, brown, fuzzy animal was happily chewing on one of her plush frog puppets. It looked up at her with the frog between its teeth. The puppet was almost as big as the dormouse was.
Will plopped facedown on her bed, burying her face in the pillow. She felt all out of sorts; she couldn't believe that she would be missing the Karmilla concert. It was so unfair! She felt confused about what had just happened with her mother. And there was that whole thing with Cornelia and Elyon, too. There were too many issues to deal with. What was the right thing to do? She couldn't help thinking about how much her life had changed over the last few months. She felt totally alone.
Will noticed that her dormouse had crawled over to and up upon her bed. It looked up curiously at her for a moment, with a sweet expression on its face. Will raised her head to look at it. Her head felt heavy from all of the crying. The dormouse crept over to Will and stuck its little nose in her face. "Eeeak?" it squealed softly.
She huddled over on her side, took her pet in her arms, and hugged it closely to her chest. The dormouse curled up between her arms affectionately. A smile worked its way across her face, but her eyes were still full of tears.

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