Astrixx by Lora Carlson (positive books to read TXT) 📕

Dear Father,

I don’t understand why you would send me to Aunt Nekes “temple” for the summer. She is CRAZY, I know you know I LOVE magic but this is insane and I haven’t met a single kid.
You said it would be swarming with kids here. I don’t know if you were just trying to make me go ,but I am NOT, and I repeat NOT, having a good time.

Sincerely,
Roniica Maya Astrixx

“Time for dinner!!” Aunt Nekes shouted from the kitchen.

“One sec! “ I said back from my new room.

I have shoulder length blue hair with side bangs that cover my left eye completely, so my hair is always in my face. My eyes are violet and mysterious, not to brag or anything. Today I was wearing purple tank top with a gray hoodie, black skinny jeans with matching purple knee length high tops.

When I got downstairs, Aunt Nekes had her hair up in a bun on top of her head, with an orange flower implanted in her silver hair. She was wearing a matching orange dress with blue flowers on it and matching ballet flats.

I said, “Aunt Nekes you look ridiculous! Why are you wearing that?”

She answered, “We have guests coming over, Mr. and Mrs. Pike with their son Randall. So go change! They’ll be here any second.”

So I trudged up the stairs back to my room and went flying through drawers. Pink top, white skirt? Nope. White tank top, green cardigan and gray leggings? Nada. A dress that matches Aunt Nekes? Never in a million years! I settled on my light purple mini-dress with white leggings trimmed with lace that stopped at me knees and my mother’s old white butterfly clip in my hair. I slipped on my dark purple Uggs and walked down the stairs.

There they were, the Pikes.

This may be too disturbing for children (maybe), but the Pikes looked abnormal to me. Mr. Pike had hair that looked so greasy that I don’t think he has ever heard of a shower! Mrs. Pike was, I’m not going to lie, very overweight and she was wobbling on her six inch high heels with skin bulging from the straps on her shoes which were somehow holding together. Randall had hair so curly it stuck out off every angle of his head; even those you wouldn’t think could exist. He had huge eyes and to make it worse he wore thick glasses that made them look even bigger. His eyes were kind of like the Mona Lisa, always staring at you no matter where you were standing.

When I got to the bottom of the stairs everyone turned to stare at me for a really long time. Then everything seemed to go back to normal, or so I thought. We all went into the dining room and sat down for dinner. I, of course, had to sit next to Randall who kept staring at me, which was starting to freak me out.

“Excuse me, can you please stop staring at me?” I asked.

No answer, just staring.

Then he blinked and turned his head to stare at Aunt Nekes. Most of dinner was silent, until Mrs. Pike burped really loud. I think she had one too many burritos, considering she ate thirteen.

Aunt Nekes said to the Pikes, “Well the reason I invited you here was so you can tell us more about this house since I just moved here three weeks ago and Roniica, my niece, arrived yesterday from New York City. Since you’ve lived here in Western Gate for a who knows how long, I thought you might know the history.”

Mrs. Pike replied in a deep British accent, “Well, an old witch fortune teller, Madame Xullbbe, lived here for the longest time until her dog Nixie died. She put a curse on the house and vanished, well actually she moved to Massachusetts, but that’s what she told us to tell everyone.”

“What was the curse?” I asked before I realized I was even listening.
Everyone turned and looked at me like I was crazy. After a few minutes they all started to talk about Western Gate. After dinner Randall and I went out to the garden.

“How old are you?” I asked, trying to end the awkward silence.

“Fourteen, you?”

“Fifteen.”

“I have a brother who is fifteen,” he said.

“Since when? I thought you were an only child.” No answer, I don’t think he wanted to talk about it.

After a little while we came to a bridge. It looked about 100 years old.

“Should we cross it?” I asked.

"I don’t think so…” he replied nervously.

“Okay let’s go!” I whooped.

“I said I-WOOHAA!!” he yelled in surprise I pulled him across the bridge and stood there for a bit. Then I started to walk into the forest in front of us.

“What are you doing?” he asked as I walked away.

“You sound like my father,” I said a little too harshly. I brushed my hair out of my face (it fell back into place) and walked forward.
I looked back and he was just standing there staring at me, so I kept walking.

Three hours later I was lost. Suddenly something took my mother’s hair clip out of my hair and it vanished. It happened so fast it took me a moment to realize what just happened.

I looked around and saw footprints leading farther into the forest. I walked, following the footprints. After a while I found a hut. I walked up to the door and knocked. A figure opened the door. It was a boy with blonde grass-like hair and yellow eyes. I saw my mother’s hair clip in his hand.

“Give me back my mother’s hair clip!”

“Oh,this?" he said while holding it up "Come and get it!” he sneered.
So I did. I kicked his hand and the hair clip went flying behind him, so I jumped, did a flip over his head and caught it before it hit the ground. I take gymnastics and karate. When I saw his face I laughed. His mouth was open super wide and his eyes made it look like he saw me die and come back to life.

“I got it back.”

“You sure did” he murmured, rubbing his hand.
I started to walk away when he asked, “Is your last name Astrixx?”
Surprised, I spun around. Then I replied, “How did you know?”

“My mother knew your mother, you look just like her, only with blue hair and purple eyes.”

“Violet, I have violet eyes.”
He raised his eyebrows and asked, “Is there a difference?”

“Yes, purple is-“
Cutting me off he said, “I get the idea, they’re different. Why are you here anyway?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“I just wanted to know.”

“First, who are you? Since you already know who I am, by the way, my first name is Roniica.”

“I’m Jaden, but you can call me Jay.” he said, giving me a sly smile.

“I came here because my dad sent me here.” I took a deep breath, “While he deals with all the stuff he needs to about my mother’s death and all.” After I said that I walked past him and out the door. I kept going down the path I had come on. He just stood there and watched me leave.

About half hour later I was where he took my mother’s hair clip. Lost again I thought. Then I saw her, my mother standing, glowing showing me the way.


The next day when I woke up I saw Jaden outside my window. That’s weird I thought, my room is on the fourth floor. I went over to my window and gasped. He had climbed up from the ground.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” he said, irritated.

“Trying not to fall” I answered pulling him through my window. Then I realized something.

“Did my Aunt Nekes see you?”

“Who? No one saw me. I think.”

“You think? Well that’s reassuring.”
Just then a voice called from downstairs. “Roniica time for breakfast!”

“Oh no! Aunt Nekes!”

“Roniica I’m coming up there!” I could hear her walking up the stairs.

“Hide! Hide!” I whispered.

“Where? Where!?” Jaden whispered back frantically.

“Uh… My closet!!”

“What! NO way am I-“ I shoved him in my closet so he never finished what he was saying.

“Why are you still in your nightgown?” asked Aunt Nekes with one eyebrow raised.

“I just woke up” I said with a fake yawn.

“Well then, you get dressed. I have breakfast ready.”

“Okay, but I’ll be leaving after breakfast to go look around.”
Aunt Nekes turned a full circle and glided out of my room.

After she left, I let Jaden out of my closet.

“What the heck was that for?” asked Jaden angrily.

“I was saving you from the evil wrath of my aunts BAD side.”

“What do you mean BAD side?”

“Never mind about that, go back to your house and wait for me to get there.”

After he left I put on blue jeans, a red t-shirt and black converse. Then I went downstairs, and to my surprise the Pikes were there.

“Hello Mr. Pike, Mrs. Pike and Randall?” I smiled weakly.

“Hello Roniica darling, Mr. Pike and I are going out of town and Randall is going to stay with you two for a while.” Mrs. Pike chirped excitedly.
Hesitant, I asked, “How long is a while?”

“Two months,” She replied gleefully.

“WHAT?!, two months?!” I cried.

“Is there something wrong with that?” asked Aunt Nekes. Looking at me with surprise on her face.

“No, not at all I was just surprised, that’s all,” I lied.

“Anyway, after you eat breakfast, Randall will go with you wherever you said you were going this morning.” Aunt Nekes said with a big smile.

Oh no, not good at all! What about Jaden? I thought as I was eating. It is too late for Randall to leave since the Pikes already left! I was starting to get nervous. Finally Randall broke the silence,

“Actually, I was hoping I could stay here to look around the house.” Randall sniffed and looked around the kitchen as he spoke.

“That’s a great idea!” I said a little too loud. I jumped up, sprang into the kitchen, dropped my plates in the sink and ran for the door.
Before I got out the door Aunt