"Susan Wade - The Convertible Coven" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wade Susan)

THE CONVERTIBLE COVEN
By Susan Wade
****

I CUT OUT OF MY TRIG class twenty minutes early on Wednesday to make the
meeting of the тАЬPowers of WitchcraftтАЭ series at the Pagan Church. I hated to leave
because Dr. Lufkin was explaining the Hartford algorithm and talking about its
development process, which was fascinating. Plus Dr. L. gave me a disappointed
look as I left, which made me feel bad. HeтАЩs a great prof.

Anyway, I left, and twenty minutes should have been plenty of time to make it
to the seminar, except Mr. Brown wouldnтАЩt start. Mr. Brown is my car. HeтАЩs a 1969
VW fastback with a sunroof and a dark bronze-brown paint job, which is how he
got his name.

My father still hasnтАЩt reconciled himself to me buying Mr. Brown instead of
the seven-year-old Toyota he had all picked out for me. But the second I walked
onto that used-car lot and saw Mr. Brown, with that dent in his fender that looked
just like a dimple in his front-grille smile, I knew he was the car for me. The way I
look at it, I worked two summers to save the money, and it was going to be my car,
not DadтАЩs. Mr. Brown may not be as new as that Toyota was, but heтАЩs got
character.

On the Wednesday in question, he was displaying more than usual. I got in,
flung my backpack in the passenger seat, and prepared myself for the ritual by
clearing my mind, taking deep breaths, and opening myself to the inner light. Then,
when I was certain my aura was clear, I inserted the key in the ignition, pumped the
accelerator three and one-fourth times, and turned the key.

This works every time, if IтАЩve really found inner stillness. I guess I hadnтАЩt
because Mr. Brown gave a long soggy cough and nothing more. I tried again. No
dice.

A guy with short kinky black hair and a kind of goofy-looking shy grin
stopped next to Mr. Brown. He shifted his books to his left arm and said, тАЬExcuse
me, miss. Maybe I can help?тАЭ

I was about to explain that conversations distracted me from cleansing my
aura, when he added, тАЬSounds to me like one of your spark-plug wires has worked
loose.тАЭ

Mr. Brown had sounded funny. I got out. тАЬHey, you might be right,тАЭ I said,
opening the trunk and checking the connections. One of the rubber connector caps
at the end of a wire was cracked and wasnтАЩt seated tightly. тАЬHowтАЩd you guess?тАЭ

The guy got a little pink. тАЬI work on cars. ItтАЩs how IтАЩm putting myself through
school. VWтАЩs are my specialty.тАЭ

I held out a hand. тАЬIтАЩm Angie,тАЭ I said. тАЬThanks for the suggestion.тАЭ