"Dani?" It was her mother sounding a bit anxious.
Dani went quiet, feeling instantly guilty. Her mother's presence had snapped her back to reality and made her realize what she had done. Despite her resistance to becoming a witch, she had actually used magic. Not only that, she had enjoyed it!
"Dani, are you alright?" Her mother was saying. "I felt a strong surge of magic coming from your room, and since I can't detect what you're doing in there, I got worried. Are you hurt?"
Really? So, after seeing nothing wrong with her son being turned into a girl, she was now worried about some random magic in her room? It seemed so nonsensical that Dani had to suppress a laugh. With a sigh, she opened the door. "No, I'm not hurt."
Her mother seemed somewhat relieved. "Good. Um, so what happened?'
Dani paused. "I'm sorry, mom, but I'm not in the mood to tell you right now. I just want to get ready to sleep."
A flicker of annoyance passed over her mother's face before giving way to acceptance. "Of course, sweetie. I understand. Have a good night."
Watching her mother turn away, Dani felt a thrill of victory. She wasn't sure exactly what she had won, but it had to be a win somehow, right? Still, maybe she could afford to be a little nicer. "Uh, thanks for leaving me the cake by my door, mom. It was good."
Her mother seemed confused. "I didn't leave cake by your door. There's some in the fridge, but I assumed you would get it when you were ready."
"Huh? Then who..." Dani's eyes widened. "No way. Kat wouldn't..." Her brain raced through the possibilities. Had the cake been poisoned? Booby-trapped? No, nothing had happened, and she felt fine.
"Dani," her mother said sadly. "Kat is your sister. And I'm your mother. Whether you believe it or not, we don't hate you." Then, she hurried off before Dani could think of a reply.