A Bewitching Valentines ''By;FJM"'

   Sophia groaned another valentine tomorrow, and Sarah was already boasting about how many valentines she would get. Helen ignored Sarah, has she always did.
"What’s wrong? Haven’t got anyone special witch?" Sarah flicked her blond hair, and patted the clothes on her shapely body.
"Why would I want one?" Helen said dryly, still working. Her black hair tied back, and her bright green eyes peering through glasses. Her clothes were immaculate, and sensible, has usual. Sarah always called Helen a witch because of fondness for black.
Sophia sighed. Gazing at gorgeous Tom, the office manager. Tom, however would probably only see Sarah, like all men. Sophia, however, had a secret weapon. A wish candle.
She had seen a small book in a charity shop on magic spells, and had bought it as a joke. Then, several months ago, she had decided to help a friend, Margaret. Margaret had complaining how her husband spent more time with his bike then with her or at his poorly paid job. The next day Sophia followed some instructions in her book, and handed Margaret a red candle with marks carved in, a small vial of oil and a sprig of heather.
"Pour oil on the candle, then burn it tonight." Sophia said. "When the candle has burned out, dip the heather into the wax and bury it. Your life will now improve. That’s what the book says."
Margaret laughed, but said she would do it, for a laugh. The next day, she came in with a smile, and said it had worked, her husband had decided to sell the bike, and was looking for a new, better-paid job. From then on everyone asked Sophia for spells to help him or her out. So Sarah began doling out spells and incarnations, but she always insisted that people supplied their own candles. Partly because it was expensive, but mostly because the spell would be stronger, at least that’s what the book said. She never mixed them up, and the spells always worked. The only person who did not believe was Sarah.
"It’s just a con." Sarah would say. It did not matter what proof she was given. Sally’s back pains clearing up after one Sophia’s spell, or Catherine finding her wedding ring after five years, or Simon finally finding the girl of his dreams after Sophia read his palm.
Sophia finally had enough when Sarah mocked her last year. "I don’t know why you bother, your nose is too big, your eyes are funny colour and your hairs always a mess. You didn’t get a valentine this year, and you never will have a valentine." After Sarah had gone. Helen had turned to her.
"Take no notice, your nose suits your face, hers is fake." Helens green eyes had danced with laughter. "Your eyes are hazel, which is not odd and you are a natural dark blond, she’s a bottle blond." Helen smiled then returned to her work. The next day, Sophia had decided on a plan.
"I’m going to teach Sarah, a lesson that she will never forget." Sophia had growled.
Helen turned her serious green eyes to Sophia. "Are you sure?" She asked.
Sophia grinned, her own eyes sparkling. "Yes." she answered.
"Well, good luck, I hope you succeed." Helen grinned, the first smile Sophia could remember in five years working together.
"I will." Sophia smiled back.
That night Sophia worked on a plain candle. When she had finished, the candle was dyed green, with some silver decorations and ten regular divisions. "All I have to do is burn the candle to a mark then make a wish." Sophia said to herself. "That is all." She grinned in triumph, but decided to wait to see if Sarah’s manners had improved. Sarah had not improved. She bossed the others around, flirted outrageously with any man who entered and constantly picked on silent, controlled Helen.
That night Sophia followed the few instructions provided by her book, and wished that Sarah could be humiliated. The next day, Sarah came to work in a hat. When Tom ordered her to take the hat off, Sarah showed a mass of frizzy green curls. "I don’t know what happened, I did what I normally did." Sarah wailed. Nobody said anything, but Helen did raise an eyebrow at Sophia who was grinning. For several days Sophia cast spells on Sarah, and every time something happened.
Now it was time for her last wish. Sophia watched the candle burn down, until all that was left was melted wax. Sophia sighed and made her last wish.
On Valentines Day, Sarah waited impatiently for the mail. When the mailman did come, Sarah asked loudly, "how many sacks for me this year?"
"Sorry, but I’ve got nothing for you." He said, shocking Sarah, but I have a heap for Sophia and Helen. Sarah watched open mouthed has He dumped a small pile of red, pink and pastel coloured envelopes on each desk.
As Sophia and Helen attacked the cards, Sarah sulked. Finally she growled, "it’s a stupid mistake, he must have mixed them up."
"No these are addressed correctly, and have our names inside." Sophia grinned. Then her grin faded. "We’re sorry Tom, but they took us by surprised." Tom was looking in surprise at the cards. Sarah grinned maliciously at them. Tom’s next sentence shocked the grin off Sarah’s face.
"It’s ok, I was hoping to beat them to it." With a shy smile Tom gave Sophia a huge bouquet of roses and lilies. "Will you be my valentine at the dance tonight?" Sarah gasped. She had told everyone she would be the one Tom would take to the party.
Sophia stared at Tom for a moment, then said, "I would love to be your valentine." Tom smiled.
"You make me sick." Sarah hissed and stormed out.
Helen turned her green eyes to Sophia’s hazel ones. "What did you do?"
"Who, me?" Sophia asked innocently.
Helen sighed. "Well, I hope you’ll be happy."
"Oh I will be." Sophia grinned happily. "Here, I don’t think I’ll need this anymore." She gave Helen the spell book. Helen smiled with delight, slipping the book into her bag. She never thought she would see her old book, she had written it nearly three centuries ago. She chuckled lightly, the spells Sophia had cast had been good, but hers were better. Helen chuckled again; after all, it was her spell that got Sophia her date.