Almost 11 year old Monica spends the summer at her Grand-aunt's house by the lake and discovers that her family heritage is rather unusual by most standards! What if YOUR family tree consisted of a whole flock of witches?

"Monica Miles" the teacher called. I hate that name - Monica. Monica sounds like somebody already 100 years old with wrinkly skin and grey little curls. At least it does to me, and Miss Pruitt knows it too.

Miss Pruitt - oldest teacher in the whole school. She looks like she could be 200 years old easy! I remember how on the first day of school she had told us, "You are young ladies and gentlemen now students. This is your last year at Ten Oaks Elemtntary School. This year you will learn how to behave like Middle School students, and we will start today!" Boy, did she ever start that day. We had homework on the very first day of school, and every single day since! We had homework last night, and today is the last day of school! Miss Pruitt said if it wasn't turned in we wouldn't get our report cards. Maybe we would even get sent to summer school.

I don't know if a teacher can send you to summer school for not turning in homework. If they can, Miss Pruitt is the teacher who would do it. So I did mine. I think everyone is the class did. You don't take chances with a teacher like that! "Monica Miles, it is not summer vacation just yet!" Miss Pruitt said sternly. Instantly I jumped up, hurried up to get my report card, and rushed back to my seat just as the bell rang. Not one of us moved or said a word. We'd learned way back in September that Miss Pruitt did things her own way.

Finally she let us go, at ten minutes past three. The school yard was almost empty. I watched as the bike racks emptied except for one - mine. After I unlocked the chain, I put my backpack on and walked to the gate with my bike. There I stopped for a moment and looked back. This is the only school I've ever gone to. I've gone to Ten Oaks Elementary for as long as I can remember. I really can't imagine this not being my school anymore. Suddenly I felt really sad. My eyes burned hotly and I blinked hard and fast to keep from crying. Then I thought about Miss Pruitt's class. I'm not so sure that I'm ready for middle school. Not if it's like she's told us all year. Not if all the teachers there are as hard as Miss Pruitt.

"Monnie! Hey Monnie!" I heard a familar voice call. At the corner I see long dark hair and a pink bike. Allison.... Allison Miller. We've been best friends since kindergarten. Miles, Miller... of course we sat next to each other. Teachers love to use alphabetical order. Instantly I hopped on my bike and rode over to her. All the way to her house we zoomed along, racing each other from driveway to driveway. Abandoning our bikes in the garage, we burst into the house laughing and breathless.

"Whoa girls!" called her mother from the bedroom upstairs. "But it's finally here Mom! It's finally summer vacation!" Allison yelled. Her mom came down still laughing. "That may be so dear - but still..." she observed and we both smiled. She went past us to the laundry room and returned with a pile of folded clothes that she gave to Allison. "Make sure these get into the suitcase on your bed please." she said, and Allison made a face at the pile.

That's the bad part about summer. Every year Allison goes to her father's ranch in New Mexico. She always comes back with great stories to tell about horse riding and campouts and going fishing at the lake there. I'm stuck here all summer long by myself with the neighborhood pool. If I'm lucky we might go to my uncle's farm for a long weekend. Yeah...a weekend on a farm compared to all summer at a horse ranch. Weeding radishes compared to camping out. Sometimes I think my life is so-o boring.

I was not in a great mood by the time I got home. I was suprised to find out that Miss Pruitt had given me an "A" in math. My dad thought it was so great that he even ordered us a pizza for dinner! I was even more amazed when as we were finishing the pizza, my mom brought a cake with candles from the kitchen. On top it said "Congratulations Monnie!"

"Well it's a big deal to us that you finished elementary school sweetheart!" my dad said as he gave me an envelope like birthday cards come in. Sometimes parents can be so corny. I opened the card and two items inside slid out onto the table.

The smaller was a photograph of a very very large and ancient looking three story brick house. In the front was a boat dock and even a lake. The second item made me gasp in amazement. It was an airline ticket! "What's this? Is this a real ticket? Where are we going?" I asked all at once.

"We're not all going honey, just you. If you want to that is. That's a picture of your grand-aunt's house. She lives in a small town not far from Salem Massachussets. Every summer when I was about your age, I used to stay with her and help out in her small shop. So did my sister. This year Aunt Elizabeth has invited both you and your cousin Cassandra to come for the summer and help in the store. We thought you might enjoy a change from the summers here." my mother said.

I looked at my father and he nodded as well. I had heard about my mother's sister, but she and her family live in Ohio. Thats a long way from our home in California. I've never met any of them. "How come I've never heard about Aunt Elizabeth before now? Isn't she too old to have a store now?" I asked curiously.

My parents looked at each other in that funny way adults do when you've asked the wrong question. "She does still have the shop.... and my sister says she doesn't look or act or seem a day older than when we were girls. It's just.... well... Aunt Elizabeth is a little eccentric in some ways is all." my mother said with a smile.

"What's eccentric mean?" I asked quickly. My mother looked at my father, who laughed softly. "It means she's unusual... not like everyone else." he said. "What does she do thats unusual?" I asked and my mother sighed.

"Honey, I spent four summers with Aunt Elizabeth and I can swear all the stories are just made up. She lives all alone out by the lake, has that big old house, lots of cats, a beautiful herb garden and tons of wild flowers and trees. The very idea that she's a witch is just nonsense." she told me.

I sat there and stared at her. A witch? I have a grand-aunt people think is a witch? "You don't have to go Monnie. We actually thought more about you spending the summer with a cousin you've never met. She's the same age you are." my dad said. "I do want to go! Of course I do!" I said quickly, and they both smiled at each other.

Little did I realize what things this summer would bring! I couldn't wait to tell Allison I was going to spend the summer with my grand-aunt.... who's a witch! A real, live WITCH!