Wiccan Act One: Occult

2 | Let the Shadows Wander

II

Cyrus

The school cafeteria was another walking cliche. Everyone found their way into their self-assigned places; the jocks, blonde airheads, stoners, smart guys, and class clowns.

If this were Cabin in the Woods, he could just pick one of each to be sacrificed.

Then there were the few like him and his friends who wandered outside everything, doing their own thing. By right Christian should have been with the smart guys and Rowan, the jocks. Him? No clue.

Cyrus tried to figure out how he got that ointment bottle in his bag after throwing it away this morning. He had little thinking time since that's when Rowan and Christian decided to up to their usual table,. The first, excitedly smiling, the latter not so much.

"Cyrus, please inform Rowan that he is going to land himself in serious trouble if he doesn't get rid of those." Christian slid down to his right, plopping down with a tiny thud.

"Get rid of what?" Cyrus asked.

"These." Rowan dangled a tiny bag of about half dozen pills in front of his face, chuckling. He flicked the bag before taking one and putting it between his middle and index fingers.

"You want one?"

"What even is that?" Cyrus asked.

Rowan's face contorted, pausing for a second before responding. "It's best if you don't know. It's part of the fun."

"That's never a good sign," Christian said. "Does Hazel know you have those, or did you sneak that out from the station as well?"

Christian got to work, pulling out the same dusty book he had this morning, along with his reading glasses. He was one of those people that looked better with their glasses on, its clear rectangular lens and silver frame allowing his caramel eyes to shine through. He looked like a slightly older Teddy Duchamp.

From where he sat, Cyrus could make out absolutely nothing. The book had no title, just scratches into the leather and a few fingerprints property of Christian.

Rowan nudged Cyrus, nodding towards Christian. Cyrus shrugged.

"Whatcha reading there, Chrissy?" Rowan asked, moving closer to Christian.

"Oakwood before the ages, it's a small compilation of essays on how the town grew from this small pilgrim settlement to what it i-"

"Up up up up. Let me stop you right there. You can give the short dumb down version to me later." Rowan cut off, shoving himself in between them.

Cyrus smiled at how oblivious Rowan was. Christian barely paid attention to anything that was written between those covers. His eyes were across the cafeteria, glued to Austin Hathaway. He dressed in a radiant smile, flannel shirt and leather jacket; moving briskly from group to group, snapping pictures with the biggest camera Cyrus had ever seen in his life. He only remembered the boy's name because he worked with Christian's sister at the diner they went to every weekend.

"You're staring," Cyrus teased.

When Christian realised he was caught, he buried his face deeper within the pages.

Cyrus' eyes strayed for a bit, looking through the various stares he got from upper and lower classmen alike. Some had their faces wrinkled in disgust, others just stared blankly, whispering among themselves. No doubt they were all wondering what he was doing back at school so soon.

One, however, had a warm smile.

Hazel sat atop a round table cross-legged with a bottle of water in her hand. He could barely make her out among the other cheerleaders, their uniforms blending their features together. A few basketball and football players were there too, creating a surge of obnoxious laughter so loud that even he could hear it. She smiled brighter when their eyes met, waving slightly before going back to talking to a brunette girl.