The Eldritch Trials

Chapter 7: On the hunt

Mac

"You know if I kissed her that would shut her up," I say, watching as Jade argues with a teacher about representation of minorities in the classroom. She isn't a minority that I can tell, but she seems to be naturally confrontational which is just very sexy. Honestly, someone needs to get her to stop talking and being smarter than people and the best way to do it would be to kiss that stupid mouth.
"Dude, quit staring at the creepy Necromancer, please?" Gale sighs, as we load our lockers with books.
"We've established I can't make good choices."
"That's true. He cannot," Ozzie says, stuffing her books in her locker beneath me. I take the opportunity to lean on her head. She nearly knocks me over.
"How was the rest of the party last night?" I ask Gale, who is rubbing his face with his sleeve and looking sad. I obediently stop indulging in fantasies involving our resident Necromancer and her very pretty hair and very pretty way of arguing with everyone she's ever met.
"Oh, I almost forgot, give your horrible father his hat back," Gale says, taking my father's fedora out of his locker and putting it on my head. "And punch him while you're at it— tell him he's not funny."
"I tell him he's not funny often, why lately?" I ask.
"Nothing, forget it," Gale says, shaking his head.
"You worried about the trials at all?" Ozzie asks, finally standing up after wrestling with me.
"Yeah, did you talk with your dad about that?" I ask. Was he an idiot which I suspect he was, given I exist and am cursed?
"Yeah, that actually went really okay, he was cool," Gale shrugs, "I probably won't do the trials till over the summer so I don't miss school."
"That makes sense," I nod. But he looks like he's lying. There's something wrong he's not saying. "You sure you don't want to come on the werewolf hunt? It'll be fun."
"Thanks, but no thanks, I was going to sit in my room alone and stare at the wall while my sanity unravels fully, as a treat, I may listen to 'Killer Queen' on repeat while I do this. Thank you for offering," Gale says.
"Highly specific should we be worried?" Ozzie asks. "Or was that a joke?"
"Not a joke," Gale says, "It's an activity my mother won't worry about me doing. She thinks I'm very fragile."
"Well, she's worried," I say, diplomatically since I know my mother doesn't want him in danger either.  "You're her only child."
"I noticed. It's very stressful—-hi Jade," Gale says, so stressed, as the pretty Necromancer comes over to join us. She's wearing as usual a floor length deep purple coat, and I think today thicker eyeliner and darker purple eyeshadow. "This isn't a teen movie, so don't feel obligated to join our friend group just because you're in the story, I don't recommend being around us personally."
"I feel like this is a stupid question, but were you aware of claw marks by the first floor bathrooms? Have those always been there or are they new and something we should worry about? Why are you all staring at me do you pay attention to your surroundings at all or—,"
I don't kiss her to shut her up, like I want to, but I do put a hand over her mouth and hold up a finger. She tries to bite me.
"Freak."
"Stop talking, werewolf claw marks, where?" I ask, releasing her mouth slowly.
"Stop talking or answer?" She asks.
"Where were the claw marks?" Ozzie and Gale ask, in unison.
"First floor, by the faculty bath and lounge, they looked fresh," Jade says, folding her arms, cheeks burning.
"Okay, we've got to deal with that then," I sigh.
"Shouldn't we call someone?" Gale asks.
"No, it's one werewolf, what kind of warlocks are we if we can't deal with it?" I point out.
"I agree, let's just stay until after school and get rid of it," Ozzie says.
"Fine, classes are out in fifteen minutes, so, Jade and I take the top two floors, you two take the lower," Gale says.
I glance at him, wondering if he doesn't trust me with Jade or doesn't trust Jade with me. I admit I can't make good decisions, but what's wrong with a little flirting with her? It's not like she likes me back I'm sure she thinks I'm an idiot.

Jade

I want to be with my idiot. Is that so much to ask? My personal idiot.
"Fine," why did I not protest? What is wrong with me? And why did Gale make that determination?