Demon Hunters: Book 1 Faith [editing]

Chapter 42

Zoe hated homework, and Mrs. Willow, the English teacher, gave her tons of it. Nothing but worksheets and vocabulary words to define. Mr. Glenwood didn't have too much homework, because most of the last week the class finished up the dissection laboratory. However, her history teacher, Mr. McGregor, rummaged through a stack of worksheets he had arranged on a table at the front of the room. "Honestly, I hadn't noticed that you had assignments missing until Mrs. Rose came asking about," he said. It was his first year of teaching, and he always looked exhausted. "I guess you can say that I've fallen behind on grading." He shrugged. "Anyway, if you do these handouts and complete the chapter review in the textbook, you'll be fine. Take as long as you need. I know how it is being new to a school."

Overall, Zoe concluded that homework had been designed to be a mindless and mostly useless activity. Perhaps the point was to train human teenagers to become drones, mechanical memorization machines that spurted back answers every time you asked them questions. What's the definition of abstruse or cloister or epoch or imbibe? Each set of chapters for the Scarlet Letter had a series of such vocabulary lists? The history assignments were worse. Nothing but rewriting whatever was printed in the textbook, which was totally inaccurate. Well, at least Zoe remembered things differently.

She sighed in relief when school let out. Her day featured a series of unfortunate events: her encounter with Mrs. Rose, then cookie sales, the run-in with Aamon (What happened to his sword?), being on the ballot for Homecoming Queen, that stupid blog, and now this mound of senseless homework. What word do teenagers use for a day like today? Oh, yeah, today totally sucked!

Zoe couldn't wait to get out of this hell-hole. How can humans subject their offspring to institutions like this? Nonetheless, she stalled on the way to her locker until most of the students had cleared out of the building. She didn't want anyone walking into the bathroom at the same time she opened a gateway into the portals.

At her locker, she found another from Ren, folded right over her cell phone. Did she really forget about her phone? Just then the phone buzzed. Muriel sent a text: Zacharias wants you back at the house as soon as possible.

Did he find out about that website? Was he angry at her again? It's not like she asked to be one some website. She tried to fit in, to keep a "low profile," but high school life was completely different than anything she ever experienced. Maybe Zacharias should try his hand at school for a while. Let's see how he handles it.

The phone buzzed once again. The next line of text from Muriel read, Urgent.

Something must have happened. Zacharias was always thoughtful and deliberate, never one to rush at anything. In fact, Zoe sometimes hated the slow, meticulous way he trudged through an investigation. "We have to be sure," he'd always say. "We can't afford to make a mistake." Zoe felt constrained by Zacharias's insistence on protocols.

So for Muriel to declare the situation urgent meant definitely something definitely had gone wrong.

"Hey, there beautiful." Austin's voice came from behind her and an instant feeling of dread bubbled up from the pit of her stomach. Could this day get any worse?

"What do you want, Austin?" Zoe shoved her spiral and English book into her backpack with far more force than necessary, willing the arrogant boy to leave.

Instead, he leaned against the locker beside her and crossed his arms over his basketball jersey. "I really like your outfit. Didn't know you were a Cardinals fan."

Zoe zipped up the backpack. "I'm not. It's for spirit week." Instantly, she regretted participating in this silly tradition. Why did high schools even do such things?

"Well, it looks nice," Austin said. "You look nice," he continued, his tone softer now.

Zoe slammed her locker closed. "I've got to go."

"Now, wait a minute," Austin said. "I'm serious. You look very nice. Can't a guy give a girl a compliment?" He lifted his palms up, feigning innocence. "I voted for you, you know."

"What?"

"For Homecoming Queen."

Zoe growled. "I'm getting off the ballot. I never wanted to be on it in the first place."

"Why not?" Austin flashed her a broad smile. "You're just as beautiful as anyone else on that list."

What is it about girls wanting to be so beautiful? Zoe remembered staring at herself in mirror when she wore that red, gown her friends had chosen for her and sighed. "Look, I've really got to go."

"Shouldn't you thank me for the compliment?" He asked, hopeful. "At least."

Right now, the only thing Zoe wanted to do was to kindly bash the boy's head into the locker. Zacharias would not approve, but he doesn't know how annoying this kid is. "Goodbye, Austin."

She stormed down the empty halls in the direction of the girl's bathroom at the back of the school. After she rounded the corner, she heard Austin mumble, "Who's Ren?"

Zoe stopped. How did he know that name? She turned back around quickly. Austin didn't notice her return. Instead, he studied a sheet of paper. Zoe clearly saw her initial printed on the backside of the note. She must have dropped it.

She rushed at him and flung him against the locker with a loud thud. "Ouch!" he cried, dropping the letter to the ground.

Zoe snatched it up and jammed it into her pocket. With her free, she gripped the boy's neck. "I'm going to kill you," she said.

Austin gasped, eyes wide with shock and fear. He tried to pull away, to tear off Zoe's fingers, but couldn't.

Zoe would have killed him right then had it not been for the loud cough that came from behind her. She let go of Austin and swung around almost reaching for her dagger.

Mr. Osaka carried a bucket and mop into the hallway. He stopped and lifted his gaze until his eyes locked with Zoe's. Then the Japanese man bowed slightly. Zoe reciprocated the greeting. Osaka dunked the mop into the bucket and began mopping.

Austin had fallen down to the ground, breathing hard.

"Don't ever take my things again," Zoe said. "Do you understand me?"

"Okay, okay," Austin whimpered out, still trying to catch his breath.

Just then Zoe's phone buzzed again. Meeting has already started. We need you here.

Zoe glanced back at Osaka who seemed to have entered some kind of meditative state whereby the mop had mysteriously turned into a large paint brush, and he was recreating the school with each stroke.

"Go home, Austin," she said and then hurried away. Ren's letter will have to wait. Not enough time.

�