Strange Magic

Chapter 7

"I think we can get away with regular plastic cups, Principal Wardwell," Zelda sighed as she took another sip of red wine. They were tucked away in a back booth at a cafe up the street from Dr. Cerberus' bookstore. Zelda hadn't wanted to take a chance of running into her niece or sister while she was with Mary. If she were being honest, she wanted Mary all to herself. Now, however, the woman was driving her positively insane. Zelda could care less whether the cups looked like champagne flutes or the high school gymnasium was transformed into a true Parisian evening. She was about to send Mary straight to Paris, or better yet, back to hell. She'd never seen this particular side of the woman in such detail before, and of course she couldn't yell at her for it. They weren't lovers anymore; Mary didn't even remember that they had once been friends, much less something more. Still, Zelda wanted to take her ex lover by the throat. She thought she was bad about details, but she had nothing on Mary.

"You're right, I'm sorry," Mary laughed as she she tugged at the sleeves of her tight black turtle neck, the brushed her long, black hair out of her face. Her hair was down and mostly straight, and odd sight for Zelda, and her cat eye glasses were perched on her nose. She had eye liner on; something much closer to the way Lilith would've work it. She looked heartbreakingly pretty and that was the only reason why Zelda hadn't strangled her and left her body under the booth. "Sometimes I forget that I am planning events for children and not a group much more sophisticated. I get carried away."

"That's... quite alright," Zelda smirked as she took another sip of wine and continued her study of her niece's principal. It was getting chilly in Greendale and the town was changing colors from lush green to reds and oranges, a fireplace glowing in the corner of the small cafe. Fall was always Zelda's favorite time of year, and Mary did look delicious in sweaters. She chided herself for allowing her mind to wander and refocused her eyes on Mary's. "Uh... we still have to plan the food. I assume we will do finger foods?"

"Yes but it's getting late. Do you have something or... someone in which to return home?" Mary asked politely, not wanting their time together to end but painfully aware that she'd already kept Zelda for over two hours.

"What?" Zelda laughed, then set her glass down, "no, I can assure you, I do not. Of course, if you do," she muttered nervously, "I'm sorry we stayed out so long."

Mary twirled the stem of her wine glass between her index and middle finger as she stared down at the table, almost remembering that she had once loved someone. The memories danced on the edge of her mind like a dream she couldn't quite recall. She knew perhaps there'd been a man once, and she couldn't shake the feeling that Zelda was both deeply familiar and comforting, but she didn't know why. "No, please," she huffed, "the only thing living in my house are the science experiments I've started with leftovers in the fridge."

It was so like Mary- and Lilith. Of course, Lilith had t exactly consumed food the way a proper human would so the rotting food made sense for a short time. She finally discarded it when Zelda complained and reminded her that she was in fact human and did in fact need sustenance sometimes. "I've got that particular affliction in my home too, but I thought it was the byproduct of raising two picky teenagers."

"I used to love food," Mary mused, "but lately food and I have not been the best of friends." Zelda's spine pricked with worry at the mention that Mary wasn't feeling entirely herself. Had something gone awry with her resurrection?

"What do you mean, Principal Wardwell? And how long can you remember this being an issue? Are you ill? Often?"

Mary raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden probing from the woman seated across from her. It felt clinical; more than typical conversation. "Please, if we're going to drink wine together for three hours, call me Mary and.... three months? There's so much I don't remember recently I'm honestly not certain. I know that sounds crazy, but it's as if I lost my mind when I was in that car accident. And uh.... yes, actually. I am."