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“I’m in if it helps find my father, but I'll have to call my Mom to let her know," Sabrina said. "I’ll call her after the game."
"Okay."
I turned to my dad. "I'm taking Sabrina to the dance after the game."
"Do you need money?"
"No. I should be okay. I have a few dollars."
"Here." My dad pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to me. "Maybe your brother will take you two to a malt shop after the dance."
"A malt shop? I'm too young to drink malt liquor. What kind of fake I.D. do you think I have? I can barely pass for a high school sophomore, let alone a twenty-one-year-old."
My dad shook his head, too pleased with Henry’s performance to get angry with me. But I knew he got tired of my smart mouth. With the game lopsided, many people started to leave. I stuck it out as did my dad. He always stayed even when we lost badly. He thought it was important for us to show Henry our support, whether the team won or lost.
When the game ended, the players approached the student stands and sang the school fight song, jabbing their helmets in the air to emphasize their words. I hadn't learned the lyrics, so I faked it, but my dad sang every word as if they were the Pledge of Allegiance.
We headed out of the stands, crossed the school grounds and entered the building through the Commons. They called it the Commons because it held tables and chairs, which students used for lunch, clubs, and any other activity needing a common meeting place.
I paid for Sabrina and myself and entered through doors leading into the gymnasium. Bleachers were pulled out on two sides and music boomed from speakers in the corners. Most of the kids who went to the game came to dance, huddle in groups, or await the arrival of the football players. The place was free of decorations for game dances, and a concession stand remained in the Commons where people had to eat because no food was allowed in the gym.
Sabrina stood close to me, watching the kids.
I waved to my best friend, Samuel Knutson. He was a big guy, over six foot and a thick girth, an ox at sixteen. He sported curly black hair, brown eyes, and an easygoing personality. He reminded me of a gentle bear. We had known each other since kindergarten, yet he had no clue I possessed magic. All these years, we had played with regular magician magic, starting out with card tricks and rope tricks and progressed to disappearing acts. Sam was above average at it, and he liked practicing.
"Hey, David." Sam raised his hand. "I was trying to find you in the stands but didn't see you there. Where were you?"
“We sat with my dad.” I gestured to Sabrina. "Sam this is Sabrina Stevens. Sabrina this is my friend, Sam Knutson."
Sabrina smiled.
"Oh, now I know why you weren't there. Your dad, sure." He raised his brows.
Heat rose in my face. "Sabrina and I are friends. We sat with my Dad since my Mom stayed with my grandfather in the hospital."
His grin faded, and forehead wrinkled. "Hey, your brother told me your grandfather had a heart attack. Is he going to be okay?"
"Yeah. I think so. It'll take him awhile to get better, though. You know, rest and stuff."
"Well, that's good. We're voting for positions for our magic club on Monday. Most of the guys want you to be president."
"Me? Oh, I don't want to be president. It's too much work."
"Yeah, but you're the best magician in our group," Sam argued.
I raised my brows at Sabrina and forced a smile. Did she know my family was wizards? Had her father told her Gramps had powers? Did she assume I had the same? Would that impress her? Could I trust her not to tell anyone? No one knew of my abilities, except my immediate family.
"You'll have to show me some of your magic tricks sometimes."
Maybe she didn't.
"So do you go to school here Sabrina?" Sam asked.
"No. I'm home schooled."
"How'd you two meet, then?"
Sam showed interested in her, unusual for him. He kept his feelings bottled up, having learned his lesson in fifth grade, liking a popular girl. The girls had openly ridiculed him for it, and he’d retreated deep inside somewhere ever since. With me, I used humor to cover the hurt.
Sabrina didn’t seem the type of person who would purposefully hurt Sam.
"My father works with David's grandfather. We met at the hospital."
I was glad she stuck with our cover story.
"Oh. Cool. So, uh, would you want to dance?" Sam asked.
"I haven’t danced much." Sabrina wrinkled her nose.
"Neither have I." Sam shrugged. "Come on. It’ll be fun."
As much as I wanted to dance with Sabrina first, I had to find Henry. She would be safe with Sam until I got back. The girls might have been mean to Sam, but with his size and strength, no guy ever picked on him. "Hey. I'm going to find my brother."
Sabrina nodded. She wanted to come with me.
We’d been a team up to this point, but this, I had to do alone. If something turned dangerous, I didn’t want Sabrina getting hurt. One of Henry's friends leaned against the wall across the gym floor, and I pushed through the crowd and asked him Henry’s whereabouts. A couple of players had wanted to talk to him outside by the Freshman Pond, a drainage pond on campus many first-year students, before me, had been dunked in. Now a locked fence surrounded it.
I headed into the Commons where many round tables were set up near the concession stand. On the opposite side of the table, stood a cafeteria holding many long tables in rows. Between the concession stand and the cafeteria was an office where the athletic director worked. I’d been in there a few times when Henry had paid for his sports participation fees. Behind the office was a block of classrooms for choir and band. From there it led into the main building.
I followed it until it ended at a locked door. With no one around I pulled out my wand and shot energy into the lock. It clicked open. I slipped through and shut the door behind me. Reaching the end of the hallway, I searched for Henry, not sure if his friend told me the truth or not. Light from a pole sprayed down on a group of students; many were juniors, and none were football players. Cold air seeped through the door; a rock placed at the base. Why?
After five minutes, Henry came out of the locker room’s back door, wearing his letterman’s jacket with a big O on the front, his hair damp from showering. Two players flanked his sides. I had seen them before but didn't know their names. They headed directly for me. I moved into the nearest recessed doorway. Emergency lights illuminated the hallway, keeping the area dim and me in the shadows.
They entered and paused only a few feet away. Two seniors, friends of Hadler's, crowded my brother.
“So what’s going on Troy, Rob?” Henry crossed his arms. “And why are we here in an empty hallway? I thought we were supposed to meet at the Frosh Pond.”
"We needed to get you alone where it was private,” Troy said. “It’s best no one sees us. There was a bunch of kids hanging out at the pond.”
“Hey, man, listen up." Rob jumped in. "This stuff’s fantastic. It'll make you twice, no three times better than you are. Think how it'll impress the scouts."
Henry shook his head, waving his hand. "No, guys. I don't do steroids. I'm going to make it on my own, or not at all."
"Don't be an idiot. These aren’t steroids. How dumb do you think we are? There’s too much on the line. These pills are way better and can’t be traced. They make you as fast and strong as an animal." Troy’s face contorted into a snarl.
Rob handed my brother a bottle of pills. “Take it, Henry. Try one. I guarantee you you’ll love it!”
“Don’t!” I charged at them and swatted at the bottle, sending it crashing to the ground. The lid popped off and the pills scattered over the floor. "Don't take those!"
"David?!”
I smashed the pills.
"Stop!" Troy cried. He shoved me aside and snatched the bottle and four remaining pills I’d missed.
I stumbled back but regained my balance. "Henry, listen to me. These pills aren’t what you think they are."
“Get your brother out of here!” yelled Rob, his size two of me.
“What are you doing here, spying on me?! Get out!” Henry pointed to the exit.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay. These jerks don’t deserve to take away your chances.”
Henry pause. “What are you talking about David?”
Despite the two guys able to beat me to a pulp, I swatted at the bottle, again, and squished two more pills.
“I said stop!” He shoved me harder, his lip curling, nostrils flaring, and eyes in slits.
I fell to the ground.
Rob grabbed the two remaining whole pills and bottle, now sporting a dent.
“Henry, listen to me. These pills will ruin you!”
“I know!”
Red surfaced the player's cheeks, their nostrils widened, and hands flexed. Magic sparked from their head, face, hands, and it burst out of their clothes, making them disappear and exposing a naked hairy body, contorting, shaping, rounding. Their feet and hands morphed into paws, and sharp claws jutted out as if pressing a switchblade. Their backs arched and razor sharp spines shot out one-by-one from their necks to their tails. They had small triangle ears, long snouts, glowing red eyes, a drooling red tongue, and a tuft of hair between their ears, one red-brown and the other sandy brown. They snarled and snapped at us.
"See, Henry." My voice wavered as I scrambled to my feet. "Maybe next time, you will believe me before it comes to this?" I pulled out my wand.
Henry rose his fists, chest level.
The two chupacabra's circled us on fours, keeping their sight glued on us.
Henry put his back to mine. I followed his lead.
"Do those pills actually turn a person into one of these things?" Henry asked.
"Uh, yeah."
"How'd you know this?"
We kept turning in a circle synchronized with the Chupacabras as they tried to catch us on off guard. "I’ll tell you later."
"What now, David? I don’t have powers." His head jerked side to side as he spoke.
My wand tracked the movement of the nearest one, Troy, the size of a grown German Shepard.
"They're going to circle one more time and attack," Sabrina cried from the top of the hallway.
"Sabrina. Get out of here!" I cried.
Troy lunged at me. I thrust my wand. The bolt of energy zapped the animal, sending it reeling into the wall, a yelp ripping from its lungs. I whirled and threw another stream at Henry's. But my aim was off, and the chupacabra slid back, not taking a direct hit.
"They're coming again," Sabrina cried.
On cue, the two animals sprang at us again. I shot mine with another round, but Henry didn't have time to react other than using his arm to strike the chupacabra on the side of its head with his throwing arm. It worked. The creature sailed across the floor.
The door to the outside whisked open. Their paws slipped, their claws scraping against the linoleum, as the two chupacabras scrambled outside and into the night.
A teacher, Mr. Valdez, Sam had for Spanish class and new to the school, gaped at us. "Hey, boys. Why are you two trying to fight off two dogs with a drumstick?"
My brother and I released nervous laughs.
"It's the only thing we had," Henry said.
"Maybe next time you should use the drums themselves. It might be more effective." He chuckled sauntering by us. "I'll get you a set from the band room." He paused, turned. “Are you boys hurt?”
“We’re fine,” Henry said.
“How’d those dogs get into the school?”
We shook our heads and lifted our shoulders, hands out to our sides.
“I’ll call animal control.” He paused, staring at us for a long moment. “You know you’re not supposed to be in here.” Mr. Valdez frowned, his lips curled up and head tilted.
“We were just leaving.” Henry waved to me.
We waited until Mr. Valdez vanished around the corner, heading for the administrative office.
Sabrina jogged over to us. "You guys okay?"
"Yeah." Henry nodded. "Say how'd you know what they were going to do?"
Sabrina reddened. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
My brother and I grinned. "Uh, I think you're safe with us." I jerked my head to the side. "You did see what happened here, didn't you?"
"Yes. I didn't realize you had your grandfather's magic." Her words had a ring of awe to them. "Like you, I inherited powers from my father. I can hear an animal’s thoughts. When those two guys changed into—whatever they were—I heard what they were thinking."
"But you couldn’t hear them when they were people?" Henry asked.
"No."
"Interesting."
"Why?"
"Because people are animals too. So you should be able to hear us as well."
"I never thought of it like that, but you're right. I should. But, for now, I just hear animal-animals." She lifted a shoulder.
Henry perused the area. "Let's go to the dance, before anyone else sees us. I hope Mr. Valdez doesn't get us in trouble."
"Wait." I jogged to the door and kicked the rock outside, letting it shut and lock. “We need to get back to the dance in case those creatures make a grand entrance.”
I joined my brother and Sabrina. At a fast pace set by Henry, Mr. Straight-laced, we hustled, slipping through the door. Facing the lock, I shot magic into it. I had to race to catch up with my brother, who joked and laughed with Sabrina. Jerk!
Henry had the pick of any girl he wanted. Whereas me, I struggled to get a girl to talk to me, and I liked Sabrina. Besides, wasn't she too young for Henry? But didn't girls prefer older guys? Ugh, I didn’t stand a chance!
We entered the gym, now more crowded with the football players and cheerleaders having joined. Kids in groups danced together in circles while couples moved with the music, some slow dancing despite the music being upbeat and fast. Several of the football players stood in their area, against one wall, their feet spread and wearing their letterman’s jackets even though it was warm in the gym.
Henry asked Sabrina to dance and darn it; a slow song came on. He removed his coat and set it on the bleacher. He gave her one of his winning smiles, raised his brows, and offered her his arm.
Like the other girls, Sabrina beamed, way too pleased he’d asked her.
As Henry led her out onto the floor, I focused on them; my lips clamped together and a knot forming in the pit of my stomach. True, she was just a friend, but she was my friend. I met her first. She was closer to my age. Henry wasn’t right for her. I mean, he was too tall, and she was short, my height.
Long and lean, Henry exhibited muscle, from his thick biceps bulging out of his short-sleeved shirt to his powerful quadriceps straining his jeans. He had a handsome face, clear complexion, straight nose, not too long and not too short, dark blue eyes and straight black hair, clipped short and parted on the side. The popular girls in school usually chased after him. An A student, he breezed through his advanced placement classes. I used to hate him for getting the positive traits of our family, and leaving me with the crud, the short height, weakling muscles, and average intelligence. But he turned out to be a pretty decent brother on top of everything else, which made it worse. He’d defend me to Jerry and his friends many times, not that it kept Jerry from picking on me.
I fisted my hands at my sides and glowered at them.
Henry winked at me.
That pissed me off even more. Deciding not to wait any longer, I cut in.
Henry gave me a lopsided grin. "Took you long enough." Henry took only a few steps, before a popular cheerleader and one of the prettiest girls in school, Mandy Peyton kept him on the dance floor. With her long, thick dark brown hair, dark eyes, beautifully shaped lips she always painted pink, and a straight nose, she stood out in any crowd.
“Your brother's nice," Sabrina said.
That was the last thing I wanted to hear Sabrina say. "Yeah. He's Prince Charming." My pulse increased, holding her close. She smelled good, and her hand was warm in mine.
"Does he have a girlfriend?"
Oh, crap. That was the second thing I didn't want to hear her say. "He dates lots of girls, but no one steady."
"He's popular isn't he?"
"Yeah." I changed the subject. “Don’t you think Mr. Valdez’s reaction to the creatures was strange?” When she said nothing I continued. “He acted so casually. He didn’t say anything about how weird they looked.”
“He didn’t, did he?” She paused in thought. “Maybe he didn’t know how to handle it. Maybe the creatures freaked him out, and he was in denial about what he saw. Or, maybe he didn’t get a good look at them. It was pretty dark in the hallway.”
“That’s true.” We swayed to the music for a minute. "What do you think happens to those creatures?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do they change back to human form after a certain amount of time? And did they know they had changed? Do they blank out when they change or do they know what's happening?"
"Those are good questions. Do you think your grandfather knows the answer to them?"
I frowned. "Maybe. I'll ask tomorrow when I visit him at the hospital. Hey, are you meeting me at our shop tomorrow morning?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Sabrina sighed.
"What's wrong?" I frowned.
"I feel guilty for being here when my father’s missing."
I felt the same guilt for enjoying myself at the dance when my grandfather was in the hospital. At the same time, if I hadn't been here, my brother might be a chupacabra right now running through the night, sucking goats with the other two. After dealing with those two chupacabras, I had to admit my concern for Tom had grown. Could Tom have turned into one? My gut tightened at the thought. If Gramps and I put our two heads together, could we create a spell to change Tom back?
"He's okay." The tone of my voice betrayed my words.
Doubt was expressed by the deep grooves etched between her brows.
"He is," I said with more conviction this time. "We'll find him. I promise." The song ended, and we headed for the bleachers.
Sam sauntered over. "Hey, where'd you guys go?"
"I had to talk to my brother."
"Oh." Sam didn't probe further. It's why we were such good friends. He didn’t snoop into my business. I never had to explain anything to Sam, which was pretty good considering my family and abilities.
"So, uh," Sam mumbled. "Sabrina. Would you like to dance again?"
"Sure." She strolled to the floor with Sam, his bulk frame contrasting with her slender body. As I watched them dance my hands fisted, but not tightly like when she had danced with Henry. Maybe it was a sibling rivalry thing or maybe it was because I didn’t consider Sam as big of a threat as my brother. Henry snapped his fingers and girls came running. Sam and I could jump on tables naked with lampshades on our heads and girls still wouldn’t notice us!
Tina Eckland and Carol Fielding from my Chemistry class approached. Tina, dressed Gothic with black hair, thick black eyeliner, and posts and rings in her nose and ears, wore three layers of shirts, in different shades of gray, and black pants. Carol dressed in black but applied no makeup. "Hey Finkleman," Tina said. "I guess I'll be joining you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" I asked.
"Detention." She raised her brows, the corners of her mouth curved up.
Oh, crap. I'd forgotten I had to go to Saturday detention. Sabrina and I’d have to meet early. "Yeah. What fun! What are you in for?"
"I came late to class since school started." Tina rolled her eyes. "Mr. Otto is having a problem with it. The guy’s so anal."
"Tell me about it. I know Hadler cheated off of me, but I'm the one getting punished for it."
"Hadler's a jerk." Tina flared her nose. "He thinks he's God. Did you see how hard he played tonight trying to impress the scouts? Typically, the guys a lazy butt. He won’t make it at the U of W. Now, your brother's another story."
"Yeah, he's Wonder Boy." I raised my brows and pulled the sides of my mouth back.
Tina shrugged. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"See ya."
Tina and Carol strolled by, joining their group at one corner of the gym, the entire group dressed in black or gray, their hair cut weird and piercings everywhere.
Henry sauntered over to me with his arm draped over Mandy's shoulders. "Hey, we're going to head out now. Where's Sabrina?"
"She's dancing with Sam."
Henry jerked his head to the side. "Get her. I'll take you both home. Unless you want to go with us to and make-out?" He raised his brows a couple of times and grinned.
"I think I'll pass." I’d known Sabrina for a few hours, and he wanted me to make-out with her? Really? Before Henry retorted a smart remark, I strolled onto the dance floor and tapped Sam on the shoulder. "Sorry, but my brother wants to go, and he's our ride."
Sabrina nodded.
I knew Sam hadn't gotten his driver's license, so he wouldn't have been able to take Sabrina home. His shoulders dropped, along with his smile.
"I'm sorry about this," I said.
"It's okay. No big deal." Obviously, she didn't like Sam the way he did her.
I glanced at Sam. He waved, standing alone on the dancefloor.
I held up my hand and guided Sabrina to the Commons exit. Henry and Mandy stood outside, Henry whispering in her ear. Sabrina dropped her head and stared at the ground. Better she learns it now that my brother had many girlfriends, rather than later when her crush grew. I wanted to reach out and hold her hand or put my arm around her to show her I was the better guy, but I chickened out. Instead, I nodded forward. "The car’s this way."
We had to wait several minutes before Henry and Mandy showed up. By the hunger in Henry’s eyes, he wasn't thinking clearly right now. He opened Mandy's door first and pushed the seat forward. Sabrina climbed in, staying on the far side of the car bench. I got in on my brother's side.
Henry zoomed through town with Sabrina giving him directions to her house.
We drove to an older two-story brown home with white trim. An overhanging roof covered a broad front porch. The house had a two-story turret. Two windows flanked the front door. The porch light overflowed onto the steps and grass. I walked her to the door. She paused.
"Don't forget. Tomorrow morning at eight. Sorry, it's early, but I have detention at noon." When she frowned, I added, "Don't ask."
She grinned, making me smile. "Thanks for everything. I hope we find my dad soon."
“Thanks for coming with me. We will.” I nodded and waved.
Once inside, she cried, "Mom! I'm home!"
I hurried back to the car, afraid my brother might leave without me and dove back into the back seat.
"Boy, David. You blew it!" Henry shook his head.
