Chapter 5

I was home by eleven, wet to the skin. The clouds had finally fulfilled their promise of rain, and the poncho didn't really make much difference. I should have guessed that, but live and learn. If it rains, you get wet. I knew that already. I took my shower, made sure my homework was done and went to bed.

When I woke up in the morning, Holly was in my bed, but there was no hanky panky going on with my erection. In fact, I wasn't even erect, and she was wearing her nightgown, snuggled up against me like a lonely kitten. I left her there snuggling into the warm spot I had left on my way to the bathroom to perform my ablutions. A little meanly, I left the alarm set to wake her when it went off, and headed down to see what was cooking in the kitchen.

Mom was making toast with jam, and scrambled eggs, so I started a pan of sausage browning. It was the pre-cooked links, so it only took a minute or three. They were done as the rest of the food hit the table, and the scent of sizzling sausage drew the rest of the family to the table like magic. I shut off my alarm clock by popping the toast from the toaster a little early and intending, willing the set tab to the off position.

Success builds success, and amplifies belief. The better you are, the better you are. I would probably astonish my Abuelita at this point, but I stayed humble, and within the balance of the Universe. I requested, not demanded, and so far, the Universe was happy to oblige. Yeah, trying not to want, and you are thinking, what good is it to be a Causer if you can't ask for what you want? Well, I Yam what I Yam. Sometimes I also benefit from helping others, and that is fine as long as I am not being selfish, and wanting what I want for me.

I just accepted what was, and what I was was an hechicero. That is fine, and I don't mind. As the rastas say, it is all good, mon. I try not to get excited about anything, and just go with it. The Universe doesn't mind the little stuff. Things have a way of balancing out.

That coven though, was unbalancing the Universe, pushing with their curses and spells, wanting and very selfishly, too. They were building up a major rebalancing, and it wasn't going to be very pleasant for them, no doubt. It had already started, with the bounce and mirror spell, the teeter was tottering. I figured the so-called 'warlock' wasn't much of a male witch at all, but was just conning the coven for his own sexual ends. However, the power wielded by the twelve was real, and ill used, and unbalanced. It wasn't so much the rituals, but that they believed in the rituals. Too bad they were being selfish about the use of their power, it was going to bite them in the ass.

Perhaps the best thing to do was to destroy their belief in their power, that would render them harmless. If I could unmask the warlock as a fraud, would they realize they had been conned, and lose their faith? It was worth a try, anyway. You never could tell though, and they were pretty rotten and had a culture of using.

Just like the whole infected rotten school. I wondered if I could make it fit for my sisters to attend in three years of Causing. It would have to be subtle nudges and guiding, I couldn't brute force it. Find a thread, and unravel.

I made the goodbye rituals, and headed off to battle, I meant school. Pretty much the same thing. It was still raining too hard to ride, so I stood and waited for the bus, which function the poncho fulfilled, keeping me mostly dry to damp. I found an appropriate seat, and took off my dripping poncho, adding its moisture to the befogged windows. The Bus Driver liked to listen to crappy AM radio, mostly weather reports and traffic conditions, Daily Tides, and Ship Reports. I tuned it out, and vegetated until we arrived at school.

PhysEd was a wash, the coach was suspicious of his whistle, but yelled out last names, and had the dropping and giving going. At least he wasn't picking particularly on any one or two, but was an equal opportunity requester of the drop and give. I gave him a total of twenty, at two separate times. I didn't mind, I would rather drop and give than stand out as one who wasn't required to do so.

I was careful to let him think he was torturing me, to satisfy his sadistic needs, figuring that the only reason he had this job was so he could torment and dominate weaker males who were under his control. He would probably like to torment and dominate females, also, but the school rules didn't allow that. I suddenly had a thought, which deserved some investigation and additional thought.

I wondered if coach had a cowl.

In homeEc we had an apron project, a little late since the omelet disaster. I made a classic manly 'BBQ' style one that went from my nipples to my knees, complete with witty slogan ("It is rare that the cook is told 'well done'") and Miss Tiff made a classic Japanese style, same as a Midwestern style except it had a cute yellow duckling holding an umbrella and wearing red rubber boots on it, and the fabric had a pale very light green four inch cross hatching. It would pass as an Easter apron.

With my help, we finished mine, and hers but for the ruffle. Tomorrow, while the rest of the class finished up, I was planning on making a tall starched white cook's hat.

English was poetry, we had to create a poem and read it in front of the class. I created a start on an epic poem, but then chickened out with the Old Icelandic meterics, thinking that using the Fornyrdislag would be annoying and pretentious, and just did a haiku about the geese flying south instead. I didn't think the other students would appreciate ancient Viking rappers.

Miss Tiff also chose haiku, a bittersweet bit about leaves flying south. One brave boy created a juicy limerick, which was actually pretty good, and was acknowledged by the teacher. It might have been the only praise he received in his life for English studies. A shame, he might have been a great author.