"Justice?" Elijah echoed.

"Do you think that taking away an ability is a good thing?" Ezekiel said.

"That depends on the ability." said Elijah. "You took mine and I feel great."

"Just do it for me, please." said Ezekiel. "Do whatever it takes to get them to accept you."

"Whatever it takes?" Elijah echoed again. He didn't like the sound of that. His head was annoying him again and he rubbed it hard. "I'll try." he said. "But first, you got any aspirin?"


Charlie found a group of students crowding around the notice board in front of the library. They were reading over each other's shoulders, whispering excitedly and pointing. People passing by turned their heads in interest but they didn't cease their walk. Some did and, like Charlie, inched up and tried to see what was going on.

"What's that?" Charlie asked no one in particular.

A girl turned around. "It's a notice posted by Dr. Bloor," she said in a business like tone. "But I'm too short to see what it is."

Charlie stood on the top of his toes to get a better look. He made out a few words like 'School', 'Fall' and 'Saturday'. At least, he thought it was 'Saturday', though it was confirmed when he squeezed in between a few people up front when they ran off to alert their own friends.

"Back to School Fall Dance, this Saturday from three to six in the evening." Charlie read. "Admission, absolutely free to all students. Fun, snacks, music, and fireworks. And for the young lasses out there, slow dances at the end for that romantic spark. More information to be announced later this afternoon." Charlie left the crowd for that was all the notice said.

"Who could I go with?" Charlie wondered aloud as he entered the music coatroom.

"Go with who to what?" asked Fidelio, looking up from polishing his violin.

Charlie strode over to him. "There's a back to school dance and it's completely free of charge."

"Ah, you've stumble across a good person to help you out," Fidelio grinned. "If I were you, I'd go for the sweet and pretty type, not too picky, and one you can talk to."

Charlie sighed. "Fidelio, what do you know about girls?"

Fidelio looked at Charlie with mock shock. "Charlie, can you not see the obvious faces of my fangirls?" He spread his arms out as if to say, 'Look around you dope,' and then he laughed. "But enough about me, what you need is a girl you know pretty well and she knows you pretty well and considers you as a friend."

Charlie felt an embarrassing urge to smile. He had one in mind but he wasn't sure if she wanted to go.

"Ah, Elijah. The other perfect man to help old Charles out." Fidelio said, smiling at Elijah who came in. Elijah flickered a smile on his worn and clouded face. He hung up his cape and sat down next to Charlie on the bench as Fidelio packed up his violin.

"So what's up?" asked Elijah.

Charlie sighed. "The school dance is coming and I want to ask someone. She's a very nice girl and we can talk on forever. But I don't know if she likes me. I don't want to be humiliated, and from the department she's from, they're bound to laugh."

Elijah shook his head, his worn and tired look vanishing from his face. "Charlie, you have to be optimistic about things. Be a 'glass half full' type of guy. Girls don't like it when you mope around."

"Yeah, just don't be Elijah when he first came here," Fidelio joked.

Elijah smirked, feeling better. "Yeah, and don't be Fidelio at all."

"Touche," Fidelio responded, hanging up his own cape.

Charlie looked up. "What if she's taken?"

"Then don't show it! Be a little disappointed but don't go crying your eyes out," said Fidelio. "Just move on for the night. Play the field. Be the player."

Elijah nodded vigorously. "Yeah, and besides, you guys are already friends, so that's a plus."

"You need to do something about your posture though," said Fidelio, sizing Charlie up.

"Yeah, posture is everything." said Elijah, standing up. "Straighten out your back, don't puff out your chest, show me a casual smile, no, knock that off your face, that's just creepy," Elijah backed way from Charlie as he gave a forced smile.

"Loosen up, man." Fidelio said. "Shoulders are too tense, head's too high, act like you're having fun."

"Right now, this is the least fun moment in history," Charlie murmured under his breath.

"And another thing, don't slur your words or mutter. All the chicks here are grumble, grumble, grumble. Speak clearly." said Elijah.

"If I did, you guys would kill me right about now." Charlie retorted. "Forget it, you guys aren't any help. I'll go ask her myself."

He stormed out of the coat room, Elijah and Fidelio exchanging looks. Charlie stormed back in and untied his cape and hung it, facing them. "Forgot it's free period," he said in an undertone.

"There's that muttering," Fidelio chided.

Charlie groaned and left again while the two boys smirked after him.

Elijah felt a sharp pain in his head and he grunted, his hands flying up to his head. "This headache is killing me," he muttered.

"Maybe you should go see the nurse," said Fidelio, his smile wiped off his face. "You've been having migraines for a few weeks now.

Elijah shook his head. The pain went away but his head throbbed. "I'm good now. I'm...I'm going to run around the gardens, get a bit of air into my system."

"Good for you," said Fidelio, patting him on the back.

Elijah ran out of the coat room and towards the gardens.

When he reached the gardens the pain went away completely. He panted, feeling a little nervous. What if Ezekiel failed to get rid of the endowment? No, side effects. He thought firmly. They're side effects. That must be it. I feel better than I did weeks ago. They're side effects.

His eyes scanned the gardens. Children from ten to seventeen were playing around. The older kids were tossing around a Frisbee or basketball while the younger ones watched. Other groups strayed away from the Frisbee game and chatted nonstop with their friends. He saw a few of his friends. He planned to go over to them and talk but they were talking to a few girls.

For the dance probably, he thought bitterly. Speaking of the dance, who will he go with?

He noticed that a few girls were looking at him. When he looked back, they turned their heads quickly, giggling.

Not them, too giggly. He thought. His head pounded again. He felt like screaming. What now? He's all better, right? So why does he feel like something's poking at his brain, urging him to listen?

Should he listen? He sat down on the grass and fingered the blades as he breathed in and out. There was that sickening feeling of guiltiness. Why though? He laid down and stared at the sky. Clouds flew by slowly and the sun was hidden behind the trees. It was beautiful out. Golden leaves flew by, maybe they were from the forest.

Something was telling him to not listen to Ezekiel. But it quickly went away sharply as if someone forced it away. He suddenly knew what to do. Something told him to use one of the strongest power. Use love, the voice seemed to say. It will tear them apart...

Love, huh? He glanced around. He knew only two good endowed girls. Emma Tolly and Olivia Vertigo. It was a no brainer, to him. Though something else was prickling his mind as if it was scolding, he picked Emma. It was either her or the weird and drama obsessed Olivia. It would have to do.

"This Saturday..." he muttered to himself, propping himself on his elbows while he still lay on his back. It was slightly uncomfortable but he figured it was easier to rest and look that way without sitting. "Four days left..."

He decided to start in on her tomorrow. First to compliment, yes, that would maybe work. He gasped with pain. It was as if someone took a mallet and swung it at his head.

He rubbed it and then it came again. What was going on? It was as if his own mind was fighting him.

He stopped, suspended in mid-rib. Maybe Ezekiel's magic was wearing off. Then he'd have to go back to hurting people without meaning to. He's a natural accident prone. Ezekiel was, no doubt, old and his magic could probably wear off easily. He sat up, wide eyed. He would have to go see him again.

He stood back up and dashed inside, right as the hunting horn sounded across the school grounds.


Tancred was in the library, scanning the bookshelves for a book to help him on his essay. Apparently he lost the old one and now he had to write a make-up essay on pottery.

"Stupid books," he muttered. "Stupid essay, stupid subject..."

Lysander walked by the bookshelves in a hurry and froze, backing up with an amazed look. "Tanc?" he said incredulously. "You're in the library?" He looked up. "I was only kidding,"

Tancred shot Lysander a look. "Don't talk all surprised Sander," Tancred said. "I have to redo the essay. I lost it."

Lysander chuckled. He couldn't help himself. "You mean the essay you threw away in the trash while you were cleaning out your backpack?"

Tancred stared at Lysander. "I threw it away?" he said blankly. "I looked at it and threw it away?"

"It was probably stuck in between a few pages from the beginning of the week." said Lysander. "You got to be more organized Tanc, how hard is that?"

"Very," said Tancred, pulling out a maroon colored book. He coughed as he brushed off the dust from the cover. "This place is so old, even the books are suffering." he mumbled.

"Anyway, have you heard?" asked Lysander.

Tancred looked up. "Heard what?"

"Man, this is your chance." Lysander said. "There's a school dance this Saturday. It's a perfect time to ask her."

Tancred hid his face behind his book and turned around. Despite the foul smell of the old book, he dug further into it. "What are you talking about Sander?" he said. "Can't you see I'm reading?

"Reading?" Lysander smirked. "The book has no space whatsoever. You have your face in it."

"That's what I call reading studiously." said Tancred.

"Tancred,"

Tancred sighed and turned around. He wasn't able to take the foul stench anymore. "What?"

"You know you want to ask her out." said Lysander.

"Sander, what if she says no? What if someone else asked her."

"Ask who?" a voice said.

Tancred turned around and Lysander leaned to the right to see who was behind Tancred. "Oh hey Elijah," said Tancred.

"Hey, Tanc. S'up Lysander." Elijah nodded.

Lysander nodded back. "I'm confronting Tancred right now."

"Oh that's perfect," said Elijah, pulling up a chair and sitting down promptly. "I'm all ears man. We feel for you."

Tancred turned red. "This is kinda personal." he said slowly.

"Tanc he can listen in. We won't say her name, he'll just know what you feel but he won't know who you're talking about." said Lysander.

"Okay, that's fine with me now that you put it that way." said Tancred. "I'm trying to ask this one girl out but I'm afraid of...what's the word?" he asked Lysander, turning his upper body halfway around.

Lysander rolled his eyes. "Denial?"

"Yeah, that word." Tancred said, turning back to Elijah who was listening attentively.

"Luckily for you I had this talk with Charlie." said Elijah. "Fido helped too. So here's the biggie question, the mother of all mother. Does she like you?"

"Er..."

Elijah's head drooped down. "Okay, let me ask another biggie. Do you like her?"

"Well yeah," said Tancred. "I've been crushing on her for a while now."

"Is she aware you exist?"

"That'll be sad if she didn't." Lysander piped in.

"Oh, so she's a friend of yours!" Elijah said eagerly. This seemed to go pretty well so far.

Tancred flushed. "Maybe,"

"Maybe?" Lysander exclaimed. "Dude, she's like your best friend!" Then he paused. "Other than me."

"Let's take this outside." Elijah whispered as the librarian glared at them at the end of the row.

The three boys gave her an awkward smile as she pointed towards the door.

"So, do I know her? Is she new here? Is she an old student? What department is she in? Is she endowed? Is she the good or the bad?" asked Elijah.

"Yes, no, yes, our department, maybe, can't tell." Lysander answered for Tancred without giving away too much.

"Hmm, well, in that case, what's she like?"

Tancred's eyes became dreamy. Lysander had an urge to slap his forehead and Elijah looked at him curiously.

"She has the most beautiful eyes." Tancred said. "Her eyes are like waves of the ocean. The hair is the softest you'd ever feel. She has skills that no one else in school can compare to. She's a prodigy. She's so sweet too and I'd spend every waking second of my life just listening to her talk. Her voice is just the sweetest thing. Like a song. She has a fancy for-"

"A lot of stuff," Lysander said loudly. "She has a lot of interest in a lot of stuff."

Tancred snapped out of his trance and blushed. "Yeah, a lot of stuff..."

"Could I guess who it is?" asked Elijah.

Tancred shrugged. "Go ahead if you want. I'll bet you a million pounds that you'll never guess it on your first guess."

Elijah cocked his head as if he was in deep thought. "Let me see here. Would the lucky lass be, Emma Tolly?"