Witch Hunt

I own nothing. Not a big fan of this chapter, but the plot needs to advance every now and then…

Thanks to Peril of Hope for continuing reviews. Unfortunately, I have a sneaking suspicion boyfriends are only this perfect in the movies! We can always hope though :)

Chapter Eleven

It got dark. My stomach was making 'feed me' noises. Actually, it could have been Tyler's stomach with the noises - we were wrapped so close that it was difficult to tell. He slid his hands down my arms to tangle our fingers together and stepped back slightly.

"You sound hungry," he smiled at me. So it was my stomach. Cue slight embarrassment.

"Wasn't really up to eating this morning," I explained. "Coffee isn't exactly filling."

He nodded. "Cafeteria?"

"Sure."

Tyler held my hand as we walked back into the school.

"You sure you want to risk that?" I asked him.

He looked slightly puzzle.

"You know, concrete boots? Swimming with the fishes?"

"Oh!" he laughed. "I think you're worth the risk."

Even though I hadn't been looking for compliments, it was flattering to know that he would risk my brother's (joking) wrath for me.

We grabbed food and found an empty section of bench to sit on. Cafeteria food is the same the country over. I guess all the fees we were paying weren't finding their way to the kitchens. Or maybe it's just that having to mass-produce food for hungry teenagers doesn't lend itself to culinary brilliance.

Whatever.

I leaned close to Tyler to hear him over the buzz of conversation and the clatter of cutlery.

"I've been thinking about what you said about Reid," he told me around a mouthful of lasagne. Charming.

"Really?"

He looked a bit surprised. "You're not going to cry drunk on that too?" he asked.

"Well, the whole bagging out your best friend thing, yeah. Sorry. But I meant what I said about Jess. Maybe not the evil bit…" I trailed off. Didn't really know what to say without it sounding all conspiracy-theory.

"Reid has changed," Tyler said seriously. "But it's been, what, a week? I just figured it was a new girl thing."

I put down my fork. "I guess I don't really know Reid that well, except from class and by reputation," I conceded, "but I'm not big on coincidence. And she just seems… suspicious."

He looked at me.

"It sounds paranoid, I know."

"Kind of." At least he was honest.

"Just, well, keep it in mind?" I asked.

"We'll keep it in mind together," he told me.

---

We were officially a couple pretty soon after that. Not that we talked about it - I'm no good at relationship talks, feelings and all that stuff. I mean, I feel, I'm just not into talking about it. But we hung out a lot, held hands and even snuggled a bit in public. Did couple-y stuff.

Kate informed me in early February that school gossip had us as 'serious', and Tyler as officially off the market. Not that I cared what their plastic asses thought about me, but it was cool to be publicly acknowledged as serious.

Our extended group (The Sons, Dan and I, Kate and Sarah) hung out quite a lot too. Caleb's mansion had a really cool room, though it was a little odd to step through from a lounge decorated with deer head and gilt furniture to a room containing foosball, fridge, couches and a pool table. We spent a lot of weekend nights at Nicky's. Spenser couldn't really stop us, and the Sons were allowed to do pretty much whatever they wanted anyway.

Jess and Naomi were at Nicky's a lot too. Reid and Jess seemed pretty exclusive, though he was getting more distant from us by the day. He brought Jess to Caleb's a few times, but although the girls and I honestly tried to befriend her, she was hard to like.

And I was totally suspicious still. Their winter vacation should have ended after a couple of weeks at the most, but they didn't leave. When I asked at Caleb's one night, Jess told me they'd decided to take the semester off and help out with some family projects. She was really vague – just tried to laugh it off. When I pressed a bit, she got pissed and went to talk to the boys over foosball. Reid glared at me.

She didn't come back to Caleb's though.

I was most worried about Dan. He'd starting using. Not much to begin with, but we'd been brought up hardly ever using, so even that was unusual. He went out with Naomi more and more often, sometimes doubling with Reid and Jess, and often neither of them was to be found in classes the next morning. He'd already gotten into Harvard, but it wasn't like him to slack off. I talked to Tyler about it, but the Sons seemed to a have a more relaxed attitude to the power – a little fun was acceptable. And Dan wasn't using anywhere near as much as Reid.

---

The weather was finally improving when I decided that it was time Dan and I had a serious talk. He'd taken to sitting with Reid in Lit, so I had to grab him across the stream of students escaping the room at the end of class.

He looked a little surprised as I dragged him off to the side of the door. I plastered a smile on my face.

"Hey little brother, fancy a walk?"

He scrunched his eyebrows (I could almost see his 'crazy sister' thoughts) but nodded. We left our bags in my room on our way down to the woods.

Dan stuck his hands in his pockets and kicked at the ground as we walked. I wondered how best to approach our talk.

"The sun always makes me feel better about life." Great beginning girl.

"I guess," Dan told me.

Right.

"How's Naomi?"

"Good."

Honestly.

"You two seem to spend a lot of time together."

"I suppose."

Maybe if I shut up he'd talk more.

You know, a meaningful silence.

Except I hate silence.

"More than any of the girls in New York."

"Hell Summer, you're not still going on about this?!" Dan stopped and turned on me. Exactly what I didn't want.

"About what? I'm just saying that you must really like her!" I took a few steps forward, but Dan stayed where he was, arms crossed.

"No you're not! You're about to start telling me how 'strange' they are, and how I should stay away because they want my power or something equally paranoid!"

I turned back to him "Well, you have to admit…"

"No! No I don't have to admit," he cut me off. "They're really fun girls to hang out with. Not witches, not evil, just cool girls. Stop looking for conspiracies!"

"I'm not!" I protested. "I just don't trust them. Particularly Jess, but Naomi's her friend. Shouldn't they be back in Texas by now?"

"They've decided to take the semester off. Jess told you that before you started being rude the last time she was at Caleb's."

"Fine. I just wish you'd be careful!"

"There's nothing to be careful of!"

"Yeah?" I was so angry. Even when we were arguing we used listen to each other. I tried to calm down, speak normally. "What about how much you've been using?"

"Fuck Summer! I haven't been using that much! Way less than Reid. Even less than the others. What's your problem?"

"My problem is that we've never used this much before! Who knows what might happen?"

"Nothing will happen. You're so uptight! We've got power. How stupid is it not to use it?"

"Not as stupid as using it!"

"Look at the Sons! They use sometimes. You just have to be in control."

"So you're just going to ignore how Mom and Dad brought us up?"

"Mom and Dad didn't know anything. There's nothing wrong with using a bit. Maybe they'd still be alive if Dad wasn't such a wimp about the Power!"

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I was shocked. Not that the same thoughts hadn't crossed my mind, but to actually say it?

"Close your mouth, Summer," Dan sneered. "And stay the hell out of my life!"

"You are my life Dan!" I was on the edge of tears. I couldn't see properly, but I didn't want to cry in front of Dan. "You've changed, but you're still my brother."

But he didn't hear me, or at least didn't respond. He was already walking back toward the school.

I broke and stumbled back a few paces to the nearest tree. Sliding down the rough truck, I gather splinters through my school shirt without even noticing. And cried.