MAGICAL AMNESIA
Sarah carefully looked around the classroom.
This room, at least, looked no different after the demon left than before he had arrived. There was, to be sure, the faint smell of sulphur the creature had left in his wake. But for all the time merchant's threats, by appearances, reality hadn't changed but for the nut and bolt he had pulled from somewhere or some-when in time. Even the electric school clock near the door hadn't taken notice of the goings on, the second hand ceasingly going around counting the seconds.
"We can check our phones" volunteered Erica, and, quickly going through hers, found nothing had changed.
Neither did Sarah, finding everything on her phone including the (almost embarrassingly) large number of selfies she took last June, as soon as she ceased being a vampire.
"I was half-hoping I might be a vampire again" sighed Erica. "Of course, if I was immortal then you probably would be too, and I in good conscience I have to help my BFF de-vamp herself again by taking on that time-loser. But it doesn't look like he did anything besides maybe make Ethan cool . . . but I'll have to see that to believe it. It would take turning the world upside down to make that happen"
"It can't be that easy" said Sarah skeptically.
"I know" said Erica.
"No, not making Ethan cool! Remember, Musetronics is actually good. I don't think we're going to get out of this so easily. That demon seemed very happy . . . and it wasn't just about getting out of the coin."
"Why not?" asked Erica.
"At the very least" said Sarah thoughtfully, "If a demon granted my wish for Ethan to be cooler. . . that I wasn't stupid enough to give to a demon to grant of my own free will . . . it's going to be a disaster for Ethan. Have you noticed how monsters seem to have the habit of picking on Ethan specifically? How many times has his been singled out?"
"Maybe even they noticed how much of a geek he is?" joked Erica.
"Seriously!" said Sarah curtly. "I think it's because Ethan is the glue that holds the anti-monster forces together from the start. Ethan may be last in the Team Sabre name, but it was group was his idea from the start."
Erica sighed, and looked thoughtful.
"And besides being a seer" said Erica reluctantly, "Ethan tends to be a genius at plotting against dark forces, vampires included. Okay, that wish for Ethan to be cooler may have seriously backfired on him, instead of us . . . Cooler? Maybe he granted it literally? Do you think it meant that Ethan's has actually been frozen into an ice-cube?"
Erica said that last in a very worried-voice. Although she wouldn't admit it, for all her complaining she had grown to like Ethan as a friend. Erica definitely didn't want him deep-frozen and dead.
"The time merchant said Ethan wasn't frozen" said Sarah. "But then Tempes Jerkator admitted he was a demon, so how can we trust him? Unless he was just gloating."
"Maybe he had to tell the truth?" suggested Erica. "He had to stay in the coin until he could grant a wish . . . it might be that whatever spell imprisoned him, and released him, made him tell you the truth to his master. You released him, the demon had to use him powers to grant your wish. That he had turned the world on its head to make Ethan popular. It's not so far out there. Some of the Arabian Nights stories had evil djinnis who were imprisoned and only let go if they swore to serve those who released them."
"I could see Benny thinking that was the best way to get rid of a demon" said Sarah. "Not realizing how dangerous the coin would be, or thinking ahead that someone might actually use it to make a wish."
And now Sarah had her first hint that something had changed. As she mentioned Benny, Sarah had looked subconsciously toward the cheque she had among the yearbook money neatly counted on the table. It was gone.
"Where's Mrs. Weir's cheque?" asked Sarah.
"Maybe he's a demon time merchant and a petty thief?" suggested Erica.
"No, it's more serious than that" said Sarah, pulling the class lists and yearbook order forms. "Help me find the Grade 11 guys."
Benny Weir's name was easy to find, "W" being near the bottom. Or at least it would have been easy, has it actually been there. But the names jumped from Ed Weal to Betty Wilson, without a Benny Weir in between.
"He's gone" said Erica dully. "He might still be on our phones, but he's gone from the world . . . or at least Whitechapel High!"
And this time, Erica didn't say how happy she was that Benny was gone. Erica thought back regretfully for the time or two she had literally tried to kill Benny – and realized he might well now be erased from existence.
"Sometimes I thought" admitted Sarah guiltily, "that Ethan would be a cooler guy if he had more normal friends."
"That gremlin-thing used that for that sleep-walking spell last fall" said Erica irritably, who well remembered that although she got through that adventure physically unscathed, her dignity had been another story. "Your hidden resentment of Benny and Rory."
"And now Ethan's best friend is gone" said Sarah worriedly. "Benny's been erased . . . or moved . . . all for the want of a bolt? I can't believe it."
"Maybe, maybe not" said Erica optimistically, "Ethan just never met his best friend. Benny's probably just the same jerk he always was, only living with his Mom. Or maybe Benny just moved away years ago. It doesn't have to be bad.
"But then again . . . why would Benny have never lived here?" Sarah said. "Benny's Dad travels a lot for work. A bolt taken away from a truck or a jet engine . . . . we're not getting anywhere just sitting here speculating."
"I don't think Ethan not having his geeky best friend Benny around will change him" said Erica. "All he'd do is be best friends with . . . .
The girls exchanged glances.
"What's his last name?" asked Erica, while Sarah looked again through the list of Grade 11 surnames.
"Katz, Kent, Khatri" read Sarah. "No Rory Keener."
"Rory was hopeless . . . but . . . ." said Erica.
"Ethan Morgan's still here" interrupted Sarah. "Cool or not, I'll try to reach him. I don't know how to break it to him his friends are gone."
"Especially since Ethan might have never heard of Benny or Rory" observed Erica.
While Erica went to the office to deliver the yearbook money, Sarah went to her locker hoping it was still in the same place.
"At least that's my locker's still here" said Sarah to herself.
And, looking around the halls, things looked deceptively the same. Although, so far as Sarah knew, at least two students had been erased . . . or at least transferred . . . from those halls.
Sarah pocketed some things she'd need if she suddenly needed to leave school. She also carefully stored the fateful nut and bolt in a secret compartment in her compact.
Sarah smiled. The compact itself was a gift from Ethan, who must have thought the (advertised) secret-compartment was some cool secret-agent style feature.
Sarah then went toward the student lounge where she was going to meet Erica . . . and probably Ethan too. As for Benny and Rory . . . that would have to wait. Ethan was living with the time merchant's changes to history.
"If I'm lucky, he can use his glowing white eyes to break through that spell" said Sarah to herself as she walked down the hallway. "Then we'll have to brainstorm on how to break the spell. Or contact Benny and Rory . . . wherever they are . . . and have them help us reverse the spell. And if all else fails, try to find Benny's grandmother to put this bolt back in place."
It was, at least, a plan.
Turning a corner, Sarah almost ran into Principal Hicks and Mr. G. standing outside the school's athletic trophy case. It's normally empty trophy case; but now Mr. G was carefully polishing the large district championship hockey trophy to Principal Hicks' approval.
"To think only a few years ago, we only had that dusty forty year old trophy to show our school spirit" said Hicks proudly.
"Well, now" said Mr. G, "winning isn't everything. But these trophies certainly spruce up the old case."
"I didn't say it was everything" said Hicks. "It is the spirit of the game and healthy competition . . . Oh, hello Sarah. Yearbook drive going well?"
"Very . . . well, Principal Hicks" said Sarah, preoccupied with looking at the trophies.
"Coming to cheer on the boys basketball team in the gym this afternoon?" said Mr. G. "I don't know if we'll win, but we're sure to set a record in team spirit!"
"I . . . have a lot of homework to do" lied Sarah.
A basketball game was the last thing on her mind. And having a conversation with the principal about a championship basketball game that shouldn't be happening was the last thing Sarah wanted to do.
"You won't miss out" said Principal Hicks. "Tomorrow you might see the basketball cup here."
"Keeping company with the football, hockey, wrestling and baseball trophies" said Mr. G.
Sarah wondered what bizarre change could have led to Whitechapel becoming the football, hockey, wrestling and baseball champions (and a contender for basketball!).
Unbidden, the worst possible explanation came to her mind! What if, somehow, the vampires had stayed in town. And succeeded in turning every high school athlete into one of them. That would explain the school's winning streak!
"No!" thought Sarah. "I tried going for volleyball as a fledgeling. I didn't make it past the first practice. Vampires just can't play sports. They're too strong. There's a reason Jesse chose drama over gym. We don't have anything to worry about."
That is, nothing to worry about besides walking into the blonde cheerleader carelessly practicing waving her pom-poms in the middle of the hall. In fairness, the cheerleader had her locker in the short hallway near the student lounge. Still, it took her a scarcity of brains or a large amount of self-absorption to take up half the hallway shoving the pompoms into the air.
"GO WHITECHAPEL GO DEVILS GO WHITECHAPEL GO GO GO GO. . . hmmph!" said the cheerleader.
"Excuse me" said Sarah politely, as she went to go around the girl, whom she didn't recognize.
"Is that all you have to say to me?" said the cheerleader, in an offended voice.
"What else is there to say?" Sarah replied, with some annoyance of her own.
Sarah took a good look at the cheerleader. Sarah didn't much like cheerleaders; she didn't think much of cheerleading nor did she have any friends amongst their ranks. With Stephanie gone, Sarah realized that cheerleading and cruelty didn't go hand-in-hand, but it still wasn't her thing.
"No hello?" sniffed the girl.
This cheerleader immediately rubbed Sarah the wrong way. She wasn't yet dressed in her cheerleader outfit, but was wearing a very tight yellow sweater and white pants.
But getting a good look at the girl, Sarah realized that she had definitely not been at Whitechapel High before. The way she filled her sweater, even if Sarah had never noticed her, her picture would have been permanently burnt into Ethan, Benny and Rory's mind.
Now that Sarah thought of it, the girl was a bit like Debbie Dazzle, at least in the fact that the girl was blonde and her figure was unreal.
"What about my new cheer and new moves?" asked the girl.
Sarah thought it was stupid! She was really proud of herself for saying "GO, GO, GO, GO! A two year old could think that up!"
"I think you're doing a great job" said Sarah, kindly ducking the question.
"And I think you're jealous" said the girl huffily, as she flounced away. "I can't believe it. That's all you can say! You're doing a great job! And on the day of the big game!"
"I can't believe that cheerleaders actually think that boys watch them for their cheer moves" said Sarah contemptuously.
"Ethan, see me ASAP. Has to do with a demon. Find Benny if you can." Sarah texted.
"WTH are you bringing up Benny? Low blow. Sarah - will always try to help you. Easy to ditch Travel. Meet you in student lounge."
That one sentence said a good deal. Sarah read it again and again as she waited in one of the comfortable chairs in the empty lounge.
Sarah was getting impatient and more than a little angry.
Ethan's text, even the fact that he atypically had his phone on during class, made her wonder exactly what he was doing.
Ethan seemed reluctant to hear about a demon. Well that was the genuine Ethan! What wasn't like Ethan was his describing facing a demon as a favour to Sarah. And no mention of Team Sabre! The post-Lucifractor Ethan was proud of a having "named" a monster-hunting team. Sarah found that to be one of Ethan's lovable quirks.
"But what about Benny!" thought Sarah.
Ethan knew who the boy was. That was a relief. But why would it be a "low blow" to mention Benny in the text?
Last . . . and probably least, Travel and Tourism: A Geographic Perspective was a "bird course". Sarah knew Ethan wouldn't never take it, although it might give him the chance to dress-up for school in one of his weird costumes one day. Sarah guessed Benny wouldn't take the course either. Not because it was too easy, but because Benny was helpless in geography, mostly due to his being bored by the subject.
Erica had left to deliver the yearbook committee money to the office. Then she had sent a text.
"Met a cute guy here I've never seen before. He's skipping to take me to coffee. Catch up with Ethan alone. He likes you better than me anyway. Txt when you need me."
Erica had a point, Ethan did like Sarah much better. And it was what Sarah had long expected from Erica. So Sarah let it go . . . for now. But the fact there was no one to talk to made Sarah even more impatient.
"Hi Sarah" said Ethan, hoarsely, sitting down. Sarah saw Ethan stretch out of the corner of her eye. "It took longer than I thought. This demon-thing, is it really something we need to look into? I have a game tonight."
"ETHAN!" startled Sarah, looking beside her.
Embarrassingly, she had practically yelled into Ethan's right ear.
Ethan himself startled. His brown eyes had looked calm until Sarah yelled. Then they started to screw up, as if the sudden loud noise had literally pained Ethan. They reopened again to display annoyance. With annoyance came the faintest yellow glow flooding and mixing in with the brown of the irises.
"What the hell is wrong with you today?" Ethan swore, but then he swallowed his anger. "You . . . are you okay?" he asked in a more concerned voice, grabbing her with a strength that wasn't typically his. "You look like you're in shock. What the heck happened to you?"
The yellow glow was extinguished as Ethan's eyes looked at Sarah with a worried gaze, desperately as if trying to figure her out. For a moment, Sarah thought Ethan would go white-eyed as he sought to see into her, but he didn't.
"Nothing happened to me. Letgo, Ethan" Sarah said, forcing herself to be calm. "I know you're just trying to be nice."
Sarah stood up and stared at Ethan. Ethan put his hands in his jacket, and looked perplexed.
"I'm so sorry Ethan" Sarah apologized.
Ethan still looked at her surprised.
"Why?" he said.
"At least you're not a vampire" Sarah volunteered.
"Yeah, I know that I'm not a neck-biter" said Ethan dryly, although he spat out "neck-biter" with uncommon vehemence. Almost as if the very mention of the word annoyed him.
The Ethan now looking so confused wasn't the beanpole of an hour ago. Ethan had gained a beefy build and a few more inches; instead of looking at a lean kid, Sarah was looking at a teenage bruiser wearing a polo shirt and an unzipped Whitechapel Devils letterman jacket. Ethan looked as if he could take on Kurt the Hurt Lochner in a boxing match and win.
Here and there even Ethan's facial features were altered. The nose and ears were a little bigger. Ethan's teeth were brilliantly white. All in all, it bizarrely reminded Sarah of the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
"Ethan, I swear I'll undo this if it's the last thing I do!" said Sarah.
"Undo what!" demanded Ethan. "What the . . . ."
"And every month those feet of yours stretch out into hind paws" said Sarah guiltily. "That's why your feet and shoes are so big. You're built to turn into an animal every full moon. It all comes with you being a werewolf. And by the looks of you, you've been a werewolf for a long time."
Ethan's puzzlement had now turned into frustration. First he looked around to make sure there was nobody in the room. Then he again faced Sarah, anger plain on his face.
"Ethan, I'm so sorry" said Sarah.
"The hell! You said that!"
"I'll keep it down."
"Yeah, Sarah, see that you do" Ethan said in a low voice.
"Excuse me?" said Sarah, annoyed at the order, but thought better of it. Sarah blushed. Here she was, a former vampire blurting what was probably Ethan's dark secret for anyone to hear who came along.
"I never taunted you about your fangs or yellow eyes" Ethan objected.
"I know Ethan" said Sarah.
"If you and me weren't close, I'd be angry" Ethan continued in a low voice. Or at least Ethan tried a low voice, but here and there he picked up something of a growl. "I know I'm a werewolf. And you and Jane are the only ones alive who know that I'm . . . werewolf. It's not that I'm sensitive about it, I just don't want it known all over school. But guess what, Sarah? I don't know what the hell's gotten into you today, but you weren't responsible for me becoming a werewolf. So quit with your guilt trip already."
"You don't really look like a werewolf" Sarah said kindly, or more accurately, lied kindly. "Unless someone knew what to look for."
"Thanks" said Ethan sarcastically.
Ethan seemed to take a deep breath, and recollect both his wits and his temper. The look of puzzlement mixed with concern reappeared in his eyes.
Sarah too took a deep breath. Now was the time to tell Ethan everything.
"Would you sit down, Ethan?" Sarah said. "I'll tell you why you think I'm acting so strangely."
Ethan sat down reluctantly; it seemed dangerously close to an order someone gives to a dog.
"This is hard to believe" Sarah continued. "But today when I was counting the yearbook money, I found an old coin. I accidentally made a wish on it and released a demon . . . ."
"I GOT IT!" interrupted Ethan, and again his deep brown eyes softened and looked concernedly at Sarah. "That's it! This . . . thing you're talking about somehow stole your memory. You have some sort of magical amnesia. That explains why you're asking about poor Benny and forgetting that I'm a werewolf. I don't know why the hell you think you're behind me being a werewolf, but that must be some of that thing's magic sp . . . ."
"That isn't what happened" Sarah interrupted.
Ethan whistled in surprise.
"You just can't remember!" Ethan rambled on. "For the first time I wish I was a geeky little seer again. I could get your memory back instantly. But I swear, I'll do something to help you. But first things first. You don't think you're still a vampire, do you?"
"No" said Sarah, who now looked at Ethan appraisingly. "But what's this about the first time you wishing you were a seer?"
"I lost that when I was turned into a werewolf" said Ethan. "You don't remember that either?"
"I guessed that" said Sarah. "But what do you mean this is the first time you've ever wanted to be a seer again?"
"Well, a geek and a seer" Ethan clarified.
"Don't tell me you like being a werewolf?"
"We're going to argue about this again?" asked Ethan. "How about we first deal with your magical amnesia? There's got to be some sort of cure or treatment."
"If I actually had magical amnesia I wouldn't remember arguing about you liking being a werewolf the first time" said Sarah impatiently.
"More like the first twenty!" said Ethan growlingly.
Even so, Ethan looked so worried that Sarah that felt touched. Sarah realized that Ethan truly believed she was under a spell, instead of Ethan's current life being a fraud invoked by a time-tampering demon.
"Okay" said Ethan quietly. "We'll deal with the rest of your amnesia later. Here's the Coles Notes version of me and lycanthropy. I'm used to it. The canine instincts are a pain, but I have them mostly under control. Growling is too natural to me to give up, howling is too cool to give up completely. But I gotta hand it to you for getting me into karate, those exercises helped me with control."
"When were you in karate?" asked Sarah.
"You got me into it" said Ethan. "When you became human again, and I became a werewolf. You saved my life by supporting me then. We went to karate together for over a year, until I had too much to handle."
"What do you mean?" asked Sarah.
"I didn't have the time! Football, basketball, hockey, volleyball, wrestling, lacrosse, baseball and track" replied Ethan casually.
"I guessed by the jacket you were now a jock" said Sarah quietly. "You always hated jocks."
"Awesome, isn't it?" smirked Ethan.
Sarah thought that Ethan still had a sweet smile. Although it was cheerful, proud smile, there was a hint of melancholy in Ethan's eyes. As if he regretted losing something along the way.
"It was my worst nightmare as a freshman" said Ethan, wryly. "Becoming a werewolf jock."
Ethan stretched, a look of deep thought on his face.
"Benny thought I'd be a werewolf geek" Ethan said. "But the dude got it wrong. For a few months, I tried to stay the same geeky guy. But when you're fourteen, and you're turned into a werewolf, you grow up as a werewolf in human form. I can't just sit around coding a computer, Sarah. I can't sit all day, push some buttons and look at some screen. I sold all my video games. Except the ones I gave away."
"All of them?" asked Sarah, surprised.
"Yeah" said Ethan. "They started to bore me to death. Meanwhile, I was still taking gym class. And within a month or two I became real good at everything. It wasn't long before our insane hockey coach asked me to join his team. You know, I always loved watching hockey. Once his Frankenjock was destroyed, I was the star player. There's nothing like speeding on skates, hitting the puck, slamming the other guys into the boards . . . . then I started going out for every sport. I hated jocks, but I never really hated sports. I wasn't any good, Sarah, but I didn't actually hate sports. Just playing them. Now that I could, now that I awesome at them, now that everyone was telling me how cool I was for playing them, now that I needed to kill off all the energy I had . . . I signed up. Me and my pal Hodges."
"Hodges?" asked Sarah.
Ethan looked at Sarah impatiently.
"Jarod Hodges, my best bro. He's a cool guy. Nowhere near as good an athlete as me, but he usually makes the team."
"I never heard of him" said Sarah. "What happened to Benny? And Rory?"
Ethan gave a painful wince. He looked annoyed again.
"Amnesia" he muttered.
"Hodges asked you out twice" Ethan added aloud, dodging the question. "But you were dating that artist you met at Lotta Latte. What was his name?" Ethan added distastefully. "Doug, Dwight, Darren, Dino, Dexter, Dawon, Dagwood . . . or something like that?"
"That creep!"
Ethan shrugged.
"But what about you and me?" asked Sarah.
Ethan opened his brown eyes wide in surprise, and, then, to Sarah, it seemed as if his eyes had a vague, faraway look. As if thinking of something long gone . . . forever.
"You mean, you and me dating?" asked Ethan.
"The last I remember we were girlfriend and boyfriend" said Sarah.
Ethan gave a low whistle.
"I wish we had" said Ethan looking at Sarah morosely. "For a long time I had a crush on you. For a time we were real good friends. Even though you were a vampire. And you got cured! But then I had to become a werewolf."
"What does that have to do with it?"
"You never went for jocks or werewolves" said Ethan, with a shrug. "I mean, I tried for a long time not to act or even look the part. And you know what, I still don't look that much like a werewolf! "Every morning, I go over my face twice with a straight razor. And again in the evening, if I'm going on a date. Barbershop clean shave. I look like I'm actually just about to turn seventeen. Which I am. For a werewolf, that ain't easy. Even Trixie laughs at me for being mental about getting a close shave. She says I'd look better keeping the stubble."
Sarah looked angrily at Ethan.
"Never mind the shaving commercial, Ethan" said Sarah. "Who's Trixie?"
Ethan pulled out a smartphone; he produced a picture from a few months ago of a formal dance. Ethan was in his suit with Trixie in a very form fitting dress with a low neckline. But some things hadn't changed. This picture was obviously taken at the Morgan family home; Ethan's mom had probably snapped the portrait and sent it to her son.
Trixie was the cheerleader Sarah had met in the hallway.
"Even as a werewolf, Ethan has nothing in common with her" Sarah thought crossly. "I don't know how he can stand to talk to her!"
But then again, Sarah realized, Ethan probably wasn't much interested in her mind.
"43-25-37" Ethan bragged. "My girl. Here's her cheerleading. Hodges took it for me while he was on the bench."
"MOR-gan, MOR-gan, MOR-gan" said Trixie, in a very high, breathy voice.
Trixie wasn't much of an acrobat. She walked by the stands, waving the red pom-poms in her short red outfit. She jumped occasionally. But, in Sarah's eyes, her only real move was waving to and fro.
"She's not that good at it" said Sarah icily.
"No guy watches a cheerleader for her exercises" laughed Ethan. "Trixie can cheerlead in her sleep.
"I don't believe you're going with a girl like that" said Sarah icily.
"Yeah" said Ethan. "I know. You used to be happy for me. Usually I only show these to my pals."
"Doesn't she bother you?"
"Yeah" joked Ethan. "That's what I like about her."
"How can a girl like this move into town?"
"You're not jealous?" asked Ethan, with a smirk. "I better not show you the shot of Trixie at the beach."
On one level, Sarah believed that this Ethan wasn't doing anything wrong. This Ethan was never any more than friends with Sarah. On another level, Sarah was jealous and angry about this act of betrayal. On both levels, Sarah despised the giggling, busty Trixie who she knew was wrong for Ethan.
"Man, Sarah" said Ethan. "A couple of years ago, canoodling with you, you're the girl-next-door type. But . . . you know we're looking for different things in a relationship. I know that you've always wanted to enjoy high school, as a human girl. You're looking for a romantic guy. But me . . . ."
"I guess you found everything you were looking for in a girlfriend" said Sarah dryly.
Ethan smirked.
"That's another cool thing about having being changed into a werewolf. I'm what she's looking for. Trixie wouldn't have looked at a skinny geek. But look at her! She loves sports. She loves high school heroes! She even loves dogs! And her Mom is single, a bartender; Trixie has her house to herself between six and one am."
Ethan pocketed his phone.
"Did any of this help your memory?" asked Ethan.
Sarah looked at Ethan. The way Ethan sat sprawled on the chair, hands in the jacket, read smugness and pride in where he was in his life. A high school star, but only due to the fact his lycanthropy had not only changed his appearance; but forced him to change his hobbies, attitudes and his friends as well. Ethan was deliberately dodging talking about Benny and Rory. That was a fact. Sarah wondered why.
"No!" said Sarah acidly, as she crossed her arms and looked at Ethan. "It's left me hoping that I can actually get a case of magical amnesia."