painting—one of a cow standing near a stream—and looked at it for a
moment before answering. “They had a disagreement over just how public Cooper should be about
being involved in the Craft,” she said.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
“I thought T.J. was okay with her studying Wicca,” said Tyler.
“He is,” Kate answered. “He just thinks she should tone it down when she’s doing public performances
and stuff.”
She waited for Tyler’s response. The truth was that she’d been trying to find a way to bring up the
current subject all day. It was something she needed to discuss with her boyfriend, but she was nervous
about it.
“Tone it down?” Tyler repeated. “How so?”
“Well, Cooper wants to do some pieces about her experiences with Wicca,” Kate explained. “T.J.
doesn’t think she should because she might get negative reactions to them.”
“Well, she probably will,” Tyler said. “But that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t do it. Look at my dad. He
can’t stand anything to do with witchcraft. But my sister and I don’t keep quiet about it just because it
might upset him.”
“Yes, but you and Hannah have a mother who’s a witch,” Kate reminded him. “You grew up with all of
this and you’re used to it. A lot of people aren’t. Cooper has already had some run-ins with people
because she’s talked about this stuff.”
“You’re talking about it like it’s something to be afraid of,” said Tyler. “Or something to be ashamed of.
Yes, there are a lot of people who don’t understand what Wicca is all about, but if we all keep quiet
about it they never will understand it.”
Kate wasn’t sure what to say next. She and Tyler had very different perspectives on this issue. So far it
hadn’t really been a big problem, but she’d known for a while that the time was coming when they would
have to discuss it. And that time seemed to be now.
“It’s not that easy for some of us,” she said carefully. “I agree with you that people need to talk about
Wicca before they can understand it. But for some people that’s really hard.”
“You mean like T.J.,” said Tyler. “He’s afraid of what people will think if Cooper is too vocal about the
fact that she’s studying witchcraft. I get that. But it’s not his life. She has to make those decisions for
herself.”
“I wasn’t talking about T.J.,” Kate told him. “I was talking about me.”
Tyler looked at her. “What do you mean?” he asked.
Kate sat down on a bench that was positioned in front of a large abstract painting. Tyler sat next to her,
looking into her face with some concern.
“You know my parents are pretty conservative,” Kate began. “And you know I don’t talk to them about
any of this.”
Tyler shrugged. “Sure,” he said. “I know you have to be a little careful. But that’s different. Cooper’s
parents already know.”
“Right,” said Kate. “But let’s get back to me for a minute. Remember when we did the healing ritual for
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Aunt Netty and I asked you not to come because I didn’t want to have to explain your being there to my
parents?”
Tyler nodded. “I didn’t like it,” he said. “But I didn’t want to create any tension during the ritual.”
Kate looked at the painting, letting her mind focus on the blobs of blue and yellow paint while she
organized her thoughts. She didn’t want what she had to say to come out wrong.
“After the ritual my parents wanted to know how involved Annie and Cooper are with the group,” Kate
said. She paused again, knowing that Tyler wasn’t going to like what came next. “And I told them that
they were involved but that I didn’t really know anything about it.”
Tyler didn’t say anything, so Kate continued. “They think that Cooper and Annie are into something they
wouldn’t
moment before answering. “They had a disagreement over just how public Cooper should be about
being involved in the Craft,” she said.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
“I thought T.J. was okay with her studying Wicca,” said Tyler.
“He is,” Kate answered. “He just thinks she should tone it down when she’s doing public performances
and stuff.”
She waited for Tyler’s response. The truth was that she’d been trying to find a way to bring up the
current subject all day. It was something she needed to discuss with her boyfriend, but she was nervous
about it.
“Tone it down?” Tyler repeated. “How so?”
“Well, Cooper wants to do some pieces about her experiences with Wicca,” Kate explained. “T.J.
doesn’t think she should because she might get negative reactions to them.”
“Well, she probably will,” Tyler said. “But that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t do it. Look at my dad. He
can’t stand anything to do with witchcraft. But my sister and I don’t keep quiet about it just because it
might upset him.”
“Yes, but you and Hannah have a mother who’s a witch,” Kate reminded him. “You grew up with all of
this and you’re used to it. A lot of people aren’t. Cooper has already had some run-ins with people
because she’s talked about this stuff.”
“You’re talking about it like it’s something to be afraid of,” said Tyler. “Or something to be ashamed of.
Yes, there are a lot of people who don’t understand what Wicca is all about, but if we all keep quiet
about it they never will understand it.”
Kate wasn’t sure what to say next. She and Tyler had very different perspectives on this issue. So far it
hadn’t really been a big problem, but she’d known for a while that the time was coming when they would
have to discuss it. And that time seemed to be now.
“It’s not that easy for some of us,” she said carefully. “I agree with you that people need to talk about
Wicca before they can understand it. But for some people that’s really hard.”
“You mean like T.J.,” said Tyler. “He’s afraid of what people will think if Cooper is too vocal about the
fact that she’s studying witchcraft. I get that. But it’s not his life. She has to make those decisions for
herself.”
“I wasn’t talking about T.J.,” Kate told him. “I was talking about me.”
Tyler looked at her. “What do you mean?” he asked.
Kate sat down on a bench that was positioned in front of a large abstract painting. Tyler sat next to her,
looking into her face with some concern.
“You know my parents are pretty conservative,” Kate began. “And you know I don’t talk to them about
any of this.”
Tyler shrugged. “Sure,” he said. “I know you have to be a little careful. But that’s different. Cooper’s
parents already know.”
“Right,” said Kate. “But let’s get back to me for a minute. Remember when we did the healing ritual for
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Aunt Netty and I asked you not to come because I didn’t want to have to explain your being there to my
parents?”
Tyler nodded. “I didn’t like it,” he said. “But I didn’t want to create any tension during the ritual.”
Kate looked at the painting, letting her mind focus on the blobs of blue and yellow paint while she
organized her thoughts. She didn’t want what she had to say to come out wrong.
“After the ritual my parents wanted to know how involved Annie and Cooper are with the group,” Kate
said. She paused again, knowing that Tyler wasn’t going to like what came next. “And I told them that
they were involved but that I didn’t really know anything about it.”
Tyler didn’t say anything, so Kate continued. “They think that Cooper and Annie are into something they
wouldn’t
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