Christianity.” I sounded like a textbook.
My sister thought about it for a few moments. “Well, that’s boring,” she said finally. “Why can’t you read porn or something fun that I could borrow?”
I laughed. “Maybe later.”
“You’re kidding,” Bree said, her eyes wide. “I don’t believe it.That’s awful.”
“It’s so stupid,” I said.“They said they want the books out of the house.” The bench where we sat outside school was chilly, and the October sunlight seemed to grow feebler by the day.
Robbie nodded sympathetically. His parents were much stricter Catholics than mine. I doubted he’d shared his interest in Wicca with them.
“You can keep them at my house,” Bree said. “My dad could care less.”
I zipped my parka up around my neck and burrowed into it. There were only a few minutes before class started, and our new, hybrid clique was gathered by the east door of school. I could see Tamara and Janice walking up to the building, their heads bent as they talked. I missed them. I hadn’t seen them much lately.
Cal was perched on the bench across from ours, sitting next to Beth. He was wearing ancient cowboy boots, worn down at the heels. He was quiet, not looking at us, but I felt sure he was listening to every word of our conversation.
“Screw them,” Raven said. “They can’t tell you what to read.This isn’t a police state.”
Bree snorted. “Yeah. Let me be there when you tell Sean and Mary Grace to go screw themselves.”
I couldn’t help smiling.
“They’re your parents,” Cal said, suddenly breaking his silence. “Of course you love them and want to respect their feelings. If I were you, I’d feel miserable, too.”
In that moment I fell deeper in love with Cal. On some level I guess I expected him to dismiss my parents as stupid and hysterical, the way everybody else had. Since he was the most ardent follower of Wicca, I expected my parents’ reaction to annoy him the most.
Bree looked at me, and I prayed my feelings weren’t written on my face. In fairy tales there’s always one person who is made for one other, and they find each other and live happily ever after. Cal was my person. I couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect. Yet what kind of sick fairy tale would it be if he was the one made exactly right for me and I wasn’t right for him?
“It’s a hard decision to make,” Cal continued. Our group was starting to listen to him like he was an apostle, teaching us. “I’m lucky because Wicca is my family’s religion.” He considered this for a moment, his hand on his cheek. “If I told my mom I wanted to become Catholic, she would totally freak out. I don’t know if I could do it.” He smiled at me.
Robbie and Beth laughed.
“Anyway,” Cal said, serious again, “everyone has to choose his or her own path.You need to decide what to do. I hope you still want to explore Wicca, Morgan. I think you have a gift for it. But I’ll understand if you can’t.”
The school door swung open with a bang, and Chris Holly walked out, followed by Trey Heywood.
“Oh,” Chris said loudly. “ ’Scuse me. Didn’t mean to interrupt you witches .”
“Piss off,” Raven said in a bored tone.
Chris ignored her. “Are you casting spells right here? Is that allowed on school grounds?”
“Chris, please,” said Bree, rubbing her temple. “Don’t do this.”
He turned on her. “You can’t tell me what to do,” he said. “You’re not my girlfriend. Right?”
“Right,” Bree said, looking at him angrily. “And this is one of the reasons why.”
“Yeah, well—,” Chris began, but was interrupted by the bell ringing and the appearance of Coach Ambrose striding up.
“Get to class, kids,” he said automatically, pulling open the doors. Chris shot Bree an ugly look, then followed the coach inside.
I picked up my backpack and headed for the door, followed by Robbie. Bree lingered behind, and I glanced back quickly to see her talking
My sister thought about it for a few moments. “Well, that’s boring,” she said finally. “Why can’t you read porn or something fun that I could borrow?”
I laughed. “Maybe later.”
“You’re kidding,” Bree said, her eyes wide. “I don’t believe it.That’s awful.”
“It’s so stupid,” I said.“They said they want the books out of the house.” The bench where we sat outside school was chilly, and the October sunlight seemed to grow feebler by the day.
Robbie nodded sympathetically. His parents were much stricter Catholics than mine. I doubted he’d shared his interest in Wicca with them.
“You can keep them at my house,” Bree said. “My dad could care less.”
I zipped my parka up around my neck and burrowed into it. There were only a few minutes before class started, and our new, hybrid clique was gathered by the east door of school. I could see Tamara and Janice walking up to the building, their heads bent as they talked. I missed them. I hadn’t seen them much lately.
Cal was perched on the bench across from ours, sitting next to Beth. He was wearing ancient cowboy boots, worn down at the heels. He was quiet, not looking at us, but I felt sure he was listening to every word of our conversation.
“Screw them,” Raven said. “They can’t tell you what to read.This isn’t a police state.”
Bree snorted. “Yeah. Let me be there when you tell Sean and Mary Grace to go screw themselves.”
I couldn’t help smiling.
“They’re your parents,” Cal said, suddenly breaking his silence. “Of course you love them and want to respect their feelings. If I were you, I’d feel miserable, too.”
In that moment I fell deeper in love with Cal. On some level I guess I expected him to dismiss my parents as stupid and hysterical, the way everybody else had. Since he was the most ardent follower of Wicca, I expected my parents’ reaction to annoy him the most.
Bree looked at me, and I prayed my feelings weren’t written on my face. In fairy tales there’s always one person who is made for one other, and they find each other and live happily ever after. Cal was my person. I couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect. Yet what kind of sick fairy tale would it be if he was the one made exactly right for me and I wasn’t right for him?
“It’s a hard decision to make,” Cal continued. Our group was starting to listen to him like he was an apostle, teaching us. “I’m lucky because Wicca is my family’s religion.” He considered this for a moment, his hand on his cheek. “If I told my mom I wanted to become Catholic, she would totally freak out. I don’t know if I could do it.” He smiled at me.
Robbie and Beth laughed.
“Anyway,” Cal said, serious again, “everyone has to choose his or her own path.You need to decide what to do. I hope you still want to explore Wicca, Morgan. I think you have a gift for it. But I’ll understand if you can’t.”
The school door swung open with a bang, and Chris Holly walked out, followed by Trey Heywood.
“Oh,” Chris said loudly. “ ’Scuse me. Didn’t mean to interrupt you witches .”
“Piss off,” Raven said in a bored tone.
Chris ignored her. “Are you casting spells right here? Is that allowed on school grounds?”
“Chris, please,” said Bree, rubbing her temple. “Don’t do this.”
He turned on her. “You can’t tell me what to do,” he said. “You’re not my girlfriend. Right?”
“Right,” Bree said, looking at him angrily. “And this is one of the reasons why.”
“Yeah, well—,” Chris began, but was interrupted by the bell ringing and the appearance of Coach Ambrose striding up.
“Get to class, kids,” he said automatically, pulling open the doors. Chris shot Bree an ugly look, then followed the coach inside.
I picked up my backpack and headed for the door, followed by Robbie. Bree lingered behind, and I glanced back quickly to see her talking
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