High Society

The air was thick with tension the next morning when everyone gathered in the office for their weekly Saturday meeting. Casey stuck close to Noah, who was ignoring the mean looks being shot his way. It wasn’t fair, and it made Casey want to stand up and shout at everyone to “Leave him the hell alone!”



When Stephen stepped into the office, sniffling into a handkerchief, the boys’ focus shifted to watch him--carefully.



“Heddo, boys,” he said in a miserable voice. They all replied in kind; the man snorted once then groaned as he went to the tea cozy in the corner. “Thiz code iv hobbible.”



Glances were exchanged, along with a few smiles. This probably meant that the meeting would be short. Stephen went to his desk with his tea and sat down in a heap. “Thiz iv gomma be quig. Pay-bay,” he said. His desk drawer was opened and envelopes were brought out. “Zeeg, paz ‘em oud.”



Smirking, Zeke grabbed the stack and started passing them out. Casey took his and had to grin at the weight of it. A full work-week meant a full paycheck, after all. He settled back and waggled his eyebrows at Noah, who wore a demure smile.



Stephen then made a loud, hard snort into his handkerchief; everyone jumped and looked back at him. The man blinked a few times, sniffed then sighed. “Before I get plugged up again… this weeg… ugh… wee-kuh has been too much. A good one when it comes to…” he stopped to sneeze, handkerchief… “Money. But because of the stress, I’ve decided that we’re having a two-day vagation. Oh…”



Casey sat up straighter. “You mean, we aren’t working tonight?”



“Nope. We made enough, and frangly, I’m bushed. Dam-bed code… ugh.” He sniffled again and put his head back. “Do as you will to-day, boys. Jus’ be cah-foo... you’ll follow Sunday protogol, two ad a dime and all.”



The happy chorus of whoops and cheers couldn’t be helped. Casey himself was elated; two days off. A true, honest, well-needed break.





~*~





Their surprise day off couldn’t have been more beautiful; the usual February chill had given way to let more warm sunshine come through. The snow and ice still warranted full winter-wear, but Casey was glad to stuff himself into his freshly-washed sweater again, along with his coat, hat, scarf and mittens.



Though he’d considered seeing if Cal was at the apartment, he didn’t want to show up unannounced. If anything, he could use today to come up with ways to break away from the others the next day; perhaps find something boring that no one would like. He stared out the window at the streets while everyone awaited their turn to leave, thinking hard. The idea of saying he wanted to go to the opera would be best; Zeke would turn that down flat, Danny would roll his eyes, and Noah wouldn’t have a reason to go. He winced as a small moment of guilt clouded his mind, thinking of such a thing.



“I’ve an idea,” James said from the couch. “Why don’t we all meet up in Central Park--have a big group day?”



“’Might be fun,” Henry said.



“Snowball fight!” Danny called out. “And snow forts. It’s been a long time since I’ve built one of those.”



“Only if I can stop at the café first. I ain’t dragging my ass around in the snow without something to warm me up,” Zeke said.



The fact that he sounded willing to join everyone made Casey smile. If Zeke was going, Casey would follow. Danny sighed. “They’ll probably have the food stand open by the pond area. Hot chocolate is way better on a cold day.”



“The hell it is,” Zeke said.



Casey went over to Noah and grinned. ‘Central Park, snowball fights, the works. Everyone’s going,’ he told him. Noah gave him a thumbs-up.



“I think we know who to thank for our surprise,” Jamie said; he motioned to Noah and beamed. “Thanks for pushing Stevie over the edge, Noah!”



The others joined in on giving thanks, while Casey translated. Noah nodded in a businesslike manner, then signed, ‘You’re welcome, you bastards!’



“What’d he say?” Danny asked Casey, who was having a hard time not bursting out into raging laughter.



“He says, ‘you’re welcome, friends,’” Casey replied.





~*~





The cool winds blowing through the park forced Zeke, Casey and Jamie into a huddle, trying to light just one cigarette. How three would work out, Casey didn’t know. “Jesus Christ,” Zeke said, flicking the lighter again only to watch it get blown out.



“Here, this’ll be quicker.” Casey stuck three cigarettes in his mouth and cupped his hands over Zeke’s. They lucked, catching a few moments of stillness to get the job done. Casey bent back and handed out the smokes. “I’m a genius,” he proclaimed.



“Sure you are,” Jamie said with a sarcastic smile.



Noah returned from the hot-nuts cart, smiling wide. He tugged Casey’s sleeve and began signing excitedly, while showing off his snack bag. Casey’s eyes widened. “They have coconut?” he asked.



“Fuck, coconut? Serious?” Jamie said. At Casey’s nod, he shoved past them and ran full speed to where Noah had come from.



“Jesus, they never have that shit,” Zeke added, then ran off himself.



It turned out that Danny had made this discovery as well, and soon all of the boys were crowded around the cart. The poor man serving them looked bewildered with this sudden group of hungry boys clamoring for a rare treat. “I’ve got enough for allaya, simmer down!” he said with a laugh.



“Cashews too, oh god… I’ll take two of each!” James told the man.



They were all soon walking away, warm bags in their hands and pockets. Casey dug into the small squares of delight, the first bite involving three pieces. He hummed with pleasure. “This… is heaven,” he said.



“Hot nuts. Hah. Hot nuts,” Danny said. “They ain’t Xavier’s, that’s for sure.”



“Y’know, for someone who claims to HATE the bloke, you certainly talk about him enough,” James said. He hopped over to a pile of huge rocks and scurried to the top of the largest one. “You like the stinky-thing, don’t ya?”



“Do not!” Danny replied with a scoff.



“I’ve got this great idea. Can we not talk about the smelly asses of the jerks we have to constantly fuck for one day?” Zeke asked.



“Yes, that’s a thought. I say we talk about the good dicking we get when--” James went to say, but was interrupted by a sudden snowball hitting his shoulder. He gasped and held onto his snack, then whipped his head over to Danny. “Danny, you miserable arse!”



The young man laughed and shot off like a bullet, heading to a stone wall to hide behind. Knowing this was it, Casey shoved his remaining coconut in his pocket which held the other bag, grabbed Noah’s coat sleeve and ran to the rocks behind James, who jumped behind them as well. “That little fucker,” James said while collecting handfuls of snow. Casey giggled and began doing the same, along with Noah and Jamie. Zeke stood nearby, leaning on a tree.



“Where’s Henry?” Casey asked.



“He’s the only one on Danny’s side,” Zeke replied.



“Five against two. Yes,” James said, his voice palpable with delight.



“Don’t count your fuckin’ chickens--Henry’s a damned good shot--”



No sooner had Zeke spoke, a snowball ripped through the air and hit him square in the chest. It made him drop his cigarette and curse, loudly. Casey groaned. “Get DOWN here, they can see you from there!” he yelled.



Zeke picked up the smoke, bent down and joined the others. He peeked over the edge then ducked down quick. “They’ve already got an arsenal of snowballs lying along the wall. We’re gonna fuckin’ die,” he said.



Sure enough, a storm of snow began raining down in ball-form. Everyone covered their heads and yelped; Noah especially, seeing as one burst upon the back of his neck and sent puffs of flakes down his coat and sweater. Casey helped brush it away.



“What the hell, there’s only TWO of ‘em!” Jamie yelled.



They could hear the two boys laughing from where they sat. Noah growled and went into what looked to be deep thought, then tugged Casey’s sleeve again and began signing away. Casey made out what he was saying and smiled wide.



“Noah’s got an idea,” he told the others.





~*~





“Okay. They’re outta ammo,” Zeke said. He slipped off his coat, sending him into an immediate shiver. “Why do we have to use my coat?”



“Cos’ you’re the tallest, big boy. It’s bigger than all of ours put together,” Jamie said.



Once the coat was laid out on the ground, the boys began dumping handful after handful of snow upon it. A large mountain was formed; Zeke and Jamie took up each end of fabric and lifted it, grunting as they did. James helped with steadying it, putting his hands underneath. “We gotta be quick--this shit’s heavy,” Jamie said.



“All right… like Noah said, Casey; you’re the frontline. Noah’ll come after you,” James said. Everything felt so serious, making Casey giggle. James chuckled back and wrapped his scarf around Casey’s neck, creating a double-thick layer of protection. Jamie did the same for Noah; it was as if they were real soldiers, readying for the battle of a lifetime. Casey pulled his hat down to the very tops of his eyes then grabbed up the snowballs he’d made.



“A’right. I’m ready.”



James stood up awkwardly and smiled. “One… two… three!”



With as much speed as could pick up, Casey sped away from their hiding place and zoomed across the field of snow. Henry and Danny spotted him immediately and scrambled to make their own ammunition. Casey managed to weave and duck the first snow thrown, then pitched one back. He succeeded in hitting Henry’s chest, making him yell, “I’M HIT, I’M HIT!”



“Get up, jackass--oh SHIT, Noah!”



Sure enough, Noah was running like the Dickens out from behind the rocks and tossing snowballs. Danny managed to duck each one but was now too flustered with shock and surprise. Now at the wall, Casey let loose, throwing two snowballs each directly at the boys’ heads.



“HEY! NO FAIR!” Danny yelled, just as Noah joined the fun.



It was a complete and total whitewash now; Casey had never seen a prettier picture, seeing Danny and Henry huddled helplessly against the ground. But the worst was yet to come; the snow-bomb arrived in the form of Zeke, Jamie and James, who hauled the gigantic shelf of snow to the wall, swung it and sent the contents into the air. By the time it was over, the opposing army was covered from head-to-toe in frozen white.



“YES!” Jamie whooped, pounding his fist in the air.



“My coat, gimmee my fuckin’ coat!” Zeke demanded. He took it up and slung it over himself, then immediately winced. “God DAMN it, it’s covered in snow!”



“No shit!” Casey cried. He slapped hands with Noah, who was flushed in the face and laughing. They then looked to the two losers. “Aww…” Casey said with mock sympathy.



Danny was first to emerge, spluttering and scoffing. He helped Henry stand and they hopped up and down to release mounds of snow from themselves. “You jackasses! Like I said, no fuckin’ fair!”



“Do you ruffians mind?”



Everyone shot their eyes over to a nearby bench, where an old woman sat feeding pigeons and giving the boys a nasty look. James cleared his throat first. “Oh. We were just--”



“Your language! It’s disgusting! Where are your parents? Do they know you‘re being so vile and crude?? And your roughhousing, my word! Someone could lose an eye!” she cried. “Disgraceful!”



As if they shared the same mind, the whole group began backing away. “Sorry… ma’am. We’ll…” Zeke said, but he didn’t finish. Instead, they turned tail and raced off towards the pond area, choking with laughter.





~*~





“‘Where are your parents? Disgusting! I need a good dicking to loosen me up! Wah! Wah! Wah!’”



Danny’s rendition of the woman’s tirade made everyone laugh over their hot chocolate, coffees and doughnuts. Zeke lit another cigarette and grinned. “We just gave her the most exciting day of her life, the old bat,” he said.



“’Wonder what she’d say if she knew we dropped our drawers for lecherous old men every damned night,” Henry said.



“She’d probably get hot and bothered about it,” James said with a snort.



Casey giggled and sank his teeth into his pastry, which was still warm. Grains of sugar scraped against his teeth, causing a deep moan to emit from his throat. Zeke eyed him warily. “You sound like Cal’s got his face on your dick,” he said.



Everyone chuckled heartily while Casey began coughing in titters. He glared at Zeke and swallowed to reply. “At least I’m not squealing like your lil’ piggy there, Abraham,” he replied.



“Ooh, Abe. Ain’t ‘e a gem?” James said.



“Hey, I give him a good time, what can I say?” Zeke cockily replied. “Anyway, I’ll take Abe over a simpering, whimpering, love-note sending idiot any day.”



THIS again. Before Casey could find another retort, James sighed. “You have to admit, though… he WAS quite valiant the other night, rushing to his damsel-in-distress.”



“Oh, shut it!” Casey said, punching him in the arm.



“I’d say he’s dumber than a box of hammers, myself,” Danny chimed in.



“No--he just loves our lil’ Casey-Wasey,” Jamie said, using a sickeningly-sweet baby-voice. He pinched one of Casey’s cheeks and continued cooing. “Loves fucking-wucking his pert lil’ behind and--”



“All right, you’re making me ill,” Casey said. He couldn’t help a round of bashful giggles, however. He looked back at Zeke and made a cocky expression. “You’re just jealous, and you know it.”



“Of you? Don’t make me laugh. I couldn’t take the strain.”



‘Not what I meant,’ Casey thought. He didn’t dare say it, however.



“So who’s utterly brilliant idea was it to bombard us the way you did, anyway?” Henry asked.



“Noah’s, if you’ll believe it,” James said. He cuffed the back of the boy’s neck, which surprised him a little; when he saw the way James smiled, however, he grinned back. James sighed and pointed at Casey. “He interpreted, of course.”



“You lousy rats,” Danny said, but his voice was full of admiration. “Casey, tell him he’s a lousy rat.”



Chuckling, Casey motioned to Noah and signed exactly what Danny had asked him to. Noah ‘tsked’ and made his reply. “Ooh…” Casey said.



“What, what’d he say?” Danny asked.



“He said, ‘You can suck this rat’s dick for all I care.’”



Everyone bellowed with laughter--even Danny.





~*~





By the time the sun was going down, everyone was tired from their fun-filled day. Though Casey was yawning heavily, he needed cigarettes… and another trip to the candy shop wouldn’t hurt at all. They were close enough to the house, but he didn’t feel like troubling the others to come with him, as they were all talking about heading home to settle by the fireplace with some wine.



“C’mon, it’s time to get lit. No work tomorrow, so who cares?” Henry said as they came upon the street leading home.



“You guys go on ahead. I need to get some smokes and sweets,” Casey said. He looked to Noah and signed, ‘I’m making a few stops before heading back. You don’t have to come.’



‘OK,’ Noah replied then made a loud yawn. Jamie slung his arm over his shoulders and squeezed.



“C’mon, you look beat!” he said.



Casey felt his heart go warm; this day had changed a few attitudes, and he was more than glad for it. “See you back at the house!” he called as everyone set off in the other direction--all but one, who stepped onto the street Casey was heading down. The boy blinked at Zeke, who was lighting yet another cigarette. “You need smokes too, huh?”



“No. I’m just not gonna let you be stupid enough to go out by yourself in the fuckin’ dark, moron,” Zeke replied. “But I guess that grabbing a few packs isn’t the worst idea in the world.”



He could be as gruff and tough as he wanted; Casey felt even warmer now as Zeke joined his side. They walked in silence for a few moments, until Casey cleared his throat. “That was a fun day, wasn’t it? I can’t recall the last time I played in the snow like that,” he said.



“I don’t think I ever did, and I lived in the Midwest,” Zeke replied.



“Ohio?”



Zeke looked at Casey with inquiring eyes. “How’d you know?”



“Your painting. ‘Ohio Summer’.”



“Oh. That, yea.”



“I don’t know why I haven’t said anything--I’m from Ohio, too,” Casey said.



“Yea? Which town?” Zeke asked.



“Herrington, north of Columbus.”



“No kidding, huh? Marion.”



Casey’s face lit up. “Wow, that’s only a few miles away!”



“Yea. Herrington, that was a real small town if I remember right,” Zeke said.



“Nothing but cornfields and dirt roads, yes,” Casey said. “Marion was a bit busier. I’d been there a few times, especially for their outdoor farmer’s markets. I wonder if we ever came across each other and we just don’t know it.”



“Doubtful. I actually didn’t live in Marion the last few years before coming here. I went to a private school in Columbus.”



“It still mystifies me that you’d go so far as to graduate high school, then take on a life like this.”



Zeke gave him a look edgewise. “You ain’t judging me, are you? Cos’ I’ll turn ‘round and let you get kidnapped by dirty old men looking for a good time, if you are.”



“Ugh, no. I just think it’s odd, that’s all,” Casey replied. He hoped the mood wouldn’t sour, but one never knew, with Zeke’s mood swings. He lucked out, seeing Zeke’s expression ease.



“Private school gets too many accolades. It can be worse than a regular old schoolhouse. More sex and alcohol went on there than in any other place I’ve been too, current residence included,” Zeke explained. “I stayed away from it just to graduate, get the hell out and try my hand at being an artist.”



“I’ll bet your parents were beyond mad,” Casey said.



“You don’t even know the half of it,” Zeke said. They stopped at a corner and waited to cross; while waiting, Zeke asked, “What about you? Did you go to school?”



“Up until the ninth grade, yea. But the family farm needed me. I was an only child, and we couldn’t afford more than one farmhand,” Casey said.



“So how did you end up here?”



Casey bit his lip; the traffic-policeman stopped the lines of cars to let them and others waiting go on their way. While crossing, Casey decided to answer. “After my parents died… I had nothing left.”



They made it to the corner, and both their strides slowed. Zeke shoved a hand in his pocket; his gaze on Casey went soft. “They died? How?” he asked.



“Car accident. They never went on dates, but… a new restaurant had opened in town, and they decided it was time to let me stay at home by myself so they could go enjoy themselves. It’s funny…” Casey made a sad, lone chuckle. “They were so overprotective, but when they’d told me they were going to leave me by myself for a few hours, all I could think of was the fun I’d have. I watched them get ready; instead of thinking about how beautiful my mother looked in her new red dress, I kept yelling at them in my mind, ‘Get OUT already! Go!’ The only thing that saves me from dying of guilt is that I did kiss them goodbye and say that I loved them. They never saw it coming.”



“That’s really… terrible. I’m sorry,” Zeke said.



Casey smiled and looked at him. “It’s okay. I’ve learned to live with it.”



Zeke nodded slowly, then dropped his eyes. “Was your dad a nice guy?”



“Oh, very. There were many fishing trips, night spent on the porch with slices of watermelon… all that.”



“Good.”



“What about yours?” Casey asked. A wry grin came over Zeke’s lips.



“Everyone thought we were the perfect family. I went to a good school and my parents came from money. If they’d seen the belt marks on my back and ass, they might’ve thought different,” he replied. “As much as I hated private school, it gave me healing-time from my weekends at home. Candy shop.”



Casey was jarred out of his shock and dismay at hearing this story to look to the right. They had indeed reached the shop. “Oh. Are you coming in, too?” he asked.



“Nah, I’ll wait outside.”



With a slow nod, Casey entered the store. As the six o’clock hour was approaching, they were readying the place to close, but smiled when he walked in. He’d try to make it quick, though his mood had sobered. He could barely concentrate on what he wanted…



He’d learned to be abused, hadn’t he? His whole life, spent thinking that he wasn’t worth the love that a parent would give, going into his young-adulthood; it was enough to break Casey’s heart. He kept glancing to the window, where Zeke was smoking away and looking to the sky.



Had they ever come across each other? During market-time, he’d been the one to take the money. Perhaps Mr. or Mrs. Tyler had been customers at some point; Casey scanned his memory, trying to conjure up any images of people he’d met. Whoever had looked and felt the ugliest may have been them. He’d always been full of empathy, good at telling when someone wasn’t on the up-and-up.



He had to snap out of it, lest the shopkeepers rush him out before he could buy anything. The gumdrops looked good, along with the sassafras drops. Seeing as Noah had gotten sticks of rock candy the last time, he grabbed a few before spooning out his choices into the little paper bags, then went to the counter. More temptation arrived in the form of plump truffles in the front cases. He made the clerk work for her money; she wore a smile as she filled out his order. When he thought he was done, she brought the items to the register.



“Anything else?” she asked.



“Um…” Casey made one last search. In doing so, he found a tray of chocolates labeled ‘Cappuccino Crème’. He blinked slowly, then nodded. “A half-dozen of those, please.”



“Of course,” she said, her smile bright. If the workers depended on commissions, she was probably falling in love with Casey. With everything wrapped, Casey paid for his, Noah’s and Zeke’s treats and went back outside; he felt tiny dots of cold upon his exposed forehead.



“It’s snowing,” Zeke said. His smile was broad and seemed to shine in the darkness. Casey smiled back, blinked snowflakes away from his lashes and held out the box of the special chocolates to him.



“Here,” he said.



Zeke made a quizzical expression as he took it. “What is it?”



“That ca… however you say it, the special coffee you like. They put it in chocolates now, I suppose.”



“You didn’t have to spend your money on me.”



“I know,” Casey said. Zeke gazed at him a few moments, seemingly searching for something. He eventually shrugged and put the box under his arm.



“Thanks. I bet they’re good,” he said.



“You’ll have to let me try one,” Casey replied.



As they set off to their next stop, Zeke kept glancing to him with pensive, deep looks. Casey’s cheeks heated up, warding off the cold.





~*~





The candle Henry was holding under his chin made orange light and shadows flicker over his face, causing his story to sound even more eerie than it already was. Casey found himself flat against Jamie’s side and holding his arm; Jamie himself wasn’t complaining, as he held it tight right back.



“…And when she turned around… there… on the roof of the car… stood…”



“Get ON with it.”



“SHH!” everyone hissed at Zeke. Henry narrowed his eyes.



“A deformed man, drooling and laughing, holding a large stick covered in blood… with her boyfriend’s head stuck at the top!” he finished. Everyone gasped, cooed in fear and giggled at the same time.



“That did not really happen. Shut up,” Jamie said as he tossed more popcorn in his mouth.



“It did, swear to god. Right in my old lil’ hometown,” Henry replied.



“That story has been told in every single ‘old lil’ hometown’, jackass,” Zeke said.



Henry scoffed and waved his hand flippantly. “Whatever. What have YOU got?”



“Pfft. I got stories, but I don’t want Stephen yelling at everyone for pissing themselves scared on the carpeting,” Zeke replied.



“Sure, sure,” James said with a chuckle. Danny sat up and slapped his thighs.



“C’mon, Zeke. Give us what you’ve got,” he said.



Zeke looked to each of their faces, regarding everyone carefully. A sly smile formed on his face. “Okay. But you can’t say I didn’t warn you.”



“Uh huh. You can’t top MY story… which is true, no matter what you idiots say,” Henry said.



“There has to be a mirror, so we’ll need to go upstairs to the bathroom for it.” Zeke hopped to a stand and cocked an eyebrow. “Unless you guys are too scared.”



“Oh, honestly…” Danny said.



Everyone downed the rest of their wine, took their last handful of popcorn and headed out of the parlor and into the dark hallway. Murmured conversation began, excited whispers filling the air. Casey, amused, scurried up the steps to get to Zeke’s side. “You’re so full of it. What is this crazy tale you’re going to tell?” he asked.



“You don’t believe me, huh? Not scared?” Zeke asked. At Casey’s cocky grin and shake of the head, he clucked his tongue. “Then you’ll volunteer.”



“Volunteer? For what?”



“You’ll see.”



Casey smirked and continued up the stairs; by the time they reached the third floor, everyone was hissing like tea kettles with anticipation. They found themselves tiptoeing by Noah’s room, causing Henry to snort. “Can someone tell me why we’re sneaking by Noah’s room as if we’re gonna wake him up?” Even Casey had to chuckle.



“Shush,” he said.



Once they reached the bathroom, Zeke turned, placed his hands on either side of the doorway to block it and put on a serious expression. “Okay, no fucking around… this is serious,” he said. Even if Casey still thought this was a silly game, he silenced along with everyone else. A visible swallow rolled down Zeke’s throat. “I did this when I was a kid; it’s real, okay? Heads on sticks ain’t nothin’, compared to what we’re about to do. But if we’re gonna do it, you’re all gonna have to do as I say. Understand?” Zeke asked. The boys nodded and exchanged looks of confusion, even worry. Zeke nodded slowly and let his arms fall. “Then let’s go.”



“Jesus Christ, what is he on about?” James hissed in question.



“Shut up, let’s listen,” Danny said.



The floor tiles felt cold underneath Casey’s bare feet. The sound of dripping water echoed off the walls, coming clearer when everyone stopped and quieted. Moonlight streamed through the window behind Zeke, wrapping an eerie glow around his silhouette. Casey stared at the movements of his jaw muscles as he began speaking in a quiet, low tone. “I dunno if you’ve heard of this one, Casey, cos’ you’re from Ohio, too. Did you ever heard about ‘Mary of Medina’?”



Casey shook his head. “No,” he said in a very, very small voice.



“Well… in Medina, Ohio, back in eighteen-sixty-two, there was this woman, Mary Tudor. She and her husband had gotten married right before the Civil War. They ended up having three kids, but he had to go fight for the Union, leaving her with their one-year old boy, three-year old girl, and eight-year old boy by herself. It turned out…” Zeke paused and looked around the room. “I dunno, guys, it’s pretty harsh…”



“Give us a break, Zeke, just tell us this fuckin’ story,” Jamie said in a shaky voice.



“Okay, then… again, don’t say--”



“You didn’t warn us, right,” they all said in unison. It caused a loud round of giggles; Zeke narrowed his eyes and shook his head.



“If you’re not gonna take this seriously, then let’s head back downstairs. Otherwise, shut. Up.”



Everyone quieted, and he went on. “He ended up getting killed-in-action. When she found out…” Zeke paused again to take a deep breath. “She went stark raving mad. After her kids went to sleep, she went into their rooms and butchered them with an axe, right in their beds.”



No one was laughing, now. Casey stared at Zeke with his jaw dropped. “Holy mother of… I never heard of this.”



“I’m surprised. Everyone in my town talked about it constantly.”



“So… so why are we in the fuckin’ bathroom?” Danny asked. “What’s that got to do with this?”



“Like I said, I tried this when I was younger, and it worked.” Zeke walked over to one of the full-length mirrors, everyone following along. Once in front of the glass, Zeke tapped it with his knuckles. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in Ohio or not; if we do what I did, we’ll see Mary… right in this mirror.”



A scoff from the back went off. “Oh, for fuck’s sake…” Danny said.



“Don’t believe me? Then come up here. Casey was brave enough to volunteer, and it works with two people,” Zeke said.



“Wait, I didn’t actually…” Casey trailed off.



“Shut up, you did. So c’mon, tough guy,” Zeke told Danny. The boy sniffed hard.



“No way. Let Casey do it, I ain’t touchin’ this.”



Zeke sighed. “Not as tough as I thought--all right. Anyone else?”



Casey looked back at the group, finding them all shaking their heads. Each of them had an apprehensive look on their face; Casey couldn’t blame them. Zeke stepped over to him and gently moved him to stand in front of the mirror. He put his lips close to Casey‘s ear and asked, “You gonna be brave for me, boy?”



Even with the foreboding nature of what they were doing, he could’ve asked Casey to dance naked on the rooftop and he’d gladly oblige. “Yea,” he murmured back. He felt Zeke nod against his hair then move away.



“Jamie… go to the wall, by the light-switch. Don’t turn it on, but be ready to. That’s the most important part of this, so don’t flake out on me, okay?”



“Y-Yea, okay,” he said, now shuffling over to the wall. “Why, though?”



“Because, like I said--we’re going to call Mary out. Or Casey is, anyway, with our help. Everyone else, come behind him and hold hands in a half-circle,” Zeke told them. Looking into the mirror, Casey watched as the remaining three followed Zeke’s instruction. They were holding each other’s hands very tight, by the looks of things. Zeke cleared his throat then sighed. “Now… what you’re gonna do…” he leaned in to look at Casey closer, his eyebrows arched upwards in a strange kind of concern. “Is close your eyes and take five deep breaths.”



Casey nodded, closed his eyes and inhaled and exhaled as he was told. When he was done, he heard Zeke step back to the showers. “Rumor has it that if you don’t do as I say, Casey dies.”



“Shut up,” Danny said in a worried tone; the others hissed at him to be quiet.



“It almost happened to me. I was lucky to have friends that knew what to do, so just do… as… I…say, damn it,” Zeke said. “If you don’t, Mary’s gonna come through that mirror. All we want to do is see her. She’ll show up, covered in her children’s blood.”



“Zeke…” Casey said.



“I’m going to turn on the showers and sinks; we’ll need the sound of water,” Zeke said. Casey jumped as the hiss of water went off. Zeke’s footsteps, the sinks, the sound of a water glass being filled… Zeke returned, and Casey felt something cold against his hand. “Take the glass, Angel-Eyes, and take five separate, slow sips.”



Angel-Eyes. ‘You’re gonna be okay--Zeke’s here, he knows what he’s doing,’ Casey thought as he grabbed the glass in both hands, brought it to his lips and sipped. After the fifth one, he held out the glass for Zeke to take.



“Now, I need you to spin slowly, again, five times. With every turn, whisper, ‘Bloody Mary’. Everyone else, keep holding hands and imagine that you’re making a wall of protection for Casey. At the final turn, open your eyes and look into the mirror, see if you see Mary. And Jamie, when I yell for you to turn on the lights, you’d better do it, or Casey gets his face ripped off.”



“Okay, okay, just… DO it,” Jamie called.



“Go ahead, Casey,” Zeke said.



With every nerve fraying at the ends, Casey began to turn. “Bloody Mary…” he said once all the way around. He did it again, and again; his fingers started to tremble on the fourth way around. There was no doubt in his mind that he’d see the bloodied murderess, her hands reaching out to grab him. He heard Zeke make a shushing noise, and tiny murmurs from the others. ‘Zeke’s here… so is everyone else,’ was his final thought as he said one last, “Bloody Mary,” stopped and opened his eyes.



“SHIT, turn on the fucking lights!!” Zeke yelled.



A stinging slap of something cold hit his front; his mouth opened wide and he let out the loudest scream he’d ever made in his life, then threw his hands up to cover his face. Terrified and panicked that he was about to die, he dropped down to the floor and curled up on his side, panting and letting out keening wails.



White light blasted into Casey’s eyes, of which he was sure were torn out from their sockets. Then again, if they were, he wouldn’t be able to notice any light at all. There wasn’t any pain in his face either, he was just… wet? He heard tittering giggles as his eyes fluttered open; they set their sights on Zeke first.



His smile said it all, along with the glass in his hand. Drops of water fell from the lip of it, landing on the floor by his toes. “Thirsty? I could get some more,” he said, tapping the cup in the air.



With his arms shuddering, he pushed himself up into a sit and looked around. The moment he faced the others, roaring laughter exploded. His lower lip shook.



“That was brilliant!” James said in a cheering voice. “Bloody-fucking brilliant!!”



“Jesus Christ, didn’t you guys ever take history class? ‘Mary Tudor’?” Zeke laughed. “She was the fuckin’ Queen of England, that’s where this whole thing started.”



“Y’mean, you made all that stuff up?” Danny asked.



“Of course I did. There’s about a thousand variations of it, but yea, I made THIS one up, though.”



Casey’s eyes darted around the room while he rubbed one side of his water-soaked face. He wasn’t amused like the others were; furious was a better word to describe him. “You… fucker!” he yelled. Everyone stopped laughing as Casey fought to a stand, rushed at Zeke and pushed him. “You bastard!”



“Whoa, calm down! It was just a joke, Jesus!” Zeke said.



Casey wasn’t listening, especially when more giggles erupted. He sobbed, turned on his heels and ran for the door. Just as he was about to rush through it, he ran into Stephen, Helen and Sam. Casey was shocked back a few steps as Stephen--dressed in his robe, one slipper on, the other foot bare--surveyed the scene, his face reddening at a rapid pace.



“Whad in AW bwoo hewah is going om??” he bellowed.





~*~





Casey heard the bedroom door open; slats of light crossed over the wall he was facing, but he didn’t turn around. He knew who it was. The door shut, leaving him in darkness again. There was the sound of footsteps, the creak of Zeke’s bed…



“I don’t get to have dessert for a week… and I have to help make breakfast in the mornings until Thursday,” Zeke said. A long pause followed; Zeke expected Casey to reply, did he? Casey wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction. “Casey? C’mon, say somethin’.”



‘No. I hate you. I hate you with all of my being,’ Casey thought at him. He curled himself up tighter, making a cocoon out of his blankets. When he felt Zeke sit on the edge of his bed, he growled. “Leave me alone,” he finally replied.



“So you haven’t smothered yourself to death under all those blankets--”



“Leave me alone, I said!”



A huff of breath escaped Zeke’s nose. “Will you cut it out? God. It’s not my fault you believed that yarn I was telling,” Zeke said.



“Yea, well, you’re QUITE the convincing. Get away from me,” Casey spat back.



“Y’know… if it’d been Danny instead of you, you’d still be laughing--and you know it,” Zeke said.



“Oh, no you don’t,” Casey said, finally turning to face him in one swoop of his body. He felt feral with anger as he glared at the boy. “I wouldn’t have laughed. Danny may be a lot of things, but even HE was scared. I saw it, I saw everyone looking terrified. So you win, Zeke--you got everyone pissing their pants and wanting their mommies. Laugh it up.”



“You seriously can-not be this worked up just because I threw a glass of water at your face. Come. On.”



“Oh, no big deal, is it?” Casey said. He looked to his bedside table, where his water glass sat. Seeing that it was half-full, Casey shot his hand over, grabbed it then splashed Zeke directly in the face with the contents. The boy barely flinched, which made Casey even angrier. “There, did you like that? Huh??”



Zeke sputtered, sending a small spray from his lips. “It’s water. I shower every damned day, so whatever.”



“Right. Zeke Patrick Tyler, he just ‘doesn’t care’.”



“I don’t. Can you stop ranting and raving now?”



“You scared the LIFE out of me, so no!” Casey cried. His eyes suddenly felt hot. “It wasn’t just that. I felt fucking humiliated on top of it all.”



“Oh, don’t start getting dramatic…”



Starting to feel hysterical, Casey began shaking his head in quick jerks. “I did! There I was, stupid, gullible little Casey, screaming like a little girl because her face got wet--”



Zeke clenched his jaw, grabbed Casey’s wrists then shoved him down. Casey felt like he’d turned into stone as Zeke hovered over him with a dark look. “If you don’t wanna be thought of as a ‘screaming little girl’, then shut. Up. Do you want Stephen running up here and making you help with lunch?” Zeke asked. When Casey didn’t answer, Zeke rolled his eyes. “I already said that I was sorry--”



“Bull! You so did NOT say ‘sorry’!”



“Then fine, I’m sorry, okay?? Sorry I made you so scared that you feel like yelling at me all night about it! I won’t do it again, I promise--I don’t need the theater production I’ll get for it!” Zeke gave him one last shove before letting go and sitting up. He took a few deep breaths while scratching the back of his neck. “It wasn’t meant to make you this messed up. I figured you’d call me a name, snarl at me then start laughing with everyone else. Seriously.”



Casey finally began to relax, the tension in his body dissipating. The apology seemed sincere enough. Casey took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “All right. Apology accepted,” he said.



“Good. I gotta get to sleep… wake up at fuckin’ five-thirty…” Zeke grumbled. After looking at the clock, the boy groaned. “May as well not even sleep. When the hell did one a.m. get here?”



“Stop fussing about and rest,” Casey said. The light was shut off and he settled into his pillows; before he could drift off, a smile crossed his lips. “And I like my eggs scrambled, and don‘t burn the bacon. Hate burnt bacon.”



A pillow hit the back of his head; Casey found satisfaction in Zeke having to get up and retrieve it.





~*~