by R. G. Thomas
“Hi,” Thaddeus said as he set down his tray and sat next to Andy.
“Hi?” Andy said, eyes wide. “That’s it?”
Thaddeus looked across the table to Marty and Crystal, who grinned at him.
“What?” Thaddeus asked as he looked back at Andy. “What’d I do?”
“You’re just the biggest news of the school year, that’s all,” Andy said.
Thaddeus rolled his eyes as he blushed. “The school year that’s only a day and a half old?”
“You told Mr. Elder off,” Andy said. “It’s all over school. I think someone created a Facebook group about it and posted a video!”
“What?” Thaddeus pushed his tray away, suddenly not very hungry. “How? When?”
“Dude, last night,” Marty said. He tapped the screen of his smartphone a few times, then slid it across the table to Thaddeus.
A video of Thaddeus glaring at Mr. Elder played. He winced as the video version of himself said in a loud voice, “Thaddeus Cane!” Then, in a slightly lower voice, added, “My name is Thaddeus Cane. Sir.”
“Oh God,” Thaddeus said with a moan. “I don’t do stuff like that.”
“Dude, that was awesome, though,” Marty said.
“A lot of kids are talking about writing you in for class president and prom king and all sorts of stuff,” Crystal added. “I heard a bunch of girls talking in the bathroom before lunch, wondering if you have a girlfriend.” She raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes. “So do you?”
“Do I what?” Thaddeus asked, suddenly scared.
They know, the voice whispered. They all know you’re gay, and they’re going to make your life hell.
“Have a girlfriend?” Crystal asked.
“Um, it’s… it’s complicated.”
“Boyfriend?” Andy asked in a lower voice. When Thaddeus looked at him, Andy shrugged and said, “There’s nothing wrong with it. Just asking.”
“For a friend?” Marty asked with a smirk.
“Or himself,” Crystal said.
“Shut up,” Andy snapped as his face turned crimson.
Before Thaddeus could respond, he heard that quiet voice again.
All they’re doing is making fun of you. Show them all what you’re made of, and hit them with a blast of magic.
A burst of loud laughter from the table of jocks and cheerleaders caught their attention and silenced the voice inside his head. They all looked in that direction, and then Thaddeus turned back to his lunch and said, “For being such a different kind of town, I’d hoped I wouldn’t find the same school cliques as all the other schools I’ve been to.”
“You talk different,” Andy said.
Thaddeus shrugged. “Like with an accent or something?”
“No, like you read a lot of books or something,” Andy said.
“Is that a bad thing?” Thaddeus asked.
“Nope, merely an observation,” Andy replied.
Marty opened his mouth wide in a huge yawn. After that he pushed to his feet. “I need to get a Red Bull from the machine.”
“I’ll go with you,” Crystal said.
Marty looked at Thaddeus and Andy. “You guys want to come along?”
“No thanks,” Thaddeus replied with a shake of his head.
“I’m good,” Andy said.
Marty nodded, then pointed to Thaddeus and said with a smile, “You behave in Mr. Elder’s class, baller.”
Thaddeus waved him off with an embarrassed laugh. “Get out of here.”
Once Marty and Crystal walked away, Andy got up and moved to the other side of the table. He dropped into the seat Marty had vacated and smiled at Thaddeus.
“Makes it easier to talk this way,” Andy said. He was quiet a moment, looking down at the tabletop, then said without meeting Thaddeus’s gaze, “So, you never said if you had a boyfriend or not.”
“Oh?” Thaddeus fidgeted a bit. “I guess I don’t really talk about stuff like that. Not right away, at least.”
Andy smirked. “So I take it that’s a yes?”
“No, it’s an ‘I don’t talk about stuff like that right away,’” Thaddeus said. “Why are you so interested?”
Andy looked down at his hands and worried a cuticle. “No reason. Making conversation is all. We’re both the new kids here, so just trying to get to know you.”
He seems sincere. Give him a chance.
The familiar series of tones sounded, and most of the kids in the cafeteria got up. The noise of everyone heading out the doors at once was incredible, but Thaddeus was grateful for it as it prevented Andy from asking any more really personal questions. He’d only eaten a few bites of the goulash he’d ordered for lunch, and the sight of it now made him feel a little sick. He followed Andy to the doors and dumped his trash in the big garbage can standing off to one side, then set his tray on top. World history with Mr. Elder was his next class, and that coupled with Andy’s very personal line of questioning made him tense. His stomach felt as if it was tied in a series of taut knots, and that dark mood had advanced further than ever, like storm clouds rolling in on a summer day.
Thaddeus and Andy followed a group of students along the hall to the history and social science wing. Many of the kids were looking at him and whispering to each other, and he curled his fingers in tight as magic warmed his palms. He really wished he could be an anonymous kid starting school in Superstition and not someone who already had a Facebook group about his interaction with a teacher.
He entered the classroom and avoided looking at Mr. Elder where he sat behind his desk reading papers in a manila file folder. Thaddeus kept his head down as he hurried to the desk he had claimed the day before. Crystal was already in her seat when Thaddeus and Andy took theirs, and when Thaddeus glanced her way, she was watching him with interest.
“Knock it off,” Thaddeus whispered.
“What?” Crystal asked in confusion.
“You’re staring.”
“Am I?” Crystal looked at Andy. “Am I staring?”
Andy kept his eyes on Thaddeus. “I am. I don’t want to miss the moment he starts to turn green and bursts through the seams of his clothes.”
“Ha-ha, very funny,” Thaddeus grumbled.
“All right, class, settle down,” Mr. Elder said as he stood and circled his desk. “Let’s talk about world history. When did the world begin? Anyone?”
The class continued with no reference to Thaddeus’s assignment the day before or his reaction to it. The thought crossed Thaddeus’s mind that Mr. Elder might have assigned him some busy work as a punishment with no intention of doing anything with it. He wasn’t sure if that would be a good thing or a bad thing, but he was definitely leaning more toward the good-thing side of it all.
When the class ended, students gathered their books and bags and headed out the door. Andy and Crystal cast disappointed sidelong looks in Thaddeus’s direction as they followed the other students. Uncertain of how he should handle the situation, Thaddeus stood up but lingered in the middle of the row of desks. He slung his backpack onto his right shoulder and clung to the strap. A couple of girls talked with Mr. Elder, giggling at his jokes, and Thaddeus rolled his eyes. Sure, Mr. Elder was handsome, but did they have to embarrass themselves so much?
Thaddeus didn’t want to be late to geometry, and the two girls didn’t seem remotely close to ending their conversation. Since no students were coming into the room, Thaddeus assumed Mr. Elder had the last period of the day free, so he decided he could come by after his next class. With a nod to himself, Thaddeus started toward the door.
“Mr. Cane,” Mr. Elder called before Thaddeus left the room. “Please hold on a moment.”
“I’m going to be late for my next class,” Thaddeus said.
The two girls looked at him with wide eyes. Had he sounded as annoyed as he felt?
“I’ll write you a pass.” Mr. Elder smiled at the girls. “Excuse us, ladies, if you please. I need to have a talk with Mr. Cane.”
The girls darted from the room, glancing back over their shoulders before putting their heads together and whispering as they disappeared down the hall. Well, that would be another post in his Facebook group.
“Close the door, if you will,” Mr. Elder said.
Thaddeus moved to the door and pulled it shut. He took his backpack off his shoulder, unzipped it, and reached in to pull out his essay. He approached Mr. Elder’s desk, set the papers before him, and then retreated a few steps.
“Five hundred words,” Thaddeus said with a nod to the papers. “As you requested.”
Mr. Elder glanced at the essay, then slid it into a drawer. He sat back in his chair and gave Thaddeus a long look.
“We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot,” Mr. Elder said. “And I apologize.”
The tightness in Thaddeus’s belly loosened a bit. “Oh?”
“Yes.” Mr. Elder sat forward and clasped his hands together on the desktop. “I came on a bit strong yesterday. I didn’t know what to make of your attitude, and I fear I may have overreacted. It’s difficult being the new teacher in the school, and I acted defensively.”
Thaddeus fidgeted in place. “Well, I’m sorry if I acted rude. I didn’t mean to. I was nervous about having to talk about myself in front of the class. My dad and I just moved to Superstition, and I don’t know any of the other kids.”
“You seem friendly with those two who sit near you,” Mr. Elder said. “What are their names? Andy and Cathy?”
“Crystal,” Thaddeus replied. “Andy and Crystal. And I just met both of them yesterday.”
“I see.” Mr. Elder hesitated before continuing. “You seem… different from the other students. More mature.”
Thaddeus thought about his travels over the summer and Teofil, who was probably either helping his father dig out the pit left behind by the dragon, or sitting in Leopold’s third-floor study reading through journals. His experiences the last few months had pretty much forced him to grow up a little faster than anticipated.
“Well, I’ve had to be on my own a lot because my dad and I moved around so much.”
“Is that right? Is he in the military?”
Thaddeus shook his head. “No. We moved a lot, that’s all.”
“Well, I appreciate you completing the assignment, Thaddeus.” Mr. Elder pulled a pad of pink hall pass slips from his top drawer. “I hope we can move on from our unfortunate first day together and become more friendly.”
“Yeah, sure, that would be good.”
“Excellent.” Mr. Elder tore off the completed hall pass and held it out. When Thaddeus reached for it, however, Mr. Elder pulled it back out of his reach. “I’m going to read your essay tonight. Depending on the effort you put into it, I may consider adding that as extra credit for your final grade.”
“Oh, that would be cool. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Mr. Elder held out the hall pass once again. Thaddeus was able to take it this time, and he turned for the door.
“Feel free to stay after class to talk anytime, Thaddeus,” Mr. Elder said. “Or even after school. I usually stick around until four o’clock or so.”
“Okay,” Thaddeus said over his shoulder as he stepped out into the hallway. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
He hurried off to his next class, the hall pass gripped tight in his hand. The dark mood had retreated again, and he put its departure down to relief. After talking with Mr. Elder, Thaddeus had to admit he liked the teacher’s calm, confident attitude. He just might take Mr. Elder up on his offer sometime in the near future.
Chapter SIX
THE REST of the week went by fast. Thaddeus’s mother still slept in the spare room down the hall, and she had set only one more fire in her sleep. Luckily it had been a small one and didn’t burn too much of the mattress. Thaddeus did notice he felt a bit more anxious and agitated at school, and he decided it was the uncertainty and tension at home making him feel that way. Because of his bleak mood, and also due to the surprising amount of homework he was assigned, he didn’t get to visit with Teofil in the evenings as much as he would’ve liked.
On Friday afternoon, Thaddeus was happy when he coasted up the driveway on his bike and heard the whole Rhododendron clan busy in the yard on the other side of the privacy fence. The gloominess that had plagued him all week seemed to have been left behind at school, and the grousing, teasing, and laughter he heard from next door was too strong of a lure. He decided his homework could wait until later that weekend as he hurried into the house.
His mother stood at the sink, one hand turned palm up and engulfed in flames.
“Mom!” Thaddeus shouted as he stopped in surprise. “Oh my God!”
“Oh,” his mother said and dropped her hand into the sink and out of his sight. Thaddeus heard the sizzle of the fire going out, and a small cloud of steam billowed up into her face. She looked embarrassed as she smiled at him. “I didn’t hear you ride up the driveway.”
Thaddeus walked up the two steps into the kitchen. He dropped his backpack in a chair at the table and looked into the sink. It was half-filled with water, and she held both of her hands beneath the surface.
“Does it hurt?” he asked.
“What? No.” She let out a heavy breath. “No, it doesn’t hurt. Well, not me. But it burns everything else it touches, and it’s unpredictable.”
“Were you able to before…?” Thaddeus trailed off.
“Before I was turned into a dragon?” She shook her head. “No. Not like this. I could conjure a ball of light or a small flame, but nothing like this.”
Thaddeus put a hand on the center of her back and smiled. “You’ll learn to control it. Like I’ve been learning to do with my magic.”
“Well, yes,” his mother said. “But your magic won’t accidentally kill someone or burn down our house.”
“I don’t know. You haven’t seen me perform magic.”
They laughed together, his mother still keeping her hands submerged.
Thaddeus gestured to the sink. “Can you still feel it? Is that why you’re keeping your hands underwater?”
She nodded. “Strangely enough, it’s a cold prickling across my skin. It’s not hot at all.”
“Can I see?” Thaddeus asked.
His mother gave him a long, silent look. With a single, firm nod, she drew her left hand—the one farthest from him—out of the water and held it about shoulder height with her fingers together and pointed to the ceiling. Water dripped into the sink and ran down her wrist. Thaddeus stared at her hand and held his breath. He jumped when a quiet pop sounded, and fire cloaked her hand and fingers. The flames danced and quivered silently all around her hand.
“Wow,” Thaddeus said. “And it doesn’t hurt?”
“Not at all.”
His father stepped into the kitchen, talking. “Thaddeus should be home any—” He stopped when he saw her hand ablaze and Thaddeus standing beside her. “Claire!”
She smiled as she looked at him, but she did not lower her hand. “Thaddeus is already home, Nathan.”
“Are you all right?” his father asked.
“I’m fine,” she replied. “I’ve been talking with Thaddeus about my new skill.” She dropped her hand into the water, extinguishing the flames. “It’s still a bit unpredictable, but I’m learning more about it every day.”
“Is that why you haven’t set the bed on fire as often the past week?” Thaddeus asked, then felt bad about the bluntness of his question. “Sorry, that came out different than I heard it in my head.”
His mother smiled. “It’s all right. And I think that might be part of it. I’m just trying to push it back into its cage right now.”
She closed her eyes, and her face tightened as she focused her thoughts. A moment later, she lifted both hands out of the water and smiled as she looked between Thaddeus and his father. “There. See? All safe.”
Fire popped into life around both of her hands, startling shouts out of all three of
them. His mother dunked her hands beneath the surface again.
She smiled at Thaddeus. “Guess I spoke too soon.”
“Be careful, please,” Thaddeus said, then looked at his father. “Is it okay if I go next door and see what the Rhododendrons are doing?”
His father nodded, his wide eyes darting back and forth between them. “Okay. Yeah, sure. But be home when we call you for dinner.”
“Can Teofil come to dinner?” Thaddeus asked as he grabbed his backpack and moved past his father into the dining room.
“Of course,” his father replied.
Thaddeus ran up the steps and into his bedroom. He dropped his backpack on the floor by his desk, then quickly changed into an older pair of jeans, the hiking boots he’d worn on their trip to Wraith Mountain, and a long-sleeved T-shirt with a tear in each cuff. The dark mood he’d been feeling at school all week had retreated, and now he wanted to be around Teofil and his family. He had missed the wild, loud group of them this past week.
Pushing all thoughts about his moodiness out of his mind, Thaddeus dashed down the steps, through the dining room, and past his parents in the kitchen. He jumped down the two steps to the basement landing and banged out the side door. The early-fall sun felt good as he ran along the privacy fence, turned the back corner, and opened the gate.
Every member of the Rhododendron family was working at the pit. Buckets of dirt were being handed along a line made up of the younger children. From somewhere near the bottom of the pit out of Thaddeus’s sight, he could hear the pounding of nails and the soft thunk of picks and shovels biting into dirt.