Page 17 of The Wicker King

WEDNESDAY

Jack gazed at him anxiously from across the lunchroom as his friends laughed obliviously around him. Carrie-Anne was draped over him, chatting with her friends. She couldn’t see his face. Jack’s brows knotted tighter and tighter.

“It’s okay,” August mouthed, and smiled encouragingly. Jack’s shoulders dropped a bit, but not completely. It was enough for now.

If Jack couldn’t hold it together in front of his friends, August didn’t know what would happen. He had absolutely no reference on how a giant group of sports people would react, but he assumed it wouldn’t be pleasant. They just needed to make it through the school day. That was all.

August watched carefully until Jack got comfortable again and started talking with the others around him. Relief. When he turned back around to continue eating, Peter’s eyes burned into him.

ROGER WHITTAKER

“Are you going to do anything about Jack?”

“Get away from me, Peter,” August said, slamming his locker door.

“I’m not Peter; I’m Roger. He told me he talked to you, though. He’s a bit abrasive, so my apologies for that. I keep talking to him about it, but I don’t think it will change anytime soon.”

“Why are you guys even bothering me about this?” August asked, annoyed.

Roger grimaced. “Ow. Harsh. I thought we were friends.”

August grimaced. “Yeah. Well. We are, I guess, but you don’t talk nearly this much, usually. Excuse me if I’m a bit wary about the change.”

Roger nodded like he understood. “Would you believe me if I said we were just worried about it? Something really bad happened to our aunt. It’s been reminding Peter of Jack, and he’s getting all antsy about it. And when he’s not happy, I can’t be happy because he won’t let me. So here I am, talking away…” He waved his hand and trailed off, staring dramatically up at the ceiling.

August snorted. Now he knew which twin was the funny one. He definitely preferred Roger. “Okay. We can talk about this. But only if we keep it between us.”

Roger saluted him. “Scout’s honor. But bear in mind, things like this never stay secret for long.…”

DISSECTION

“What’s it like?”

Jack tucked his lips in and took a hit, careful not to get the blunt wet before he passed it. He exhaled and leaned his head back onto August’s couch. “It’s clear as day. Just things that shouldn’t be there. Impossible things. It’s not scary. None of them are ever scary. What’s scary is that it’s happening at all. Like, I’ll be sitting in class and I’ll look out the window and there will be jellyfish floating through the sky. Real as you and me. And I know they’re not there. I just … fuck, I don’t know.”

August blew smoke rings, then waved his fingers through them. He flicked his lighter on and off a bit.

“Maybe they are there and you’re lucky because you’re the only one who can see them and do anything about them being there.”

“Shut the fuck up, August. That’s not how it is.” Jack sounded hurt.

August rolled over and gazed at Jack until his tired brown eyes met Jack’s gray ones.

“It’s getting worse. It was a little bit at first, but now it’s all the time,” Jack admitted.

“Are you seeing things now?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“You.”

August closed his eyes.

ILLUMINATION

August met Roger and Peter at the front door of their family’s estate.