Till Death Do Us Party

Waking up is hard to do. Its a misty morning and stepping outside brings a brisk caress to my face. I do not want it, but its always fun to visit school on 4/20. This the holiest day of my people. I'm pretty sure the natives would agree. You know Peace, Love, and Rock 'n' Roll. Errr.. I'm sure that's how it goes. Anyway, I plug my earphones in blaring Cerebral Bore.
My feet keep shuffling forward as my mind races. Finally I reach the corner and I spot Seth in traditional garb of white with a wooden backpackers guitar. The skinny guitar looks dirty and beat up. I thing to myself it matches the owner pretty well.
A voice from behind me hollers, "Hey Sexy! How much you charge?!"
Seth perks up like a dog and starts yapping like one too. Licking his finger and making a tally in the air, "Since you wanna know it will be tree-fiddy."
"Ahhh man your mom was cheaper."
Seth chuckles.
I chime in "Cheap just means available. I knew that hoe was turning tricks. Don't she know tricks are for kids?"
"Ah Alise its still time for breakfast Trix are for everyone."
I smile at Seth. I've always had a crush on him. Even if we never talk anywhere but here at this bus stop.
Everyone else lightens up. Except Seth's neighbor, Haleigh. Charles notices I'm glaring at her. He leans in and whispers to me, "She is a genuine stone cold b**ch. If I could slice her face off and f**k it.. I'd give it to Seth instead so he could wipe his a$$. She picks on the little queer. I'd like to see her suffer. Mostly because she owes me money for the Xans I let her front."
Haleigh sneers and turns her head. God damn I hate her, I think to myself.
"Aye girl, you got my mullah yet?"
Haliegh turns to Charles and drops a wad of cash into his calloused hand.
"Here." She barks like a bitch.
His pleasure turns to disgust. That bitch pulled it out of her bra. Its warm and kinda moist. I can see it all across his face.
Seth's big ol' mouth begins to enunciate some garbage at me about how he would rather stay home and smoke pot all day.
"I totally understand you delicious mother f**ker", Charles explains, "but I have an agenda for this sacred of all days. I'm saying farewell to the United State's education system."
"This is the last year to drop out before Uncle Sam changes the age to 18. You and I both know I don't show up enough to make it 'till 18."
"Hey man, I get it! Doing it on 4/20 is heartwarming. Do you have anything you'd like to say to the folks back home?" Seth pretends he's holding a microphone.
Charles clasps Seth's hands. "Yeah, I'd like to f**ck my fans, my mom, and my fan's moms. Y'all have been so nonexistent for the past years. Don't know how I could have done it with out you."
"Well dude", Seth begins, "I'm gonna ride it out cause I love to torture myself, but I feel you." He tells Charles this as he is shaking his head, lips pursed, and eyes wide.
I'm thinking to myself his mannerisms say something different. He can't be honest with Charlie. I see it.
The big yellow Twinkie on wheels shows up stuffed full of white people. Damn, all we need is a dusty plume and we got enough for a square dance.
Seth takes one whiff of this bus, looks me in the eyes, and turns around right into Charlie's bubble.
"No. No. No. No. No. If I'm going you're going." Charles grabs Seth by the shirt and lifts him up the stairs.
He groans. However, It is a success. We walk to the back being either ignored or examined by the other a$$holes on the Twinkie.
Shangri la is ahead. The two empty seats in the back have our auras all over them. I can see them glowing pink, green, and red. We plop down one by one.
I search out the window letting the the sensations of music take me into another realm.
Here is peaceful. Here I walk along the purple mountain trails. Deer bounce along through the forests. Flowers spring up and out to greet me. There is an evening glow and fire flies. This is my home. I walk into an old shack. This is where I go to make new spells. I can feel my ghostly form shifting away. I'm losing focus.
I snap back to Seth shoving me up telling me its time to get off the bus. I arise and fumble my way down the aisle and off the bus into the main entrance. We part ways. Charles is on his way to the principal's office so he can drop out. Seth heads over to the rec room. We all know we will meet up later for our bus ride home.
Seth begins by sitting down next to a vending machine. When he is settled he pulls out his guitar and beings playing. He does this every morning until the first bell rings. Its no surprise he likes school. He gets to be a performer here. His fingers are like trapeze artists. Every note is magic and you can feel the astral energies being modified at his whim.
Not everyone in the room notices. So many are too busy playing pool or gabbing to their classmates. Seth doesn't seem to care much. He just wants to play. This is all he does, this is the only thing that gives his life purpose.
I always admire from afar. I grab a to go breakfast from the cafeteria. One of those apple and dry cereal in a paper bag kinda things. I walk around watching everyone. Today there is some strange writing on the wall in black. No one else can see it. I can't even read it. It still fills me with unease.
First bell strikes and its time to find our classes. The day moves on I try to block out that odd message, but I keep zoning in my classes. Its 5th mod and my biology class. Mr. Casto is asking the calls about DNA and RNA. No one wants to answer so he has the brilliant idea to ask me.
"Miss Thorne. Miss Thorne."
My best friend, Lisa, sits behind me and kicks my leg. "Pay attention." She hisses at me.
"Hugh?" I'm startled like a deer in headlights.
"What are the differences in DNA and RNA? Or were you not paying attention for that as well?"
These some small laughter in the classroom.
"Well, DNA is a double strand molecule and RNA is a single." I feel these come out of my lips, but I'm reading off of the notes I took during yesterdays lecture he gave us.
He smiles, "Looks like someone did their homework."
I really haven't though its due tomorrow! Gah! I'll have to finish it up tonight.
The bell rings and I make my way to the door my nest class is the best class. Art class.
Lisa grabs my wrist. What is it? She looks at me with her mossy green eyes. "Something isn't right today."
"What do you mean?"
"Listen, Alise I'm not sure, but please be careful for me. Don't do anything reckless today"
I give her a big smile. "Okay. I'll be good."
We part ways shes going to Algebra II and I'm going to Art. Finally! I waited all day for this!
I know the drill here. I come in, sit down and draw. This is the best class. I'm working on a piece right now of a goat. Its derpy and I'm giving it to a long time friend for his birthday. Halfway through the class Charles walks in. What is he doing here I think to myself?
He tells Mrs. Crazy Hair (thats what I call her) something and she hugs him. Charles sees me and walks over.
"Hey lady, what are you doing in here?"
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"
He has an embarrassed smile. "Well I ride the bus home. I dropped out in the morning so I've been haunting the art and music halls all day. A spirit haunts the year's last hours."
Today we have a real conversation.
My eyes wide. I'm fully paying attention now. "Did you just quote Alfred Tennyson?"
This opened a box. He begins spilling tons of poetry into my lap. We talk for the rest of class about art, music, and films. I had no idea he was actually a person. I've been polite to him because of Seth, but he isn't novice like Seth. He's an artist.
After we discuss Lord Horror and Fred Berger in Propaganda magazine he invited me to hang out with he and Seth tonight.
All I could think was yes. I have to. I've been waiting for this! A moment with Seth.
I'm excited and I accidentally touch Charles' hand. Our eyes lock and I have tunnel vision. I'm staring down a long black tunnel. Charlie is there and hes covered in viscera like blood. He's moving in slow motion. I can feel the air flow through the tunnel and around my body. He's shaking his head around and his mouth is open. I flex all my muscles in a pulse everything shatters.
His eyes narrow. He tells me its good talking to me and he'll see me after school.

"Dude, you are not going to believe this! In the art room. She totally can see us. She can see right though all my shields. She can even see my soul! This is a f**cking wizard bitch!"
"Brother calm down", Seth goes on, "She can't be that good I would have sensed her."
"No man. She can conceal her presence, signature, everything. The WORST part. She has no idea what it is. This is all natural talent. This bitch has no idea what she has. She just has it. Imagine if we awakened her!"
Seth starts shaking his head. "No way. My mom-maw told me what happens when you do that. It either works. Right? Or they lose their GOD DAMNED MIND! You think I want a psycho wizard bitch as my problem?"
"My guy, all bitches are psycho. This woman is the only person I have met who knows who Lord Alfred Tennyson is, knows about Lord Horror, and can recite all of Decapitated's Winds of Creation to me. I'm gonna awaken her tonight. We are throwing a party at your house and we are gonna pop this monster open. I invited her."
"MAAANNN", Seth lets out an irritated growl. "Fuck it maybe it will kill her."
"It most certainly will scar her for life. If not mentally or physically it will.. Spiritually. Imagine all that agony we can feed on." Charles face is twisting.
"So who is it? Who did you invite to MY house?"
Charles rubs the back of his head. "You know that girl who rides in the back of the bus with us?"
"Shut your mouth! Just shut it. I could feel her pressure from across the room! I knew she was a witch, but why did you pick her?"
Theres a long pause.
"What the f**ck?", he whispers, "She looks like Princess Zelda. I can't fuck up Zeldy."
Charles opens his arms, "Tonight we will be partying with her."
The bell rings and the boys head out to bus 616.