The Things We Fear

The supermarket was pretty empty, considering it was the middle of the day. Marcus was not complaining, simply making an observation. He hated being packed into the store like a sardine. He vehemently refused to go anywhere near the store in the evening, always filled with people just getting off work and screaming kids. Marcus would happily come during the day any time. Unfortunately, with school that wasn’t always possible, but since getting his car it’s definitely been easier.

Brody was skipping about chattering away. Marcus was convinced Theo would be joining him if it weren’t for the fact they were in public. Actually, that might not have stopped him either. It was probably the mom-eyes he kept glaring at the other that screamed “behave” who could say? That the older of the two boys kept sticking his tongue out at him was not helping his claims he was actually an adult and older than Marcus himself.

“Hey,” a gruff voice came from beside him.

He’d been bending down to get the large bag of pasta. The 5-kilogram ones which his family went through pretty quickly, therefore he hadn’t been expecting for someone to be suddenly stood beside him. Banging his head shelf he cursed out loud, rubbing the aching area. Standing tall he scowled at the person who’d caused him to jump.

“Toulez, to what do I owe the pleasure?” If his voice could have dripped with any more sarcasm, it would have been like tar.

“I thought my brother was Toulez, I thought after everything I was still James?” the boy looked genuinely hurt by his reference.

If he was here for sympathy, he was not getting it from Marcus. He’d have punched the gits face many times if it hadn’t been for knowing wolf strength would mean it would hurt his hand more than the bastard standing before him.

“Anna!” Brody shouted before barrelling into the small girl.

It surprised Marcus his brother knew her. Could he remember playing with her as a toddler? It sounded unlikely, but stranger things had been known to happen. Such as James speaking civilly, in public, like now. He squinted suspiciously at the other. He had to be up to something.

“Hi, Brodester, are you enjoying your summer holidays?” The girl smiled sweetly at his little brother.

It almost made him forget this was the same girl who would run screaming through the words threatening to disembowel the imaginary enemies with her claws. Looking back the kids had not been subtle with their werewolf status. Maybe he’d been as oblivious as the rest of the Breckon Heights residents back then.

“Yup, I’ve been sleeping in every day and playing all the time, and today Marcus is buying me lots of candy–”

“One piece of candy,” he corrected. Spotting a ploy when he saw it.

His brother huffed, fully pouting. Seeing Marcus wasn’t going to budge he dramatically sighed before continuing.

“One piece of candy,” he muttered mutinously, “And we’re going to the park tomorrow with daddy.”

It was the first Marcus was hearing about it, but that wasn’t a surprise their dad had been busy with the case and he’d barely seen the man since the other morning’s revelation. With the news that Breckon Height’s may have had its first murder in a decade, the police had been working all hours to find who the culprit might be.

“Dude, they’ve got an offer on water guns,” Theo appeared carrying three of said guns, completely oblivious to the new additions in his excitement.

Seeing that shining face, then Brody’s equally delighted one he was starting to realise he really was pathetic when it came to sunshine personalities.

“Fine, put them in the trolly, but no ordering pizza for tea, we’ll have something pasta based.”

“Okay,” the two cheered in unison.

It really was like having two little brothers at times.

“Tonight? Aren’t you coming to the party?”

It was the second time he had jumped from people appearing out of nowhere. It was one of the goth girls from school. Wearing black lace and big boots whatever the weather. He had thought they might be vampires, and if the way the others in her group were looking at Theo was any indication, he might have hit the nail on the head.

“They can’t remember. The guest list is–exclusive.”

“Shut it, douchenozzle, like me or Marcus would want to be at any party you were,” Theo snapped, finally realising they had company. “And who are you?” he asked turning to the goth girl.

If his voice lowered a few decibels, Marcus chose to ignore it. He had to preserve his sanity somehow.

“Abigail, call me Abby, and you must come. Given your new–status,” she purred back.

And nope. Nope. that was not happening. Separating their hands, he bodily pulled Theo away. Theo looked confused.

“What status? Did we win a competition I forgot about?”

Marcus was not equipped to deal with this.

“No, since you got bit,” it was the girl’s turn to look confused, she cast a glance back to the others all dressed in black. Honestly, with the wolf all wearing leather jackets and these (he assumed vampires) covered in black and leather as well, they looked like a poor attempt at a gang.

“Bit? By the bat?”

“Wait he doesn’t–” before she could finish he’d thrown a hand over her mouth.

“I’m dealing with it. Or I will be. Is the rumour about lopping the head of a bat true about preventing–” it was his turn to pause, looking at Theo and Brody, “rabies?” it was weak but the widening of the girl’s eyes said she’d understood.

“You should definitely come,” she hissed.

“Wait, he doesn’t,” James began to protest.

“He’s the son of Reverend Domm, he probably knows more than you.”

It was his turn to protest. Marcus hated how people knew that man was biologically his father despite everything he did to distance himself from Cassius and his reputation. He supposed with the supernatural community being even smaller than the rest of Breckon Heights, they would all know. Could probably tell by scent or something, but still, it irked him.

“Fine. Be at this address by eight thirty,” James flicked his eyes over to Theo, “both of you.”

“I did not agree to go,” he muttered as both groups walked off.

“What was that about?”

He looked at Theo, there was no more denying it, Abigail had basically confirmed it.

“When we get back to mine, I need to tell you a few things.”

“Like whatever this ridiculousness has to do with your dad?”

He sighed, “You caught that, did you?”

“Yup, your body tenses in a very specific way whenever that guy is mentioned.”

He sighed again. Great. Just great.

Pushing the trolly down the aisle he spotted two bags of candy in the trolly and a very innocent-looking Brody. He was too tired to argue. He’d just eat the second bag to himself later, out of spite. He was going to need it.

He and Theo were sat on Marcus’ bed. He hadn’t known where to start. The easiest way to prove the supernatural existed was to simply show someone. Without a wolf or vampire here to transform, that left magic, magic he did not like using. Protection spells were one thing, but they were more ritualistic and slow acting. Anything jazzy and impressive he had shied away from.

“The supernatural world is real and you’re currently transitioning into a vampire. Unless I can find the cure, or maybe kill who bit you.”

That was the problem with ADHD the more you tried not to say something, the quicker it tumbled out of your mouth. “Smooth Marcus, smooth,” he thought to himself. Blurting it out like a maniac, that would definitely help the situation.

When Theo started laughing, he couldn’t even bother to pretend it wasn’t exactly what he had expected to happen.

“Funny, dude, funny, but seriously.”

He took a breath.

“I am being serious, and you don’t have to believe me. By the sounds of things, they’ll be plenty of supernatural people there tonight. Plenty of opportunities to prove I’m telling the truth.”

“Wait, you aren’t lying?”

He threw Theo a scathing look.

“You do a weird eyebrow twitch when you lie,” his friend shrugged.

Marcus marked away such an obvious tell for later. He’d need to work on that. Not that he liked to lie, not since learning vampires and werewolves could hear and sense such things, but it was always handy to have the ability whether you chose to use it or not.

“Look, I’m not saying I believe you, but if you were insane, I’d hope after two and half years of being best bros I’d have noticed, so I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt–”

“You ripped open a glass bottle and didn’t even notice when you ran from when end of the aisle to next to me in a couple of seconds, but go on,” his sarcasm was on point today.

“Alright, I’ll admit, I’ve been feeling a little odd since the day Rod died, but it could be stress or grief.”

Marcus didn’t even deign this one with a reply. Staring down his friend with a blank look.

“Whatever, we’ll go tonight. Either you’ll be proven right or I’ll be calling you out for a very lame attempt at a joke. Or calling the doctors,” was muttered a little faster, but Marcus caught it.

Flashing his friend the fiercest glare he could, he humphed, shifting down on the bed, trying to get comfortable, his leg was going dead at this angle.

“Is this, is this supernatural crap part of why you don’t get on with your dad, I mean the sperm donor?”

Marcus was grateful Theo corrected himself before he had to. He saw the other wince as though recognising the minefield of a topic he had just broached.

“My dad’s a witch. Well, he prefers the term warlock, but I’ve spoken to other witches online and it isn’t a gender term, just means someone who has active magic. But he’s a dick, so of course, he has to make it sound special. I won’t go into details, but I caught him doing some nasty shit when I was just younger. Freaked me the fuck out and still has me a little messed up even now,” he sighed, finally giving in to the temptation to just lie down.

He was already dreading the idea of the party later. The way they had talked about it implied it was more the drinking and dancing than fancy meals and manners type of party, but either way he didn’t really want to go. Marcus had successfully been avoiding the supernatural community since he first discovered it. Other than reaching out online and gaining knowledge, he hadn’t interacted actively with anyone in the know, especially not in person. This was not going to be fun.

“Dude. I’d say we don’t have to go,” curse Theo for knowing him so well, “But I kinda want to know now. But that’s messed up. About Cassius, I mean. Sorry, you’ve been struggling with it. You know I’m always here, right?”

“Yeah, man, I know. But it’s hard to explain and even harder to believe when people don’t already know this stuff is going on all around them. Like the burst pipe at school, you didn’t even notice the door was open and the water should have been flooding out.”

He could practically see the moment his friend recalled the memory, and then with his new knowledge, how things slotted into place.

“Holy shit, dude, was that magic?”

“Err, maybe?”

“Oh my god, was that you? Did you really try to drown Toulez, the elder? Bro. oh, Bro, that it awesome. Can you do it again?” the boy added gleefully.

“It was an accident, and I’m not entirely sure it was me.”

“Yeah, but the others thought it was. Jesus some of the stuff people said, and how they kept coming up to you after. It makes a lot more sense now. How the fuck didn’t I realise this at the time?”

Marcus shrugged. Smiling at his friend’s excitement and confusion. He really was like a little puppy.

“Best I figure, magic sort of protects itself. Like a hazy veil, only once you’re officially in the know, or turning into something else,” he gestured to where the scratches had once been on Theo’s arms, “are you able to notice these things? I mean I actively floated a chocolate bar to myself when I was a kid and my mom didn’t even bat an eye, but if I so much as look at the candy in the pantry, she knows.”

“Dude. this is weird. It’s like all my memories are recalibrating. Wait. wait. Holy fuck. What the fuck is Toulez the younger? He’s flashed his light-up eyes at me countless times and I kept thinking it was a trick of the light?”

Marcus hesitated at this, was it okay to out someone else as supernatural? Was it like being gay and not pushing people out the closet before they were ready? He did not want to be like those people, but if James had been flashing his wolf at a human, it was his own stupid fault. Especially after everything his mom had said about staying away to help the boy keep control. And wasn’t that just another kick to the gut? How he had stayed away as asked, but apparently James had been semi-wolfing out at people all along.

“I don’t feel comfortable outing people, but he’ll be at the party tonight. You can ask him then?” It was meant to be a statement, but came out more as a question.

“Oh, don’t you worry, I intend to.”

It made a shiver run down his spine.