Charlie was the type of person to ignore bad things when they happened. It wasn't that he tended to look on the brighter side of things. But that he was a bit of a pansy and quite honestly too lazy to deal with the fallout bad things caused. So after the scene in the graveyard, Charlie simply acted as if nothing strange had occurred. He and Sophie were in silent agreement not to speak of it, mutually deciding it had all been some elaborate prank. A really sick, disturbing one, but a prank nonetheless. One that Charlie planned to wholeheartedly ignore, specifically the part where he'd run from Callum like a dog with its tail between its legs. Dragging a wide eyed Sophie behind him all the while.
It was the end of another grueling school day as Charlie packed an alarming number of annoyingly heavy and completely useless textbooks into his now bulging book bag, growling while he futilely attempted to get the damn thing to zip. He huffed, yanking his algebra textbook from the collection and plunking it into the bottom of his locker. He'd just do the homework before class. Maybe. Probably. He'd try, at the very list. Possibly.
His mood darkened further when he arrived to the back parking lot, late, to find that the buses had already departed. After having been cornered by his English teacher about a depressingly inadequate essay he'd turned in, loitering around the halls chatting, and a quick stop to the restroom, he was a tad late. Being a freshman, he was at least a year out from acquiring his license. Resigned to walking home, he heaved a mighty sigh. When he trudged outside, he wasn't surprised to find that there was a torrential downpour assaulting the earth and its lowly creatures. Why the heck wouldn't it rain the one day he had to walk home? And failed a French quiz. And was having a bad day in general.
"Stupid Wrightsfield and its stupid, bipolar weather. It was perfectly sunny five seconds ago." he grumbled. At the sky. While shaking his fist angrily. Because that was just the kind of day he was having.
"You know, I actually like the rain. Though I do happen to have an umbrella, so unlike you, I do not have to suffer through getting pelted by it." For a moment, Charlie had thought the deep baritone had actually been issued from the sky itself. After the incident at the cemetery, it would make a strange kind of sense that clouds would begin speaking. But then he spotted a boy he'd never seen before standing a little ways from him, a soft smile on his handsome face as he stared up at the sky. "I'd have to agree with you there. " Charlie muttered, eyeing the boy's emerald green umbrella. He too, liked the rain. The soft, soothing sound that rang out as little drops of water struck the pavement. The fresh scent that lingered in the air afterwards. He found that he didn't feel quite so charmed when he had to walk through the stuff.
The boy looked at him then, ice blue eyes smiling. "I'm Leon, though most everyone calls me Leo. May I walk with you for a moment?" he questioned, moving to stand beside Charlie. He nodded, sticking out a hand for Leo to shake, though slightly uncomfortable. He didn't encounter many strangers in his small town life. "The name's Charlie. You must be new to town?" he found himself asking. He ran a hand through his drenched hair, shoving the strands away from his face. As he surveyed Leo, he was struck with how beautiful the boy was. Probably one of the best looking people that Charlie had ever seen.
Leo had artfully messy, raven hued hair that stood out in stark contrast to his pale, ivory skin. His jaw was strong, nose straight, cheekbones proud and sharp, and pale pink lips curved wistfully. Coal colored lashes that were long and thick framed his startlingly light blue eyes. He was lean and ridiculously tall, maybe a few years older than Charlie himself.
Leo nodded in response to Charlie's earlier question, moving a step closer so as to shield them both from the rain with his rather large umbrella. "You would be correct in assuming that I'm new. I'm just passing through, really. Anyhow, I was wondering if you knew where I might be able to find a witch shop. One of those places with lots of incense and tons of books with pentagrams on the cover. Assuming, that is, if this lovely town of yours has one." the boy inquired. Charlie nearly stopped walking at the odd request, instead only stumbling slightly. What a strange person. Smiling so happily and being so good looking. And asking directions to witch shops. Weren't pretty teenage boys supposed to be brooding and tortured?
Charlie swallowed, staring straight ahead. Since he'd neared Leo, the very air he breathed seemed to cover his lungs in frost, his thin jacket doing nothing to stop goosebumps from crawling across his skin. A feeling like static crackled, snaking up his arms and causing a ball of fear to expand in his chest. Something about this boy was wrong. Very wrong. Charlie just had no idea what it was.
"There's one. Sort of. It's more of a practical joke shop than anything, one that specializes in a variety of what I'm assume to be a number of rather useless hexes. Little charms and the like. It's on this side of town, actually, on the outskirts. If you follow this main road we're on, you'll find it eventually." Charlie said rather slowly, finding this whole exchange to be a little odd. Leo nodded enthusiastically, his ever present smile growing wider. "Thanks a bunch, Charlie." He looked as if he were about to head off but seemed to think better of it.
"Since you helped me out, I figure I owe you the same in return. In the form of cryptic advice that will leave you awake for nights to come, wondering." He announced.
Charlie only stared. He had a feeling that there was something inherently off about Leo. He was too pretty, too smiley, too something. Not to mention that standing beside him was like standing in front of the freezer with its door wide open. "Those new kids in town? I wouldn't go out of my way to engage with them if I were you. You may just find yourself caught up in a world that isn't yours." He sounded serious, eyes no longer smiling. And with that enlightening and yet ominous statement, he quickened his pace and strode away. Presumably to visit a witch shop for reasons Charlie was sure he didn't want to know. The farther the boy went, the less intensely Charlie felt the cold. The static had all but dissipated.
All the rest of the way home, Charlie had a queasy feeling that lingered in his stomach that wouldn't relent. Along with the chilling echo of Leo's parting words.
***
Needless to say, hours later, Charlie still found himself pondering the odd boy's warning. Maye the new kids were drug dealers out to recruit novice members into their weird ass, law braking gang. Or maybe Leo was a crazy homeless person, wandering the streets and telling outlandish stories.
He sighed in frustration, annoyed at himself. The whole exchange was most certainly nothing and he needed to forget about it. He had more important things to worry about. Like studying for his impending English test that he would undoubtedly fail. Since he hadn't read a lick of the Odyssey. Which the test was over.
He shuffled into the bathroom, closing the door rather roughly behind him. A nice, hot shower would surely remedy his foul mood. As soon as he'd had the thought, a swoosh sounded, followed quickly by the harsh pitter patter of water. His head shot up, eyes immediately skirting to the... running shower?
He took a hesitant step toward it, and then another, until he was close enough to pull the pale blue shower curtain aside, the soft crinkle doing nothing to drown out the sound of running water. He sucked in a breath when he could actually see with his own eyes that the shower was, in fact, on. He gasped as the the spray coalesced into miniature icicles, shards of ice that made tinkling noises as they met tile. All the while, the shower nozzle was pointed to one three letter word that had Charlie more confused than ever. Off.
The shower was off and yet bullets of ice interspersed with blisteringly cold water were shooting from the shower head. And there Charlie was, thinking his life couldn't get any weirder.