First day of School

[Oliver Evans]

"Part witch, I guess?" Ollie said with a slight shrug. It didn't have to be a big deal if he didn't make it one. He might have said as much, just to reassure him that he wasn't going to explode from not doing spells or whatever but that was exactly as the bell rang... And he realized they were the only ones walking down the hall. Almost everybody else was tucked away in their classrooms, save for one person at her locker, who was rushing to get some books into her bag before she trotted towards a classroom.

"Anyway, we can talk more about it after school," Ollie said, leading him to their first class and grabbing the door handle to open it for Travis. Good thing he had a note or he'd end up marked tardy.

The rest of the school day was pretty typical. Other than the part where he had to lead a new kid around, it was mostly like every other day. He didn't have a whole lot of friends his own age, and he had a sneaking suspicion that this whole set up had been produced by the faculty to make him a friend. It was still awkward as hell as he stuffed his books into a locker and waited for Travis to put his away.

"You got a bike or anything?" Ollie asked. "Or just a skateboard? The cemetery is up on a hill."

[Travis Rha]

Travis made it through the day the two had a few more of the same classes, Ollie, it was weird having him shadow him, he wasn't a baby. But it was cool at the same time he was able to get directions and if he had a question it was answered. So that was a plus.

He took his skate board out of his locker and put his book in and locked it up.

"This is all I got." He held up his board. "What about you? Do you have a bike?"

[Oliver Evans]

"Yeah, it's how I get around town."

Otherwise, he'd be left trying to hitch a ride with somebody. There was only one bus system in the entire stupid town and it took forever to get from point A to point B on that thing. There were a couple lines on it but still, the town might have had a small number of people living in it, but they were spread out pretty far in some places. It wasn't like Hazleton itself was only a mile long--that was just the downtown area.

"You... wanna hitch a ride on back?"

[Travis Rha]

"Yeah, I don't think it will be easy to get this skate board up a hill." He took his backpack off and clipped his board to it and swung it over his shoulder.

The two headed out of the school to the bikes, it seemed like a kid thing to do, go to an old spooky grave yard after school. It beat the hell out of hanging around the house with Aunt No. Travis was happy to be in school now even if he tried to zone her out she would just keep talking.

"So you really think I'm part witch?" He asked as he jumped on the pegs on the back of the bike he placed his hands on his shoulders.

[Oliver Evans]

"Yeah, why not?" Ollie said as he started pedaling them up the hill. It was a bit steep and he had to pump his legs pretty hard to get up over the steepest part--especiall with somebody on the back of his bike. But he made it over and before long, he could see it: the town's graveyard. Ollie kinda liked it there, since it was usually pretty quiet and deserted. The people who'd been buried here were usually hecka old and nobody was left to visit them or whatever. At least, at this part of it. There was a newer part down the hill to the east but that wasn't what they were checking out today.

"I've heard of witches living here," he said, "Not around here specifically but in Hazleton. They even have laws about witches if you go down to the courthouse."

[Travis Rha]

"Wow, this is freaking crazy? I might be a dude witch. I wanna try a spell now," He chuckled. He wondered how it worked, did he always have magic does it turn on at a certain age? Did it have to be given to him through his parents? He didn't have his parents at the moment. Maybe this is why they went missing?

Travis refused to think that they were dead or that they left him. He never realized how much he missed his parents till they were gone. He felt so alone, he wanted nothing to do with them but now would do anything to have them back.

"Your lying, so Hazleton is cool with it like they welcome witches?"

He could see the graveyard up ahead, It gave him the chills just looking at it. But he was really curious now to find his families gravestones, it was like a history lesson.

His parents never talked about their family so it now made him wonder why. Was it because they didn't want him to find out he was a witch?

"I wonder if my parents are witches too, maybe that's why they are missing."

[Oliver Evans]

"Yep."

He nodded because it was true--Travis could totally be a male witch. They were a thing and there were a few covens or whatever they called them around Hazleton. It was a weird little town. He heard stuff when he was away, like when he went to Portland. People there were always whispering, like it was the new Salem or something. Hah... It wasn't, though. Not exactly. Salem was always the way it was.

"And yep," he said, because Hazleton was totally down with the witch thing. "I mean, it's kind of like the place where witches went to get away from persecution in the past. They gathered here and pretended to be... like fine. Normal and stuff."

As they arrived at the graveyard, Ollie slowed.

"Chances are at least one of your parents was, right? Especially if your aunt or grandma is one."

[Travis Rha]

"I am really starting to like this place the more you tell me. I was thinking I was stuck in some hick town." Ollie was slowing down as the got to the gates, once he stopped Travis hoped off.

"Hey!" He furrowed his brow, "Don't talk like that, they're still alive. I mean I think they are, they have to be." His voice somber as he spoke of his parents.

It's not like Ollie knew what happened and how sensitive he was about his parents. They did just meet today. "And who knows if Aunt No is a witch or not. I really think she is crazy. Not saying crazy people can't be witches."

Travis kicked a few pebbles as they walked up to the gate.

[Ellis Rha]

Two boys were approaching.

Ellis sat at the base of a tree, one knee drawn up to his chest. He gently rolled a seed over to a squirrel, who eagerly took it in her twitching paws before going still as the boys approached. Ellis watched them, too. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the squirrel flee up the tree. His gaze remained on the boys, though. Then he slowly stood up.

They probably couldn't even see him--most people didn't. But he had a strong, strong feeling about one of them. He heard Aunt No, which gave him pause. He heard the word witch--that gave him more pause.

"Just being a witch can make some people crazy," he remarked, and he was surprised when a head turned in his direction. They can't see me. It's just a coincidence he looked this way.

[Travis Rha]

Travis stopped in his tracks looking to the direction the voice came from. Bewildered to how everyone in this town knew about witches. It was like he walked into a spooky movie. So much was happening so fast. He wasn't complaining he thought this town was going to suck the life out of him. The first day of school he learned a lot more then he thought he would. He was looking into his family and it might just lead him to his parents.

"I believe you, my Aunt No is way out there." He grabbed the straps of his backpack and looked at the guy standing by the tree. His clothes were odd looking like he was dressed in old clothes like from the early 1900's.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked curiously

[Ellis Rha]

O-oh.

Now they were both looking at him. Ellis couldn't believe it. He felt his own chest, as if he had become solid to the real world just by being stared at. Of course, his hands still felt his chest. It wasn't as if he phased through himself. The dark haired kid responded as if he were a normal person and that made Ellis feel... strange. Happy. But strange. He half smiled, then happened to catch the other kid's discerning stare and his smile disappeared.

"I'm just... I'm always here," he stammered. "What are you doing out here?"

He would much rather look at the dark haired one. He seemed... familiar, somehow. He looked a lot like somebody Ellis used to know, back when he was still alive. The other one... Ellis didn't like the way he was looking at him so he avoided looking back at him.

[Travis Rha]

It must have been the energy that was manifesting as the harvest was nearing that both boys are able to see The ghost that Travis had no idea was one one. Ollie just looked at him oddly not saying a thing.

"Ollie is just showing me around," he pointed his thumb out and pointed it toward Ollie.

It was odd Travis wondered what he meant but he is "always here" He got the chills and creeped out as his gaze fell on Ellis. He was giving him a weird vibe, and Ollie seemed to dislike him as well.

Travis looked around the graveyard, "So do you work here or something?"

[Ellis Rha]

He laughed.

"No... I don't work here."

But the more he looked at him, the more he realized that he was looking at one of his own. They were talking about No. They were talking about witches. His face paled and he looked downward, at the ground. He appeared solid and real for the moment but in that second of uncertainty, he briefly flickered out of sight. When he looked back up, the boy with the light hair was taking a step back, staring at him like he was about to throw up the sign of a cross at any given moment.

Quickly, Ellis put up both of his hands, as if that somehow showed them he was safe and not going to harm them.

"Rha...?" he asked the dark haired boy. "Are you Rha family...?"

[Travis Rha]

Travis nearly jumped out of his skin when he ghosted out. He stumbled backward and tripped and fell on his ass. His hands in the mud from the reason rain.

His eyes nearly popped out of his head. When he said his last name. "How...?" He said as he slowly stood up. He reached a hand out as he neared the ghost. He wanted to touch it, he had no idea why.

His heart raced as he inched closer to where the ghost was standing.

"Are you a...?" his index finger was nearly touching him.

[Ellis Rha]

"What're you doing?!" The fair haired boy grabbed onto his friend and pulled him away, just as he was about to make contact. Ellis stared holes through that interloper, unhappy with his interference. If Ellis could only make contact, he could show his blood relative what might happen to him. Did he not feel all the changes in the air? Did he not realize?

"I'm not going to hurt him," Ellis said indignantly but the fair haired kid held onto his friend like he didn't believe him.