Page 53 of Hex You

The flames shot up, devouring the page in an instant. Ash spiraled into the freshly dug hole, a cyclone of regret.

Released from its power, Jax hurriedly covered the remains. “It’s over,” he whispered, bowing his head.

Kylie drew in a deep, quavering breath, a sob escaping on her exhale. Hunter could already see the clarity returning. The clarity she had taken.

Hunter tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Kylie, I’m sorry. I—”

Kylie’s palm connected with Hunter’s cheek.

The sound splintered against her ear as needles scraped her flesh. Hunter sucked in a trembling breath and covered her stinging cheek with her hand.

“There aren’t enough apologies in the world, Hunter.” Kylie surged to her feet and brushed the grime from her white legs. “This isn’t over, but I have my coach and my team to think about. And they are way more deserving of my tears and my time.” She swiped a tear from her cheek, leaving a trail of dirt in its wake, before stepping over the buried spell and charging back the way they’d come.

“That was fair.” Jax stood and wiped the dirt from his shins. “Love you, H,” he said, and jogged after Kylie.

Hunter’s vision swirled with tears as she fished the to-do list and pen from her back pocket and drew a line through the second item on her list.

TWENTY-ONE

“Hey, Whitfield! Over here!”

Kirk looked around the crowded stadium. It was dusk, but they hadn’t turned on the field lights. Kirk guessed the Booster Club mommies wanted the prayer vigil candles they were handing out to look cool in the dark, but it was damn hard to find his friends in the gloom.

“Whitfield!” Derek Burke bellowed again. This time he waved his meaty arms and Kirk saw him.

“Coming!” Kirk shouted. He grabbed a candle from a frowning mommy before he started to make his way to Burke. As he passed a small group of middle-aged women shuffling their way into the stadium, he slowed, especially when he noticed Mrs. Ashley, Jax’s Jesus freak mom, clutching her own special candleholder made in the shape of a wooden crucifix—which he thought looked more like someone had set Jesus’s head on fire than lit a vigil candle.

“It’s just so horrible,” said one of the moms.

“It’s Satanic, that’s what it is,” said Mrs. Ashley.

Kirk took advantage of the shadows and moved closer to the group of women.

“Jana, not everything is Satanic.” A woman with the same brown skin and dark eyes as overly nice Heather Johnson wiped moisture from her brow and spoke not unkindly to Mrs. Ashley.

Kirk wanted to snort and tell her to get a damn clue, but now at least he knew where her daughter got her disgustingI’m oh so nice-ness.

“Latisha, I know you mean well, but you need to listen to me,” said Mrs. Ashley firmly. “There is something evil going on in Goodeville, and we’re only helping them by not calling them out.”

“Them?” Another woman spoke up. Kirk recognized her as Tiffany Wilson’s mom.

“Yes, Cathy,them. The set of twins in our town who worship Satan,” said Mrs. Ashley.

Kirk woulda kissed her if she hadn’t been so old and gross.Now. Now is the time!Old Mrs. Ashley’s words were his cue. He fixed his face into a sad, stricken expression and ran directly into her. “Excuse me, ma’am,” he said quickly and then he looked up like he’d just realized who she was. “Mrs. Ashley! I’m real sorry for bumping you. I guess I was too upset about Coach Livingston and wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Mrs. Ashley’s expression was classic Concerned Mom. “Oh, Kirk! That is understandable. Were you close with Ms. Livingston?”

Kirk lifted and dropped his broad shoulders and wiped at a nonexistent tear. “Yeah, kinda. She was pretty cool, and the cheerleaders all said she was a good coach.”This religious freak can help show the town the truth about the Goode bitches.He stepped closer to Mrs. Ashley and lowered his voice, but not so low that the two listening mommies couldn’t still hear him. “Mrs. Ashley, do you know iftheywere there when Coach Livingston was found?”

Of course Kirk already knew the answer to his question. Almosteveryone with a pulse at school knew the answer, but he felt compelled to make sure all the nosy mommies knew, too.

“I do know and I was just explaining to my friends that Hunter and Mercy Goode, and the evil with which they traffic, are responsible for the horrible things that have been happening in our good, God-fearing town, but I am having trouble making them listen to me,” said Jana Ashley with a hint of righteous anger.

Mrs. Johnson fanned her face. “Look, Jana, my Heather was with the twins when they found Coach Livingston.”

“As was my Tiffany,” added Mrs. Wilson. “And neither of our girls were involved in any way. To even infer anything else is ridiculous. Both Tiff and poor Heather are traumatized. They aren’t evenherethey’re so upset.”

“That’s right, and also why I can’t stay long,” said Mrs. Johnson. Her hand went into her purse and brought out a tissue with which she dabbed salty sweat from her face. “I had to give Heathertwoof my Xanax to stop her hysteria.”