“…so you see, prepositions are useful, but starting sentences with them is…” Mr. Grant droned on and on, and Scott tuned him out. It would be easy enough to pass the test, and that was all he cared about. He sighed as he looked at the calendar by the open window. School wouldn’t be out for another month yet. The wind teased the class invitingly, beckoning to come out on this perfect day.

But alas, class had to happen. For some reason. Scott shuffled in his seat, adjusting his knees so he could read the book under his desk, some blasé sci-fi novel. Something something digital, something something cyberattack, robots…bleh. Even the school’s library was unexciting. He glanced around, looking for anything that could hold his attention for more than a second.

His eyes fell on the school newspaper his neighbor had, the winning smile of Leo Manning holding a trophy aloft.

‘Golden Boy of Craven Falls Scores Again!’ the headline ran. Scott snorted. Sports were so dull, and he couldn’t stand those preppy types like Leo Manning. He was probably stuck-up.

After a torturous half-hour, the bell finally rang. It was time for lunch.

He dropped off his books and changed them at his locker silently as the crowd flowed around him, like a rock in a stream. Everyone was chatting, but he didn’t think he’d uttered a word since he arrived. His skin prickled, and he turned to the left.

Down the hall the great big doors of the library were open, to let out some of the heat. Their library was actually a subdivision of the towns’, and the ladies who worked at one worked at the other. He saw Ms. Peabody, the town’s head librarian staring what he could swear was straight at him across the hall, and he shivered despite the warm day.

“Creepy.” he muttered, picking up his books and headed to the cafeteria. He saw a guy a couple rows down struggle to carry a stack of books, both text and comic. The guy slipped and nearly fell into one of the basketball team, Will something. The article mentioned him too.

“Hey, watch it!” Will said, almost knocked over. They guy mumbled an apology, looking down. Apparently it wasn’t sincere enough, because Will knocked the books out of his hand and walked away fuming. The guy hurriedly scrambled to collect the comics with a desperate look on his face.

Scott watched it all dispassionately. It was better to be an observer than a target. He walked past him to lunch.

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“I tell you, my neighbors’ kids are too loud. Mr. Crenshaw’s gotta reign ‘em in, he’s always away.” Brian said, munching on a sloppy joe.

“Mmm. But you make bank babysitting ‘em, right? You getting that new game?” Scott said, picking at his chicken nuggets. Brian nodded.

“Yeah, but that’s the only good part about it. Well, Connor’s okay, but that Riley’s a nightmare. She’s too energetic.” he said, thudding his head on the table. “She’s gonna have a record by the time she’s sixteen, you can tell.”

“Yeah. Some people are just meant to be trouble, I guess. Probably some psychological issue.” Scot tossed the rest of his tray.

“Probably. Oh, speaking of which, you hear about the girl who flipped out this morning?” Brian said, head still on the table.

“Hmm?”

“Yeah, weirdest thing. She just started randomly screaming and running. I heard the assistant principal nearly got his arm broken trying to restrain her, I think the cops got called in.” he said. The bell rang, signaling it was time to go and for a surge of new people to rush the cafeteria. Scott shrugged don his backpack and left with Brian, but he heard his name called, faintly.

“You hear that?” he asked Brian.

“What?”

“Someone calling me. Think it was a girl.” Scott muttered, scanning the room, but it was too crowded. Brian snorted dismissively.

“Yeah right. You got a girlfriend I don’t know about? Why would a girl be calling for you?”

“Yeah, guess so. C’mon, I don’t wanna be late.” Scott shrugged and left, Brian at his heels.

“Scoooott!” He didn’t hear.

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“Alright. Pencils down. Pass your papers to the front. And just so you actually learned something: smoking, alcohol, and marijuana are what, class.” Mrs. Cross said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Baaaaad.” everyone chorused dully. Health class was such a pain.

“At least you got that straight. Damn well better.” she added under her breath, then noticed a hand. “Yes, Gregor?”

“Such things are legal in my country. I can drink there no problem.” the exchange student said. Cross sighed and nodded.

“Yeah, European traditions are different. It does affect the brain and growth, but in relatively miniscule amounts you’ll be fine. Just don’t get sh-crapfaced often and you’re good to go.” she said wearily.

“We’re teenagers.” the class chorused, not for the first time.

“Gah. Let’s just watch the video.” Cross snapped, wheeling out the TV on the cart and getting out the DVD. As the lights turned off, Scott stared out the window. It really was a beautiful day, the perfect temperature and flooded with sunlight. He glanced back at his teacher. God, she was unsuited for this job, everyone knew it. Her father was some big-shot policeman, but she failed out of the academy and moved here from Nahumville. He watched her tap her foot impatiently, glancing at the clock. The vein in her forehead was bulging.

Ah well. It didn’t matter.

He turned and stared out the window. Hour and a half before he could leave, fifteen before he had to come back, sixty more years of the same everyday life. He slumped in his desk. Everything felt so empty and dull, not just around him.

His eyes wandered the grounds, and caught the corner window of the library. Ms. Peabody was staring up intently at his window. Scott shifted uncomfortably and sat up, blocking her with the wall. What was her deal?

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The bell rang and students flooded the halls, rushing to get to the last period of the day. Brian joined him, they had Social Studies together.

“Sup. Almost done!” Brian said cheerfully.

“Thank God.” Scott groaned. Today had been too long. He felt like there was a dark, heavy blanket on him, weighing him down, constantly muffling the world. Brian tilted his head.

“You okay? You sound weird.”

“Nah, I’m fine. Just the ennui of a forward-looking youth, gazing into the abyss of the future and finding the dread abomination staring back with the gravity of a thousand suns.” he said. Brian blinked. “I’ll get over it.” Scott clarified, and Brian nodded.

“Gotcha. Hey, you hear about that crazy girl? They said she managed to escape, she’s been missing ever since fifth period.”

“Really?” Scott asked, eyebrow raised. This could be interesting.

“Yeah, I saw ‘em try to take her out of one of the back entrances, they literally had to drag her away! It’s nuts, you ever hear anything like it?” Brian said.

“Can’t say I-” As they rounded the corner, Scott plowed into someone going the other way, knocking all their stuff down and them both back.

“Oh, sorry!”

“I’m sorry, here, let me help you.” They both knelt to pick up their things. She was a blonde girl with clear blue eyes that apologized politely as she helped gather notebooks. Scott frowned. He was sure he’d seen her before, what was her name…

“Are you…Amber? Amber Harris?” She looked up at him.

“Yes? And you are?” she asked nicely. Of course. One of the most popular and brightest girls in the school, while he had the charisma and presence of a limpet.

“Ah, just thought I recognized you. We sat in the same Social Studies period last year.” Scott said, turning red. Why was he talking to her?

“Oh yeah, I think I remember. Stan, right?” she said, handing him his stuff.

“Scott.” he said as he gave her the notebooks.

“Well, good to see you again. C’mon guys, we have to go.” she said, urging her posse on. The popular clique, Jenny, Stephanie, and Bess rolled their eyes at him and followed.

“Whoa, she was a babe. You get a feel?” Brian asked lecherously as Scott frowned, concentrating. There was something bugging him, but for the life of the skinny teen he couldn’t figure out what. He turned and watched her walk away.

“Amber!” She turned at the sound of her name, and it took him a sec to realize the word had passed through his lips.

“Yes?” she asked politely, but clearly impatient. He stared, unable to think of anything.

“Sorry, it’s nothing.”

“Okay, have a good day!” she said and they left, the other girls giggling at him. What’s up with you today, man?” Brian asked, and Scott shook his head.

“Dunno. Let’s move.” He turned and went up the stairwell, the throng of the crowd filling the space between them like a wall.

Scott yawned as they approached the door to the room, mentally dulled. Thank god it was last period. He trudged down the hall, trying to shake off the feeling of déjà vu from earlier. They were the last to arrive, still in time but the door was already closed. He put his hand on the knob when the door next to it burst open, a strung-out junior jumping out with messy hair and wild eyes. She desperately grabbed his arm.

“You! It’s you! I’ve been looking all over for you!” she said quickly, voice hoarse and barely above a whisper.

“’Scuse me?” he said, eyebrow raised. “Do I know you?”

“Yes! Yes you do! Do you know who I am!?” she said excitedly. Scott and Brian shared a worried glance.

“Sorry, can’t say that I do.” he said, trying to discreetly tug his arm away. Her hands were like an iron bar. She stared at him with manic eyes.

“No! You do! But you just don’t know that you do! It’s not real, that’s why you don’t know me!” she said, tightening her grip.

“What’s not real?” he said worriedly, desperately looking for a way out of this situation. Brian dithered uselessly behind him.

“Everything! Nothing here is real!” she gasped desperately, then reigned herself back. “L-Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but you have to believe me! The school, the town, today-none of it’s real! It’s all just an illusion!”

“Riiiiiight.” Scott said, signaling to Brian to open the door and get the teacher behind his back.

“No, it is! I know! I think I’m the only one who can know! I’ve-I’ve tried everything I can think of, but I can’t undo this. And since it’s not real, I don’t have my powers. I think we’re in some kind of hallucination!” she said, nearly in tears.

“Uh-huh.” Scott said, gently taking her and turning into a corner, giving Brian the opportunity to slip inside. “What powers do you have?”

“None, now! And I wasn’t the only one…you did too!” she wailed. He blinked.

“What? Really? Cool. What could I do? Shoot fire? Fly super fast?” he asked, but she barely heard him.

“You, me, Amber, Bess-we all had powers, magical knowledge to unleash spells! And…you’re dead.”

“Huh?” Scott said, suddenly growing cold. This was getting creepy.

“I know it sounds weird but listen! You’re dead! Six feet under! B-But you crawled out of your grave, and now you’re a skeleton, and...” she trailed off, seeing his concerned face. “Yeah. It’s true. You died. You were shoved off a high rise. But-I don’t know the details-but you came back.” She wasn’t the only one shaking anymore. He looked down at his hand. Warm, pink flesh. She was crazy. He was alive. How could he be anything but?

The door opened and the teacher poked his balding head out.

“Something the matter here?” he said. There was pounding on the stairs, and several police officers came up.

“There she is!”

“Don’t let her get away this time!”

“Crap!” she said, panicking. “Run!”

“Whoa!” She bolted, nearly tearing his arm off. Having no choice but to follow, he dashed down the hall with her.

“I kicked ‘em in the balls earlier-I don’t think that’ll work again!” she said, ducking and dragging him around the bend. “Here!” They dove into an empty classroom and crawled underneath the window.

“Look, I’m sure you’re sane and all-” Scott lied, “-but this’s taking it-”

“Shhh!” She covered his mouth, desperation giving her a mad strength. They listened to the cops as they jogged down the hall, and counted to five. Then, they relaxed.

“Okay, miss. I’m super late for class, and I’m gonna be super in trouble for running from the cops! I gotta get back-”

“Vanessa.” she said suddenly.

“What?”

“I’m Vanessa Dawson. You’re Scott Havenbrook, 15, and currently dead. Any of this ring a bell?”

“Only a warning bell that I’ve got a stalker.” he said, inching away. She grabbed his face.

“No! Listen!” she whispered fiercely, staring into his eyes. “You’ve been reduced to a skeleton, but command armies and have a flying ship. You’ve negotiated deals with gods and daemons. My little sister Riley and her friend Connor are your apprentices. The leader of the vampire superheroes and the captain of the football team are your best friends. You keep fighting with a detective, or a government agent, whatever Cross is. Amber Harris is your girlfriend. Does any of this sound familiar?”

Scott stared at her incredulously. She may well have just said the moon was made of cheese, and was selling rockets to get there. He could recognize every word in that sentence, but strung together?

“You really are crazy if you think that’s true. Leo Manning my best friend? Vampire superheroes? Flying ships? Amber Harris. One of the most popular girls in school. My girlfriend.” He snorted, tugging himself free. “You’re delusional.” He stood up.

“No! Wait!” Vanessa cried hysterically, flailing. “Listen! It’s all true, I swear!”

“Get real. Good story, but I’ll wait for the movie.” he said, opening the door.

“No-!” She gnashed her teeth. Something. There had to be something to convince him. But to an eye untrained with illusions, how could-that was it.

“Scott! If everything is real, what color are your eyes!?”

“Green.” he said, rolling them as he left.

“Then why are they brown!?”

He stopped dead. That was…true.

“No, see, I was born with brown eyes, but...” Now they were green? Eyes didn’t do that. But he was sure the last time he had looked in a mirror, they were green. But…he had grown up with brown eyes, for over fourteen years. But his eyes were green, that was a fact. He shook his head.

“See!?” Vanessa said.

“No, that’s…” There was a bathroom a couple doors down. He hurried there, Vanessa on his heels. She found him staring in the mirror, looking at his perfectly ordinary light brown eyes.

“No…no, this isn’t right.” he muttered. Yes, they were brown. That’s what they should have been. But that was wrong. Why was that wrong?

He gazed deep, deeper into the mirror. That’s the color he’d always seen. That’s what they should have been. But he looked deeper. There, in the middle of his pupils. It couldn’t have been a trick of the light, not for both at that angle. There, in the center of each black circle, there was…there was…

He turned away. No. This crazy girl couldn’t be telling the truth. That was insane!

“Look.” she said hesitantly, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. “I know this must hurt. I know it sounds nuts. But you have to believe me. What I’m saying is real, not what you think is reality. I thought I was crazy too, when I started noticing strange things this morning. But when I thought about it, it all added up, and my memories came rushing back. I’m sorry, but I can’t leave you like this. We need you.”

“Suh. Suppose what you say is true. Why? What next?” he said gruffly, not looking up. She bit her lip.

“I’m not a hundred percent sure. I was hoping you could help me figure it out. When I broke the spell for me, I felt something shift. I’m hoping the more people I get to recognize this is an illusion, the easier it’ll be to break free for good. I’ll stake my life on it. You saved my sister, and me. I have to save you.” she said earnestly.

“It’s hard to believe you.” he said, leaving the bathroom.

“But do you?” Vanessa asked, and spotted the cops rounding the corner. “Crap!” She grabbed Scott’s arm and ran, but they were staked out at the exit around the side. They saw her and got out radios and tasers. “Double crap!” She glanced around furtively, Scott still downcast and silent. There! The stairs! “C’mon!”

They hustled up the dark stairwell, full of cobwebs. It only lead up, but she was hoping they could find a path to another exit. She could hear shouts and boots from the authorities far too close for comfort.

“Hurry up!” They came to a door, but it was locked. “Oh, for the love of-!” She tackled it as hard as her thin frame would allow. Scott watched her in alarm.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“I’ll be worse if they catch us! I don’t know what’ll happen if we get caught, but I guarantee it won’t be good! Rrrgh!” She rammed the door with her shoulder again and again, and it gave way. They stumbled out onto the roof, the sky illuminated by the bright warm sun. “The roof!?”

“Don’t let them go!” Panicking, the teens ran to the far side of the roof, cops and teachers rushing out to corner them, literally.

“Stay back!” Vanessa cried desperately. They slowed their approach, watching warily and fanning out. Vanessa flung her arms out and stepped in front of Scott. He was the best chance of stopping this madness. He had to escape, no matter what.

“Look, girl. Just calm down. No one is going to hurt you.” an officer said, slowly stepping forward with his palm up. She glanced at the three-story drop behind them.

“Don’t get any closer! W-We’ll j-jump, I swear!” she shouted, trembling and crying.

Scott stared blankly at it all.

The cops slowly maneuvered around, the teachers in the back.

“Listen, we don’t want to hurt you or your friend. Just calm down and let him go. We can talk about this.”

“No! Go away!” she screeched, backing up until they hit the railing. Oh God, nowhere left to run. The cops could see it was an empty threat, and were moving in. “I’m warning you!” How would she wake the others if she was in a jail cell? Forget that, how could she even get them out of here, trapped as they were?

Scott stared at his hand. He could see the outline of bone underneath the skin.

“We just want to help. Calm down, we can talk this out.” the officer said soothingly, trying to keep her attention forward while his squad shuffled around the sides.

“Just leave us alone! We’ll jump, really!”

“Don’t do anything you might regret.” he said calmly, stepping forward. “I know you don’t really want to jump. He doesn’t either. Just calm down and we can sort this out.”

“No! Get back! You’re not real! None of you are! Stay-” She felt something move behind her back. She turned to see Scott balanced on the railing. The cops gasped, torn between rushing to catch him and staying put to not startle or provoke him.

He gave them a sickly grin. He felt warm, he felt whole. The day was beautiful. There was nothing he was pressured to do, and a whole life to look forward to. And he never felt more dead inside.

“Hey. Listen up.” Standing here so high up, feeling the breeze, felt so familiar. He couldn’t remember, but he felt it in his bones. “It doesn’t matter what you do. I think-I think it’s too late.” He glanced at the library, where Ms. Peabody was staring up at him through the window. She was smiling. He remembered what he saw in the mirror, in the pupils of his ordinary brown eyes.

Two points of toxic emerald green.

“I’m dead already.” He grinned, spread his arms out, and fell back head-first. The wind whipped at him as he fell, the ground approaching qui-

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Amber Harris was idly sitting in her science class, doodling while listening to Mr. Woodward. She’d never scored too high in this class, but her grades were good enough and it was late enough in the year that she could afford to slack off a little. She caught Bess’s eye and they smiled. They’d made plans to go out on this perfect day, grab some Dairy Queen at the mall. Only like forty minutes left. She glanced absently to the side, and saw…someone swinging into the window!

CRSSSHHH!

“Yeah-heah! Clear the way! I’m a necromancer on a mission, comply or die!” A grinning skeleton had swung into class, standing atop a desk and laughing maniacally. A frazzled girl swung in after him.

“Don’t do that! My powers aren’t that strong yet!” Vanessa cried. When he took his swan dive, he woke up on the ground, his ego reasserting his self-image into the illusory reality. Flesh melted from his body, and he stood up. The cops backed away, and Vanessa had felt something shift again. Suddenly, she could recall some of the knowledge she had lost.

“We have to make this reality break!” she called down to Scott, and his eyelights shone like torches.

“No problem! All we gotta do is throw the impossible around, right?” was his reply.

A squad of cops stampeded to the door, drawn by the screaming. Scott turned his attention to them and laughed, jumping at them.

“Sekh! Avitios ehthnemgh, av” itios ehthne;ugh, voloutous vhah!” He made one cop rot into corpsehood where he stood, and another collapsed convulsing, his bones starting to slip out of his skin.

“That’s horrible!” Vanessa said, chanting and conjuring giant snakes to restrain the others.

“Meh, they can’t actually die. So I’m cutting loose!” He turned his green gaze upon the scattered students, screaming and crying and trying to escape. He locked eyes with Amber, paralyzed on the floor. He walked towards her.

“Y-You can’t-” Mr. Woodward tried to get in the way, but as Scott was powered by magic instead of muscle, he shoved him into a wall without even looking. He came and stood above a shaking Amber, holding out his hand.

“It’s alright. I know it’s scary. But you need to wake up.”

This was insane. This man was dangerous, he’d just killed two people before her eyes, and had threatened the class and the teacher. Every instinct shouted to run away from this monster.

She had no idea why she took his hand.

“Who-who are you?” she squeaked as he hauled her to her feet. He pulled a hand across his face, letting the illusion reassert itself for a moment. “S-Scott!?”

“Guess this thing has some use after all.” He dipped and kissed her, putting all the passion he had into it. The class gasped as his head melted back to bone, but also at Amber. The color was draining from her skin, leaving it chalk white.

“H-He’s killing her!” someone screamed, and the bravest guy in class tried to tackle him. When he leaped, Amber caught him with one arm and set him down.

“Hi.” Amber said to her boyfriend. He grinned. “You sure can make an entrance.”

“My specialty, after zombies.” he said cheekily.

“I’ll explain on the way. How do we free her from the illusion?” Vanessa asked, a snake slithering up with a yelling Bess. Scott stared at her.

“Slap her ‘til she wakes up?” he suggested.

“You bastard! I’ve already paid for my crimes, you don’t have to hit me!” she yelled, then went wide-eyed. “Wait.”

“Sounds like she’s back. C’mon.”

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“Kevin, right?” Scott said, slapping an arm around the terrified teen’s shoulders.

“Y-Y-Yeah?” he gulped. He was cornered in the library by four weirdos, all looking strange. The frazzled girl, the disgruntled girl leaking orange slime, the super pale girl, and the walking skeleton.

“We come from a faraway dimension where chaos and crime run rampant. We are the peacekeepers, but we are running out of time. A great evil threatens to devour the world, and we have tracked you down, as you are the only one who can stop it. Can you be a hero?” Scott asked seriously.

“Oh c’mon. Like that’ll work.” Bess said under her breath.

“But…I’m no superhero. I’m just an ordinary guy.” Kevin said, breaking down. She stared at him cockeyed.

“Fear not. For you see, you already are.” Scott said, giving Vanessa the signal.

“Help! Someone, please help me!” came from outside. Kevin sprang up like a bolt of lightning.

“This looks like a job for Nightfang!” he said, tearing his shirt apart to reveal the white crescent on the black uniform.

“Told ya.” Scott said, and Bess grumbled.

“What do you wanna bet he says that every time?”

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“Sorry about this.” Amber apologized profusely, dragging Gregor and Jenny screaming and clawing on the ground to her with gravity webs.

“What do you want!?” Jenny screamed hysterically.

“I vant to suck your blood!” Nightfang said, flaring his cape and baring his fangs. She frowned.

“Wait, but Gregor and I are already…” Comprehension dawned, and she turned red.

“If any of you call me Jenny again, I’m going to kill you.”

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“Mrs. Cross, are you really happy here?” Bess asked innocently while Cross graded papers.

“It’s my job. I chose it.” she said gruffly, without looking up. “Now get outta here before I give you detention.”

“I…see.” Bess said. Cross’s entire demeanor said ‘go away.’ She sighed. Looked like there was no talking to her after all. She nodded at the door.

“What ho!” Scott burst in, dancing wildly. “Ha ha! Let chaos reign! I’ve outwitted those dumbass cops, there’s nothing they can do to stop me! I shall become the greatest villain in the history of ever!” he declared, illusory zombies groaning behind him. Both he and Bess flinched when they saw her expression when she stood.

“Kid, you’re in for a world of trouble and hurt. You do not insult fellow officers like that.” she growled, cracking her knuckles.

“Hmm? I thought you were a teacher?” he asked innocently.

“That’s-” She rubbed her head, and the spell was broken. “…kid, I don’t know whether to thank you or kill you.”

“Little late for that.” Bess deadpanned.

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“So if you little girls think you can beat us, we’ll gladly do whatever you want.” Will said, grinning with the rest of the team. “But you’ll do whatever we want if we win. Just don’t cry when you lose.” Amber, looking normal, rolled her eyes and nodded.

“C’mon, can we just get this over with?” Genevieve said, casting a glance at Bess. Would she be able to handle it?

“And don’t cry when you lose.” Bess said, rolling her neck. Will and the others smirked; three girls against the whole team? They were nuts.

“Your funeral.” The whistle blew, and the ball sailed into the air. The forward jumped, way higher than Bess could…but a tendril made out of orange goo reached up and snatched the ball away.

“Genevieve!” Bess passed it, and the vampire sped between the opposing team, dribbling at triple speed.

“Hardly even a challenge.” she scoffed, allowing them to try and gang up on her. “Amber.” She nonchalantly passed it over her shoulder, where Amber jumped from her position as guard, caught it at half-court, then dunked it, turning white.

“Alright! That’s two points, right?” she asked, hanging from the basket. The team all stared at her, agape.

“You know, you could do that too, if you just betrayed humanity and became a vampire mutant.” Genevieve said, leaning on Will’s shoulder.

“It was one time, woman!” he snapped, then realized. “Oh.”

“Oh is right.”

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The vampires knocked on the door, and it was answered by Riley.

“Hello?” she asked.

“Hi there! We’re going door-to-door, selling cookies and other treats for the basketball team.” Will said, gesturing to the cart stacked with illusory goodies. “May we come in?”

“Sure!” Riley said, drooling and blinded by the snacks. She led them into the living room, where Crenshaw was watching TV and Connor was reading a book.

“Riley, you can’t keep buying everything these kids sell for fundraisers.” Crenshaw said tiredly.

“Good thing we’re not. We’re actually vampires, horrible accursed monstrosities-” Gegor began, but the cart exploded.

“-and we’re here to save the world! We protect those in need, using the supernatural powers of undeath for the grand cause of JUSTICE!” Nightfang said, kicking away the cart. Connor took one look at the undead creature acting with such…flourish, and immediately groaned, the memories flooding back. Crenshaw snorted, remembering as well.

“Wow! Cool! Let’s do it!” Riley cheered.

“Great! You remember?” Genevieve asked, and she looked at her, puzzled.

“Remember what?”

“I’ll help her.” Connor said, rubbing his temples.

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Whistles blew and highschoolers tackled each other as Amber landed on the football field, holding Scott, Vanessa, and Bess. Everyone started screaming and running, but Leo trotted right up to them.

“Ah, good! I’m glad you managed to snap out of it. I only figured it out myself like a few hours ago. I wasn’t sure how to approach you, so I was going to wait ‘til after school.” he said, smiling abashedly. All three girls’ hearts skipped a beat.

“Uh…that was easy.” Bess said, and Vanessa fought down her blush and raised an eyebrow.

“That’s impossible. The only reason I knew was because I know illusion magic intimately. How could you?” she asked. Leo shrugged cluelessly.

“Dunno. Things just didn’t feel quite right. We’re three months earlier than what we should be, the school’s not in an uproar from those explosions, it was either I was crazy or we were trapped in some kind of advanced simulation or hallucinogenic effect, and my mind is in excellent health.” he explained. They stared at him.

“But I still can’t follow the path that mind takes.” Scott muttered.

“Anyway. What’s say we get out of here?” Leo said, smiling and giving a thumbs-up.