Merlin was sure he didn’t want to go to school, but somehow, he doubted his parents would understand. Of course, what was he going to tell them? He had hurt one of the biggest guys in the school with his magical powers. He suspected Frank might be more than just a little mad at him. Yep, that would go over really well.

Sighing, he got dressed. Maybe Frank and the others would be too scared to try anything. Yeah, right. Shaking his head, Merlin picked up his backpack and left his room. Only a few days ago, he’d snuck off to Little Rock and almost died. Now he was nervous about going back to a school he had gone to so many times he had lost count.

Then again, he’d never gone there with a big target on his back. Well, since there wasn’t much, he could do about it, he might as well get it over with. He had found out years before that it was better to get something that was dreaded over with instead of putting it off.

Maybe he should be grateful for the things he did have, like magic and his family. It was true that he rarely saw them, however. His parents usually woke up and left without giving him the chance of seeing them much. The same was true for his sister.

He didn’t really see them that much after school either. His parents worked two jobs, and his sister usually ended up at a friend's house since they didn’t get home until late at night. He usually woke up at the same time, or before, his sister. He liked to tell her it was because of her alarm waking him up, but it was actually the fact that he sometimes got lonely at home.

His parents were always working, and other than seeing his friends at school, he never got out of the house. There wasn’t much else to do. Most of the time he simply became a vegetable in front of the television.

Things were different now, however. There were plenty of things he could do. He could prepare spells and do just about anything he wanted. Except not to go to school. Sure, he could cast a spell on his parents, but that just didn’t seem right.

Instead, Merlin walked out of the house and headed to the bus stop. While he was waiting, he thought about everything that had happened. He’d gotten magical powers from a mirror his substitute teacher had shown him and his friends. Some of his friends had gotten powers as well, but one of their friends had been cursed.

They had no choice, really, but to go get the mirror to break the curse. Luckily, some old man named Mr. Prince knew how to find her. Unfortunately, they also had to fight some other students from their school. Robert and Shirley had both been hurt. Merlin had accidentally hurt Frank pretty badly. Peter and Belle had betrayed them, but they had still managed to find the mirror. The mirror was broken in a fight, but they managed to get a piece of the mirror and use it to heal Angela.

It seemed like it had happened a lifetime ago. In some ways, perhaps it was a different life. He was a new person now, as were all the others. Shirley had finally gotten the hang of her powers of observation. She was able to see more than almost anyone and remembered everything.

Robert had gone from being appalling with a bow and arrow to being an expert marksman. Of course, he’d barely fired a single arrow before he was gravely injured by Lucas. Now Lucas, wow. Talk about changes. His fingernails were claws that could cut someone open in a heartbeat.

Ruth, however, had probably changed the most. She had gone from being a goth girl to being a real vampire, or at least as close to being one as possible. Besides himself, she probably had the best powers. Of course, being a vampire, she probably had a lot of disadvantages as well. Idly, he wondered what weaknesses she did have.

There were so many vampire legends, who knew which one she had been thinking about? Dracula, the most famous vampire of them all, had been able to walk in the sunlight. That was contrary to what most movies showed. Knowing Ruth though, she probably went with the original movies and books.

Somehow, he had ended up with the best choice of powers. He couldn’t think of any disadvantages except that he had to speak the spells. As long as he was prepared ahead of time, that wasn’t too much of a disadvantage. Then again, maybe there was something he didn’t know. After all, his father had told him nothing comes free. In fact, the spell giving them the powers had said something similar as well.

What price was he going to have to pay? In fact, what about Robert and Shirley? There wasn’t really a downside on their powers. Robert had become an expert bowman. How could there possibly be a drawback to that? He wouldn’t need to drink blood like Ruth.

Lucas would probably turn into a werewolf once a month during the full moon. Who knew, he might even stay furry all the time after that. He would probably need industrial-sized fingernail cutters.

By the time he started to think about Frank again, the bus had arrived. Climbing aboard, he wondered about Frank. Frankenstein’s monster was supposed to be very tall and extremely strong. Of course, it wouldn’t matter. It all depended on what Frank had been thinking. Had he been thinking about the Mary Shelley version or some movie version?

Either way, he should probably review the spells he had made yesterday. While he doubted the others would try anything at school, he didn’t want to be surprised. After all, maybe they wouldn’t care about school anymore since they had powers. He knew he had been tempted to skip school. He could make, or do, just about anything with his powers. Why go to school?

When they reached school, Merlin made sure he was the last one off the bus. Carefully, he looked out the windows to see if anyone was waiting to jump on him from some hiding place. Not seeing anyone who looked suspicious except the bus driver who was giving him an annoyed look, he got off the bus.

Merlin thought about it and decided to go ahead and wait where he usually met his friends. He frowned when he found no one waiting for him there. Usually, there was at least one person there already. He waited until the bell was about to ring before rushing inside. No one had shown up. Where were all his friends since none of them were at school?

He was really surprised Shirley and Robert weren’t there. He had figured Angela might miss. Her parents were probably still worried about her and would want to keep her at home in case she started being unable to stay awake again. Merlin had no idea why Shirley and Robert weren’t at school, however.

Well, maybe. They had both been injured getting the mirror piece back. They seemed well enough to go to school, however. Maybe they were worried about the Monster Mob as well.

Frank probably wouldn’t be at school since he had been so badly hurt. Ruth probably wouldn’t be as well. Most vampire stories had vampires dying if they went into the sunlight. That left Peter, Belle, and Lucas. He supposed Peter and Belle were now part of the Monster Mob.

Odd how things could change so quickly. Friendships are made and broken almost overnight. While Peter and Belle hadn’t been good friends, they had been a part of their group.

By the end of the day, he had seen no one, not even Arthur. Why had he not come? He hadn’t been hurt. He also wasn’t the type who would be scared away at the thought of a fight. He had the fighting abilities of a knight.

Arthur might not be able to bring his magic sword to school, but he wasn’t likely to be afraid of anything. For a second, Merlin wondered what price Arthur might pay for his powers. They really weren’t powers. They were more like skills, just like Robert’s skill with a bow.

A little worried that no one except him from the two groups had come to the school, Merlin tried to figure out what to do about that. He didn’t know who to check on first, however. Finally, he decided Shirley might be the best one to speak with.

He could find out why she hadn’t come to school. Also, she might be able to suggest reasons why the others hadn’t come to school. It was a long shot since she hadn’t seen them and couldn’t use her observational skills. Despite that, she could still use her mind, however.

Merlin hoped he could talk her brother into giving him a ride back to his place. It was going to be a long walk otherwise. Still, it would be worth it if he could find out anything new. Why had no one come to school? What had they been doing? Was he missing something?

Shirley was secluded in her room when he reached her house. Her parents seemed a little confused. They had shown him to her room and then retreated, as if unsure what to do about whatever was going on at their house.

Looking at them, Merlin frowned. That was weird. He looked at their disappearing backs, wondering what would cause a reaction like that. Turning to Shirley, he asked, “What’s with your parents?”

“Don’t worry about them,” Shirley said as if bored with the conversation already. “I set them straight about what they needed to know and what they needed to do.” She looked him up and down, cocked her head to the side to think, and then said, “I know why you are here, and no, I’m not going to help you.”

Merlin stared at her, confused now. Her parents’ confusion was definitely a little easier to understand. What was she talking about? He hadn’t asked for any help yet. Was she talking about him asking for advice? “Uh, I was wondering why you didn’t come to school today.”

“That is one of the reasons you came by, but ultimately, that isn’t what you really came looking for,” she said. “We will start there, however. I didn’t go to school because I chose not to.”

“Why not?” While he didn’t really want to go to school either, it wasn’t really a choice.

“Why bother? I know, or can find out, everything they want to teach me. It would be a waste of my time. I might as well stay here.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

While true, he was still a little surprised. She probably could learn everything she needed faster and better by staying at home and using a computer, but...he finally trailed off, not sure what to say. Finally, he said, “What about friends? Sure, you can learn everything here. You can’t make friends here, however.”

“Actually, should I ever feel the need, I can always find a chat site online,” Shirley said, dismissing his idea with a wave of a hand. “Friends are overrated. Peter and Belle were friends, and now they are not. Why invest the time and energy in a friend who will not be there for you?”

“What about Arthur and Robert? What about me?” He asked, confused about the changes he was seeing in Shirley.

“Arthur will betray us as well. You might not see it now, but you will eventually. Robert isn’t worth the time or effort. The benefits and rewards aren’t worth the time and investment. Therefore, he is a liability and should be dropped.”

Merlin wanted to protest by saying something but really didn’t know what to say, which was fortunate since she continued. She almost sounded as emotionless and analytical as a machine.

“You, on the other hand, are a little more interesting,” she said. “You have the potential to provide more benefits than liabilities, which is why I have bothered to speak with you. This does not mean I will assist you more than I must to maintain our current level of association.”

Merlin frowned, not liking where this was going. She was acting like a mechanical calculator who was adding up the advantages and disadvantages of being a friend. He didn’t think people would become someone’s friend because of what they could get. He wouldn’t be someone’s friend just for what they could give him, although he was sure those types of people existed. True friendship was a give and take, where the friend’s needs came first.

Shirley continued, apparently not caring about his thoughts since she must have noticed them with her observational skills. “You feel bad about what you did to Frank. You want to help him somehow to make up for hurting him. You have probably come up with several spells to heal him. This made you realize that Ruth and Lucas might also need your help as well.”

“Uh..” Merlin started to say, but then stopped as Shirley just talked over him.

She held up a finger as if to hush his childlike prattling, “The answer is, no. I will not help you with any of them. Yes. Peter and his sister are probably regretting their decision as much as Robert right now. You have the skills to deal with them on your own, however. I see no need to waste my time or energy on assisting you any more than I already am by speaking with you right now.”

With that, she made a dismissing motion, like a queen letting her subject know it was time for him to leave. Smart enough to take the hint, he nodded to her. Being annoyed, he gave her a mock bow before turning to leave. He was stunned by how much she had changed in just a few days.

When he saw her parents as he opened the front door to leave, he recognized their feelings. They didn’t know what to do about the new Shirley. He couldn’t even begin to guess what she had said to them. If it was anything at all like his conversation with her, then they must have been really disturbed.

He was halfway down the street walking home when he realized he had forgotten to ask Shirley’s brother for a ride home. That might be for the best anyway. Shirley had given him a lot to think about.

Why would she think Arthur was going to betray them? That would be bad since he had the mirror piece. Shirley had agreed to give it to him, however. Why would she do that if she thought he would betray them? He was tempted to go back and demand some answers, but somehow, he knew he wouldn’t get any answers. Even if he did, he wouldn’t enjoy the result.

As for Peter and his sister, he could sort of see why they might regret it. Had Belle dressed up as Tinkerbell or just a fairy? That could make a difference. Maybe she was shrinking. Peter might regret it because of that.

Ruth and Lucas he had already thought about. Yes, they could easily be regretting the mirror’s results. Who knew what was happening with Frank? He had half expected the police to show up and arrest him for assault.

As for Robert, why would he be regretting getting powers from the mirror? Maybe he could find out. After all, Robert didn’t live that far from Shirley’s house. With a small detour, he could ask Robert himself. It couldn’t be any worse than what had happened with Shirley. Could it?

He sighed in relief after meeting Robert’s parents. They, at least, didn’t seem concerned. Maybe he had been worrying for nothing. After they showed him to Robert’s room, he had a chance to see what Robert looked like. He had been injured during the fight, but Merlin had done his best to heal him afterward.

Hmm, while he looked a little under the weather, he didn’t seem too sick. Going up to Robert, he asked, “How are you doing? Everything okay?”

Robert rubbed his stomach. It looked like an unconscious movement as if he didn’t even know he had done it. “I’m fine,” he said.

Merlin wondered if he was only imagining a bit of anger in his voice. “Is that why you didn’t come to school today?” He wondered why Robert might be angry with him.

“That and I didn’t want to run into Lucas and the others again,” Robert admitted grudgingly. “I want to make sure I am completely rested before I deal with him. When I am ready, I’ll find him.”

Merlin nodded to himself as much as to Robert for what he had said. Yep. there was definitely a lot of anger in his voice. Something about the way Robert had been talking gave Merlin the impression that Robert wasn’t going to give Lucas a fair chance at defending himself the next time they ran across each other.

He could imagine why Robert probably was worried about Lucas. He could even understand the anger. In fact, he would probably feel the same about Lucas. After all, Lucas was the one who had hurt him. While Merlin might have been able to close the wounds, the mental scars were probably still there.

Oh no! Merlin had a terrible thought. Lucas had been dressed up as a werewolf when he looked at the magical mirror. Didn’t people who survived werewolf attacks turn into werewolves themselves? That could be a big problem. Is that what Shirley meant when she said Robert would be regretting what the mirror had done?

Realizing the silence had extended into an uncomfortable length, he blurted out, “I was just worried about you is all. No one from either group showed up to school today.”

“I’m surprised you went to school today,” Robert said with a little bit of a sneer. “Why bother?”

Merlin didn’t know what to say to that at first. Finally, he said, “To get an education so we can get a good-paying job?” Somehow, he didn’t think Robert would like the answer.

Robert snorted, “Come on. Arthur would give us a cushy job if we asked. Even if he didn’t, I have the skills to live off the land now. I can move to the woods and live there just like Robin Hood did. In fact, I could hit some of these big businesses that are worse than any corrupt sheriff and take their money.”

Merlin blinked. Uh...Where was that coming from? “Uh, that’s theft. You could go to jail for that.”

Robert dismissed that with a look. “I’m not afraid of jail. And is it really stealing? I mean, they send our jobs overseas and leave low-paying jobs for everyone. They get big tax breaks and leave us paying for everything. They buy judges and politicians to get what they want. In fact, the more I think about it, the more we need a new Robin Hood for today’s world.”

Okay, Merlin thought to himself. Everyone was going crazy. Had the experiences of the last few days driven everyone insane? Was it the effects of the mirror?

Could Peter also have been affected by the mirror as well? Peter Pan would often turn on his own Lost Boys when they got too old or for no reason at all during a fight with the pirates. Had Peter’s betrayal been because of the effects on his mind caused by the mirror?

That couldn’t be right, he thought. Shirley wasn’t acting at all like Sherlock Holmes. Wait, maybe she was like the fictional character after all. Hadn’t Sherlock been quiet and reserved at home, not wanting to be bothered by what he was doing? In fact, Sherlock didn’t like anyone except for Watson. Was he Shirley’s Watson? Weird.

These thoughts flashed through his mind, but before the silence stretched too long again, Merlin said, “That’s true. I’ve heard a lot of people talking about stuff like that.”

Robert seemed to get excited about the subject, and heatedly said, “Yeah! My father was telling me how the police are just revenue collectors nowadays. They give you tickets for not having two working car lights. You roll past a stop sign or do not use your blinker and they stop you. Then you turn around and see them breaking the very same laws with no consequences. They think they are above the law. They are gang members protected by the thin blue line. I’ve even heard about how they are more interested in taking money from the criminals than actually stopping the drugs from coming into town.”

Merlin was about to say something, but was interrupted by Robert, who seemed to be on a roll, “That’s how the government works. Did you know that after what happened in Ferguson, they started making money by fining people for things like mismatched drapes inside the house or having some other code violation? Then when someone did some research, they found out the people in charge are doing much worse, and just because they are in power, they don’t have to obey the rules everyone else has to obey.”

Eyes wide, Merlin listened as Robert went on and on about all the things the government had done. He had never heard of many of the things Robert told him and was amazed. He had heard a little bit about some of the things Robert told him, but...goodness. Merlin sat on the bed and listened to Robert rattle off the incident after cover-up after controversy for what dragged into who knew how long.

Some of them he wasn’t sure he really believed and would have to research. Surely the government hadn’t poisoned alcohol and caused people to die during Prohibition. He had no clue what the Gulf of Tonkin had to do with the Vietnam War even after Robert’s rambling ravings. As for the government conducting secret tests on civilians with different drugs, well, he would have to research that as well.

Finally, Merlin had to interrupt the tirade. Robert was more than a little upset about a lot of things. Maybe it was good that he hadn’t gotten more power than he already had. Still, with what he had gained, it sounded like Robert was going to end up doing something that would get him into trouble in the near future.

Robert didn’t want to let him go at first, having found a willing ear that he could make listen to what he had to say. From what Merlin had heard, everyone had a right to be angry. The problem was that he feared Robert might do something stupid because of it. It almost sounded as if he wanted to start a riot.

Merlin knew that people rioted when they were angry. Unfortunately, most of the time the people who were really hurt were people that had nothing to do with the problem in the first place. The anger needed direction, and Robert seemingly only had the anger, without a lot of direction.

Merlin excused himself, wondering how long it would be before Robert did something big and drastic and very, very stupid. While Merlin had known Robert loved watching videos about that type of stuff on the internet, he hadn’t known how strongly Robert felt. Apparently, Robert’s father, who was a conspiracy buff, had a bigger effect on Robert than Merlin had expected.

Sheesh, he thought as he left the house. It was dark already. If his parents were home, which they probably weren’t since they both worked two jobs, they would have been really annoyed with him. As it was, they would probably never find out.

Since he didn’t have time to check on anyone else, he started walking home. Maybe tomorrow, he could check on Arthur. He had certainly found out about Robert. In fact, there were still a lot of things he needed to consider about the changes going on with Robert.

Werewolves were supposed to be very angry. Was that where the rage had come from? Had it been from the mirror itself? Or had it come from Robert, and was just now coming out? What in the world would Robert end up doing with all that anger?