Tammy whiled away every study hall engaged in the complex and often seemingly impenetrable science of the arcane. Even for one of her considerable occult talent, it was a difficult task. It was a chore she did not particularly care for, but the rewards it would eventually bring kept her at it. The key to unlocking the old gods required that just the right ritual be performed at just the right time in just the right place by just the right person. It wasn't easy deciphering important heavenly movements when the best reference book available was her mother's three-volume astrology collection. And the records of ancient Atlantis were absurd in their verbosity. And Mrs. Richards didn't make things any easier.
The wrinkled, old teacher cleared her throat.
"May I ask what your doing?"
Tammy closed her notebook. "Nuthin'."
"May I see that please?"
Sighing, Tammy handed over her sacred notebook. Mrs.
Richards glanced through the pages. She had no idea of the importance of what she looked at. To such an unenlightened fool, the secrets of the universe were little more than the scrawlings of a stupid, teenage girl. It helped that Tammy made it a practice to dot all her "i" s and "j" s with little hearts and smiley faces. The hearts were those ripped from the breasts of all foolish enough to stand in her way. The smiley faces just made the notes prettier.
"What did I tell you about this?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am."
"I told you I'd take this away if I saw it again."
"I'm sorry. I'll put it away."
"This is the last time." The old hag looked down her nose at Tammy. "This is study hall. I want to see some studying. Am I making myself clear, young lady?"
Tammy struggled not to scowl and managed a not-quite-hidden frown. "Yes, Mrs. Richards."
"Very good."
Mrs. Richards returned to her desk in the front of the room.
"Uck-fay oo-yay, oo-yay old-ay at-bay," Tammy grumbled.
The slate blackboard shuddered, and a single long crack split down its middle.
The class filled with murmuring students. Mrs. Richards shushed everyone with a hard glare and explained away the incident as the foundation settling.
Chad, who sat three rows away from Tammy, passed a note through a chain of students.
"Are we doing anything tonight?" it inquired.
She sent back her reply. "Yes. And bring your mom's good silverware."
He read it and grimaced.
Tammy reached under her desk and pulled out her English book. She pretended to read it while she mused on the approaching fate of the world in general, and Mrs. Richards in particular.