Free The Hex Breaker's Eyes by Shaun Tennant Page B

fake right? Magic isn’t real! Are you all
nuts?” Matty’s about to completely freak out.
    “We know
someone cast a spell on your brother’s ex-girlfriend, and we know
all about your black candles and your magic books,” I say, trying
to make our case against Matty sound a little less crazy.
    “My books? From
the game store? Those are all for card games, or Dungeons and
Dragons. They’re leather-bound deluxe editions, not real magic.
You’re all crazy.”
    “Then what do
you do with the candles? We know black candles are needed for the
hex you cast,” I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud to a
stranger. He could have me committed.
    “Those are
scented candles. I use them to hide the smell,” his voice gets
quieter as he talks, as if he’s trying to keep a secret.
    “What smell?” I
ask, also quietly.
    “After my
brother bullies me I go into my room and relax. I smoke…” he leans
in and whispers. “Marijuana.”
    We all look at
each other, a little surprised that none of us considered that
option. “So the candles…” I start.
    “My dad smokes.
The whole house smells like cigarettes. So I use tobacco-scented
candles in my room to hide the smell of the pot. My parents would
kill me if they found out.”
    Ryan speaks,
keeping things quiet. “So, you don’t… believe in magic or
hexes?”
    “No. I just
play games with some of my friends. What’s wrong with you?”
    I can see
Tamara’s about to say something, and knowing her, it’ll make this
situation worse. I cut in and keep things calm. “OK Matt. You have
explained our worries away. We were concerned for someone’s safety
but we were wrong to accuse you of anything. We’re all sorry.”
    “Ok?” he says,
eyebrows lifting.
    “And you won’t
tell anyone about how we’re all crazy people who believe in magic,”
I say, “just like we won’t tell anyone about your little
habit.”
    He exhales
hard, relieved that we’re not out to get him. “Sounds good to me.”
He turns to head back to the caf’, but then turn back to face us.
“Do you really think someone cast a spell on Dina?”
    I shrug.
“Yeah.”
    “That sucks.
Whenever she was around she was always OK to me. Plus she kept
Mason occupied. If you’re serious, you should look at the people on
the student council. For the whole semester all she ever did was
complain that they were making fun of her ideas. Kept promising to
win president so she could be in charge and put people in their
place. I know the council act nice at assemblies and stuff, but it
sounds like they all hate each other.”
    “Thanks, man,”
says Ryan, whose reassuring manner seems to end this awkward
exchange on a high note, and Matty heads back to his card game.
    A moment later
the bell rings. We have to head to our fifth period classes for
attendance, and then it’s straight to the gym for the debates. I
hope that Dina has a terrible showing. If it looks like she could
actually win this thing, the hex could get really nasty.
     

     
    After a quick
detour to class, we meet up back at the gym. Marlene got pulled
away to sit with some kids from her Anime club, but I’m able to sit
with Tam and Ryan as the assembly starts. There are four chairs on
the stage, and a microphone stand. Gradually, the four candidates
take their seats, and the student council’s teacher liaison, Mr.
Stendahl, takes the microphone. He introduces the candidates for
council president and tells us that each candidate will speak
twice. First, they will each have two minutes to explain why they
are running and why we should vote for them. Once they have all
spoken, they will then each have another two minute speech to rebut
anything that was said in the first round.
    First up is
Janelle Haas, my age, who has been on council since the first term
last year. Janelle explains that she has already been both
secretary and treasurer of the council, and based on that
experience, she is the most suited to the job of president. She
gets