Young Writers Society

Chapter 4

Jack had been planning this moment for a long time.

He would take Chase out to celebrate at the local diner. They would get a table somewhere in the back. Jack was hoping for a booth, but he wouldn't be picky. They'd order their usual meals, and then they'd chat for a little bit. Jack would congratulate Chase on once again getting the lead role in the town's newest play. Chase would get flustered, as per usual. And then Jack would finally get the courage to tell him how he felt.

This wasn't the first time they had gotten a seat in the diner. It wasn't the first time they had gotten one in the back, in the booth that Jack had been eyeing since he had first hatched his plan. It wasn't even his first time trying to enact the plan.

Maybe that was the problem.

Jack had been planning this moment for a long time, but he had never been quite able to enact it. He had been trying to figure out how that morning when Kody came into the kitchen, and had been trying to figure it out after Kody had left. When he was finally successful, Kody would understand why he couldn't hang out at Spooktober. He had to get the moment just right, and Chase wouldn't be doing any other plays until school started up in September.

But today wasn't going right.

Chase wasn't making eye contact. He hadn't been since they met up in the morning. Jack had done everything he could think of to cheer his best friend up, but Chase just wasn't responding to it.

So now here they were, celebrating something that didn't feel like it was worth celebrating.

“Is everything okay?” Jack asked.

Chase looked up from his meal. “Huh?”

“You seem out of it,” Jack pointed out. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh,” Chase awkwardly said. He glanced down. “Nothing's wrong. I...”

He faltered.

Jack frowned. “If something's bugging you, you can always tell me.”

Chase shook his head. “Nothing's wrong. I...I just have mixed feelings about this role. That's all.”

His frown deepened. Chase had been gushing about the role since he had first decided to audition. It was the kind of story they would have made when they were kids, after all. A valiant hero saves the day, rescues the damsel in distress and gets a happily ever after. And Chase had always loved history. This was the most historical play the community or school theater groups had ever put on.

“Chase,” Jack said. “I don't know what's going on, but please let me help you. You're upset about something, and I hate when you're upset. Because then I get upset, which isn't helpful at all.”

Chase gave a tiny smile.

Jack stared at Chase's half-eaten meal, too, hoping that something in the burger and fries would give away whatever secret Chase was hiding. Thoughts of confessing his feelings were forgotten; right now, he needed to slay the beast that was plaguing his best friend.

xXx

Chase had been planning this moment for a long time.

Jack would take him out to celebrate at the local diner. Chase never was sure what role he would get, but he knew that Jack would always want to celebrate. They would order their usual meals and desserts. Jack would congratulate him. And then Chase would finally muster the courage to tell Jack his deepest, darkest secret.

This was supposed to be the big day. He had told himself it in the mirror that morning when he was checking his appearance. But now that the moment had finally come, Chase wasn't sure he knew what to say.

A few more moments passed.

Chase grew less and less interested in his partially eaten burger and pitiful pile of fries.

“...Jack?” he asked.

“Yeah?”

“...Do you know our town's story?”

He sneaked a peek. Jack's face was deep in thought. For the briefest of moments, Chase was worried that Jack somehow didn't know. He had been sure the Harts had told their children about it, even though they had moved to the town from halfway across the country. Maybe this was the wrong way to go about it-

“I know,” Jack said. “It's what your play is about, after all! But how does the town's history have to do with your mood?”

Chase looked up and stared at him.

Jack gave a small smile. “You're not just changing the topic, right?”

After a moment of hesitation, Chase gave a little nod. “I'm not. But, um...”

“Want me to talk about the history?” Jack asked.

Chase gave a nod.

He was an actor. He knew how to play his part, and he played it well. Most of his classmates barely gave him a second glance, save for when he acted in shows the night before. During the summer, none of them even tried to keep in touch. It was just how Chase liked it. But then there was Jack. When Jack got involved, Chase found he didn't know how to act. Jack had met him before Chase had given into the role – he just couldn't act the same towards Jack that he acted towards everyone else.

“Okay.” Jack rested his chin in the cusp of his hand. “The story starts with the town's founding – a group of settlers from different colonies came here. They either needed something new, or they had to escape from persecution.”

Jack stirred his straw in his milkshake with his free hand.

“What the founders didn't know was that there were demons in their ranks. There was some great catastrophe involving them. The valiant hero, played by the equally valiant Chase Alden-” Here Jack paused, giving Chase a wink that made Chase's heart skip a beat. “-worked with a witch to seal the demons away for good. The hero and the witch fell in love in the process, and their love was so strong that it made the Puritan town trust the witch.”

Chase pushed his plate away.

He finally looked up and met Jack's eyes. Jack had that glint to them that he got whenever he was telling a story – Chase had always loved the way that they caught the light just right.

“The witch and the hero didn't end up together,” Chase said. “That part is just from the play.”

Jack frowned. “Well, that's disappointing.”

Chase gave a small smile. “Do you really think a town in colonial times would accept a witch?”

His best friend slumped in his seat and took a long, forlorn sip of his milkshake. “I guess not.”

Chase gave another little nod. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by a waitress coming over to take their plates. She was one of their classmates. Chase fell silent and slunk into his chair; Jack positively beamed. The girl blushed and ducked her head down before hurrying off to get their receipt.

Chase looked down at the table, hands tightly gripping the edge of his seat. He tried to quell the heavy feeling that settled in his chest, but it only grew stronger when he thought of how Jack had smiled at their classmate.

“...If they didn't get married, what really happened?” Jack suddenly asked.

Chase looked up.

“The hero married his betrothed,” he said. “The witch fled from town. Her magic might have saved the town, but she was an outcast for using it. No one trusted her – not even her fellow witches.”

Jack held up his hand. “Wait just a second. The story never mentions other witches!”

“We're not that far from Salem,” Chase pointed out. “Most of Salem's witches weren't really witches. But there were witches living in the area, so they fled to other towns out of fear.”

The waitress returned with the receipt.

After Jack fished some money out from his wallet, he slipped out of the booth and stood beside Chase. “...How do you know all of this? Your mom's a mechanic, and your dad owns the flower shop. They're not exactly history buffs.”

“...I read about it.”

Jack shook his head as he helped Chase to his feet. “That's not it. I...I read about it, too. I checked the library and the internet. What you're telling me isn't written anywhere. It's not even a story they tell during the town fair.”

Chase took a deep breath.

It looked like he'd have to tell the truth, after all.

“My family's been here awhile,” Chase said. He gave a small smile and adjusted his glasses. “My ancestors kept records of what happened. I can show them to you, if you want.”

Jack nodded and grinned.

“Show the way, hero!” he said, with a wide, sweeping gesture of his arm.

Chase tried to ignore how his smile didn't reach his eyes.