The Problem With Black Magic Read Online Free PDF

felt better, but she still felt that odd buzzing sensation that she'd had ever since Sam froze time; sometimes she felt it between her shoulder blades, sometimes at the base of her spine, but it was always somewhere. When she went back to school on Wednesday, the strange feeling made it difficult to concentrate. She was going to have to actually read the textbook to understand what was going on in chemistry and pre-calc.
    She had been scheduled for her typical four-hour shifts at DG on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She called in Monday and Wednesday, telling Dwight she still wasn't feeling up to coming in- - really only partially a lie. Physically, she felt almost normal, but mentally, she wasn't sure she could handle being at DG again. Though he didn't say anything, Cassie got the impression that Dwight understood perfectly.
    Still, she didn't think it was fair to him to keep skipping shifts because she was mentally scarred; he was too nice to fire her, which is what most normal bosses would eventually do. By Friday, she figured she felt about as normal as she was ever going to get, so she decided to go back to work.
    Dwight looked shocked when she came into the back room and took her apron off the hook near her locker. "Hey, you sure you're ready for this? I already called Jay in to cover for you," he said.
    Cassie shrugged. "I can't hide in my room forever, and I like having money; I should probably keep working," she said.
    Dwight stood up from the circular metal table in the break room and stood before her, putting his hands on her shoulders. Normally that might be a cause for concern between a teenage employee and a thirty-something manager-- especially one who played bass in a metal band with rather filthy lyrics, the main thing Dwight did in his spare time-- but somehow, it never felt inappropriate coming from the small man. His blue eyes, much lighter than her own, made his concern for her obvious; never overwrought and dramatic, but clearly there.
    "If you're sure. But listen, if you start feeling bad, don't be afraid to tell me, okay? You can leave anytime."
    Cassie smiled at him, removing his hands from her shoulders with her own. "Dwight, I do not have PTSD, okay? I'll be alright." She moved toward the front of the store, eager to lose herself in the mindless monotony of babysitting a cash register.
    Dwight turned around to face her retreating back. "You sure? I think I have some wicked PTSD..." he said, and she laughed, as he intended.
    Behind the counter, she went to the espresso bar and tapped Jay on the shoulder. "Tag. You're it."
    "Hey, you feeling better?" her friend asked. She'd known Jay since they were small children, and though he'd gotten taller- - a hair taller than herself, now-- his huge brown eyes looked at her in much the same way he had when they were in kindergarten together. She had a real little brother, Hunter, but she would be lying if she didn't admit that she often thought of Jay that way as well.
    "Much better, thanks," she said, marking a cup for employee use to make a sugar-loaded mocha. Cassie didn't work the espresso bar often, but she knew enough to make her own drinks. Technically, they were only entitled to one free drink per shift, but Dwight had made it obvious he couldn't possibly care less. As long as they weren't going through the syrup at a breakneck pace, they could have all the drinks they wanted.
    She had seen Jay in school over the past few days, but she'd been avoiding him; she wasn't sure if he'd realized it, or just assumed she was keeping her “flu” germs away from him. They usually told each other almost everything, and while she wasn't planning to tell Jay about what had happened on Sunday morning, she thought she probably should tell him something: what, she wasn't sure.
    Jay turned around to face her, wiping his hands on his apron. "Hey, is Sam out with the flu like you were? I've been asking where he is for the last several shifts, but it's like Dwight and