Woe to the Days of Fire & Death

The Spectacles

After a week of being back at Nevermore, Zander didn't really talk to anyone. He didn't talk to Mace, his mother, Enid, or Wednesday. Wednesday was still on her grind trying to figure out the whole monster ordeal as well as accusing Xavier for being the monster. After all, she did find that he had different drawings and paintings in a shed in the woods. The only time he talked with any of his friends was when he gave Enid her purple Snood that he picked up in NYC for her.

The fledgling did not receive his minipig back, which destroyed him emotionally. Zander had felt like he had hit an all time low and it reflected in his classes. He went to his classes, but didn't participate unless he needed to, to keep his grades up. He wouldn't talk to anyone and essentially drowned everyone out. His mother was no longer mad at him and apologized and kept apologizing, but Z would just shrug it off and say it was okay, but his somber mood never improved.

At the end of the week, the buzz around Nevermore was heightened as this coming weekend was the Rave'N Dance. Zander thought the whole thing was just a dick measuring contest between guys and a place for girls to put out way too much, but per his mothers wishes, he ended up having to go. 

He didn't want to go at all, so on the night of the Rave'N, the fireball could be found in his dorm bed. Bas was begging him to go, but the little dragon couldn't be bothered.

"Come on roomie! It'll be so much fun! I heard MC Bloodsuckerz is pretty good and the Yetitinis are to die for!" Bas smiled as he pulled up his white suit jacket on.

"Bas I don't care. It's just a stupid school dance! There are always tons around this time of year and there will always be more Rave'N's too. Besides, I don't have a date and I don't fancy the idea of being under constant scrutiny with my mother and Mace." Zander huffed as he lay in his bed, arms crossed in defiance.

"Well, I tried. Suit yourself." Bas fixed his tie before leaving the dorm room. This whole week, Bas did his best to get his roomie out to do fun things with the rest of their friends, but Z never budged. He didn't see a point if he couldn't bring his sidekick and if he was always going to be watched the entire time. That's not to say he didn't go out though. On occasion, he would have to go into Jericho for class or for other things, but he usually did alone. He had stopped, though, because the last time he went, he was followed, but not by his mother or Mace, but by some hooded figures that seemed creepily familiar. Zander didn't know if this was a new shenanigan with the dead, but it didn't have the same eerie feeling.

Z turned the light off, just wishing for an early night. As he was just falling into a deep sleep, there was a hard knock on his dorm door.

"Zander, honey?" His mother peered in, she wore her shiny dress with her matching gloves on. She frowned as the lights were off, quickly turning them on and seeing her son lay asleep in his bed. Sighing, she went over and shook him awake.

"Go away." The firecracker mumbled half asleep.

"Zander get out of bed. You have to get dressed for the Rave'N." She gave one of her authoritarian voices.

"I'm not going. It's stupid." The firecracker stated with a huff.

"It's not stupid, sweetheart. It's meant to be fun! You haven't had fun all week. Why don't you go and let loose a little bit?" Lars tried to get her son to see the positive, but she knew this was not going to be an easy feat.

"There's no point. I don't want to see my friends. The music is too loud and it's corny." The teen pointed out.

"Well you need to at least try. Tell you what, If you stay for 2 hours, you can leave once the 2 hours are up." The older Weems offered.

"I don't want to go at all!" Z sat up, glaring at his mother.

"Zander, I am not letting you skip this dance for a third time. Take the offer, or you'll spend the whole time there." The shapeshifter advised. Zander had not gone his first or second year as an actual student, his mother thought he was too young to be dating or looking at other teens in that manner, so she had allowed his refusal. But now that he was 15, she thought it was an appropriate age to start before he found a serious relationship.