Daze and Haze

"That no good perverted little…."

"Uh, Sam?"

The fiery redhead snapped her gaze toward Cassie. The cheerleader responded by nearly having the blonde highlights in her hair bounce off their brunette locks as she smiled from nerves,

"Y-Your aura's, um…really intense today!"

Sam sighed as she allowed her body to slump on the lunch table and propped her head up on her elbow. Her former teammate hadn't done anything wrong that warranted the glare.

Then again, the cheerleader hadn't been acting out of whack either. She was the same as always.

"Cass, has today been out of the ordinary for you again? Like, has it felt odd to you? At all? Y'know, like something is still off from last week?"

The energetic cheerleader smiled as she looked up at the ceiling, trying to think while putting a finger on her chin. She tapped her nails on the table with her other hand innocently,

"Well, now that you mention it? It does feel like some stuff is different, but it's like you just said, Sam. Why wouldn't it be with all the stuff that's happened this past week! Right?"

The redhead sighed as she looked at the empty side of their table, and Cassie continued to hum as she ate her lunch of a salmon bowl from home. The cheerleader, not unlike her brother, was too perceptive not to bring it up,

"I mean, yeah, sure. It also feels really weird not having everyone here with us. Chris won't be back for a couple days, Jason's in the weight room working off what happened, that jerk Brad's left town, Tiffany hasn't come back, but Simon and Jessica could still meet us for lunch!"

The brunette let a quick pout of disappointment flash before turning back into the usual curious cat,

"I'm surprised they didn't want to eat with us again, but I haven't seen them all morning. Where are they today?"

Sam scoffed as she picked up the fork on her lunch tray and twirled, her nose stuck in the air as she used air quotes,

"My lunkhead of a brother thought it would be fun to go on a 'field trip' with Jessie. Something about a stupid project she keeps telling me he's working on. I think it's just another one of her excuses for dragging him on vacation somewhere. You've seen how she gets with him. Simon's too used to getting his butt dragged around by her, so annoying…."

The former cheerleader aggressively **** a bite of her chicken and salad into her mouth, chewing it slowly so her teeth could crush it to bits. Unfortunately, Cassie had a habit of picking at the wrong thing,

"Awww. You wanted to go with them?"

Sam felt her cheeks heat up as she quickly snapped at the teasingly innocent remark,

"No! I mean…."

Unfortunately, the loud rejection of her friend's assumption echoed in the lunch room. The eyes looking at her caused Sam to slide back and sigh in her attempt to avoid attention. The redhead moved back up and slumped her shoulders back in her chair after everyone else went back to their own bubbles. Finally, after rubbing her face in her hands, she leaned forward with her face directed toward her lunch,

"I mean, I really didn't, but I just hate being left out, y'know? I wish they would at least invite me or say where they were actually going."

The flexible girl next to her smiled and stretched out her arms above her head,

"Don't worry, Sam, I'm sure they don't mean to offend you. Jessica probably wants to catch up with Simon more! You know how much she loves to have fun, and it's not so bad. I mean, she's making your brother more open and fun to talk to. Sure, Jess overdoes it, but Simon's also been helpful for her, too. She's really calmed down since her birthday. They're happy. That's what should matter! Right?"

Sam sighed, "Always the optimist…."

She closed her eyes and took her breath to refocus,

"Seriously, though. You were panicking about stuff last week in texts during the gas leak, Cassie. Are you sure you're not experiencing anything else weird?"

Cassie poked her food with her fork before looking up, curious about her former teammate's question. The brunette's eyes turned downcast, her face scrunched. The cheerleader was trying to hide something if the Volleyball captain didn't know better.

However, the dexterous girl sighed and glanced up,

"Actually, now that you mention it? I feel like some members of the squad have been acting kind of weird since then…."

"Really? How….”

"H-Hi, Sam!" a familiar voice interrupted their conversation before Sam finished asking. The Volleyball captain turned her head to have her first example.

Lauren, the only other redhead on the squad when Sam was still part of it, nervously clutched her tray as she felt her former teammate's attention on her. Cassie seemed to sigh in relief at being interrupted before she smiled to look up at their guest.

"Hi, Lauren. What's up?"

Sam looked over the Eastlake Varsity Cheerleader quickly. Lauren's hair was a brighter shade of red – closer to strawberry blonde - paler and more freckled, so the bashful tint on her cheeks was noticeably present. Sam raised an eyebrow at her outfit, especially her familiar-looking bright turquoise top,

'That looks like the one in my closet….'

In fact, the dark blue leggings and overall style looked too familiar to Sam.

Was the girl – copying her?

"Can I sit with you two?" their blushing classmate asked shyly.

Still surprised by the way she looked, Sam responded slowly,

"Uh…sure."

Her fellow ginger girl beamed,

"Thanks!"

Sam turned away but felt Lauren sit close to her as she happily began eating the same lunch as her. Weird, but not as much as their clothing. Then again, the two of them weren't exactly strangers. They had lunch before as Juniors, and every once in a while, nothing out of the ordinary there.

…Aside from the obvious fact that their personal space had shrunk substantially.

The volleyball captain turned her attention back to Cassie, then leaned forward, trying to pick up their prior conversation,

"Anyway. You said they've been acting weird?"

The brunette's brown eyes looked at Lauren as she nodded, then redirected toward Sam again as she twirled her fork in her fingers,

"Yeah. I feel like the gas leak caused some crazy things at practice, and a lot of things have been odd since then. Apparently, there was this invite for the squad to some party on Friday, right? I vaguely remember Coach Peralez saying something about it? Though I don't think that happened. I never got an invite or even heard about it until someone brought it up!"

Lauren added to it,

"Are you talking about the sleepover at Jessica Myers' house? Because I didn't get an invite either."

Sam turned her head and looked surprised at her former teammate,

"You know about this too?"

Lauren seemed to brighten at the attention but nodded and expanded,

"Yeah! Z texted me about it on Sunday. She hadn't planned on going, but a couple of the others who were invited told her and roped her in. I think Amber was the one that ultimately talked her into it."

The former cheerleader recognized the shorthand for Zara. Sam then let her green-blue eyes scan the lunchroom for the curly-haired teammate with a darker complexion. Most of her former squadmates were white like the student body – and even if she was, Zara's hair would still be the easiest way to find her.

Typically, a girl like her was easier to stand out in a crowd.

"I don't see her."

"She's sitting next to Amber, see?"

Sam and Cassie both leaned around to see where Lauren had been pointing to, and their eyes widened. Zara always had an easy-to-spot personality and style. If it was an open flannel, jeans, and stylish boots with that trademark hair, that was Z, Sam told herself.

Instead, her trademark springing hair was straight and silky with blue streaks, her vintage look replaced by a matching teal tube dress and heels. She looked flirtatiously at another teammate and dropped her wrist as she laughed.

Sam glared at Lauren in utter disbelief as she pointed to the other table without looking,

"That's Zara?"

The young woman was nearly unrecognizable. Almost another person entirely, but it was Zara. Sam wasn't the only one caught off guard.

"I didn't know she liked going to clubs!" Cassie remarked in almost fearful shock.

Lauren mumbled, nearly in disappointment,

"Or was a wanna-be Doja Cat…but yeah, that's her…."

Sam's eyes narrowed as she looked to see who the other girls the African-American girl was sitting with.

There were other cheerleaders there, she recognized.

Amber Everett laughed, but she was different, too. The redhead wondered why the girl had gone for the full-bleached blonde instead of her average brunette, but it contrasted with her spray-tanned skin. She traded her everyday attire for that of the short, short, ruffled skirt of the Eastlake Cheerleader uniform and a gold halter top.

It would've violated whatever dress code Eastlake still had left if it showed any more skin. Immediately, Sam turned to her fellow ginger,

"Lauren, you've known Amber since grade school. Why'd she dye her hair?"

"She texted me she was going for something a little more flamboyant?" the more delicate redhead responded without hesitation.

Lauren looked at Sam and tried to think of more,

"I mean, Amber's always kind of had to take a back seat to stuff? She wanted to try something before graduating."

Then the redhead looked at her teammate across the table and former teammate next to her as if she had remembered a juicy bit of gossip,

"Speaking of - did you guys talk to Chris about what happened this weekend?"

Cassie quickly waved her arms toward Lauren as if she had crossed a line, "Sam's still kind of, um, upset with…."

Sam huffed and felt the knot in her chest as the tension became too much,

"No, I haven't talked to him since he was roped into Brad's attempted beatdown of my brother. So I didn't hear what happened to him this weekend. I had to silence my phone."

Lauren paled as if she had committed an offense, and a look of guilt washed over her,

"Oh god, I forgot. Sam, I'm so sorry!"

The bossier redhead sighed and waved her hands,

"It's okay, just tell me if that dumbass got himself hurt or something."

Lauren shook her head,

"No, no! Nothing like that! It's that…."

The blush formed on the cheerleader's face as she spoke in a hushed tone,

"He walked in on his sister with Nina!"

Cassie nearly spit out the tea in her mouth as Sam felt her jaw drop. That was more than just a new one.

In 18-year-old clique-drama-terms, that was outright explosive.

Chris had dated Nina previously. Sam had held her annoyance back in knowing that. Hell! They had gone to homecoming together for two years! The redhead was already stressed about walking in on her best friend and her brother being 'intimate' with one another. That was already the worst.

Your ex-girlfriend with your sister?

"You're shitting me…."

"I'm not! See?"

Nina was beaming from ear to ear, her long twin pigtails behind her, and she was dressed in her usual uniform that was cross between a schoolgirl and cosplaying. Sam felt reminded that it looked like something out of Jessica's closet. A tight grey sweater vest over a tight, white, short-sleeved dress shirt, a ruffled red schoolgirl skirt with thigh-high socks, and Mary Jane shoes.

The Latina Otaku and Cheerleader ran and hugged Tamara, squeezing her tightly. The teenager blushed furiously and wagged her finger at Nina, who only nodded and giggled.

Sam would've bet money that Nina's recent habits would've wound up attracting the attention of another pervert.

But a Lesbian?

"Holy shit."

The shock wasn't made any easier when a familiar voice spoke from behind,

"U-Um, howdy girls."

Sam glanced behind her and saw a set of cowboy boots that followed up the young woman's bare legs to a set of daisy dukes and a white tee with rolled-up sleeves. If the former cheerleader hadn't known she lived in upper-middle-class suburbia, then Jane looked like she came straight from the family farm in Hazard County to school.

The redhead's eyes narrowed at the wanna-be Jessica Simpson in suspicion,

"You lost?"

There was a reason for it. Jane was Tiffany Stephenson's friend/lieutenant and had always been a thorn in some ways. For Sam, it was always pointing out fashion flaws and trying to get her to add something to her style.

This time? Not so much. Not since she went all Florida Panhandle.

The dirty blonde flinched under the glare while she rubbed the tanned skin of her arm,

"I-I was just wonderin' if y'all had seen Cap around is all."

God, had she always had a bit of a twang, or did she just hide it for the longest time? Sam wondered to herself.

Before she could respond, Cassie perked up,

"No, sorry, Jane! Jess isn't here today. She's helping Simon with something. Did you want to stay for lunch?"

Sam frowned at the earnestness of her friend's response. Why did Cassie always have to be so upfront? Did she not realize Jane was Tiffany's principal lieutenant, or did she just choose not to care for the sake of niceties?

The dirty blonde teen shook her head,

"N-No, no. Thanks, I just wanted to ask her what we were doing this week."

"Shouldn't you be asking Tiff instead? Or were you just trying to push a message along to Jess for her?"

Sam's accusation caused her classmate to squirm and become nervous,

"Tiffany isn't feeling well. She won't text me back at all."

Okay, the former cheerleader suddenly realized. Maybe it wasn't only Jess that had been acting differently. Jane had always tried to stay on the good side of those ranked higher on the scales, but the girl looked downright lost.

"Cassie, did Jess message anyone about what we're supposed to do for practice tomorrow?"

The brunette pixie raised an eyebrow of her own but shook her head mid-bite of her lunch. She finished chewing and then spoke,

"No, not really. She texted she'd be there, though."

"O-Oh, okay. That's fine."

The perplexity on Sam's face grew even more. Jane had been part of the group that messed with Jess during the gas leak. She wouldn't let the girl slide away after behaving so strangely. Sure, the former cheerleader had put her past team behind to focus on Volleyball, but that didn't mean Sam stopped caring about them. If Jess were here, she'd probably spazz out over everyone being so different and ask Jane what was causing her to be so clingy.

The blonde's voice in her head had a hell of a rant already ongoing about Nina's sudden relationship with her ex-boyfriend's sister.

Chris and Tamara were now dealing with the complicated triangle of being two siblings with a long-established history with a cheerleader girlfriend.

C'mon, Samantha, do you really need it to hit you in the face like a brick? She realized.

The redhead shot up when she pressed both hands on the table with ****. Chris may have acted like a dumbass, but Nina didn't deserve to fucking backstab him like that. She would have words with that stupid, bubbly, pretty girl cheerleader.

Halfway there, though, an arm reached out and blocked her path from a nearby table,

"Sam! Hey, can we talk for a sec?"

Kevin smirked as he watched from his own seat at the unsuspecting, unknowing, and hopeless fools that were his fellow senior classmates as they continued to eat, talk, and navigate their day amongst themselves.

There were definitely still advantages to keeping oneself from being noticed in a crowd. Simon was better at it when they ate lunch because the thickheaded lunk kept to himself inside his headphones. At least until he became Master to the one who used to stand out the most. With neither Jessica nor Simon present, the vacuum was more noticeable. After a couple incidents at Eastlake since that night, it had finally calmed down. Kevin again could freely eat and survey his hunting ground.

At that moment, he relived the way his day had gone since he had his morning reunion fuck with his thrall of a biology teacher and what had happened after.

The de-aged brunette had written the note, and they parted ways. The endowed student only waited for Olivia Cooper's inevitable break as the teacher left school afterward. She left even before the beginning of Third Period.

If there was one positive consequence to come from having Simon intervene and ruin his plans -Kevin grudgingly admitted to himself- it was that failure was as much a valuable teacher as a loyal but stubborn friend was for advice.

Simon's relationship with Power was not the same as his. The Dork Master was far more cautious, sometimes too careful about the wrong things. Shit. Even the fucking genie agreed with his perverted ass on that the last time they were all together. Kevin scoffed and shook his head at the idea that he and Jessica Edwards had agreed on anything.

The only thing that should've been rubbed off on him after Friday was Peralez's and other Cheerleader Pussy. Unfortunately, that fucking annoying voice of Simon continued to point things out before Kevin could jump into anything he wanted to do- Manipulative, trolling, thickheaded bastard Simon and his need to point out flaws in his ideas. He couldn't tell whether it was better or worse with a genie Jessica Edwards involved.

At least they were off doing whatever the fuck they needed to do. He agreed to help his best friend, but the less Jessica Edwards he had to deal with in person, the better.

So, Kevin smirked, letting himself take the advice given to enjoy his reset as the new puppet master of Eastlake. With his biological beauty due back in the fold, the once-outcast could focus on the rest.

The next task after First Period was to check on his primary lieutenant in her new role. Peralez was adapting to her new life as an exchange student but still had a few hiccups. The most enjoyable was learning how she reacted to being in her old classroom, seeing a video of her old self talking about how she would be gone the rest of the semester or perhaps longer.

A pure out-of-body experience.

He waited in the hall and observed as she talked with Cassie. The way she smiled and nervously tried to get the happy but aloof brunette to go off to her next class so she could get to her locker. If Kevin could've manipulated her, he'd put the flexible cheerleader on a pole, and her dance moves to use. She wasn't the cruelest of the genie's teammates, but one of the more annoying.

Kevin Scott believed Cassie Allenby would've stopped talking with a dick in her mouth faster than being cut off in a conversation. Finally, the talkative brunette nodded and waved to rush off somewhere else from his first thrall.

Only after the conversation of two eighteen-year-old cheerleaders ended did Kevin watch his Natalia sigh and take on a pout of annoyance. Seeing that he wasn't the only one annoyed by Cassie taking so long was amusing. Now, he could admire the transformed young woman's new fashion.

Of course, he'd taken his time to dress her stylishly and to his liking. A loose, yellow, woolen crop top over a sports bra; ruffled, pleated, blue plaid skirt; red thigh-high socks for her luscious legs; and black heels. To make it more delightful, he gave her a dim purple bonnet that sat slightly askew on her head of long raven black hair.

While no one watched, he had snaked his way over and slithered an arm under the front of her skirt as he grinned darkly over her,

"Enjoying your new life, my pet?"

She nodded quickly, blushing like a teenage girl to a boyfriend,

"Si."

Kevin smirked and teasingly murmured in her ear,

"Did you draw all those lustful teenage eyes on you as your old self had?"

She shivered, "M-More of them…."

A flash of his amused grin appeared, but he masked it with a pleasant demeanor,

"Naughty girl, Talia. You shouldn't lust your students like that – if they still were, that is. What's next?"

"E-English…."

Kevin smiled darkly as he already knew something that she did not, thanks to the genie's previous handiwork.

A shame he couldn't see Miss Littlewood for himself, but that would make for a fun conversation at dinner,

"Have fun, then."

He rubbed and petted the front of her pussy with and pulled away without a single eye taking notice. The stealth element had seemed unnecessary when he had full reign, but it took on newfound appreciation. Kevin started to understand last week but began to fully appreciate why spectator sports were so appealing.

However, that was not the only thing that had happened before the part of his day where he sat in the lunchroom.

He had a busy weekend. There were people and tasks to check on. Olivia and Natalia were only the first two. Kevin had plenty of time to prepare for the third teacher he had craved and fetishized – and one of the only few who hadn't reverted back from the changes he made.

Ms. Chen.

For whatever reason, be it an oversight or otherwise, Simon and his genie had chosen to leave the Asian woman the way Kevin had altered her; paler skin, larger breasts, wider hips as he had long seen generated by an AI.

Maybe it was because the woman already carried less baggage than the two other teachers he had rushed to transform. Natalia was firstly out of vengeance, ****, and the prototype. However, she had changed so much that the Latina was a completely different individual. Olivia had been out of an urge to see her in her prime and unleash the forbidden fruit of innermost indulgence. However, of all of them, she had the most apparent baggage with a husband and two adult children. When the biology teacher called him later, her answers would determine his next moves for her. As much as he enjoyed Olivia, that family situation was a source of headaches.

Therefore, Ms. Chen lacked the mental and emotional baggage Kevin had from Natalia and the relationship baggage Kevin wound up in from Olivia.

In some twisted logic, the third time was a charm.

Kevin didn't outright despise the Asian woman as his teacher, even if she was a disciplined authority who handed out and oversaw detentions that he was **** to sit through. Ms. Chen wasn't cruel or enabled the bitches like Jessica. She also had no one to stay attached to. His math teacher was divorced and moved away from her old life to teach at Eastlake as a fresh start, according to her colleagues.

The last time they saw one another, the teacher had been thoroughly face fucked and tit-jobbed, almost a drone. Kevin liked that idea for her, a sex robot with a mathematical brain dressed as a Chinese Playboy Bunny. A bubbly smile as she strutted back and forth in his own personal detention, wiggling her tail.

That was before Simon had slammed the brakes and trapped him.

It was hard to tell with her alter age whether she was the same, younger, or older than the new Mrs. Cooper. She dressed similarly to the way he changed her - albeit her skirt was further down, and she wore a jacket over a white blouse instead of that tight white tank that made it so easy to see her red bra. It was almost disappointing and boring that she behaved, for lack of a better word, normal.

At least until she handed back assignments, and he saw a giant note written in red ink,

"Please see me in my office after class. Important."

Office Hours? There was Exhibit A.

Exhibit B? The occasional quick glance.

Example C? The look as she left their class briskly right on the dot to beat him to her office.

Kevin wondered to himself where he could've done something different to his Math Teacher. He didn't do anything blunt and overt. The blitzkrieg-style power plays that had affected Cooper and Peralez weren't exactly done in the same way with Chen. Sure. He probably did something in his arrogance then, but it was hard to remember what.

Especially since when he finished with her was the exact moment Simon flailed about the existence of Jessica Myers.

Compared to what happened around and after, Ms. Chen had gotten lost in everything else. Interested in learning more, he went to her office and found her waiting for him.

The Chinese-American closed the door behind her and asked if he knew why she wanted to see him. Kevin decided to feign ignorance to get what he wanted to know. His teacher then revealed her reasons in a way that he hadn't entirely expected. Ms. Chen had a more robust poker face and kept things closer to the vest, but she still knew how much to reveal to make an impression.

Truthfully, she had been worried about him. She talked about his prior history and seeing him in detention but also said he wasn't a rotten egg. In fact, she called him an enigma at times, and how she explained that to his parents. He was smart but didn't apply himself in the right ways. The woman even elaborated on his problems with the rest of the student body and how she believed most were being 'dumb teenagers doing dumb teenager things.'

Kevin was surprised and rather impressed with her ability to put two and two together, which explained why she was a math teacher. She recognized the issue of his best friend getting into a fight with their shared bully, how much more volatile the school had been the last couple of weeks, and the gas leak's effects.

And that was when Ms. Chen slipped up.

While she may have remembered his game with Simon as a hallucination, like Olivia, she was still affected by the changes from the amulet. Cooper was a more intense case, but that didn't mean the Asian woman was safe or immune.

Kevin used the amulet's power to convince her to reveal and pull the rest from her. The real answers. His teacher became far more flustered, self-conscious, and embarrassed as she looked away.

Since leaving Eastlake, Ms. Chen had dreams.

Powerful, vivid dreams.

Sexually explicit dreams.

All of them about her student, Kevin Scott.

She confessed all of it without knowing she was saying it aloud to him.

So arousing and detailed were these dreams that she woke up still acting out on them as if she were sleepwalking. They merged with her deepest desires, deepest kept secrets, the failures and regrets from a failed marriage to a failed husband that could be had with another. The hidden temptation that all the other teachers he transformed fought against - the forbidden fruit of their own students.

Kevin grinned internally as he learned more about how she reacted and why she acted the way he did.

Oh, he wanted her, and he would have her.

Then that awkward dork's voice spoke in his head again, and his lustful desires crashed into the dam of hindsight.

'Don't rush. Think about what you've already got on your plate. What would avoid mistakes but also make it more interesting at the same time?'

At that moment, Kevin decided to take things slow with Ms. Chen. Much slower. Make her want it for herself. Bring his latest fantasy woman to him without that same disruptive, sudden element. As the idea built up, the thrill became far more enticing. The amulet-powered outcast kept his darker intentions suppressed to that of the troubled teenager with struggles. The sad puppy.

'Ms. Chen's dreams feel too good to ignore; the longer she keeps them to herself, the stronger she feels them. It's not wrong to explore them further. She's a beautiful, attractive woman.'

'If she continues to follow the hallucinations, continue to listen and role play her dreams, and become what she believes Kevin desires her most to be, she knows deep inside he will give her what she's always desired. Her deepest innermost desire.'

Did he know what his teacher wanted most in the world? Fuck no.

But everyone had something that they would do anything for. Hell. Simon and Jessica were walking fucking bodies of proof of that. After his interactions and knowledge gained from his friend, Kevin began to wonder what it would be like to be the monstrous demon beings known simply as the Masters.

So was he, but everyone was different. Everyone reacted differently. He wanted to see how far a string needed to be to pull.

He had her in the palm of his hand. There was no need to rush with her, not when he had so many waiting for him.

"I think you're a beautiful and capable person, Ms. Chen. Any man would be lucky to have you, and anyone who would lose you is unworthy of you."

The seed was planted and sprouted, and his teacher's face turned pink as she unwittingly unbuttoned her blouse to show the lacy black and red bra underneath that covered her tits. Her strict and stern personality waivered for the flash of a schoolgirl crush. In a moment of weakness, they exchanged numbers.

Her legs squirmed as he left the office. The Asian woman moved to compose herself, and Kevin smirked, satisfied, as he heard the office door being locked as he showed him out.

Oh yeah. The slow burn would be enjoyable, Kevin chuckled.

The power trip was an immediate aphrodisiac in any case. The inevitability of those attempting to resist and fall against him eventually.

Maybe this is what it felt like to be a Chaos God in Warhammer, the nerdy young man thought to himself.

Kevin stopped on his way to the lunch room and felt the blood leave his face.

Holy Fuck. What if the Masters really were that twisted and fucked up?

Sure, the nerd considered it after his friend pointed it out. He didn't have to play by the same ethics and morals with his magical item, but Masters and Genies were races of immortal beings with no attachment or familiarity to that morality humans had, weren't they?

Sure, Kevin knew he was dark, but not GRIMDARK.

Simon realized that, didn't he?

Kevin felt his intestines twist and tighten in pain at the possibility of the darkness and madness that confronted the world. What Simon was really up to, what he planned, and what his best friend was learning – as a kid, Kevin would've loved that adventure, but knowing what would happen? The reality of it?

The awkward dork was staring into the void with the void ready to stare back. Who were you supposed to tell? Who would believe you? The delicate balance of it all? How did Simon process this feeling?

Fear was a familiar and palpable emotion - genuine existential dread and questioning of his existence. His dark eyes looked up and around at everyone else. No matter what he did, none of them would know - none of them could know. They were all sheep, unaware of the fences that protected their reality and the predators that awaited at the gates.

The words that slipped out at Cooper…

…he told her she knew nothing about what was really happening around her. What he knew.

The only thing scarier than the idea of his existence being threatened was the realization of his own mistakes. The nerd shook his head and clenched his hand over the amulet. He sighed and took a deep breath. He needed to shift his perspective.

Thankfully, one of his new pets was nearby to help him get back to the present. Specifically, his new black bitch, Zara.

Seeing what he made her and knowing she'd never have given him the time of day or allowed herself to dress the way she had now quickly put a smile on Kevin's face.

It had been a moment of total serendipity, but one of the cheerleaders he craved vengeance on showed up to the trap due to the encouragement of a couple others who had. He knew exactly what he wanted to do after the forever demeaning nickname of 'Scotty' after the dog that chased and bit him when caught outside Sam's slumber party.

That Friday Night was one for the ages.

Now, his latest conquest tauntingly, coyly teased as she pulled him aside into a handicapped bathroom and twerked that fine ass against him to reduce his stress. An amused chuckle and retort when he perversely told her he wanted a chocolate snack. Zara had always had sass ready to demean Kevin.

Her sass and attitude put to better use: His.

For a well-sized school, Eastlake's Varsity Squad consisted at the start of the year at 16 Varsity Cheerleaders. Sam's departure made it 15, and the genie's revelation led to that 15 changing as the magic permeated and the amulet came into existence. The birth of Jessica Myers made it 16, and then the rebirth of his Natalia made it 17.

From the events of the past week and the turnout on Friday, Kevin knew of at least 8 who had been granted amnesty for one reason or another.

He returned to his quiet gaze, eating at a table among others around him. Natalia and Myers remained at his side, chatting as if they were two happy teen queen high schoolers and a couple of teammates.

He didn't want them to sit with him all at once and let most of them continue their day freely. Mainly because he didn't want to raise the eyes of the fiery red-haired beauty who was already suspicious. As much as he wanted her, her attention could backfire and lead to his own undoing. It was still an obsessive curiosity, however.

Sam knew something was up, but she didn't say what she knew. Was she really unaware, or was she just playing dumb? Simon would've told her what was happening if she knew, wouldn't he? In any case, Samantha Harris wouldn't sit back if she did.

Kevin knew she was a stubborn one, though. It was a family trait.

He glanced at her occasionally in the lunchroom and watched the events unfold at their table. The usual suspect, though, was still there.

Again. It was Cassie.

He still didn't understand it.

Simon had selected her to be left alone for reasons beyond just that she was closer to Sam or Jessica as a teammate, friend, or clique member. He knew it. That wasn't how his best friend operated. For all Kevin knew, the genie already knew that, too.

Then came the reminders and memory flashes of being dragged by a wrath-fueled, black-eyed Simon as he hijacked the amulet for his own ends. Kevin witnessed the results of three cheerleaders in particular.

Lauren, the other notable red-haired cheerleader, adopted and changed her style and appearance to resemble Sam in a show of loyalty.

The most enjoyable one was Nina. Kevin didn't mind another Latina Cheerleader. He had one in Peralez, after all. However, her transformation had been enough that she sought out a Sempai, just as Simon told her to.

And landed on the lesbian Tamara. The sister of her ex-boyfriend.

Oh. If Chris hadn't been punished enough for not stopping Brad from ganging up on Simon before, that had to be one hell of a doozy.

The one that made him laugh came straight from Sam and Cassie's table to sit with Jessica Myers. The dirty blonde boots-and-jean-shorts-wearing Jane was a far cry from her endless day at Tiffany's side trying to be prim and proper.

The poor girl was lost without a leader. Not just Tiffany but the genie in particular. For their part, Natalia and his recreation of the Queen Blonde Bitch quickly pounced on the mention of Edwards,

"You know, Jane. Kevin and I talked to her last week. I'm pretty sure he has an answer for you about what Edwards wants you to do."

"Yeah, she told him a lot, didn't she, Daddy?"

The Latina groaned at the title bestowed by Myers in public,

"Don't call him that in front of everyone, you bimbo."

Offended, the Blue-Eyed Jessica huffed,

"Don't be such a bitch, Tali!"

Kevin held up his hand to silence his girls as he smiled and looked at Jane. The idea on his mind,

"You know, I do remember Simon's girlfriend asking me to tell you something when they were over since they wouldn't be here today. Edwards was rather bossy about it, but how much do you want me to tell you?"

The white trash nodded frantically,

"Did she really tell you something for me to do, Kev? I've been tearin' myself in knots like a rattlesnake twist in a pretzel! Tell me Cap's orders!"

Oh, the poor girl was ****. She even gripped his shoulders and got bossy like he was still the punching bag.

Big mistake.

"She said Natalia would be the boss until she comes back."

Myers smiled, backing him up,

"Oh, yeah. Tali's in charge until the squad comes back, aren't ya, girl?"

The Latina cheerleader narrowed her eyes and then exhaled in annoyance. She didn't have a choice, but the annoyance of the transformed teacher was too apparent as she muttered in her native tongue,

"Damnit."

Kevin snickered with perverse glee. She had been the one to manipulate Jane with the tease; she'd have to stick with it for his further amusement.

If anything, the annoyance further made the words credible to Jane. The smile didn't last long as he watched Sam glare across the lunch room at the transformed Nina and shoot up from her table.

The young man snapped his fingers at his main thrall and pointed to the redhead,

"Natalia."

The Latina rose and immediately glided between tables until she reached out an arm and stopped Sam from going any further and heard her name called from a distance,

"Sam!"

Kevin watched as the red-haired beauty raised her brow, surprised. She looked perplexed and sighed. Sam glared and narrowed her eyes in the direction to which Nina and Tamara had gone off. She shrugged with a roll of her eyes as she led Talia back to her table.

"Okay, sure, whatever," the redhead dismissed as she looked at the Columbian cheerleader who rushed up to her.

The stylish Latin teen sashayed behind Sam's back to her table and lunch. They may have had the same name, but Tali Peralez had way more spice and flare than Coach Peralez. She may have transferred last semester and joined the squad soon after the redhead left, but the girl had the right spunk.

"I was wondering, since we have spots open again, would you like to join back up with the squad? Coach Peralez said you were the best she ever saw."

An awkward silence permeated as Sam could feel all the eyeballs of the girls around her look at one another.

"Oh, you don't want to ask her about that, Talia," Cassie quickly warned with a friendly smile.

For good reason.

Sam hated this question every time it was brought up by her old teammates. Would she rejoin if the opportunity was right? Absolutely. There was just no such thing as the right opportunity at this point.

Even after finally telling Jessica the truth behind how she quit the squad to let her friend become Head Cheerleader, Sam would not be pressured or **** to join back.

"Because fuck her."

The foreign exchange student's eyes widened in shock as the redhead realized how quickly she snapped at the teenager. Christ. Just because she almost had the same name didn't mean they were the same person, the former cheerleader sighed.

Sam rubbed the bridge of her nose as she squinted and became easily exasperated,

"Look, Nat. You started last semester, so I don't know what the rest of them told you, but I'm not interested. I'm really stretched for time. I've got Volleyball right now, and I had field hockey. With it being our last semester, there's looking at colleges, and I even got roped into the prom committee."

Her green-blue eyes focused intently on the Columbian girl sternly but sympathetically,

"Look, at the end of the day? Even if those scholarships are still being offered because Peralez's still lobbying to get me back, I'm not looking to cause further friction with my friends. If you haven't noticed, shit kind of imploded with them recently."

The Latina pressed on her skirt to sit down at the table and kept her eyes down out of naïve embarrassment. She looked up,

"I'm sorry. I didn't know any of that; I was just confused. You see, I was at this party this weekend at my host family's house and…."

"So I've heard."

Sam's eyebrow rose as she watched the Columbian Cheerleader's skin grow flustered, and she flinched visibly at the insinuation. The exchange student rubbed her legs together, shrunk her shoulders to rub her chest underneath that loose yellow sweater top,

"I-It's just…um, everyone likes you…and they looked to you or Edwards. So….”

The redhead rolled her eyes and sighed,

"I doubt that many people want me back."

"I-I would!"

Lauren's voice suddenly squeaked as she came to life, "I'd love it if you came back! In a heartbeat! Y-You'd light a fire under us! Everyone would love it if you came back! You said you think so too, right, Cassie?"

The brunette popped her eyes halfway through another bite of her lunch and felt Sam's eyes lock onto her. Cassie's face turned pink, making the green-blue orbs narrow on her like daggers.

The redhead watched her friend smile and suddenly start shivering under the pressure, a smile on her face once again intimidated,

"I think it's your choice, Sam! But you should really talk to Jessica about it; she might be more open to it because of Simon!"

She clapped her hands together and smiled very much like a sly feline would,

"I'm not against it, though? Maybe um…."

Sam huffed as she felt cornered on all sides. The former cheerleader narrowed her gaze at her cat-loving teammate as she loosened herself up to eat her lunch in her usual happy-go-lucky manner – if only to avoid being intimidated by her friend's intensity.

Natalia suddenly stuttered up again,

"Y-Your brother, h-he might be good to ask if Edwards is a problem. She listens to him."

The mention of Simon made her brow furrow. Nat was friendly among their group since she got here, but last Sam checked, that didn't include her plank of a sibling,

"How the hell would you know?"

Nervously, the Latina shrunk and rubbed her legs together again under the intense gaze,

“I um…saw them this weekend….”

Sam's eyes narrowed as she soon remembered something about this exchange student. She lived at Jessica Myers's house. The teenager's aquamarine eyes narrowed as she briefly glanced over her shoulder at the table where Myers sat.

But she didn't look at the blonde.

Instead, Sam chose to keep her poker face up and face away from her actual target,

"Uh huh…."

'Son of a….'

That little shit said he saw them this weekend, too.

Sam packed up her belongings and slid her phone back into her pocket as her face masked her real intentions behind frustration,

"I'll talk to you later, Cass. I need to take a walk."