Joel sat down across the launch table from Cassie and Susan. Her meal consisted of ordinary high school food, served on the typical tray. A carton of milk, some pea's, a lump of some form of meat, and a fruit cup. Cassie's and Susan's lunches reflected their upbringing more, as they both had brought bagged lunches from home. All in all, the lunches were on the light side, as like with most girls, they carefully watched their calorie intake.

      "So?" Joel said. She was clearly trying really hard to start a conversation. The atmosphere had gone downhill ever since they had headed to lunch. Joel could tell that Susan still wasn't done arguing with Cassie, and Cassie wasn't going to give into Susan either.

      "Hmmph." The two girls replied, leaving Joel feeling awkward yet again.

      The terrarium was sitting on the lunch table as well, Joel felt it was so awkward that such silly nonsense could keep such good friends at odds. "So the caterpillar in there is normal, feels like a waste of all my hard work you know." Joel said as she tapped the see through plastic box with her finger.

      Susan was about to have a word with Joel but was too slow. "I bet we could find someone to put in there." Cassie smiled wickedly.

      "Well I've never really seen it done, how does the trick work?" Joel asked.

      "It's not a trick!" Susan stated.

      "Susan enough, Joe just wants to help us acquire a few more bugs." Cassie said as she bit into her sandwich.

      "Don't talk with your mouthful Cassie. Susan all magic is smoke and mirrors, surely Cassie has shown you how the trick works, or perhaps it's all just a game with you guys..."

      Susan wanted to yell at Joel right then and there, but it wasn't her fault for not believing them. She had herself, used the so called trick to become a sow before. So it had been when she was ten, so what, she still remembered it quite vividly. The penny was really real, and it did do real magic. Joel of course wouldn't believe this, no matter what she said. Even she had not believed it as a child, it was her friends Cassie's demonstration with the sow which proved it to her. "It's not a game it's real Joel."

      "It is Joe, Susan and I even used it as kids. Did you want to try it?"

      "Cassie! That's too dangerous!"

      "I agree with Susan, Cassie. Besides if I knew how the trick worked, it would be a lot less fun to watch. So can you think of a good victim Cassie?" Joel asked.

      "I don't know, there are a lot of bugs around here to chose from." Cassie looked out over the lunch room, eyeing a few people in particular.

      While it was a lunch room, the description of dining hall would sound much more appropriate, if not for the low ceilings. Still the place was not very packed at this time, and due to its campus like style, it was open nearly all afternoon for lunch. Still there was a modest amount of people dinning, most were around several tables away, but the room still had an air of openness to it.

      "After what happened to Janet Cassie! Are you mad, we should stop using that thing!" Susan was speaking from the heart, any intention she had to use the penny before, had been silenced by the very cold nature of it's curse.

      "I wanna see!" Joel said excitedly.

      "I think you being overruled Susan." Cassie said as she started glancing at possible targets.

      "I can't believe this!" Susan got up and stormed out of the lunch room.

      "Does she really hate the magic trick that much? Why don't you just show her how to do it already Cassie, then she can stop being jealous." Joel said as she tapped the clear plastic terrarium.

      "So Joe, ready to see the trick?"

      "Yeah let me just finish up with this lunch, I think I thought of a good target." Joel stood up and proceeded to return her dinning tray to be washed.

***

      There had been little time for preparation, the target was also sort of hard to trap. He played center of the High Schools football team, and was quite popular. He was not the best player on the team at all, but as a big guy, he was well respected and liked. Still there was one matter that came to mind, his rejection of Joel only two weeks prior. She had spent months preparing her confession only to be shot down. It had devastated Joel for quite a while, maybe it still did.

      Brent of course had let her down gently, he had no interest in Joel. In truth his reason's for rejecting Joel were sound, he had feelings for another girl. Of course it was pure bad luck that Joel had been his crush's friend. Susan was very much out of his reach, it was all he could do to catch a glimpse of her now and then.

      Of course, the only one amongst the three girl group who was aware of the love triangle had remained silent. Cassie was not a very big fan of football or Brent. She was determined to keep people away from her friend Susan at any cost. Susan had always been hers.

      "So how does the plan go again?" Joel whispered to Cassie.

      "Well first I will bring the terrarium over to Brent and tell him that Susan forgot it."

      "Why would he care?" Joel asked intuitively.

      "I think he likes helping girls." She lied. There was no need for Joel to know of this bug's fixation on Susan.

      "Oh... But will that really work?"

      "Trust me Joe. Anyways from their you will bump into him. Brent's a gentlemen, so he will help you up."

      "Why would that jerk help me up, he already rejected me!"

      Joel had a point, but Cassie could not explain the fine details for why he would. It was obvious he would help the friend of his crush, least end up looking like a bad guy to her. "This will work, Brent is chivalrous with the girls."

      "So, assuming it goes as you say Cassie, how will you get him to hold the penny, let alone say the magic word. I still think this magic trick is absurd, couldn't you do it another way?" Joel had been contemplating how the trick worked, but it seemed like Cassie was not going to reveal the true nature of the trick for her either.

      "Easy Joe. When he helps you up you simply ask for the name of Susan's Caterpillar. Your hand will contain the Penny as he helps you up. After that all you have to do is bring back the terrarium to me."

      "Where will Brent go?" Asked Joel.

      "It wouldn't be a good magic trick if I revealed its secrets to you Joe. Now come on lets go before he leaves the lunch room."

      Heading over to the nearly empty table, Cassie was right on time. Brent had just been getting up to leave.

      He looked puzzled, from what Joel could see from a distance. But it seemed Cassie had achieved the first conditions of her magic trick successfully, whatever other details still need doing was unknown. Still she had a job to do, this trick still had a final act. Joel casually followed Brent as he made his way to the hallway.

      Waiting to get Brent alone, Joel ran into the back of Brent. Being of a solid football player build, it wasn't even an instant till Joel had landed on her behind. With Penny in hand, she outstretched her hand to the dumbfounded man carrying the terrarium.

      Very Good Joe. Thought Cassie. She was standing behind some lockers, watching on as the two started their conversation. And just like magic, the Terrarium hit the floor. "Perfect." Cassie whispered.

      Joel was stunned, one second Brent had been holding her hand, the next he was gone. Looking around she saw Cassie emerging from the shadows of the hallway. Still it had felt so good to hold Brent's hand, a rush of feelings slightly returned to her. "How did you do that Cassie?"

***

      Brent had been on an errand of love, and then he was helping his crush's friend to her feet, now he was? He wasn't sure, everything around him look distorted. He was sitting, no standing, well needless to say he could tell he was physically on top of something green. Then he looked up.

***

      Giddily, Cassie grabbed up the cage, staring in at the caterpillar. It was sitting on a leaf, seemingly content.

      "Hello Cassie? How did you do that?" Joel said blankly.

      "Joe, I keep telling you that you don't reveal how magic works."

      "But where is Brent?" Joel asked as she looked all around the hallway bewildered.

      "Don't worry Joe, Brent is fine, and nearby. Anyways we still have something we need to do. Otherwise  the trick won't be complete." She stared down at the bug yet again. "Alright buggy, time for you to go meet Susan." Cassie whispered into the cage.

      "Okay, what's left to do then?" Joel asked.

      "First we find Susan, then we surprise her." Cassie held up the terrarium.

      It didn't take long for the two girls to find Susan. She had left lunch shortly before them, but she was going to the same class as them anyways. Still she was not in the classroom yet. Though it would have been strange if she had been, as the previous class had yet to be let out. Professor Hilton was the kind of teacher who tended to not let the students leave before the bell, even if the lesson plan was over. Still that left Susan a sitting duck for their trick. The terrarium had already been deposited in a trash can. The bug was freely crawling on Joel's hand.

      Cassie had explained it fairly well to Joel. She was to sneak up behind Susan and drop the Caterpillar on her head. After darting away, she was to wait till the Caterpillar had been crushed. Cassie assured her, that Susan wouldn't hesitate to do so. It was part of the trick obviously. The final step was to hold the magic penny in your right hand, while holding a bag of M&M's in your left. Whispering the magic phrase, Lucky Reverse, would cause Brent to appear in front of Susan, and surprise her.

***

      Susan was waiting for class to start, she hoped the she could get inside before Cassie and Joel arrived. Last thing she wanted was a second performance of the magic penny. The thing was cursed, she needed to convince Cassie to get rid of it! Cassie had even told her it was cursed in the first place, why hadn't she listened?

***

      Watching the stealthy prowler Joel, Cassie couldn't help but smile. She couldn't help but to think she was so clever. Getting rid of that bug was great, but being able to get rid of Joel as well, that was excellent. She had always feared Joe would never fall for this trap. She always feared Joe would be the wall between her and Susan, but now she could see how she was wrong. She couldn't help but giggle aloud as she thought of that wall crumbling down. With Joel out of the picture, Susan could only look her way.

      Joel had been getting in between their friendship for years. Now that was over. The best part, Susan would never expect a thing, even when she tore down that wall herself! She had never told Susan the Penny worked on inanimate objects. She planned never to reveal that truth, not to anyone. Watching the bug fall onto Susan's head, Cassie couldn't help but roll her fingers through her hair. Smelling her vanilla scented hands, she only wore a twisted smile.

      Creeping into her vanilla scented hair, the small bug had arrived. Susan failed to notice at first, but like any bug hater, she noticed that crawling sensation shortly. It was far too common in her living environment growing up to be bitten by spiders. Often times Susan had even been bitten in her sleep. To say the least, if it crawled on her, it would get her natural reflex. So with a brush of the hand, the caterpillar landed on the floor.

***

      Brent was in free fall, but somehow he was not scared. No perhaps he was already so paralyzed by fear, he had given up being scared. Of course the one thing he did recognize as he fell was the face of an angel. The angel did smell of Vanilla and she was literally a giant in the form of the girl he liked. He wasn't sure what kind of place this world was, but he thought maybe he was in heaven or hell.

      Surviving the fall with almost no injuries, Brent surmised he must be in heaven. That was when a shadow cast over him. The angels sneaker loomed over his head. His lasts thoughts were spent on deciding whether he was in heaven or hell.

***

      The foot slammed down on the poor bug, pulverizing it into a fine paste. Cassie's face couldn't help but smile, but her face erupted into an even more wicked smile as a bag of M&M's hit the floor between her and Susan. Picking them up, she walked over to Susan.

      "Cassie!" Susan yelled. Cassie had started to walk over from the other hallway.

      "What?" Said Cassie feigning ignorance.

      "You know what, what did you do?" Susan demanded.

      "You saw me come over here didn't you, I couldn't have done anything!"

      "Then you threw something into my hair! You did something Cassie, your shining brightly with that smile on your face!"

      "You know I could not throw a bug that far Susan, I was over thirty feet away."

      "Suspicious! Then why are you smiling like that!?"

      "I thought maybe the bug was Janet trying to get help from you." Cassie slumped her shoulders as she relaxed. The conversation was going as she predicted.

      "Enough with that Cassie! You and I are going to have a discussion about this, but first give me that damn Penny!" Susan held out her hand.

      "Of course Susan, just make sure you keep it safe." Cassie placed the coin into her hand. The real magic Penny still remained in her pocket. It was too dangerous for Susan to have it after all, what if she set Joel free?

      Susan stuffed it into her pocket. "So where is Joel?"

      "She said she had some stuff to do. But she left you this Susan." Cassie held out a bag of M&M's.

      "That was nice of her, hopefully she gets to class on time." Susan said as she ripped open the M&M's bag.

      "I'm sure she'll make it in time." Cassie hid her smile.

To be Continued.