Divine Love: Him

[1]

The McWood's sons loved playing a role as edgy teenagers and invite their friends under darkened living room with only two (candy scented) candles placed in the middle then talk about ghosts, monsters, unexplained events, and conspiracies ritually.

Jimmy Stevenson was one of the five out of approximately 39 million people living in California that was unfortunate enough to be forced into this cult.

His friends might deny his statement regarding their unofficial club status (one that brought doubts from Han's and Jerome's parents. McWood's parents and his own, though, would just let their children be happy as long as they didn't bother the neighbors) however, who spent their time every Saturday, at times whenever Friday the thirteenth happened? Who huddled and talked about ridiculous stuffs Jimmy could barely recall? Of course, only cult members did that.

Or some obsessed, single teenagers.

So, there was Jimmy, hugging an animal plushie that one of the McWood's sons—Nate—owned. While he listened to his friends discussing what Jimmy caught as summoning spirits rituals. Every week someone would submit new ideas they discussed exactly seven days later, Jimmy usually put some half-assed ideas so he could go home faster or sleep early if they were having a sleep over. It worked most of the time.

Last week, their youngest member, Jerome submitted an idea. He said he had been curious regarding spirit rituals. He wanted a boring ass discussion instead of something real that could get them possessed, maybe get exorcised, cleansed.

But everyone excluding Jimmy, as always, loved it. Any of them could just ask about 'what is ghost' and five of them would find a way to talk about it at least for an hour.

Jimmy rolled onto his stomach. He put one hand to support his chin before he looked around. His movement must bothered Nate because his friend pushed his shoulder, Jimmy glared at Nate under dimmed light.

"Why did you push me?" Jimmy harshly whispered into Nate's left ear, making the guy flinched. The movement sent his black-rimmed glasses onto the floor. Nate moved away from Jimmy subtly, hands frantically searching his glasses without looking down.

"Please don't whisper into my hear, they're fucking sensitive man," Nate whispered back, his tone was tamer than Jimmy's, "I did it because you're disturbing us. This is an important meeting, I'd appreciate it if you concentrate too. It's the least you could do."

"Important meeting my ass, Nate, we've been doing this since years ago yet not once it brings my grade up," Jimmy nudged Nate's ribs with a small force using his elbow. Jimmy looked at another McWood—Trevor, the younger one, loudest, brightest—brother, a red bowl pressed against his chest, "Hey, could you bring the popcorn bowl to me?"

Nate fixed Jimmy a quick confused look, pursing his lips in a pensive manner, "What popcorn bowl?"

Jimmy sighed, "The red bowl, Nate. One that filled with bunch tiny red popcorns inside it. Come on, please? I'm hungry, bored, tired. I finished my soccer club later than usual, I'm tired and hungry."

Nate clicked his tongue, looking away from Jimmy. He took the red bowl out of Trevor's embrace. It emitted a loud protests that immediately being hushed by the rest of them excluding Jimmy. Nate put it gently between them, taking a huge amount into his hand. Jimmy rolled his eyes when Nate's expression turned into one akin to playful, devilish even. He pushed the bowl away each time Jimmy's hand got near it. Annoyed, Jimmy purposefully knocked Nate's glasses off his face, accidentally grazing his fingers against his friend's eyes.

"Jim, that fucking stings," His friend's hissed under his breath, putting a palm on his injured eyes. Jimmy felt rather guilty but not enough to apologize so he just stuck his tongue out.

"Karma is a total bitch, Nate," Jimmy smiled widely when the bowl appeared before his eyes, patting his friend's back, "Thanks. The popcorn is bomb."

When Nate turned his head into his direction, Jimmy could felt Nate's breath hitting his face, he scrunched his face, "Man, your breath stinks. Did you brush your teeth or no?"

Nate shoved Jimmy roughly, "Of course I did. What the fuck does that supposed to mean?"

"It means you should probably brush your teeth more, or eat mints," Jimmy said while laughing, he held up both hands as Nate's eyes sharply land on him again. Jimmy patted Nate's back lightly for the second time indicating he shouldn't take what Jimmy said to heart even if it was rather true, since Jimmy was sure that Nate ate something bad.

He thought he saw Nate sneaked out earlier, it was probably that. Nate laughed silently at him.

It was nice and all before someone coughed loudly, catching their attention. Jimmy casted the person a care less glance. His mouth never stopped softening the sweet popcorns inside his mouth. Maybe the reason he kept coming back to the McWood's house like an innocent lamb was because they made a great popcorns like no other could, he would be an asshole if he missed that out.

"Jimmy and Nate, mind sharing what are you two gossiping about?" Trevor titling his head in fake curiosity. Jimmy shrugged at that. He looked at Nate who hung his head and eyes casted down in shame. That was why he sometimes regretted his decision on joining his friends' cult, literally everyone but him took every moment seriously. If Jimmy remembered right, they wrote a written rules that was placed near on one of the living room's old cabinet because McWood's parents forbid them to stick it at the wall. Bless them, it had been abandoned since nobody really cared about the poor old cabinet.

"I was asking for the popcorn bowl, you know, the one that was taken from you," Jimmy pointed at the bowl, "Then I said Nate should brush his teeth more, or eat mints because his breath stinks."

Trevor shook his head, holding his hands up, "I don't want to hear it."

Didn't Trevor just ask whether he minded or not sharing piece of information about what did he and Nate talked about?

"Didn't you ju—"

"Silence, Jimmy," Trevor cut him off. He glared at Jimmy who huffed.

"You asked whether I mind or not and I didn't, so answered you!" Jimmy defended himself, once again huffing, fully annoyed, "Gosh. Didn't you hear what you yourself said?"

"Excuse me? You don't just come inside my house and disrespect me like that," Trevor whined, sitting up straight.

"No, I'm the one who should say excuse me, you don't get to do that," Jimmy rolled his eyes, looking straight at Trevor, "First of all, you invited me. No, begged me to come here because you said I'd betray you if I didn't, even after I said I'd be tired because of the practice I had today. Second, you said it that it was okay for me not to listen. Your words, not mine."

Trevor pouted. His eyes widened into that puppy eyes that seem to beg for forgiveness, Jimmy almost melted, almost, "Fine. I did say that, but this is important. Also fun. Mark my word, fun. We are discussing which ritual we should try tonight."

— END OF CHAPTER ONE PART ONE —