Chapter Text
Esther sat in detention. Another day, another insurrection against the injustice of her middle school. This time they had introduced a new dress code, to make students appear more “befitting”. She looked around at the other kids here, it was the typical miscreants and bullies. Several of them were cat girls that she had join her regime in order to appeal the dress code’s ban on cat ears. The door opened and she saw someone new, a girl that seemed too young to be here with red hair and a burn scar across half of her face. The teacher was telling her off for whatever she had done, saying she had made a “bad first impression”. She silently ignored him, coming into the room and sitting next to Esther.
Esther leaned over, whispering to her “what are you in for?”
The girl looked over at her and sighed “stabbed a kid with a pencil.”
“Dang…” Esther sat there, interest peaked “any reason?”
“He was being difficult.” she shrugged.
“Cool.” Esther leaned back in her chair “I caused an insurrection.”
She looked over at her, unimpressed “what was the bodycount?”
Esther grinned “we got a few teachers and the principal with our paintball guns.”
The girl matched her expression “good.”
After detention Esther walked home with Heather. She had agreed to come over that day to help look for relics in the swamp. It wasn’t really her scene, but she’d do it if it meant spending time with Esther. Esther was still ignorant to Heather's true feelings for her, and her feelings for Heather. She was just a friend. A really smart, impressive, pretty friend.
“So…” Esther slid up beside Heather “know anything about the new girl?”
Heather thought for a moment “the red head? I think her name’s Morgana. She’s in my AP math class.”
“Interesting.”
Esther had her swamp time cut short and was sent to the drudgery of homework. She sat in the library working absentmindedly. Nathan was watching TV and Abaddon was playing with a bouncing ball on the ground. Esther looked up from her book, increadiply bored.
“How many people am I allowed to tell about the ghosts?”
“What?” Nathan turned to her “oh- um, I don’t know. However many you want? Maybe ask your mom. Why?”
“There’s this cool girl at school and I want to impress her when I invite her over.”
Nathan smiled “well you don’t need ghosts to be impressive, you do that all on your own.” Esther rolled her eyes and looked back down at her book. Nathan didn’t want to waste this bonding time, Esther didn’t have many friends. She had Heather, but that was about it. She seemed to see other kids as a means to an end instead of potential relationships. “What’s so cool about her?”
“She’s new, just transferred from out east by Vermont. And she’s like two years ahead. She’s only 10, and she’s tutoring 6th graders in math. Apparently she stabbed one of the kids she was tutoring.”
“That’s… “ Nathan thought for a second “she sounds smart. What’s her name?”
“Morgana.” Abaddon sat up when he heard that name, clearly recognizing it. Esther looked at him “what’s wrong?”
“My wife was named Morgana.” he said, deadpan.
“You have a wife?!” Esther stood up from her chair, throwing down her book.
“Right…” Nathan thought “you did mention a mother in law.”
“She’s also my half sister.”
Nathan took a hissing breath through his teeth “don’t love that.”
“What was she like?” Esther came up and sat beside Abaddon on the floor.
“Giant snake woman with six arms.”
Esther rolled her eyes “I meant like, her personality. Why did you marry her?”
“It was arranged.”
“Oh…” Esther seemed disappointed.
“I’m not sure if that makes it better…” Nathan considered.
“Do you think she would have come to earth looking for you?”
Abandon thought for a moment “I… I don’t know. I always thought someone from hell would come for me, but I hadn’t thought of her specifically. She was always very busy." Esther took Abaddon’s hand and led him to her room. “Where are we going?”
“To make a plan.” Esther grinned.