Well, here we are. Truth be told I'm not even sure what to write about. It's not like I have an interesting life - all I do is go to school and play video games. Speaking of school, I have this really weird feeling about the dance Mr. Kim gave to us. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful he notices my crippling social anxiety and put me with Yugyeom, but it just doesn't feel right, I mean two guys having to do a romantic dance together? Ugh...I have nothing else to write about, so I guess I'll go work on my homework.

 

~Mark

 

"Damn, this is hard..." Mark complained, frantically erasing his homework. "Okay, so if the provider ordered one thousand milliliters with 0.9 percent sodium chloride over eight hours, and I have a macrodrip tubing with a drop factor of 15 gtt/ml available..." He mumbled, scribbling down his formula with a bite of his plump pink lip. "Agh, what does this have to do with science anyways?" He sighed, throwing his head back in defeat.

"It's anatomical, which as you know is the science of the body sweetheart." A calm female voice laughed from Mark's doorway.

"Mom? Will you please help me, I at this.." Mark groaned.

His mother walked over to his desk and bent at the hip, reading the problem. "Well first you need to set up your equation," she smiled, taking his pencil. "now watch: 1,000 milliliters to infuse over eight hours would be 1,000 over 8 times 60, and all of that would need to be multiplied by your drop factor, which is fifteen gtt/mL. So if we put this in your calculator, we get," she taught, typing in the equation on Mark's scientific calculator. "thirty-one point two. Now since you have to  have a whole number, we'll round it down to thirty-one." she smiled. "There you go sweetie." She kissed the top of his head.

"Thanks mom." Mark smiled. Mark was grateful his mother had been a nurse for so long; the anatomy classes in his school seemed to get more challenging every year, and Mark would surely have to take summer lessons if not for her. "Hey, you're home early? I thought you had the night shift?"

"I still do, I just came home to get a new pair of scrubs and dinner." She smiled, her wise eyes wrinkling slightly in the corners. "That's when I heard you struggling with your homework. Mark, you can't beat yourself up after only trying four times. If a baby bird gave up the first few times, they will never learn to fly." She advised, rubbing his shoulders and kissing the top of his head again.

Mark sighed, melting a bit as his mother massaged his shoulders. "I know, but it's just so hard..."

"I understand, but what does Mr. Kim always tell you?"

"It's not just practice that makes perfect, it's perfect practice." Mark nodded, standing and hugging his mother. "Thanks mom." He sighed. "Oh, before I forget: is it cool if I go to Yugyeom's to work on our dance? After my homework, of course."

"Of course. Just be sure to tell your father." She smiled, looking at her ringing phone. "Oh! I have to get back to the hospital. You be good at Yugyeom's and be sure to finish your homework." She said, kissing Mark on the cheek. "I love you baby." She smiled, squeezing his hand as she left.

"I love you too mom." He called, sitting back at his desk and finishing his homework.

 

 

Turn off your phone so no one can interupt us, come right next to me. Mark took Yugyeom's hand as he spun, pulling him to his chest as the latter boy began to press his form into Mark, the two stepping in perfect synch with one another. Mark felt his face begin to heat up as he looked down at his feet.

"Mark, you can look at me dude, it's okay..." Yugyeom mumbled, smirking a bit when he felt Mark jump in his arms. "Dip two, three, and up two three and lean in, fade..." he added.

Mark and Yugyeom both turned toward Mr. Kim, who was sitting against the back wall watching the two intently.

"Very good Yugyeom. Your form is excellent and very disciplined." He praised. As he got up from his chair, he shot a look of disappointment to Mark, who was looking at the floor and playing with his fingers. "Mark," he said softly. "I understand the circumstances, believe me." He assured, putting his hands on Mark's shoulders. "But it's something you have to get over. Just pretend you're a girl and  you're madly in love with him, okay?" He smiled. "Class dismissed."

"Sorry, Yugyeom..." Mark sighed, tugging his dance bag onto his shoulder. "I know I ..."

Yugyeom smiled. "All good dude. You free to come over and practice?"

Mark nodded as they both walked out of the dance studio. "Cleared it with dad and mom. Just have homework to finish first." He sighed as they stopped in front of  Yugyeom's house.

Yugyeom smirked as he opened the door to his small, two bedroom apartment. "What are we working on today?"

"World History. I have to research Wiccan culture and its impact on European society."

"Sounds interesting."

"For someone who has an interest in the Occult, sure." Mark nodded, falling with a soft bounce onto Yugyeom's couch. "I swear they teach the most useless stuff. What do demon summoning and rituals have to do with dancing?" He sighed, opening his history book.

"A lot, actually. People who practice Witchcraft usually partake in dancing ceremonies." Yugyeom explained with a smile, sitting beside Mark and watching him study. "Supposedly dancing is a major factor in the summoning of demons and the possession of victims."

"Yeah right." Mark rolled his eyes. "Bunch of weird mumbo jumbo's all that is..." He sighed, mindlessly flipping through his book.

Yugyeom smirked. "Careful Mark," he whispered, leaning in close. "haven't you heard the story of Jacob?"

Mark looked at Yugyeom like he had three heads. "No? What's that?"

"Dude!" Yugyeom exclaimed, shooting up from his seat and grabbing an old book from the top of his bookshelf. "I learned about him from my grandma." He started, opening the book to a marked page with a picture of a boy burning on a large pyre. "Apparently, he was the son of a wealthy Chinese man and his French mistress. When he was a boy, he got into all kinds of supernatural stuff. Summoning demons, possessing people, sacrificing animals. Apparently he had a boyfriend during a time of extreme religion and his mom found out, so the French church had him burned him at the stake."

"Dang..." Mark whispered, looking intently at Jacob's picture. "So what does this have to do with Witchcraft?"

"In his last moments he apparently called out to Asmodeus, who he made a deal with. Now he's an incubus who seduces men for his amusement. To summon him, all you have to do is light six candles, draw a star, and say an incantation."

"Have you tried it?"

"Heck no! I don't wanna get wrapped up in that junk!" Yugyeom exclaimed, setting the book aside and leaning back. "Now hurry up and get your homework done. With your work ethic, you might as well stay the night." He sighed, putting his arms behind his head.

 

Author's notes on the marziealyse Tumblr.