My next class was Differential Equations with Mr. Stewart. The bell rang as I plopped down in my seat, wincing as my long locks caught on the back of the wooden chair.

“Something to tell us today, Mr. Atkins?” Mr. Stewart said, glancing over his spectacles. Stewart was a norm, with no magic, and no supernatural abilities. He made up for the lack of magic in other ways..

“Uh…April Fools?”

He shook his head, then began to call the roll.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and saw Mitzi’s concerned face. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“I’m so sorry, Seth.”

“Hey, no worries.” I turned around as Stewart launched into his lesson on Control Theory and how it could be used to control the flow of magical energy in a system.

I loved, loved, loved Math as it related to magic. Even though I couldn’t use or manipulate magical energy, I enjoyed studying Magic and Magical systems.

We were deep into the discussion of feedback loops and how they can control the flow of magical energy. There were different feedback loops, like proportional control and integral control. We learned that by studying the types of feedback loops, we could apply control algorithms within magical systems.

Toward the end of class, he demonstrated, theoretically, how magical systems could be stabilized by control algorithms and a few examples of unstable vs. stable magical—

“Holy shit!” I said, standing up suddenly.

I could feel the class’s attention snapping over to me.

Stewart looked at me, a frown on his face. “Mr. Atkins? Something to share with the class?”

I was panting. Control algorithms! The stability of magical systems! It all became clear to me why April had done this, why she was being such a bitch, and why—

“Uh…restroom,” I said. “May I use the restroom?”

He rolled his eyes. “There’s only five minutes of class left, can’t you—”

“I really gotta go!” I grabbed the restroom pass and headed out the door. The rest of the class snickered and pointed at me as I left.

“By all means,” Mr. Stewart said as I left, and I knew he meant that sarcastically. I’d have to make it up to him, but I needed to talk to April.

“On your way to your Mistress, fool?” A voice called. I glanced over and saw Jenni Stapleton walking out of the girls’ room.

I ignored her but kept on jogging.

I got to April’s room just as the bell rang. I pulled open the door and waded through the throng; I made my way to April’s desk, where she was packing up her things.

“Wow, stupid, I didn’t think you’d get here this—”

“I need to talk to you,” I said, pulling her toward the back of the classroom. She was in Chemistry lab. All the students were filing out of the room, and the instructor was preparing for the next class.

“We don’t have a lot of time,” she said. “My next class is in the one hundred section.

I winced. That would be a long hike, but I really needed to talk to her privately.

“I’m your control algorithm, aren’t I?”

She frowned at me. “My what now?”

“The control algorithm! I’m the…whatever…that’s making magic stable for you!”

“Shhh!” She hushed me, pulling me in closer. “Keep your voice down, you have no idea what you’re dealing with.”

“Why didn’t you just fucking tell me?”

Now it was her turn for her teeth to clench. “I don’t know what you think you’ve learned, but I can assure you that—”

“I’m the reason the black magic hasn’t overcome you, right? You’re using me as a conduit because I’m a supernatural being that can’t manipulate magic.”

She crossed her arms, and I thought she was about to cry.

“Look, just nod once. I know you have another set of algorithms working against you, am I correct?”

She nodded, once.

“And in order for the algorithms to complete, you have to act in a certain way?”

“Get my stuff,” she said, pointing to her backpack. “And let me get to my class!”

“Look, you don’t have to do this alone!” I said. “We can get—”

“Fool!” She screamed, walking back to her desk. “Take my backpack!”

I took a breath. She was right, I really didn’t know the extent of the pressure she was under. But at least -- I liked to think at least -- she wasn’t doing this…I don’t know, intentionally. She was doing it because whatever magical system she was a part of was forcing her to complete certain algorithms within a certain parameter in order to maintain the stability of the system.

“Yes, Mistress,” I said, gathering up her backpack.

She walked quickly, and I had to scurry a little to keep up. Normally she had to keep up with me because of my longer legs, but I could tell she was pissed.

“Look, I get it. I’ll stop—“

“That’s just it, Seth, I don’t want you to stop.”

I paused a moment. “I don’t get it.”

“You were obviously in Stewart’s class when you learned all this about magic right?”

“Yes.”

“So fucking ask him why I need this.”

I sighed. “When can I do that?”

She shook her head, and we continued on to her next class. She grabbed her backpack from me and walked into the classroom without looking or even acknowledging my presence.

God, she could be a bitch.

Grumbling, I realized I’d walked out of Differential Equations without my own backpack. I walked back there, and Mr. Stewart was grading papers at his lectern at the front of the classroom. I was going to be late, so I figured I might as well make it worth my while.

“Hey, Mr. Stewart, can I ask you a quick question?”

“That’s why I exist, Mr. Atkins.” He sighed and removed his spectacles.

“Yeah. So, I’m actually April Lancaster’s ‘fool.’ She’s the one who did this to me.”

He took off his glasses and frowned. “Oh?”

“Yeah, and I realized what you said about magical systems and all—“

He nodded. “Yes. A control algorithm within a feedback loop can help stabilize a magical circuit.”

“Well, I did some thinking, and I realized I’m April’s control algorithm. By using magic on me, or whatever, she’s stabilizing her magical system so she doesn’t go full dark.”

He winced a bit. “You know there’s no dark or white magic, it’s the intent behind it that—“

“Yes, I understand that.”

Atkins nodded and started drawing on the board. “So, here we have Miss Lancaster, and this dotted circle around her represents her ability to draw magic from the Universe into herself. Remember that magic permeates all living—“

“Yes, living, inert, crystalline, etc.”

“Yes.” He drew some large arrows in red. “These arrows represent the force around Miss Lancaster. Remember with Magic users, it’s not that they can’t access magic until they need it—“

“They’re filled with magic until they release it, yes, I understand the concept.”

“So yes, every April First she must have a magical system that exerts tremendous pressure on her. Pressure to be used, to be released, in larger and larger amounts.”

He tapped his chin, thoughtfully.

“She is, the most potent magic user at High Valley High, of course. Probably one of the most potent in town, actually, so that makes sense.”
“So I have to just allow her to continue to use magic on me? Why is she being such a bitch about it?”

He nodded. “Magical systems, and geas of all types have different requirements. Without performing an examination of her, I can’t comment. But I do know from experience, that the more resistance the magical being has to overcome, the more magic is consumed. It’s kind of like a firehose putting out fire…” he made another drawing on the board.

“A firehose can easily put out the fire of a candle. It’s too strong for the candle, and there’s all kinds of potential for backwash, and collateral damage…that kind of thing.”

“Okay,” I said.

“So when you resist, or act against her wishes, the fire is larger, hotter, and there’s less collateral damage.

I frowned. “So she actually needs me to resist?”

He shrugged. “No, idea. But that does align with the veracity of her argument.”

“So the more I resist…”

“The more magic she can use to overcome your resistance. You already have a large amount because you're a supernatural creature. It’s a dangerous game because she could trigger your curse inadvertently if she steps too far.”

“Yeah, I felt that.”

“Does this help at all?”

I nodded. “It helps a great deal.”

“I’m glad I could provide some assistance.”

I started to walk out the door…then stopped. “So, the more I resist, the more magic she expends. What happens if I resist too much?”
“I suspect she doesn’t know the limit to her own power. It depends on which of you is stronger, I would guess, Seth.”

I nodded and walked out the door.

So, my ex-girlfriend is the most powerful magic user at our school, and she has chosen me to be her magical toilet. I mean, that couldn’t go wrong at all, Right?

Right.

I sighed, and began running to my next class.