“Occult club?” Diane looked dubious.  “I wasn’t aware of an Occult club.  I’m a little surprised the school would tolerate it - not that they could win a legal battle to have one.  I mean, they have a club for Christian Athletes.  And every club has to have a sponsor…  Or is your club not exactly on the approved list?”

Diane was unlike these girls.  She had never cast a ritual to unlock her power.  She hadn’t even looked up a ritual.  Oh she had read about Wicca.  But she didn’t take it seriously.  She half wondered if they did.

“What exactly do you mean by occult?  Astrology?  Alchemy?  Spiritualism?  Theosophy?  Hermetics? New Age? Paganism?  I mean, your group is small - small enough to be just a tiny coven.  If it is just Wicca, why not call it that?”  She glanced around.  “Then again, Bible Belt.  Still, the word Occult isn’t much better.  Personally I think school is a horrible place to practice the Craft.  I think you said, open mind.  Wouldn’t a thousand unbelieving students put a damper on things?”

She glanced around the table at the other girls.  Sam struck her as a crystal weenie or a groupie.  Jessica seemed intelligent.  She had seen the girl somewhere before.  Oh! Yes.  Boys.  She had been hanging around the science building and had some of the more intelligent guys drooling.  Diane experienced a moment of humor.  She wondered if the girl had any idea.  Ash, however, had a very different look to her.  She was used to the sort of speech Diane had just given.  

“Ash, you are Wiccan.”  It wasn’t a guess.  “Sorry for the patronizing attitude.  And no, I am not.  Honestly, I don’t really believe in magic.  But I had done some very heavy research into magic.  I even learned a few archaic language forms, like Middle Irish, a bit of Middle English, Latin, Greek, and such.”  She looked thoughtful.  “Actually, if you guys seriously know your stuff, I might be interested.  But understand I’d be more the outsider looking in.  If I say something wrong, correct me.  Is the tall guy in your group?  He’s wiccan too.  The one likely taking the shop class.”  She rolled her eyes in Troy’s direction.  “The hungry looking one who looks like someone should find a Forever Home for and feed, scratch his belly or something.”