As the sun rose on Monday morning, Milo went about his chores on the farm, feeding the animals, milking the cows and cleaning their stalls. He scratched Cachita behind her ears as he walked her out of the barn to the pasture where the other cows were grazing. Cachita nuzzled Milo's hand before looking him in the eye and moving off into the pasture.

"Have a good day Cachita, and behave yourself. I will see you this evening." Milo said walking back into the barn. He went to his consulting room and stood in front of his altar. knocking three times he called on El Negro Juanito using his secret name.

"Juan De Dios, are you here?" Milo said closing his eyes.

Yes mi caballito (my little horse), you have need of me? Milo heard Juan De Dios' voice ring in his head.

"Yes, Juan de Dios, I need you to walk with Adriana today and protect her. Can you do that for me?"

Of course caballito.

Milo opened his eyes, smiled and knocked on his altar three times.

"Thank you Juan De Dios."

As Milo made his way out of the Barn he allowed himself to appreciate the warmth of the sun and the smells of nature. As he was walking back to the house he saw a Hawk making lazy circles in the sky.

He smiled and send his thoughts out into the spirit realm.

Silent Hawk, please attend. Milo waited for a moment and then felt the familiar shift in spiritual energies that indicated the approach of his indian warrior spirit.

You called little horse? As Milo heard the words in his head, he could also hear the faint echoes of drum beats and the rhythmic ringing of small bells.

Yes honored chief, would you accompany me today and stand as my gatekeeper?

Yes little horse it would be my honor to walk by your side this day.

*****

Students scurried through the bustling hallways of their high school, caught up in their daily routines and the trivialities of adolescent life. Their laughter echoed off the lockers, punctuated by the slamming of metal doors and the shrill ring of the bell. None of them were aware of the supernatural world or the spirits that followed them as they went about their day.

Milo navigated his way through the crowd, thinking about Saturday and Adriana's first possession. He was surprised to find that the girl was so open to the spirits. She had great talent, but it left her vulnerable until she developed a relationship with her spiritual court and determined who was the gatekeeper.

"Hey, watch it!" a fellow student snapped as Milo accidentally bumped into him. Milo nodded and gave a quick apology before continuing down the hall, his thoughts preoccupied with Adriana's safety.

He had done all he could do at the moment by lending her the protection of Juan De Dios. He knew that she would be safe until he could teach her to protect herself.

"Hey, Milo," Adriana greeted him with a smile as they met at their lockers.

"Hi, Adriana," he replied, He opened his locker and retrieved his textbooks.

"Milo," Adriana said softly to him as she closed her locker. "Why is El Negro Juanito following me around and scowling every time a muerto tries to approach me? Usually I just ignore them and pretend I can't see them and they leave me alone. But Senor Juanito is keeping everyone away, he is very intimidating."

"Adriana, I asked him to accompany you today, you are still just learning your abilities and I didn't want you without protection." Milo said looking over her left shoulder where the tall African Warrior stood. El Negro Juanito smiled and winked at Milo. Milo stifled a laugh.

"Is he poking fun at me again? He scared Mirena's countessa badly when Mirena was talking to me. Of course Mirena wasn't actually being very nice. After one look from Senor Juanito, the countessa faded away like smoke on a breeze and Mirena seemed to forget what she was giving me a hard time about."

"No, of course not Adriana." Milo said trying to maintain a serious face.

Adriana looked at Milo as if trying to decide if he was telling her the truth. Finally, she sighed and said. "Ok, But you tell him that he has to behave, no more scowling at every muerto that tries to get my attention." Adriana said as kissed Milo on the cheek and walked away to her class.

Milo closed his eyes, allowing himself to be enveloped by the sounds of the school around him-the laughter, the footsteps, the distant bell signaling the beginning of the next period. He took a deep breath, centering himself, and called out silently to Silent Hawk.

The proud figure of Silent Hawk materialized before him, his dark eyes piercing and attentive.

Greetings feather brother, Milo thought as he looked up at the tall indian chief.

The warrior spirit nodded solemnly, Greetings Little Horse

Thank you for coming. come let us walk the path together today. Milo thought smiling.

Silent Hawk smiled and took his position behind Milo's left shoulder as they walked to Milo's next class.

*****

The sun cast awarm glow on the faces of students hustling through the school hallways, their laughter and chatter echoing off the walls. Amidst the whirlwind of activity, Milo stood observing.

His heart pounded, Milo took a deep breath as he caught sight of Santiago. He watched the unfolding scene before him. Jose, halted abruptly in the hallway, his eyes widening with shock as they fell upon Santiago, his boyfriend, lips locked in an intimate kiss with Mirena. Jose's jaw dropped and the color drained from his face.

"Santiago!" Jose's voice trembled with emotion, barely masking the hurt that flickered within his eyes. "What... What is this?"

"Jose, I..." Santiago stuttered, his face flushed crimson as he attempted to untangle himself from Mirena's grasp. Mirena looked at Jose, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

"Explain yourself, Santiago. Now," Jose demanded, his fists clenched at his sides, his body tense with anger.

"Look, it's not what you think. We were just-" Santiago faltered, his eyes darting around nervously as he tried to find the words to placate his distraught boyfriend.

"Save it," Jose snapped, cutting him off coldly, his voice laced with frustration and betrayal. He turned and walked away, unwilling to hear Santiago's excuses or witness the painful scene for one more moment.

Milo's heart ached for his friend, and he fought the urge to rush over and comfort Jose. But he knew that in this moment, Jose needed space and time to process what had just occurred. He could only watch from afar, offering silent support and understanding.

As Milo watched, his heart ached for his friend. He never approved of Santiago but he had kept quiet because Jose had liked him. He knew that in the days to come, Jose would need his help to navigate the treacherous waters of betrayal.

The bell rang, signaling the start of another class period. As the students poured into their classrooms, Milo couldn't shake the lingering sense of tension and unresolved conflict that hung heavy in the air. He promised himself that he would be there for Jose to support and protect him.

Later that day Milo saw Jose and rushed to catch up with him.

"Jose," Milo called out gently, taking cautious steps towards him.

"Leave me alone, Milo," Jose muttered as he walked to his next class,head down and heartsore.

"Jose, please," Milo implored, reaching out a hand towards his friend, only to let it drop back to his side when he saw the way Jose tensed. "I know you're hurting right now, but shutting everyone out won't help."

"Easy for you to say," Jose said, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You didn't just catch your boyfriend kissing someone else."

"Yeah, that does suck. I'm sorry Jose, I'm sorry Santiago let you down. But I'm here and I will never let you down." Milo said reaching out for his friend. He pulled Jose into a rough hug, he could feel Jose try to resist. Milo just held on until finally he felt Jose relax in his arms.

"I got you mijito, I'm here always, you know that, don't you?" Milo whispered in Jose's ear. He felt Jose sigh and nod against his shoulder.

"Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned here," Milo suggested, his brow creased with worry as he searched for the right words. "An opportunity for growth and understanding."

"Or maybe Santiago is just a liar and a cheat," Jose countered. "I should have seen this coming."

"Hey, I have an idea, come out to the house with me this afternoon, we can lay in the field, drink maltas and eat bacalaitos and forget about the world for a few hours. What do you say?" Milo said trying to coax a smile out of his friend.

Jose still looked lost and it broke Milo's heart.

"Ok, yes, I would like that very much." Jose said softly, pulling himself together and trying to smile.

"Great! Don't forget to call your mother and tell her you are hanging out with me after school." Milo said as he left to his next class.