Gary Brandt brings the drama from The Dimension Of Mind Dot Com into Tuesday morning schoolyard politics, where teenage witch hunters and shadow people complicate everything.
After yesterday's cafeteria 'debugging' session, the girls face the inevitable consequences: the gothic Sisters of Darkness (Jenna and Janice) corner them, demanding they leave school because 'we're the only witches allowed here.' But when Ella snaps back that they're not witches but can 'be tough if needed,' Helana takes matters into her own interdimensional hands—projecting pure terror into the goth girls' minds until they flee in panic.
While effective, this power play creates new problems: Billy Mitchell approaches Roxana desperately asking for help with 'Shadow People' he's been seeing, convinced she has exorcism skills after witnessing her cafeteria performance.
The girls realize they've accidentally established reputations as supernatural troubleshooters, and Billy's genuine fear forces them into their first official paranormal consultation.
What follows is both hilarious and touching: despite Roxana's protests that being Catholic doesn't make her an exorcist, the girls decide to help Billy with a sage-burning ritual at his house, complete with chanting 'Shadow People, go away' in every room and corner.
Helana explains Shadow People could be anything from curious visitors to demonic entities (or just imagination), but the cleansing ritual works through intention rather than the sage itself.
They successfully complete their first 'case,' though Helana admits she sensed something might have been there but nothing was present during the actual ritual.
The chapter ends with a poignant shift: Roxana asks to take Helana for the night because she wants to 'get to know her better,' leaving Ella alone with just her diary for the first time since this adventure began.
The jealousy and trust issues are starting to surface as Ella writes, 'I guess I have to share Helana,' while worrying about Helana's terrifying mind-control abilities.
Brandt perfectly captures how supernatural gifts complicate ordinary friendships, as these girls discover that having interdimensional powers comes with interdimensional responsibilities.