Coven - Book I

☆ 53

☆  fifty-three

        The entire living room at Chloe's smelled like microwaved popcorn and various other snack foods. Lyle sat in the old, ragged armchair closest to the kitchen, smiling giddily at Chloe across the room every few minutes to make sure she knew how excited he was to see her. Well, her and the other eleven teenagers that were crowded into the living room for a late night movie session. It was somewhat relieving to see everyone's faces, but it was also a shock. Chloe felt like her insides were growing colder by the hour despite everybody laughing and throwing popcorn. She was going to give everything for these people. . . It was the largest sacrifice she could have made. Her entire life was going to become nothing by midnight tomorrow and for some reason, Chloe didn't mind so much anymore. She watched as Blaire and Jenna huddled together to take a photo, and Sebastian and Dean heatedly discussed the movie plot. Meredith sat beside Corey, rolling her eyes at something he was saying. Eden was asleep on Charlie's shoulder, and Rose sat with her hand discreetly tucked into Nick's. Chloe's own hand was being clenched tightly by both of Alec's. He refused to let her do anything on her own now, not that she was complaining much. She'd have to do whatever she could with him while they still had time, and she had to face the facts: there wasn't much time left for them.

The majority of the night was filled with more junk and more films than Chloe thought possible to watch in one sitting, and come morning, she gazed around the living room at her eleven sleeping companions. They were all more or less clumped together under mounds of blankets. It made her feel happy to be able to see them all so close. 
      Chloe thought back to when she'd first met all of them. They had all separated into their own little cliques, never really associating with one another more than necessary and now here they all were, snuggled together in Chloe's house. 
"Chlo?" 
Rose had shifted away from her spot with Eden on the love seat and was watching her with half-open eyes. She rubbed her face with both hands.
"What time is it?"
"A little after six."
"Six? Why are you awake?"
"I dunno," Chloe shrugged, "not really in the mood to sleep." 
Rose bobbed her head up and down. Her eyes flashed uncertainly at the others, probably checking to see if they were all asleep.
"So. . . tomorrow," She whispered.
"Tomorrow," Chloe nodded. She wasn't really lying to Rose; midnight technically would count as the next day. 
"What do you think will happen?" 
That was a loaded question. Chloe didn't have a solid answer to give, either. She was going to die; wasn't that enough for Rose? Why did she keep having to ask questions that nobody wanted to talk about?
"I don't know, Rose." 
"Sorry," she said quickly, "it's just that, well. . . I'm scared." 
"Scared? The Rose McIntyre, scared?" Chloe put a hand to her chest and faked shock.
"I didn't think I'd ever see the day!" 
"Okay, okay," Rose rolled her eyes. "I get it. I just wanted to know how you're keeping yourself so. . . together. I'd be a mess if I was you."
I am a mess, she thought, but what she said was, "It's my job." 
"Your job? Chloe, this is your life!"
Chloe raised an eyebrow and Rose slapped a hand over her mouth.
"Sorry," she whispered.
"I can't talk about this right now," Chloe maneuvered herself out of the blanket and stepped carefully around the heads of her friends, making her way to the bottom of the staircase. 
Rose said nothing, and Chloe was grateful. She had a plan to cook up.

         Chloe flipped her spiral notebook to a fresh page and took out a mechanical pencil. She'd made sure to lock her bedroom door; not that that would really stop any of her friends if they wanted to come in. She had to think fast if she wanted to get this done before Alec woke up and noticed her not beside him. Quickly writing everyone's names down in a fashion that was barely legible, she began to think of a way to save each and every one of them. If she could find something that would distract them long enough for her to take out Raoul alone then they wouldn't be in any danger. But what would they fall for? It was clear in Chloe's mind that it was going to be a one-on-one battle, and if she was going to save them while dying herself, she was going to have to take him down with her.
But how can you kill something you've never seen? She thought warily, scribbling alongside the names of her friends. The fastest way would probably to be to come up with an activity that could keep them distracted yet entertained; the timing wasn't an issue -- witches loved the night. Another movie night? No, too many time slots for someone to slip out. . .

The realization hit Chloe fast and she scrambled for the pencil. A circle. A midnight circle! It'd been weeks since they'd all come together to play with magic; it was a temptation she knew none of them would be able to resist. And once they'd started it, it didn't matter if Chloe didn't show up on time. They wouldn't be able to leave to find her while in the middle of a casting. She'd head down there herself today, she decided, to bind her magic to the sand. She just had to keep them there long enough to let her save them. Chloe felt somewhat noble in this decision. She'd figured it out. She was going to save them all. It was a miracle, truly.

You up?

Her mind buzzed with the invasion of Alec's voice. She smiled at nothing in particular, with her mind set on her plan, and threw the notebook onto her bed. She covered it with a pillow before heading down to him.