The Girl with the Gift

Chapter 4

Macey didn't mention to Cas or her parents what happened with Alex at the Café. She tried her best to just forget it; but as sometimes happens with things you want to forget, you aren't always successful. She woke up Saturday morning with a start after a very bizarre dream. She couldn't remember the dream exactly but she remembered Alex Waldman's face. Gaa why him again?! She threw back the sheets so hard they flew across the room, hitting the wall on impact. Any time she had dreams, it was usually a premonition of a way she would be using her strength in the future.

Macey remembered that she had dreamt of the parking garage when she was a teenager. Was this dream as far in the future as that? She desperately prayed not. I never want to see that creep again. She shuddered at the thought. Lately whenever she thought of Alex's face, however, she couldn't think of him in a bad way. There was something so... hopeful and energetic in his eyes. She had to constantly fight feeling painful in some way about him being attacked again.

"Why God?! Can't I just be a weakling like everyone else? I don't want to feel guilty or responsible anymore." She whimpered while retrieving her flown sheets.

There was only one way that Macey couldn't use her strength and she knew it well: Whenever she slept or had her senses dulled by drugs or alcohol she lost her ability. When she was younger she went through a period of hating her strength. For that reason she drank heavily in her college years, before one night she blacked out and swore off heavy drinking permanently.

"Drinking away your troubles only hurts you more in the long run." Another set of wise words by Macey's Grandmother. While the woman was no longer alive Macey still thought about her daily. "I could really use your advice now, Nana." She whispered as she padded downstairs.

Cas was up already and cooking up a storm down in the kitchen. The entire apartment smelled like pancakes and maple syrup.

"You're always up so early." Macey chided her. She admired how her friend always looked so lively and awake early in the morning. She had a youthful face already and thick blond hair that made Macey jealous from time to time when considering coloring her own hair blonde. Now Cas had it piled it into a messy bun on top of her head. Her face was glowing and shiny from having just applied a topical oil.

"I'm just waiting on your famous Farmer's potatoes." Cas nudged her, spatula in hand. The best Saturdays in the world. Macey was so tired but still danced her way over to the fridge. She quickly got to work on preparing her Mother's "farmer's potatoes" which simply consisted of chopped potatoes fried together with eggs, onions and herbs and then topped with ketchup as she had always done a kid and now as an adult.

"Seriously neither of us is allowed to get married and move out. I'm not leaving these weekend breakfasts." Macey teased, pouring them both a glass of orange juice.

"While we're on the subject..." Cas started cautiously.

"I know, I know." Macey replied gruffly. "Tonight, 8PM."

"Perfect." Cas looked as though she was about to say something else but stopped herself.

"I seriously hate blind dates. You know I do."

"I know you do. And I seriously hate seeing you pine for someone who isn't worth that much effort."

"Hey, Jake's your friend too."

Cas sighed, taking a bite of fried potato. "I love Jake like a brother. And since he's like a brother I have no shame in admitting how dense he is sometimes. Not really boyfriend material, Mace."