It did rain.
I stood in the downpour with a little bag in my hand, string dragging on the floor. The bus was coming in 3 minutes. Not too much longer to wait.
The bag contained a few changes of clothes, my birthday present from Gwen, and $534 in American currency. It wasn't much. If I'm incredibly lucky, it'll get me across the country but not much further. Maybe I'll stop at Uncle Thomas's and ask him for some money. Him and my father haven't gotten along in years. Surely he wouldn't call my dad.
I looked at the time again. 2 minutes.
"Hey."
Jade.
I couldn't help myself and threw my arms around her. I had been so scared I'd have to go alone. She came.
"The bus is coming soon," she whispered in my ear," Are you sure you want to do this?"
"No," I shook my head in her neck, remembering how my dad liked to put his face in my mom's neck even though she was decently shorter than him.
I pulled away and picked up the bag that had fallen to the ground.I felt a shrug roll through my shoulders to cover the shiver that ran down my back. I was already ill prepared and hadn't brought a good jacket. Jade hadn't either and stood there in a thin jean jacket with a hoodie on under it.
We both laughed a little. We were both freezing and wet already. Jade stuck her arms out to feel the rain and I tipped my head back and stuck out my tongue. That's how the bus found us.
"You don't have to go, you know. You said you aren't sure."
"I know. I don't want to," I took a standing position to protect the bus seats from my soaked state," But what will happen if I don't? I could hurt someone I care about. I could hurt myself. The prophecy could come true," I shook my head. "I need to find him."
"Who's to say he wants to be found?"
"That sucks for him."
She shrugged and picked up a magazine from the back of a seat, occupying herself with the difficulties of celebrity skin care and leaving myself to my thoughts. I couldn't help but wonder about my mate.
What does he look like?
Is he a happy person?
What's his name?
Will he mind my darkness?
Will he succumb to it?
_
"Where are we going?"
Jade smiled politely at the lady behind the screen as she purchased two tickets on the next train to Quebec. When she handed me the ticket we both started walking back to the bench we had abandoned to buy them.
"My mother used to be in contact with a voodoo woman in Quebec. She might be able to speed up our whole finding a mate deal."
"How long ago did your mother know her?"
"How old are you?"
"Jade..."
"Kidding! The last time my mother saw Lovelie was when she found out she was pregnant with me. Lovelie is the one who told her."
"Aunt Thalia told you that?"
"Yeah," she scoffed," like my mother would optionally tell me anything. I read it in her journal."
"You read her journal?"
"I didn't only read it," she reached into her bag and pulled out a beaten up book with a black cover on it.
"You stole her journal?!"
Jade laughed and turned the pages of the old book, stopping at a marked entry and pointing to an adress written down.
Lovelie Baptisne
99310 Stanton Street
Quebec, Canada
"I don't understand, why did you take this?"
"Mom's not gonna notice it was gone so why not? Its just an old book anyway."
She was so convincing in what she said that, had I not been able to feel her despair, I would hve believed her.
But I felt it.
I looked at the book a little closer and saw that Lovelie's address was written towards the end of this journal. That means that towards the beginning there must be stuff about Beta Joseph.
Her father.
Her pride was on the line, though. I didn't bring up what I now knew to be the truth.
"Do you think Lovelie is still living there?"
"I hope so, if not then I don't know where to start."
"And if so?"
"If so then Lovelie can do the same spell she did on my mom to you."
The sign in front of us changed electronically. She pointed it out and stood up to board the train we would take to Quebec.
I followed, half running behind her.
"What spell did she perform on your mother?"
"A spell to- I'm sorry ma'am," she stopped mid sentence to allow a human lady in her mid 70s to pass by. I internally groaned.
Just push past. She'll probably be dead by the end of the line anyway.
Just because you're evil doesn't mean you have to be rude.
When the lady passed we went to take our seats. We had finally settled down completely, bags put away and comfortable in our cushiony-ish seats on the not yet moving train.
"What was the spell?"
"A spell to find your mate," Jade yawned, pulling her bag up to use as a pillow.
But I wasn't tired at all.
Jade, my cousin and run away companion, had a sure fire way to give me what could potentially save my life and the lives of everyone I love.
All I had to do was find Lovelie Baptisne.