ONE OF MANY
After the creepy less-than-encounter with Jane Blake and her window, I'd gone home to find my mom sipping wine on the couch but I'd barely gotten to tell her goodnight that already Trent was calling and had had all her attention.
So much for her recovering daughter.
The following morning, I was roaming through the hallways, on my way to first period, already late since I'd had to hand over my assignment to Miss Buckheimer, when something dashed out of a corner and came running at me.
''Oh, hey,'' I dropped my books and raised my head, realizing who had bumped into me.
''Cassie, are you okay?''
She seemed panicked for some reason and was running right out of the lab, safety goggles still on and everything. Her jaw dropped slightly and her mouth opened as she prepared to answer, but a voice sounded behind us.
''Cassie, wait!''
Adam caught up with us but Cassie didn't hold her breath and took off running again, hardly sparing me another glance.
Adam, though, did and even looked sympathetically at me and my books on the floor but I sent him a shrug and tilted my head in the blonde's direction.
''Go get her. She seems like she needs help.'' He nodded and didn't wait a second to run off while I collected my books.
☾
I didn't know where Adam and Cassie were, but no one at school seemed to have seen them.
The football team had been training almost all day and Sally had said that she'd only spoken to Cassie this morning. Although around lunchtime, Diana had fed me on the latest news, which happened to be, shocker, Faye had been messing with Cassie, and right from first period.
I was now at the annual Chance Harbor Fair with Nick, having caught up with him behind school since I'd had free period.
We'd been roaming around the fair for a while until we'd caught sight of Faye and Melissa by a booth.
''Boo!'' Nick nudged as he startled Melissa, making her miss her aim at the game she was playing.
''I win.'' Faye had a smirk on her face as Melissa only retorted that Nick had broken her concentration.
''Hey girls, have you seen Adam and Cassie?''
My question actually got Melissa thinking for a minute.
''Not since this morning. Why?''
''Let them be. They're probably smooching somewhere. But what I'm more interested in,'' Faye turned from her game to me, ''is why you're suddenly so interested in them, Ivy. Got a soft spot for Adam? Or is new girl more your type?''
I could have rolled my eyes but it wouldn't have been enough, so I scoffed.
''Says the girl who's been out with Jake Armstrong, of all people.'' Faye threw me a glare and even with her eyes solely focused on me, she threw another ring at a pole and, thanks to her magic, won.
''Woah,'' Nick raised his hands up, ''I don't want to hear anything about my brother going out with Faye or doing... other things.''
''But there's a great deal of stories I bet Faye's just dying to tell you. Isn't that right, Faye?''
The girl glared at me further and would have probably retorted but the man in charge of the booth brought her her prize and Nick snatched it from her, throwing it in the nearest trash can much to Faye's protests.
''Anyway ladies,'' he started, ''follow me.''
☾
We'd followed Nick in a secluded area behind the booths and Faye had casually put her bum down on a wooden box that lay there while Melissa leaned on others. I'd stood perfectly still in front of Nick while he fidgeted with something in his pocket.
''Is this the part where you congratulate yourself for finding such a good body hiding spot?''
He looked up from the vial he'd taken out of his pocket and smirked a bit but quickly shook it off as he took the cap off and held it in the air.
He mentioned something about a black cauldron and told Faye to open her mouth.
Oh!
He dropped a bit of the liquid on her tongue and she hummed before asking its contents.
They started talking about the drug Faye had just tasted and I looked around to Melissa to see her turn her eyes to heaven. Well, something was definitely burning there.
''Are you guys gonna try it?'' Faye turned to us and pointed at the little vial Nick had in his hands.
''No, I'm good, thanks.'' Melissa answered in a heartbeat and I shook my head too.
''Me neither.''
''Come on, Ivy! Live a little.'' Nick was pushing but he wasn't looking directly at me as he spoke, instead, I felt his eyes travel to the side; to Melissa.
''I'm living quite alright now. Thank you, Nick.''
Faye mumbled something that sounded very much like 'party pooper' under her breath and I groaned.
''I heard that.''
Mean girl in the making turned to me and I leaned further next to Melissa.
''No, you didn't.''
That come back was lame.
Was the drug already affecting her?
I got my answer shortly after since Faye and Nick started talking about Diana and burst into fits of laughing here and there even though there was no room for humor in the conversation.
Nevertheless, of course, as it was bound to happen, they talked about the binding ritual at last.
''I think we should listen to Diana. She's the one with the rule book.'' Melissa said and I nodded, plopping myself down beside Faye on the wooden boxes.
''We just need to practice more. More power requires more practice.''
''Gee, thanks, Sherlock.'' Instead of glaring, Faye sent a weird smile my way and I shuddered at the sight of it.
''You started a monsoon and couldn't stop it.'' Melissa reasoned, talking about the storm that she'd made yesterday when I'd been rounding Cassie's neighborhood but Faye never listened, much less when she was stoned.
''Will you all just let that go?'' Faye and Nick were laughing like maniacs at this point and I cast a glance to Melissa, which she returned.
''Seems like we are the responsible adults now.'' I shrugged as Melissa looked back at me with wide eyes.
''This is how that feels like then, huh?''
Responsible adults would have probably not let Faye and Nick take another bit of that drug but in my defense, I hadn't seen Nick hold up the vial until the drop fell down on Faye's tongue.
I looked behind for support but Melissa was already gone and I was left to watch over the two goons.
Nice, Mel.
☾
The music was still blasting through the speakers as Faye and Nick danced their asses off in the middle of everyone else.
It had taken me nearly two hours to find Faye after she'd run off only to discover she'd been talking to Diana and had then come back to Nick. I'd left her alone for two minutes, for God's sake!
The party was on now but I watched from a distance with Melissa, in no mood to move at all, let alone dance around like my life depended on it.
I'd noticed Melissa's longing look earlier today but right now, she straight up seemed as if she was about to cry.
''Okay,'' I started and put my red cup down on the railing of the dock, ''Depressing over this isn't going to help.''
She barely even looked at me as she formed her answer. ''What do you mean?''
''Them,'' I pointed to the couple who were already grinding against each other. Ew. ''Faye and Nick.'' She tore her eyes away from the pair dancing and faced me.
''I'm sure she doesn't know that you like him.''
''You think?''
I was about to let the sarcasm slide for that one because she really seemed to like the guy.
''Of course I do. We're talking about Faye Chamberlain. She's the definition of oblivious.''
Melissa chuckled and somehow found comfort in the idea that her best friend wasn't hurting her on purpose.
We smiled at each other and I pulled her into a hug, only to have a voice break us apart.
''Look at you two love birds. Having fun ladies?''
''Up until this point, yes.''
Faye ignored my comment and took a drink as I pulled away from Melissa.
''Would you hit that?''
Melissa looked at her like a lost kitten. ''I'd have to leave my self-esteem at the door.''
I swallowed my awkward smile into my cup and looked around for more alcohol.
Luckily, I didn't need to as Faye handed her almost empty cup to Melissa and I took it straight away, pouring its content into my own.
The tall girl walked off toward the shorter blonde one that I'd been looking for all day -and hadn't noticed had entered the scenery- and they started talking.
''What do you think they're talking about?'' Melissa leaned closer to my ear so we could hear each other over the loud music, just as I swallowed the last of my drink.
''Judging by how the lights just flickered, something not good.''
The air went a lot colder all of a sudden and the otherwise quiet breeze that had floated around all night suddenly turned strong, heavy and almost freezing.
I looked around then back to the two girls arguing as a chair slid across the dock and Faye stopped it with her foot.
''Is she doing the same thing than with the storm yesterday?'' Melissa asked but I didn't answer as I saw Sally approach the girls and cut in the argument.
''We all know that Faye's not a big fan of Sally's but is there any chance that this could end well?'' I turned to Melissa who smiled before her eyes opened in horror.
''Oh my god!''
I snapped my head back to the three girls.
Only they weren't three anymore.
Sally was nowhere to be seen and a bunch of people near the scene had gasped and screamed as Cassie ran past the bannister and onto the rocks.
Melissa and I ran toward Faye, ditching our drinks on the way.
''Faye! What did you do?''
Judging that it was enough one of us was yelling at Faye and that she seemed as shocked as everyone else, I gently but firmly turned her face to me.
''Hey, hey! Don't look. It's okay, she's going to be okay. Just breathe, okay?''
☾
Sally turned out to be fine after Faye's mom had stayed with her while Diana had been calling nine one one.
''Faye?'' I'd been patting her back for five minutes straight but she was still staring straight ahead as the ambulance left with Sally.
She hummed at last and let out a long, wistful sigh.
''Are you okay?''
Faye turned to me and did nothing but stare for a few seconds.
I'd never hurt an innocent with my magic -and I didn't have Faye's temper either- but I couldn't imagine how I'd felt if I'd been her.
Adam was right, since Cassie had come to town, our magic was magnified, so much so that we couldn't control ourselves anymore. This had to stop.
Faye opened her mouth and I caught a tear in her eye for a split second, threatening to spill any time now, but before it could, Diana interrupted.
''Paramedics said she's going to be okay.''
''I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt.'' Faye sniffed, ''I really didn't.'' She turned to Cassie as she went on, the tears fading away slowly.
''With you here we can do more. I just have to will things and they happen.''
''We can't let our feelings control us like this.'' Diana cut in and we all took a collective ragged breath.
''But... I like... I don't want this to go away.'' Faye pointed the air as she referred to her magic and turned to Cassie.
I guess our fate was hers now.
The blonde seemed to think for a moment and even though I couldn't see the wheels in her head, I knew they were turning.
A few more seconds passed before she sighed and gave the all too expected answer.
''We don't have a choice.''
I let out the breath I didn't even know I was holding.
''It's too dangerous. If we can't control how we feel or what we think, we're just going to keep hurting people.''
My eyes caught the tiled floor of the boathouse grill, Adam's family restaurant, as she went on.
''Look, I don't want to be connected to you anymore than you want to be to me but no one else can get hurt.''
''Diana's right, then.'' I started but I couldn't even say four words than Cassie was already interrupting me.
''Yes. We have to bind the circle.''