"This is just great..." Emily said the next morning as they waited for the bell. "How are we going to look for the staff without anyone noticing?"
It was the middle of October. The wind blew around them, and people were chattering cheerfully around them. They tried not to show their feelings on their faces, as everyone else was so chipper, it could draw unwanted attention.
"I have no idea..." Andie sighed. "And we have to be careful with Zorak watching us..."
"Yeah... especially if Jessica's out..." Isabelle said, looking ahead.
Her long hair in a dark braid, Jessica came into view a few feet away, her bag on her shoulder. Andie was slightly surprised. She only ever tied up her hair when she was upset about something. Was the fight still in her mind, too? They looked at each other, but Jessica turned away and walked on.
"She'll come round." Emily said confidently.
Andie readjusted her scarf. It was October twenty-fifth. It was getting colder. Halloween was just a few days away. One couldn't miss it because the stores had put up pumpkins, spiders and candy all over their front windows. When she was a little girl, Andie had loved Halloween. But neither she nor her friends felt much like celebrating, at the moment.
"Let's hope so."she said.
Andie hated fighting with Jessica. She half had a mind to go apologize, but Isabelle had told her she had done what she'd thought best, and Jessica had to understand that and make the first move. Not to mention – though she kept it to herself – that she was a little worried of how Jessica might react if she went up to her now.
"I've tried to talk to her," Emily said. "But every time I mention Andie, she changes the subject or shuts me out."
That was exactly like Jessica. If something annoyed Jessica Leighton, then you didn't talk about it. At all. You didn't ever bring it up unless she accepted to do it. If you insisted, she could unleash her wrath on you.
"I'm sorry she's taking it out on you two as well..." Andie said sadly.
"Don't worry about it, she just needs a little space." Emily promised. "We had fights like this before we met you, and they always worked out."
Isabelle took Andie's arm and rested her head on her shoulder. Andie sighed. Emily was right. Surely their friendship was stronger than one fight...?
"Come on, we should get going, class is about to start..." she said finally.
The morning went on in a mixture of weariness from the cold and excitement from the upcoming holidays. Andie was also glad they were soon on holiday. She would be able to focus on getting the Caduceus back together before Zorak found the pieces. And her first chance to do that came that very morning, during break. She was making her way to her next class when she heard two members of the drama club talking. Andie thought their names were Ellie and Nora.
"Hey, did you see Judy, this morning?" Nora asked.
Nora was a dark haired girl with glasses. Ellie, on the other hand was taller, had light brown hair and a pink headband. They were putting up posters for that year's end of year play. They held auditions every year for the whole school to give it a try.
"I did, she was in a right state." Ellie answered with a frown.
"Oh, how come?" Nora asked in surprise.
"Well, she was in the prop room this morning, and she swears she found this weird staff that she's never seen before."
"Maybe it's just new," Nora suggested.
"I thought that too," Ellie replied thoughtfully. "But she says no one in the drama club even mentioned getting a staff or scepter or anything like that... and it's nothing like the one planned for the musical."
Andie paused by her locker, pretending to look for something while listening. A staff that had appeared out of nowhere...? It sounded too good to be true... only... it fit with what the pendulum had indicated... she dared not move, her heart hammering.
"Really?" Nora asked. "Weird..."
"Well, you know Judy, she's always had too much imagination for her own good," Ellie shrugged. "Come on, I think we've still got time to put up a few more before lunch."
"This year's musical's going to be awesome," Nora said. "I wonder who's going to land the lead role..."
"Probably Vicki Chase. She's good. She only missed out last year because she had the flu or something..."
"Oh, yeah, I remember," Nora replied. "Yeah, if she tries out this time, she'll be great.
Andie had never heard Vicki sing, but didn't particularly care if she could or not.
"That girl they talked about on the radio the other week was good too."
"Oh, you mean Andie Galestone? Yeah. They passed an excerpt of her audition on the radio, and it was amazing! Don't know if she's the performing kind..."
And they walked off. Andie immediately sent a text to Isabelle and Emily to say she had news. She almost sent one to Jessica, but hesitated. After a few moments, she decided not to send it. Jessica had said she didn't want to be involved, and Andie had to respect that. She put her phone back in her pocket and walked off to her next class.
"You're sure?" Isabelle asked.
They had met up at lunchtime, as usual, and her friends immediately asked to know what she'd found out. The room was even noisier than usual, because it was cold, which meant almost everyone was eating inside, so they could admire the trees going red and orange outside through the bay window while staying in the warm cafeteria. They'd even had to add more tables and open the surrounding classrooms, because it was too cold to be outside. Jessica had chosen to sit somewhere else. Andie had tried not to show upset she was by this, but she had a feeling her friends knew what she was thinking. But she put it aside for now. Jessica would have to wait a little.
"Positive. I know it's a long shot, but it's worth a look, right?" Andie asked.
Andie was trying to think logically from now on. She realized now that she might have let her guilt and feelings for Bane get in the way of her reason, and she didn't want that to happen again. Her friends had already taken too many risks.
"Yeah, but how are we going to get anywhere near the staff to see if it's what we think?" Emily asked. "Come in at night?"
Andie shook her head.
"No, not that. I should never have led you into that..." Andie said. "I still can't believe how lucky we were not to get caught..."
"Don't even think about apologizing," Isabelle said. "We all knew it was dangerous."
"I know..." Andie said heavily.
"And besides, how else were you planning on getting it?" Emily said. "Not to mention the most important part."
"What?"
"Well, let's imagine you hadn't got into that museum." Emily said reasonably. "Zorak probably knew about the Caduceus's power like River does, and there's a chance he would have wanted to acquire that too. For good measure, or whatever messed-up reason a demon lord can have for that sort of thing. And if that had happened..."
"He'd have been even more powerful..." Andie said.
"Exactly. And now, we have an advantage. The Caduceus reacts to threat. And since we're not a threat..."
"Does it know that?"
"Yes," Isabelle said at once.
Emily, who had looked a little stumped, and Andie, turned to her.
"Yes, it does. Because Andie held it for several minutes after she pulled it from the statue."
Andie had to admit she hadn't thought of that.
"So it'll flee from Zorak and Zarias, but not us?"
"Not Andie. I don't know about anyone else." Isabelle amended.
"Okay, that's great," Emily said. "But that doesn't solve our problem. How do we get to it?"
Andie's eye was caught by a large poster on the wall.
"I think I have an idea."
*************************
Hmm, I wonder what that idea could be, don't you?
What are your thoughts? Let's hear your ideas on how to get the staff in the comments!
Links to the songs in the descriptions below :-)
Will they find the staff before Zarias intervenes? Will Andie's new idea work? Let's find out in the next chapter!
Thank you again for all your votes and comments! You're all amazing, and let no one tell you different