I glance up; it is that awful cheerleader, Mel. She is always trying to get under my skin–and today of all days. “Mel, just leave me be. You know nothing about my family.”
“I know what you are. My family has history here too, you know.”
Trying to forget about her, I feel a crowd of emotions raging within me. Why did our friendship have to end? We were always so close, until high school. I can’t understand what happened to change everything, but nothing seems to change things back to the way they were.
“What are you going to do now, witch? Put a hex on me?” she jokes.
Keeping my head slightly down, I look her in the eyes. “I did nothing to you, Mel.
Can’t you just leave me and my family alone?”
“You mean you did nothing yet. I know about your family and all they can do.”
“I told you to leave me alone! You know nothing about my family.” I feel as if I am about to boil over. In an attempt to calm myself, I turn back to my locker and try to forget about Mel and her unfounded accusations.
Out of nowhere, she pushes me, and I fall against my open locker. Slowly picking myself up, I turn and look Mel in the eyes. I focus every emotion within me on her, and the anger takes over. Every locker around me flies open, and she blows over backwards.
A tingling overcomes my body as I wonder, What the hell just happened? Dozens of spectators stand there, watching every move I make. A few girls help her to her feet.
“Ebony, come with me!” a familiar voice calls.
“Matt, I—”
“No, not now and not here. Let me get you out of here.”
I feel comfort in his hand as he leads me away. Walking past Sophia and her siblings, I give a pleading look. “What’s happening to me?”
Sophia reaches her hand out to me. “Tomorrow.”
***
I’m lucky to have someone like Matt in my life. He does not pass judgment on anyone. Last year when he moved here, I didn’t feel so lonely anymore, because he befriended me. “Are you okay now?” he asks while wrapping his jacket around my shoulders.
“I...I...I don’t understand.”
“You will but until then, I am here for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Let me drive you home. Forget about the pep rally today.”
“I think you are right. I am sorry, but I think it’s best if I skip the game tonight as well.”
“No problem. Would you like me to stay with you?”
“That is not a good idea. I think I just need to be alone. Please go enjoy the game.”
Tonight I want to call a family meeting. I need to tell Grams everything about Sophia and her family and this episode with Mel. Grams will know what to do.
Chapter Eleven
Concern
I look over at my siblings, shocked at what we’ve just witnessed. “Can you believe that?”
Danika is stunned. “What exactly was that?”
“You just witnessed what can happen to a supernatural being when emotions get too strong. This is why we worry about you. Ebony is just coming of age, learning of her powers as a witch. She is obviously telekinetic, meaning she can move things with her mind,” Alexander explains.
“Okay. Well, the pep rally is about to begin. We can talk about this more at home,” I insist.
As we enter the gymnasium, a voice booms over the loudspeaker. “And here they are the newest members of our school. Please help me welcome the Pierce family, Mati, Sophia, Danika, and Alexander.” The entire school population starts applauding and cheering to welcome us.
Although I do not like being in the spotlight, I feel very welcomed, and there are no more judgmental whispers. Now there is nothing but warm, welcoming cheers. Is this what it will be like here? Are the people of Wenham really happy to have us join their community? This could truly become home–something no place has ever been before.
Nathanial sneaks up behind me and whispers, “Welcome” as he grabs my waist to tickle me.
I giggle and smile at him. He is doing it again. He has this way of breaking through my wall, but I know I have to figure out a way to keep him away.
“Come on! You can sit with the team since you and your siblings seem to be the guests of honor.” He hurries us to our seats and joins in the rally.
I really don’t know if I will be able to keep away from him–or anyone here for that matter. I am beginning to enjoy it here, perhaps a little too much. The last thing I want to do is let my guard down. There are too many loved ones at stake if I do.
Nathanial is called to the stage, and I begin to cheer as though we have been going steady for years. Not only do I shock myself with my whooping and hollering, I shock my siblings too. What in the world am I doing? What am I thinking? This is not the way to keep him at bay. The pep rally was a ton of fun but now that it is over and everyone is dispersing, we decide to go home and fill in the other members of our family on the possibly life-changing events of the day.
***
We explain everything about Ebony and my encounter with her. “We knew Ms. Edwina’s granddaughter attended Wenham High, but we thought we had a little more time before you’d run into her. I saw her in a premonition,”
Constance explains.
I remember Constance telling me about her visions. She sees the future, but she doesn’t always know when the things she envisions will happen. She also does not share everything she sees; she is protective of us and does not want us to worry needlessly. She shares only what she feels is important to our well-being. Constance once told me that she believes things left to fate work out for the best. It is more normal that way.
“I still cannot believe that Ebony openly used her powers like that, right there in the school hallway,” Matilda adds.
I look around at each family member. “From what she told me, this is all very new to her. She may not know how to control them yet.”
“Although you made arrangements for tomorrow, I will call Ms. Edwina tonight and ensure that all is okay for our visit. She may want us to come by sooner rather than later.” Elijah heads toward the study to make his call, while the rest of us continue talking. We confirm the details of our meeting tomorrow.
After he’s off the phone it is clear Elijah is excited to see his old friend Ms. Edwina and to finally meet the granddaughters he has heard so much about. “She is concerned but said Ebony has retired for the evening. She says tomorrow will be better for her.”
He can sense the tension we all have. “Kids, you need not worry. This is a good family.
We would not be who we are today without them,” he assures us.
We trust him explicitly, but we are still concerned about the day’s events. He can tell how uncomfortable we “kids” are with the situation and it annoys him slightly.
“Kids, I do not want you to worry about this. You know what a long-standing history we have with Ms. Edwina. Her family will not do anything to harm us or to reveal our secrets. Everything is safe with their family. We knew this would happen when we came back here. As for Ebony, we will help her through this transition. So please try to have a good time tonight,” Elijah strongly insists. “You will see when we meet with them. You have known their family as long as I have and you know it will be fine.”
“Okay. But what do you suggest I do about this young man Nathanial? Should I not worry about him either?” I question.
“That I am not sure about. We will have to meet him, but you will have to be careful around him, as he sounds very compelling,” Elijah adds.
“Sophia, we would not have come here if I had sensed anything that might endanger our secrets,” Constance reassures.
I do feel better after talking with the family, and Elijah told the truth. We have known Ms. Edwina forever, and she and her family have earned our trust. I know I am panicking for no reason. As for Nathanial, I will just have to wait and see how everything pans out with him. It will be no easy task to resist his incredible appeal, but I
think I have enough confidence in myself.
***
It is time to start getting ready for the game. It’s getting a little chilly tonight, and I agree to allow Matilda to help me get ready. I would normally dress down with my hair in a ponytail and my vanity glasses on, but as hard as I try, I cannot fight the feeling Nathanial is giving me. I have to be myself and leave the loner façade behind; I want to look nice for a change. Matilda picks out some nice jeans, a fitted top, and a three-quarter-sleeve button-up sweater with an oversized belt. It’s not too far off from what I would have picked, aside from the fact that she dresses me head to toe in designer labels. I would have put on my UGG’s, but she insisted on a pair of Jimmy Choo knee-high boots. It is nice, albeit flashier than I prefer, but then again I did tell her I want to look nice and she is accomplishing that. “Let’s keep your hair down, the way you love.” Matilda begins to straighten the long brown layers that look as if they’ve been kissed by the sun.
Matilda has a gift when it comes to fashion. “I can’t believe how good you are at this, Mati. You have the layers framing my face perfectly. I love it. Thank you.” I wonder if Nathanial will even recognize me.
“You are most welcome. You know I love doing it.”
When we are all ready, we head to the game. I can’t believe how nervous I am, as if I were a real schoolgirl with a crush on a boy. Two out of three ain’t bad, I guess.
“You are a real schoolgirl – just one stuck in time. Congrats. You have accomplished every woman’s dream.”
“Alexander, if you plan on reading my thoughts, you can at least drop the sarcasm.”
Chapter Twelve
Dedication
At the game, we score some great seats in the first few rows at centerfield, right behind the home team bench. We all enjoy football; it is a great contact sport. The excitement of attending my first high school game is building up in me, or maybe it’s just the excitement of seeing Nathanial again. We join the crowd as they jump to their feet and cheer while the team runs on the field, ripping through a big paper banner the cheerleaders have made for them with markers and poster paints. The entire team is hungry for the first win of the season, and the excited and screaming crowd is pumping the energy they need right their way. Nathanial leads the team to centerfield, and once again, he astounds me.
Feeling a dull poke in my side, I turn to find Danika elbowing me. “What?”
“He’s looking through the crowd for you. God I wish it were me he was looking for.”
Ignoring her later statement I look up at him, and then, out of nowhere, he stops and drops his helmet right in front of me. His mouth is hanging open like a Saint Bernard staring at a steak. I don’t know how else to react so I just smile and wave, as my heart nearly leaps out of my chest.
He smiles back and mouths, “This one is for you, gorgeous!”
I can hear him breathing the words ever so softly above the crowd’s cheers. Keeping him at a distance is going to be harder than I ever expected. I am experiencing feelings I have never had before. I feel giddy about Nathanial’s reaction to me tonight and excited to watch him do what he is so passionate about, what he loves. I have such a feeling of confidence and pride, and it seems Wenham is giving me a sense of security that I haven’t felt in decades. I even feel like it may be okay to let Nathanial in, at least a little.
That way, I can keep an eye on him and make sure he remains safe. I am overly protective of him, even though I cannot explain it. Can it be true? Could he be the one? We only met last month. Is that what they mean about love at first sight? About finding your soul mate? No, it couldn’t be. I do not want him to be a part of this. I want nothing more for him than a long and happy life, free from danger, secrets, and drama. Why does he confuse me so much? I have never experienced such conflict within myself before.
Constance whispers, “It’s meant to be, my dear. If you fight it, things will just be worse. This is what he wants as well.”
Once again, Alexander shares my thoughts with the others. “How can he want this?
He does not even know what this is!” I reply.
“He will,” she confirms.
“I see it, too, Sophia. Your souls match perfectly, like no match I have ever seen before” Matilda adds.
I sigh and turn to watch the game, but in spite of all the action on the field, the sidelines and in the stands, I mostly watch Nathanial. I can’t help wondering if my family could be right, if Nathanial really is my soul mate. Are we meant to be together? I just can’t understand how he could ever want this. I would not wish this kind of existence on anyone–and that’s all it is...an existence and not any kind of life.
“The game is going great,” Isaac observes.
Everyone is excited as the halftime whistle blows. The halftime show begins, and in the backdrop behind the band and the cheerleaders, the bright orange numbers on the scoreboard shows that our team is up by fourteen points.
“Wow! Those cheerleaders are really good,” Alexander says with a sadistic smile.
“Are you kidding me?” Matilda smacks him upside the head.
We all chuckle and Alexander jokes, “Come on, darling. We have been together over a hundred years, and you still get jealous. How cute.”
“My love, there is a difference between jealous and annoyed,” she smirks. “It is a thin line of course, but it may be a line you want to avoid walking on.”
Florence shakes her head. “I don’t know about you two, but can we please just enjoy the rest of the game?”
In less than an hour, the game ends, and our team is victorious by thirty points. This is just what Wenham High needs for its morale.
“I can’t believe Nathanial made five touchdowns! He was on fire tonight!” I exclaim, bursting with unbridled excitement and pride.
The entire crowd starts chanting his name, “Nate! Nate! Nate is great!” as the other players parade him around on their shoulders. The local newspapers are snapping pictures and preparing for interviews.
I am so happy for him and the team. He looks even better than he usually does, if that is even possible. Nathanial is so happy and excited, and his eyes are sparkling with joy. I never imagined they could shine so brightly, but as he looks at me, his eyes light up like bright blue shooting stars dancing across the sky. I stand next to my family as we all watch this magnificent man who is hailed a hero by his teammates and the onlookers. But I can’t let him in, and this is going to be one of the hardest things I have ever faced.
“And we will all be here with you, sis.” Alexander wraps his arm around my shoulder.
The team parades in front of us. Nathanial pats the shoulders of his teammates to put him down. I watch as he pushes his way through the crowd and runs up to me. He wraps his arms around my waist and swings me around. I melt into his strong sweaty arms.
When he finally places my feet ever so gently back on the ground he kisses my forehead and with his index finger lifts my chin up ever so slightly so I am looking right at him, right into him, and he into me. “You are my lucky charm, you know. Now I can never let you go.” He smiles.
“I doubt that,” I reply.
“I gotta hit the showers. Will you wait for me?”
“I wish I could but I have plans with my family tonight, and they’re kinda important. I’m so sorry, Nathanial. I wish I could help celebrate your victory.” I pout, knowing once again I am not being fully honest. We need to be clear headed for tomorrow, so I do not want to cloud myself with Nathanial.
“No worries gorgeous. It won’t be the same without you there, but maybe we can catch up on Monday,” he suggests.
“Until Monday then...and congrats. You were amazing out there tonight.”
“Aw, it was nothing. I was just showing off for a pretty girl.” We both chuckle, and he gives me another hug and runs off to the dressing room to take of his pads.
This is it. Every time I see him, I let him in a little more. I can’t fight it much longer. Maybe Wenham i
s the wrong place for us. I am starting to wonder if we should leave and find another place to settle for a few years. I truly don’t want to hurt Nathanial, but it seems like no matter what I do, he’s bound to face some pain on account of me.
There I go again, flipping back and forth with my emotions. I wish I could just decide what to do and stick with it. He just has me feeling so many new things that I don’t know if I am coming or going. I can’t wait for this day to be over. Maybe I will be able to clear my head. I just need to be alone and think, maybe read a little. That always helps me when I’m at a crossroad.
“Sophia, we all know you are worried about this boy, but we all agree he is okay. I have never encountered such good in a person in all my years. You have nothing to worry about, and everything will work out. Do not be afraid to let him in a little. He may like what he finds, and you may as well,” Constance tries to reassure me.
I decide to try to relax about the situation a little. A few more things to deal with and then the day will come to its end.
It’s just so hard. After knowing Nathanial for only a few short weeks, I cannot get this boy out of my head. He is truly incredible, and that’s why I think I need to keep him at a distance.
Nathanial McCord is intended to do great things, and he’ll never find those things if he is tied down to me.
“Sophia, you are the most incredibly insecure immortal I know. Most hold their head high and have such confidence but not our little delicate Sophia, always worrying and concerned about others,” Alexander states.
“I am not delicate! I just cannot understand why anyone would want to be friends with someone like me. It is better to keep others at a distance. That way no one can get hurt!” I yell. I close my eyes for a short moment and collect myself; I am able to calm myself easily. “Don’t worry about me anyway. There are more important things to deal with right now. You can hire me a shrink later.” I joke, trying to lighten the somber mood I’ve brought upon everyone.
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