Somehow, I ended up back on the bus, alone. My head was so heavy and foggy. I told the driver that I wasn’t feeling well, and curled up on the very last seat with my head on my knapsack. My head felt like a bowling ball. The driver radioed Ms. Hardwick, and she took the seat next to me for the ride back to make sure I was okay. Which I wasn’t. I feigned a migraine, which really wasn’t that hard to do since my temples were genuinely starting to ache.
I deliberately kept my eyes closed and my head down the entire way back so I wouldn’t have to see Dara, Naomi, or…him. Especially him! I was suddenly certain that I had imagined the all of the weird things that had been happening. I was obviously going crazy. That was it. Going nuts seemed a lot more plausible than any other explanation. My mind seemed to be on a rollercoaster as I conjured up every negative scenario possible. With each thought, I felt worse and worse. As I huddled there, trying not to make physical contact with Ms. Hardwick, I could hear the whispered comments racing up and down the aisles and realized that everyone seemed to think I was either drunk or on drugs.
Jeez, I thought to myself, as I heard the giggles and whispers. God forbid anyone actually get sick around here! Or, have a bizarre spiritual experience complete with delusions that the hottest guy in school was holding my hand. Oh, God. Being virtually invisible to my peers had been bad enough, but I certainly didn’t want to become known as “the girl who flipped out on the school field trip.” I moaned audibly, which made Ms. Hardwick twitch with concern.
My behavior earned me a compulsory trip to the camp infirmary, where I fell asleep on a rickety little cot waiting for the doctor or intern or whomever to arrive. I woke up to a mild pounding in the recesses of my brain and the scrape of a door as it was opened. Someone brought me food on a little plastic tray. I was so hungry I couldn’t think. I wolfed down a healthy serving of hearty vegetable stew followed by a huge chocolate chip cookie, to the delight of the outdoorsy, dreadlock-wearing girl who gave it to me.
“It’s organic,” she commented, as I licked the crumbs off of my fingers. After eating, I felt a knot somewhere deep inside me uncurl and the pain in my head finally subsided. Aside from my blood pressure being a little elevated, I was pronounced perfectly fine. Granola Girl waved me out the door with a note verifying that I was not in imminent danger of dying or anything.
I headed back to the tent cabin feeling a little out of sorts, but much improved. I could hear the buzz of excitement as our group prepared for the campfire that evening. Great. The last thing I wanted to do was sit around and sing “Kumbaya.” If anything, I wanted to be alone. I found myself hoping my cabin mates would still be at dinner. No such luck. I could hear the girls inside giggling, and the smell of expensive perfume almost knocked me down when I opened the door.
I walked in, and of course, the first person I laid eyes on was Val. I could tell in an instant that she was angry. To her credit, she covered up her irritation with me pretty swiftly. It was like a mask slipped down over her scowl and replaced it with a wide, plastic smile. Oh, she was pissed all right. No degree of pretending could hide the thick, reddish-black energy smoke that encircled her head.
“Hey,” she said icily.
Well, at least she was talking to me. As I looked at Val, Dara and Naomi, I was struck by the bizarre social behavior of high school girls. I suddenly recognized how Dara and Naomi were walking on eggshells, waiting to see what Val’s reaction to me would be. By speaking to me, Val gave the other girls the “all-clear” to interact with me, but it was obvious that they should craft their words with care. I could see that everyone deferred to the angry person in the room. People instinctively wanted to avoid the blast of aversive energy that occurred when the angry person exploded. I struggled to figure out something to say that would dissolve some of the tension in the room.
“Uh, I just got released from the camp infirmary,” I offered.
Hearing my own words, I became irritated. If Val had gotten sick, the rest of us would have been camped outside the infirmary to make sure she was okay. It didn’t escape me that my “friends” hadn’t done that…and I was sure Val was to blame for the group neglect. Another power play! I couldn’t believe I hadn’t picked up on this little game before.
Naomi looked genuinely concerned…and guilty. “Was it a migraine?” she asked.
Her mother suffered from migraines, so she knew how debilitating they could be.
“Uh, yeah. It was awful,” I said. “I hardly remember the hike.”
Val gave me a dirty look and muttered, “Yeah, right!” under her breath as she rummaged around in her duffle.
“Dara!” she barked. “Which top should I wear tonight?”
She held up two low-cut tanks. What was she thinking? It was seriously freezing outside. Then I remembered that Val met a guy last night. She was probably planning to meet him at this campfire or whatever it was, and she wanted to look hot to impress him. She pointedly ignored me as she discussed her outfit options with Dara and Naomi.
Why did I need this girl’s approval? Maybe I didn’t—maybe I just needed the negativity to go away. I felt weak, and I had a feeling that any more negative energy smoke would make me feel worse.
“Wear the lacy one,” I cut in. “It makes your boobs look super huge.”
All three girls turned to stare at me. Val’s expression was unreadable for a second, and then she broke out into a toothy smile.
“You think so?” she asked.
“Totally,” I said. “You wore that to the mall and I noticed a whole bunch of guys checking you out.” It was a bald-faced lie, but it worked. I saw the reddish-brown swirls around her head flicker before they disappeared.
Val pulled the tank on over her head as I made my way to my scratchy cot. I pulled out my light blue thermal shirt and threw it on. Then I grabbed a navy hoodie and pulled my brown beanie onto my head. I have no one to impress, I thought. Or do I? Thinking about what had happened at the grove made me feel awkward. When I bent to grab my brown sheepskin boots, Val plopped down next to me, the heavy scent of her perfume invading my nostrils.
“So…I hear you like, know Jaren now.” There was no mistaking the accusation in her tone.
“Uh, yeah I guess,” I replied carefully.
“Did you like, just start talking to him or something?”
I could see the reddish-brown swirls begin to appear out of the corner of my eye and I knew I was still on dangerous ground.
“Not really. You know, he just sat next to me on the bus and started talking to me,” I explained. “I wasn’t feeling well. I guess he was just trying to be nice to me.”
“How sweet,” Val said sarcastically.
The reddish-brown swirls were back, and I could practically feel them hooking into my own energy and sucking it up, like a vacuum. I struggled to get my golden circle up but I was still so tired. I pushed hard but could only get it to flicker around me.
“Look, I wasn’t going to be rude to the guy!” I burst out. “Plus, he’s not my type.”
Oh my God, where were these lies coming from? Jaren Wilder was so my type that I could barely think about him without dissolving into a puddle.
“Are you even into Jaren?” I asked, in a tone that was totally out of character for me. “I mean, I thought you met some guy last night when you guys snuck out…without me.”
I emphasized the last part, even though I could care less that they hadn’t included me in their little after-hours party. But I wanted to point out to Val that she in fact, had wronged me first. If anything, we were even in our little social game. Your move, Val.
As I spoke the challenging words, I caught a swirl of reddish-brown smoke swirl out from my temple and tickle Val’s ear. Almost immediately, I felt a surge of adrenaline. I had just leveled up by knocking her down a notch! Dara and Naomi smiled to themselves and I knew they were aware of our competition, even though they couldn’t see the energy. My chest swelled as my status increased. It felt good, too good, to take Val’s
energy.
Addicting.
Val looked a little shocked. “Well, uh, you know, I’m seeing Mike tonight…and I wanna see where that goes. He’s hot, and he’s like, twenty-four.”
I could tell she didn’t know what to say about them ditching me. Instead, she tossed out her high-status card: She had attracted the attention of an older guy. I shrugged. Whatever. The guy was probably a loser anyway. My reaction did not have the desired effect, and I could see Val’s energy diminish so that it was nearly transparent. I, on the other hand, suddenly felt like I was on top of the world.
“Do you really think this top makes me look bigger?” She looked uncertain now.
I nodded, smiling, as I watched the energy smoke turn a choppy yellow. I had the upper hand now. I felt myself swell with energy, but instead of feeling they way I had felt when I was near the tree, this current sensation felt a little artificial. But there was no denying how good I felt. Confidence bordering on arrogance bordering on a feeling of being…invincible.
“Um, guys…we’re gonna be late,” Dara said, eyeing Val and me uncertainly.
I snickered as I took in what they were wearing. The three of them were totally going to freeze.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Campfire Stories
The campfire turned out to be this totally contrived setup at the main amphitheater. We had to check in, so I guess it was our school’s way of making sure none of us were lost in the woods. The three of us took a bench in the very last row and sat down. A few minutes later, a lanky guy in a hoodie appeared and gave Val The Chin.
I groaned inwardly. Not The Chin. It was a gesture that the Jocks and some of the Populars used as a greeting. It was superficial and impersonal and I hated it. Val shot Lanky a coquettish smile. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see his energy touch hers, and then they both seemed to glow a brilliant green for a few seconds. Val slid off the bench, and introduced us to “Mike, the guy from the pizza place.”
It was totally unlike me to initiate any kind of interaction with guys, especially ones I didn’t know. But maybe since I was still vibrating from the energy bump I had just received, I found myself giving Mike my own version of The Chin. He looked surprised at first, as though he hadn’t noticed me until just then. I felt his eyes flick to me with interest, and he looked me up and down. His attention made me feel dirty, like he was painting me with a film of grease as he ogled me.
“Hey, baby.” Mike said, pulling Val toward him. But his gaze remained on me as he spoke the words.
I had been riding on a strange sort of high up until that point, and then all of a sudden, the surge of energy I had felt when interacting with Val disappeared. I felt heavy again, and somewhat…bereft. I shifted on the cold bench. Mike met my eyes over the top of Val’s head and I couldn’t believe it when he gave me a wink.
Then he opened his mouth and out came The Question. Ugh. I shrugged and looked away in time to notice a wisp of red float from his ear. Wow, so maybe I wasn’t as hideous as I thought. Part of me wanted to wink back—to one up Val and her hot older guy status. I would probably get another hit of that nice energy I had just run out of. It would make me feel better than I felt right now. My crystal pricked me hard, as if to disagree, and I nearly jumped out of my seat.
“You okay?” Naomi asked.
“Um…” I could feel a loud hum coming from beneath my shirt and even though I knew it was unlikely, I started to worry someone else would notice my crystal’s reaction to what was going on. I didn’t want to stick around to answer The Question or listen to the Follow-Up Statement, either. I scrambled for an excuse to get away. Using the bathroom wouldn’t work, someone else might have to go.
“I’m still not feeling too well guys. I think I might head back to the cabin for a few minutes.”
I began edging away, waiting for Dara or Naomi to ask if I wanted company. How would I refuse them? Just then, Mike gave The Chin to someone approaching. Two other guys walked up and high-fived him. They were older, too, and scruffy-looking. Both had dark hair. One of them pulled up his sweatshirt to reveal a bottle of liquor tucked into his jeans. There was a collective hiss of excitement from the others.
“Uh, don’t worry about me, guys. I’ll see you later.” I turned to make my escape.
“There’s enough for all of us to party, baby,” one of the other guys called. I didn’t respond, hoping he would think I didn’t hear him.
I was tired and confused, but also restless at this point. I heard Ms. Hardwick’s voice reminding everyone about the field trip rules. One of them was to stay with the group at all times. I let out a derisive snort as I looked back just in time to watch Val, Dara, Naomi, and the three guys sneak back into the trees behind the amphitheater.
I kicked my feet around in the dust, wondering what to do next. I felt like I was coming down from a sugar rush, all jittery and antsy. I figured it had something to do with the energy, but I wasn’t sure what to do to feel better. I guess I could have gone with the other girls, but I had no desire to let some creepy guy get me drunk and try to put his hands on me. Even the thought made me shudder with revulsion.
I ended up walking into a small meadow just in front of the campsite. I knew I was breaking the rules, but I didn’t care. I was all jumbled up inside. Something about the meadow called to me. The closer I got to the grass, the calmer I felt. I made my way to a small wooden boardwalk and looked up.
The stars were so bright against the inky black sky; they looked close enough to touch. I took a deep breath and felt some of the tension leave my body. I sat down on the wooden planks and just stared up at the sky. My mind wandered more and I could feel my awareness expanding. It was becoming second nature to do this when I was alone.
I felt that click in the back of my mind that was becoming more familiar. My consciousness was free to roam. I touched the trees and the meadow grass with my senses. I heard the warble of a bird and my consciousness touched that creature, too. Then I literally bumped into another awareness with my own. I sat up straight and cocked my head to the side. It was really dark, but I knew someone was there. The scent of sandalwood drifted to my nose. I wasn’t sure how I had sensed him, but suddenly there he was, standing right in front of me, as though he had been expecting to meet me here. I felt a rush of pleasure run through me as he spoke.
“Hey,” Jaren said. “You okay? I shouldn’t have left you alone, but you took off. Figured you needed space.”
“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully.
I was glad to see him. His presence filled me with a sense of security and warmth…and something else. I heard some rustling and realized Jaren was spreading a blanket out on the boardwalk. He sat down and looked up at the sky, much like I had been doing. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I didn’t move.
“Everleigh.”
Oh, how did he do it? When he spoke my name I felt like I was slowly being immersed in warm water. I struggled to pay attention to what he was saying. “Yeah?”
“This blanket is big enough for both of us.”
I could tell he was smiling. My heart was pounding as I scooted closer to him, careful to avoid brushing against his body.
“Today was pretty crazy, huh?” Jaren’s voice was serious now.
“What is it?” I asked. Now that I had seen the strange glow that seemed to come off every living thing, I had to know more about it.
“My aunt, she called it the Ever.”
“The Ever? Are you kidding me?” It was weird that the energy phenomenon, whatever it was, shared my nickname.
Jaren’s gaze remained on the star-studded sky. The stars looked so bright against the inky black backdrop they glittered from. “Because it’s ever-present and ever-powerful. At least, that’s what my aunt used to say.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a wisp float up from the center of his chest. It was darker hue than I had seen before. As I focused on it, I felt it—I felt exactly what he was feeling. It was sorrow. I had felt exa
ctly this brand of melancholy when my Gram had passed. I could feel how Jaren’s heart hurt. Without thinking, I reached out and laid my hand on his chest. My palm went hot, and there was a tangible crackling sound. My crystal jerked and then fell still.
Jaren sat straight up, and I could hear how he sucked in his breath in surprise. I yanked my hand into my lap. What had I been thinking, touching him like that?
“Uh, I’m sorry…” I said shakily. Did I really just touch his chest?
“How did you do that?” He asked me, like he could see right into me even though the darkness was punctuated only by starlight.
“Do what?” I looked down at my hand. It felt normal now, but seconds before, it had been burning with heat. Jaren was waiting for me to explain.
“I just—I could feel where you had pain and I don’t know why I touched you like that,” I babbled.
“You took my pain away,” he said, a hint of wonder in his voice.
“Pain? Away?” Oh great, now I sounded like a deranged parrot. “How—how is that possible?”
Although it was dark, I could sense Jaren running his hands through his hair.
“Man, Everleigh. My aunt, if she had met you, she would have flipped her lid….there’s so much you can do to help us.”
“Um, help who do what?” I was scared to hear the answer. Suddenly, I felt everything I had been suppressing for the past month come bursting to the surface.
“Look, I have no idea what is going on. All I know is that I got this stuff on my hand, and things have been crazy ever since! I’m seeing weird smoke everywhere, birds are giving me seeds—I’m hallucinating all over the place. If you know something, and I am pretty sure you do, just spit it out.”
I was angry with him. I was also confused and scared and tired. Jaren chuckled, which only angered me more. I stood up in a huff, ready to march straight back to my cot. I didn’t need some guy making fun of me after everything I had been through.
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