Burning Hearts (20 page)

She grabbed his hand, holding it tight, but
not enough to hurt him. “Don’t blame yourself. If you hadn’t come
to Oasis, I would’ve never had my powers and destiny awakened. I
would’ve never known who my grandpa was, and what I’m meant to do.
And I would’ve never met you.” A tear ran down her cheek; she
didn’t bother to wipe it away. “I never thought I could love
someone as much as I love you.”

He took her in a loving hug, holding her
close, as if she might be taken from him. “I thought about
leaving,” he confessed, “about saving Oasis from their destruction,
but I can’t leave you.” He freed one of his hands to caress her
cheek. “I’d die without you.”

They kissed briefly, mindful of the scene
across the road. Then they held hands, fingers interlaced, watching
the investigators do their work.

“
Just awful, just awful,”
commented one of Jenna’s neighbors, an old widow who used a walker
to get around.

Jenna greeted her as she approached. “Hey,
Mrs. Tinsley, yes, it’s awful.”

Mrs. Theresa Tinsley stood next to Jenna,
adjusting her thick glasses. Her back was bent over from years of
having to rely on a walking aide. “Never thought it would happen,
but strange things have been happening lately. People would say
it’s a coincidence, or it’s normal, but no child! No, it’s not!
Evil’s having a field day in Oasis, I can tell you that!” The old
lady grabbed Jenna’s free hand; she wasn’t being purposely rude to
Malcolm, but she wasn’t acknowledging him either, too distraught at
the death of her neighbors. “We need to pray more, yes we do! When
people abandon God, the Devil comes rushing in, yes he does!” She
let go of Jenna’s hand to make the sign of the Cross, reciting a
prayer for salvation in Latin. When she was done, she turned to her
young neighbor. “We’ll send the Devil away, won’t we, sweet girl?”
she asked, entreating a partnership.

Gently, Jenna put her arm around Mrs.
Tinsley’s hunched shoulders. “I’ll make sure he burns.”

FIRE BURN AND
CAULDRON BUBBLE

The news was out before
the
Oasis Gazette
could print it: Alan Jennings had argued with his wife, Alana.
He’d called the cops, saying he was going to kill her, and then he
did, before shooting himself. Thirty years of blissful marriage had
come to an abrupt, bloody end. The investigators had no motive.
Jenna knew who was to blame, but she couldn’t go into the police
station and say: “
It’s a bunch of
demons
.”

She hated that they were going after good
people. She didn’t want bad people to die either, but it was just
more heartbreaking when people who always helped others were the
first to die. But of course, they’re the Jinn’s main target:
destroy the meek.

“
It’s a tragedy,” a voice
nearby said sarcastically.

Jenna turned to see Mrs. Helen White, the
Spanish teacher, nine months pregnant, about to pop. Even though
she should be at home with a packed bag for the hospital, she
didn’t want to miss the performance, having put the play together
with Mrs. Thames.

Mrs. White was explaining
why
Macbeth
didn’t
have an upbeat musical number to Daniela and Emma, who were playing
unnamed ladies.

“
Well, you and Mrs. Thames
wrote it in plain English instead of that confusing Shakespeare
stuff, so why can’t y’all throw in some songs or something?” asked
Daniela.

“
Yeah,” Emma agreed. “I can
sing like
all
kinds of stuff. Pop…pop-country…well, that’s about
it.”

Mrs. White grunted and ran her hands through
her brown hair, once in a tight bun, now loosened to a droopy
ponytail. “Just shut up and say your lines.”

Daniela gasped. Emma said, “We don’t have
any,” with a jerk of her head for emphasis.

Mrs. White just smiled and walked away.

“
Such a bitch,” Daniela
insulted.

“
Totally,” Emma
agreed.

They were dressed in conservative attire for
ladies of old Scotland, but with cloth cords synched around their
waists to make their outfits tighter. Mrs. Thames comprised on that
wardrobe choice, refusing to let them wear the matching rhinestone
belts that they’d gotten at Target.

Jenna had yet to put on her wardrobe. She
thought playing a witch would be fun, but when she found out the
makeup department was going to put a large prosthetic nose on her,
along with a hairy mole at her chin, well, the excitement wore off.
At least she’d be somewhat covered by the hooded black robe.

Daniela turned to see Jenna staring. She gave
Emma a nudge.

Emma smiled, forming an insult in her
pea-sized brain. “Jenna doesn’t need any makeup, Dani. She woke up
this morning already looking like an ugly witch.”

Daniela laughed. “She’s always looked like
that.”

Jenna casually advanced toward them, smiling,
letting their insults slide off her like she was coated in Teflon.
“I heard you two didn’t have any lines. Wanna trade places?”

Emma gasped. “Really?”

“
Yeah, can we?” Daniela
asked, hopeful.

“
Ah, no. Sorry,” she said
with mock sympathy. “Mrs. Thames wanted students in major speaking
roles who could remember more than two words.”

Daniela narrowed her eyes, like that was
going to scare Jenna, a slayer of demons.

Emma said, “Witches are losers anyway.”

“
I thought Sadie was playing
Hecate,” Jenna reminded them.

Daniela blinked, thinking, and then said,
“Yeah, well, she’s like the head witch, so she’s not a loser like
you and your friends.”

Jenna wagged her finger at them. “Better
watch out girls. I might just be a witch, and I might just know a
whole hell of a lotta curses.”

“
Do not,” said Daniela, but
looked unsure.

Emma grabbed her friend’s
arm. “Let’s get outta here. Don’t want the stench of
loser
to get all on
us.”

They hurriedly walked away as if they
actually believed Jenna could curse them.

Ah, if only.

She hated that Sadie was going to be Hecate
and that Daniela and Emma were in the play, but she hoped that
everyone would be professional, say their lines, and then it’d all
be over with; rehearsals had gone so-so for the past few days, but
Mrs. Thames still remained confident, which Jenna thought was
admirable.

The play would start at nine, with the whole
school and even parents in attendance. Since the gym had been
destroyed by a “freak storm,” as the papers had said, the
performance would be held in the school’s auditorium; a small place
that could in no way accommodate all the attendees; but Principal
Greene had assured everyone (and kept reassuring) that there was
ample room.

Jenna saw the future: everyone would be
cramped, hot, fanning their faces with the playbills, grunting,
trying to video tape their kids; half of whom auditioned for roles,
the other half didn’t have a choice if they wanted to graduate.

Jenna, Pru, and Riddick were
the latter. All were coming close to a D in English and needed this
play to bump them up to a B, maybe even an A if everything went
beyond expectations; that meant no laughing or adlibbing of lines
as what’d happened in past productions of
Macbeth
. It may not have been as
Shakespeare would’ve liked, but it turned a long tragedy into a
quick comedy.

~~~

After being made up as a witch, Jenna stood
near the edge of the red curtain, watching everyone file into the
auditorium. She was glad that her parents weren’t there, knowing
it’d make her nervous. Sadly, they were at work, attending to the
Jennings’ funeral. She spotted Malcolm’s aunt, Ms. Daphne, in the
crowd, talking to a couple beside her.

Jenna freaked, suddenly realizing that
Malcolm would be in attendance, and would see her as an ugly witch.
Of course, it was just makeup, but still…it made her feel ugly on
the inside, and embarrassed for him to look at her.

“
You should’ve been Lady
Macbeth,” said a familiar and unwelcome voice near her.

She turned to see Val, playing Murderer one.
For right now his only weapon was words. He was flanked by Barrie
and Aidan, Murderers two and three.

“
Oh?” She folded her arms
over her chest. “And why’s that?”

He gave a wicked smile. “You’re a conniving
little bitch too.”

Barrie and Aidan laughed, supporting their
friend’s malice. Kit was absent. He was an unnamed soldier, still
being fitted for his costume.

“
Back off, jackass,” warned
Riddick, approaching with Pru. They were already witched-out like
Jenna, wearing black robes and looking sinister.

Val wasn’t afraid. He
advanced toward Riddick. “You know, witches are women. But of
course, you’re perfect for the part.” He gave a crooked smile.
“’Cause we all know you’re missing something, aren’t you,
Rid-dick
?”

Barrie and Aidan howled in laughter.

Jenna, angry, stepped between Val and
Riddick. “Just get the hell outta here.”

Instead of leaving, Val leaned in toward her
face, his oily nose almost touching her dry prosthetic one. “What
happened, Jen? Got a little too excited? Did you bite it off?”

Riddick growled, moving to attack Val, but
Jenna held him back with the strength of her hand, while focusing
on her bully ex. “What’s the matter? Disappointed we never got the
chance? Still pining?”

Val looked like he was going
to be sick. “Like I’d want your mouth anywhere near me,” he spat.
“There’s no telling
where
it’s been.”

Jenna clenched her fist, ready to punch him
into next week, but didn’t get the chance when he was suddenly
knocked down on the floorboards.

“
Ow, shit! What the hell?!”
he groaned, grabbing the back of his leg in pain.

“
Oh, sorry, disabled kid
coming through,” said Caleb, smiling as he rolled to Jenna in his
wheelchair.

Kylie was at his side, smiling. “We just came
to see y’all before the curtain went up.”

“
Legless freak,” Val
insulted as he wobbled off with Barrie and Aidan, waving off their
help.

Jenna put her hands on her hips, smiling.
“Caleb Dasher! I would’ve never thought!”

He pushed his sandy blond curls from his
eyes. “I can be badass when I wanna be.”

Everyone chuckled, but Riddick still seemed
upset. Jenna took him aside.

“
Hey, don’t pay attention to
Val, all right?”

He shook his head. “It’s not just him,
it’s…”

She furrowed her brow. “It’s what?”

“
It’s what he said…about
us.”

“
Oh, about me biting…well,
I’d never do that,” she affirmed.

“
I know. I know that—it’s
just, well…never mind.”

He turned, starting to walk away, but Jenna
held onto his arm, staying him.

“
What’s wrong,
Riddick?”

He kept his back to her. “It just reminded me
that we’ll never be together—physically or otherwise.”

She let him go as he pulled away from her,
walking off. Her heart felt heavy, not knowing what to do. She was
with Malcolm and she loved him more than anything. She also loved
Riddick, but just as a friend. She didn’t want to see him hurting,
but she couldn’t do anything or say anything to make him feel
better. She’d never abandon Malcolm for Riddick and she sure
couldn’t have them both. Neither would tolerate sharing her and she
wasn’t a player.

“
He took this role for you,
you know.”

Jenna turned to see Pru, standing next to
her.

“
Why?”

Pru smiled. “So he could be with you.”

“
But he’s around me all the
time.”

“
It’s the experience. It’s a
way for him to say: ‘We did
Macbeth
together.’ A memory. He loves you, and it’s
killing him that you’re with Malcolm.”

“
I know he doesn’t care for
my boyfriend, but he’s still been a great friend. He doesn’t ignore
Malcolm. He’s even joked with him a few times.”

Pru shook her head. “He’s burying his pain
deep inside, and I’m afraid, if he doesn’t come to terms…”

She trailed off, but Jenna knew what would
happen. If he didn’t let her go, if he didn’t accept she wasn’t
his, he was going to explode.

~~~

“
There you are.”

Jenna was still backstage; the play would
begin soon.

She kept her back to Malcolm. “I think you
need to have another chat with Riddick, persuade him that he’s fine
with us being together.”

He stood behind her. “What happened?” He
placed his hand on her shoulder, but she didn’t turn to face
him.

“
Nothing, it’s just that
he’s sad and I don’t want him to feel that way. I want him to be
happy again, like it used to be before…”

“
Before I came here. I
understand. I know how I’d feel if you were with another guy, but I
can’t keep swaying him. He needs to get over it by his own will.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “Why won’t you look at me?”

“
I’m hideous.”

“
No, you’re not.” She
allowed him to turn her around, but she kept her hood down,
covering her face. “Jenna Love, you’re the most beautiful girl in
the entire world. Chin up. Let me see your face.”

She shook her head. “I’m not beautiful
anymore. I’ve been bewitched.”