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“Actually Tess, I have a condition called amnesia that you obviously failed to pay attention to in Psych 101, but I can assure you my BRAIN is perfectly intact and functioning at full capacity!” she said.

“Easy Vivian!
  I’m just relieved that’s all, don’t have a cow!” Tess said changing her demeanor to a bit friendlier one.

“Relieved that I have amnesia? That’s nice Tess!” Violet said questioning her friendship.

“No silly, it just
explains things that’s
all,” she said.

“Explains what?” Violet asked again wondering what this girl was talking about.

“You and Carter!”
Tess said.

“Tess, I really don’t have any clue what you are referring to?” Violet said getting impatient with her antics.

“Oh
Viv
…Really?
  It makes total sense. Carter is a sucker for a wounded bird,” she paused waiting for Violet to connect her dots. “Hence, his interest in you,” she said with her perfectly manicured hands gesturing right along with her hateful words.

Violet couldn’t help but wonder if Tess were right.  Maybe Carter was only interested in her because she appeared to be a wounded bird.  She felt as if the rug had been pulled out right from under her feet.  “What if the connection I am feeling to him is just one sided?” she thought.  Then she looked over at Carter and he looked at her.  She could see in his eyes.  Tess is wrong…this is real.

“Vivian!” Tess called to her, getting angry again as she caught them locked in another deeply passionate glance at each other.

“Well, just so we are clear Vivian, whatever is going on between you and Carter ends now!” she demanded. “Carter is mine!” she adamantly spoke into Violet’s ear so hard that she could feel a wet spray of her spit on her face.

Now of course Violet wanted to handle the evil that was Tess Guardian style.  In fact, just the thought of it gave her a brief moment of pleasure.  Violet realized she could not use any of her powers here for pleasure, only for the mission. Violet also had her own agenda regarding Tess and Vivian’s relationship and figured it was best to keep her enemies close. Tess seemed to be a key player in Vivian’s downward spiral this past year.  If there was any way she could help mend the Thorne family before Vivian’s time expired here in this world, then she wanted to do just that. So she avoided kicking Tess’s evil ass… at least for today.

Carter noticed the conversation between Vie and Tess seemed to be getting heated and decided he needed to save Vie from the viper Tess. He walked over to them and suddenly the girls stopped talking.

“Did I interrupt something”? Carter
squinted
his eyes at Tess, wondering what kind of trouble she was causing with Vie.

“Is there a problem?” he asked.

“No!” Tess swung her hair over her shoulder and beamed a delightful smile at Carter. Tess changed colors like a chameleon where Carter was concerned. It was obvious and annoying to Vie.

“Not anymore, right Vivian? Oh that’s right I’m sorry, I forgot, what did Carter call you? Was it Vie?” she narrowed her eyes looking at Violet like a warning flag was up.

“Yes, that’s right, my friends can call me Vie, it fits the ‘new’ me!” Violet said warning her right back that she is a new girl making brand new friends.

“Ding
Ding
.”

Ironically, the school warning bell rang as the girls finished exchanging their own warnings with each other and Tess and Bull headed into the building. Carter looked at Vie and could tell that everything wasn’t right and Tess had said or done something to upset her. Carter knew that Tess was a smooth operator and the only reason he tolerated her was because their families were friends. Still, he couldn’t help but notice how distracted Vie was now.

“So?” he said softly, “What was that all about?”

“Nothing, I can’t handle,” Violet assured him like she was ready for battle. It actually made Carter laugh a little to see her all charged up. There was a glow about her that was positively radiant when she was challenged. And Tess was a challenge for anyone.

“So, tell me about Tess?” Violet said giving him a look.

“Not much to tell really other than she can be a little overbearing,” he replied.

“Overbearing?  Is that how you would describe her?” Violet said.

“I’ve known Tess for a long time, since we were kids in fact.  Believe me she is a complex person for sure but there is good in her, I’ve seen it,” he said defending her a bit. All I could think listening to him was that he was unbelievable. Carter saw the good in her even when I could not. He had powers and he was actively using them he just didn’t know it. That was good news for the mission.

“So Bull and Tess, are they a thing?” Violet asked Carter.

“He thinks so, and it’s convenient for Tess to have him on her leash,” Carter said disapprovingly.

“How so?” she said.

“Because it keeps her close to me,” Carter said as a confession to Violet.

“So you are aware how she feels about you?” Violet said.

“Of course,” he said casually.

“But you and Bull are friends? How does that work?” she asked wondering about their unconventional love triangle.

“I’ve tried to talk to Bull about it but he just gets upset. She treats him really bad and he takes it. I know you’re going to ask why.  All I can tell you is I have known Bull all my life and he really lacks confidence. His Dad drinks too much and spills his hatred on Bull daily. His Mom doesn’t have the strength to stand up for herself, let alone Bull. His weight issue, while great for football, doesn’t exactly help him with the ladies. But Bull, he’s a great guy, my best friend. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for me or
I
for him,” Carter said.

“So you stand by and watch him make a huge mistake by believing Tess has feelings for him instead of telling him the truth? She is using him to get close to you,” Violet said like she didn’t understand.

“No, I’ve given my opinion about Tess and her intentions and his response was to bud out! So I did. Vie, I believe there are no such things as mistakes, no coincidences. All events are just blessings given to us to learn from. Bull will learn. He will hurt, but ultimately, he will survive.” Carter spoke so certainly of Bull’s future as if he could see it. Violet was convinced that Carter saw Bull’s future and didn’t even realize it, but she knew it as a power he was said to possess. “Her mission was going to be easier than she expected,” she thought listening to him speak.

“Are you worried about Tess?” Carter asked Violet.

“Should I be?” she asked.

“No, I swear there is nothing between Tess and I.  Well unless you count the dance my Mom asked me to take her to last year.” Carter said forgetting about the dance.

“You took her to a dance? No wonder she has staked her claim on you?” Violet said as they walked toward the school entrance.

“What do you mean?” Carter replied.

“Well, you and I haven’t even had a date yet and I…,” Violet paused realizing she didn’t want to say out loud how she felt about him, at least not first. If there was something between them she wanted Carter to be the one to say so first. But it was the truth, Carter was irresistible and she could hardly blame Tess for wanting him too. One dance and Tess was hooked…first sight and Violet was spellbound.

Carter pushed Violet to finish her thought but that was not going to happen. Violet just changed the subject over to his Mom. “So your Mom is actually to blame for your current dilemma with Tess? I mean she MADE you go to the dance with her and all.” Violet teased knowing no one would make him do anything he didn’t want to do.

“No, she hinted that Tess did not have a date and I know how worried Tess would be if the ‘head cheerleader’ didn’t show up to a dance with a date.” He explained his empathy for her. Violet understood empathy all too well. It was her curse, according to Gabriel and the other Guardians.
“Believe it or not, Tess does have good in her, deep down… way deep down,” he joked grinning at me with his charming smile.

“So I should take your word there is good in Tess’s soul right?” Violet asked hopeful of his vision.

“Whoa, I didn’t go that deep! I’m not claiming I saw into her soul. I just have, well
kinda
like
a sixth sense,” Carter clarified his statement.

“Or maybe you see into a window to their souls?” Violet hoped he would see it her way.

“So says the reverends daughter!” he chuckled at Violet.

Violet crossed her arms and frowned displeasingly.

“No really Vie, it’s just really good instincts that’s all! I’ve always been able to read people, even when I was a young boy. My mom always said it was my gift,” Carter said, not quite as certain about the gift part.

“Ah ha, so your Mom actually has a spiritual side huh? What happened to you?” Violet threw out her question.

“What makes you think I’m not a spiritual person?” Carter seemed taken aback by her assessment.

“Well, I don’t see you at mass with your family and since you refuse to see your obvious gift as nothing but keen insight, I guess I just added two plus two and…

“Well Ms. Thorne,” he interrupted, “since addition is your thing maybe you can add how many minutes late we are for our first class and come up with a good excuse for being tardy.” Carter laughed as Violet checked her watch.

“She calmly said, “You forget Carter, I don’t need an excuse remember, I have amnesia!” she turned from panicked to proud in the moment as she knew her excuse was iron clad. Forgetting where a class was would surely be an acceptable excuse for tardiness for a girl in my condition, don’t you think Carter?”

He clapped his hands and then took a bow. This confused Violet. She wondered what was up his sleeve and looked at him wondering. “You forget Vie, if you are going to play the damsel again, then I guess I have no choice but to play your knight in shining armor.  That’s the fairytale I read as a boy!” Carter did enjoy throwing her words back at her when it suited him.  “After you
Vie
.” He passed his hand at his waist directing her into the building and they walked down the hall together, smiling at each other.

Chapter 9

Knowledge is Power

Violet looked at the class schedule in her hand that was printed with the room numbers.  She paused in front of the door marked A132 and said to Carter, “I guess this is me,” as she pointed to the door.  “I guess I’ll see you around then?” she said not quite knowing what to say.

“Ok,” he replied smugly.

“Goodbye,” Violet said back to him as she put her hand on the door to pull it open.

Just then Carter put his hand on hers and Violet felt an immediate electric charge surge through her entire body with the touch of his hand. He wedged past her and entered the room.

“Well, nice of you to join us Mr. Stone,” a deep stern authoritative voice said.

“Sorry sir, I was helping a friend find her way,” Carter replied taking credit for his Good Samaritan work before he shot Violet a proud glance. She entered the room and the teacher, Mr. Dunlap, suddenly stopped scolding Carter and directed his attention to Violet. “Welcome back Miss Thorne.  Please take a seat,” he said with a deep but sympathetic tone. Violet walked slowly, looking for an empty seat and then Carter pulled out the chair to the desk right next to his.  She put her books down on her desk and didn’t even look his way.  She didn’t want to see him gloating, but he kept his eyes peeled on her.

A fluttering began in her stomach. Not the kind of fluttering she felt before when she was hungry, but a different feeling, one down deep in the pit of her stomach. The merge carried with it some human feelings too.  Even though Guardians did not need food or sleep to survive, they did need it while they occupied a human vessel. They only needed to sustain the vessel until the merge was complete, which in this case was only a matter of weeks.  But this was a much different craving than she had felt before. What Violet now realized was that what she was feeling had nothing to do with food and everything to do with him…Carter Stone.

She tried not to look at him to give him any satisfaction for his earlier actions, but at the same time all she wanted to do was look at him.  Violet kept wondering if he were as distracted as she was.  “Is he looking at me?  Why do I want to look at him?” she wondered. Then it dawned on her why she wanted so badly to look his way. Carter was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. She loved his thick dark hair and glossy waves that fell perfectly down in all the right places. He illuminated the room with his charisma and expelled an energy that was mysterious and hypnotic. And those eyes of his were a ridiculously luminous shade of green that was vibrant and fresh. They were bedroom eyes, extremely sultry and alluring and expressed in those deep forest green eyes, Vie could see connotations of life-force.  She wondered if anyone else noticed what she did about Carter or if he even knew it himself. Violet was having a moment with herself, deep in thought, when suddenly Mr. Dunlap addressed her.

“I’m sorry,” she said snapping out of her trance. “Could you repeat the question please?” Violet asked.