The Chronicles of Winterset: Oracle (7 page)

Mel pulled up to my house the moment my feet hit the stoop.

“Hey,” I greeted her tiredly.

“Please tell me Kellin was telling the truth about you confessing your undying love for him,” she said immediately, her eyes lighting up.

“Oh, no,” I groaned, opening the door. She followed me up to my bedroom and looked pointedly at me.

“Spill,” she demanded, sitting down in my desk chair.

“I wouldn’t put it in so many words,” I sighed. “I may have mentioned something that he might have taken as meaning something else.”

“Well, if you didn’t say it then how the hell would he think it meant that?”

I groaned again and launched into what had happened after school. She listened with rapt attention, nodding appropriately or shaking her head.

“OK, so you definitely said it,” she said, nodding.

“Maybe, but I didn’t mean it like that. It’s not like I’m lovesick over him or something!”

“Ana, so what? You like him. Now he knows.” Mel shrugged.

“I don’t want to like him, though,” I said, flopping onto my bed. “I really don’t. In fact, I don’t want to like anyone right now.”

“Who else do you like?” Mel narrowed her eyes suspiciously at me, and I grimaced.

“No one,” I backtracked.

“Ana,” she warned, raising a perfectly tweezed eyebrow at me.

“Fine. I sort of feel something when I’m around Calix,” I muttered quickly. “It’s not that I like him, though. It’s different. He sort of frightens me a bit, and it’s like I’m drawn to him.”

“I thought you hated him!” she exclaimed in disbelief. “Wait. He frightens you?”

“Yeah, kind of, and I did hate him. I mean, I do! Like I said, these feelings are different.”

“Girl, you need to sort yourself out,” Mel laughed. “Neither one of them are bad picks. Too bad they both seem to be taken, though.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ve made a vow to just lie low for a while. You know, try to blend into the cream-colored walls or something.”

Mel nodded sympathetically, and we eventually changed the subject to Kevin’s parties, school, homecoming, and random gossip. When Mel left, I let out a sigh, relieved to be alone. I didn’t know what to think.

I did know that I meant what I said to Mel about lying low. I was done being the center of bad attention, especially considering the whole flame bit was still creeping around in the back of my mind.

There was something wrong with me, and I prayed no one ever found out about it.

I somehow managed to avoid most interactions with everyone over the following weeks. After the dreams I’d been having, I felt incredibly uneasy. The dreams had pelted me every night; some seemed good and made me feel euphoric, like the one where I was in the field of wildflowers. Others, like the dead bodies in the field, made me feel like I was going crazy, and maybe I was. I hadn’t had another flare-up, so to speak, of the fire on my hands, for which I was grateful.

I made it a point, though, to keep my distance from people, especially Kellin and Calix, choosing to occupy my free time in the library, or sadly, my stall in the third-floor girl’s bathroom. I wasn’t sure when my next fire outburst would be, and I wasn’t eager to find out.

I nodded appropriately when I was approached by one of my friends, and I smiled whenever necessary. When Calix tried to engage me in conversation in class, I’d answer if one was required, but I never tried to further our conversations. He seemed genuinely disappointed at my lack of communication, which I guessed came from his wanting to get a rise out of me.

I couldn’t let it happen, even if I really wanted to get snarky back to him when he pushed my buttons. I figured the less I said, the better we’d all be. More strange things had started happening, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t finding myself more concerned about the state of my mental health. In addition to the dreams and fire, there was something else. Something downright creepy.

I’d awaken nearly every night to the sound of breathing in my bedroom, and I knew it wasn’t me I was hearing. Whenever I’d sit up and look around, there would be nothing there. I’d started covering my bedroom mirror because—and I know it sounds crazy—I could swear I’d see a shadow of a person flit through it.

When I wasn’t seeing shadows moving in my mirror or hearing breathing that wasn’t my own in my bedroom, I was running the trails behind my house, trying to clear my head. Random visions had started to happen during the day, and I found them troubling, considering I was barely sleeping to start with.

For instance, I kept seeing the strange kingdom near the wildflower fields. Whenever I tried to approach it, the vision would swiftly end, leaving me back wherever I’d been before the sight started. I’d even seen the answers to Mr. Gillis’s chemistry quiz, and I couldn’t help but feel like I’d violated some school code of conduct.

I was grateful the whole catching on fire thing hadn’t happened again. I tried to push the thought out of my head that it was tied to my emotions when I was upset. Maintaining my distance was not only helping with keeping Courtney and Sasha off my back, it was also keeping me from spontaneously combusting.

Kellin seemed to be avoiding me as much as I was avoiding him, and I sort of missed him. I kept my head down whenever I was near him mostly because the less attention I paid to him, the less crap I had to deal with from Courtney. She seemed to have felt like she’d won, and I didn’t have to listen to her run her mouth about me to anyone who would listen. It was a great feeling until I realized I was losing one of my best friends over her ridiculous antics.

I was getting ready for the football game by doing stretches when Mel dropped down beside me.

“Hey, stranger,” she said, a small smile on her face.

“Hey,” I replied, smoothing out my blue and white cheerleading skirt.

“So are you ready for tonight?”

“Um, tonight?” I asked, my brow furrowed as I tried to recall if there was something I was supposed to be doing other than cheering at this game.

“Kevin is having a party at his place after the game. I figured maybe you’d like to come with. Brandon, remember Chad’s friend? Well, he’s going to come. I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you met him.”

“Oh, I hadn’t planned on going,” I said as I tried to breathe through a long stretch.

“Ana, listen. I know something is going on with you and you don’t want to talk about it. You have dark circles under your eyes, and you’ve been so, so distant. Are you mad at me or something? Are you having problems at home or . . . or, I don’t know . . . ,” her voice trailed off as she stared helplessly at me. “Is it something to do with Kellin or Calix?”

“No, I’m not mad, Mel,” I breathed out, closing my eyes. “There’s nothing happening at home. I’m just going through some things right now I’m trying to deal with. It’s nothing, really.”

“Then come out tonight, Ana! Take your mind off of everything.”

I regarded her silently and let out a defeated sigh. I had been ignoring everyone lately, and I missed my friends. If anything started feeling weird, I could just leave. It could be that simple.

“I’ll go,” I whispered.

“What? You’ll go? Really?” Mel squealed, leaning over and hugging me tightly. “We are going to have so much fun! I honestly thought you’d say no!”

“I sort of did say no,” I pointed out as I pulled away from her. She grinned at me and shook her head.

“Whatever. You’re coming and I’m happy! We can stop at my place and change after the game and ride to the party together.”

I shrugged, my way of agreeing.

“OK, ladies! We need to get out there and cheer our butts off tonight! Our guys need our support!” Courtney’s shrill voice cut through our conversation. I sighed and turned my attention to the bossy strawberry-blonde who had the ability to ruin any goodness I happened to feel.

Sasha stood at her side, a sneer on her face as she regarded us. I hadn’t been bothered by the two of them since I’d started keeping to myself.

“We are going to run out there and give it our all, girls!” Courtney shouted, her plastic smile stuck to her lips. I looked away disgusted. I blamed her for losing my friendship with Kellin, but I also blamed myself for letting her come between me and him. We hadn’t necessarily been clinging to one another, but we’d been pretty close.

“Ana!” Sasha shouted, and I looked back with wide eyes at my two nemeses, wondering what I could have possibly done now.

“We’re going to need you to sit this game out. You haven’t been really trying lately, and let’s face it, you aren’t exactly the glue holding this team together,” Courtney simpered at me. I looked at Mel, who was wearing the same shocked expression as I was. I thought we were good now. I’d lost a friend over these two! I had thought I’d been doing everything right, and now this!

I ground my teeth and felt the familiar surge of burning tingling at my hands.

“I have been working my ass off learning these new routines,” I seethed, feeling my face grow red with my anger. “I have been keeping away from you two and whatever you’ve deemed your flavor of the month! This is bullshit!”

“Ana,” Mel warned, shooting me a look that silently begged me to be quiet. We both knew standing up to them would mean an uncomfortable daily experience, but I was fed up.

“Excuse me,” Courtney hissed taking a menacing step toward me, Sasha on her heels.

“You heard me,” I replied evenly, holding my chin up in defiance.

“You are nothing, little girl. You aren’t even worth the free air you breathe,” Courtney sneered, coming to stand right in front of me, her hands on her slender hips. “You didn’t even have to stay away from Kellin. He wouldn’t want you if you were the last female on earth. That’s how much you disgust him. Ask him yourself.”

“I will,” I snapped at her. Without waiting for her response, I turned on my heel and marched away, my hands burning painfully. I broke into a run as the pain intensified, and I locked myself in a bathroom stall in the locker room once I was able to enter the school.

A bathroom stall. My sanctuary.

I chuckled darkly at the thought. That was all it took for the fire to erupt from my hands. I groaned in pain as the heat ate at my skin, the delicate tissue bubbling beneath the dancing flames. I closed my eyes and tried to drag in deep breaths, but the effort was useless. I felt my body begin to shut down, and I wondered how my charred body would look to whoever found me.

Sweat poured from my brows, and I crinkled my forehead, letting out a cry as the flames traveled up my wrists, leaving the skin peeling and blistering beneath. The room began to swirl around me, but instead of fighting it, I embraced it, hoping wherever this round of odd dreams took me, it was somewhere I could have peace.

Wildflowers.

They surrounded me as I lay amongst them, my body at peace. I breathed in the fragrant scent and closed my eyes in relief. If this was heaven, it was exactly as I dreamed it would be. The skies were so blue, the clouds so white, and the foliage seemed to possess a life, a will, of its own as it danced in the gentle breeze.

I wasn’t sure how long I lay in the flowers, but it wasn’t long enough.

I opened my eyes and frowned as a dark shadow was cast over me. I sat up on my elbows and stared in wonder at it. It had the form of a man, only he was nothing but a swell of darkness. I wasn’t frightened of it though I knew I should be. He was a dark creature. But I sensed a light within him and I put my hand out to touch him.

The shadow hesitated as it loomed over me, and I was surprised when it reached out to me, its hand brushing against my fingers.

Electricity. The same as I felt around the cloaked man in my dreams.

“Not yet,” his oddly familiar voice caressed my mind. “Not yet.”

“I want to stay,” I whispered, staring helplessly up at him, my heart painfully beating in my chest. I didn’t want to go back to my life. It was riddled with pain, heartache, and confusion. I wanted to stay among the flowers.

“Stay away from this place,” he warned softly in my mind. “It will be your undoing.”

“I don’t want to stay away,” I said desperately. “This is the only place where I don’t hurt.”

“But you will hurt here,” he replied, his voice velvet in my head. “In time, the pain will find you. Open your eyes, Ana.”

“No,” I shook my head at him. “Don’t make me leave!”

“Open your eyes!”

I was slung out of the dream just as quickly as I’d fallen into it.

“Ana! Open your damn eyes!” Mel’s scared voice called out. I snapped my eyes open and stared dazedly at her.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“Oh my God! What the hell happened? I found you lying passed out on the floor! Are you OK? Talk to me, Ana,” she said, her voice shrill with fright and concern.

“Oh,” I replied, shaking my head and looking down at my hands and arms. Once again, like I knew they would be, they were perfectly normal, as if the flame had only existed in my mind.

Just like his voice.

“I . . . I don’t know.” I frowned in frustration. “Was I out here on the floor in the middle of the bathroom?”

“Yes,” Mel said, her eyes wide.

“Hmm,” I pondered. I thought I’d been in the stall with the door locked, but then again, I also thought I’d been on fire. Clearly that wasn’t true or I’d be a charred piece of meat, not a living, breathing seventeen-year-old.

“Are you OK? I mean really, Ana. Everything has been weird with you lately,” Mel pressed, helping me to my feet.

“It’s nothing. Low blood sugar,” I said, waving her off.

“I’ve noticed you haven’t been eating,” she huffed. “Let’s go get you something to eat.”

“No, you’re not even supposed to be in here, Mel! Why aren’t you on the field with the rest of the squad?”

“And leave my bestie to fend for herself? Not a chance,” she snorted. I smiled at her loyalty, but I knew deep down, cheerleading meant a lot to her.

“I’m fine. I’ll walk back out to the field with you and grab a snack at the concession stands. I just need to eat something,” I lied, hoping she didn’t see through it.

“Fine,” she replied. “But you better eat an entire plate of loaded nachos, or I swear I’m going to put you in my car and drive you to Crust Lust and force an entire pizza down your throat.”

“Fair enough,” I answered, falling in step behind her.

We walked in silence to the concession stand, and I turned and smiled at her. “Go cheer, Mel,” I encouraged. “I’ll be OK.”

“Ana,” she sighed and looked at me sadly. “If you won’t talk to me about what’s happening, then please talk to someone. You’re acting different, and I’m worried about you.”

“I know,” I replied softly. “I’m changing, Mel. I can’t explain it. I just feel different, but I’ll be OK.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” I nodded my head and forced a smile onto my face.

“Courtney and Sasha—” she started, but I held up my hand and shook my head.

“I’m going to deal with them in my own way,” I said firmly, not exactly knowing what that way was. After all, the being distant thing hadn’t worked. Maybe I needed to do the opposite.

Mel nodded thoughtfully and hugged me. “I’ll see you after the game?”

“Yes,” I answered. “Now go! I need nachos, and you need to cheer!”

She smiled and trotted off to the field, and I let out a sigh. I ordered a small plate of nachos and sat on the bleachers in my cheer uniform.

The game was spectacular, and despite everything happening, I found myself on my feet cheering loudly along with everyone else.

Kellin made some incredible throws and had even scored a few touchdowns on his own. He was a beast on the field, and I bit my lip as he took his helmet off, his blond hair wet with sweat. He wiped at his brow, and a funny feeling hit the pit of my stomach.

“Are you enjoying the game?” Calix’s smooth voice asked from beside me. I turned and looked at him and felt my heart jump into my throat. His dark hair was disheveled, and he looked like he’d just stepped off the cover of
Heartthrob Magazine
with his tight, long-sleeved black shirt, black leather jacket, and jeans.

“Yes, quite,” I replied, clearing my throat.

“You’ve barely eaten your nachos,” he said, nodding at the tin I held in my hands. I looked down at them and frowned. I hadn’t been hungry, and even if I had been, the excitement from the game would have left me too distracted to eat.

“I’m not really hungry.” I shrugged. “Do you want some?”

“I could eat,” he said, taking the nachos from me and stuffing one in his mouth.

I chuckled softly and turned my attention back to the field, where Kellin was looking at me. I was surprised to see his gaze focused on me, and I glanced over to see Courtney also looking in my direction, an angry glare on her face.

I smiled and gave Kellin a small wave. The corner of his full lips pulled into a tiny smile, and he gave me a nod. If Courtney had been mad before, it was nothing compared to the livid look on her face now. She turned to Sasha and both began talking quickly while glaring at me and Calix in the stands.

Nothing like pissing off both of them at once.

I turned to Calix and took a nacho off the plate and put it in my mouth and chewed slowly, relishing in the look of disbelief on their faces.

“You really enjoying pissing people off, don’t you?” Calix’s voice cut through my moment, and I turned to him, surprised he was keenly aware of the situation unfolding in front of him.

“You know,” he continued, smiling at me. “You could always just ignore them.”

“I’ve tried that,” I answered, cocking my head at him, wondering why he was offering me advice.

“Well, it’s obvious they enjoy provoking you. I think they’re jealous of you.”

“Really?” I snorted at the notion. They didn’t have any reason to be jealous of me.

“Really,” he replied somberly as he put another nacho in his mouth. I stared at him, mesmerized by his beauty. He really was out of this world gorgeous.

“I say you either learn to ignore them or you do something about it. Be you! You’re a feisty girl,” he said, grinning at me. “Do something or don’t do something. Just choose one and go with it, and stop worrying what everyone thinks!”

I let his words sink in. It’s not like I didn’t have enough on my plate already what with the weird visions and hand burning. I had convinced myself over the past few days that I was dying of a brain tumor. What better way to go out than to do what he was suggesting? Be remembered for trying. Be remembered for being me. I just had to decide which route to take.

“I’m not like that,” I admitted with a sigh. “I don’t know what to do. I’m not brave enough to choose and commit, for one thing.”

“What does bravery have to do with desire,” he asked softly, a coy smile on his face. “You want to be remembered, right? That’s most people’s greatest desire. This is your last year of high school. Plan your move, Princess. I’d be eager to see what you come up with.”

I smiled nervously at him, the guy I’d been avoiding, the one who made the hairs on my arms stand up whenever he was near. He was danger personified, but he was glorious because of it.

Like an evil genius.

I was beginning to like him more and more. Maybe avoiding him hadn’t been a good idea after all. He seemed to understand my unspoken words, which made a shiver go up my back. How did he know I wanted to be remembered for something?

My brain felt hazy suddenly, and I frowned. My thoughts swirled and didn’t feel like my own anymore as I stared at him.

“What’s wrong?” he murmured, leaning in to me. “Feeling off?”

I nodded, my brow furrowed. These thoughts didn’t feel like mine. I wanted him. I wanted to go with him and do whatever he told me to do. I’d do anything for him.

He brushed a piece of my blonde hair away from my face and smiled down at me.

“You should just do it,” he whispered, getting so close to my face that his warm breath tickled my lips.

“Do what?” I asked dazedly, breathing in his sweet, intoxicating scent.

“Whatever is in that pretty little head of yours,” he purred.

Kiss him. I should kiss him. Right here. Right now. With everyone watching.

I leaned in closer to him and closed my eyes. I wanted him so badly, and it felt so wrong, but it also felt like my world would be set on fire if I said no, if I didn’t do it.

These thoughts weren’t mine! He was a jerk, remember? I already promised myself he was off limits!

I argued with myself as we stood nearly touching, everything he’d said whirling through my mind.

The ache in my chest grew. He was my other half. I needed him. I was nothing without him. He was here for me. I am his and he is mine.

I broke whatever spell had come over me with a shake of my head and backed away from him, feeling my face grow red. I’d almost done whatever the voice in my head told me to do.

Voice in my head. Great. I did have a tumor. If I’d had any doubts before, I was now positive my demise was fast approaching.

“I-I’m sorry,” I stammered as I looked up at him bashfully. “I-I think I have low blood sugar or something.”

“Oh, yeah?” he chuckled and let out a sigh. “Well, there’s no cure like nachos, right?”

“Right,” I forced a smile and took a nacho off the plate. “I-I should go. I’m going to this party with Mel tonight, and I need to go find her because we’re riding together.”

“I hope I see you there,” he replied solemnly, a strange look in his midnight colored eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, me too,” I said breathlessly. I hastily made my way down the bleachers and turned back to see him eating the nachos I’d left with him, a small smile on his handsome face.

I found Mel quickly enough and practically pulled her to the parking lot.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as I tugged on her.

“I almost kissed Calix,” I hissed at her. Her eyes grew about three times their normal size, and she let out a low whistle.

“Wow. How did that happen? Tell me everything!”

“It didn’t happen,” I corrected as I climbed into her front seat. “It almost did, and I can’t even explain it. One minute, we’re watching the game and eating nachos, and the next minute, I’m fighting with myself to keep my hands and lips off of him. It was insane, Mel. It was like I had no control over myself.”

“Well, you must have had some control if you didn’t do it,” she pointed out as she turned her car onto Main Street.

I swallowed thickly, knowing that even now, I wanted him. Something I couldn’t explain had happened back on those bleachers. Something scary. Something I might not want to fight next time.