I quickly looked away as Savannah tilted her head and glanced in my direction. Things were going too well for me here. I wasn’t about to mess it up now.
Chapter 10. Justin
The last class of the day was my elective. I wished I’d known Sophie and Lily when I chose it, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Sophie went to dance class, and Lily headed toward her singing class. Since I wasn’t particularly interested or talented in either one of these, I decided to stick with photography.
The classroom was located in the west corner of the school grounds. After taking a few wrong turns and finally having to ask where building “G” was, I eventually found it.
Unlike the other classrooms that had individual desks, the photography room had long black tables that each sat several students. I found the table with students who had the nicest energies, grabbed an empty chair and sat down. A cute blond boy flashed me a quick grin. He looked like he was going to say something, but just then the teacher started to talk.
My knowledge of photography was limited to pushing the button on top of the camera, and as the teacher went on about different exposures and lighting angles, I began to wonder if taking this class had been a mistake. I flipped through the book the teacher had loaned me; I had some serious catching up to do. But it looked like a fun hobby, and I’d been inspired to capture the beauty of my new surroundings in some kind of artistic and memorable way.
After lecturing for a few minutes, Mr. Walters said we were going to spend the remaining class period taking pictures outside so we could record unique examples of light and texture in whatever ways we found interesting. He called out names alphabetically in groups of two, and told us to split up and go to different places on campus.
I was relieved to have an assigned partner rather than having to find one myself, but felt a little sorry for whoever was stuck with me. My novice photo-taking skills certainly wouldn’t be much help.
“Adams, Baker; Brannon, Davis; Feingold, Harris…,” Mr. Walters read off the names from his list until I heard, “Martin, McCoy…” I didn’t know which unfortunate student belonged to the last name ‘Martin’, and I scanned the room to see if anyone was looking my way. All I noticed were the ones who were trying to inconspicuously check me out, and the blond boy with the sweet grin on his face.
I walked up to the teacher who was marking something down on his notepad. “Excuse me?” I asked, and he looked up at me with a curious smile. “Um, I don’t have a camera,” I continued, “and I’ve never taken any photography classes before. I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do…maybe my partner should have someone else?”
“Don’t be silly, I’m happy to help you with anything you need,” a voice behind me said. I spun around and saw the boy with the sweet smile. He was much taller than I’d expected.
“Thank you, Mr. Martin,” Mr. Walters said. Then he turned to me. “This is a beginning photography class, and I have no doubt you’ll be up to speed in no time. All that’s required is a desire to learn how to take the best pictures you possibly can. Try to catch up on the main points in the reading—just to learn the technical terms and techniques. Any questions you have, feel free to talk to me anytime.” He smiled wryly. “Or ask your ever-helpful partner here. He really is quite talented.”
He opened a drawer in his desk and handed me a camera. “Most students have their own, but some use the ones we have here. You may borrow this one as long as you need – just put it back in the drawer at the end of each class.”
I thanked Mr. Walters and followed my new partner out of the classroom. When we reached the grass, he glanced over to me.
“You’re Calista, right? Trippy name. I like it.”
“Thanks. Or you can call me Callie,” I mumbled.
“Cool. I’m Justin.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, as we headed across the lawn toward the fountains.
“So, you liking it here so far? First days can be sort of rough.”
I hadn’t even thought about how I felt until he asked the question. “I love it here! Everyone is so friendly, and the campus is beautiful. The teachers are pretty cool, too…” My voice faded off as I bit my lip, afraid I sounded like a complete dork. But Justin just smiled warmly.
“Yeah, Mr. Walters is one of the coolest. This is a fun class – gives me something to look forward to all day.”
“What year are you?” I asked. I hadn’t seen him in any of my other classes.
“I’m a senior. Just moved here over the summer though, so I know how it feels to be the new guy – or girl.” He winked.
He was definitely good looking. Like a surfer boy, with too-long, sun-bleached locks, a tan face, and just the lightest dusting of freckles on his nose. His eyes were the exact color of the Pacific Ocean on a bright, sunny day. His athletic body was lean and strong, and he towered next to me as we walked through the field looking for things to photograph.
“Here’s a good spot,” he announced as we reached an open, park-like area. From where we stood we could see the mountains to the right, and the high cliffs overlooking the ocean to our left.
Justin showed me the basics, patiently answering my numerous questions. I was impressed by his painstaking care as he placed his camera, trying several different angles before taking his shot.
I trained my camera on the mountain range where the greens, golds, and silvers of the hillside terrain sparkled in the afternoon sun, but my ill-fitting glasses prevented me from getting my eye close enough to the camera to focus very well.
After several minutes of concentrated silence, Justin ambled back to where I stood. “How’s it going, rookie?”
“I dunno…I was just shooting the mountainside…see how the boulders cast shadows that way,” I said pointing, “but the other side is glistening and sparkly? I thought it looked pretty neat.”
He squinted in the direction I indicated. “That is a good shot. You have a good eye for this…a natural.”
I accidentally dropped my lens cap. As I bent over to retrieve it I heard a quiet click click, and looked up to see Justin pointing his camera at me.
“What are you doing?” I gasped, standing up quickly.
“Sorry, sorry, don’t be mad. When you tilted your head down, the sun shone through your hair like a million rays of light and it looked so beautiful…I had to catch it.” He grinned sheepishly. My face had been angled away from his camera when he snapped the picture, but still –
“It’s okay,” I mumbled, feeling slightly embarrassed. I’d never had pictures taken of me before except for the school yearbooks, and even then my self-consciousness at having my frumpy image captured for permanent records had caused me to skip out on the past several years of class portraits.
“C’mon, don’t be so shy. You’re a total cutie. Most people love to have their picture taken. Especially in this part of SoCal,” he said with a smirk.
We walked back to the bench in front of the main fountains. “Where’d you move here from?” I asked, trying to change the subject. I was getting better at this small-talk thing with boys. Of course, talking to this particular boy didn’t send rockets of fire through my gut the way talking to Nicholas had.
“Grew up in Del Mar—that’s in San Diego—but my dad got transferred up here for work. Where’re you from? Not around here, judging by that accent.”
I blushed again. Why, as soon as I started to feel normal, did something about me signal the fact that I was, indeed, an outsider?
“Louisiana…and Tennessee before that.”
“Ah, a real-live sweet southern belle here to break our hearts!” He laughed and dramatically clutched his chest.
“We should head back,” I said, my voice quiet.
“Oh. Okay, you’re probably right,” he agreed. We walked back across the field for a few minutes in awkward silence. Suddenly, he stopped and placed a hand on my arm.
“Look, I’m sorry…I really didn’t mean to offend you back there. I’ll d
estroy the picture if you want me to. And, well, the southern-belle thing…that was my way of trying to give you a compliment. My stupid way.” His cheeks had a faint pink tinge.
Justin’s was one of the gentlest, kindest energies I’d been around in a long while, and I felt his genuine remorse at hurting my feelings. He’d thought he was being clever and friendly when, really, he was nervous and unsure what to say.
I sighed. He was right. It was me who was overreacting to his boyish attempts at flirting. I mustered the courage to give him what I thought might pass for a coy smile. “Kind suh, your apology is most gen’rous, and most unnecessary,” I drawled, exaggerating my accent so that it sounded nearly unrecognizable even to me. “Please forgive mah rudeness at yaw gentle cha’ms…”
He burst out laughing. A loud, easy laugh that made me want to do the same.
“Touché,” he said with a crooked grin. As we walked back to the building, I felt like we were already old friends.
Chapter 11. Visible
I stood out in front of the school with Lily and Sophie as we waited for our rides. Both of them had full afternoons planned with their studies and extra-curricular activities, and I knew the bulk of what was left of my day would be spent studying as well. Although I’d always been a good student, I still needed to catch up with my new classes and to familiarize myself with the textbooks.
Henri’s shiny black town car pulled up. I said goodbye to my new friends, and waved to Justin as he passed by on his way to the student parking lot. I still couldn’t believe my good fortune at meeting not one, but two girls who were like me... and who liked me. What a fun day; I’d never thought that about school before. And meeting Justin was great. I knew he and I were going to become good friends as well.
I was anxious to see Ana again. I hadn’t had much time to spend with her the past few days, and now that school had started my time would be even more limited. Dad had made me promise I wouldn’t go over to her house until after my homework was all done, but with the amount I had waiting for me, that wouldn’t be until well after dinnertime. I decided it wouldn’t hurt to stop by and see her for just a few minutes.
“Thanks for the ride, Henri!” I said, as he parked the car in front of the mansion.
Ana was out back tending to her herb garden. When she saw me, she beamed and motioned for me to come over. I had to suppress a giggle. She wore a billowing flowered shirt under pale blue overalls, which were covered in mismatched patches and rolled up to her knees. An oversized straw hat, large yellow sunglasses, and bright-pink gardening gloves completed her whimsical appearance.
“Like my outfit?” She lifted her arms and turned around to give me a better look. “It’s the latest fashion…straight off the Paris runway.”
I scrutinized her with mock seriousness. “High couture garden design. A must have for the most discriminating of farming fashionistas,” I deadpanned.
Ana’s tinkling laugh made me smile, and I watched as she sprinkled some golden dust over the ripe-red tomatoes.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Crushed Dragon Fruit,” she replied. “Very good at keeping away pests and for enhancing growth. Totally natural. Well, magically speaking of course.”
Indeed, the tomatoes already seemed to be plumping up under the light dusting, until they looked like they were ready to burst with rich ripe sweetness. “I insist on doing the vegetable and herb gardens myself. The gnomes can spin their magical web over all the rest of the property, but these areas here are off limits to them.”
“Gnomes?”
“Gnomes…garden elves. You didn’t think that a person could create a landscape this beautiful, did you?”
I supposed not. There was something extraordinary in the majestic splendor of the grounds. “Where are they, the gnomes and elves?” I asked, wondering what they looked like.
“Oh, I’m sure they are around here somewhere. They don’t care too much for people though, and have quite nasty temperaments. So tell me—” She took off her gloves and wiped her hands on her pants. “How was your first day? Make any new friends?” Her eyes sparkled expectantly.
“It was really nice. And yes, I met Sophie and Lily. I really like them both.”
“Great! I just knew the three of you would hit it off. You’ll make a wonderful Morningstar Trinity.”
“A Morningstar Trinity?”
“Yes. A Morningstar witch—like you—is the most powerful, her magic the purest and most potent, when she works in conjunction with two others who share complementary energies with her. When they choose to form a Trinity the bonds are nearly unbreakable, and they have a deeper connection than in any other magical relationship.”
I thought about this for a while as Ana tended to her vegetables. It’s not that I never wanted friends before…I desperately did. I just never seemed to find any that wanted to be friends with me. First Nicholas, then Sophie, Lily and Justin…plus the other students who gave me friendly smiles and inquisitive glances all day…it couldn’t be just coincidence.
“Ana,” I said as a thought struck. “Am I only having friends now because I’m a witch?”
She stopped what she was doing and looked up at me. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
I sat down on a stone bench beside some rosebushes. “It’s just that before…before I came here, well, it’s almost like I didn’t exist to people. No one ever really looked at me or wanted to talk to me. I had no friends…girls my age seemed to go out of their way to avoid me.” I glanced away, embarrassed. “The only person who ever really talked to me was Dad. But since I’ve been here, things have been different. People see me, and they’re nice to me. I feel like I’m a part of the world instead of on the outside looking in. Does this make any sense? I’m just wondering, is it real—how things are now—or is it some magical spell that is causing people to talk to me?” I cautiously met her gaze.
“Oh, dear, I had no idea what it was like for you before.” Ana furrowed her brow and bit her lip before looking away.
Something about my question bothered her, and she didn’t want me to know.
“Why did it change when I came here?” I pressed when she remained quiet for several moments.
She took a deep breath and returned to her pruning, trying to appear casual. But I could tell she was unnerved. “I don’t know. Perhaps your mother’s cloaking spell could have had a certain amount of carryover into your ‘real life’. It was a very powerful enchantment and it shouldn’t surprise me to learn of possible side-effects.”
She glanced back at me, her face more relaxed as she gave me a small smile. “Perhaps it was intentional –she wanted to shield you as much as possible. Or, perhaps you were just ready for those walls to come down, and so they did.”
“Oh.” Her answer should have satisfied me, but for some reason it didn’t.
“But you liked the school? Everyone treated you well?” she asked brightly.
“Yeah, everyone was real nice.” My eyes dropped as my voice trailed off.
“But?” she probed.
“Well…it’s just that school is one of the hardest places for me to be. Even a nice school like St. Morgan’s. When I’m surrounded by so many people all at once and they are all feeling crazy emotions all the time…it’s hard to distinguish what I’m really feeling from what someone else is. I can be perfectly happy one moment, but if the person sitting next to me is depressed or stressed or something…”
Ana held up a gloved hand. “Say no more,” she said, and pulled a thin strand of what looked like entwined flowers from her pocket. “I made this for you today. It will help to block those unwanted emotions.”
“What is it?”
“Just some specially enchanted flowers and herbs. It’s my own creation, one I developed many years ago when I suffered through the same thing. May I?” She held up the pretty string and tied it around my wrist like a bracelet. I held it to my nose. It smelled sweet...like candy.
“This will help?” I
asked dubiously.
“It should reduce your inflow dramatically until you’re older and learn to control your power better. It won’t block everything, though.”
“Won’t they wilt and die?” I asked, fingering the tiny purple and white buds.
“No. The flowers will remain alive and potent as long as you are wearing them. You still have your necklace on, correct?”
I nodded and patted my chest where the amulet lay safely hidden beneath my blouse.
*****
Dad and I ate dinner at Ana’s again that evening. Dad was pleased with his project on the house, and was eager to hear about my successful first day. Of course, he had no idea how nerve-racking the whole experience had been for me, but nevertheless, he seemed relieved to see me so happy for a change.
After dinner I did some homework, and then took a break to give Sophie and Lily a call. Lily was studying for a history quiz, and Sophie chatted nonstop about a dancing contest on TV she was watching. Apparently the viewers could call in and vote for their favorite ones, and she was mulling over the idea of charming the phone lines so her favorite dancer would be sure to get through to the next round.
For the first time in my life, I looked forward to going back to school. The three of us had agreed to meet on the steps before first period. How different it felt knowing that friends would be waiting for me! This, along with Nicholas’s beautiful face in my mind, made me smile one last time as I drifted off to sleep.
*****
I fly over the waters to the island of lights, where the enchanted forest is alive with glowing flowers and trees. I feel him before I see him. He’s waiting for me.
Our hearts reunite as one as he takes me in his arms. I see his face clearly now. I know who he is. He speaks to me, his voice sounds like the song of a myriad of angels. “Calista…my love…” He holds me close and kisses me softly. Together we float up into the sky, over the trees, amid the stars. I never want to leave here. In this place and at this moment, everything is perfect. Everything is clear.