PANDORA

by Rebecca Hamilton

  “Tomorrow and always, I’ll be with you.” Zoe looked up at Michael, his face lined with worry. “Don’t worry. Everything is fine.”

  Phoebe’s little face scrunched up and she gave a small whimper.

  He carefully lifted her and put her back in the rolling crib, then picked up the next baby, placing her against Zoe’s chest.

  “Chloe, my sweet seer.” Their eyes met and Chloe gave a cry filled with fear and sadness, her fingers clutching desperately at Zoe.

  This time she ignored Michael’s questioning gaze. She couldn’t share with him what Chloe had seen. It hurt too much. She pressed a kiss to Chloe’s head and passed her to the nurse, then leaned over to take the last baby from Michael’s arms.

  “Lily,” she said, placing her over her heart. Warmth flooded Zoe and she smiled weakly. “My healer.” Lily’s little heart beat fiercely and Zoe rubbed her hand along Lily’s back as she began to wail. “I’m sorry little one. You’re not strong enough yet.”

  Gradually Lily’s wail subsided into a soft mewing and her eyes fluttered closed. Michael lifted her from Zoe’s arms, placing her back on her mobile bed and the nurses wheeled the babies out of the room. Zoe wanted to scream and cry for them to come back, to let her hold her girls just one more time, but there was no strength left in her. This time when her eyes closed she didn’t fight. She let them fall as a last tear slipped down her cheek. A hand gripped hers and a panicked voice began shouting. Michael. Girls. Be strong.

  Chapter 1

  The note sailed through the air, rushing past me on the way to its destination. I turned my head to the side, watching the perfectly formed square land on his desk. He palmed the note and glanced up. His grey eyes made contact with mine for just a moment before he leaned forward to look around me. I sighed in boredom, sinking back in my seat. Twenty minutes to go then I never had to worry about sitting through another of Mr. Mason’s lectures again. Unless, of course, he decided to teach senior level Spanish next semester.

  I blinked, trying desperately to clear the haze forming before me and focused on the guy next to me. I met those steely eyes again and in spite of my lack of embarrassment, heat rose in my cheeks. Not that I let that stop me from looking. This wasn’t the first time Nathan Lauer caught me staring and considering the way he’d been bulking up at the gym, it wasn’t going to be the last time. My lips twitched as the red flush on his cheeks over shadowed my own pink face.

  “Phoebe,” Tonya hissed from behind me. I ignored her, enjoying Nathan’s discomfort too much to acknowledge her.

  My desk jerked, and I turned to glare at my best friend. She gave me one of those are-you-an-idiot looks and nodded to the front of the class.

  “Ms. Matlin?” Mr. Mason’s voice filtered through the remaining haze. “Ms. Matlin?”

  I spun around.

  “Yes?” I said, hating that everyone was watching me.

  He gestured to the door. “You’re needed in the office.”

  I threw Tonya a smirk, knowing she was dying to leave the class as much as I was. Gathering my things, I shoved them in my backpack, making sure I took everything. Even if they only needed me for a minute, I wasn’t coming back for the rest of Mr. Mason’s lecture.

  The hallway was quiet as only a few students lingered at their lockers. With it being the last day before Christmas break, I wasn’t surprised to see people leaving early. Hell, I wished I was one of them. Most of my classes were only half-full, but after Dad caught me skipping the previous week, I knew I couldn’t risk it.

  I made a pit stop at my locker, which was on the way to the office. Twisting the lock, I banged the side of my fist against the orange door to loosen it enough to pull open. I unzipped my bag and pulled out my cell phone. New message flashed across the screen. I shoved my bag into the locker and, closing the door with one hand, started pressing buttons to get the message.

  Where r u? C

  A groan slipped out and I glanced around to see if anyone heard. Thankfully, the closest person, a guy halfway down the hall, looked more interested in his own cell than my moaning. I tried to remember what I’d obviously forgotten. Chloe might be obsessed with texting, but she only used it with me in extreme situations.

  I fumbled with the buttons, trying to text her back. Walking while typing wasn’t my forte, so a jumble of letters filled the screen as I walked to the office. I paused outside the glass door and at the end of the message typed here then hit send. It was safer to imply I was where I was supposed to be than risk her asking why I wasn’t.

  Chloe was the perfect one. Organized, precise, and peppy. She was enough to make me puke. How we were sisters, let alone two-thirds of a set of triplets, was beyond me. That we weren’t related was one of my greatest fantasies.

  I flipped the phone closed and looked up in time to see the office door flying at me. I jerked back and my hand lashed out to stop it from smacking me in the face. Deep blue eyes, identical to my own, stared back at me.

  “Where’ve you been?” Chloe demanded. Her perfectly sculpted brows arched with indignation.

  “Shoveling shit.” I ignored her rolling eyes. “In class, where else?”

  “You weren’t even supposed to come to school today. We’re going to be late.” Milk chocolaty waves of hair flowed around her face as she turned back into the office and waved to the secretary.

  “It’ll be okay,” Lily said and stepped out from behind Chloe. At just over five feet, she always managed to find the perfect hiding spot until she was ready to speak. If it weren’t for her copper curls, she’d probably be able to disappear entirely.

  “Late for what?” I asked. The two of them just stared at me, Lily with compassion, while Chloe’s face filled with horrored dismay. “What?”

  “Oh, Phoebs,” Lily sighed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think you’d be like this.”

  She reached for my arm and even before she could touch me, I felt the heat radiating from her. I stepped back, evading her grasp. “Like what?”

  Her head dipped and she let her hand fall. Guilt flooded me before I shook it off. Lily was a master at emotions and manipulating them. Not that she made me feel guilty, no that was my own conscience. Still, I resented her attempts at controlling me even if she was doing it with the best intentions. Her sole purpose in life seemed to be to make sure that everyone felt okay. I can’t even say good, because when she touched you it was like she sucked out all the bad stuff, and if there was nothing good to take its place it was the most bizarre feeling of emptiness.

  “Get over it, Phoebe.” Chloe grabbed Lily’s hand and started dragging her down the hall, leaving me to follow. “You should have remembered.”

  “Remembered what exactly?”

  “Mom’s birthday.” She threw the words at me, knowing full well what it would do to me. Every muscle in me tightened and I froze mid-step. Lily stopped with me and Chloe had no choice but to do the same.

  “Let’s go,” Chloe said. “Nanna is just getting there and she’s wondering where we are.” Her eyes focused on me then fluttered for a moment, looking into my future. “She has something for you. You’ll love it.”

  I hated when she did that, even more than Lily trying to fix me.

  “I’m not going. I never go. Why would you even think I’d go this year?” I asked.

  Chloe’s face scrunched in confusion. “I saw...”

  I struck while she was down. “Well, maybe there’s something wrong with you, because that’s something that’s never going to happen.”

  Anger and pain burned my throat and my nose tingled. I swirled around, intent on going back to class. Anywhere but here with the two of them, or worse, there with her. I sensed Lily moving toward me and tried to twist away, but her palm fell on my back. Soothing heat flooded me, drowning the pain and anger with a numbing calm.

  “Damn it, Lily, you know I hate it when you do that!” I stomped off, no longer angry with Chloe for trying to direct my future or with Nanna for wanting to use me as a substitu
te for my dead mother. Instead, my forced anger was with Lily for not healing what was really wrong with me - my lack of gift.

  I reached Mr. Mason’s class, and yanked the door. It flew open and crashed against the wall. I stood in the doorway under the intense scrutiny of the entire class, Mr. Mason included.

  “I’m back,” I said and breezed into the class, moving straight for my seat. My friend Owen chuckled and I shot him a cocky smile. I evaded Tonya’s curious look and concentrated on the swirling wood pattern of my desktop. Normally, I talked to Tonya about pretty much everything, but not this. Our family was different and even if I didn’t have a gift, Dad had drilled into me the need to protect my sisters. Even when we were younger, I was the one telling them not to freak people out. Not that they ever really listened. Chloe would constantly make her little predictions, and Lily couldn’t keep her hands to herself.

  Mr. Mason droned on and I watched the second hand on the clock tick slowly around the face. Five minutes. I could have skipped out early, but the chance of getting sucked into Lily and Chloe’s plans was too great. It was safer to die of boredom.

  A twitch of black cloth out of the corner of my eye drew my attention to Nathan. He was refolding a piece of wrinkled paper into its original intricate square. He looked past me and nodded to the person on my left side. Vivian, his girlfriend. I didn’t bother looking at her, mainly because the sight of her caused me to gag more than Chloe did. He tucked the last corner in and flicked his hand, letting the note fly to her.

  As the note crossed in front of me, I reached out and snatched it mid-flight. I wasn’t sure what possessed me to do it, but Nathan’s shocked expression combined with Vivian’s gasp of outrage made it worth the effort.

  I gave Nathan a smile and a wink, then blew him a kiss, loving the answering blush. Owen and Tonya’s snickers almost covered Vivian’s hiss. Mr. Mason shot them a look and I hid the note in the palm of my hand until he’d refocused on the board. I peeled open the note, a smirk on my face. I’d never been a note passer before and I wondered just what was so secretive that they couldn’t just whisper. Most of the time Tonya and I didn’t even bother to lower our voices when we wanted to say something.

  I looked at the note. Vivian’s bubbly writing alternated with Nathan’s scrawl. Her perfect script started the note:

  ~Where were you last night?

  home

  ~I thought you were coming over

  no

  ~What about tonight?

  no

  ~What the hell is wrong with you?

  I need some space

  ~What does that mean?

  I think we should break up

  I looked up at Nathan. This time, though, he didn’t meet my gaze. His face flamed and now I understood why he’d looked so horrified when I’d nabbed the note. Vivian tried to grab it from me, but I clenched my fingers around the small square, refusing to give it to her. The bell rang and people started moving all at once.

  “Give it to me,” Vivian said, making another grab for the paper. I shook my head and slid out of my seat, moving quickly to give Tonya a chance to get between us. I ran from the room, oblivious to the shrieking calls of Vivian.

  “Phoebe!” Nathan raced through the hall behind me.

  I turned into the art room and he followed me, closing the door behind him. The last art class of the day had already finished. Ms. Steward, the art teacher, was known for leaving early. The large space reeked of paint fumes and dust that floated in the air, highlighted by the sunlight pouring through the windows lining the wall. It had been more than a year since I’d last been in the room, but the smell took me back. Every insecurity within me rose, instantly deflating me.

  “Give it to me, Phoebs.” Any embarrassment he’d felt before vanished from his face, leaving anger and frustration glaring back at me.

  I lifted my hand, the note still clenched in my fist. “What is this?”

  “A note,” he said.

  “No shit. How can you do that?”

  My heart beat frantically. What did I want him to say? It seemed that no matter what he said, it wouldn’t negate the fact that he had just dumped his girlfriend in a note. Or, he would have if I hadn’t intercepted it.

  “You don’t get it.” He sank against a table, lifting one leg off the ground to kick at the air.

  “Then explain it to me.” Anger forced the words from my lips and they echoed in the empty room.

  “Why? Why should I have to explain it to you?”

  “Because you...we...” Because you chose her over me. I didn’t need to say it. The fact was there between us and had been everyday for over a year.

  “This isn’t about you,” he said, standing up. He took a step toward me, tearing the note from my hands. He was at the door when I finally got the courage to speak.

  “You need to tell her to her face. Grow up and be a man.” Only the stiffening of his shoulders let me know my dig bothered him, then he was out the door, and it drifted closed with a gentle click, leaving me alone again.

  With elbows on the table, I plowed my fingers into my dark curls. I wasn’t mad for Vivian. I was mad for me. That he had picked her instead of me and that a year of pretending he hadn’t broken my heart had done nothing to actually heal it. It was easier to smile and flirt than to let him know how much it had hurt. He hadn’t told me to my face either. That’s what hurt the worst. He’d chosen her, yet he was treating her even crappier than he’d treated me.

  When Nathan had first moved to town two years ago, I’d fallen in lust. He was hot, smart, and best of all, he was new. He’d never dated Chloe, he didn’t know about the weird things Lily could do to a person, and he never questioned why I hated being with my sisters. Absolutely perfect. Except he’d never acted on the interest he’d shown in me. I spent weeks pursuing him, until finally I cornered him in the art room. After giving him our first kiss, my first kiss, I asked him to Homecoming.

  Too bad for me he’d already asked Vivian. That he obviously told her about the kiss made it even more humiliating when she and her groupies laughed about it in front of me.

  Cringing at the memory, I dropped my head onto the table, letting it roll back and forth. Reliving that incident was nearly as mortifying as this. I’d acted jealous - okay, I was jealous - but what was worse was now he knew it.

  The gentle swish of the door opening brought my head up. Chloe stood framed in the doorway. Just what I needed, an overbearing sister relishing in the I-told-you-so moment, something Chloe and her all seeing eye did way too often.

  “Don’t say it,” I snapped, moving past her into the hall.

  “Say what?” she asked, catching up to me.

  I arched a brow. “I told you so.”

  “Why would I say that?” Her brow creased.

  “Because you knew he’d never like me.” I wondered if she’d enjoyed bursting that bubble when she’d told me. I picked up my pace hoping she’d get lost in the rapidly thinning crowd, but I just didn’t have that kind of luck.

  “I never said he didn’t like you. I only told you I saw him with Vivian.” She swerved around a couple that had stopped in the middle of the hallway then was back at my side. “Anyways, didn’t he just ask you out?”

  “Yeah, right. You’ve already told me that wasn’t going to happen.” Having all of my fantasies squashed by Chloe the Fortune Teller, was just one reason why I avoided spending time with her.

  Her face paled and her mouth dropped open. “I never said it wouldn’t happen. Besides, I saw him... I mean, I saw you go back to class. Then he followed you to the art room and asked you out.”

  “Uh, yeah, didn’t happen.” We reached my locker and I swung it open, throwing in my jacket and grabbing my binder for Biology class. When I glanced at her, she seemed completely unaware of anything going on around her. “Anyways, aren’t you supposed to be meeting Nanna?”

  “She plans on being there for a while. Besides you’re going with us.” She gave a smirk and lea
ned against the neighboring locker. “I saw it.”

  I gritted my teeth. “Well, it ain’t gonna happen, so maybe your vision isn’t as clear as you thought. Look at how wrong you were about Nathan. What happened in the art room was about as far from him asking me out as you can possibly get. You can’t be right all the time, Chloe.”

  I slammed the locker closed and turned my back on her, walking to class. After a few steps, I stopped and glanced back. Her pale face was disturbing. She really was freaked out about her vision not happening.

  “I’m sorry, Chloe, but maybe you just got the message wrong.” As much as I hated her constant knowing look, I hated the idea I’d hurt her even more.

  “I’ve never been wrong before.” Her normally confident voice whispered softly through the air, trailing behind her as she walked off.

  I wanted to call after her, to reassure her, but didn’t know how. I’d never had a gift, so how would I understand suddenly not having one?

  Lily the Healer, Chloe the Seer, and Phoebe the Truth Teller. That’s what my mom called us minutes before she died. She’d been right about Lily and Chloe. Me on the other hand... well, it hadn’t happened yet. I couldn’t even say I knew what I was supposed to do as a truth teller. I definitely didn’t have a problem lying. Not that I was a chronic liar. Sometimes though, it was just easier.

  So just what does a Truth Teller do? The only person around to ask was Nanna and I wasn’t really in the mood for her today.

  I pushed thoughts of my supposed gift aside and headed for my biology class.

  “Hey girl,” Bianca called as I entered the biology lab. I gave her a goofy smile, trying my best to lighten my mood. Thoughts of what had happened with Nathan were bringing me down. If I wanted to survive the boredom of the day, I definitely needed to focus on something else. I flopped into my seat next to Tonya, flinging my binder onto our table.

  “God, isn’t this day over yet?” I groaned, choosing to discount the fact that I could have left with Chloe and Lily, but going with them would have been even worse than sitting through an hour of Mrs. Schaeffer’s video montage of her favorite dissections.