Grey Eyes

by Ramey, Quinteria; Alston, Brandon

  Taylor insisted I join the other girlfriends in the tunnel leading back to the locker rooms. It was hard not to smile when I saw some of those same girls from before stare at me opened mouthed. Chris came out first and Taylor ran over and jumped into his arms, pulling his head forward into a long, passionate kiss. They had certainly come a long way in a short period of time.

  Darren had come out last and flushed red when he saw me. I just kind of stood there.

  “I’m sorry about what I said,” he started. “I just didn’t like some of the rumors that were going around. I thought it might make things easier for you. Not too mad are you?”

  “No, not at all. I figured that’s what you were doing. Thanks.” I was certainly getting better at lying to him. At least the part about not being angry had been honest.

  “Oh, well thank goodness,” he grinned. “I thought you were about to lay into me just now.”

  I found myself smiling. “Yeah, because we both know I could beat you in a fight.”

  “Well, if you fight as good as you break hearts…”

  That hurt. “Darren… that’s not fair.”

  He smiled. “All’s fair in love and war.”

  He had a point.

  “Hello, fellow lovebirds,” said a feverishly love-drunk Taylor pulling Chris behind her. “We’re going to celebrate with some of the guys at Applebee’s, you coming?”

  “Oh no, can’t, we signed up for community service tonight,” Darren said quickly.

  I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I totally forgot until he just reminded me.”

  “How ‘bout you, Chris?” Darren asked. “Didn’t you sign up too?”

  Chris still seemed to be suffering from that delirious high that comes from being in love, so he couldn’t keep up a straight face when he attempted to keep the lie going. Taylor began to look suspicious. Finally, he was able to manage, “Nah, think I’m skipping community service this time.” He mouthed a “sorry” to me behind Taylor’s back.

  Taylor wasn’t buying it; luckily, her hormones had her mind pointed in another direction. “Community service, huh? Well, make sure you use protection while you’re servicing your community!” A car full of screaming students came by shouting “Go Stingers!” and Taylor and Chris went running after them.

  “Guess you need a ride to the party,” Darren said.

  “Yeah,” I agreed, blushing as hard as I could ever remember blushing in my entire life. I was thankful he’d decided not to address the “going to have sex” assumption Taylor made.

  Just as we got into his BMW, Darren’s grandmother called his cell phone. I watched him talking and found myself thinking more and more about what Taylor had suggested. Immediately, images of Tristan stormed into my mind, battling the impulse I felt to act. Surprisingly, those thoughts brought up anger. “He was going to let me just drop dead?” I thought. “Just so I wouldn’t be able to do the spell again? Damn him.” Already weakened by my own hormones, those thoughts sent whatever loyalties I felt to Tristan whimpering away. I had turned away a boy who’d done nothing but want me, protect me, and help me. For him. I was furious now. What he tried to do was unforgivable. If I only had months to live, then I would make the most of them.

  When he hung up the phone, I went for it.

  I slid quickly over to his side, and sat on his legs, facing him. If he’d looked surprised to see me outside the locker room, it was nothing to the shock on his face now. I pressed my lips onto his and he didn’t fight me. He wrapped his arms around me and I felt like my body was on fire. I was still fairly new to kissing, especially this kind, so I let him begin to kiss me instead. I could feel his enthusiasm through his kiss and it was like a match to my own. I let my hands slip under his shirt and explore his chest.

  As amazing as it felt, I knew it was only the first step. It began to fully dawn on me what I was about to do. Doubt sprang up inside me. Was I ready for this? Just as I began to pull away, a voice spoke inside my head. “What are you saving it for? You’ve only got months to live, so live.”

  I stopped kissing him and let my hands drop to his belt. I had barely touched the buckle before he’d seized my arms.

  “What are you doing? I thought you just wanted to make out? We are not doing that.”

  My passion melted back into anger. “Darren, don’t you dare reject me right now. I want this and I want this with you.”

  “Ana, no. Not with you. Not like this.”

  Not with me? That had hurt more than anything he’d said to me. “What’s wrong with me? I mean, you could have sex with all of those other girls, but not with me? I thought you wanted me—you said you did. You don’t have to put on an act for me anymore. I want you just as much as you want me, so it’s okay.”

  I stared into his eyes and could see the anger building. He opened the car door and pulled himself from under me. He walked to the end of the parking lot, kicking whatever was in his path; meanwhile, I sat in the front seat of his car, wondering if I’d just ruined our friendship. I’d calmed down enough to think with a level head now and could hardly believe the last few minutes had actually happened. When he came back, he still looked angry but he spoke in a quiet voice.

  “Ana, I understand why you were so uncomfortable around me before. If you thought that all of this was just some act, then I don’t blame you for wanting to stop things. But it’s not Ana.” He sat down in the car again and all traces of his anger disappeared. “Let me explain. You weren’t here then, but my grandpa was a man everyone respected. He was the guy people turned to when something happened. I used to look up to him so much. But I was always such a disappointment to him. I used to feel like deep down he was ashamed of me, and he had a right to be. All I cared about was getting in girl’s pants, showing off how rich I was to everyone who wasn’t, and being the cool guy everybody wanted to hang with. When he died, I kept waiting to just wake up one day and be the man that he was, like it was some overnight thing. After a while I realized that I had to make a change. I tried a couple times, but it never lasted.

  “When I met you, you were so different and I found myself liking you. Not the way you looked in a pair of skinny jeans, and not because I knew you would give it up if I took you out a couple of times. You made me laugh, you called me on my bullshit—you reminded me of him. I decided that here’s this wicked cool girl that I have to be right for, I have to be a man for, because you are worthy of that. And that’s why I’ve been working so hard to change, Ana. I do want you, but not like this. You deserve better and I’m gonna make sure you have it.”

  He dropped down to one knee, pulled out a Heathwood Academy Stinger Sticker, and folded it into a ring. “Will you, Anastasia Adams, give me another shot with you?” He was giving me that easy smile of his.

  For the first time in my life I understood how those girls on television could be so speechless when a guy proposed to them. I’d always thought I was too cool for that, that I would just give a casual nod and say “sure, why not?” but as I looked at him (and this was no marriage proposal) I could only nod and wipe my eyes—the words wouldn’t come.

  I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I’d be dead soon.

  Chapter 27

  Wonderland

  “So what are these parties like?” I asked, as we pulled onto the winding driveway leading around to the back of my house.

  “I’m not going to spoil your first time,” he said grinning.

  “Oh, you’re just hilarious,” I said turning pink. I was glad that it was something we could laugh about.

  Again, we were stopped at the gate leading to my front door. A man dressed in a tuxedo stepped around to the driver’s side window and knocked gently.

  Darren rolled it down.

  “Invitation please.”

  Darren started to reach for his pocket but stopped himself. “She’s my invitation,” he said nodding in my direction.

  “I—Oh, princess, right this way please. You’ll be taking the front entrance. Is this young
man your date?”

  I nodded. I ignored the images of Tristan that shot through my head. He’d had his chance.

  “Then you may enter through the front door just this once. You can wait downstairs while the princess is prepped for her entrance.”

  He groaned. “I get to wait while you get ready, some fun.”

  I gave him a light punch on the shoulder and he laughed it off.

  Inside, I was verbally assaulted by the Elder Witches. Apparently, I was pretty late. But when Darren stepped in after me, what was so thoughtless and inconsiderate before, instantly became sweet and adorable.

  “Munchkin!” Darren called, and a young red faced girl, ducked behind Mrs. McArthur.

  When she reemerged, I saw that it was London’s little sister he’d addressed. In the seconds she’d spent hiding behind her mother, she had composed herself and spoke with an elegance rivaling the Queen of England. “Why hello there, Darren. I hope you’re well.”

  After setting off a round of giggles, she took my hand and led me through the house and up to my room where she had already laid out all of her things. She told me to sit down and started with my makeup.

  “I’ve already been down to the ballroom and let…me…tell….you…awesome. They must feel like you’ve seen enough magick that you won’t like, freak out now because they pulled out all the stops for this one—I should tell you, “like” is my new favorite word.”

  “Okay…Is your sister down there?”

  Her face soured. “No, London and my mom got in this like, huge fight about her boyfriend or something. Anyway, they were calling each other names and throwing stuff and I was so glad daddy was leaving early cause I was like, “take me with you!”

  “Did you say boyfriend?”

  “Yeah, I caught them kissing once and I was going to tell mom and she’s like, I’ll give you two hundred bucks to keep your mouth shut, and I’m like, Sold!” She chuckled. “So I hung out with them for a while. When I saw his face I was like “Wow!” maybe Darren isn’t the hottest guy in Brighton anymore. No offense, I know he’s your boyfriend now. But he was so quiet—snore— and London kept trying to say she that was leaving soon and she’d miss me and I’m just like, you don’t graduate for another nine months, that’s a long time from now. Chill out with the depression already. So I just went to sleep and dreamt about my future hubby, Nathan Mathalbane. Oh yeah.”

  Hearing about London had set off alarms in my head, especially if her and her mother’s fight had to do with Aiden. I guessed that Aspen probably wasn’t aware that she was in the company of a vampire.

  “Aspen?” said a woman’s voice. My back was to the door and I’d been too far into my own thoughts to catch who it was.

  “Mom, can’t you see I’m in the middle of something.”

  “Get your little butt out here right now!”

  Aspen dropped her brushes and hurried outside. A few minutes later she came back, more than a little irritated. “I seriously don’t get why London couldn’t come. She’s being a total dictator right now.”

  I almost jumped from the chair. If she’d been caught, then she was going to run away with Aiden tonight. There was no doubt about it. I had to see her—but surely she’d come by, wouldn’t she? To say goodbye? She had to. I owed her so much.

  “All finished!” Aspen announced.

  Aspen spun me around to the mirror, and again, I could hardly believe it was me. She had done something to give my face an almost silvery sheen to it. My lashes were full and gorgeous and combined with the grey in my eyes, I looked like something mystical—I thought so, anyway. She’d put my hair up in a fancy bun.

  “Oh I almost forgot,” she said. She reached into her bag and grabbed something. She stuck whatever it was onto my forehead. I leaned closer to the mirror and discovered that it was a piece of crystal.

  “I call this look, ‘The Ice Princess.’” She seemed very proud of herself and though the piece of crystal was a tad over the top, she had every right to be. That she could make me look like this, it was a testament to her talent.

  “What was the look you gave me last time?” I asked her.

  She giggled. “Deer in headlights.”

  She gathered her things quickly and darted out of the room, explaining that she needed to get a good spot in the ballroom where she could see everyone’s faces when I arrived. Helena came in next to drop off my gown, and she gave me a big hug and asked about Tristan. I lied about us doing great and it lit up her face so completely, I didn’t even regret it.

  I slipped into my long silver gown and went back to the mirror. I kept poking myself to make sure this was real. I was stunning. I was almost tempted to ask Aspen if she’d simply magic’ed me beautiful. But remembering she couldn’t yet, I had no other choice but to accept it. Anastasia Adams cleaned up nicely.

  “Tonight is tonight, and tomorrow is tomorrow,” I told myself. “And that’s how I’m gonna deal with having so little time left.” Still, the thought made me shiver.

  The hallway was empty when I stepped out, and I, despite how confident I felt, could also feel my nerves flickering as I approached the staircase. Still, I kept my head held high and took the stairs without a moment’s hesitation. Though, the memory of me falling on my face the last time was very much on my mind.

  The gasps echoing around the room were what made me falter. I had to catch the railing to stay upright. The Elder Witches, a few of the maids, and Darren stared, some open mouthed as I descended the remainder of the stairs. My grandmother stepped forward, teary eyed, and wrapped me up in a warm hug. “Princesses are born, Ana. And you are a princess.”

  I was passed to each of the other Elder Witches next and they each offered a kind word. Darren’s grandmother had gone for my cheeks again but was shooed off by the others. London’s mother, always noticeable because of the considerable age difference, came up last, and she apologized for London’s being absent tonight. I wanted so badly to tell her that she would probably never see her daughter again.

  “You…look—Wow.” Darren had slipped into a tuxedo while I was getting my makeover and he wore it well. He had a white belt that held what I assumed to be a ceremonial sword. He pressed his finger against the small piece of crystal on my forehead. “Oh,” he said flashing a grin. “I thought it was your hotness button.” He laughed.

  “So you don’t think I’m hot normally?”

  He stopped laughing. “This is me pulling my foot out my mouth.”

  I laughed.

  A white horse was walked in next, with a velvet covered saddle. “There’s our ride,” Darren said.

  “You can’t be serious?”

  “Hey, at least I talked them down from the carriage they originally planned on bringing us in with.”

  The horse was brought over to us, and we petted it for a few minutes before a man in a tuxedo peeked out of door and waved us forward. Small white flakes drifted toward us. Was that snow?

  Darren mounted the horse and I was lifted onto it so that I was sitting sideways. I was about to protest, remembering that in the olden times, women had to rides horses like this, but realized it probably had much more to do with preserving my gown than anything else.

  The doors flung open and Darren directed us into ballroom to booming applause. I kept my right arm wrapped tightly around him and waved with my left. This part felt like something that would never grow old.

  The ballroom was breathtaking. It was literally snowing inside, but thankfully they’d done something to keep the floors from becoming slick. Huge ice sculptures of overweight penguins and grinning polar bears were scattered between tables and aerial acrobats rolled and twisted on long straps of fabric hanging from the ceiling. Plates sped across the room, dipping and swerving to avoid people who were standing up or walking around. I traced them back to the serving table and found people were using their hands to direct the plates. It truly was unbelievable.

  I leaned around Darren and found my mother and Dr. Roberts seated at
a long table on a newly elevated portion of the dining room. Between them stood an enormous velvet chair with gold colored trim that matched the saddle and the wall in my room. I was beginning to catch on. The velvet and gold combo probably wasn’t a coincidence. An ordinary chair had been pulled next to it and we stopped in front of it. I’d started to go straight for my seat, but Darren gently yanked me back down the steps, drawing chuckles from the crowd. I wondered if they could see my cheeks flush beneath the silvery shine of my makeup.

  The host stepped out and announced, “Her royal highness, Anastasia Adams, rightful heir to Merline the first, and princess of the Rasputin line of witches.”

  The crowd of at least three hundred all bowed or curtsied and then Darren was introduced as my date. When no one bowed for him, I stuck my tongue out at him and everyone laughed. The instant the spotlight shifted, I dragged Darren up to our seats. The host shouted, “That girl’s ready to eat!” and the crowd laughed again. Once we were seated, everyone else took their seats too. I relaxed a little. Darren put his hand over mine, and I shot a glance up to my mother who looked surprised, but nonjudgmental. “Dying” had clearly changed her, I thought to myself with a smile.

  We were treated to a fire-show next. Darren pointed out Chris’s dad and explained that he led this group of guardians. It became obvious, fairly quickly, that the little butterfly Nathan produced to convince me to believe him about my being a witch was literally child’s play. These men produced enormous blasts of fire and then carved them into shapes with their control over moving air. A flaming dragon that stretched out across the entire ceiling was their opening act; it bucked and twisted and swooped down to cause many a nervous gasp. The dragon then exploded into a thousand tiny butterflies that swished around the room and made me think of the fireflies around the lake the night Tristan revealed our past to me. I pushed those thoughts away. The show concluded when Chris’s dad challenged the fiery version of himself to a dance contest. It was close, Chis’s father had some moves, but once the flamed version started doing some of Michael Jackson’s moves on the table in front of me, it had won the crowd over.