Diantha's Gate

5

"I really think you should talk to her," Brynn said to me from across the dining room table. We were at the Elwood house, Drew and Lav sitting with us, listening intently.

Knowing I would struggle to explain last night, Brynn had filled them in for me, not missing a beat.

I could tell they were more rattled than they let on, but they deflected with humor and sarcasm, and I was grateful. I couldn't bear the idea of pity or, even worse, the dejecting faces of skepticism. I had to swallow the uncomfortable acceptance that the three of them would probably (if they hadn't already) create a group message that didn't include me in order to further analyze my bizarre behavior. They could label it "Nia's New Psychosis."

"I agree," Lavender chipped in, tucking a piece of pale purple hair behind her ear. "Corinne is cool as hell and knows the craziest hippy shit. One time, we talked for like two hours about using rocks for psychic abilities. Like, what? So trippy."

"Crystals," Brynn said, still looking at me.

"What?"

"She uses crystals, not rocks."

"Since when is a crystal not a rock?" Drew asked with a smirk.

"Say that in front of Corrine, and maybe you'll find out," Brynn answered, turning to face him. He held up his palms, his rolled oxford sleeves sliding up to reveal several of his tattoos.

"I'm just saying," Lav continued, leaning forward on her forearms, "Corinne knows her shit. Maybe she could help you out. Like, hypnotize you or something and draw out your creepy, faceless inner demons." She gave me a mock wink and thumbs up.

"Yeah, I mean, I guess I could talk to her," I said hesitantly.

It's not that I didn't adore Corinne. I just didn't want to involve anyone else in my mess. It was humbling enough, as it was. But, I supposed desperate times called for humiliating measures.

Corinne is Brynn's aunt on her dad's side. Much younger than Michael, we'd always felt that the age gap between ourselves and Corinne was small enough to make her an easy go-to when one of us was having "teen issues."

A full-fledged hippy, she was forever looking for a new, more "self-fulfilling, humanitarian" job, and therefore lived at the Elwood house when she was short on money. Which was always. If Michael or Meghan minded, they didn't show it. She was such an easy presence to have around, and her grateful and optimistic nature really boosted morale and probably the "feng shui." If her personality didn't, then her crystal collection and incense certainly did.

She would place "happies," as she called them, all around the house, ensuring that everyone's chi was increased and each of our chakras grounded, whatever that meant. She could frequently be found performing complex shape-shifting on a yoga mat in the entertainment room closest to the kitchen, her long, rich ochre dreads pulled in a knot and her harem pants swaying around her. While we frequently poked fun at her, we were all secretly fascinated by her alternative lifestyle.

Well, Drew wasn't all that secretive. We often had to carry around napkins, taking turns to wipe the drool from his mouth. Though a complete charmer under normal circumstances, Drew was absolutely lost in Corinne's presence. No one could blame him. She was absolutely stunning in her own unique way. Her complexion, much lighter than her brother's, was melichrous, with not a blemish in sight. Various exotic beads frequented her dreads, and her petite figure swayed with a humble confidence that could induce envy in any female and something else entirely in any male. A gold hoop wrapped itself around her left nostril, complementing the hoop that Brynn got in her right on the same day. The two were more like sisters than aunt and niece.