Destined

Chapter Twenty-Two

Finally, it was Friday! The enthusiasm could be felt as you walked through the hallways of Salem High School. The last bell of the day rang, signaling the day was over. I clicked the red "x" at the top of the screen and logged out of my math class. It was a college-level course, so I was in the computer lab. Ironically, it was the only period Kate wasn't in the lab. In most of my classes, I had at least one person I knew. My first and last class were the most lonely, where it was just me sitting in a room full of mortals. It wasn't just that they were mortals, but that they had their preconceived notions about me. Most of the humans in my class knew there was something different about me. The rumors surrounding Daniel and me had finally faded, but people were always talking about me. That might have had something to do with the fact that we didn't have a single class together. I had only seen him in passing once or twice. Each time, he had been helping a freshman get to their class. Wryly, I thought about my first day here and how he had offered to help me. Was that because of the Curse or because he actually liked helping people? I tried not to think about it the rest of the day. Whether it was about my family and me or just me -- the hallways always spun around my name: Cornelia Moreau. Now, people were talking about how Ivelyn and I were half-sisters. I wasn't sure how that rumor had gotten out, but it was in full swing. Ivelyn didn't seem to care -- she thought all attention was good attention. I tried not to let it bother me, but the truth was, after a week of hearing whispers about me, I was over my last year of High School. I wanted it to be over with already. I grabbed my things and left the now empty room. On my way out, I passed Dy in the hall. He was pushing a mop with a grin on his face. He loved his job as a Janitor. Dy smiled down at me, his red-brown hair looking more red in the fluorescent lights. His uniform stretched over his bulging muscles and hefty biceps. It wasn't an overdramatization -- Dy was ripped, and so was Dione. Mir was right to feel protected when they were around. Still, I knew better than to feel safe in this town. Of course, I trusted them with my life, but I wouldn't hold it against them if something happened to me. Plus, Ivelyn approved of them, which was huge. Approval wasn't something she dolled out willy nilly. I found myself relaxing when I saw one of the twins in the school. "Heading home?" Dy asked, his voice oddly harmonic. Despite his size, he was soft-spoken. "Yup, Erik and I have a date tonight." My cheeks filled with blush. Even just mentioning Erik had my head and heart in swirls. I couldn't help it. Dy's smile widened as he saw my reaction. My first week of Senior year was completed, and in that week, I had only seen Erik once. I missed him terribly, especially at night. My nightmares were worse than ever, keeping me up every other hour. I couldn't continue on like this. I was still taking Elise's potion, increasing the dose on my own accord. I hadn't had a vision yet, but I felt more powerful. I really missed seeing Erik at school. I knew it would be hard without him here, but I hadn't realized how much. I missed our walks to lunch, having math class with him, and seeing him in passing. We text constantly, but that wasn't the same thing. He tried to video chat with me when he wasn't busy, but work kept him busy. He was working more hours than he had expected. I was trying to be understanding. "Be safe," was the statement that came out of the twin's mouths the most. I sighed, shifting my weight to the other foot. I was tired of hearing that and even more tired of living up to that expectation. "We'll be hiking, so I think we'll be good." I gave him a thumbs up and started to turn away. "Hiking can be dangerous," Dy added wryly. "Anything can be dangerous, Dysseus." Our eyes met, and he knew not to push the matter further. "Aren't you just hiking?" Phantom asked me, clearly annoyed. I was on my fourth-- no, fifth, outfit option. I had asked Phantom to help me pick an outfit, but he proved to be no help. His attitude was in a rare form today, and there was no budging that out. "Yes, but I still want to look good." I snapped my fingers, switching my outfit again. I found the spell incredibly useful, especially during times like this when I was running late. Erik was going to be here any minute. Phantom rolled his eyes at me. "Ridiculous," he murmured as he rested at the edge of my bed. "You may think that, but I haven't seen him much since school and work started back up. I want to make sure tonight goes perfectly," I stared at my reflection. I was going back and forth between two outfits. One was black and a forest green combo workout suit. The other was a pink-red crop-top workout top and stretchy pants. It was the most comfortable, but the other outfit was sexier. "I'm sure it'll be perfect in whatever outfit," there wasn't even an ounce of care in his words. He wanted me to hurry up and leave so that he could enjoy the room by himself. I shook my head at him. "You're no help," it wasn't true. Eventually, I went with the pink-red outfit. It was still in the eighties when Erik picked me up, so I didn't bother bringing a jacket. That was my first mistake -- Erik liked going on extreme hikes. I should have known and brought more supplies. When Erik saw me, he kissed me quickly on the cheek, then took in my outfit. "I thought we were going on a hike?" He rubbed his chin that had grown in stubble. I liked the way his eyes moved across my body. "What do you mean? I'm dressed for a hike." I even was wearing tennis shoes. I raised an eyebrow at him, challenging him to say what he was thinking. His grey eyes spun, hues of pink absorbed into his eyes from my outfit. He gave me another hard stare, making my cheeks feel hot against the blush he caused. Erik took my hand, proudly walking me to his car. "Okay, I thought we could go to Angel's Rest?" That was a known, challenging hike. I stared at my house as we pulled out of the driveway. I still had time to run inside and change into a more practical outfit. I almost did, but then I remembered I had magic on my side. Plus, Erik usually packed more than what we needed on a hike. "Sounds good to me," I smiled as we drove. As Erik drove, I played with the AUX cord, trying to find the best playlist for today. I chose a Pop-Alternative mix. It was the beginning of the ending of summer. Soon, it would be fall and then my birthday. September was half-over, then it would be October. Part of me was nervous about my birthday. Although, I was more than ready to be eighteen. Erik took my hand in his as he drove. The hike was a distance away, but it was worth it -- those were Erik's words. I enjoyed hiking, but my coordination didn't approve of such activities. I was more than clumsy and took longer than anyone else on hikes. Still, for some reason, Erik loved going with me. The drive itself was on rough terrain, all the way up this dry mountain. The sky was blue, with a few puffs of clouds spotted spatially throughout the sky. It was the perfect day to hike, Erik commented as he pulled into a parking spot. Not even the parking lot was flat -- it was an uphill hike to the trail. I wanted to complain, but I bit my tongue. I still didn't understand hiking for entertainment. I was from New York - we didn't hike for fun. Hell, we didn't even drive in New York. Erik pulled on a backpack and took my hand. I was already out of breath as we made our way to the mouth of the trail. Sweat beaded on my forehead. I was now regretting the face full of makeup I had put on. The sun beat down against my bare shoulders with an intensity I just knew was burning my skin. I opened my mouth to say something, but Erik was already handing me the sunscreen. We shared a look where the ginger should have known to pack sunscreen on a sunny day. "Thanks," I muttered appreciatively as I applied the sunscreen liberally. It helped subdue the heat from burning me further. I handed the bottle back to Erik, and we returned to our hike. The terrain was loose rocks, making it challenging to climb upwards. My feet kept losing grip, and I would slide backward. Each time, Erik would turn to look at me as he walked back up the hill. He tried to help me, but walking was not my strong suit. With the back of my hand, I wiped the sweat and makeup off my forehead. "How was class today?" Erik asked, not even slightly out of breath. He was walking backward next to me so that he could keep an eye on me. Hiking came so naturally to Erik it was like his second nature. It was terrific and annoying all at the same time. How was he good at everything? Even just looking at him made me exhale in frustration at his perfectness. "It was okay, a little boring, but that's typical now." The second part confused him. His blonde eyebrows fused in that same confusion. It was nice to see him at odds for once. He usually knew the answer to everything. "What do you mean by boring?" There was a steep turn coming up, but Erik knew -- even with his back turned, he could feel the earth twist under his feet. Without even looking, his feet started to turn upwards towards the curvature in the land. I stared in disbelief. My own feet barely could keep up, and I had my eyes forward. I exhaled, which turned into a cough. This hike was proving how out of shape I was. Phantom had been right. It didn't matter what outfit I wore. I was still clumsy and out of shape. I should have gone with the most comfortable, hike-approved outfit I owned. Next time, I would have to remember this. My lungs ached with a burning heat as I struggled to breathe. "You're not there, and half of my classes I'm alone, so" I struggled to breathe and talk at the same time. I paused, trying to catch my breath. "It's pretty boring." I tried to shrug, but I think it looked like a seizure. Even with the sunscreen, my body was burning against the UV rays. I had to stop walking, pausing to catch my breath. Erik ran a circle around me, jogging in place when I glared at him. He wasn't helping my ability to continue on this hike. "Do you have any classes with Addy?" Erik asked curiously. The three of us had hung out Monday, but that was the last time the three o we had been together. During that time, we hadn't really talked about school. Erik and Ads had a lot to catch up on, and school wasn't the main priority. We talked about magic, Lola's Cancer, and how California had been. Most of the conversation had been wrapped up in how Addison had been—talking about something as mundane as school classes hadn't even been acknowledged. I hadn't taken offense. I knew what was essential to Addison now. It was okay that she cared more about acting than Salem. She was my best friend, but I understood that our priorities would change as we got older. "Yeah, we have ceramics together and lunch." Although, lunch didn't really count. So far, lunch was filled with random mortals coming up to Addison, asking for an autograph. At first, it was exhilarating to be next to someone so famous. Then, by Wednesday, I was over it. Ivelyn couldn't believe people even heard of Addison. Kate and Mir stayed quiet about the whole ordeal, which meant something entirely. I wished I could tell Erik things were rainbows and unicorns at school, but they weren't. Things were so different it felt like a new school. Addison was different too. It wasn't just the people around us. She flaunted the new highlights and fame like she was still in LA. I wouldn't say I liked it, but I wouldn't express that to her. I was teetering on the subject with Erik, wondering if I should even bring it up. Erik and Ads were more like brothers and sisters than best friends. If I said something about Ads to Erik, he might feel obligated to tell her. I knew he felt like a mediator around us, which wasn't what I wanted him to do. I enjoyed the three of us being besties again, but that seemed almost impossible. Addison was a different person. That didn't change that she was my friend. It just meant things were different right now. "That sounds fun." Erik meant well by the statement, just trying to make small talk. Still, I struggled with telling him the truth and what I thought he wanted to hear. As I took a deep breath, pushing myself further up the hill. We had almost reached the top of the mountain. I couldn't wait to see the view from the top. It would make all of this worth it. "It's an interesting class," I finally said. This made Erik make a face at me. "Interesting?" He repeated with a question mark. "Yeah, interesting. I haven't had a ceramics class before. Ads are really good at it, but she said she took a course in LA, so I guess-- I trailed off, talking about a story Addison had told me. I didn't describe it as well as her, fumbling my way around her story. Erik was listening patiently, not interrupting me. He was a great listener. He always let me say my peace. "Sounds fun. How about your other classes?" He picked up on my tone, sensing I wanted to move on. I stared at him for a moment, taking in every detail of his face. I never wanted to forget what he looked like. Too many people I had met had left far too quickly. Some of them were starting to disappear from my memory. I barely remembered some of them, and it made me heartache. I thought of Gran, my grandma, and my best friend. Of all the billions of people on this planet, she was the closest to me. She knew me inside and out, more than I knew myself. Her grey hair, wise eyes, lavender tea, and stability would always give me nostalgia. When she was murdered, it hurt on a level I hadn't known existed. When she died, I felt the ripple in the Earth as she left. It felt unnatural to have her gone. She should be here. I wanted her here, but she was gone. She couldn't come back to Earth. Sarah Good might have defied death twice, but I wasn't up for that kind of magic. Not to mention the fact that no one wanted to show me how to, or I would have brought Gran back to life a long time ago. Maybe it was a good thing people wouldn't show me. That was a type of magic you couldn't come back from. It wasn't like the Amulet, where you could take it off and leave the magic behind. The type of magic to bring someone back from the dead was life-altering. You couldn't come back from that type of misuse of magic. Once you did that, you were condemned evil and destined to a dark path. I shook my head, taking myself out of the type of thinking. It wasn't healthy to think of the past with such desire. I knew better than to wander down memory lane like that. Dy had told me to be safe. This was what he meant. Dy trusted Erik with my life, but he pointed with me when he told me to be safe. While hiking, it left you with lots of internal monologue time. For me, that was most dangerous. If I allowed myself a minute to myself, thinking of my past, it was perilous. I shuddered. Dy knew me better than I thought he did. He was highly observant and, in his short time in Salem, had summed me up quickly. Sighing, I thought back to when I begged Dysseus to bring back Gran. It was always my first wish -- to bring Evanora Moreau back. She was the strongest of the Moreau Witches and, when she was murdered, left all the surrounding WItches unfounded. It had been a long time since such a WItch had been murdered. The fact that Sarah Good had killed Evanora Moreau made all good Witches scared. If someone could kill such a powerful Witch as Gran was, what did that leave the lesser Witches? It was enough to give the most simple-minded Witch anxiety. I snapped back to reality, trying to remember what Erik had asked me. His face tilted in concern. Right, he wanted to know about my other classes. I quickly recited my schedule: Graphic Design, History with Gellar, Writing with Mir, then lunch, and Science with Ivelyn, which followed with ceramic with Ads then lonely Math class where I tried to focus and not dwell on my day. "Writing and Science are fun. I have History with Gellar again," I drifted off. The first class I had at Salem High School had been History with Gellar. Except for that year, I had Daniel next to me. If it hadn't been for Gellar's History project, I might not have found out I was related to Sarah Good as soon as I did. If I had paid more attention to the class instead of a brown hair brown-eyed boy, I might have taken the Witch history more seriously. Maybe I wouldn't have let Levi win, and possibly Erik and I would be together sooner. Then again, perhaps this was precisely how my lie was supposed to go. I couldn't dwell on the past, or what could have been, that wasn't useful to anyone. It didn't matter on the choices I could have made because, given a choice, I hadn't made those. My life was here and now for a reason, and I wasn't going to be sullen about any of it. I was here, with Erik, on this beautifully sunny day. I didn't want to be anywhere else. Instead of sighing with doubt, I took a breath of certainty, smiling at Erik more than I ever had. My hips hurt as I stretched forward, meeting Erik at the viewpoint. I wrapped my arms around me, hurling myself forward. I trusted him, and my lips collided with his in certainty. The warmth of him warmed my whole body. I felt safe and trusted him more than I thought possible. This was where my choices had led me, and I was happier than ever with my reality. Erik and this viewpoint were where I belonged. I couldn't stop my kiss from turning into kisses as our lips synced together. Erik's hands held me upright against him. My fingers twisted in his blonde locks, never of regret. He stopped time as he kissed me, our hearts beating as one, forever intertwined.