Destined

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I was getting ready for the party tonight when the buzz of a portal alerted me. I stopped what I was doing, and my head snapped up, waiting for an explanation. Usually, Elise sent the portal on Wednesdays, but today was Monday. She shouldn't be here today, plus she knew I had plans tonight. What was going on?

I stood up, moving away from my desk. The portal's mouth opened, and out plopped a box. I waited to see if Elise would step through the portal as well, but nothing. The portal disappeared as soon as it appeared, so I bent down to pick up the box. It was the size of a gift bag for clothes. Carefully, I opened it, curious to see what was inside.

The dress was so beautiful it made me gasp. I held it out to get a better look at it. It was a deep red color with rubies woven into the fabric. It was from Elise, so I didn't doubt the rubies were real. It was floor-length with a plunging neckline. I wasn't sure I could pull it off. Honestly, it looked like a dress more for Ivelyn than me. At the bottom of the box was a card.

It read:

"Happy Birthday Cornelia Ann,

I hope this dress matches your plans for tonight. See you Wednesday. -- Elise."

I read the note several times, then stared down at the dress I was wearing. It was my birthday, but also Halloween, and that meant dressing up in a costume. Weeks ago, I had decided to be Morticia. I even got Erik to agree to be Gomez for Ivelyn's party. The gown Elise had brought me was beyond gorgeous, but it didn't fit my outfit. I chewed on my bottom lip, going back and forth. Until I hung up the red gown in my closet and headed downstairs, Erik would be here any minute to pick me up.

Plus, Elise wasn't going to be at the party. She would never know I didn't wear the red dress. My phone vibrated. It was a text from Erik -- he was on his way. That was even more reason to stick to wearing my Morticia dress. Downstairs, Dara and Rhys were patiently waiting for us. Addison was doing the final touches of her makeup in my bathroom. She had a more elaborate costume than me. She was going to be a Glam-Clown. It was her take on evil clowns, but make them pretty.

Dara and Rhys had matching outfits as nerds. They wore suspenders, plaid, and glasses. Their costumes were the funniest of the group. It was good to see the two of them involved in our plans. For a while, I had tried to keep Dara from my friends.

"Oh, before you go, Cornelia," mom held up a finger to me. Dara and Rhys went outside to wait for Erik. I turned to my mom, who was holding a small box in her palm. Next to her, Zack stood with a bright smile.

"What's up?" I asked curiously.

"We wanted to give you your presents before you go," my mom had an eager look on her face. She motioned for Zack to give me his gift first.

"Happy birthday," he handed me an unwrapped book. I was thankful for the lack of wrapping paper. I always felt so awkward opening gifts, making sure I didn't hurt anyone's feelings.

"Thank you," I truly meant it. I hadn't expected Zack to get me a gift but was even more surprised that I loved his gift.

"You mentioned you liked the author, so I thought you might enjoy this novel." He shrugged casually in his red plaid shirt.

"I love it, thank you, Zack. I can't wait to read it." I gave him a half-hug, and he headed upstairs. "That was really nice of him," I commented, still in shock.

"He's a great guy. Anyways, this," she placed the box into my hand. Slowly, I took off the top, almost afraid to see what was inside. "My mom, your grandmother, gave this to me when I turned eighteen. I think you should have it now." Just the mention of Gran had my eyes watering. It was a silver ring with opals on the side. Each opal was a phase of the moon. The center was a full moon, and the round opal glistened in the light.