(The New) Power of the 8 Elements: Part Two

Chapter Four: Unlikely Friendship

"The language of friendship is not words but meanings." - Henry David Thoreau
PRESENT DAY
CELESTE

We don't have school today. The police need time to conduct another investigation at school to make sure that the body they found yesterday was the only body.

"Hey, I think we need more bread," Silver says, looking through the pantry.

"And some celery," Rune says.

"Celery? Ugh, who likes celery?"

"I like celery-"

"-Celeste, how about you and Lucifer go to Target and pick up some bread, celery, uh...eggs, I think some double A batteries, and-"

"-we'll make a list," Lucifer says.

I perk up.

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, you deserve to get out of the house. Fresh air."

"Why can't Silver go? Silver can drive."

"Lucifer can drive. Now, I have a business meeting, Rune, you're going out to the mall with your friends, so get dressed, and Silver-"

"I have to meet with Catherine and Louise at the movies."

"When will you be back?"

She shrugs. Mom sighs and grips at her hair. "Well, Proteus is going to be back later than usual, so when you do leave, make sure to lock the door behind you."

"Will do."

"Come, Cel," Lucifer says.

I sit up from the couch and follow him out of the door. I'm still curious about the murders, and when I sit down and reach into my pockets, I feel a crumpled up slip of paper. I pull out the sticky note with Thrax's number on it.

"What's that?" Lucifer asks, starting the car and turning around the corner out of the driveway.

"Something for school," I say, avoiding his gaze. "I was trying to remind myself to study for our Magical Ethics test."

He raises an eyebrow. "Really?"

I nod. "Yeah."

"Alright, darling."

When we pull up in Kroger, I get a text from Mom. 'Make sure to get some pots for the garden. Home depot. Love you.'

"Let's try to make this quick," I say. "How about I check out some stuff here, and you can drive to Home Depot."

"Sure, sounds like a plan," Lucifer says.

"Alright, love you," I say, kissing him.

I step out of the car and watch as he drives away. When I enter the store, I make a new set of notes, detailing what I want to get. As I start looking for some bread, someone runs into me.

"Hey! Watch where you're going-" I freeze when I see Cheryl, and she stops talking. "Oh, my gosh. Celeste? What brings you here?"

"Getting stuff, why are you here?"

"Mommy and daddy are planning a dinner party. They need olive oil."

"Good luck with that."

"So how have you been? Still have morning sickness? Any headaches? Period?"

"Cheryl, stop it."

"You know, you can always get another pregnancy test."

"I don't need one."

"Hm, better safe than sorry." And with that, she walks away, auburn curls bobbing up and down.

I roll my eyes, put bread and a few boxes of cereal in the cart and walk away. I pick up some batteries, other types of foods and snacks, a DVD for a horror movie, and a pack of colored pencils that I figured I could bribe Terry with or something like that. I turn down the makeup aisle and see a very tall figure standing by the cosmetology section. I back up and see Thrax looking at curling irons.