the fateful five

chapter one

MARIE ROCKEFELLER

Let the games begin.

"Alright, who's going first?" I asked as I sat on the wooden floor surrounding the pool, shuffling my prized deck of tarot cards.

My three best friends sat around me in a circle, eager to find out what the future held for them. It was our annual tradition - every August before school started in the Upper East Side, we would escape the NYC crowds at my summer house in Newport, Rhode Island for the month. One of those nights, I would pull out my most special deck, and our evening was spent predicting the next 10 months of school. For the past 4 years of high school, the cards haven't been wrong once. From boys to backstabbers to blackouts, everything was perfectly accurate. Now that we were going to UNC at Chapel Hill together in 31 days, the silly little ritual was mandatory.

"Me! I will!" shouted the blonde bombshell.

Bernadette Benson, "Birdie" as we called her, made her presence known. She stood tall at 5'9, however, her 6 inch Louboutin heels were her favorite choice of footwear. We instantly became friends at age 6, when she said that my cerulean blue dress would look much better with a sweetheart neckline. of She was simply stunning, and there was no doubt about it. Socializing came easy to her, and her vivacious spirit lit up any room she walked into. Birdie was majoring in fashion, and for good reason - her style was impeccable.

I made a fist and knocked on the set three times and started to shuffle my deck for her, asking what the cards had to say. Within a few seconds, they were flying out left and right.

"We have the Chariot, the Empress, Strength, the Hanged Man, and the Star." I began to analyze. "This year you'll be rewarded for letting go of something or someone, and being courageous. Visualize your highest self, and show up as her. It may be challenging to do so, but in the end you will feel a sense of control over your life. Your dreams are coming true, and if you stay consistent, everything will fall into place."

The blue eyed beauty nodded, and started to nibble on her pretzels and hummus. She always brought the best snacks for evenings like these. She also supplied a huge bottle of champagne - straight from our estate's vineyard.

We were comfortable.

My best friend from middle school, Juniper Driscoll, sat next in line for her reading. Her father was the CEO of Driscoll Berries; ironically she had long locks of strawberry colored hair. Summer was her favorite time of year - she thrived in the summer. She embodied summer. If summer was a person, it was June. Her boat was the perfect place to be on a hot day, and the views of Newport were beautiful from the water. A pool sandwich and a bag of sea salt chips later, we would all be taking a nap on the deck, basking in the warmth. At UNC she would be attending law school; she had a hot temper and argued with someone every chance she got.

The cards started to appear. The Emperor in reverse, Justice, and the Sun.

"You're going to kill it at law school, J." A smile instantly appeared on her face. "You're going through an awakening, and in turn you'll need to do some reflecting. Legal disputes and fairness will be part of this, so law school will be the perfect fresh start for you. The Sun card, however, signifies happiness and success! I wonder what will trigger this," I said, shuffling my deck.

Suddenly, the answer popped out. The Two of Cups - one of, if not the most romantic card in tarot. "June!" I shouted. "You're finding love this year! A relationship! This is great for you, I'm so happy. Aren't you excited?"

The stubborn redhead rolled her eyes. "No way," she stated affirmatively. "Don't you know how stupid men are? No way in hell am I getting my heart broken again. I simply just don't want anything right now, and besides, winning a case seems much more enticing than a stupid guy, with a stupid face, and a stupid smile, and a stupidly huge di-"

I cleared my throat, "Penny, you're up." She scooted closer to me as the cards began to speak.

Penny Wellington was in our ears and in our eyes. Named after the Beatles song, she was an aspiring music teacher with the warmest heart. That being said, she was often quiet and shy in large groups, but always listened to any nearby gossip and was sure to update the group chat with anything she heard. Her music taste was also impeccable - she was always on aux whenever she got the chance. Guitar was her forté; she played and sang so magically on rainy nights. High school was the best with her, and our group was complete by freshman year when she moved from Seattle.

Out came the Queen of Cups, the Ace of Swords, the Knight of Wands, and the Knight of Cups.

"You've completed a cycle in your life Penny, this is probably in relation to high school. Embrace your kindness and sensitivity because it's something a lot of people lack. You will also have a breakthrough that will bring clarity, not sure how that will happen yet. Use your creativity to your advantage. Keep holding onto your passions - I think this will be a part of your success."

Penny smiled, playing with her hair. "Noted," she responded while clipping it back. "What about you, Marie? Don't forget to read for yourself too."

I hesitated, but then went ahead and started to scramble the arcana.

Instantly, I received the Fool, the High Priestess, the Lovers, Death, and the Wheel of Fortune.

"New beginnings and new adventures are starting, along with the end of a cycle. Listen to intuition rather than intellect. Major life changes are coming with the Lovers card, and the choices I make will lead to great things. I'm getting the message of not knowing what or who will come out of the woodworks. There is nothing to be afraid of - everything is working out, it's all according to divine timing."

Birdie came back from the kitchen with flutes of bubbly. We held our glasses high as she raised a toast.

"May our first year at college be one to remember. To the future! Cheers girls!"

I let the alcohol descend down my throat, a soft smile making its way onto my face.

4:44 on the clock - I knew angels were watching.

This year would be the best one yet.
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chapter one is done !!! so so excited for the rest of this story. what do you think ??? don't forget to vote and comment :)

qué será será,
G 💌