VIII. Sparks
I felt a sense of deja vu when I woke up with no memory of the night before. I didn't even remember making it out of my room. I sighed and rubbed my temples in a weak attempt to soften the growing migraine behind my eyes.
Sitting up, I took a deep breath and threw off my covers. I could feel the monthly hormones rolling into my body simply because I already felt the urge to sock someone in the face.
"Hey, Adriette. Are you okay?" Her sweet, soft voice soothed my vicious irritation instantly and I sighed.
"I'm just feeling a bit hormonal. Nothing bad. Well, I also can't remember anything from last night. I'm hoping I just fell asleep." I glanced over at her, urged to smile. I repressed it, though I did feel my spirits lift even more so.
She kept walking when I stopped and I reached out to grab her arm. "Um, can I have a hug?" She rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around me, warmth and giddy joy hitting me like a tidal wave. "Thank you, angel."
"What have I told you about calling me that?" She laughed and I just shrugged smiling at her brightly. "I don't even care anymore. See you later." She gave me one last smile before going to her locker.
I made my way to meet up with Danielle at this point, wanting so badly to squeal to her about my overly sensitive emotions. When she caught sight of my smile, she instantly rolled her eyes.
"Barbie?" She used our codename for my crush and I grinned, nodding vigorously. She just shook her head and linked arms with me as we made our way to class number one.
*
I just wanted to go home. I felt like crap and I already planned on ditching my last two classes and sitting in the bathroom, cradling my pounding head. I was halfway through my fifth period when the bathroom door banged open.
"Adriette, I know you're in here. Come out, I can fix your headache." Viola's voice was soft for once and I dragged my aching body out of the stall. Viola reached out and her fingers brushed my temples. They were ice cold at first, but within a second, they were warm.
My headache was gone. I felt warmth radiate throughout my body and nearly cried from the relief.
"Only magic can heal a magical headache." She mumbled. No doubt I wasn't supposed to hear it, so I pretended I didn't.
I hopped up on the bathroom counters and watched as Viola leaned against a stall and pulled a cigarette out. I raised an eye, partially disgusted by the habit. She simply gazed at me while she lit up and took a long, deep hit.
The bathroom stayed silent for the next twenty minutes, our breathing being the only thing filling the eerily comfortable silence. Once she finished her cig, though, that silence was over.
"You never made it to my house last night. When I came to check on you, you were asleep on your bedroom floor. I climbed in and simply moved you onto your bed and left. I'm assuming you were drunk," She slid down to the floor and crossed her legs, her slender fingers picking at a tiny rip in her black nylons.
"I was hoping nothing had happened," I grumbled, pulling my knees up to my chest. Something about her lazy gaze made me feel self conscious.
"Don't drink tonight. Come to my house around 8. Use the front door like a normal person. There's somebody I want you to meet." In a flash, she had her bag slung over her shoulder and she was waltzing out of the bathroom. The moment she pulled the door open, the bell rang.
With a sigh, I decided to go to my last class now that my headache was gone. I had to figure out what the hell she was talking about when she mentioned magic. I'm not stupid. I know there's something going on.
When my last class was over, I got a call from my mother telling me that my brother had been released from the hosptial. They said he had somehow miraculously recovered insanely fast and he only had a few cuts and bruises left. I was happy, yes, but very suspicious.
True to the words of the doctor, my brother was better than ever - minus the minor physical injuries. I chose not to dwell on the oddity of the situation and went to my room to finish up the little bit of homework I actually had. Before I knew it, it was approaching 8 o'clock and I was ready to go.
I left the house without much of a word to anyone other than my father so he knew where I was. When I pulled up in her driveway, there was a motorcycle sitting on the curb.
Suddenly very curious, I made my way to the door and knocked loudly. Within seconds, Viola's face appeared where the door was a moment ago and she was ushering me inside. Considering I had never seen anything other than her bedroom, I spent my walk down the hall examining the designs.
Once I reached the living room,my eyes met the bright green ones of an unfamiliar face. I cocked my head in Viola's direction but didn't tear my eyes from the boy sitting before me. He looked to be just slightly older than me, but he radiated maturity and confidence.
"Who's this, Viola?" His voice was silky and rang clear in the silence of the room. It wasn't very deep, but it was nowhere near high pitched. Setting about it just seemed to draw me in and I was sitting beside him without a second thought.
"Daniel, this is Adriette. The girl I told you about." Viola's voice was but a quiet hum in the background of the pounding of my blood running through my veins.
Daniel. His name felt like velvet rolling off my tongue. I hadn't realized I had spoken his name out loud until he responded to me.
You like my name? His voice was booming yet simply a velvet caress of my mind. I knew he didn't speak out loud. My ears didn't hear the beautiful sound. Just my mind.
How.. I thought in response, somehow knowing he could hear me. A smirk found its way onto his face and he tilted his head downwards, gazing at me through dark eyelashes.
In time, my dear, you will know.
