I was still confused about these emotions and why they are so strong. I mean I have felt this way for Caly ever since I saw her the first time. Then as I got to know her she was exactly the type for me. She is a good listener, sweet, and very friendly. But, I need to tell someone about these stronger emotions. I would talk to Taylor about this, but this is something you would tell an older brother. The only older person I have to talk to is Eli. Well, here it goes.
I walked to his room first. On the way there I had to walk by the music room. I heard the sweetest voice coming from there. It was muffled though by the door. I wanted to see who it was. I turned the handle to open the door, but it was locked. I wanted to hear more, but I was already doing something more important. As I approach Eli's room I saw that the door was open so turned around without even looking in. I knew that he always shut the door when he was in there. I decided to head to the beach.
As I turned off the path I saw him standing in his usual spot with Dermott on his shoulder. He didn't even say anything he just lifted his arm and off flew Dermott; then he sat down I guess to think. Then before I knew what was going on Eli said, "Isaac I know you are behind me. If you want to talk you are going to have to come over here.” “Okay. I have a problem and I need an older brother's advice,” I said to him. He just said, “Well, I have something to tell you. If you've noticed I am not your brother.” I replied with, “Well, you are the best I can do since I don't have one. Now are you going to help me or not!?” He looked at me with these friendly eyes. Then he said, “So, you are very forward aren't you. Sure I will help.” So I proceeded to tell him my problem; when Medwin showed up. Eli quickly jumped to his feet and with a voice of hatred asked, “To what do we owe this visit and when do you leave?” Medwin said, “I have come to make a proposition with you Eli. Hear me out or face the consequences.”
Eli was eyeing Medwin's pendent with a look of pure thought said, “Okay, but no funny business or we will have consequences.” Medwin just stuck his nose up at that remark and then said, “I will give you your precious Crystal back if you join my side.” “That would never work. She would hate me for being evil and never stay with me. So, no I won't do it. I would rather find her myself,” Eli replied with a certain guilt and worry in his voice.
Medwin pointed to his pendent and said, “Well look no further.” With that phrase Eli started this blue light that almost looked like a blue wind surrounding him and then let it all out towards Medwin. As Medwin flew backwards from the blast Eli hit the ground I guess from using to much energy so fast. I looked up and Medwin was gone. I then sent Dermott a telepathic message to get the others here right away. I just learned how to send messages like that so I couldn't send them but so far. Lucky, for me he was in range. Before I could blink he was flying toward the house at a very fast speed.
After less then five minutes past Zirc, Lana, Caly, Maeve, and Dermott showed up to help. I felt my heart skip a beat as Caly walk towards where I was. She asked me what happened. The only reply I gave her was that Eli must have used up to much energy trying get rid of Medwin. She looked at me with these eyes of relief that nothing happened to me. Then our attention turned to Maeve. Maeve held here hand inches away from Eli chest. Then she started the same blue light around her hand, but it was different more gentle and soothing. The light then flowed into Eli; almost like a river of pure energy flowing into him. He regained conciousnous and that was it.
The next day I thought I woke up before everyone else, but I heard the same voice coming from the music room. This time the door was left slightly open. I pushed it opened a bit more praying that it would not squeak. I gently breathed a sigh of relief when it did not. I looked in and Caly was standing at the window singing. It was the most beautiful song I had ever heard. I pulled the door back to the position it was in and sat there listening. As I heard the song I could remember the times Caly and I had together.
I was pulled out of my day-dreams by the sound of her walking toward the door. So I did the only thing I could I dove into the first room I came to, which happened to be the closet. I listen closely at the door to see if she heard me or not. I started to get worried when I heard her stop near the door. My heart was pounding and my breathing got very quick. I was sure that she had caught me when she started walking again and I was free to leave the closet.
"Hey Eli. Are you feeling Okay?" I asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shaken. And a little tired. Nothing much though." Eli said. "Do you want to know something?" I asked mischieviously. "Sure, sis." Eli said. "Caly told me that Isaac liked her, and that she liked him back." I said. "Yeah, I know. Isaac told me before Medwin showed up." Eli made a face when he said 'Medwin'. I didn't blame him at the least. "And did you know that Caly is an excellent singer?" Eli asked. "Nope, I didn't! How'd you find that out?" I asked curiously. "Long story! Now, it's way past your bedtime, and you know that Maeve would be furious if she found out that I let you stay up this late. So, go get some sleep for tomorrow." Eli ordered. "Only as long as you go to bed, too. You need sleep more than I ever will!" I laughed. "Deal." Eli said. Then we headed up the stairs to the bedrooms.
The next morning, I managed to wake up before anyone else did. I was in a funny mood, and I looked at the black and brown shoes with disgust. I decided that today everyone's feet would be noticeable, so me being me, I changed Eli's shoes gray, Zirc's shoes purple, Caly's shoes blue, Isaac's shoes green, Taylor's shoes yellow, and Zac's shoes pink (hehehehe). But not wanting to be left out, my shoes turned white. When Caly woke up, she found her shoes in a rather 'colorful' mood. She was one of the people that liked their shoes the color that they got. Zac, however, wasn't the least bit happy, and he repeated the phrase, "Pink?!?!?!?! Why pink of all colors?" All of us just looked at him and laughed, except for Eli. He just let out a few silly snorts at our immatureness, and personally, I think that he has to lighten up a bit. Even though Crystal's gone, he still a to have a little bit of fun. No one on earth can live a nice life with out a bit of fun in it. Eli included.
It had been three days after the little ‘incident’ with Isaac that I was able to make eye contact with him. Even then it was a quick glance across the dinner table. During all five of my practice sessions, Dermott had sat in the room with me, acting as ears for Eli. I had allowed him to do so, only for Crystal's sake. For the moment, we have a peace with each other, and that peace is very brittle. It could snap at any second. But I had a bigger problem than making amends with Eli. I still had no idea what to do about Isaac. I had caught him watching me practice more than once, but I decided not to say anything because that meant talking to him. Zirc suggested that talking to him would be the best thing, but I was too afraid of what might happen. I had never really thought of him like that; he'd always been like a brother to me. I tried to imagine myself holding hands with him, kissing him, and I really couldn't see it happening. My feelings were so jumbled up, not even Zirc could make a clear reading. I knew I had to get them straightened out somehow, I just wasn't sure how. I avoided it as much as possible, but in the end, it was the thing that kept me awake at night. Finally, I decided that I wasn't going to live in fear of my feelings.
I made sure Dermott was off with Eli before I stole off to the music room. It was about 11 in the morning, so I knew that was Isaac would be getting ready to go for his daily afternoon ride. I began practicing as loud as I dared without attracting Eli's attention. I finished a warm-up and pretended not to notice that the door to the room slightly creaked open. He sat there for 20 minutes at least listening to me. “It's now or never,” I said to myself. Before I had the chance to whirl around and act surprised, I felt a warm breath on my neck. “That was beautiful.” I didn't dare turn around because I knew what happened last time we were this close. “How long have you been listening?” “It seemed like years.” I walked quietly over to the window, putting a good 15 feet between us, then I turned to look at him. We gazed directly into each others eyes for the better part of a minute, apparently trying to read each others thoughts. “Listen, Isaac,” I began. “Wait. Before you say anything, I want to play something for you.”
He picked up the guitar that was leaning against the piano. “I've stayed up for the past three nights writing this,” he went on. His fingers began skillfully plucking at the strings. It was a beautiful melody, light and sweet. As it went on, I realized that it was written especially for my part. I counted notes, and began singing.
"All....throught the night, I'll be standing over you....and All through the night, I'll be watching over you and through bad dreams...I’ll be right there baby holding you hand, telling you everything is gonna be all right and when you cry...I’ll be right there, telling you, you were never anything less than beautiful so don't you worry...I’m your angel standing by"
Isaac's gaze met mine as I sang ‘never anything less than beautiful.’ I knew at that moment what I wanted. He strummed out the last few notes, then put the guitar back. “Well?” he inquired. I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck. He responded by slipping his arms around my waist. We touched lips gently at first, then much more deeper as the seconds ticked by. We finally broke apart and looked at each other. “I take it you've made your decision?” “Yes I did. I just hope I'll be happy with it.” Isaac smiled. “Keeping you happy is my job.” He hugged me, twirling me around in a circle. Isaac set me down. Slowly, his hand slid behind my head, tilting it upward. I ran my fingers through his soft hair as our lips met once again in what had to be a fairy-tale kiss.
“Well, somebody's in a better mood,” remarked Taylor. I smiled mischievously at my blond friend. “Is it that obvious?” He bit into his apple, then wiped away the juice that spattered on his mouth. “Definitely. Your emotions affect your general appearance.” To that I replied, “You've been talking to Zirc too much.” “Yeah, well seeing as how she's the only one who will talk to me anymore...” he trailed off. I turned to him, placing my hands on my hips. “Now, what's that supposed to mean?” He averted his eyes from my glare. “Nothing, forget I said anything,” he mumbled. “No, Taylor, tell me what's wrong,” I urged. I placed a hand upon his shoulder and forcefully pushed, so that he faced me. “I thought I was your best friend,” he said quietly. “What are you talking about was. You are my best friend Tayles,” I said, using my baby name for him.
“Then how come you didn't come to me about Isaac? I'm his brother, you know. Why did you run off and tell Zirc and not even mention it to me? You've never kept anything from me before, why did you start now?” I could tell he was furious about this. “Tayles, nothing like this has ever come up before. I couldn't talk about it with you because you wouldn't have understood.” “How do you know?? I might have been able to give you advice! Even if not, friends are there to listen, not to tell you what you should do. I've always come to you with my problems, I didn't even stop to think of taking them to anyone else.” He sighed heavily. I could feel my eyes watering. “Oh, Taylor. I had no idea you'd react like this. I'm sorry, I..” “Don't. Just don't try to talk to me right now, okay?” He stalked off before I could get in another word. I sank down in a chair and buried my face in my hands, letting the tears slip between my fingers.
I laid on my back on the sand and stared up at the darkness. The moon and stars were shining brightly. The day had been boring and weird. For some reason, Maeve had canceled classes, everyone was acting pissed off or confused, and I felt totally drained of all energy. Having the whole day to do nothing, I had spent my time reading everyone. Well, everyone except Caly. She's been so mixed up lately, I was having bad connections. I wished there was something I could do to help her. Evidently, she and Taylor had been in some sort of argument. Taylor had been sulking around the whole day, and at dinner they totally blew each other off.
Apparently Ike and Caly are dating now, based on some of the looks they've exchanged. Eli was, as usual, being himself. I hadn't seen him around all that much today, though. Wonder what he's been up to. Zac and Lana are good friends; I don't think they like each other in the 'love' type way, though. Zac's a pretty cool dude. He and Lana are a lot alike.
Along with Caly, I was feeling pretty confused myself. So much had been going on lately... my head was starting to spin. Feeling slightly nauseous, I tried to stand but crumbled unsuccessfully to the ground in a heap. My heart starting to beat faster, and my breath came in short gasps. Knowing I needed help, and fast, I tried to concentrate on sending a telepathic message to anyone, but more effort was needed than what I could give. So I just lay there, wondering what was going to happen.
I started to close my eyes, but as I did I felt to arms slip underneath my body and pick me up carefully. "Zirconia, are you ok? I was walking down here when I saw you on the ground." I would know that voice anywhere. It had been haunting me for days.
"I... please. Get me back home," I wheezed. Talking hurt. And I think my hero knew it. "Shh... don't talk if it hurts. I'll go as fast as I can." Nodding slowly, I laid against the arm supporting my head.
I woke up some time later. I wasn't sure if it was night or day, but when I looked outside and saw the sun shining I figured I had slept through the night. Struggling to sit up, I felt a sharp pain in my head and gave up, flopping helplessly back down onto my pillows. Sighing heavily, I called to Maeve.
She entered the room, her familiar warm smile spreading slowly across her tired face. "Are you feeling better?" she asked. I just nodded. "What happened?" I asked her quietly. Talking made my head pound. Maeve seemed to know, and motioned for me to be quiet. "Do you mean before or after you fainted?" she inquired. I looked at her, surprised. "I fainted?!" Maeve looked shocked at the statement. "Yes! You've been out cold since around eight last night," she informed me. I looked at the clock on my night table. "It's eleven thirty?" I asked. Surely that couldn't be right.
Maeve brushed some dark hair out of my pale eyes. "Zirconia, what did you do yesterday?" I shrugged. "Mostly nothing." Maeve frowned. "Did you experiment any with magic, or use it extensively?" I wasn't sure what she was getting to, but I slowly nodded my head. "Both. I used some old and tried some new." "What did you try that was new?" Maeve's tone was sharp. I bit my lip. "I - I'm not real sure. Something involving emotions, but I wasn't successful." Maeve's face softened. "Zirconia, please be aware that, though you are a sorceress, you still only have a limited amount of energy. And you still get sick."
I stared at her. "You mean I just wore myself out?" Maeve nodded. "Yes. That plus a touch of something. I want you to rest today, possibly tomorrow too." I opened my mouth to protest, but Maeve cut me off. "Zirconia, you heard me. I want you to rest. That means don't get up if you don't feel well enough, sleep if you get tired, and NO MAGIC." She stressed the last one with a firm tone. Then, she lowered her voice and spoke quietly. "I want you to get this out of your system. If you do as I say, you'll be better before you know it." I wanted to argue, but knew she was right. "Ok. I understand. But how am I supposed to talk to people?" Maeve handed me a bell, and I let out a small sigh. It was going to be a long day.
After Maeve left I went back to sleep. When I woke up again it was about three, and there was a figure standing in my door way. "Hey Zirc," they said in a soft voice. Smiling, I motioned for him to come over to my bed. "Hey Eli!" He leaned down, and I gave him a hug. "How's it going outside my room?" I asked. My head didn't spin when I spoke anymore, thankfully. Eli gave a small smile. "It's ok. Things are boring without you around." I laughed. "I know," I joked with him. "But how's everyone getting along?" Eli shrugged. We talked for awhile, then he left to go help Maeve start dinner.
Sitting there, I tried to think of something to do. The day had been a boring one thus far. So I threw off my covers and proceeded to climb out of bed. Wearing my plaid pajama pants and a gray t-shirt, I pulled on some warm socks and padded out of the room. It felt nice to see new surroundings after laying in bed all day. My hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, and the hallway's wallpaper seemed bright in contrast to my room. Just then, a door opened.
Taylor stepped into the hallway from his room, looking worn out. "Hey Tay," I said quietly. He turned to face me, a smile spreading across his face. "You're up!" he exclaimed. I just nodded. He walked over to where I was standing. "So I guess you're feeling better?" he asked. "Yeah. Thanks for helping last night, I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't." Taylor shrugged his shoulders. "Well, when I walked outside and saw you fall to the ground, I knew something was up. And then I heard you call for help-" he cut himself off when he saw me look up. "You heard that?" I asked. He nodded. "Yeah. It was really sort of faint, but I heard it." I sighed. "Thanks again," I said. Then I walked away and down the stairs.
Hearing Eli and Maeve in the kitchen, I walked through the house, my mind in a whirl. I couldn't understand what was happening. I felt really confused about my feelings for some reason. Needing fresh air, I stepped out onto the front porch. A soft breeze was blowing, and the waves were crashing against the sand on the beach. I walked towards the sand, the salty air helping clear my head. Sitting o the beach I stared up at the sky. Pointing my index finger upward, I shot a small flame up to the clouds. Then I remembered I wasn't supposed to be using magic. "But this is effortless. It was one of the first things I learned. I'll be fine," I told myself. I shot a few more flames, aiming carefully. Just then a tentative tap on my shoulder caused me to jump. I flame shot out of my finger as I turned, and to my horror I saw Lana and Zac standing there.
"Move!" I shouted. But it was too late. Lana stood stone still as the flame shot towards her. It all seemed to be happening in slow motion. I closed my eyes, and opened them again upon hearing Lana shriek, and Zac gasp. Lana was laying on the sand in a crumpled heap, not moving. Zac stared at me, his eyes wide. Tears dripped down my face. "Zac, get everyone out here now," I said softly. I had a feeling I was going to be in some major trouble.
