The Awakened Ones

I stayed home from school the next day. That twenty minute nap at Quint’s was a sign of a small cold that I get twice a year for only three or four days. I slept most of the day with mirrors all around me, my senses open, and that weird guard on my soul Quint taught me. By midafternoon, Quint called checking to see if everything was alright. I laughed and told him everything was fine then talked with him until I got another call. I said goodbye and answered Sarah’s call. She was asking if I was feeling any better and was given the same answer I gave Quint. After seeing how I was, she told me her father finished with my guardian stone. She also mentioned she had my homework. We decided that she would drop off everything after school.

After a few hours she came by but ran right out, stating she had to go someplace.

I wasn’t bothered by it, I mean, I was sick. The next day though I needed something to do. I was to have a three day weekend and I needed to keep myself entertained and the eight hundred channels we had on television weren’t helpful. So Saturday afternoon, my grandmother took me to the library and I took out a book about souls. The whole, listening to soul’s thing, wasn’t working, and I figured a book was the next best suggestion. I just hoped it had everything I wanted to know in it. Xi wanted us to be awakened, I knew that, and he only wanted us to become awakened so he could take our powers and become the most powerful soul in the universe. Probably destroy everything if he could too.

Who knows?

Maybe he even wanted revenge on us, hah.

I found one of my answers while reading the book. The chapter explained Xi to a T. If he awakened us and stole our life sources and powers, he could kill us for good and make this world the soul world permanently, which would give him more control over everything. It was definitely a revenge issue too. Apparently in one of our past lives, something went wrong between all of us. I don’t know the entire story though, the book didn’t explain great details on that subject.

I searched for a higher power after that. Surely we had to have a leader, someone more powerful to watch after us. After a few pages, I found something. The name of the higher power was Piez and he was half human, half horse with wings; and he had a horn like a Unicorn. There was no drawing of him for me to reference, but strangely I felt like I knew.

On Monday it was back to school and I brought my book with me. I shared it with Sarah in the morning and just hearing that Piez was a Pegasus – Sarah flipped. She was so excited. There was just one thing I didn’t get: Why wasn’t Piez a normal creature? Like all horse or all human.

After gawking at the page of Piez and not really trying to brain storm about what all this awakening crap meant, Sarah announced that she had to run. I asked her why and that the bell was just about to ring and that we could just walk to first period together. But she gave me a poor excuse of an answer and was gone.

I just let it go… again. Sarah was acting weird lately, so I didn’t let it bother me. At least I didn’t let it bother me until I saw what she was keeping from me. Walking to our first class together, study hall, I found myself walking behind her and Nick. It wasn’t strange since they have been friends since grade school and were still very close, but what was strange was what happened when they got to our class.

They turned to each other, then… kissed! I stopped like an e-brake was put up and watched. They said a few words to each other and Nick left. I quickly ran to catch up to Sarah walking into the classroom.

“Since when?” I asked, sitting down at our table.

Sarah looked up at me, clueless, “Since when, what?”

“Since when have you and Nick been going out?”

“Oh, um,” she paused to think. Like they have been dating forever. “For a while now? A week or so?”

My eyebrow rose and my hopes fell. Hopes on thinking our friendship could go back to the time when Dru was with us, but no, she held this from me, something we’d giggle at a few years ago and have girly gossip about. It may seem like nothing, but I miss it.

“Jilly, are you upset?” she asked. “You were standing right there when he slipped me the note. I thought you saw and knew!”

I knew she was pulling that out of her ass. Maybe I was standing right there, but if she thought I knew, she would be sharing all their mushy moments together with me. I told her not to worry about it and that I was just happy that he finally asked her out.

Word gets around fast, I guess, because right before the bell rang and I sat down in my chair in AIS, Quint came right up to me asking:

“Sarah and Nick are going out?”

“I guess,” I answered, crossing my arms and looking away, “I just found out about it myself.”

“This isn’t good,” he said, sitting down across from me. “I knew they were friends, but now there’s this new level to their relationship. Nick didn’t even tell me about this,” he let out, sitting back in the chair like he was thinking out loud. “This isn’t good at all. If we go against Xi in a fight, it’s going to be hard for them.”

I knew what he meant. My feelings were getting stronger with every moment I spent with Quint. How was I going to be able to fight and hold back my feelings if I had to watch him get the crap beaten out of him?

“Did you see them too?” I asked, “To know if Sarah and Nick are dating?”

“I have my connections, remember?” he answered, smirking.

“Good or bad?”

“I’m on your side, Jillian. Xi doesn’t deserve your powers.” Our eyes locked at that moment and I felt my cheeks flush. I was the first to pull away but only because he put his hand on my arm, “I’ll see you later.” He then winked at me and went to his back table.

Now… when he said your powers… Did he mean just mine- or Sarah’s too?

So now that Sarah knows that I know about her and Nick, all I constantly hear is the mushy details. She even invited me and Quint to go on a double date with them. I had to laugh at her when she said that, claiming, again, that feelings between him and me were clearly one sided. Little did I know that I would actually be going on a double date with them…

Sarah called after school saying that she just got off the phone with Nick, who just got off the phone with Quint, who agreed to this double date thing. I couldn’t say no after that even though I wanted to. Butterflies hit so hard in my stomach I thought I was going to be sick.

I had to get ready quickly because apparently Sarah answered for me and the moment they picked her up they were coming to get me. I put on the most casual “dressed up” clothing I could find. We went to the movies which was totally Nick and Sarah’s idea and they sat me and Quint next to each other. Almost like they wanted something to spark between us. It didn’t happen – Quint seemed just as nervous as I was. After the movies we went to the diner and had a midnight snack. We joked for a few hours, eating French Fries and drinking hot chocolate.

When we left the diner, we stood outside for a few minutes, taking in the fresh April air.

“Hey look, Jilly,” Sarah said at one point. She stepped away from us and crouched down to the ground. “It’s that black cat.” She began to call it over.

It was then that Quint said, “We should get going. School tomorrow.”

I looked from the cat to Quint, surprised that he would be saying that. Quint usually ditched school or ditched classes. Sarah stood and agreed with him, then locked arms with Nick and began to head towards the car. I looked back at the cat before Quint urged me to walk away.

“Sarah, it did it again!” I shouted.

Once again, the black cat’s copper eyes flashed at me.

“What?” she asked, turning around to see what I always seemed to notice.

Nick laughed, “Jillian, when you get home, go straight to bed.”

Quint laughed with Nick. I crossed my arms, sticking my tongue out at him. I wasn’t going crazy and I certainly wasn’t tired. I followed them back to the car, not looking back at the cat. How could I? When I did look back at it, Quint put his arm around my waist to pull me away. I was the first dropped off and actually did just what Nick told me to do.