"Sure, Jacey, whatever," Emma laughed, rolling her eyes. "Do you need to go back to your locker to get any books?"
"No," I said, rather quickly. "I just want to go. Now."
Emma laughed again at my urgency, which she no doubt assumed was fear of getting caught ditching.
We strolled out the front doors to avoid attracting too much attention. We continued across the sidewalks until we reached student parking. Emma automatically went to her truck. "Come on. I'll drive," she stated, unlocking her truck.
I opened the passenger door and jumped in. "So, where are we going?"
Emma closed her door and turned the ignition. "The beach of course."
"Of course."
Emma pulled onto the street. As she drove to the lake, she excitedly told me about her and Robby. I tried to listen, but my mind was preoccupied yet again. I wished my life was as simple as Emma's seemed. Emma gushed with enthusiasm. I glanced at her, her eyes glittering and her cheeks flushed with excitement. I was jealous.
As Emma continued, I felt my cell phone buzz in my pocket. When I saw the number, I groaned softly and ignored the call.
"So it looks like Robby is really interested. I mean, we've been talking every night on the phone and we're going out on Saturday night. Maybe you could find someone and double with us?" Emma suggested.
"Uh, yeah, sure." My phone buzzed again. He was getting persistent. I ignored the call again.
"Who keeps calling you? Don't you want to answer it?"
"It's Jamie. I really don't want to talk to him right now." I sighed loudly, turning my cell phone off. He could leave another message.
"What's going on? Why don't you want to talk to Jamie? Did something happen between the two of you?"
"Yeah, you could say that."
Emma turned to me, raising her eyebrows in concern. When I didn't say anymore, she turned her attention back to the road and began talking about her and Robby again. Instead of being jealous and annoyed, I was relived that I didn't have to explain myself. At least not yet.
Emma pulled into Hoffington State Park, waving to the park ranger as we drove by the ranger booth. She pulled into a parking spot near the entrance. As we stepped out of the truck, Emma reached behind the seat and grabbed a blanket and a soft cooler.
"What's in there?" I asked, pointing to the cooler.
"What? In here? Just a couple of sodas in ice. You just never know when you're going to need them."
I laughed. That was Emma. Always prepared. God, I loved her.
Emma carried the blanket and cooler to the beach. We both stopped to take off our shoes when we reached the sand. I carried my flip flops as we walked down the beach to get closer to the lake.
The beach was nearly empty. It was still fairly cool by the lake, and I was grateful for the jeans and sweater I was wearing. The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky. Emma spread the blanket out on the soft sand for us to sit on. We sat down and Emma opened the cooler, "Want one?"
"Sure," I replied, catching a diet soda she tossed in my direction. I was amazed the can was still cold. Emma opened her can, the carbonation of the soda hissing as it escaped. Folding her legs gracefully underneath her, she took a sip of soda.
I placed my can in the sand next to me and raised my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. I buried my bare toes in the cool sand and wiggled them, enjoying the feel of the sand between my toes. For a few moments, we sat listening to the waves crash on the beach. High above us, a seagull screeched in objection to our presence. I was glad we came down here. The beach always soothed me.
I hugged my knees closer to my chest and began. "So, Emma, I have a lot to tell you. But first I want to apologize for basically avoiding you for the past few days." I kept my eyes averted, staring down at my toes in the sand.
Emma shook her head gently, her golden bob reflecting the movement. "No, Jacey. You don't have to apologize to me, not ever."
"I know. But I am sorry. I just didn't know how to tell you everything." I rested my chin on my knees, still avoiding eye contact.
"Ok..." Emma replied.
"There is something going on. And something did happen between me and Jamie."
Emma remained silent, the only sound was her sipping her soda.
I breathed deeply, I knew I couldn't prolong this conversation any longer. Emma noticed my reluctance and encouraged me. "Really, it's alright, Jacey. You can tell me anything."
"Well, this past Sunday Jamie and I went for a run. He had a really bad accident." I went on to explain to her how we had started racing and how Jamie had tripped and hit his head on the brick steps of the house. "He was badly hurt. There was so much blood." I shuddered at the memory of Jamie's blood all over his and my hands. "He should have been hospitalized. He should have gotten stitches or staples to close that wound."
"Should have?" Emma questioned.
"Yes, he should have, but he didn't." I was still looking at my toes buried in the soft Lake Michigan sand. My head spun with anxiety. I tried to concentrate on the sound of the surf.
"Well, why didn't he? Is he alright now?"
"Yes, he's fine now. Actually better then fine. He's completely healed." I watched my toes escape the sand as I pushed them to the surface.
"Healed? How? If it was that bad, how did it heal so fast?"
I answered slowly, carefully. "He is completely healed because...I healed him." I turned my head to look at her, anxious to see her response.
"You healed him? How?" Emma's forehead wrinkled with confusion, the soda in her lap forgotten.
"Yes, I healed him, with my hands." I purposefully gave her as little information as possible to start, hoping to temper her response.
"Your hands. Okay." Her face remained blank, void of expression.
"I'm serious, Em. I healed him with my own hands by placing them on his wound and applying pressure." I was suddenly desperate to have her believe me. I faced her, crossing my legs in front of me. I raised my hands toward her, palms up. I didn't miss her involuntarily flinching as my hands came near.
"You...healed him...with your own hands." Emma spoke slowly, raising her eyebrows. Her voice held an incredulous tone.
"Yes," I answered simply, dropping my hands and placing them in my lap.
"Okay, where did you get this...power?" Emma stumbled on the last word.
"I don't know how I received it or why. I just have it." I stared back at the sand, at the holes made by my toes. A tiny sand spider attempted to climb out of one of the crevices.
I remained silent for a moment, letting Emma process what I'd said. Finally, I broke the silence. "Do you believe me?"
"Yes, I believe you," Emma said without hesitation. I turned to look at her again. I'm sure my face reflected the fear of rejection I was feeling.
"Really, I believe you. I do," Emma nodded her head reassuringly.
"Well, good, because there's more."
"Lay it on me," Emma stated lightly, displaying a grin.
Relief flooded through my body. The rest would be easy now.
"My mother was also a Healer, a person who could heal injury or sickness with the touch of her hand."
Emma raised her perfectly arched eyebrows, nodding her head in acknowledgement.
"And Emma, I've seen him again."
"Seen him?" Emma questioned. Her face lit up when she realized who I was referring to. "You've seen him." Her green eyes glittered with excitement.
"Yes, I've seen him." I couldn't help but grin in response.
Emma jumped to her knees, spilling her soda all over the blanket. She was so excited, she didn't seem to notice.
"You've seen him!" She practically yelled, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me.
"Yes," I giggled. "I've seen him."
"I told you. Didn't I tell you that you'd see him again," Emma stated with an air of satisfaction.
"Yes."
Emma sat up, her eyes wide and bright. "Well, tell me all about it. Everything. Where did you see him? When? What did he say? And don't you dare leave anything out." She shook her finger at me at the last part.
I put my hands out in front of me defensively. "Okay, Okay. I will," I said, laughing.
Emma folded her legs back underneath her again. She picked up her soda can and checked to see if there was any left after the spill. Turning it upside down, just a few drops fell out. "I guess I spilled all my soda." She giggled sheepishly.
Smiling, I reached behind me and grabbed my soda. "Here, you can have mine."
"Thanks, Jace." Emma took the can and placed it between her crossed legs. "Now, tell me everything."
I smiled again. "Well, after I healed Jamie's injury, he took me to Jameson's for their rolls. When Jamie took me home, he was standing there, in my neighbor's yard, just waiting for me."
"Really?" Emma grinned broadly.
"Yes," I grinned back. "So Varick and I went to the backyard where we sat and talked for a bit, just the two of us."
"Varick? His name is Varick?" Emma's eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Yes, Varick. Anyway, he knows so much about me. He knew my name. He knew Oma. He even knew my parents."
"Your parents? How is that possible? Why does he know you so well, but you've never seen him before?"
"That's a good question," I answered, biting my lip with anxiety.
"And...?" Emma pressed.
"Um, apparently he knows me so well because he's been sworn to protect me as long as I live."
"Protect you? From what?"
"I don't really know," I lied. "He said his duty was to protect me from anything that might want to harm me," I continued. "He told me his very existence, his only reason for living was to protect me. He even has my name tattooed on his wrist."
"Wow. That is so romantic," Emma sighed contently.
"Yeah, I guess so," I giggled awkwardly. I really hadn't thought of Varick's words or purpose in that way before.
"So, when are you going to see him again, Varick?" Emma giggled at the use of his name.
"I don't know."
"What do you mean? Didn't you get his number?" Emma asked.
"No, I didn't get his number. Honestly, I don't think he even has a number. It's not like that."
"Maybe when you see him again, you can ask him to double with me and Robby?"
"Yeah, maybe." I didn't think that would be likely. Varick just didn't seem like the kind of guy that I could take on a double date. I tried to imagine sitting in the movie theater, sharing a bucket of buttered popcorn, watching some pointless, romantic comedy with him. No, it wasn't going to happen.
Emma's eyes were dreamy with romantic notions. "Jacey, that is incredible. Just like a real life fairy tale. Amazing." Emma sighed loudly.
I frowned. That would be a gross mischaracterization of my life right now. I didn't consider it a fairy tale. If anything, it was more like a horror story.
Emma suddenly looked at me, her eyes clear of the dreaminess. "What about Jamie? Is there anything else going on with him? Why aren't you answering his calls?"
"Jamie and I are just good friends. He's like my brother. I think he's just worried about me. He's seen Varick and he knows a little about my powers to heal. So, I think he's just concerned about me." I stretched my legs out in front of me. Leaning back on my hands, I looked up into the sun and let the warm rays heat my face. I closed my eyes, savoring the sunlight. "I just don't want to be lectured by him regarding my safety. I can't really explain it, but I know Varick would never hurt me. I know it sounds crazy, but I just feel like I know him. I don't think Jamie would understand." I sat up, looking at Emma.
"You're probably right about Jamie. But, Jacey, I'm gonna warn you of the same thing. You really don't know this guy, and it does sound a little creepy that he knows so much about you."
"I know, I know." I didn't want to hear a lecture from her either.
Emma smiled widely. "Although I am a little worried for you, my excitement far exceeds the worry."
I smiled in response.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Did the pin come from him, Varick?" Emma gestured with her hand at the angel's wings pin that I had attached to the collar of my sweater.
"Yes, this is from him," I answered softly, caressing the pin with my left hand.
"I knew it. I knew it," Emma exclaimed, excitedly slapping her thighs.
I glanced down at my pin, my constant reminder of Varick.
Emma suddenly thrust her right hand in my face. "Here, Jacey. I want you to try your powers out on me. I have a bad hangnail that is on the verge of being infected. Cure it. Heal it. Do whatever it is that you do." Emma shook her hand at me to emphasize her request.
Emma's hangnail was barely noticeable. She had pulled skin and slight redness to her right pointer finger. I grabbed Emma's outstretched hand, examining the finger closer.
"I don't know, Emma. There's not much here. It may not even work."
"Oh, just try it anyways. Please, please, pleaseeeee."
"Alright," I agreed, rolling my eyes. "But I'm not sure if it will really work."
"That's alright. Just try it anyway."
I grabbed her hand a little tighter, bringing it even closer to my face to inspect it. There really wasn't much there, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try.
"Well, are you going to do it?"
"You can't rush this," I didn't think that was entirely true, but I was stalling.
I placed my hand over Emma's finger, enclosing my hand around it. Closing my eyes, I tried to recreate what I did when I healed Jamie's injury. I created an image in my mind of Emma's skin healing, the infection disappearing. The now familiar warming sensation began to fill my palm, warming down into Emma's skin. As the warmth began to grow hotter, Emma tried to pull her hand away. "Jacey..."
"Shh." I held her hand tighter and squeezed her finger. The burning increased to sharp white heat very quickly. Emma gasped.
I opened my eyes. The heat was gone from my hand. Emma's eyes were wide with shock. I released Emma's finger from my grip and she raised it to her face and inspected it.
"Oh my god, Jacey. It worked. Look, look. It's all healed!" She thrust her finger at me.