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“You’ve
got to be kidding,” I choked out and started fiddling with my ring, twisting
the ankh round and round my pinky. “Do you think she has a chance?” I chewed on
my lower lip, diverting my eyes back to Madison.

She
shook her head slowly. “Well, she’s blonde, beautiful, and manipulative. He
fancied himself in love with her once before, and he hasn’t left her side since
she arrived this morning. Although,” she waved her index finger in my face and
made a strange sound with her lips, “I can’t tell for sure if that’s because he
can’t get away from her, or because he’s infatuated with her again.”

“Oh,”
I said, massaging my temples. My dull headache was spreading, and no matter how
much I tried, my Essence was not taking away the pain. Somehow, seeing Jason
with his ex-girlfriend was only compounding the discomfort.

“Got a
headache or something?” Madison asked.

“Yes,”
I mumbled.

“Why
don’t you just heal it with your Essence,” she suggested.

“Oh
yeah,” I said with a dumb smile and lied, “This is all so new; I forget I can
heal myself.” She frowned and shook her head like I was dim-witted. Stepping
into the kitchen, she grabbed a glass of champagne off the counter and held
another one out to me, but I shook my head. As she returned to my side, she
sipped slowly from her glass. My eyes fell on the crab cakes again, but I’d
lost my appetite.

“I’d
say she stands a decent chance. She’ll do her best to seduce him before the
night is through. Just look at what she’s wearing,” Madison said disgustedly.
“And, he’s only a man after all – totally susceptible to a woman’s
manipulations. There’s only one way I can see to stop her.” Heavily, she rested
one hand on my shoulder.

Gazing
at her with interest, I said cautiously, “Yeah, what’s that?”

“I
never thought I’d be saying this,” she puffed out her cheeks, “but if you and I
team up together, I think we could help him come to his senses. Considering
he’ll probably be unable to do so on his own.”

“How
would we do that?” I looked at her suspiciously.

“Well,
he’s always held some sort of fascination for you,” she shrugged and had the
decency to precede her next comment with a partial apology. “Of course, you’ll
have to forgive me for saying so, but I can’t believe it has to do with
anything other than your Essence. Anyways, that’s beside the point.” She took a
sip from her glass. “I think if we work together – me distracting
her
and you distracting
him
, we might be able to screw up any plans she has
for seducing him.”

A tray
crashed onto the kitchen floor, and a couple guys cursed. Dropping to the floor,
they crawled around the Brazilian hardwoods chasing after stuffed, cherry red
tomatoes which were rolling in all directions.

Laughing
aloud, more at Madison’s plans than the guys on the floor, I turned to her and
said, “Are you serious?”

“Deadly.”

This
Carissa must be really dreadful if Madison was suggesting a partnership. I
never thought I’d see the day when Madison viewed me as the lesser of two
evils. Partially obstructed from view, Carissa and Jason had stepped back a few
feet but still appeared to be in a heated discussion. Because of the angle I
was observing them from, I didn’t think he could spot me now, that is, if he
hadn’t already. Pressing herself against him, Carissa had one hand on his neck
and the other on his chest. My heart constricted, and I tried to keep myself
from getting too worked up. At least he wasn’t smiling.

“I’m
afraid so,” Madison quipped. “Your Essence is the one thing we have going for
us right now.”

I had
to laugh at that. She was truly unbelievable. But I wasn’t about to bow out of
her plan, because I didn’t want him with Carissa any more than she did.

“Obviously,
he and I are not linked right now, so when the music starts up tonight you need
to monopolize him on the dance floor. Once he wraps his arms around you and gets
a little blast of your Essence, that will knock him off his feet for awhile and
he might even forget about Carissa altogether.”

I
coughed and sputtered. Eyes wide with wonder, I asked, “What’s gonna stop
Carissa from interfering while I’m doing all this monopolizing of Jason?”

She
smiled wickedly, like only she was capable of. In a cocky tone, one I was
accustomed to hearing from Ash, she said, “Oh, don’t you worry about that.” She
ran her fingertip around the top of her wine glass. “I’ll take care of Carissa.”
Somehow, I had no doubts that she would too. She cleared her throat and said,
“Deal?”

Looking
at Carissa as she ran her hand down Jason’s cheek and rested it under his chin,
I cringed and nodded. “Deal.”

“Lexi!
I’m so glad you’re here,” Jessica called out excitedly as she came bouncing
through throes of people. I did a double take when I noticed two guys, who
looked identical, hard on her heels. Rushing up, she hugged me, grabbed my
hands and danced us around in a circle. “You look amazing,” she said
animatedly. Merrily, she turned to Madison and said, “Thanks sis for hanging
out with Lexi until I got here. That was really nice of you to make sure she
felt comfortable around all these people she doesn’t know.”

“Sure
thing, Jess,” Madison said, suppressing a smile. I had to laugh. Even though
Jessica had no idea why I was laughing, she joined in and gave me another hug.
“Good luck tonight, Lexi,” Madison said firmly. Gripping my arm, she gave me a
meaningful look before excusing herself.

“Lexi,”
Jessica said and turned me around until I was facing the identical twins.
Looking current yet elegant in a pair of ankle boots, black wash-on denim
jeans, and a light blue chiffon blouse with short-sleeved, frill cuffs, she was
curiously bouncy. “I’d like you to meet Ryan and Rob, also Amethysts, and who
also happen to be good friends of mine.” Her smile dazzled, but her eyes seemed
to sparkle especially bright when she looked at Rob. “They’re from San
Francisco.”

As
Jessica continued talking I studied the twins. They were good-looking enough
with their deep tans, sun-bleached blonde hair, and light brown eyes. I
wouldn’t be surprised to find out they spent all their free time at the beach
surfing the waves. Interestingly enough, I noted Rob gazing at Jessica with a
special gleam in his eye as well.

She
cleared her throat and nudged me, “As I was saying,” she said, looking at me
wide-eyed, so I smiled and nodded. “There are a total of eight Amethysts here
tonight, and we were on a mission to round you up so Mr. Walker could introduce
all of us to the Guardians before giving his other announcements.” The tiered
fluted trim of her blouse exaggerated the neckline, while the silky sash at her
waist emphasized her already petite body. With her dark brown hair piled on her
head and her dangling earrings, she looked very cosmopolitan.

“Yes,”
Rob added, “and then the party will really start and we can hit the dance
floors.”

“So,
come on.” Jessica grabbed Rob by the arm of his black sweater and waved for
Ryan and me to follow. Ryan shrugged, and smiling he grabbed my hand. The four
of us proceeded to the middle of the Centrum where Jessica introduced me to the
other Amethysts: a tall, skinny girl from Texas; a plump girl, with chipmunk
cheeks from Minnesota; a cute girl from Florida; and a short, freckle-faced guy
from New York. Everyone seemed to know and respect Jessica, and she kept the
conversation flowing making sure everyone was included.

Doing
my best to pay attention, I let my eyes wander the room in search of Jason, but
he was nowhere to be found. All of a sudden, Mr. Walker was standing with us,
and he started talking through a cordless microphone. His voice echoed through
the house, and soon all the guests stopped chattering and focused their
attention on him. Mass movement took place up above, as people flocked to the
railings and looked down at us.

After
a warm welcome and a few announcements, Mr. Walker began introducing all eight
of us Amethysts to the crowd. Remembering how Jessica and Jason had both told
me that Amethysts were treated with the highest respect, I’d forgotten we’d be
completely singled out and presented to the crowd. Apparently, this was so
Guardians would know who we were and could seek us out, either to get to know
us better, or to enjoy the energy boosts we could offer. Feeling intimidated by
the all the inspecting eyes, I rocked slightly back and forth on my feet. I
hadn’t expected to feel so overwhelmed.

Mr.
Walker introduced me last. Placing one arm around my shoulder, he smiled
kindly. “This is Lexi Adams. She has recently joined our Bellingham Circle.”

I
could feel myself blushing as the heat rushed up my neck. Not meaning to, I
tuned out his words and gazed up to the first floor balcony. That’s when I
first made eye contact with Jason. Trembling, I was sure my face turned even
brighter as his aqua eyes focused directly on me. My heart somersaulted when he
smiled, and I felt certain it was one of encouragement. I found that it worked,
because I regained self-confidence from our visual connection. I made a
conscious effort to stand taller and with more poise. Aware that everyone in
the room was studying me, I chose not to let it bother me anymore. I found
myself unable to look away from Jason but also unable to smile back at him,
either. He’d trampled on my heart so many times; I was now guarding it
reverently. Knowing I’d be blasted with his usual rejection, did I have it in
me to flirt with him relentlessly in order to separate him from Carissa? Or
worse yet, what if I had to listen to him verbally lambaste me in front of
everyone because I was coming onto him? That would be embarrassingly ugly.

Suddenly,
Mr. Walker gave me a final pat on the back and then stepped forward. As he
scanned the room high and low, he reminded everyone about the meeting that
would start promptly at noon the next day. He reiterated the expectations that
everyone was to be present, because the Senior Council would be relaying
official business and giving updates about our Ray-pac plan for an all out
search and destroy party.

He
tapped his microphone and said, “Enjoy the last evening of 2011.” In a firm
voice, he added, “Let’s ring in the New Year responsibly.”

“And
let the party begin,” someone yelled out from an upper balcony. Cheers went up
through the crowd and people stomped their feet. Mr. Walker smiled as the
lights dimmed, and the music started playing. I could see Carissa pulling Jason
away from the railing, just as Ryan tugged me along after Jessica and Rob.
Having been identified as a group of Amethysts, it took almost a half hour for
us just to reach the game room.

We
hung out for awhile, and I met several interesting Guardians from around the
country. At first it was weird to hug a bunch of people I didn’t know, but I
followed Ryan and Jessica’s lead and finally relaxed, trying my best to think
of everyone as part of my extended family. I might have enjoyed myself more if
I hadn’t been constantly worrying about the deal I’d made with Madison or my
plan to sneak out in the morning and deliver myself to the Ray-pacs.

Ryan
was a nice enough guy, but he didn’t seem to want to leave my side. Finally, it
dawned on me that maybe Jessica had said something to him and was trying to set
us up. She was definitely flirting with his brother, and I knew how her wheels
spun. She’d think it would be fun for us to hook up with identical twin
brothers, who also happened to be Amethysts. Truly, I hoped I was wrong in that
assumption, because I didn’t have time for another man in my life, literally.

At
long last, the four of us made our way to the second floor balcony and started
dancing together to the strong pop rhythm of Flo Rida
.
Multi-colored
lights reflected off the gigantic, spinning disco ball causing the walls and
floors to shimmer and sparkle. The dance floor was crowded as everyone moved in
time to the beat. Despite being a chilly winter evening, the cold breeze
blowing in through the partially open sliding doors felt refreshing. With so
many bodies pressed so close together, there was no lack of heat.

We
danced through several fast-paced, upbeat songs. The music and mood were
contagious. At one point the music stopped and the DJ announced, “Okay, for all
you sweethearts out there find that special someone or,” his chuckle echoed
through the speakers, “someone you’d just like to wrap your arms around and
pull a little closer. I’ve had several requests for a slow song, so here we go.
Oh,” he laughed again, “if you’re standing next to an Amethyst, grab ‘em up,
because they go quickly.”

A few people
left the dance floor, but the majority of party goers paired up. Rob took
Jessica into his arms, and she smiled brightly at him. I couldn’t very well
refuse when Ryan asked me to dance; I didn’t have any good excuses. Resting my
hands on his shoulders, I kept him at arm’s length, like I was a timid middle
school girl at her first dance. I didn’t want to mislead him or encourage him
in any way. As an electric guitar and a familiar tune sounded through the
speakers, I realized Rascal Flatt’s song;
Love Who You Love
was the DJ’s
choice.

Dropping
my arms, I stood frozen solid and stared at Ryan in disbelief. But I wasn’t
focused on him at all; I was lost in the past. What were the odds the DJ would
choose an old and obscure song like this one? Unless, someone had specifically
requested it…

“What?”
Ryan asked with concern. “What’s wrong?

“I…I…”
Stuttering, I couldn’t continue. My memories took me back to that hot August
day when Jason and I were heading to Nooksack Falls. He’d gotten emotional and
ejected the CD before this song had finished playing. When I’d asked him why,
he’d started to say how it reminded him of someone, and then said he’d tell me
about it some other time. I wondered if this was his song with Carissa.