The Gathering (17 page)

"Are you doing anything after?” he whispered.

"No, no plans."

"I thought we could get a drink...or if not that then maybe dance or talk or something."

Kaley smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

Ian let his hand slip down her wrist and felt the softness of her fingertips against his own.
 
Kaley turned as Ian's hand left hers and she felt the onset of butterflies in her stomach, much to her joy and equal chagrin, but she smiled nonetheless.

The children walked to their places and Sara went to stand by Coeli who took a step away from her.
 
Sara looked at Coeli but couldn’t understand why she was moving away from her.

Sara took another step towards her and Coeli turned to look at her sister.

“What’s wrong with you?” Sara asked.

“Why do you have to take all of them, Sara?
 
Can’t you just pick a few and throw the others back for the rest of us?”
          

Sara shook her head and grabbed her sister’s arm.

“What are you talking about?”

“I don't know.
 
I just really like him.”

Sara moved her hand down Coeli’s arm and took her hand.
 
Coeli looked at her sister, her face starting to soften.

“Who?” Sara asked.

“Sam.”

Sara’s shoulders relaxed and she squeezed her sister’s hand.

“Oh Honey, all you had to do was tell me.
 
I’ll leave Sam Hearst alone.
 
You’re my sister.
 
No boy will ever be worth my sisters.
 
Besides, I’m not sure he likes me like that.”

Coeli felt a tear run down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away, as Sara pulled her sister into a hug.

“I’m sorry.
 
I don’t think he likes me either.”

Sara pulled back and looked at Coeli.

“I wouldn't be so sure.
 
All the way to the stage he was asking about you."

Coeli felt her breathing grow short.

"Really?"

Sara looked over at Kaley, who was watching with interest.
 
Sara mouthed, "
it's ok"
and turned back to Coeli.

"He asked about you, if you were seeing anyone, that kind of stuff.
 
And for future reference, try talking to me, Shay.
 
I love you.”

“I love you too.
 
I'm sorry.”

The sisters embraced and pulled apart to see their siblings watching them.
 
Kaley looked at both of them.

“Are you two done?
 
Can we play now?”

"I haven't practiced yet," cried Brandon.

“Yeah, I have things to do,” piped up Brian.

The other children turned and looked at him.

“I do.”

Coeli picked up her fiddle and Sara and Brandon picked up their flutes.
 
Alisha was sitting at the piano.
 
The older twins were each playing percussion, the bodhran and bass drum.
 
Kaley picked up her guitar, Rebecca sat down with her hammered dulcimer and Brian sat with his uillean pipes.
 
James Tippen took his position and the children began to tune up.
 
After a moment, James raised his baton and the music erupted in the air and everyone turned as if drawn to the platform.
 
Many started dancing in the back as Lisa and Amanda began to step dance to the reel their siblings were playing.
 

Sam stood silently watching Coeli.
 

“Well, was it a wonderful as you thought?”

Sam turned and looked at his friend.

“No.”

“What?”

“I didn't tell you, but when that thing hit us this morning, I didn't think about Sara, I thought about Coeli.
 
Now when I look at her, I get those same feelings I used to get when I looked at Sara.
 
I don't get it.
 
I thought Sara was the one.
 
Now… nothing.”

“Well, maybe it’s been Coeli this whole time, but you weren't really ready.
 
Maybe you thought she was too young, I don't know, and you just transferred all your feelings to Sara until Coeli was older and you were ready.”

“That’s deep.”

Scott grinned.

“So you’re not interested in Sara anymore?” Scott asked.

“No.”

“Do you mind if I, you know?”

“You’re interested in Sara?”

“Yeah.”

“How long?”

“A while.”

Sam turned to look at him and frowned.

“You never told me ‘cause of all my obsessing?
 
Just ‘cause I liked her?”

“Yeah.”

"I'm an asshole."

"No you're not."

“Yeah, I am.
 
If you can't tell me that you're into some girl just cause I like her…I'm an asshole."

"Fine, you're an asshole."

“Thanks.”

“You're welcome. Can we move on now?
 
You go after Coeli and I'll go after Sara.”

"But what if I don't know what I'm feeling?"

"Maybe you’re gay."

Sam smiled and Scott shook his head and put out his hand, they shook hands and stood there watching the stage until Sam was grabbed by his mother and forced to dance with her.
 
Coeli looked over and saw him dancing.
 
She couldn’t help but smile, slightly guilty at her behavior, until she looked over again and saw that he was looking at her and smiling, blushing.
 
She then felt her face get hot and let her music take over.

Sara saw her Squad and began to feel very alone.
 
She continued to play, uncomfortable with the way they were all staring at her; they didn't know her, not one of them.
 
They thought she was pretty.
 
They liked her looks, but not one of them knew her.
 
Then she looked over at Scott Forrester and saw that he was looking at her too, but the way he did made her knees weak.
 
No boy had ever made her feel like that.
 
She lowered her flute for only a moment and felt a smile start to emerge.
 
He saw her smile at him and he moved closer to the stage.
 
The Gathering had begun and magic was everywhere, more so than anyone would know.

22

Alia walked out of the castle main door with Vivian Shorely and her best friend, Janeen York.
 
Janeen stood at around five feet tall and had shoulder length black hair.
 
Her dark skin was the color of a strong latte, which offset her almond eyes.
 
Her mother was a Chinese immigrant who had married a Navy man.
 

Janeen had traveled the world before moving to the San Fernando Valley when she was ten years old.
 
Lucky for Alia, she moved in down the street.
 
Through thick and thin, the two were always together, even now in this New World.
 

Janeen was in charge of the daily operations of the Fail and had spent all day working with Duncan Worley and his staff, as well as organizing camp locations and booth areas, etc., but now it was time to unwind.

Vivian was telling Alia how she had organized all of the baked goods for the contests, that the first rounds of the competitions were being held that night and the following day and that Gordon Hutton’s staff had scheduled the meals and pastries for the next ten days.
 
This all flew off her tongue with lightning speed.
 

“Vivian?”

The chancellor stopped talking and looked at Alia.

“Enough work for the time being.
 
Let’s go have some fun.
 
What do you say?”

“Really,” Janeen added.

Vivian ever so slightly relaxed her shoulders and nodded her head.
 
She then cocked her head to one side.

"One more thing, Your Highness.
 
Elena Petrulengo would like an audience tomorrow at your earliest convenience."

Alia thought for a moment.

"Larry Hearst's mother-in-law?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Alia nodded.

“First thing in the morning then.
 
C'mon, we have to start the evening festivities and then we can relax.”

The three women walked quickly to the main stage area and Alia stopped briefly to see her children playing on the stage.
 
She glanced to her right and gave Janeen a sly look and bounced her head in the direction of the stage.

Janeen shook her head.

“No, no, I know that look and no.”

“You know you want to.
 
C’mon, for me?”

“I’m old, Al.
 
You think you’re twenty, you go.”

“Wus.”

“Yes, yes I am.
 
This is nothing new.”

Vivian looked at the women with complete mystery.

“Your Highness, I’m afraid I have to go and…get something to eat.
 
I will leave you to the…”

“Ok, thank you, Vivian.”

Alia turned back around and skipped towards the stage.
 
She moved quickly up the steps and stood with her two youngest daughters, who smiled to see their mother join them.

Alia was wearing a blue gauze outfit with a small fitted top that had long sleeves and a bare midriff.
 
Her skirt moved and twirled to just mid calf.
 
The boots she wore were black and she and the girls took a moment and stood perfectly still with their arms at their side.
 

Coeli turned and saw her mother as Alisha got up from the piano.
 
Coeli loved to step with her mother.
 
Alisha took the fiddle and continued the reel, as Alia looked over at her sixteen-year-old.

With absolute precision the four Starks began to step.
 
The tapping of their shoes and the speed of their movements drew an even larger crowd.
 
Before they knew it several other musicians had stepped in to take instruments from Sara and Alisha, who also now joined in the step.